Chapter 432

Half an hour later, Xu Qi'an stepped out of the Grand Qi Tower. He stood at the bottom of the tower, closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then left.

After leaving the government office, he rode on a little mare and galloped along the unimaginably spacious main road of the inner city towards the Ministry of Justice office.

The main road was more than a hundred meters wide and led directly to the imperial city. It was the road that the emperor used. The width was mainly to prevent assassins from ambushing on the side of the road. Once there was a sneak attack, such a wide road could provide enough buffer time for the imperial guards.

Soon, he arrived at the Ministry of Justice office.

Xu Qi'an saw the second Uncle Xu from afar. He was wearing armor and carrying weapons. He must have received the news when he was patrolling the street and immediately rushed over.

Second Uncle Xu was stopped at the gate by the guards of the Ministry of Justice.

Two guards yelled. One of them reached out and pushed the second Uncle Xu. He didn't dare to fight back and staggered back.

"What, a little Imperial Blade Guard dares to break into the Ministry of Justice office?" One of the guards pointed at Xu Pingzhi's nose and scolded. If you don't leave now, don't blame me for being rough.

Xu Pingzhi, who was at the Mortal Realm, held back his anger. He clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "I am Xu Xinnian's father. I have the right to visit."

The other guard sneered, "Imperial examination fraud offenders are not allowed to visit. This has always been the rule. You're just an illiterate man, what do you know? "

Xu Pingzhi really didn't know. Cases related to imperial examination fraud were too far away for him to know.

"Then why did you ask me for thirty taels?" Xu Pingzhi raised his eyebrows and was boiling with anger.

"So what? This is the Ministry of Justice office. Do you dare to make a move? Try and touch one. "The guard sneered.

"Ha … tui."

The other guard was even more direct. He spat at Xu Pingzhi.

Xu Pingzhi quickly dodged.

The two guards laughed wildly.

"Phew …"

The second Uncle Xu slowly exhaled and looked at the two rows of soldiers walking out of the government office. Obviously, if he dared to make trouble in front of the Ministry of Justice office, he would be in serious trouble.

He would be giving them something to use against him.

"Get out!"

The guard scolded.

Clop clop clop clop … Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard. Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw a vigorous horse galloping towards them, brazenly crashing into the Ministry of Justice's office.

It crashed into the two scowling guards.

Bang!

One of the guards couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the chest by the little mare. He was sent flying, and after struggling for a moment, he slowly fell to the ground, injured and unable to get up again.

Someone dared to make trouble in front of the Ministry of Justice office?

"Ning Yan."

Xu Pingzhi felt relieved when he saw his nephew.

"Clang …" The sound of swords being unsheathed was continuous. When the guards in the yamen heard the commotion, they all rushed out with their swords in hand. They wanted to hack the guy who dared to cause trouble in the Ministry of Justice's yamen into a thousand pieces.

But when they saw that it was Xu Qi'an who was sitting on the back of the horse, they all held their swords and rushed out.

The leading guard sheathed his saber, cupped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Xu, this is the Ministry of Justice's office. You should know that if you offend the Ministry of Justice and hurt the guards, you will be imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded. "

Xu Qi 'an ignored him. He dismounted from the horse and kicked the guard who was nimble enough to avoid the little mare's charge.

"Ouch …" The guard screamed and rolled on the ground.

Xu Qi 'an took out the saber hanging behind his waist, held it in his hand and whipped it. The muffled sound of the scabbard hitting the skin and flesh was frightening.

The guard screamed again and again.

"Your excellency Xu!"

"Call me Lord Viscount."

The guard pretended not to hear and shouted, "Do you really think there are no masters in the Ministry of Justice? Are you not afraid of His Majesty's punishment and the laws of Daibun?"

"Bring it on. If I can't settle this, I, Xu Qi'an, will have wasted my time in the capital." Xu Qi'an sneered and continued to whip the guard.

At first, the guard could dodge or raise his hand to block. But after a dozen blows, his eyes began to roll and he was on the verge of death.

