Chapter 106: Releasing the Prisoner

**Xing's sedan chair stopped in front of the Provincial Court's yamen gate. He lifted a corner of the curtain and looked at the dark, cold, silent gate of the Provincial Court prison.

This was a place of darkness. Since its establishment under the Taizong Emperor, countless people had gone in and never come out again.

This institution was originally aimed specifically at court officials; ordinary people were not even qualified to enter.

A trace of disgust appeared on **Xing's face. He did not like this place. In fact, throughout the dynasties, countless ministers had wanted the Emperor to abolish it, but none had succeeded—instead, it had given rise to the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot.

From afar, the heavy sound of horse hooves rang out briskly.

The middle-aged man beside the sedan chair bent down toward the curtain and said, "Master, they're back."

**Xing looked up. Sure enough, a troop of Embroidered Uniform Guard under tall horses was hurrying toward them. The coldness on his face deepened by a degree as he stepped out of the sedan chair.

Yang Zhe was in an excellent mood, looking quite pleased with himself. Li Jinyan, pressed along behind him, had been disciplined into silence and could only glare hatefully at his back.

"Sir, it looks like someone is waiting for us up ahead." Suddenly a guard stepped forward and spoke to Yang Zhe.

Yang Zhe sat on his horse, looked up into the distance, and examined carefully for a moment—then his expression shifted slightly.

Remembering what Li Jinyan had said earlier, Yang Zhe raised an eyebrow and spurred his horse forward at a quick pace.

When he reached the front, he dismounted and bowed in salute: "Your subordinate Yang Zhe pays respects to Lord Zhao."

**Xing looked at Yang Zhe, then glanced at the force of more than a hundred men behind him. His wrinkled face was cold as he said, "Have Luo Yangxing come see me."

Yang Zhe looked at **Xing's expression and felt a flutter of panic in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, a man behind him abruptly stepped forward and berated **Xing: "Who are you? How dare you speak Lord Luo's name directly!"

Having said this, he stepped forward and shoved **Xing hard, saying coldly, "Get out of the way! The Embroidered Uniform Guard is conducting official business—bystanders stand aside! Anyone who obstructs will be executed on the spot!"

**Xing was a man of over seventy, well past his prime. How could he match a strapping Embroidered Uniform Guard? The shove sent him stumbling backward.

"Master!" The middle-aged man beside **Xing cried out in alarm and hurried to steady him.

Yang Zhe's face also changed drastically. He rushed over: "How dare you! Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao..."

**Xing braced one hand against the sedan chair and did not fall, but his face had already turned ashen. Looking at Yang Zhe, who rushed over with a tense expression, his eyes were filled with icy coldness.

**Xing's chest heaved—whether from the shove or from rage, he looked at Yang Zhe's expression and saw it as nothing but posturing!

But Yang Zhe truly was not posturing. He was genuinely terrified. This man was no ordinary person—he was the Minister of Personnel! If anything happened to him, ten heads would not be enough to pay for it.

**Xing shook off Yang Zhe's hand with a single motion and sneered: "Lord Yang cuts quite a figure. Am I to understand that today I won't even get to see the even more impressive Guard Commander, Lord Luo?"

Seeing that **Xing was unharmed, Yang Zhe relaxed slightly. Naturally, he also knew why the man had come.

His heart trembled. Since **Xing had truly stepped forward, this piece of meat would not be so easy to swallow.

Yang Zhe's mind raced. Suddenly he turned and barked at the people coming out of the yamen: "Why haven't you gone to invite Lord Luo out? Minister Zhao has been waiting a long time!"

The crowd exchanged bewildered looks. After a long while, one man steeled himself and stepped forward: "Lord Yang, have you forgotten? Lord Luo left the capital by imperial order early this morning. He won't be back for a few days."

Yang Zhe's eyes changed abruptly. He had seen Luo Yangxing at noon—what did they mean, early morning?

