usatvline Chapter 29 After Imprisonment
Chapter 29 After Imprisonment
Secret Service.
"Reporting to Lord Zhao, I have received a report that someone committed malpractice in this year's civil service examination. After investigation, it has been found that the person in charge, Cen Jingchi, leaked the exam questions to Li Lan, who then became the top scholar. The culprit has now been brought here."
Qin Wu cupped his hands in greeting to Zhao Tanyue and smiled slightly.
Zhao Tanyue looked at Li Lan.
Li Lan calmly replied, "Lord Zhao, I have absolutely not engaged in any favoritism or corruption. I implore you to investigate thoroughly!"
"Untie it first."
Zhao Tanyue spoke calmly, and the people beside her removed Li Lan's shackles and chains. Li Lan deliberately took out a jade pendant from his waist and said, "This jade pendant was given to me by you before, and now it is returned to its rightful owner—"
Zhao Tanyue frowned slightly, sighed, and said, "Since the jade pendant has already been given to you, how can I take it back? I owe you a favor from the Lin family back then, and I will do my best to investigate this matter. If you are truly innocent, I will not wrong you."
The implication was that she would do her best to help Li Lan seek justice, and this was the price to pay for this favor!
"but,"
She said sternly, "If you have truly cheated in the imperial examinations, you will be punished according to the law. Human sentiment cannot supersede the law!"
Behind Zhao Tanyue, her quirky female disciple Xixia chuckled to herself, thinking that her master's acting skills were actually quite good.
-- The two of them are now putting on an act, but it is actually the "script" that Li Lan and Zhao Tanyue agreed on when they were at Songxian Tower.
After Li Lan entered the prison, he needed a reason to contact Zhao Tanyue.
The reason was the jade pendant Zhao Tanyue gave him, and the favor she showed him.
In this way, from the perspective of others, Zhao Tanyue was only trying to repay the favor Li Lan had done for her, so she was very attentive to Li Lan and actively helped her with the investigation. Their real purpose—to investigate the mastermind's arrangements in prison—could be concealed.
To outsiders, Li Lan appears to be trapped in prison and Zhao Tanyue is actively trying to rescue him. However, the truth is that Zhao Tanyue is covering for him, while he is the one who is actually searching for clues.
Thinking about all this, Xi Xia couldn't help but feel a little complicated. Li Lan really thought things through too thoroughly and carefully. The key point is that he had arranged all of this in advance.
How does this guy's brain work?
"Please, Lord Qin, give me all the case files. I will personally review this case!"
Zhao Tanyue spoke to Qin Wu.
Qin Wu was not surprised to hear this. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "Of course. Such a major case should naturally be handled by the Director himself."
……
Not long after.
"Young Master Li, you are truly a diviner. Did you already foresee that you would be targeted by the mastermind before the Literary Examination?"
On the way to the prison, Zhao Tanyue finally asked a question.
"It was just something we had to be wary of; I never expected my calculations to come true."
Li Lan smiled helplessly.
"What do you plan to do next, young master?"
After a moment's thought, Li Lan said, "You proposed to personally investigate my case, and Qin Wu did not object... Perhaps, they had another purpose in putting me in prison, which was to distract you."
"I imagine your investigation at the Ink Fragrance Workshop has instilled fear in them."
Zhao Tanyue nodded.
"Then let's go with the flow. Put aside the matter of the secret letter for now. Find Master Cen or something, and focus all your energy on my case. This will lull the enemy into a false sense of security."
"I'll take charge of things here in prison."
Zhao Tanyue nodded, her expression grave: "Young Master Li, I have searched the prison many times, but I still haven't found any clues. Now the Qingtian Ceremony is just a few days away..."
Extremely urgent!
Even with Li Lan's exceptional intelligence, could he possibly find the enemies hidden among the prisoners in just a few days?
Li Lan smiled slightly, then suddenly asked, "Where is Gu Changfeng Pass?"
Upon hearing this name, Zhao Tanyue's delicate body trembled violently, as if the fog before her eyes had been suddenly lifted, finally revealing the truth. She looked at Li Lan in disbelief and said, "You..."
Gu Changfeng!
She was aware of Gu Changfeng's situation, of course. After ambushing Li Lan at Zuiyue Tower, she went into hiding, but was eventually caught.
She had investigated before, but found nothing. But now, judging from Li Lan's attitude...
Gu Changfeng is actually one of Li Lan's men? How is that possible!
She was also incredibly intelligent, and in a short time she considered countless possibilities. Could it be that when Li Lan was attacked at Zuiyue Tower and narrowly escaped death, it was all part of a scheme orchestrated by Li Lan?
This is... terrifying.
At that moment, she felt inexplicably fortunate that she and Li Lan were friends, not enemies!
Li Lan smiled and said, "Arrange for me to meet him once."
Zhao Tanyue's cold and aloof face was filled with an indescribable complexity, a mixture of admiration, emotion, and incomprehension... In the end, she simply nodded and said, "Okay."
"Young Master Li, I'm starting to have some doubts. Are you a human, or a ghost?"
