In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

But he was still pinned down and subjected to a barrage of beatings.

Bang, bang!

Click!

Li Daxun screamed in agony; the scene was too gruesome to bear.

Guards then brought instruments of torture and subjected the victim to severe punishment.

Li Daxun's actions constitute treason. He first submitted and received numerous benefits, only to betray them in the end. Such people are the most despised, and they are dealt with with almost no mercy.

It was at this time that Guo Chao returned.

"Your Highness, we've found it!"

Behind him, his guards carried box after box, and Ha Ji-hyo accompanied them.

Lee Dae-hoon, whose face was completely battered, raised his head, his eyes barely open. When he saw the box and Ha Ji-hyo appear together, he instantly understood.

"You bitch, you bitch!!"

He roared angrily and sprang up.

boom! !

A guard slammed his sword hilt into Li Daxun's legs, the sound of bones breaking was so clear that Li Daxun collapsed to the ground with a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

"ah!!"

"You bitch, I'm going to kill you, kill you!"

Ha Ji-hyo trembled, her face turning pale, but there was no pity in her eyes, only a sense of satisfaction and a "what's the use" attitude.

"Li Daxun, you sent me away for the sake of rebellion. Since you are ruthless, I will be ruthless in return!"

"If it weren't for my father's support, you wouldn't be where you are today. For your own selfish gain, you're trying to kill everyone. I will never rebel with you!"

As she spoke, she stood beside Li Yuanchang.

After being defeated and captured, Li Daxun, who had lost everything, was furious but could do nothing. He looked up at the sky and vomited blood.

"puff!!"

At this moment, Li Yuanchang had already pried open the box with a knife.

Ha Ji-hyo revealed the boxes herself, saying that Lee Dae-hoon had disappeared for two days not long ago, and when he returned, he brought back a large number of boxes, and his whereabouts were mysterious.

boom!

As soon as the box was pried open, the golden light inside was so dazzling that people couldn't help but cover their eyes.

So dazzling!

It was all gold, silver, and precious stones.

Li Yuanchang's eyes revealed a look of "I knew it."

"Your Highness, it's made in the Tang Dynasty!" Guo Chao exclaimed, picking up a piece of gold with inscriptions on it.

Each dynasty had its own unique way of crafting gold and silver artifacts. Some nomadic peoples would make gold into gold cakes, while others would make them into horseshoe shapes. This rectangular "ting" was only made during the Tang Dynasty, so it is easy to distinguish.

Even jewelry reflects the style of the Central Plains.

It was obvious at a glance who had bribed Li Daxun.

"Is he from Chang'an, or is he Li Ji?"

As he spoke, Li Yuanchang chuckled, "It seems there's not much difference; they're giving out quite a lot."

"But this little bit of stuff probably wouldn't warrant you taking such a risk. What other promises have they made you?"

Knowing he could not escape death, Li Daxun stubbornly resisted to the end, refusing to utter a single word.

"I'm asking you one last time, will you confess or not? And who are your accomplices?" Li Yuanchang asked coldly.

In warfare, bribery and defection are simply tactics, and this is not surprising.

What he needs to do is not to be angry, but to uproot all those who have accepted benefits.

"Kneel down and I'll tell you!" Li Daxun grinned, revealing his bloodied teeth, his eyes filled with hatred!

Not only was he defeated and captured, losing everything, but his wife was also taken away. Losing both his wife and his army was easier than this.

"presumptuous!"

The guards were furious and started smashing things again.

Li Yuanchang slowly stepped forward and took a knife: "Do you really think that by not speaking, you can cause me much trouble?"

Li Daxun sensed the approach of death, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"If you don't kill me, I'll tell you!"

His almost humiliating pleas for mercy ultimately bowed his head in the face of death.

"You don't need to tell me."

"Your death is what I desire!"

Having said that, Li Yuanchang raised his knife.

Li Daxun's pupils dilated, fear spreading infinitely within them.

In just one breath, *poof*!

Scalding blood splattered directly onto the ceiling, and Li Daxun's head flew off.

"Ah!" Ha Ji-hyo screamed, her legs went weak from fear, and she fell to the ground.

Immediately afterward, Li Yuanchang said, "Collect the heads. I want to tell all the nobles and royalty of Goguryeo that betrayal comes at a price!"

"Also, bring those people outside in for me!"

"yes!"

"..."

Before long, about thirty people were brought into the hall.

They were all officials from Lugan City, subordinates of both Li Yuanchang and Li Daxun.

They were not among the troops leading the attack last night, but they did come to participate in the subsequent fighting, only to be stopped outside.

When they saw that Li Yuanchang was unharmed while all of Li Daxun's men had been killed, they were shocked and immediately knelt down upon seeing him.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Prince of Han!"

"It's so good that His Highness the Prince of Han is alright!"

"That beast Li Daxun, how dare he rebel!"

"We are late in coming to your rescue, Your Highness! Please forgive us!"

They were all putting on a show of acting skills and expressing their loyalty.

Li Yuanchang stood on the steps, looking down, and sneered, "Why are you here?"

"Your Highness, this humble servant saw the palace on fire last night and came to put it out!"

"Your Highness, I heard shouts of battle and came to your rescue!"

Everyone spoke in unison.

Li Yuanchang shouted, "You civil officials are so weak you can't even kill a chicken! What are you doing, putting out a fire or fighting off thieves?!"

"Drag them away and execute them all!"

These words were like a thunderclap.

"what?"

"King Han, no!"

The thirty-odd people panicked immediately, and some even tried to escape.

But the area was completely under military control, and their escape was like child's play; it was quickly suppressed and they were dragged away.

They are still crying out for justice, still wailing.

Li Yuanchang himself knew that these people were most likely unaware of Li Daxun's midnight raid and rebellion, but they were definitely fence-sitters.

Once a rebellion breaks out, whoever wins will be the one we help.

If the guards cannot hold off the offensive, then they are definitely not there to put out a fire or fight off thieves.

He wanted to emulate Cao Cao, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free, to establish a bloody deterrent against all of Goguryeo, otherwise everyone would dare to rebel.

Moreover, when Li Ji's 200,000-strong army launches its attack, the fence-sitters will likely defect under the pressure.

Shortly afterward, all thirty-odd people were executed, and their heads were displayed as a warning.

From then on, the high-ranking officials of Lugan City were almost completely wiped out, marking the first time a city lord's mansion in Goguryeo territory had been completely destroyed.

Previously, in order to stabilize the overall situation, Li Yuanchang had always adopted a policy of winning over and giving benefits to these city lords and nobles, and had never taken such action before.

This time, the move was a major one.

Moreover, the investigation did not end with the death of the mastermind. After taking over Lugan City, Li Yuanchang dispatched a large number of people to search the homes of the rebel group led by Li Daxun.

You wouldn't believe it until you searched it up!