The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 108 Surprise

Nangong Diyi said that he wanted to think carefully, so Li Ye let him think.

In Li Ye’s view, it was impossible for Wei Jiangnan not to fight him when Wei Jiangnan arrived at Huangli County.

Especially in the case that Chen Jianghe had failed, Wei Jiangnan was the only turning point and his cultivation had reached Level 8 of Qi-refining, so it was impossible for him to leave without a fight.

When Nangong Diyi fought against the Taoists, Li Ye heard the sound and also saw Nangong Diyi.

Song Jiao said that she went to see an old friend, but when she said this, her look was strange, and she went back with an unhappy look. Li Ye speculated that she might go to meet Nangong Diyi, but he was not sure.

When Song Jiao came back, she didn’t mention Wei Jiangnan. Li Ye knew the existence of Wei Jiangnan by asking Liu Zhiyan and the attackers. So here was the question. Had Song Jiao ever fought with Wei Jiangnan?

If she had, she certainly wasn’t defeated or she even didn’t suffer injuries as she came back calmly.

Since Song Jiao was so relaxed, it showed that she could easily defeat Wei Jiangnan. Then why didn’t she take Wei Jiangnan back? Wei Jiangnan was Wei Baoheng’s younger brother, so if he had been caught by Li Ye, Li Ye wouldn’t have been so passive now.

Although Wei Baoheng could prevaricate to say that Wei Jiangnan went to Huangli County by accident or that he went to see his old friend, Chen Jianghe, Li Ye could at least find out a lot of things by interrogation, before bringing Wei Jiangnan back to Chang’an.

Why didn’t Song Jiao take Wei Jiangnan back?

Li Ye speculated that the only answer was that Song Jiao hadn’t fought with Wei Jiangnan!

Then who had defeated Wei Jiangnan?

Li Ye had asked Liu Dazheng. Liu Dazheng didn’t do that too.

That person who fought with Nangong Diyi? It was impossible. He had no reason to help Li Ye.

Nangong Diyi finished another pot of wine. He lay prone on the table and sighed. “I can’t answer your question.”

He didn’t know, or he was unwilling to admit?

Li ye poured himself a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp. “Then I change a question. Why did you appear in Huangli County on that day?”

“That’s an easy question to answer.” Nangong Diyi breathed a sigh of relief. “The Imperial Astronomical Observatory received a message that the most outstanding disciple in Zhongnan Mountain would appear in Huangli County.”

“Would?” Li Ye seized on the word.

Nangong Diyi nodded. “Would.”

“Who passed the message?”

“A subordinate received it.”

Li Ye frowned. In this case, it was impossible to trace the source. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory had many cultivators and took charge of all the Taoist sects in the world. Their informers were all over the world and their abilities couldn’t be underestimated. It was normal for them to foretell the whereabouts of certain outstanding masters in advance.

Li Ye asked again, “What level has your cultivation reached?”

Nangong Diyi smiled. He staggered to his feet and he was ready to go. “Not high and not low. Just average.”

He went straight to the stairs. When he was about to go downstairs, he stopped and laughed at himself. “It’s useless with high cultivation. There are many things that I’m unable to do.”

After saying this, Nangong Diyi went downstairs.

Li Ye didn’t move, and he mulled over Nangong Diyi’s words.

He came to ask Nangong Diyi questions in search of an answer, but now there were more and more questions without gaining any answer.

Li Ye gradually felt as if there was an invisible hand that had fallen from the sky behind these questions.

He felt very strange.

The big hand that was falling must have extraordinary power.

But he felt no danger.

...

When Wei Baoheng returned to his Manor, he was in a very good mood.

He had nothing to worry about since he had solved the case in Huangli County.

He was very confident that the demagogic words that he told Li Cui were enough to make Li Cui have lingering fear for Li Ye. Wang Duo, Lu Yan and the others, who got close to Li Ye, would be implicated in trouble, and Li Cui would trust them less.

