Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Then a scholar, unharmed, reached out from the wooden cage and shouted, "I am Wei Hao, I am innocent! I only have that money, nothing else. You have already taken the money, why are you still detaining me?"

Outside the wooden cage stood two Shence soldiers, both shirtless, revealing bulging, dark, and greasy muscles, each carrying a bloodstained whip. Startled by Li Ji kicking the door open, they quickly bowed in greeting. One of them, still somewhat bewildered, immediately turned and berated Wei Hao: "How can you say there's nothing? What your servant stole wasn't valuables? If you can capture him, perhaps you can be released!"

Without saying a word, Li Ji suddenly raised his right foot and struck the soldier squarely in the chest with a loud thud, sending him flying three or four steps away. The soldier crashed into the wall, dust falling in a flurry, and the whole room trembled.

Both inside and outside the cage, everyone was shocked, and the shouts ceased, leaving only a few groans.

Immediately, Li Ji took out his mace from his waist and smashed all the cage doors to pieces with a few loud cracks. He then ordered, "Come out, all of you—carry out those two lying down too!"

Wei Hao and the others trembled with fear, but none of them moved. Li Ji sneered, "If you want to die, stay here; if you want to live, come with me." He turned around and added, "I am Li Erlang of Jingzhao, and I have come here to rescue you."

His reputation certainly carried weight. Hearing this, the prisoners stumbled out of their cages, even carrying the two half-dead men on the ground, and followed behind Li Ji. Just as Li Ji stepped out of the room, Xu Yu came over with a mournful face, reaching out to stop him: "Second Brother, there's no need to make such a fuss..." Li Ji glared at him fiercely, and Xu Yu, frightened, could only step aside.

Many Shence soldiers also came upon hearing the news, but Li Ji simply held his double maces horizontally to his chest and said, "Those who want to test their maces, then come on!"

Although they belonged to different departments, Li Ji was ultimately a seventh-rank civil official with a well-known reputation for bravery, so who among the Shence soldiers would dare to stop him? Some rushed to report to their commanders, who, upon hearing that Li Ji had come to their office to cause trouble, all frowned and ordered, "Quickly inform the Commander-in-Chief... As for me, I have not heard of this matter!"

And so, Li Ji led the prisoners out of the Shence Army headquarters without incident. A Shence soldier pleaded from behind, "Commander, we won't be able to explain this to our superiors..." Li Ji coldly replied, "Just have Liu Xixian come to the Yingwu Army headquarters to talk to me."

He planned to take all these people to the Yingwu Army headquarters to find out the details of the matter, and preferably get them to write confessions so he could use them to blackmail Dan Tingyao and Liu Xixian. In fact, Li Ji was well aware that the capital was currently vulnerable; the Southern Army and the former Northern Army were merely empty shells. Only the Shence and Yingwu armies, numbering six thousand, were combat-ready. Therefore, to maintain stability, the court would likely be reluctant to punish them severely… This weak court, truly a case of the upper beam being crooked and the lower beam crooked!

Even so, Dan Tingyao and Liu Xixian probably wouldn't want things to escalate too much; they'd most likely come to the Yingwu Army to negotiate. By fabricating charges against them, they could at least force the Shence Army to stop their evil deeds.

So they continued westward, and had just passed the Left Jinwu Guard's quarters when they suddenly heard a loud shout from behind: "Li Ji, you've gone too far!"

Turning around, Li Ji saw Liu Xixian striding after him, a long spear in his right hand and his robe hem lifted with his left. Li Ji ordered his valiant soldiers to take the men back to the yamen, then turned around himself, his double maces crossed over his chest, and shouted, "Liu, the Commander-in-Chief, you are blinded by greed, you have turned innocent people into thieves, and you have oppressed the people of Chang'an. Do you still have the nerve to oppose me?!"

Liu Xixian ran up to Li Ji and stopped abruptly when they were about ten feet apart. He glanced at the double maces in Li Ji's hand and then at the spear in his own hand, and swallowed hard.

He was consumed by rage and impulsiveness, so he grabbed a spear and ran after Li Ji. Unexpectedly, Li Ji completely disregarded social hierarchy and immediately adopted a fighting stance. Liu Xixian thought to himself, "I've heard of those maces; they weigh about thirty pounds, quite heavy… And I'm not wielding a suitable weapon; I probably won't be able to defeat him…"

He immediately roared, "Everyone else fears you, Li Ji, but I am not! It is not appropriate to use weapons in the Forbidden City. Do you dare to put down your mace and fight me?"

