When Ren Wei was brought into the study, his expression was extremely unsightly. None of the three Gu brothers were inferior to him in terms of martial arts. With the three brothers surrounding him, he had no way of retaliating. Not to mention, there was also Gu Zhang by their side.
Ren Wei could only wait helplessly. A short rope made from Gu Er's ox tendon tied his hands behind his back. He could still walk as he pleased, and with just his legs, not even a dozen strong men would be able to get close to him. However, no one in this study was an ordinary strong man, especially Yang Fan. Ren Wei was well aware of how profound Yang Fan's martial arts were. Even if Yang Fan were to fight bare-handed, he would still be no match for Yang Fan even if he had the most suitable weapon in his hands.
Yang Fan sat behind the desk. His expression was calm, and his gaze was deep. When he stared at Ren Wei, he didn't seem any different from before.
When Ren Wei's gaze met Yang Fan's, a hint of shame flashed across his eyes. He lowered his head, then slowly raised it again after a while. He smiled bitterly at Yang Fan and said, "In the end, I still underestimated Sect Master. May I ask when Sect Master discovered this?"
Yang Fan replied, "On Mount Zhongnan, when you suddenly made a move and killed Li Chengkuang."
Ren Wei's gaze flickered as he muttered, "It was a long time ago. So early … You discovered it?"
Yang Fan shook his head. "At the time, I was only suspicious of you. You were so impulsive, unlike your usual personality. Besides, you are someone close to me. Even if you were pressured by the elders of the sect, it at least proves that someone in the sect is secretly contacting you, right? In reality, I did suspect that there were elders in the sect who were dissatisfied with me. That was why I bribed you, hoping to force me to accept something and make me their puppet. "
When Ren Wei heard this, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He understood one thing: not only did Yang Fan know that he was a spy planted by someone else, he even knew who that person was. But how could Yang Fan kill Li Chengkuang with a single slash? This person's schemes were a little too deep and frightening.
Ren Wei recalled the scene of the soldiers searching for the Crown Prince on Mount Zhongnan that day. He sighed and said, "I killed Li Chengkuang and committed a grave mistake. Li Chengkuang had actually been ordered by that person to kill the Crown Prince and use the Crown Prince's head as a token of allegiance so that he could attach himself to the Emperor.
Unfortunately, this was that person's impromptu decision. I didn't know. I only knew that Li Chengkuang was that person's confidant. I didn't know how much Li Chengkuang knew about me. Did he know that I was also that person's man? Since I had submitted to that person, I had to work for him, right? If Li Chengkuang had truly submitted to the court, I didn't know if he would reveal more secrets. You're so sure that I'm a traitor? "
Yang Fan said, "It's just a suspicion, so I asked Shen Mu to put on another show. I told you about this in advance and asked me to arrange the guards. I knew that Shen Mu and I would do such a big thing, and you would definitely report it to that person … "
Yang Fan's voice paused, then he sneered, "That Lu Binzhi who hides his head but shows his tail! I sent people to keep an eye on you and finally found out his background. Not bad, I always thought he was a good-for-nothing hedonistic son. I didn't expect him to have the demeanor of a brother. "
Ren Wei's expression froze. He stared at Yang Fan for a long time before realization dawned on him. He couldn't help but reveal a terrified expression. He cried out involuntarily, "Sovereign … meeting with Young Master Shen at Wuzhang Plains was originally a means to draw out the person behind me?"
Yang Fan smiled and nodded. Ren Wei blurted out, "Then Sovereign and Shen Mu's public falling out, is actually also …"
Yang Fan was still nodding, his movements very elegant.
Ren Wei's face was pale. If he was said to be afraid at the beginning, then when faced with reality, he began to accept his fate. But now, he knew that Shen Mu had long discovered his identity and was toying with him in the palm of their hands. On top of that, he was still complacent and had been hiding by Yang Fan's side this entire time. All that was left was a great humiliation.
At this moment, Gu Er stepped forward and handed the small piece of paper that Ren Wei had yet to open to Yang Fan, "Sovereign, we found this on his body."
Yang Fan reached out and took it. He opened it and took a look, then smiled at Ren Wei and asked, "Do you want to know what Lu Binzhi instructed you to do?"
Ren Wei shook his head dejectedly. There was no longer any need for him to know about these things.
Yang Fan gently tossed the piece of paper into the air, allowing it to slowly fall. He smiled at Ren Wei and said, "I'm not sure how big Lu Binzhi's business has been these past few years. But after tonight, all of his forces should be exposed … "
The falling piece of paper cut off their line of sight, but Yang Fan's voice still rang in his ears, "So, they're like clams lying on the surface of a lake that's been drained of water. All I have to do is pick them up one by one in advance."
Ren Wei closed his eyes in pain. He could hear Yang Fan asking, "Why did you betray me? What did Lu Binzhi promise you? "
Ren Wei shut his mouth tightly and shook his head vigorously. Money, status, power, or beauty — these were all the things that could move him. However, none of them held any meaning right now.
Yang Fan let out a deep sigh and said, "Go in peace. Very soon … they will be accompanying you!"