The guard gritted his teeth. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging, but he didn't dare to fight with the arrogant silver gong.

The scene of the fight was still vivid in his mind. Xu Qi'an's momentum had not dissipated yet. At this critical moment, no one dared to fight with him.

The most important thing was that this person had the Immunity Medallion. Even if he started a massacre in front of the Ministry of Justice, he would only be dismissed and his life would not be in danger.

Seeing that the guard was still breathing, Xu Qi 'an stopped and hung the knife back on his waist. He said lightly, "Thirty taels of silver. Take it as the consultation fee for the two of you, as well as the medicine fee."

After he vented his anger, he stared at the guard and said, "Go in and tell them that I want to see Xu Xinnian."

Hearing this, the guard did not refuse or respond. He signaled his men to carry the two wounded into the yamen for treatment. He looked deeply at Xu Qi'an and returned to the inside of the yamen.

After a while, the guard returned and said, "Minister Sun invites you."

Xu Qi'an tied the reins to the stone lion in front of the yamen. He turned around and said, "Second Uncle, let's go in together."

Xu Pingzhi followed him in silence. The two entered the yamen, passed through the front yard and the corridor. The Second Uncle Xu opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but chose to remain silent.

The guard led the uncle and nephew into the side hall. Minister Sun, dressed in a scarlet robe, was sitting on the main seat in the side hall. He looked serious and expressionless.

"Greetings, Minister Sun." Xu Qi'an cupped his fists.

Minister Sun looked straight ahead, as if he did not see Xu Qi'an. He said lightly, "Two words are missing."

After staring at Minister Sun for a few seconds, Xu Qi'an bent his spine and cupped his fists in a tone that a subordinate would use to greet his superior. He said, "Greetings, Minister Sun. I want to see Xu Xinnian. "

Seeing this scene, Xu Pingzhi suddenly felt a little sore in his eyes.

Minister Sun showed a satisfied smile and said, "Cheating in the imperial examination is a serious crime. It is normal for family members to visit."

Suddenly, he changed the topic. "No."

Xu Pingzhi gritted his teeth.

After that, Minister Sun stopped looking at the uncle and nephew and picked up his teacup. In the officialdom, if the host did not drink the tea halfway through a conversation, it meant that the guest was leaving.

"I won't disturb Minister Sun." Xu Qi'an turned around and left.

Looking at the back of the uncle and nephew, Minister Sun said lightly, "There are a few thorns in the yard. I heard that your excellency Xu has cultivated the Golden Body of Buddhism. Are you interested in trying?"

Xu Qi'an left without looking back.

As Xu Pingzhi walked out of the yamen of the Ministry of Justice, he scolded, "That son of a b * tch, he wants you to carry thorns to ask for punishment. I won't agree even if I pull out a knife and cut him."

"Second Uncle, why did you come so fast?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"You came too late. After I received the news, I immediately went home to comfort your aunt and Lingyue, but it was completely useless..." The Second Uncle Xu felt a headache coming on.

"You only know how to cry. Alas, Ningyan, what should we do about this?"

Although Xu Pingzhi was a rough Warrior, he knew about the "grudge" between the Imperial Academy and the Yunlu Academy. On the way here, he tried hard to analyze the situation and felt that Erlang's imprisonment was probably related to this matter.

"This matter is very complicated. Second Uncle, you go back first. I still have something to do."

Xu Qi'an did not want to waste time. He mounted the little mare and galloped away along the street.

In his mind, Wei Yuan's words emerged.

The first step is to prevent the Ministry of Justice from making a confession under torture. Governor Chen of the yamen is a slippery official and has a good relationship with both sides. Once this matter is confirmed, he will probably not want to offend Minister Sun.

"Minister Sun hates my guts. The imperial examination fraud case is a good opportunity for him to take revenge. In fact, he was the one who pushed for it. At the very least, he is one of the participants. It is almost impossible for him to treat Erlang kindly. "

The little mare was covered in a thin layer of sweat and panted heavily. Finally, she stopped at a courtyard in the outer city.