Before being locked in the cell, Zhao Tanyue couldn't help but ask one last question.
In the cell, Li Lan's face was not clearly visible; he simply smiled and said, "Just an ordinary person who wants to live, nothing more."
……
night.
In the long corridor of the Secret Service, Gu Changfeng was interrogated once again. He had been interrogated many times since he was imprisoned, but this time was different. The person who came to see him was someone he had never met before, and no interrogation procedures were followed.
This made him wary.
Upon entering the interrogation room, Yan Qiu immediately stepped back.
A familiar voice drifted over: "Sect Leader Gu, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Upon hearing the voice, Gu Changfeng was startled and extremely surprised. He asked, "Young Master Li... what brings you here?"
Li Lan, who had his back to Gu Changfeng, sat in the chair, turned around, smiled slightly, and said, "How much of what I asked you to investigate has been found?"
Gu Changfeng's expression was complicated. He hadn't expected Li Lan to come to the Secret Service prison to see him in person. He hesitated for a moment, but Li Lan continued:
"Today, we can detoxify Sect Leader Gu. Also, I will have Lady Zhao Tanyue take good care of your family."
Upon hearing this, Gu Changfeng immediately knelt down and said, "Reporting to Young Master, there are several experts in the prison who have agreed to use the signal 'The True Dragon has appeared, the Old Dragon shall die' to prepare for an assassination attempt on Mount Qiudao!"
Assassinate!
Li Lan raised an eyebrow slightly!
……
And this moment.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to the throne: Lin Zheng, the son-in-law of General Zhenguo, has committed fraud in the imperial examinations, which has shaken the foundation of the nation. He should be stripped of his title and imprisoned for a thorough investigation!"
"The General of the State is implicated in the examination fraud case, his crimes are heinous, and everyone in the General's mansion should be tried. Lin Zheng should be executed!"
"If the case of fraud is not investigated, the country will not be at peace; if Li Lan is not killed, the nation will not be secure!"
Dali, the imperial court.
The morning court session was filled with righteous indignation!
Lin Zheng is a man of integrity and upright character. In order to put the emperor at ease, he is aloof and has no relationship with any of the civil and military officials in the court. In fact, he has made many enemies in secret. Now, countless people in the court have submitted memorials to impeach him!
"Lord Lin, people say you are a loyal and honest official. May I ask, in this world, are there any loyal and honest officials who cheat in the examination hall? Hahaha..."
"General Lin, how do you explain this matter?"
Lin Zheng's face was extremely grim. He stepped forward, knelt before the dragon throne above, and said, "Your Majesty, I implore you to thoroughly investigate this matter. Li Lan is absolutely not the one who committed fraud..."
The dragon throne above, however, remained silent.
The officials waited quietly.
After a while, a eunuch whispered a reminder to the emperor beside the dragon throne. The emperor, who had been keeping his eyes closed, finally opened them slowly. His once majestic square face was now somewhat pale. Seeking immortality and taking elixirs and medicines had not made him look radiant; on the contrary, it seemed to have depleted his already limited energy.
He looked at the assembled officials, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes. Ignoring the infighting among the courtiers, he instead asked, "How are the preparations for the tribute items from our esteemed ministers progressing?"
All the officials in the court were stunned for a moment.
The court officials knelt down to report, while several officials who were preparing to submit memorials about the famine in the northwest and the drought in the central plains, hoping to ask the emperor to postpone taxes, exchanged glances, shook their heads in secret, and dared not take out their prepared memorials.
If taxes are reduced, it will inevitably affect the preparations for the Qingtian Grand Ceremony. Bringing up this matter at this critical juncture is suicidal.
The common people are treated like cattle and horses, and the masses are like weeds; whether they live or die is sometimes not that important.
"The Qingtian Grand Ceremony is the most important event at present and cannot be neglected."
Emperor Xianxian was quite satisfied with the preparations for the Qingtian Ceremony, and his mood seemed to have improved. He said, "The examination cheating case, the military situation in the Northwest, and the severe drought in the Central Plains can be discussed after the Qingtian Ceremony."
"Military intelligence from the Northwest should be sent directly to the residence of the General of the State."
"In addition, the Ministry of Revenue can announce to all regions that after the Qingtian Grand Ceremony, the court will provide disaster relief and comfort to the people, and will begin to raise funds."
Upon hearing this, all the officials couldn't help but shudder. Although His Majesty was obsessed with seeking immortality, he was not unaware of the important matters of the world.
"The court session is over."
Emperor Xianxian waved his hand and set off to return to the palace.
……
"Your Highness, at this morning's court session, His Majesty only inquired about the Qingtian Grand Ceremony, glossing over other matters. Lin Zheng and Li Lan were not sentenced to death."
At Jinyang Palace, Mr. Zhu reported to the Third Prince, Li Guan.
Li Guan smiled slightly and said, "My father is such a shrewd man, how could he easily kill Li Lan?"
"However, it doesn't matter. It's a good thing that he attaches so much importance to the Qingtian Ceremony. My wedding dress will be woven. How wonderful!"
