Chapter 560: Wang Wang Yushi Wang Yanling

The candle flame swayed, and the Longquan kiln celadon tea cup was set down gently.

The bottom of the cup touched the sandalwood case, making a crisp sound.

Li Yan looked at the other party calmly.

This Wang Wang Yushi was named Wang Yanling.

His skin was dark, his features square and majestic, and combined with that scarlet robe and cinnabar hat, he very much fit the image of a high-ranking court official.

But looking closely, one could discover many things.

His eyebrows slanted into his temples, and there was a shallow scar on his brow bone; although his shoulders and back were as straight as a pine, his left little finger was missing, and the tiger's mouth on his right hand had thick calluses...

In just an instant, Li Yan judged many things.

The scar on his little finger and brow bone was caused by punishment; it seemed this Wang Wang Yushi Wang had suffered in prison...

The calluses on the tiger's mouth of his right hand were not from practicing martial arts, but from years of holding a pen to review case files, indicating profound learning...

Having learning and having experienced things.

Such people were generally very difficult to deal with.

To be honest, Li Yan didn't really want to deal with such people.

The officialdom was different from the Jianghu; there were many people with honey on their lips and swords in their hearts, and many who were old and cunning. One careless move could get you trapped, which didn't suit his temperament.

But strangely, this Wang Wang Yushi Wang knew him and was very enthusiastic, so Li Yan had to stay and probe the bottom of this person.

On the other side, Xu Yongqing was immersed in the sorrow of his family's extermination, his eyes bloodshot, his fingers gripping the tea cup tightly, seemingly about to crush it at any moment.

Wang Wang Yushi Wang Yanling, however, was in no hurry. After taking a sip of tea, he comforted him softly, "I have already heard about the matter, Brother Xu, you were confused; if you were unwilling to be complicit, then that Chief Clerk's official seal..."

"Is no different from a death warrant!"

Comfort was useless; the truth was easier to hurt people.

This remark by Wang Yanling made Xu Yongqing completely collapse, tears streaming down his face, trembling, "Wang... that treacherous villain had kindness to me in the past; I thought he wouldn't be so resolute, at least he could spare my family..."

By the time he finished speaking, he was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Li Yan glanced coldly and remained silent.

He had no pity for Xu Yongqing.

Many things could be figured out once one calmed down.

Being able to serve as the Chief Clerk of a Feudal Prince, fully handling the size of the Wang Fu's affairs, he couldn't be a good person. Secretly collecting evidence was nothing more than being afraid of trouble and leaving a way out for himself...

Discovering something was wrong but not sending his family away at the first opportunity, but waiting, was nothing more than thinking there could be a turning point. Blinded by power, he had long forgotten his family.

Crying afterward, what was the use...

That Wang Wang Yushi Wang Yanling also saw Xu Yongqing's character but was not in a hurry at all, instead taking a yellowed ancient book from the bookshelf beside him, which was inscribed with "Mount Qingcheng Gazetteer."

He opened a page, his fingertips sliding over a passage that had been repeatedly rubbed: "I read this book, saying that back then, Sai Sai Tian Shi Jingxu observed the stars at night, and a guest star invaded the Emperor's seat in the Ziwei enclosure, but it was left unsettled later."

"Although only one sentence was mentioned, I happened to remember that event. Someone obtained this news and reported it to the court, but was framed and imprisoned, only to be released three years later..."

"To tell you the truth, this unlucky ghost is me."

So that was it...

Li Yan suddenly realized.

He had long heard that this Wang Wang Yushi Wang had come to Shu and had always been at odds with the Prince of Shu, like a mad dog; it turned out there was a grudge long ago.

Or rather, it was no longer a grudge, but a stance.

This Wang Wang Yushi had been imprisoned for accusing the Prince of Shu, only because the timing was wrong back then. After sitting in prison for three years, high-ranking court officials discovered the Prince of Shu was becoming increasingly abnormal, knowing the time was ripe, and released him again.

Therefore, this Wang Wang Yushi had to bite the Prince of Shu to death.