"Taoist, Taoist, Jianghu emergency …"

Xu Qi'an pushed open the gate of the yard and went straight to the inner room. He saw the Jinlian Taoist priest lying peacefully on the bed, as if he was asleep.

"He, he went to bed with the cat again …" Xu Qi'an, who was anxious, could not help twitching his mouth when he saw this scene.

After the little mare's love kick last time and the purpose of asking for help, Xu Qi'an did not use physical methods to wake up the Jinlian Taoist priest. He sat at the table and waited silently. In less than three minutes, a slender shadow appeared at the door.

"What's the matter?"

The Jinlian Taoist priest squatted at the threshold. His voice was gentle and calm. He seemed to be used to this kind of conversation.

"My cousin Xu Xinnian was involved in the imperial examination fraud case …"

Xu Qi'an briefly explained the ins and outs of the matter, and then said, "Taoist, I need your help."

The orange cat's amber eyes stared faintly, shaking the air, and said:

"I don't know enough about the Daibun officialdom to be able to give you effective advice. You shouldn't have come to me for this. Wei Yuan is the real expert in politics. If politics is divided into ranks, Wei Yuan is rank 2. "

Xu Qi 'an, who was originally very anxious, could not help but continue after hearing this topic. "Only Rank-2? Then who's rank 1? "

The orange cat laughed and said, "Of course it's the Yuanjing Emperor. When it comes to imperial schemes, the Yuanjing Emperor has already reached the peak. Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen both have the potential to become rank 1 in politics, but their ideals and political views are different.

"The Yuanjing Emperor purposely put these two fierce tigers in the court, and he himself is really sitting on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight."

That makes sense … Wait, didn't you say you don't know much about the situation in the court? Xu Qi'an cursed in his mind, but he asked:

"Then do you think that there is an existence that surpasses ranks in politics?"

"Of course there is," the Jinlian Taoist priest raised his paw, licked it, and said: "The highest realm of politics is to use force to suppress everything, to keep one's word, and no one dares to disobey. It's the same for every founding emperor. "

The Taoist priest seems to be gradually influenced by the habits of cats … Sure enough, for any living creature, the body controls the brain, the hormones secreted by the body determine what you want to do … Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're sleepy, drink when you're thirsty, give out water when you're full. Then the question is, does the Jinlian Taoist priest like a female cat or a female cat?

At this time, the orange cat sighed, put down his paw, and faintly said:

"You seem to like lingering on the edge of life and death."

And repeatedly jumping sideways? This sentence flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind, then he hurriedly changed the topic and said: "Taoist priest, I want to ask you for a favor …"

…

Along the canal outside the capital, ten miles south of the city, there was a vast lake, surrounded by green mountains on both sides, and lotuses in the lake. The scenery was extremely beautiful.

There were also farmers' houses, teahouses, and restaurants with smoke curling up from their chimneys.

Because this place was in the suburbs of the capital, it was fast and convenient to reach by boat. Therefore, every spring, there would be countless young masters and rich young ladies who would take a boat to visit the lake.

An exquisite embroidered boat was anchored by the shore. Simu Wang was dressed up today, wearing a popular wide-sleeved light muslin dress with the same color pattern as the background. It was both complex and exquisite, but also low-key and reserved.

Her makeup was exquisite, and her hair was combed into a beautiful bun. Her black hair was decorated with gold and jade hairpins, completely according to the standards of a date.

But after an hour had passed, the other people had gone back and forth on the lake, and Miss Wang's boat was still in the same place.

"Miss, forget it, let's go back." The maid advised in a low voice: "Xu Huiyuan won't come."

"Did you not deliver the message?" Simu Wang could not accept this reality. She glared at the maid and tried to shift the blame to Xu Xinnian.

"How would I dare? He must have delivered it." The maid said, feeling wronged.

Simu Wang sat there for a long time, her eyes filled with disappointment. She said softly: "Forget it, let's go back."

"Yes." The maid responded quickly and left the cabin, going to the back of the boat to inform the boatmen to return.

