My daily cultivation progress is calculated.

Chapter 147 The Hundred Herbs Pill! Yang Wanli is tricked and caught in a dilemma! The whereabouts of the prisoner are unknown, and Shen Yan takes action!

Chen Xiaoshuan reported the matter to Ye Zhou.

Ye Zhou's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, though he felt a surge of murderous intent.

Although Ye Zhou had the intention to kill, he also knew that now was not the time to pursue the matter.

He hurriedly went in to report.

"Sir, something has happened."

Yang Wanli frowned and asked, "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

Ye Zhou whispered in his ear, "Liu Xunhua in cell number C has been switched!"

Yang Wanli's expression changed slightly. Liu Xunhua was a wanted criminal whom Emperor Xuanwu had personally ordered to be executed by slow slicing. Now that the person had disappeared, if the criminal could not be produced for execution in ten days, things would be in serious trouble.

If handled improperly, it could be considered a crime of deceiving the emperor.

The reason why prisoners from the Dali Temple were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's Heavenly Prison was because the executioners in the Heavenly Prison were the most skilled.

Only Liu Qiandao of the Heavenly Prison could administer the punishment of slow slicing, allowing prisoners to be cut a thousand times without dying.

Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) was a skilled craft, and those who could undergo this punishment were all personally selected by Emperor Xuanwu.

If the prisoner dies before the sentence reaches a thousand cuts, the executioner may still be punished.

Yang Wanli understood that someone was trying to ruin his career. Since taking office, he had handled his duties brilliantly.

The position of Right Chancellor had been vacant for a long time, and he was the most suitable candidate.

However, he was still young and had just been promoted to Minister of Justice.

To go further, we need to achieve even greater success.

However, if such a major blunder were to occur at this moment, causing Emperor Xuanwu to lose face, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yang Wanli and Ye Zhou discussed in the prison cell that they must bring Liu Xunhua back within ten days.

Ye Zhou sighed and said, "My lord, this is a trap set by the Dali Temple."

"Jiang Tao, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is Zeng Shihong's son-in-law and is highly regarded by him. He must have been involved in some of Zeng's schemes."

Yang Wanli gazed into the distance with a deep look in his eyes.

He had a tough time lately, as the Qingliu faction grew stronger and targeted him in every way.

If it weren't for the major incident in Jiangnan Prefecture, where the upright officials were afraid of being implicated, they wouldn't have bothered to continue targeting him.

This gave Yang Wanli a chance to catch his breath.

Inside the prison, the jailers were also trying to save themselves.

They didn't know when Shen Yan would arrive in Bianjing, so they could only send people to guard the city gates and Shen Yan's house day and night.

This matter concerned the lives and property of everyone in the prison, and even the usually lazy jailers did not complain at all.

During this time, the prison guards could only pretend to be calm and act as if nothing had happened.

We can only pray that this is an accident, or that the authorities find the person soon.

Liu Xunhua is not a simple flower thief; he possesses the strength of a fifth-rank cultivator.

He would be considered a master in the martial arts world.

The jailers couldn't handle it; they could only hope that Shen Yan would return soon to take charge.

Shen Yan, the person in question, was unaware of what was happening in Bianjing.

In those days, information transmission was underdeveloped, and the prison guards had no way to send messages to Shen Yan.

He followed Shen Ci and his group, leisurely making his way back to Bianjing.

Although we didn't get to enjoy sightseeing along the way, the rush we had on the way here was also much less intense.

The journey here was fraught with hardship, and the road ahead was uncertain.

Returning home in high spirits, everyone felt relaxed and carefree.

With Shen Yan accompanying them, there was naturally no need to worry about anyone causing trouble.

The situation in Jiangnan Prefecture has been quelled, and the person who took over this mess was Song Mingli, an old acquaintance of Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was not surprised by this. After all the hard work of conquering Jiangnan Prefecture, it would be a waste if he didn't send some people in.

Although Jiangnan Prefecture was devastated, it also presented an opportunity for Song Mingli.

With all the powerful families and officials wiped out by Shen Ci, he could easily place someone he trusted in power.

In addition, Shen Ci embezzled a lot of money and confiscated the property of aristocratic families and corrupt officials.

Song Mingli has both money and manpower.

Shen Yan only hoped that he could uphold his beliefs and bring benefits to the people of the region.

I hope that, as Song Mingli said to him before he left, "The Great Zhou belongs to all the people of the world, not just the Li family."

The lives of ordinary people are too hard in this world. Having a roof over their heads to shelter them from the wind and rain, and a meal of coarse rice and dried fruit, is already a luxury for them.

At this moment, no one dared to cause trouble for Shen Ci and the others anymore; they were all busy figuring out how to sever ties with the powerful families of Jiangnan Prefecture.

Shen Yan was naturally even more excited as he carried a box of spiritual herbs.

These past few days, he's been reading even dry and boring medical books with great interest.

Many of the previously unknown medicinal herbs now have their effects known.

These medicinal herbs accumulate enormous medicinal power within their bodies, which would be ineffective without a complementary medicinal guide.

Taking it rashly could easily cause injury from its powerful effects.

Therefore, Shen Yan dared not be careless in the slightest.