As long as he succeeded, this one thing alone would be enough for him to eat for a lifetime.

This Wang Wang Yushi was indeed frank, but not toward him; he wanted to let Xu Yongqing take a tranquilizer, knowing he wouldn't be betrayed again.

After all, the current Xu Yongqing was a stray dog; he looked pitiful but was actually driven to a dead end, and his defenses were extremely heavy.

Even if rescued by Li Yan, he wouldn't tell the truth.

That was why Wang Wang Yushi Wang released this bait.

Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Xu Yongqing did not hesitate, gritted his teeth, stood up, and kowtowed. "The Prince of Shu is plotting immortality, colluding with demonic people to harm the people, and has wolfish ambition, with the intention of rebellion. I hope you, my Lord, will make the decision for me."

A smile appeared on Wang Yanling's face, and he stepped forward to help Xu Yongqing up, saying righteously, "Rest assured, Yongqing, with me here, I will definitely not let his conspiracy succeed."

"If this official remembers correctly, Yongqing was a Jin Shi degree holder from the Jiayou era. If you perform a great service, you may come to serve under this official."

"Thank you, my Lord."

After the two exchanged polite pleasantries, Xu Yongqing stood up and said in a deep voice, "The subordinate has already collected evidence of the Prince of Shu's rebellion, all recorded in the account book."

Wang Yanling's pupils shrank. "Where is the account book?"

"Burned!"

Xu Yongqing gritted his teeth. "Upon discovering something was wrong, I burned this item, but all the entries are recorded in my heart, not missing a single word."

Seeming afraid that Wang Wang Yushi Wang wouldn't believe him, he immediately began to recite.

"In the Bingchen year, heavy rain fell in Shu, washing away the outer river embankment of Chengdu. The villagers in the whole village did not survive. The Ministry of Works reported it as a landslide, but in fact, the Prince of Shu ordered people to blow up the ancient Ba people's sacrificial altar..."

"On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of the Jiachen year, at the time of the rooster, thirty fire oil carts left Chengdu Prefecture. That night, the Qingyang Palace caught fire, which was also done by the Prince of Shu's order..."

"Two years ago, the dispatch approved by the Ministry of Rites wrote 'Offering to the Three Pure Ones, saving the world and crossing people,' but in fact, the Prince of Shu's inner mansion temple altar's incense book records a monthly consumption of two hundred jin of cinnabar and eighty liang of mercury, not knowing what it was used for..."

"Last year, during the Frost Descent, seventy-three people died in the collapse of the Zigong mine. The 'Mine Worker Injury and Death Register' received by the Ministry of Works only recorded nine names of dogs and pigs, because the coal mine discovered a large amount of coal essence..."

"Enough!"

Wang Yanling's eyes revealed pleasant surprise, and he hurriedly stopped him.

Shu was, after all, the Prince of Shu's territory. After years of management, since he came to this place, although he had achieved some success, such as taking key positions in Chongqing Prefecture and driving away the Prince of Shu's people.

But these were all following the trend and could not hurt his foundation.

With this intelligence, it was simply like adding wings to a tiger.

Xu Yongqing also said in a deep voice, "The subordinate will rewrite the account book overnight. Time is of the essence, please, my Lord..."

"No rush."

Wang Yanling shook his head. "The key to taking down the Prince of Shu is not here, but in the court. His Majesty still remembers the friendship; if there is no conclusive evidence, it will only allow the Prince of Shu to erase this evidence."

Saying this, he changed the subject and asked, "You said the Prince of Shu obtained demonic arts and has regained his youth; what do you mean?"

Xu Yongqing hurriedly recounted what he had seen.

Wang Yanling was lost in thought and turned to look at Li Yan, asking, "Li Li Shaoxia, I have also heard of your great name. Yuan Feng, the Physician of the Yuheng Qingli Division of the Ministry of Works, once entrusted me to take care of you."

As soon as these words came out, Li Yan realized instantly and cupped his hands to ask, "I haven't been in touch for a long time, how is Lord Yuan?"

Yuan Feng, the Physician of the Yuheng Qingli Division of the Ministry of Works, had another identity, which was a Mohist elder, and his relationship with him was considered quite good.