The boatmen pulled the anchor out of the water and rowed the boat together. The boat slowly moved along the canal, returning to the capital.

Back at the capital pier, Simu Wang entered the waiting carriage and ordered, "Lan'er, go to the Xu Manor immediately. Tell him I'm going to play with Miss Lingyue.

"I'll wait here for an hour before leaving."

"Miss, why is this so?" The maidservant frowned.

"Even if he doesn't have any intentions towards me, I still need to know." Miss Wang was very aggressive.

…

Xu Xinnian of the Spring Night Society was arrested by the Ministry of Justice for fraud and was sent to prison.

This case that was destined to shake the entire capital spread from the magistrate and the Ministry of Justice. Then, through the six ministries, it quietly spread to the entire capital.

After a few more days of fermenting and spreading, everyone would know about it.

During lunch break, familiar officials gathered in restaurants, teahouses, and other places to discuss the imperial examination cheating case.

"I knew it. Would the officials of the court agree to a student of Yunlu Academy obtaining the Huiyuan? Isn't it here now? "

"You only know one thing but not the other. This is definitely not that simple. Xu Xinnian is Xu Qi'an's cousin. Xu Qi'an is Daibun's poetry champion. 'Difficult Journey' is such a masterpiece. I don't believe there's nothing fishy about it."

"Bullsh * t. Is Xu Qi'an the only one in the world who knows how to write poetry? Can't we scholars have a flash of inspiration and a stroke of genius? "

"Alright, there's no point in arguing about this. Xu Huiyuan is doomed this time. Whether or not he cheated, his future is ruined. I remember there was a cheating case in the 12th year of Yuanjing. Three students were involved. The case took two years to investigate. In the end, they were released, but their reputation was ruined and their studies were abandoned. "

"There was a similar case in the 20th year of Yuanjing. But that time, the evidence was conclusive. The involved students and the chief examiner were all executed by His Majesty."

"If this case is confirmed, with Xu Xinnian's identity as a student of Yunlu Academy … Hiss, no matter how I think about it, there's no possibility of a turnaround. Do you think Duke Wei will help?"

"It's very likely. Xu Qi'an is Duke Wei's confidant. He will definitely ask Duke Wei to help."

"What if Duke Wei just stands by and does nothing?"

"If Duke Wei doesn't help, who else can save Xu Huiyuan? Xu Qi'an, that Warrior? He might be an expert in solving cases and killing enemies. How can a mere Warrior figure out the ways of the bureaucracy? "

Chu Yuanzhen, who was staying at his old friend's house, heard about this matter from his friend who had just returned from the yamen during lunch.

Number Three is involved in the cheating case … Although Number Three is extremely intelligent, the conflict between Yunlu Academy and the Imperial Academy is irreversible. Intelligence can't make up for it … The best outcome is to be stripped of his scholarly title. Number Three can no longer be an official. This is a loss to the imperial court …

"I heard that this matter was caused by the newly appointed Right Imperial Censor. But I reckon that, hmm, the various parties are either watching or secretly helping. Xu Xinnian is in danger," said his friend.

Chu Yuanzhen sighed and said in a low voice, "I left the court because I was tired of the conflict between parties. Since ancient times, political struggles have harmed the strength of a nation, and the cultivation of emperors has harmed the fate of a nation.

His friend's expression changed. "Yuan Zhen, be careful with your words."

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm already a man in white, free and unfettered." Chu Yuanzhen sneered and then sighed. "I've been thinking for a long time, but I can't think of a way out. Unless Wei Yuan joins the fray, with Xu Ningyan's potential, Wei Yuan will probably make a decision.

"But this may be what those people want to see. Sigh, I still can't think of a way out. "

...

The Imperial Palace.

In Dexin Garden, Huaiqing, who was wearing a plain palace dress, sat behind a table. She nodded at the Imperial Guard in the room. "I understand. You may leave."

After the Imperial Guard left, Huaiqing stood up and walked to the window. She frowned and muttered, "If it were me, how would I solve the problem?"

