Chapter 153: A Sliver of Hope

Liu Ju, Zhang Tang, Wei Xiang, and Xu Wei spent the night lodging in Double Lake Village, unable to sleep soundly.

At dawn the next day, Liu Ju rose, found the villager he had met before, and said earnestly, "Fellow villager, we want to go hunting, but we're unfamiliar with the local terrain; could you show us the way?"

The villager looked uneasy; Liu Ju slipped him some banknotes and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you work for nothing—there will be a generous reward once we succeed."

"Then please, sirs, don't leak the news that I'm taking you out."

The villager hesitated repeatedly, then finally nodded.

The few of them pretended to be ordinary hunters, carrying simple hunting gear, and walked toward the village gate.

At the village gate stood Li Xiao's attendant, eyeing them warily.

Liu Ju gave Xu Wei a look; Xu Wei understood, stepped forward, smiled, and slipped a few banknotes into the attendant's hand, saying politely, "Sir, we're just going out to catch some game to improve our meals—could you do us a favor?"

The attendant weighed the banknotes, a greedy smile spreading across his face, and said, "Go on, go on, come back early."

Leaving the village, under the villager's guidance, they headed toward the place he called Double Lake.

As they neared Double Lake, the sight before them left them stunned.

A flat area beside the lake had been transformed into an extravagantly luxurious private pasture and hunting ground.

Vast tracts of high-quality grass were carefully fenced off, inside which various rare exotic beasts were raised, each one fat and strong.

In the distance, several pavilions and towers rose up, with flying eaves, bracket sets, carved beams and painted pillars, their luxury and architectural standards far surpassing some imperial villas.

Moreover, looking around the lake, it was clear that no land remained for farming.

As for the region where Double Lake lies, Liu Ju always felt an inexplicable familiarity; now completely transformed, he felt displeased.

Liu Ju's face darkened, and he whispered angrily, "The Li Wan father and son dare to annex land like this, overstep ancient statutes—it's practically contempt of the emperor!"

Zhang Tang clenched his fists, eyes full of indignation, and said, "Your Majesty, such atrocities must be severely punished!"

Wei Xiang furrowed his brows, pondering, and said, "It seems their ambitions go far beyond this; behind this there may be a greater conspiracy."

They continued forward, hoping to uncover more secrets.

Unbeknownst to them, they had stumbled into a heavily guarded area.

All around, high walls encircled the area, studded with sharp bamboo spikes; at intervals stood watchtowers where guards patrolled back and forth, alert.

Liu Ju's heart jolted; he keenly sensed something amiss here.

He asked the villager beside him, who shook his head and said, "Sir, this is nothing us commoners ought to know; please hurry, hunt some game, then return—don't stir up trouble."

"Who goes there? Halt!"

Immediately afterward, a group of guards wielding sharp blades rushed at them.

Zhang Tang and the others' faces changed drastically; the situation was dire.

But Liu Ju quickly composed himself, lowering his voice to the group: "Don't panic, act according to the situation."

Just as Liu Ju and the others were contemplating an escape plan, a group of guards had already surrounded them.

The lead guard, eyes like a hawk, sized them up and barked, "Who are you? Why have you intruded here?"

Liu Ju remained composed, turned slightly to signal Xu Wei to step forward.

Xu Wei understood, stepped forward, and spoke loudly:

"I am Xu Wei, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works; these are my friends. Having heard that the scenery here is beautiful, we wanted to come hunting, to take in the views, and moreover, as the Emperor wishes to establish a secondary capital here, we also wanted to see if we could purchase suitable land to build a private residence later."

He appeared self-possessed, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The guards hearing this showed a hint of hesitation.

One of the somewhat older guards furrowed his brows and said, "Sir Xu, we naturally know your name. However, this is private territory, with no land for sale, and outsiders are not permitted to hunt or gather here."

Though his words were still courteous, his attitude was firmly resolute.

Zhang Tang felt displeased, frowned slightly, and was about to protest, but Liu Ju stopped him with a glance.

Liu Ju smiled and said, "Ah, I see—we were imprudent. But having traveled all the way, seeing the scenery truly captivating, we felt a sudden urge to try our luck. If so, then we'll take our leave now."

Having said that, he gave the guards a slight bow, signaling the group to prepare to depart.

However, the guards did not relax their vigilance, continuing to stare fixedly at them.

"Please go on, don't come any closer," the lead guard said coldly.

Liu Ju and the others, under the guards' watch, slowly walked back the way they had come.

After walking a distance, confirming the guards could no longer see them, Liu Ju and the others stopped.

Wei Xiang's brows remained knotted as he analyzed, "Your Majesty, this place is so heavily guarded and yet firmly denies any land sales—there must be something significant going on."

Liu Ju's expression grew grave; he nodded and said, "Indeed, it seems the Li Wan father and son are hiding some shameful secret here. We cannot just give up—we must devise a way to infiltrate again."

They all nodded, each secretly contemplating countermeasures.

After Liu Ju and the others left, inside the tightly guarded water dungeon at Double Lake, the dark, damp atmosphere grew ever more oppressive.

Having just heard the commotion outside, Jin Fu felt a spark of hope ignite in his heart; he desperately wanted to shout, hoping to draw the attention of Liu Ju and the others outside, thereby escaping this lightless torment.

However, before his cry could leave his lips, the guards noticed.

A burly guard, face twisted with savagery, strode forward a few steps, seized Jin Fu's hair, and jerked his head back hard.

"You brat, still want to shout? Behave yourself!"

Saying that, he clenched his other fist and slammed it hard into Jin Fu's abdomen.

Jin Fu let out a muffled groan, his body curling up, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"If you dare make a sound again, today I'll drown you in this water dungeon!"

The guard threatened viciously, then kicked Jin Fu in the leg, sending him crashing into the icy water.

Jin Fu struggled to rise, but weakened as he was, the guard stepped on his back, leaving him immobile.

"You lot of villains will surely meet your comeuppance someday!"

Jin Fu shouted angrily, his voice filled with resentment and despair.

"Comeuppance? In this water dungeon, I am heaven! If you don't behave, you'll suffer!"

The guard spoke while also punching and kicking Jin Fu.

Jin Fu could only groan in pain in the water.

His gaze gradually dimmed, and his once firm belief began to waver under this endless torment.

He looked at the narrow skylight of the water prison, his heart filled with sorrow, wondering if he would truly die here, silently and unnoticed, unable to clear the Jin Clan's injustice, unable to repay the Emperor's grace.

Despair flooded over him like a tide, he collapsed in the water, subjected to the guards' beatings and insults, his body and spirit riddled with wounds.