Li Ji sneered, "What's there to be afraid of?" He had a soldier left beside him, so he handed over the double maces, then lifted the hem of his robe and tucked it into his waistband. He clenched his fist and struck a pose, then beckoned to Liu Xixian, "Come here, come here."

At this moment, many Shence soldiers had also caught up. Liu Xixian handed his spear to his subordinates and ordered them to retreat. Then he tied up his clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and rushed straight towards Li Ji.

Li Ji threw a punch at Liu Xixian's face. Liu Xixian dodged slightly and grabbed Li Ji's wrist. Li Ji wasn't about to let him grab him; he immediately sidestepped and used his left hand to press down on Liu Xixian's shoulder.

With a little force applied, Liu Xixian didn't fall. Li Ji thought to himself, "Not bad, he's got some skills."

Liu Xixian was indeed a handsome man, standing at least six feet tall, or over 1.8 meters, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a thick beard... He looked like a very tall and imposing man. If Li Ji hadn't heard that he had been promoted by currying favor with Yu Chaoen, he would have thought he was a good friend to befriend upon first meeting him.

After months of contact with the Shence Army generals, Li Ji had heard that although Liu Xixian had risen to power by clinging to the coattails of a powerful eunuch, he was no fool. He possessed superb martial arts skills, was proficient in archery and horsemanship, and was adept at commanding troops. However, because it was their first encounter, and in such a sensitive place as the Forbidden City, Li Ji did not dare to use his full strength right away. The press he made was only half his strength, but he was able to withstand it steadily, which showed that Liu Xixian was quite strong.

Just as he was about to exert himself further, a sharp shout suddenly rang out beside him: "Within the palace, in this vital area of ​​the nation, how dare you fight so insolently? Are you trying to rebel?!"

Chapter Thirty-Nine, The Emperor's Appearance at the Golden Palace

Li Ji and Liu Xixian were fighting in the palace. They had only exchanged one blow and were still undecided when they heard someone shout sternly beside them: "The palace is a sacred place of the state. How dare you fight so disrespectfully? Are you trying to rebel?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji instinctively released his grip, and Liu Xixian similarly stepped back, moving aside. Almost simultaneously, the two looked towards the source of the voice. They saw a civil official, dressed in a purple robe with a dark, goose-shaped pattern, a thirteen-tassel gold and jade belt, a tablet tucked into one side of his waist, and a gold fish-shaped pouch hanging from the other. This man was around fifty years old, with a long, horse-like face, a dark complexion, and a thick, wiry beard. He was glaring angrily at them.

Seeing that the man was a high-ranking official of the third rank or above—although many had recently been granted purple robes, this must have been at least a fourth-rank official—Li and Liu were both forced to clasp their hands and bow in respect. The man snorted coldly, “As expected, the Imperial Guards are arrogant and domineering, just like the Mawei Incident of the past—now they have appointed eunuchs as commanders, yet they remain incorrigible!” As he spoke, he glared fiercely at Liu Xixian again before striding off proudly northward.

Liu Xixian was very annoyed—we were fighting, why were you just glaring at me?

The reason is actually quite simple: although Li Ji's rank was clearly lower than Liu Xixian's, and he was suspected of being disrespectful, he was ultimately a civil official...

Li and Liu exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously asked, "Who is this?"

The Yingwu and Shence armies were guarding the imperial palace, and court officials were coming and going, almost all of whom were familiar faces—even those they had seen from afar—but none of them recognized this person. Could it be that he had just been summoned back from afar? Who could this be?

The two glared at each other again, but Liu Xixian dared not make a move, and Li Ji did not intend to fight him—given Liu Xixian's abilities, he estimated that he might not be able to win without using his full strength, and if he did use his full strength… if something serious happened, things would get out of hand. Then Liu Xixian said fiercely, "Would you be willing to come with me outside the palace to find a place to settle this?"

Li Ji snorted coldly: "Lord Liu, whoever that big shot is, he must have been summoned by the Emperor to enter the palace. Do you think he would keep quiet about what he just saw in front of the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xixian felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. His expression changed drastically, and his momentum immediately deflated. However, he stubbornly maintained his composure and pointed at Li Ji, saying, "I will not let this matter rest until it is resolved!" He then turned around hastily and ran towards the Shence Army headquarters.