At the very least, he didn't have to worry about buying new-style gunpowder.

He didn't expect the other party to entrust someone to take care of him.

This old man was quite particular about doing things.

Hearing Li Yan's inquiry, Wang Yanling smiled and stroked his beard. "Lord Yuan is very well. I heard that he offered some treasure, which made the Dragon Face very happy. He issued a token himself, allowing him to walk freely in the palace, day or night."

"Over the years, only Lord Yuan has received this honor, and I don't know what he is doing; even the Chief Grand Secretary was ordered not to inquire about this matter..."

A series of words seemed like narration, but actually had the intention of probing. It was that Mohist ancient steam engine!

A flash of inspiration crossed Li Yan's mind, and he instantly guessed the reason.

This thing was invented by the Mohist Giant back then. It was during the chaos of the end of the Tang Dynasty, and knowing it was not the time to appear in the world, it was hidden in a tomb, and they happened to find it.

Ordinary people might not be able to see it.

But the Mohists had many people skilled in mechanism arts, and how to generate power was the main direction of their research; naturally, they could see the preciousness of this item.

Moreover, he had specifically reminded them at the time.

Now the Mohists were mysterious, mostly researching and replicating this item with the Emperor's support.

Once successful, the day of the Mohists' rise would not be far off.

These court bureaucrats might not understand technology, but they would watch the wind direction, which was why they were so polite to him because of Elder Yuan.

Of course, Li Yan wouldn't talk nonsense about such things, so he could only play dumb. "Lord Yuan and I hit it off at first sight. If there is an opportunity, I must visit him to thank him."

(Note: Repetitive error in source.)

"Oh."

Wang Yanling also noticed Li Yan's vigilance, so he changed the subject. "I don't understand Mystic Sect matters. May I ask Li Li Shaoxia, has the Prince of Shu really obtained the elixir of immortality and achieved longevity?"

Li Yan said indifferently, "It's mostly some heretical art. If he really achieved longevity, he would definitely be punished by heaven, and then there would be no need for you to worry."

Wang Yanling felt a chill in his heart, remembering Li Yan's other identity.

Although they couldn't understand the matter of the Living Yin Official, it was better to keep a respectful distance.

Thinking of this, Wang Yanling nodded and said, "Good, then I have a count in my heart, and I must thank Li Li Shaoxia for his righteous act tonight."

"You are too polite, my Lord."

"You are welcome. My subordinates just reported that those people from the Prince of Shu's Wang Fu are still hiding outside; they don't have the guts to attack the Yamen, so Li Li Shaoxia can rest in the Yamen first."

The words were polite, but they were actually driving people away.

Li Yan understood, didn't talk nonsense, stood up to say goodbye, and under the guidance of those Bagua Sect disciples, came to a small courtyard to stay.

As soon as he left, Xu Yongqing knelt on the ground, no longer having any disguise, crying bitterly. "I have nowhere to go now, I hope you, my Lord, will save me."

"What is Brother Xu doing?"

Wang Wang Yushi Wang was somewhat helpless, let him stand up again, and shook his head. "The reason I'm not moving now is because the timing is not yet right."

Xu Yongqing's face turned pale. "His Majesty?"

The Prince of Shu stood firm because the Emperor still remembered the old friendship. If he really wanted to protect him, no amount of evidence would be of any use.

"Not so."

Wang Yanling shook his head slightly, a trace of worship flashing in his eyes. "His Majesty has grand ambitions; how could he indulge him forever? He didn't pay attention before because he thought the Prince of Shu was old and critically ill, fulfilling this brotherly friendship to avoid historians talking nonsense."

"But the Prince of Shu seeking longevity through heretical arts is a taboo!"

Xu Yongqing realized instantly and finally felt relieved.

Seeing his appearance, although Wang Yanling was full of disdain in his heart, his expression remained unchanged, and he continued, "Of course, relying on this alone is not stable, so we must wait for another matter."

Xu Yongqing had already been hooked, and couldn't help asking, "My Lord, I don't know what matter it is?"