Seeing that he was reading medical books while riding his horse, Shen Ci couldn't help but laugh and say, "Shen Yan, are you so serious about becoming a doctor?"

"Young master is too kind. The human body is full of mysteries. Medicine studies the human body, while martial arts develop oneself. The two are closely related, and I have only come to understand this in the last few days."

Shen Ci feigned displeasure and said, "Still calling me 'Young Master'?!"

"It's hard to change a habit that's been there for years, please forgive me, Ziyan."

Shen Ci nodded slightly, then said, "Before we set off, I promised you a batch of Fire Spirit Pills as payment, but now I see you don't need them anymore. How about we exchange them for Hundred Herbs Pills?"

If he hadn't been reading medical books these past few days, he wouldn't know about the Hundred Herbs Elixir.

As the name suggests, Baicao Dan is made from one hundred kinds of herbs, and the formula is not fixed.

However, to achieve a harmonious synergy between the medicinal properties of hundreds of herbs, the requirements for an alchemist are extremely high.

Shen Ci had heard Li Jianzhong say that although he was a highly skilled doctor, he could not concoct the Hundred Herbs Pill.

Shen Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Then I thank you, Ziyan."

Shen Ci laughed and said, "Don't be too happy yet, you'll have to pay for these main ingredients."

"Of course, how could I let you do me a favor and lose money on medicine?"

Shen Yan knew how difficult it was to find a skilled alchemist to refine a batch of pills.

He was even thinking that if he couldn't find anyone, he would just find the necessary ingredients and swallow them directly.

With his physique, he should be able to withstand the potent effects of the medicine.

Bianjing, Dali Temple.

Jiang Tao was having a private conversation with his capable lieutenant, Wu Mubai, the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, in his cell.

"My lord, I have taken care of the matter. Yang Wanli will receive the news unintentionally."

Jiang Tao nodded and said, "That's good."

Wu Mubai was somewhat puzzled and asked, "But Liu Xunhua is only a fifth-rank martial artist. If we don't send our own troops, he might not be a match for Yang Wanli."

Jiang Tao laughed and said, "It's true that he is a fifth-rank official, but his father is no ordinary man. He is the son of Nangong Wentian, the head of the Diancang Sect."

"But what about Nangong Wentian, who broke through to the third rank some time ago? Isn't Liu Xunhua the child of his sworn brother Liu Qing?"

""

Jiang Tao was in a good mood and said, "Because this is his son with Liu Qing's wife. Nangong Wentian has three daughters, but only this one son. Nangong Wentian was extremely worried when he got into trouble. If he hadn't come to me to plead for him, I wouldn't have known about this."

It turns out that after Liu Xunhua's incident was exposed and she was sent to Dali Temple, Nangong Wentian came to her door.

Jiang Tao knew that it would be difficult to find a way for Liu Xunhua to make a living, so he initially refused.

However, Nangong Wentian went all out, offering conditions that were impossible to refuse.

Jiang Tao had no choice but to take the risk by boat, and he also managed to take advantage of the situation to scheme against Yang Wanli.

After considering it as a win-win situation, he agreed.

Wu Mubai suddenly realized, "No wonder Liu Qing died from qi deviation a few years ago; it turns out there was this reason."

He added, "If Yang Wanli doesn't go, then all our preparations will have been in vain."

Jiang Tao said calmly, "Whether he goes or not is up to him. If he goes, then Nangong Wentian will deal with him. Yang Wanli is only a fourth-rank official. If he falls into the hands of a third-rank official, he will surely die."

"If he doesn't go, let's see what he has to say in five days. Does he dare to send that beggar to the execution ground to be slowly sliced ​​to death? If that's the case, we just need to expose him, as this is a crime of deceiving the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Wu Mubai couldn't help but gasp and praised, "Your Excellency is brilliant; this is a truly perilous situation where neither side can advance nor retreat."

The information Jiang Tao provided was indeed true, but it lacked the part about Nangong Wentian.

He calculated that Yang Wanli had no one he could use. Although the Ministry of Justice was large, none of the people he could mobilize were a match for Liu Xunhua.

He dared not make this public, and naturally dared not arbitrarily mobilize the Ministry of Justice's personnel.

Meanwhile, in the Duke's mansion, Shen Ci left for Jiangnan, taking all the masters with him.

Only Shen Moxuan was left to oversee the situation. Although he was a first-rank expert, he was still recovering from serious injuries.

If Yang Wanli wanted to capture Liu Xunhua, he had no choice but to do it himself.

Jiang Tao had a complete grasp of everyone he could mobilize.

Of course, he could choose not to go, and then we'd see how he could muster the men to lead to the execution ground.

Jiang Tao narrowed his eyes, a smile appearing on his face: "Let's see how he handles it. I really hope he doesn't show up. Let's expose him in five days, in front of everyone."

""

He gritted his teeth and said, "It all depends on whether you're unlucky or unlucky in your official career. If you dare to leave the city, that's where you'll be buried. If you don't, your official career is over."

The reason why Liu Xunhua escaped for several days but was still in Bianjing was naturally due to Jiang Tao's arrangement.