Li Ji hurried back to the Yingwu Army headquarters, only to bump into Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming as they were leaving. Seeing the two eunuchs' expressions—three parts astonishment and seven parts panic—he immediately scolded them, "Chief Guard, you've been reckless this time..."

Li Ji waved his hand: "Whether it's reckless or not, let's talk about that later. Shouldn't you two hurry to the palace to find Wang Junrong? The truth of this matter, and the outcome, all depend on whether it's Wang Junrong or Dan Tingyao who should go and lodge a complaint with the Emperor first!"

Dou and Huo hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, you're right." They then tried to rush out of the yamen. Ma Sui then stepped out from behind them and said in a deep voice to Li Ji, "Those people are all being held in the courtroom for now. We need to get their confessions quickly..."

----------

Emperor Li Heng of the Tang Dynasty sat alone in the Golden Palace.

The Golden Palace is located in the western part of the inner court of Daming Palace, north of Yanying Hall and on the southwest bank of Taiye Pond. In the past, when Taiye Pond was excavated, earth was piled up on its southwest side to form a hill called "Golden Palace Slope". At the top of the slope is Linde Hall, the largest detached palace complex in the palace. The Golden Palace is located halfway up the slope, and there are no other buildings to its northeast. From this high vantage point, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the magnificent scenery of Taiye Pond.

However, at this moment, Li Heng had no interest in appreciating the beauty of Taiye Lake. He wore an ochre-yellow casual robe, his black gauze turban just removed and tossed aside. He sat on the couch, one leg extended horizontally, the other knee propped up, and spread dozens of sheets of paper on the couch and his knee—

This is the stack of Li Bai's poems that Li Ji presented to him through Wang Jiahe.

Many of these poems and essays were ones that Li Heng had not only read but could also recite, and some he was only seeing today. He recalled that when he was still the Crown Prince, the current Emperor Emeritus, the former Emperor Kaiyuan, appointed Li Bai as a Hanlin Academician and frequently summoned him to his presence to compose poems on assigned topics. At that time, the Emperor Emeritus was already very old, and his daily companions were either Yang Guifei or Gao Lishi; he rarely wanted the Crown Prince to accompany him. However, whenever Li Bai composed a poem or essay, Li Heng would lavishly bribe eunuchs like Gao Lishi to request copies for his recitation.

In Li Bai's writings, besides occasional works like "Qingping Diao," there are also descriptions of the magnificent landscapes of the Tang Dynasty, the surging Yellow River, the vast Yangtze River, the perilous Shu Road, the breathtaking beauty of Mount Lu, the Phoenix Terrace, the Yellow Crane Tower... This makes Li Heng, who was confined to the Sixteen Princes' Residence like a caged bird, seem to have sprouted wings of imagination and can soar freely in the clear sky...

During those lonely and anxious days, there was very little solace, and Li Bai's poems and prose accounted for a considerable portion of that.

I certainly couldn't have imagined back then that things would turn out so drastically, and that I would finally be able to enter the Daming Palace after going through so many hardships and struggles, but I will never see Li Bai again.

Li Heng naturally knew Li Bai's whereabouts. That talented man, known as the "banished immortal," was ambitious beyond measure, yet oblivious to the prevailing trend. At the outset of the rebellion, instead of serving Li Heng in Lingwu or following the Emperor to Shu, he went to attach himself to Prince Yong, Li Lin, ultimately leading to his imprisonment. When Li Heng received the petition from Song Ruosi, the Prefect of Xuancheng and Inspector of Jiangnan West Circuit, requesting Li Bai's pardon, he was extremely furious. He felt an indescribable humiliation, as if betrayed by his idol. He immediately decreed that Li Bai's crime not be pardoned and, according to the law, exiled him to Yelang.

—You've been to many places. While I was imprisoned in the imperial court, you were able to roam freely with your sword, traveling the world at will... But you haven't been to the miasma-ridden southwest, have you? Why don't you go and see if you leave behind any special poems?

However, Li Bai ultimately failed to reach Yelang County—last year, Guanzhong suffered a severe drought, and Henan was plagued by bandits. Emperor Li Heng issued a general amnesty, commuting death sentences to exile and pardoning those already sentenced to exile. It is said that Li Bai was pardoned halfway through his journey, and thus traveled down the river, turning back to Xuancheng… In Song Ruosi's previous memorial, he also copied Li Bai's new work—"Departing from Baidi City at Dawn":

"In the midst of the colorful clouds of the White Emperor, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains are returned in one day. The apes on both sides of the bank can't stop crying, and the light boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains."

