How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Li Chongde scoffed at this and retorted, "Who is the culprit in my Li family's crime? What crime has my Li family committed? Could it be that Lord Liu has discovered that my Li family is concealing land?"

Liu Huai'an gently shook his head: "No, that's not it."

Li Chongde raised an eyebrow, his conviction growing stronger. Since the other party couldn't produce concrete evidence of land ownership, he pressed further, "So, Lord Liu, what criminal have you come to my Li residence to arrest?"

Liu Huai'an's gaze darkened, and his words were firm and resounding: "We have come to arrest your eldest son and second son. Some time ago, these two beat up a commoner in the street, causing the man to die on the spot. Zhou Mao, the prefect of Jiangzhou, has already confessed to this matter."

After saying that, Liu Huai'an unfolded the petition in his hand. Zhou Mao's testimony was clearly recorded on the paper, and Zhou Mao's signature and fingerprint were at the end.

"With all the witness testimonies and statements presented, Li family head, is there anything else you wish to say?"

Li Chongde's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and his whole body stiffened abruptly.

He had been completely confident and fearless, fully expecting Liu Huai'an to bring up the old matter of Mantian. He had already made thorough preparations for this and was not afraid at all.

To everyone's surprise, Liu Huai'an came today to interrogate his eldest and second sons.

He stared intently at the confession in Liu Huai'an's hand, his pupils shrinking as a storm raged within him.

The two sons of the Li family were indeed domineering and tyrannical, but they had never killed anyone! This murder case was completely fabricated out of thin air!

"This...this is slander!" Li Chongde's voice trembled. "My second son has never done such a thing! Zhou Mao's confession must have been obtained through torture!"

Liu Huai'an remained unmoved and coldly said, "Whether it was a forced confession or not, we'll know once we take the person back for interrogation."

He sternly ordered, "Arrest the eldest and second sons of the Li family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of officials rushed into the Li residence.

Li Chongde instinctively wanted to step forward to stop him, but the scene from yesterday flashed through his mind.

Liu Chengzhang, the prefect of Jiangzhou, was beheaded by the crown prince in front of the government office.

A chill ran down his spine. If he dared to openly obstruct the government's handling of the case, the Crown Prince might seize the opportunity to launch an attack, and the entire Li family would be destroyed.

Upon realizing this, his outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and he dared not take another step forward.

Not long after, the eldest and second sons of the Li family were escorted out by the officials.

The two men's faces were filled with terror. Upon seeing their father, the eldest son screamed, "Father! Save me! Please save me!"

The second son also frantically shouted for help.

Li Chongde's lips moved, a thousand words stuck in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word and could only watch helplessly.

Seeing that the man had been brought out, Liu Huai'an ordered in a deep voice, "Go, take him back to the government office and lock him in the dungeon."

Li Chongde watched his two sons being led away by the officials, feeling utterly helpless, his eyes filled with anxiety.

He whispered to the servants beside him, "Prepare the horses, I'm going to the Qin family."

He planned to report the matter to Qin Zhongshan, hoping that the Qin family would step in to help.

As soon as he finished speaking, a hand gently tugged at the hem of his clothes.

Li Chongde turned around and saw that the person who came was Zhao Bing.

Zhao Bing lowered his voice: "Patriarch Li, I do know a little about the inside story of this matter. Zhou Mao, the prefect of Jiangzhou, has indeed signed and sealed his confession. Judging from the current situation, your two sons are probably in grave danger."

Li Chongde stared at Zhao Bing. He knew that this man had long since pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince and was now serving as the Prefectural Assistant of Jiangzhou.

He assumed Zhao Bing had come to kick him while he was down and deliberately humiliate him.

"This matter need not be troubled by Lord Zhao."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

He had just taken a step when Zhao Bing grabbed his arm.

Li Chongde turned around abruptly, and asked angrily, "Lord Zhao, what are you doing?"

Zhao Bing sighed deeply, his tone full of helplessness: "Patriarch Li, I know that you all have some complaints about me, and I understand that. But I have no choice in the matter. If I don't side with the Crown Prince, Liu Chengzhang of the Ye family will serve as a cautionary tale for me."

"We have known each other for many years, and I really don't want to watch your two children end up like this. If you are willing, Lord Li, I can put in a good word for you with the Crown Prince."

Zhao Bing paused for a moment, then advised, "I advise Lord Li not to go to the Qin family. Even if you go, it will be of no use. The Crown Prince now firmly controls the administration and politics of Jiangzhou, and the Qin family can no longer interfere. Going there will only be a waste of time."

Li Chongde stood still, weighing the options in his mind.

Zhao Bing's words were all true. At present, the power in Jiangzhou is entirely in the hands of the Crown Prince. Even though the Qin family has a deep influence, it is difficult for them to directly interfere with the government and prison.

But then she thought, Zhao Bing is under the Crown Prince's command, would he really help her sincerely?

But now that his two sons are in prison, a matter of life and death, he has no other way out.

Hearing Zhao Bing's words, it seemed as if he genuinely wanted to help. He wavered and couldn't make up his mind for a moment.

Li Chongde looked at Zhao Bing and asked urgently, "Lord Zhao, do you have any way to save my two sons?"

Zhao Bing was secretly delighted; this was exactly the question he wanted to hear.

He feigned a solemn expression and slowly said, "Patriarch Li, I only recently learned some inside information. The Crown Prince's real purpose in coming to Jiangzhou this time is to investigate the two cases of tax evasion and the theft of Yan Silver. The Crown Prince's main target is the Qin family. Your aristocratic families are not the primary targets."

"If you pay all the taxes you owe, the Crown Prince will forgive and forget. If you want to save your two children, you have no choice but to humble yourself, confess to the Crown Prince, and pay the taxes. Only then will your son have a chance to live."

Li Chongde frowned, still harboring doubts. The logic was sound, but he couldn't shake his apprehension.

"That being said, what if my Li family takes the initiative to admit our mistakes and pay the taxes, but the Crown Prince still insists on punishing my Li family? What then?"

Zhao Bing feigned disappointment, saying, "Patriarch Li, you're foolish! Think about it carefully. If the Crown Prince was determined to punish you, why would he give you chances to pay your taxes again and again?"

Li Chongde still couldn't let go of his resentment and pressed on, "Then how do you explain the confiscation of the Ye family's property?"

"The Ye family has run into a trap; they've become a prime example for the Crown Prince to use to establish his authority."

Zhao Bing said confidently, "As long as you pay the taxes and stop opposing the Crown Prince with the Qin family, the Crown Prince will definitely not touch you."

Li Chongde lowered his head and pondered carefully, feeling that Zhao Bing's words made a lot of sense.

But he immediately lowered his voice, which trembled slightly: "How I wish I could do that, but the Qin family has already given an order that anyone who dares to turn around and pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince or pay back taxes will be the first to be wiped out by the Qin family."

Zhao Bing had already prepared his words, but upon hearing this, he pretended to ponder and frowned, as if he was also in a dilemma.

"This is indeed a difficult problem."

He paused, then looked at Li Chongde: "Patriarch Li, are you truly willing to bow down to the Crown Prince for the sake of your two sons? If you are willing, I can speak to the Crown Prince and suggest that the taxes not be paid immediately. You can make up the difference after the Crown Prince has dealt with the Qin family. Moreover, during this time, I can guarantee that your two children will not suffer in prison. What do you think?"