After thinking for a long time, she shook her head and sighed.

Then, she suddenly thought of what Xu Ningyan would do if it were him.

...

In a restaurant in the inner city, Sun Yaoyue booked a private room and invited her friends from the Imperial College to drink. Her main purpose was to share a piece of news that was about to shake the Confucian community in the capital.

"Xu Xinnian, the Imperial College's Huiyuan, was arrested by my father this morning. It's said that he cheated in the imperial examinations and bribed the examiners."

"Is the news true?" The Imperial College students were shocked.

"Of course it's true. I personally went to the yamen to confirm it and asked my father. Although he chased me out of the yamen, Assistant Minister Zhu revealed it to me. That Xu Xinnian is in prison, waiting to be arraigned. "Sun Yaoyue glanced at her friends and said proudly.

Sun Yaoyue was the only legitimate son of Minister Sun. His studies were quite good and he was better than most of the hedonistic sons. However, he had a bad habit — he loved to gossip.

As for the Yunlu Academy's student Xu Xinnian, Sun Yaoyue was envious and angry. Now that he was imprisoned for cheating in the imperial examinations, he was very happy.

"That silver gong, Xu Qi'an, is not a son. Relying on the protection of the eunuch Wei, he swaggered around in the capital and wrote poems to insult my father. He should be hacked into pieces."

Sun Yaoyue slammed the table and laughed wantonly. "If I can't hack him, I'll hack his cousin. Hahaha, let's drink. "

When the Imperial College students heard this news, they were surprised and relieved. That was right. The Huiyuan of the Imperial College's Huiyuan in the spring examination was won by a student of Yunlu Academy. Where was the dignity of the Imperial College students?

It must be cheating. It was definitely cheating. They couldn't accept any other reason.

"Brother Sun, it's better to share the joy with others than to be happy alone. We should let such a delightful thing spread far and wide."

"That makes sense. Let's do that. See you at the Musical House tonight."

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Sun Yaoyue drunkenly left the restaurant and entered the carriage parked outside the restaurant. With the help of his entourage, he climbed into the carriage.

Just as he was about to take a nap, he saw a slender orange tabby sitting on a soft tiger-pelted couch. Its amber eyes were staring at him faintly.

Without any movement, the carriage continued to move forward. Suddenly, the window opened, and the orange cat jumped out. With its tail erect, it walked very fast and disappeared in the bustling crowd.

…

Ministry of Justice.

Minister Sun summoned an official and asked, "Go to the prison and ask if Xu Xinnian confessed."

The official took the order and left. A few minutes later, he returned and replied, "Minister, that Xu Xinnian is very stubborn. No matter how we beat him, he won't confess."

"That's because we didn't beat him enough." Minister Sun snorted and said, "The Ministry of Justice has a lot of torture methods. Let him taste them one by one. Even a stone will bloom. Well, just leave him alive."

"Yes."

The official left. As soon as he left, a man rushed in. He was dressed like a rich man with gray hair. When he crossed the threshold, he even tripped.

"Why did you come to the yamen?" Minister Sun asked with a frown.

This person was the butler of the Sun Residence, an old servant who had followed Minister Sun for decades.

"Master, something bad has happened …" The old butler said with a sad face and a trembling voice, "Young Master, he, he disappeared."

"What do you mean Young Master disappeared?"

Minister Sun's expression changed slightly. He stood up and walked over. He stared at the old butler and repeated in a low voice, "What do you mean Young Master disappeared!?"

"The servant who followed Young Master returned to the residence not long ago to report that Young Master had a banquet with his classmates at a restaurant. After drinking, he entered the carriage … and then disappeared. When the carriage returned to the residence, it was found that there was no one in the carriage."

The old butler scratched his ears and cheeks. He was anxious and at a loss. He said carefully, "The residence's guest said that Master, Master, has offended someone recently?"

There was a set of unwritten rules in Daibun's officialdom. Political fights were political fights, but family members were not to be harmed. It was not that the moral bottom line was high, but that if you did something, others could do the same.