The world has turned upside down, and the world has changed, yet he remains, and his literary talent endures… Perhaps Mr. Li Bai is approaching sixty this year? It's truly hard to reconcile those vibrant and unrestrained masterpieces with the image of an aging man. Should we summon him back to court, to rejoin the Hanlin Academy, so that I may once again be close to his esteemed presence? Otherwise, I fear it will leave a lasting regret…

Li Heng fell into deep thought, a faint sense of self-reproach rising in his heart. However, his thoughts, mainly a rare and inexplicable sadness, were interrupted by the announcement of a eunuch: "Please inform the court that Dan Tingyao is outside requesting an audience."

Li Heng angrily shook the poem in his hand: "I won't see it! Send it back to reflect on its actions!"

The eunuch repeatedly agreed and was about to leave when Li Heng stopped him again: "Summon Li Ji to see me. Also, go to the Ministry of Rites and ask Yao Ziyan if there are any candidates who passed the imperial examinations this spring..."

He lowered his head, rummaged through the manuscript, and quickly found the passage: "Hao's original name was Wan, then Yan. On the day of Wan, he did not travel far to Jiangdong to visit Bai... Hao was self-confident all his life, and some people thought him crazy. Bai met him and they got along well. Bai gave him a poem, saying, 'You will surely make a great name for yourself in the future. Do not forget this old man and Mingyue Nu.' So he showed him all his writings and asked Hao to compile them..."

"...Is there a man named Wei Hao? Has he been selected? Report back to me immediately."

The eunuch obeyed and left. Before long, he reported that Li Ji was requesting an audience outside the palace. Li Heng casually gathered the poems together and placed them on the table. He then picked up his turban, straightened it, and put it on his head before ordering, "Let him in."

Li Ji, dressed in his official robes—naturally without his double maces—entered with a bow and knelt in greeting. Li Heng slightly raised his right hand: "Rise, and sit down." A eunuch then brought over a futon and placed it beside the imperial couch.

As soon as Li Ji sat down, Li Heng asked, "Since the time when Ding An was in power, you moved out of the Forbidden City with Chang Yuan. It has been three years now, hasn't it?"

"It has been less than three years, only two years and seven months, and I have not yet been able to pay my respects to the Emperor."

Li Heng smiled slightly: "It's been quite a while. I'm busy with state affairs and often unwell. Although I know you serve the Yingwu Army, I haven't had time to summon you for a chat. Do you still correspond with Changyuan? Has he made any progress in his cultivation?"

Li Heng was sizing up Li Ji, and Li Ji was also glancing at Li Heng out of the corner of his eye. He felt that the emperor was even fatter than he had been in Ding'an, but it was obvious that the extra weight was just excess fat; although his complexion was ruddy, the weather was still cold, and there was no stove lit in the Golden Palace, so Li Heng's flushed cheeks were quite abnormal...

It seems that the rumors circulating outside that the emperor is unwell, suffering from fevers every few days, and has therefore entrusted all state affairs to Li Fuguo—there's no smoke without fire.

Upon hearing Li Heng inquire about Li Bi, Li Ji clasped his hands and replied, "There was indeed correspondence, but the distance was vast, making communication difficult. In the past two years, I have only received two replies from my elder brother. The letters were brief, mostly describing the recent situation of family members, but with little mention of himself. I wonder what stage his cultivation has reached..."

Each letter from Li Ji was lengthy and detailed, meticulously recording his experiences, the political climate at court, and his victories and defeats on the battlefield, hoping Li Bi could offer some advice. Although the journey was long and it would take at least half a year to receive a reply, even if Li Ji could truly know the three kingdoms of the world from his humble abode, his suggestions would be too delayed to be of much use. But at least they could still serve as a reference, right?

To everyone's surprise, Li Bi's reply was very simple, focusing mainly on his family's situation and completely omitting any mention of politics or military affairs, offering only a few words of encouragement to Li Ji at most. As for his own health and cultivation level, he didn't mention them at all.