To be honest, he had already developed contempt for this Wang Wang Yushi.

Mixing in officialdom, being able to keep one's mouth shut was very important, but this person had just met him and was babbling, saying everything.

It seemed he just had good luck.

As long as he survived this disaster, and with his help, carefully flattering him, perhaps there would be a day for a comeback.

At that time, it wouldn't be him kneeling anymore.

"The war in the Southwest has ended."

Wang Yanling seemed not to have heard his words, drank tea, and said calmly, "On the twentieth of last month, the imperial court broke through the Loushan Pass, Bozhou had no danger to defend, and the Yang family retreated to Hailongtun."

"On the eighteenth of the twelfth lunar month, the imperial army met under Hailongtun. The Sai Sai Tian Shi of Long Hu Mountain summoned heavenly thunder to break the formation, the Ministry of Works' wooden magpie guided the way, and the artillery fired in unison, completely defeating the Yang family. They are currently finishing up."

"Good news."

Xu Yongqing said absent-mindedly, then asked, "But what does this matter have to do with the Prince of Shu?"

Wang Yanling said indifferently, "The Yang family has led troops into Bozhou since the Qianfu era of the Tang Dynasty, spanning over seven hundred years through the Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, Great Xing, and Great Xuan, standing firm. How could they be fools?"

"Why didn't they rebel before, but rebel now?"

"I found out one thing. Changing the land to return to the flow (Gaituguiliu) is not the main reason. The Yang family has been rampaging for many years, and there have been countless impeachments, but every time they came to Chengdu to offer heavy gifts, they were suppressed."

"Three years ago, the Yang family had already sensed the court's dissatisfaction and knew it was not good, so they wrote to express their willingness to submit, and even sent their eldest son, preparing to go from Chengdu to the capital to be a hostage, just to ease the relationship with the court."

"But as soon as he arrived in Chengdu, he was killed. He sought help from the Prince of Shu's Wang Fu, but the Prince of Shu refused to see him..."

By the time he finished speaking, Xu Yongqing was already deathly pale.

Wang Yanling's eyes became gloomy. "This matter didn't need so many people to die. Chief Clerk Xu, was it you who handled this matter?"

Xu Yongqing trembled, sweating profusely.

Wang Yanling smiled faintly. "Remember, don't act recklessly. No matter the result, you and the Prince of Shu, only one can live..."

What they also didn't discover was that among the roof tiles, a black paper figure quickly turned into green smoke and dissipated...

In the side courtyard's wing room.

Li Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly opening his eyes, lost in thought.

This Chengdu Prefecture Yamen, although it looked as calm as water, was actually hidden and deep. Excluding those few Bagua Sect disciples, there were also expert guards.

But even so, he had a way.

The black paper figure among the Chu Ling paper figures was best at hiding and investigating, dodging the house-suppressing items outside, so they couldn't do anything to him inside.

He didn't expect that the rebellion in the Southwest was also related to the Prince of Shu.

The time was three years ago...

Vaguely, Li Yan sorted out a line.

Ten years ago, Zhao Changsheng and Lu Sheng entered the Prince of Shu's Wang Fu; later Zhao Changsheng left, while Lu Sheng stayed behind...

After that time, the Prince of Shu began to pay attention to the Mystic Sect and gathered a large number of Jianghu people, but it was still normal...

Three years ago, the Prince of Shu's actions became tyrannical...

The key to everything, I'm afraid, lies in that Lu Sheng!

So many demonic people lurking in the dark, what exactly are they plotting...

…………

Just as Li Yan headed to the Chengdu Prefecture Yamen, the fleeing Nie Sangu had already arrived at the northern outskirts of Chengdu.

This was the Chengdu mass grave, with broken steles everywhere and graves piled up.

Arriving in the depths of the mass grave, Nie Sangu bypassed a headless stone figure, and thick fog rose before her eyes.

Vaguely, a mansion appeared, with blue bricks and black tiles, and a faded wooden plaque hanging on the lintel.

On it, the four large characters "House of Accumulated Goodness" were written.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 561 =====

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