Although Nangong Wentian was dissatisfied, he had already paid the reward.

They rescued the person, but wouldn't let them leave.

He was afraid of unforeseen circumstances, but Jiang Tao's threats forced him to stay in Bianjing.

Although Nangong Wentian was a third-rank martial artist, Jiang Tao's face could not be ignored.

He couldn't help but comfort himself, thinking that it was just a matter of staying a few more days.

Shen Yan finally arrived in Bianjing.

Upon returning home, before even entering the house, Sun Fugui greeted him.

"Brother Shen, you're finally back."

Shen Yan was somewhat puzzled.

"What are you doing squatting outside my door?"

Sun Fugui looked around but didn't say anything.

Shen Yan understood that Sun Fugui had indeed run into trouble, so he opened the door and led him inside.

Looking at the deserted courtyard, Shen Yan sighed softly. It seemed that Lin Qingwei had already left with her master.

"Speak! What happened in the prison this time?"

Sun Fugui gave a thumbs up and laughed, "Brother Shen, you're amazing! You actually predicted that something happened in the prison."

Shen Yan sneered, "You only come to me to borrow money or to report bad news. If you didn't borrow money when I was at the gate, do you think I wouldn't guess something happened in the prison?"

Sun Fugui chuckled awkwardly, "Brother Shen, you really understand me."

He told Shen Yan the whole story, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Shen Yan always manages to create miracles and has never let them down.

Naturally, we also hope that Shen Yan can resolve this matter. If this matter is not resolved...

Countless people will likely die in the prison, but Shen Yan will certainly be fine.

After all, putting aside the Shen family, he himself was already a third-rank martial artist, and his status was incomparable.

Even in Bianjing, he could be considered a big shot.

Shen Yan sighed softly after hearing the whole story.

Although the prison guards were negligent in their duties, the guards who received the prisoners in the first place were all dead.

It's obvious they were set up. There's no such thing as being able to catch a thief for a thousand days, but not being able to guard against one for a thousand days.

"A single punch can prevent a hundred more. Whoever it is this time must pay the price. It's only been a little over a month since I left the prison, and they've already started plotting against me."

Although he thought this way, his face still looked grim.

Upon seeing this, Sun Fugui could only lower his head and dare not speak, occasionally glancing at Shen Yan out of the corner of his eye.

After a long while, Shen Yan finally spoke.

"Let's go back to the prison first."

Arrived at the Heavenly Prison.

The jailers were overjoyed to see Shen Yan return.

Even though he had a sour face, everyone felt as if their pillar of support had returned.

They straightened their backs a bit.

Shen Yan showed no mercy and cursed at the jailers, "Hmph! I'll deal with you later. Go check on the person first."

The jailers wore sorrowful expressions on their faces, but were secretly delighted.

They knew that Shen Yan's statement meant he wouldn't stand idly by.

The jailers were saved; how could they not be overjoyed?

Shen Yan met the beggar who had impersonated him.

He asked, "Do you know that you are about to die?"

"I know, but so what? Being able to eat all the delicacies before I die is enough to make this life worthwhile."

The beggar's answer was quite carefree. He used to fight over even swill to eat, but now he can eat meat and fish every day. He can say that he has lived a worthwhile life.

Sun Fugui said softly, "This man has a younger brother. I've already arrested him and interrogated him. Someone gave them fifty taels to save their lives."

Shen Yan nodded slightly.

"Do you know who's behind this?"

Sun Fugui replied, "It should be someone from the Dali Temple, since they're the ones who brought the person here."

Shen Yan knew that Dali Temple and Yang Wanli were at odds, so it was not surprising that he did such a thing.

The most urgent task is to find the right people.

"Do you have any trace of Liu Xunhua?"

Sun Fugui shook his head.

"Brother Shen, Liu Xunhua is a fifth-rank martial artist. Where are we supposed to find out about her?"

After hearing this, Shen Yan turned his gaze to Chen Xiaoshuan, Ma Danian, and Lü Youcai.

Seeing everyone shaking their heads, he couldn't help but sigh.

In five days, Liu Xunhua will be sent to the execution ground.

Finding someone in Bianjing in five days is incredibly difficult.

Just then, Ye Zhou hurriedly walked in from outside the prison.

"Shen Yan, you've come at the right time. The master wants to see you."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the beggar in the cell.

Shen Yan asked, "Is it about this matter?"

Ye Zhou nodded slightly.

Shen Yan didn't dare to delay after hearing this. He thought to himself, "It seems that Yang Wanli has made some progress."

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Justice, Yang Wanli was overjoyed to see Shen Yan.

He had heard of Shen Yan's deeds and knew that even he had to show some respect for Shen Yan now.

"You're too kind, Lord Yang. It was an accident that happened under my jurisdiction that implicated you."

Yang Wanli shook his head and said, "Even if this didn't happen, something else would. They won't let this go easily. It has nothing to do with you."

"Sir, you summoned me here. Is there any progress?"

"That's right, I've found the person. I hope you can go and bring them back for me."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Please leave it to me, sir!"

Yang Wanli handed the information he had received to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan then rushed to Liu Xunhua's hiding place without stopping.

>