Chapter Thirty-Four: The Crime of Deceiving the Emperor!
Eastern Palace.
Hall of Martial Virtue.
“Your Highness.” Bai Xue, seeing Zhao Heng brimming with anger, furrowed her brows and asked, “Has His Majesty granted permission regarding the tax silver case?”
Zhao Heng snorted coldly, “Li Yunjie must have used some trick—he’s stirred up such a storm in the capital!”
“Father fears inciting public outrage, so he had no choice but to allow a reinvestigation.”
Bai Xue’s expression grew grave. “Your Highness, if Li Yunjie uncovers the truth, it will severely disrupt our plans.”
“Why not simply eliminate him?”
Zhao Heng was silent for a moment; a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and his tone grew sinister. “We must not act rashly. If we strike now, it would be tantamount to admitting our guilt.”
Bai Xue nodded slightly. “Your Highness, what should we do now?”
“Hold our ground, watch Li Yunjie’s movements in secret,” Zhao Heng said icily.
He paused, his voice even colder. “If the situation spirals out of control, killing him will not be too late.”
Bai Xue understood, bowed, and withdrew to carry out the arrangements.
…
The Prime Minister’s Residence.
Front Courtyard.
Li Yunjie was engrossed in studying the sword manual left behind by Li Jia.
Frowning at the obscure techniques in the book—moves such as Invincible Blade Strike, Sovereign’s Thrust, Sovereign’s Second Thrust, and the like.
Most absurd was the Poison Dragon Spiral Drill.
Li Yunjie stared at the strange posture depicted in the diagram, his brows knitting in confusion.
“You’re right.” Su Qingmeng appeared silently behind Li Yunjie, “His Majesty has granted permission.”
Li Yunjie smiled faintly and closed the manual. “Let’s go.”
“You’ve found a clue?” Su Qingmeng asked, puzzled. “You’ve been holed up in the Su Residence these days poring over that shabby manual. When did you find a lead?”
“Your father gave it to me,” Li Yunjie replied with a light laugh.
He walked a few steps ahead, then turned to glance back at Su Qingmeng.
“Just protect me in secret. Do not reveal yourself under any circumstances.”
“Why?” Su Qingmeng looked utterly baffled.
“With a fourth-rank master like you by my side, who would dare attempt an assassination?” Li Yunjie said, and strode out the door.
Su Qingmeng pursed her lips in displeasure.
As a high-ranking commander, she was used to giving orders, not receiving them.
These days, being summoned and sent about by Li Yunjie had left her simmering with frustration.
On the road.
Li Yunjie keenly noticed that Shi Yi was lurking a few paces behind him, which annoyed him.
“Come out.”
As soon as he spoke, Shi Yi crept out from behind.
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“Didn’t I tell you not to follow?” Li Yunjie scolded. “I warned you—this trip is dangerous!”
“Since you said it’s dangerous, how could I possibly ignore you, Young Master?” Shi Yi replied resolutely. “Wherever you go, I go!”
On her youthful face was a look of unwavering determination.
“You stubborn mule,” Li Yunjie muttered.
He shook his head in resignation and continued onward.
“Let’s be clear,” Li Yunjie said as he walked. “You must obey my every command.”
“If anything happens, and I tell you to run, you run. Understood?”
“Don’t worry, Young Master!” Shi Yi nodded vigorously. “I’m quick on my feet!”
Li Yunjie sighed deeply and quickened his pace.
Following the address Su Ming had given him, he traversed several long streets and arrived at a secluded courtyard on the outskirts of the city.
Li Yunjie stood at the gate, peering inside through the fence.
The signs of cleaning in the yard suggested someone lived there.
Li Yunjie took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door. “Is anyone there?”
“Who is it?” After a long while, a hoarse, aged voice came from within.
Looking over, he saw a haggard, elderly man.
“Sir, I am Li Yunjie from the Court of Judicial Review, here to investigate a case,” Li Yunjie stated directly.
If Su Ming could provide him this address,
it meant the occupant should know his identity.
This was confirmed by the elder’s calm face.
Ordinary people, hearing an official was investigating, would first show surprise or fear.
Yet this man exhibited none of those emotions; indeed, there was even a hint of expectation in his eyes!
The old man leaned on a cane and hobbled out, opening the dilapidated door.
“Sir, your leg?” Li Yunjie asked, noting the limp in the man’s right leg.
“An old injury,” the elder chuckled. “You must forgive me, sir.”
They moved into the main room.
To call it a main room was generous—it was merely a crude space made of mud walls.
The elder gestured for Li Yunjie to sit.
Li Yunjie noticed that though the man’s clothing was plain, his gaze was sharp and his demeanor unusual.
“May I ask your surname?” Li Yunjie inquired.
“No need for formality. I am Yu, just Yu Hu,” the old man replied slowly.
The name Yu Hu struck a chord in Li Yunjie’s mind.
He seemed to have seen it somewhere before.
Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed in Li Yunjie’s mind!
Among the bandit leaders sentenced to beheading in the tax silver case, one was named Yu Hu!
A clap of thunder exploded outside.
It echoed Li Yunjie’s current emotions, as if struck by lightning!
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“It was Minister Su himself who supervised the execution back then!”
Jiang Kui’s words rang in his ears once more.
Suspicion and shock collided within Li Yunjie’s heart.
If Su Ming oversaw the execution, yet this old man before him was Yu Hu, who should have been beheaded three years ago,
then Su Ming had deceived the emperor!
A capital crime!
“Three years ago,” before Li Yunjie could compose himself, the old man began reminiscing, “I should have died for the so-called tax silver ambush.”
“But just before the execution, Minister Su used a clever trick to secretly send someone to rescue me.”
“That is how I survived.”
Li Yunjie drew a deep breath, his expression grave. “Why did Minister Su save you?”
This was no trivial matter.
Li Yunjie knew that if Yu Hu carried no secret, Su Ming would not have risked his own life to save him.
“Because,” Yu Hu exhaled slowly, speaking in measured tones, “I saw the truth of the tax silver case back then.”
“The truth?”
Yu Hu’s gaze was profound, his voice heavy. “That batch of tax silver was seized by the Northern Shaman Tribe!”
Li Yunjie pondered these words for a long time.
He quickly found something amiss.
First, if the Northern Shaman Tribe had stolen the tax silver, the case could have been pursued further; there was no need to close it hastily.
For the court, the death of a few bandits was minor—recovering the tax silver was paramount.
Second, the Yongzhou tax silver was unlike others; its amount was huge, and its transport highly secretive.
Without an insider, the Northern Shaman Tribe could never have known the transport route!
“How can I trust you?” Li Yunjie asked, voice steady.
He had to maintain absolute composure now.
Words alone were not enough; only solid evidence would suffice.
“I was hiding nearby that day; I saw it with my own eyes!” Yu Hu’s eyes flickered with fear. “The attackers glanced at the soldiers, and they all collapsed instantly.”
“Such a method can only be achieved through the Soul Severing Technique of the Northern Shamans!”
“After slaughtering the guards, they moved the tax silver and the bodies away overnight!”
Li Yunjie felt a growing trust in Yu Hu.
This manner of killing matched the deaths of Hong Lie and the guard exactly!
“There was one among the Northern Shamans that day who left a deep impression on me,” Yu Hu mused after a pause.
“That person dressed differently from the others.”
“The others all wore black robes.”
“But that one rode a black iron steed, clad in pitch-black iron armor…”
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