… …
In the back garden of the Princess Taiping's estate, a dozen or so imperial bodyguards stood in the courtyard. They were all dressed in hunting attire and equipped with bows and swords. Because Xue Chongjian held the position of Wei Minister, he was dressed in martial attire.
He was still a youth of seventeen or eighteen years of age. However, because of his tall stature, he looked like an adult man. It was just that his appearance was slightly tender.
Princess Taiping tightened the silk ribbons on his armor to conceal the nervousness in her heart. She looked at her son's face, which was seventy percent similar to her late husband Xue Shao's, and said in a low voice, "Jian 'er, you have to be extra careful this time. Remember, you are a general, a commander-in-chief. Your role is to command and dispatch troops. You must not go into battle carelessly. "
Xue Chongjian smiled in high spirits and said, "Mother, don't worry! I will be careful. However, if I need to go into battle, I will still go into battle. This isn't a confrontation between two armies. If we succeed, the matter will be settled. If we fail, we will inevitably die. Mother, why do you need to worry? "
When Princess Taiping heard such inauspicious words, she couldn't help but frown and felt slightly annoyed. A bodyguard in hunting attire beside her hurriedly replied, "Aunt, don't worry. Your nephew will watch over Chongjian and won't let him act recklessly."
This bodyguard in hunting attire had a jade-like face and two heroic eyebrows. It was Li Longji who was dressed as a bodyguard. Princess Taiping nodded at him and said resolutely, "You … go now!" She then turned around and hurriedly walked away.
Li Longji made a hand signal to Xue Chongjian. The group of people led their horses out of the corner door. Once out of the corner door, they all mounted their horses and galloped along the long alley.
Princess Taiping hurriedly walked until she reached a fake mountain. She suddenly stopped and looked back. She saw her son and Li Longji leading a dozen or so bodyguards out of the courtyard without looking back. Taiping couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Mo Yuhan quietly came out from behind the fake mountain. Princess Taiping heard his footsteps but didn't turn around. She was still staring at the place where her son disappeared. She said indifferently, "Mister Mo, don't worry. Since I have already made up my mind, I won't hesitate!"
Her voice was very light but her tone was unusually firm. If there was someone who had seen the middle-aged Wu Zetian here, he would be surprised to find that the current Princess Taiping not only looked like Wu Zetian at that time, but even her calm and resolute eyes were exactly the same.
Mo Yuhan could hear the sincerity in Princess Taiping's words. Her uneasy expression gradually disappeared.
If a superior had a decision, his subordinates wouldn't be afraid of his increasing ambition because the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Since they had already followed him on this road of no return, they wouldn't be afraid of him going higher and further.
But if you were hesitant and indecisive, it would be a taboo for a commander. Don't expect your subordinates to accept all your decisions without complaint or regret. When they had already risked their lives to follow you, your retreat and hesitation would make them incomparably angry.
Do you want to give up your life? Who knows what will happen in the future? Who knows if there will be a day when the things you have already done will be revealed. In order to protect themselves, everyone would have to kill you. Otherwise, they would have to use the fait accompli to force you to submit.
This kind of thing had happened before and would happen in the future. No matter how human beings developed, as long as their desires were still there, this kind of thing would repeat over and over again. Perhaps the form would change, but the essence would never change.
… …
Li Longji and his group were all disguised as Xue Chongjian's bodyguards. It looked like they were going out to hunt. When they were near Tong Hua Gate, they stopped by the roadside. After a while, several generals in military uniform arrived with three to five bodyguards.
Commander Guo Yi Ma Sizong, Shangyi Feng Wang Chong Ye, Chaoyi Wei Wei Liu Youqiu … These people each had bodyguards in hunting clothes, and all looked like they were going out to hunt. These people were all like-minded friends that Xue Chongjian had made in the name of Li Longji.
It was almost dusk, and Tong Hua Gate was located to the east of the palace. Although there were a few shops around, it was not a place where the common people lived. Merchants and travelers did not come and go through this gate, so the streets were very deserted.
They all knew what they were going to do today. They were all rather nervous, but they also found it hard to restrain their longing and excitement. Seeing that everyone was present, Li Longji pulled his wide-brimmed hat back to his brow and whispered, "Let's go!"
Chaoyi Wei Wei Wei Wei whispered, "Wait! Royal Prince, have you reported such an important matter to the Prince of Xiang? "
Li Longji glanced in the direction of the Prince of Xiang's estate and whispered, "We are doing this to serve the country. If we fail, we can just die for the country. There's no need to implicate my father. Moreover, my father is kind and has a gentle personality. If we report it today, it will be fine if Father approves, but if he disapproves, it won't be good. "
Everyone nodded and left the Tong Hua Sect with Li Longji. After leaving Tong Hua Gate, they rode along the official road for around five li. Seeing that there was no one else on the road, they suddenly turned their horses and charged north into the wilderness.
They took a circuitous route for around ten li, their horses drenched in sweat. When they arrived at an elm grove near the Imperial Army's camp, they saw three people and three horses waiting at the foot of the grove. The person at the front was Yang Fan, and behind him were Li Yide and Wang Maozhong.
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