My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The air in the underground death row seemed frozen.

The torch's reflection danced wildly on the edge of the steel longsword. The tip of the sword pointed diagonally at the ground, and a drop of viscous protective oil slid down the blood groove, landing with a "plop" on the blue brick.

Li Shimin was not wearing his crown, and his hair was somewhat disheveled. He stepped over the prison threshold, which had been trampled by the Xuanjia Army, his leather boots crunching over the wood chips scattered on the ground, making a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Wang Quan, the magistrate of Chang'an County, followed the pair of leather boots upwards.

When he saw the bright yellow casual clothes and the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on them with gold thread, he let out a very strange "clucking" sound, like a rooster being choked.

"thump."

Wang Quan's knees buckled, and he crashed heavily to the ground. His kneecaps struck the hard bluestone slab with a dull thud, but he seemed to feel no pain at all.

"Your Majesty..." Wang Quan's lips trembled, his forehead pressed tightly against the ground, cold sweat instantly soaking through the green robe on his back.

The jailer standing in front of the cell door still held the leather whip soaked in salt water.

He froze in mid-air, his eyes bulging as he stared at the heavily armored cavalrymen pouring in, their faces still covered in visors and exuding a strong stench of blood. A dark stain slowly seeped into his crotch.

Clang.

The whip fell to the ground.

Li Shimin didn't even spare a glance for Wang Quan.

His gaze was fixed on the cell.

In the shadows of the corner, an elderly man with white hair sat quietly cross-legged on a pile of blackened straw. A few dirty, dry straws clung to the hem of his grayish-white coarse cloth robe.

At the old man's feet lay a thirty-pound yoke broken in two, and a fine iron chain that had been forcibly crushed into several pieces.

There are obvious fingerprint indentations at the break.

Li Shimin's eyelids twitched violently.

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving with extreme anger and lingering fear. He picked up his sword and walked step by step to the iron fence.

"Open the door."

Li Shimin's voice was very soft, yet it carried an undeniable stillness.

The jailer trembled like a leaf, fumbling with his hands on the keychain at his waist for a long time, but the more anxious he became, the less he could find the key to the brass lock.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Li Shimin's eyes.

Without another word, he flicked his right wrist, and the Emperor's Sword, trailing a blinding silver streak, slammed into the brass lock.

"when!"

Sparks flew. The heavy brass lock was cleanly sliced ​​in two and fell to the ground.

Li Shimin sheathed his sword and casually tossed the Emperor's Sword to Li Junxian behind him. He lifted the hem of his casual robe, strode into the cell, and went straight to the stone bed.

This emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was on horseback, knelt down amidst the terrified gazes of the hellish soldiers and officials.

He actually wanted to kneel!

Just as Li Shimin's knees were about to touch the dirty ground, a withered hand appeared out of thin air and steadily supported his arm.

"Alright."

Li Chen slowly opened his eyes, his tone somewhat nonchalant.

He didn't use his true essence; he only relied on the physical strength of his Foundation Establishment stage body to hold Li Shimin's burly body in mid-air, making it impossible for him to push him down even an inch.

"Although my bones are strong, I cannot bear the Emperor kneeling before me. It would shorten my lifespan." Li Chen withdrew his hand and casually patted the dust off his sleeve.

Li Shimin straightened up with the help of the force, his eyes reddening.

"The humiliation suffered by the immortal is my fault. The Wang family of Taiyuan..." Li Shimin gritted his teeth, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, "Today I will raze their mansion in Chang'an to the ground."

"No need."

Li Chen stood up and stretched his shoulders. A cracking sound, like popping beans, came from the gaps in his bones.

"It would be pointless to fuss over a few insignificant ants, just to dirty my hands. This prison may smell a bit pungent, but it's dark and a good place to escape the sweltering heat of summer."

He stepped over the broken iron chains on the ground, walked to the cell door, and glanced at Wang Quan, who was kneeling on the ground trembling like a lump of mud.

"In this sweltering heat, don't be so quick to shout for war and bloodshed. The smell of blood attracts flies."

The old man's voice was very calm.

But Li Shimin understood.

"Li Junxian!" Li Shimin turned his head.

"Your subject is here!"

"Wang Quan, the magistrate of Chang'an County, colluded with powerful families and abused his power to strip him of his official position. Together with all the jailers in this prison, he was crippled and sent to Lingnan to build the official road. Construction is not to be stopped until he dies."

"As you command!"

Wang Quan let out a piercing scream. Before he could beg for mercy, two Xuanjia-armored guards stepped forward and smashed the hilts of their swords into his chin, dislocating his jaw. They dragged him away like a dead dog.

Li Chen ignored the horrific scene behind him.

He tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked out through the dark passage.

The heavily armored cavalry on both sides parted like the sea, clearing a wide passage in unison, their spears pointed upwards and their heads bowed.

As soon as I stepped out of the passageway, the blinding sunlight poured down.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Princess Changle Li Lizhi were standing anxiously in the courtyard of the county government office. Upon seeing the old man emerge, the two hurriedly went to greet him.

"Immortal Master, you have been frightened." Li Lizhi's eyes were slightly red, and she curtsied.

Li Chengqian bowed respectfully and reached out to help the old man's arm.

Li Chen sidestepped Li Chengqian's hand.

"Stop dawdling." Li Chen glanced at the sun in the sky. "You've already wasted two hours. If you wait any longer, your mother's last breath will dissipate."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's face turned deathly pale. His previous decisiveness vanished instantly, and he rushed ahead to lead the way.

"Prepare the carriage! Use my imperial palanquin!"

Half an hour later.

Inside the Lizheng Hall, the smell of medicine was pungent.

A dozen or so pure gold trays were lined up, on which were placed century-old purple ginseng, top-grade earthworm gentian, and more than a dozen rare medicinal herbs that Li Chen had specifically requested.

Empress Zhangsun lay on the couch, her face ashen, her breathing barely perceptible.

Li Chen did not use only his fingertips to transfer the breath as he had done yesterday.

He walked to the jade table, suddenly stretched out his right hand, spread his five fingers, and faced the medicinal herbs.

The liquid true essence within the dantian instantly boiled.

"call--"

A ball of pure blue flame rose without warning from the old man's withered palm. The surrounding air rippled due to the intense heat, but strangely, the temperature inside the hall did not rise; instead, it exuded a refreshing coolness.

"Immortal True Fire..." The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, standing behind, covered his mouth tightly, trembling with excitement.

Li Chen flipped his wrist.

Azure flames instantly enveloped the century-old purple ginseng on the tray. There was no smoke, no ash. In a few breaths, the priceless ginseng transformed into drops of crystal-clear, vibrant purple medicinal liquid, suspended in the center of the flames.

Next came the earthworm gentian, the snow lotus...