"Has Mr. Zuo arrived yet? During the Qingtian Grand Ceremony, after I inherit the throne, I will still need him to communicate with the Immortal Realm."
Just as Mr. Zhu was about to say something, a voice rang out calmly: "Your Majesty need not worry, I have arrived."
Li Guan was overjoyed and hurriedly went out to greet him. He saw an old man calmly landing outside the door. He had silver hair and a silver beard and had a dignified and otherworldly air about him, but he only had one arm.
"Mr. Zuo!"
Li Guan greeted them with great respect.
Mr. Zuo smiled slightly, then took a hand and grasped Li Guan's pulse point. After examining him, he said, "Very good, you've taken another step closer to mastering the True Dragon Technique."
"After absorbing the Yin essence of Lin Ruobing, who possesses the Taiyin Body, it should be almost time. Once you cultivate the True Dragon Technique, you can break free of those shackles and embark on the path to immortality with my sect's Holy Maiden, Shangguan Xiaoxiao!"
He nodded.
Li Guan said, "Don't worry, sir. The situation is now settled. When the Qingtian Ceremony is held, the Lin family will not be able to escape my grasp!"
He then asked, "By the way, why didn't Saintess Shangguan come?"
Mr. Zuo was slightly displeased, but still said, "That girl, for some reason, has recently unsealed several of the sect's great techniques, and her strength has increased rapidly. So the sect leader has allowed her to stay in the Forget-Worry Secret Realm for a few more days."
Li Guan couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Miss Xiaoxiao... have you unsealed many of your cultivation techniques?"
One of the main reasons why the Taiyi Sect chose him was that only if he mastered the True Dragon Technique could he help the Taiyi Sect's Holy Maiden cultivate the sealed supreme secret technique!
But as far as he knew, the saintess was proud and arrogant, and didn't seem to be entirely satisfied with the marriage...
He had previously sent Little Poet God and others to Drunken Moon Pavilion, which was in a sense a gesture of goodwill towards that Holy Maiden, but he didn't expect that Li Lan would delay it.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but have a sudden thought, an absurd idea flashing through his mind: could Shangguan Xiaoxiao's unsealing of her cultivation technique be related to that damned Li Lan?
However, he immediately shook his head. The strength of literary talent required for the Taiyi Sect's cultivation method was unimaginable. It could only be solved by the True Dragon Technique, which carried the fortune of the world. Even if Li Lan had some talent, it would not be enough.
He even later sent someone to investigate, and according to the Snow Moon Fairy of Zuiyue Tower, Li Lan's "Spring River Flower Moon Night" had some effect, but not much...
However, in any case, a new sense of murderous intent towards Li Lan inexplicably grew in his heart!
After settling Mr. Zuo in, he immediately asked Mr. Zhu, "How is Li Lan doing in prison?"
Mr. Zhu said, "Your Highness, as soon as Li Lan was imprisoned, he indeed sought out Zhao Tanyue. Zhao Tanyue is currently investigating the case of cheating in the imperial examinations and has no time to pursue clues about the Ink Fragrance Workshop."
He smiled slightly and said, "Zhao Tanyue is a woman of deep feelings and owes Li Lan a favor, which she will eventually have to repay. Her delay will make our plans for the Qingtian Grand Ceremony much smoother!"
If there is anyone within Dali that he is truly worried about, it is only the Secret Service under Zhao Tanyue's command.
By deliberately sending Li Lan over, he was also, in a sense, deliberately diverting Zhao Tanyue's attention.
It seems to have worked.
Li Guan nodded: "Very good."
"Let him live a few more days... By the way, I heard that Li Lan hasn't slept with Lin Ruoxue yet while he's at the Lin residence?"
Mr. Zhu said, "Yes, Lin Ruoxue is proud and arrogant. The two are husband and wife in name only, but not in reality."
A lewd grin spread across Li Guan's face as he said, "Hahaha, good, good, good! So, she's still a virgin. What Li Lan couldn't enjoy, I can enjoy for him in the future!"
……
In prison.
"This is the list."
In the dimly lit cell, Li Lan calmly handed Zhao Tanyue a piece of paper.
Zhao Tanyue took the paper, her hands trembling slightly!
……
Inside the palace.
Yingxian Hall.
This hall was originally named "Qianyang Hall" and was the emperor's daily residence. However, Emperor Xianxian was so obsessed with seeking immortality that he changed the name of the hall.
"These poems are all of inferior quality!"
Inside the palace, Emperor Xianxian looked at the many memorials piled up on the table, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction.
This grand ceremony to celebrate the heavens was extremely solemn. The Qingci (a type of prayer document) was the medium for communicating with the immortals, and it was of utmost importance. However, he felt that none of the documents written by the court officials were satisfactory.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests an audience, saying she has a petition to present..."
A eunuch approached respectfully.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xianxian's eyes lit up with joy. He knew that the Empress was exceptionally talented, and her present work was sure to be a masterpiece. He said, "Quickly, invite her in!"
……