Hearing Li Ji's words, Li Heng couldn't help but sigh: "I have wronged Changyuan... In the past, Changyuan resolutely resigned because he thought the war would be over and the country would be safe. He was afraid of rumors and did not want to stand in the court again. Who would have thought that two years would pass so quickly? Although An Qingxu is dead, Shi Siming rebelled again, and the government army suffered repeated defeats... If Changyuan were still alive, how could things have come to this?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Forget it. Your attitude towards Li Mi is good, but it's far from being one of complete obedience. Especially during the fall of the two capitals and the hardships of exile, you were panicked and at least willing to listen to some advice. But once the two capitals are recovered and the Ming Dynasty is firmly established, will you still be able to distinguish between good and bad advice? The principles of being close to the virtuous and keeping away from the petty, accepting advice and rejecting slander, are two closely linked ends. It's impossible for a monarch to employ treacherous officials like Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen while simultaneously trusting virtuous ministers like Li Mi. Putting aside other matters, are you willing to unwaveringly trust Guo Ziyi and Zhang Hao? If you could, there would be no need for Li Mi; the country would have been largely stable long ago!"

But he only dared to grumble in his heart, and it was inconvenient for him to say these words out loud. In fact, Li Ji deeply hated Li Heng. When he was thousands of miles away and heard that the bastard emperor had made another foolish move, he would often think: I might as well just stab that guy to death! However, when he faced Li Heng face to face, and the distance was no more than five steps, even if he didn't have any weapons, given Li Heng's unfortunate appearance and weak physique, he could probably strangle him to death if he pounced on him, so Li Ji didn't dare to make a move.

Firstly, I felt it wasn't worth it for a fine man like myself to perish alongside a scoundrel emperor; secondly, the chaos hadn't subsided, and any major upheaval in the palace could trigger even greater turmoil. Putting aside everything else, if the news reached the front lines, the Tang army would surely collapse, and Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others might very well be killed because of me…

Furthermore, Empress Zhang is still in the Daming Palace, while Li Yu is far away in the Taiji Palace and Li Shi is in the Baisun Residence. If Li Heng were killed now, the only one who could secretly laugh and seize power would be Empress Zhang!

However, Li Ji had no intention of echoing Li Heng's lies, and could only listen quietly with his head down, offering no response. Li Heng paused for a moment, then asked, "I also ordered the Hengzhou government to build a Taoist temple for Changyuan on Mount Heng to help him cultivate in seclusion, but upon receiving the reward, he refused to live in the temple and wanted to go deep into the mountains. I wonder why? Does he have a grudge against me?"

This time, Li Ji could no longer ignore it and hurriedly explained, "I once escorted my elder brother to Hengshan, but we were attacked by assassins. I have already reported this to the Crown Prince and the Prince of Fengjie. As a result, my elder brother dares not reside in the official Taoist temple, lest his whereabouts become known..."

Li Heng leaned forward slightly and asked, "I also ordered the prefectures and counties to investigate this matter and arrest the assassin, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful. You were by Changyuan's side that day, do you know who sent the assassin? An Qingxu or Shi Siming?"

Li Ji thought to himself that Zhou Zhi might have already surrendered to Shi Siming at that time, but considering the time and distance, it was also possible that it was an order issued when he was still serving An Qingxu. I can't be sure. However, after thinking for a while, he replied: "The rebels certainly hate my elder brother, but there may also be jealous people in the court. This is why my elder brother was unwilling to stay for long."

Li Bi, who "embraced the bones of the immortals at night and donned the robes of a first-rank official in the morning," entered the court alone, without any connections or allies. How could those former officials possibly tolerate him? Even when he was still in the capital, numerous impeachment memorials were sent to the palace, some questioning his abilities, others his conduct, and most advising the emperor not to bypass the normal promotion channels and easily appoint those who had risen through the ranks by chance... Including Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen, who addressed him respectfully as "Master Changyuan" to his face, secretly hoping for Li Bi's downfall.

A key reason why Li Heng trusted Li Mi was that Li Mi had no power base or faction in the court, making him easier to control—in short, the same mentality he had towards heavily relying on eunuchs. And precisely because of this, Li Mi had no choice but to leave; otherwise, he would inevitably be slandered by petty people and face a terrible end.

Furthermore, Li Ji surmised that Li Bi had gradually come to understand Li Heng's character, realizing that he was no longer the loyal and kind Crown Prince confined to the Eastern Palace. Past relationships couldn't be relied upon for long. Therefore, taking advantage of the recovery of the two capitals and the improved situation, he decided to make his escape quickly…

Chapter 40, Turning a Major Issue into a Minor One

When Li Heng inquired about the assassination attempt on Mount Heng, Li Ji said it was hard to say who sent the assassin; perhaps it was a traitor, or maybe someone from the court…

He was also resentful, hence his words, intended to provoke Li Heng. Li Heng was no fool; upon hearing this, he was speechless. Just then, a eunuch peered out from the doorway, and Li Heng seized the opportunity to change the subject, beckoning and asking, "What is it?"