Because of this, they would be seen as not knowing the rules and be ostracized by the entire social class.

This unwritten rule was very authoritative. Even the imperial court recognized it. It was not explicitly stated because it was not acceptable.

However, there was a system in Daibun. Once any official became an official in the capital, their parents, wife and children had to enter the capital as well.

What was the meaning of this system?

A system paved the way for an unwritten rule. It could be seen how authoritative this unwritten rule was.

Who did he offend … Minister Sun muttered to himself. In his mind, Xu Qi'an, that despicable person, naturally appeared.

"Stupid!"

Minister Sun shouted. His beard and hair stood on end. He was unable to restrain his anger. He roared, "You think that by kidnapping my son, you can make me submit? You ignorant brat, destroying yourself.

"If anything happens to my son, there will be no place for you in the entire capital. No, your whole family will die. "

After roaring, he swept all the memorials on the table to the ground. The teacup was smashed to pieces. Brush, ink, paper and inkstone scattered on the ground.

The old housekeeper was as quiet as a cicada in winter. He did not dare to breathe too loudly. His master had been an official for many years and had long developed a shrewd character.

He had been so flustered and exasperated twice. The first time was because of that extremely humiliating poem, and the second time was because of this ignorant brat named Xu Qi'an.

Minister Sun suddenly lifted the hem of his official robe and ran out of the room with a vigorous body that did not match his age.

"Master, if you have any orders, just let me do it..."

The old housekeeper chased after him and shouted.

Minister Sun ignored him and roared, "Guards, guards, quickly go to the prison. Don't use torture, don't use torture …"

The sky above the Ministry of Justice echoed with Minister Sun's "no torture" (broken voice).

...

After a quarter of an hour, Minister Sun, who had calmed down a little, returned to the hall panting. He took the hot tea served by the old housekeeper and took a big sip.

"Ignorant brat, how dare you threaten me. Ignorant, stupid!"

After scolding him, Minister Sun changed the topic and ordered the housekeeper, "Go to the Yamen immediately and tell that bastard to come see me."

Although the other party had broken the rules, Minister Sun could not be stubborn. It would be best if they could negotiate. First, he would protect his son and then settle the score with that bastard surnamed Xu.

The housekeeper nodded and was about to turn around to leave when a guard crossed the threshold and cupped his fists. "Minister Sun, that Xu Qi'an is here again."

Just in time!

Minister Sun's eyes shone brightly and he instantly straightened his back. "Let him in."

After a short while, the guard led Xu Qi'an inside. The bastard surnamed Xu had a smile on his face as he strolled leisurely in the courtyard. He was not like this morning when he asked to see Minister Sun with a gloomy face and suppressed anger.

And Minister Sun's expression at this moment was exactly like that of Xu Qi'an at that time.

"Where is my son Yaoyue? Xu Qi'an, quickly let him go home and I can pretend that this never happened." Minister Sun looked straight ahead as if Xu Qi'an was not in his eyes.

"What do you mean? I don't understand. "

Xu Qi'an had an innocent look on his face. After thinking for a while, his expression suddenly changed. "Good, Minister Sun not only wrongly accused my cousin of cheating in the imperial examinations, but also wants to frame me. There are such despicable and shameless people in this world."

"You..."

Minister Sun finally moved his eyes and stared at Xu Qi'an. He did not say anything and only dismissed the officials in the hall. Then, he said word by word:

"I am willing to give you a chance since you are young and do not know the rules. If you still want to stay in the capital's officialdom, then let him go. "

Xu Qi'an shook his head and said, "Minister Sun must be mistaken. I don't know what you are talking about."

After a pause, he suddenly understood and said with concern, "From Minister Sun's words, could it be that something happened to your son? Kidnapped by thieves? Tell me, I am a righteous person and no one can solve cases better than me. As long as Minister Sun asks, I can guarantee that I will find him within a day. "

"Playing dumb with me …" Minister Sun was furious. He said fiercely, "Xu Qi'an, don't forget that you have a family too."