This was of great benefit to Wei Baoheng, and his position as the Prime Minister would be very steady.

“The change of Huangli County is a very dangerous thing, but after your clever response, you not only save the day but also get great benefits. Your wisdom is unsurpassed in the world. I’m overwhelmed with admiration!” Wei Baoheng’s trusted subordinates and followers cupped their hands and conveyed their congratulations with flattering smiles on their faces.

Wei Baoheng touched his beard and said, “If I weren’t wise, how could I hold the position of the ruling Prime Minister?”

When he said this, he was very ambitious as if the whole country were in his hands.

“You’re the most powerful Prime Minister in Tang Empire!” The follower continued to flatter.

Wei Baoheng laughed proudly.

“But there’s one thing that I don’t understand,” the trusted subordinate hesitated to say as he thought of something suddenly.

“What is not clear? Just say it. I’m in a good mood today, so I will answer your questions!” Wei Baoheng said affectedly.

The follower said doubtfully, “At that day in Huangli County, the reason that Li Ye wasn’t caught was that your younger brother, Wei Jiangnan, was intercepted by a mysterious person. According to your younger brother, that person’s cultivation was higher than your younger brother’s. It didn’t make sense since that mysterious person’s cultivation was higher than your younger brother’s, why didn’t he capture your younger brother?”

Wei Baoheng frowned. “He said that he ran away so quickly that he wasn’t captured.”

“I see.” The follower understood. “Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Wei Baoheng nodded, but he suddenly had a bad feeling. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure it out right away.

At this moment, someone rushed to report, “Duke Wei, something bad has happened!”

Wei Baoheng’s heart suddenly thumped and a bad feeling swept over him. He was shocked. “Why are you being so panic?”

“Your younger brother, Wei Jiangnan, went to the Chang’an Office!” The comer was in a flurry.

“What?” Wei Baoheng stunned. “Why did he go to the Chang’an Office?”

“Our informer in the Chang’an Office reported that when Wei Jiangnan walked into the Chang’an Office, he said loudly that he needed to meet Li Ye and Xu Shaomu and that he set an ambush to kill Prince An by your order in Huangli County at that day!”

“What are you talking about? How could it be? “Is he crazy?!” Wei Baoheng was frightened, shocked and confused. His features completely twisted together, and his heart was pounding with a sense that the sky and the ground were spinning as if the sky had collapsed. He trembled all over.

He took advantage of the demagogic words to win Li Cui’s sympathy and trust so that he had the possibility to minimize the case of Huangli County into nothing and call black white. But now Wei Jiangnan testified against him, so all his efforts would come to naught!

The comer continued to say in a hurry, “What’s more, Wei Jiangnan has an account book and there is evidence of your corruption and bribery on it... He is going to turn you in!”

“An account book? What an account book?!” Wei Baoheng opened his eyes wide and flurried unceasingly, looking left and right.

His trusted follower suddenly thought of something. He couldn’t help but step backward. He looked at Wei Baoheng in horror. “Would it be the account book recording the interests transactions among you and officials at all classes?”

Wei Baoheng was dumbfounded, in a look like seeing a ghost in the daytime. “This, this is impossible! How did he get my account book and why did he do that?!”

With the evidence of Wei Jiangnan, the case of Huangli County would be settled and Wei Baoheng was doomed to suffer a disaster. So once the evidence of his corruption and bribery was made public, he would be directly investigated by the court. Even if Li Cui favored him, Li Cui wouldn’t tolerate his great fault!

“This is impossible, this is impossible...” Wei Baoheng kept shaking his head, panic and distracted.

“Duke Wei...”

Wei Baoheng stood up suddenly in a dull look and took a few steps forward with his vacant eyes. He stopped suddenly and spurted out a mouthful of blood!

“It’s over, it’s over, all is over!” Wei Baoheng murmured absent-mindedly. Suddenly, he jumped up, pointed outside the door, and roared, “Wei Jiangnan! Why are you doing this!”

