Chapter 151: Fox's Tail

In the dark, damp cell, Jin Fu's body was covered in wounds, yet he forced himself to sit leaning against the wall.

The dark, damp environment made his already injured body even weaker.

He was filled with resentment, yet constantly pondered how to escape.

"Li Wan, you wait; the Son of Heaven will surely uphold justice for me, and your wicked deeds will be exposed to all under heaven."

Li Wan, accompanied by a few lackeys, swaggered over to the water prison.

Seeing Li Wan, Jin Fu's eyes instantly turned red, and he shouted with all his strength: "Li Wan, you have gall! How dare you detain an imperial official? This is open defiance of the emperor's edict—a grave crime!"

Li Wan snorted coldly, took a few steps forward, looked down on Jin Fu, and said: "Hmph, Jin Fu, do you really think highly of yourself? The Jin clan has already fallen; you are merely the son of a traitor, and to me you're no different from an ant. The Son of Heaven and the imperial court have countless affairs—why would they bother with the life or death of a petty Jin Fu?"

"Jin Fu, just stay here quietly; I'll deal with what needs to be done, then slowly take care of you."

Having said that, Li Wan swaggered off with his men, leaving only Jin Fu in the water prison.

The sun shone brightly, bathing this still-ancient land in a warm glow.

Liu Ju wore coarse hemp clothing, straw sandals on his feet, and a battered bamboo hat on his head, dressing as an ordinary country gentleman; together with Zhang Tang, Wei Xiang, and Xu Wei, they set out discreetly.

Leaving the city, endless fields stretched on both sides of the road; a breeze swept over, making the wheat waves roll, exuding a mixed scent of soil and grass.

Liu Ju drew a deep breath, sensing the unique charm of this Yan Capital land.

They first went to the bustling market of Yan Capital.

At the market, stalls were packed tightly together, cries of vendors rose and fell, and all kinds of goods dazzled the eyes.

Liu Ju dismounted, handed the reins to a guard disguised as a servant, and strolled through the bustling crowd.

He saw an elderly man with white hair sitting behind a stall, selling bamboo baskets he himself had woven.

Liu Ju stepped forward, bowed slightly, and asked respectfully: "Sir, excuse me. I've just arrived; may I ask, in Yan Capital, where is the terrain most open and also considered an auspicious spot according to geomancy?"

The old man lifted his head, his cloudy eyes scanning Liu Ju up and down; seeing his plain attire but extraordinary bearing, he secretly wondered about his identity.

The old man stroked his beard and said slowly: "Young master, if you're looking for a good place, the land north of the city is not bad. It backs onto the Yan Mountain remnant and faces the Sorghum River flowing gently; locals have long regarded it as a auspicious geomantic site."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ju's eyes flashed with delight; he quickly thanked the old man, mounted his horse, and galloped toward the northern part of the city.

The scenery north of the city was completely different from that inside; the view instantly opened up.

In the distance, mountain ranges undulated continuously, bathed in sunlight like a slowly unfurling ink painting.

Liu Ju reined in his horse, stood on high ground and looked down; he saw a clear river winding past, its banks lush with green grass, cattle and sheep grazing in herds.

His heart stirred; he felt this place indeed matched part of his vision for the site of the imperial palace.

Yet he still harbored a deep longing for the former palace and the Two Seas; but now, in the Western Han, everything is still a barbaric stage, incomparable to the skyscrapers and towering mountains of a thousand years later.

He still needed to conduct a more thorough investigation to determine the exact location.

Thus, he continued forward along the river, carefully observing the surrounding terrain.

On the way, Liu Ju encountered a farmer laboring in the fields.

He dismounted, walked up to the farmer, and smiled: "Brother, you know this nearby land better than anyone. Tell me, is there any plot here especially suited for building a large house, with excellent terrain and water source?"

The farmer straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, was about to speak, but suddenly his expression tightened and a flicker of fear crossed his eyes.

Just then, a burst of arrogant laughter rang out: "Haha, old man, don't meddle!"

Liu Ju followed the sound and saw a richly dressed young man striding over, followed by several burly retainers, each with fierce faces and brutish looks.

The newcomer was none other than the Governor Li Wan's son, Li Xiao.

Li Xiao stepped forward, chin slightly raised, nostrils upturned, eyes full of arrogance and contempt as he sized up Liu Ju, the corner of his mouth curling in a sneer.

He idly fiddled with the exquisite jade pendant at his waist, inlaid with gemstones that emitted a crisp clink, as if deliberately showing off his status.

"I am a scion of the Li Family; around here, I call the shots. What business does an outsider like you have probing these matters?"

While speaking, he deliberately kicked the dirt on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Zhang Tang, standing beside Liu Ju, frowned, anger rising in his chest, about to step forward when Liu Ju held him back.

Liu Ju, however, merely said lightly: "Just asking casually; Young master, why get angry?"

Li Xiao, however, would not relent; he stepped forward, closing in on Liu Ju, his finger almost jabbing Liu Ju's chest, and snarled:

"I think you're tired of living; around here, it's not your place to meddle!"

While saying that, he turned his head to the farmer, his eyes threatening: "You lowly commoner, if you dare to speak nonsense again, watch out for your land!"

The farmer groaned in misery.

Day after day, Li Xiao's bullying of the common people grew even more wanton.

He often led his retainers to rampage through the village; whenever he saw a family's fertile field, he ordered his men to forcibly plant his own boundary markers there.

The old farmer remained silent, full of fear.

The people dared to be angry at Li Xiao but dared not speak; whenever they saw him, they kept their distance, fearing trouble.

Li Xiao, however, took pleasure in this, becoming even more overbearing and tyrannical.

Li Xiao glanced askance at Liu Ju and his companions, his face full of arrogance and contempt, and barked: "You lot, quickly tell me where you're from and what you're doing here!"

Zhang Tang, naturally hot-tempered, saw Li Xiao's rudeness and his suppressed anger flared up again; he clenched his fists, took a step forward, and was about to explode.

Liu Ju, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed Zhang Tang, shook his head slightly to signal him to stay calm.

Liu Ju put on a smile, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Young master, we come from Ever Peace. Having heard that the Son of Heaven intends to establish a secondary capital here in Yan Capital, we are all clans from Ever Peace, hoping to try our luck, see if we can find some business opportunities, and seek a way forward for future development."

Li Xiao narrowed his eyes, eyeing Liu Ju suspiciously, pacing around them once, muttering: "Clans from Ever Peace? I don't see you lot as such at all."

Liu Ju gave a signal; Wei Xiang promptly pulled out a banknote from his pocket and respectfully handed it to Li Xiao, saying: "Please, sir, do us a favor."

Li Xiao gleefully took the banknote, walked up to Liu Ju again, gave him a once‑over, then burst out laughing: "Fine, I'll believe you for now. But in Ji City you must obey my rules; if I discover anything off about you, don't blame me for being impolite."

Having said that, he departed with his attendants, kicking up dust.

After they had gone far, Zhang Tang burst out: "Your Majesty, such a wicked fellow, so arrogant—why not punish him soundly?"

Liu Ju's expression grew solemn as he said: "Now that we are incognito on a private visit, our primary task is to investigate the true state of Yan Capital; we must not reveal our identity too early and invite unnecessary trouble. Li Xiao's conduct surely means he has long oppressed the people; we will certainly investigate his crimes thoroughly, but for now we must endure."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.