The eunuch bowed and reported: "This servant has just returned from the Ministry of Rites. The examiner Yao Sheren reported that among this year's candidates, there is indeed a man named Wei Hao from Liaocheng who has passed the exam and ranked fourth in the second class."

Li Heng curled his lip slightly and said, "Since Li Bai said that he 'will surely become famous throughout the world,' how can he only be ranked fourth?" He casually picked up paper and pen from the table, wrote a few words, and handed them to the eunuch serving by the bedside to pass on.

Upon hearing the name 'Wei Hao', Li Ji seized the opportunity to pull out two pieces of paper from his pocket and presented them with both hands: "Regarding the scholar Wei Hao, I have already questioned him and obtained the truth. His confession is here."

This was the confession of the prisoners that he and Ma Sui had just collected after working for half a day. It was also the evidence of the Shence Army's crimes. He hadn't had time to hand it over to Wang Jiahe yet, but since he happened to have it with him, he presented it directly to Li Heng.

The matter concerning Wei Hao was now completely clear. Wei Hao was wealthy, and although he had come to Chang'an to take the imperial examinations and was staying at an inn, he was known for his extravagant spending, frequently hosting banquets for friends or frequenting brothels. This attracted the attention of Jia Mingguan and his associates. So today, they broke into the inn, fabricated charges, arrested Wei Hao, and planned to seize his money.

Wei Hao naturally protested his innocence. During the argument, the Shence soldiers tried to seize his bundle. His servant, knowing it contained Li Bai's poems, which his master valued more than his life, hastily grabbed it and fled. It's likely that Jia Mingguan mistakenly believed the bundle was full of money and wealth, and led his troops in hot pursuit, only to unexpectedly run into Li Ji…

The confession was presented, but after Li Heng took it from the eunuch, he didn't look at it, casually tossing it aside and only pressing it with his right hand. He asked Li Ji, "Could you perhaps ask Chang Yuan to come out of seclusion again to assist me?"

Li Ji replied, "I have often said the same thing, but my elder brother has never responded. If we are to ask my elder brother to come out of seclusion, His Majesty will have to issue an imperial edict."

Li Heng said "Oh," and after a moment of silence, he said, "Your merits have been reported by Prince Qi, Wang Jiahe, and others, and Shi'er has mentioned them from time to time. Don't worry, I remember them all. Just focus on your duties and lead the Imperial Guards well for me. I have already failed Changyuan, and I will never fail you, Li Changwei." With a wave of his hand, he ordered Li Ji to leave.

Li Ji rose, bowed, and backed out of the hall. Turning his head, he saw Wang Jiahe huddled behind a pillar by the door, peeking out. Upon seeing him emerge, Wang Jiahe waved repeatedly. Li Ji went over and bowed, saying, "General Wang."

Wang Jiahe frowned and said to Li Ji, "I know you, Li Erlang, must be someone who hates evil as if it were your enemy, but in this capital, there are some things that are better left unseen... Fortunately, I brought Tingyao to meet the Emperor first today, otherwise I'm afraid it would have been difficult to get through this..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You were able to see Li Heng first, it must not be because you were lucky, but because I reacted quickly and planned well. In addition, I have two eunuchs in my Yingwu Army office, unlike Liu Xixian, who had to go through several procedures to notify Dan Tingyao in the inner court in time."

Besides, both the central and inner courts are under the control of my valiant army. It would be easy to delay the messenger sent by Liu Xixian.

However, he still clasped his hands in thanks to Wang Jiahe: "Thank you for today's matter, General Wang. I didn't intend to make a big fuss, but the Shence Army is too arrogant. They actually kidnapped this year's candidates, and I just heard from the Emperor that the Ministry of Rites has already selected them... Moreover, during the interrogation, it was discovered that this kind of evil deed is not an isolated incident. Liu Xixian and his gang often frame wealthy people in the city, falsely accusing them of illegal acts, torturing and extorting them for ransom. Even candidates with a little wealth, staying at inns, cannot escape being killed. After all, the Yingwu and Shence Armed Forces are both from the Northern Army, guarding the east and west. If their affairs are exposed, we may also be implicated. It's better for me to start a fight first..."

Wang Jiahe interrupted him, stretching out his hand: "Where is the confession?"

Li Ji said, "It will be presented to the sage."