Finishing a roar, he vomited a mouthful of blood three times. He almost fainted, his body shook, and he sat down on the ground suddenly and turned pale.

After a long time, he suddenly roared at the sky, “Who is it! Who is it that wants to destroy me! Who is it?!”

...

In the Chang’an Office, Li Ye stared at Wei Jiangnan who was kneeling in the hall. He frowned slightly.

Xu Shaomu, the magistrate in the Chang’an Office, sitting in the north of the hall, held a court to hear the case personally. He was reading the account book. He turned it from page to page and frowned more tightly. In the end, he couldn’t help but beam.

He coughed and then he controlled his expression. Xu Shaomu handed the account book to Li Ye. “Vice magistrate, you also have a look at it. Wei Baoheng is so bold that he has taken corruption and bribery and violated the law. His crimes are numerous and appalling!”

When Li Ye was turning over the account book, Xu Shaomu looked at Wei Jiangnan who was shivering and said solemnly, “Wei Jiangnan, what you have said just now is true?”

“All my words are true. I didn’t lie! Wei Baoheng sent me to Huangli County with many masters in the purpose of colluding with the river bandits to rob the Autumn Gifts in the dock warehouse so that we could lure vice magistrate Li to investigate and fight against him! He set all these up!” Wei Jiangnan answered immediately.

“Let him sign!” Xu Shaomu waved his hand.

Li Ye closed the account book and watched Wei Jiangnan signing obediently. He understood that even though Wei Baoheng had many means, he would be defeated this time!

The feeling in his heart was even stranger.

Who on earth was helping him?

Who else would help him in such a big world?

And so powerful?

“Dismiss! I’m going to enter the Imperial Palace and report it to the emperor!” Xu Shaomu’s mouth twitched and his expression was very weird. He wanted to laugh, but he endured it hard, so he bared his teeth and twitched his mouth. His expression was so funny.

Originally, when the case of Huangli County was taken over by the Central Judicial Department, the matter would fail. Xu Shaomu and the others felt very upset that their efforts would be in vain and perhaps the Central Judicial Department would blame the crime on them reversely.

Unexpectedly, Wei Jiangnan surrendered himself suddenly!

Not only did he surrender himself, but also he brought evidence of Wei Baoheng’s corruption which was enough to bring down Wei Baoheng!

It was a big surprise and it came all of a sudden!

It caught people off guard, and it made people want to laugh!

Before Xu Shaomu left the hall, he looked up at the sky and thought, “There’s such a good thing in the world? Are there pennies from heaven?”

Li Ye walked up and said to Xu Shaomu, “Magistrate, you should enter the Imperial Palace with Duke Wang and Duke Lu.”

Although Xu Shaomu’s official position wasn’t low and he had the qualification of meeting the emperor in the Imperial Palace, his words were of little effect compared with the three Prime Ministers’. He should report the case with Wang Duo and Lu Yan so that Li Cui couldn’t favor Wei Baoheng anymore!

“You’re right!” Xu Shaomu nodded. He was overjoyed just now, but fortunately, Li Ye reminded him.

Although Li Ye looked solemn, he wasn’t shocked or overjoyed. Xu Shaomu suddenly realized something.

Why did Wei Jiangnan turn himself in?

Of course, it wasn’t arranged by Xu Shaomu, but he also knew that it wasn’t Lu Yan and Wang Duo’s arrangement either.

Did, did Li Ye arrange it?

Very likely!

Besides Li Ye, who else could be?

If Li Ye didn’t arrange it, why could he be so calm now?

Xu Shaomu was awed by Li Ye immediately. He took Li Ye by the hand and said in excitement, “I’ve seen your means today. You’re very awesome! If Wei Baoheng can be overthrown this time, you will have the biggest credit! If it succeeds, your good name will be spread and extolled not only in Chang’an City but also all over the Tang Empire!”