Xu Qi'an sighed and said sadly, "Minister Sun, it seems that you do not understand me. My parents died when I was a child and my second uncle raised me.

"However, my aunt bullied me and humiliated me. When I was 15, she chased me out of the house and made me live in a dog kennel. Unfortunately, I do not have a father with a hundred thousand soldiers and a crooked mouth... "

"Xu Qi'an!" Minister Sun shouted and interrupted him. He stared at him for a long time and said in a low voice,

"What do you want? The imperial examination cheating case is investigated by His Majesty. The Ministry of Justice and the magistrate are in charge of the investigation and all the officials are watching. I do not have the final say. If you want to use my son as a hostage, I can only fight you to the death. Don't be naive! "

In this day and age, whoever is more unreasonable can take advantage of others. My cousin is naturally not as important as my son. I can be cruel, but he can't... Xu Qi'an narrowed his eyes and walked in front of Minister Sun.

He whispered in his ear, "I only have one request. When Xu Xinnian is in prison, he must not be tortured. If he loses a finger, I will break one of your son's fingers. I will leave as many wounds on your son's body.

"After the imperial examination cheating case is over, whether Xu Xinnian can get away with it or not, I will release your son as promised."

"Xu Qi'an..."

Minister Sun was about to scold him when Xu Qi'an suddenly turned black. His face was ferocious and he said sternly, "Call me Lord Viscount."

Minister Sun gave in and said in a low voice, "Lord Viscount, why should I believe you?"

Xu Qi 'an slowly walked to the table, picked up a piece of pastry and ate it. He said calmly,

"Minister Sun, do you have a choice? Whether you believe me or not, you have to do as I say. Unless you don't want a legitimate son. I didn't ask you to help Xu Xinnian get away with it. I just don't want you to do anything unnecessary. It's not difficult. "

He walked in front of Minister Sun and wiped his hands on his robe. He said in a low voice, "As you said, I also have a family."

This step was taught to him by Wei Yuan. However, he came up with the method and plan himself. Wei Yuan did not give him any ideas.

Doing nothing and hoping that the opponent would be merciful would only be a fool's dream. The cold-shoulder he suffered in the Ministry of Penalty this morning was the proof.

If he wanted to defeat the enemy, he had to seize the enemy's weakness.

And most of the weaknesses were his own flesh and blood. However, it was a big taboo to hurt the family. Xu Qi'an had to consider and control the extent of it.

Therefore, he didn't think that Sun Yaoyue alone could save Erlang from danger. He only used Sun Yaoyue to make a deal with Minister Sun. In this way, the difficulty would be greatly reduced.

As for Minister Sun's disagreement and his insistence on torturing Xu Erlang, Xu Qi'an would do as he said. He even asked Minister Sun to send off his son.

So far, everything was within his expectations. It was all thanks to his good control of the scale.

Minister Sun heaved a sigh of relief, "I will trust you this once. I will not use torture on Xu Erlang. I hope that when my son returns home, he will be safe and sound. If not, he shall bear the consequences."

"Of course." Xu Qi'an snorted.

"But I'm still worried about you. I'm going to see Xu Xinnian. Ask someone to arrange it. "

As he said this, he walked to the door and suddenly turned around. He said with a smile, "By the way, Lord Viscount... That's a good title."

Minister Sun's face was gloomy. He was so angry that his beard trembled.

...

"Clatter..."

With the sound of sliding chains, the jailer opened the door to the prison. A damp and rotten smell came out.

Under the jailer's lead, Xu Qi'an walked through the dark passage and came to the cell where Xu Xinnian was imprisoned.

Xu Xinnian closed his eyes and leaned against the wall to rest. He was wearing a prison uniform. His face was pale and his body was stained with blood.

Seeing his little brother's miserable appearance, Xu Qi'an's face suddenly darkened. After all, he was one step late. Erlang had suffered in prison.

He underestimated Minister Sun's determination to take revenge on him.

Xu Qi'an whispered, "Erlang, Erlang..."

Xu Erlang was stunned. He thought he had heard wrong and opened his eyes in shock.