Thinking back to the man who had inexplicably appeared just now, his body went cold in an instant. Now he finally realized—he had been set up by Luo Yangxing!

A thin sheen of cold sweat broke out on Yang Zhe's face. Since Luo Yangxing had designed this trap for him, he would not be allowed to escape easily.

To **Xing, all of this was merely a trick the Embroidered Uniform Guard was playing to fool him. His expression grew colder, and his words came out hard as iron: "Since the small one isn't here, I'll find the big one. Let me see whether Luo Sigong dares to hide from me!"

Yang Zhe's body trembled again. **Xing was an elder of the literary world. In his youth, Luo Sigong had gone to hear his lectures more than once. Moreover, **Xing commanded great prestige throughout the court. What reason could Luo Sigong have to dare not see him?

Most importantly, in Yang Zhe's view, this was not something that waste Luo Yangxing could have designed. It was most likely Luo Sigong scheming against him behind the scenes. If **Xing went to find Luo Sigong, Luo Sigong would have ample reason to deal with him directly within the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

At this thought, his body grew even colder. He hastily said, "Lord Zhao, I will release the man right now. Someone—release everyone! Return all the evidence as well!"

**Xing looked at Yang Zhe, his brow furrowing slightly. A man long seasoned in officialdom, he felt increasingly uneasy in his heart. He vaguely sensed that someone behind the scenes truly intended to make a move—to tear open an opening through the grain transport and target him.

Li Jinyan quickly ran over. Seeing **Xing, he dropped to his knees with a thud and cried out loudly: "Lord Zhao, please seek justice for me! They intend to drive my Li family to ruin—you cannot stand by and watch me die!"

**Xing had a deep connection with Li Sancai. Looking at Li Jinyan's bruised and swollen face, his own expression grew even darker. He said, "Enough. Take your things and go back."

Yang Zhe looked at **Xing, walked over, and said with a fawning smile: "Lord Zhao, you see, I've released the man. Please be magnanimous and forgive this humble subordinate."

**Xing had already concluded that Yang Zhe was merely a pawn. Naturally, he paid him no heed and turned to board his sedan chair.

Li Jinyan looked at Yang Zhe's demeanor, and a sudden viciousness rose in his heart. He stood up and roared: "Just you wait! I will never let you dogs and hawks get away with this—I'll skin you alive..."

"Enough!" **Xing suddenly bellowed from inside the sedan chair.

Li Jinyan's body trembled. After a moment's hesitation, he swallowed his harsh words, shot Yang Zhe a vicious glare, and followed **Xing's sedan chair away from the Provincial Court yamen.

Yang Zhe watched **Xing's sedan chair recede into the distance. His face was pale, and his eyes were full of murderous light.

Though he had placated **Xing, he knew that he had been maneuvered into this position by Luo Yangxing. If he did nothing now, he would most likely be in grave danger.

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, leaped onto his horse, and galloped away at full speed.

"Sir, where are you going?" A guard hurried after him, shouting loudly.

But Yang Zhe acted as if he had not heard. A cloud of dust rose, and he quickly vanished down the street.

**Xing sat in the sedan chair, brows knitted tightly. In his heart, he lamented the darkness of the court—treacherous ministers in power, good officials useless—and worried for the safety of the Great Ming and its altars.

Li Jinyan walked alongside **Xing's sedan chair, touching his face and chattering endlessly: "Lord Zhao, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has grown utterly lawless! Beneath the Son of Heaven's very feet, in broad daylight, they dare to break into the residences of court officials, seize people and property at will—they have no regard for the law whatsoever, behaving like bandits..."

"Ji Yong, arrange for someone to escort Young Master Li back to his residence."

The middle-aged man outside the sedan chair was named Wu Shan, styled Ji Yong. He acknowledged the order and arranged for a regular attendant to escort Li Jinyan home.

Li Jinyan naturally would not let **Xing off so easily. Since the man had stepped forward, there was no reason not to see the matter through to the end.

"Lord Zhao, this junior feels this matter is not yet finished!"