The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 334, Chapter Seventy-Nine

Li Miao considered himself fairly quick-witted, not exceptionally intelligent, but adequate. If you added his martial prowess, then it was more than enough.

But even Lord Li would feel a toothache when facing Ji Tianrui.

If there is any opponent in Da Shuo that Li Miao must be wary of and go all out against, it would undoubtedly be this Ming Cult leader, the Miao witch.

Li Miao had to admit that from the moment he entered the martial world, he had been completely outmaneuvered by Ji Tianrui. In the matter of the imperial tomb, the emperor, Emperor Jianwen, and even Li Miao himself were all just supporting characters; the true protagonist was only Ji Tianrui.

And she did indeed achieve all her plans and escape unscathed.

Someone like her, every move and every smile is calculated, so Li Miao wouldn't believe that she left that secret room unintentionally.

It's likely that this booklet was originally intended for Li Miao. However, due to a series of unforeseen events, it was first stolen by someone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and given as a gift to Lord Luo; now, after going through so many twists and turns, it has been delivered to Li Miao once again.

"Zheng Anqi".

Li Miao twirled his fingers, thinking to himself.

"Although the leader of the sect speaks in a cryptic manner, she doesn't like to lie; she just prefers to keep things to herself... so this information should be credible."

"This legendary figure, who appeared in official history since the Qin and Han dynasties and had interactions with Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, was the founder of Yingzhou... and the bloodline of Yingzhou and Penglai."

Both Yingzhou and Penglai are lineages passed down through bloodlines and both share the surname Zheng. Therefore, An Qisheng is not only the patriarch of both sides, but also their ancestor.

The answer to the question that Xue Bangzhu was seeking was finally revealed.

"But if it's just something like 'An Qisheng founded Yingzhou,' is it really worth Xue Bangzhu's effort to investigate after the massacre of his family? Is it worth the sect leader leaving a manual specifically to remind him?"

Li Miao stopped rubbing her fingers.

He thought of Emperor Jianwen and Yin Ruihua.

Although he clung to life in a near-dead state, Emperor Jianwen did indeed live to this day, reaching the age of 167 when he was killed by Li Miao. Yin Ruihua was nearly 200 years old.

When one's life force is aligned with the body's, even if one practices the evil path of Emperor Jianwen, it can greatly extend one's lifespan.

An Qisheng had many titles, the most famous of which were "Zheng Xian", "Ancestor of Qin and Han Dynasty Alchemists", and "Northern Real Person".

There is also the "thousand-year-old man".

Li Miao lowered his hand.

Based on the four Celestial Realms he has encountered so far, he doesn't believe anyone can live past a thousand years. Even the most profound and mysterious 'Silent Illumination' cannot change the essence of the human body.

But right now, he still has no clue what exactly "artistic conception" or "profound contemplation" is, and he dares not make any rash judgments.

"We need more clues. At least we need to thoroughly investigate the booklet left by Master Ji and Zheng Huaijin's belongings before we can draw more conclusions... For now, this is all the speculation we can come up with."

Li Miao stopped thinking and looked up.

While he was pondering, Gao Anyu was still engaged in a fierce battle with Hua Zhiqi. However, once the soldiers who had surrounded him turned to protect Lord Luo, he was not in any immediate danger.

When Lord Luo saw Li Miao finally raise his head, he hurriedly said...

"Well, have you made up your mind?"

Li Miao glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hmm...that's about it."

Li Miao waved to Cao Hanyan, who sighed and turned to walk to Li Miao's side without hesitation.

Lord Luo's face lit up with joy.

"Very well, you are indeed straightforward! The secret chamber is located at—"

"Not in a hurry."

Li Miao raised his hand and pointed a finger at Cao Hanyan's chest, then smiled at Lord Luo.

"I have a few more questions, Lord Luo, you might as well answer them."

Lord Luo frowned, but he really didn't want to cause any more trouble. He figured there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with these roughnecks later, so he waved his sleeve and said, "Speak freely!"

Li Miao's finger was still poking Cao Hanyan's heart as he said with a smile.

"Firstly, Lord Luo was previously an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, in a prestigious department like the Selection of Personnel, yet he was demoted in name only to this Guangxin Prefecture. Has Lord Luo ever considered why?"

Lord Luo frowned, anger rising in his heart, and was about to reprimand him when he heard Li Miao continue speaking.

"It's because you chose the wrong side."

"!!!" Lord Luo's eyelids opened slightly.

"Secondly, the current Embroidered Uniform Guard is different from the one before last year. Since Lord Luo came from the capital, he should know this... So here's the problem."

Li Miao lowered his hand from Cao Hanyan's chest.

"Who gave you the audacity to first collude with those traitorous beasts in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to pocket items related to the Ming Cult? And then, in league with powerful local factions, try to cover up the death of an Embroidered Uniform Guard captain?"

Li Miao smiled coldly.

"Is it your mentor, Vice Minister Qiu of the Ministry of Personnel, or your fellow townsman, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Gan of the Censorate?"

"Or perhaps it's one of your friends who, as officials in the Six Ministries, secretly submit memorials to create momentum and try to suppress the rise of the imperial clan?"

Dengdengdeng.

Lord Luo's knees buckled, and he almost fell. He barely managed to steady himself but took a few steps back, raising his trembling hand to point at Li Miao.

"You, you, how did you know—"

"Now I'm asking you questions."

Li Miao interrupted him with a smile, and Lord Luo's face turned pale, and he stammered and shut his mouth.

Li Miao then continued slowly and deliberately.

“Look, Lord Luo, you are not sincere.”

"I asked you two questions, and you didn't answer either of them. How can we talk about cooperation with this attitude?"

"How about this, if you can answer my third question, we'll forget about what happened before, okay?"

How can Lord Luo possibly answer that now?
His official robes were trembling uncontrollably. The subordinates who had been supporting him just moments before quietly let go of his hands, silently taking several steps back to distance themselves from him.

After a long pause, he spoke in a trembling voice.

"You said."

Li Miao patted Cao Hanyan on the shoulder.

Ever since he poked her with his finger, Cao Hanyan had kept her eyes closed and head bowed, her face flushed, as if she had lost her mind. Now, when he slapped her, she suddenly opened her eyes, but the first thing she did was reach out and touch herself all over, then looked at Li Miao in astonishment.

Li Miao didn't look at him, but continued speaking to Lord Luo.

"Actually, the third question is very simple. I think Lord Luo should be able to answer it."

"The question is... how many people are in your family?"

Lord Luo was about to answer instinctively.

"seven--"

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized something, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

He knew all too well what this question represented, having come from a background as a Beijing official and having experienced the bloody struggles between the imperial family and the eunuch and civil official groups in the first half of this year.

But Li Miao wouldn't let him go.

"You got it right, Lord Luo has finally gotten it right once."

Li Miao smiled knowingly.

"That's right... indeed, seventy-nine."

Lord Luo's eyes widened in shock! His family consisted of his wife, young son, and concubine—a total of seven people!

Cao Hanyan turned around, feeling the powerful true energy surging within her body, far exceeding her own strength. She drew her sword and let out a long sigh.

As expected, they still couldn't stop it.

These people are really good at courting death. He had tried his best to maneuver within the limits that Li Miao could accept, but he still couldn't change the outcome.

Lord Luo was blinded by his own involvement, but Cao Hanyan, an observer with a clearer perspective, looked at Lord Luo with pity.

The names Li Miao mentioned earlier... his teachers, fellow villagers, and friends, those who worked with him for the civil service and tried to prevent the rise of the imperial clan's power.

With Lord Luo included, the total number of family members should be exactly seventy-nine.

(End of this chapter)