The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 13 The Level 2 of Qi-refining

Li Ye was framed by Li Yao in his Last Life. He not only lost his title of baron, but also his identity as the Heir Apparent. When he was driven out of the Manor, Li Yao, as a victor, was surrounded by a group of subordinate officers of Prince An’s Manor, and stepped into the Manor with his head held high and made a mockery of him.

The faces of those who flattered Li Yao with great smiles were deeply engraved in Li Ye’s mind.

Li Ye wanted to eradicate these people, and he must also eradicate them.

One reason was that he wanted to establish absolute prestige in the Manor, and the other reason was to eliminate stumbling blocks and completely control the whole Manor.

But he hadn’t found out any evidence, and could not deal with them rashly. If he casually disposed them before, he would not gain other people’s trust and also couldn’t explain to Chang’an Office.

Li Ye happened to know that Li Yao would not turn a blind eye to his achievement to Qi-refining. He inferred that Li Yao would definitely do something.

So, his plan came naturally.

The reason why he brought the Taoist priests of the Tai Xuan Summit back to Prince An’s Manor and didn’t immediately hand them to Chang’an Office was to give Li Yao reaction time and entice Li Yao to make moves. And he already had ordered Shangguan Qingcheng to send her elite manpower to spy on the actions of these people, in order to seize their mistakes.

It could be said that Li Ye set a trap for Li Yao and the subordinate officers of Manor who had turned to Li Yao.

Li Yao ordered Song Ziwen and others to commit arson, which was exactly what Li Ye wanted.

While the banquet was going on, Shangguan Qingcheng captured Song Ziwen’s, Zhao Xingyuan’s and Qian Zhong’s trusted subordinates one by one. They had targeted before action so certainly there would be no big noise. The whole move was as fast as thundering. Then they tortured the trusted subordinates cruelly and immediately got the evidence that they were going to commit arson.

The beadles, sergeants, and servants had been tortured by Shangguan Qingcheng’s guards. Now when they were taken to the courtyard, all knelt down and cried loudly for mercy.

“It was all directed by Inspector Song. I had to listen to his order. Heir Apparent, please spare my life!”

“Leader Zhao already wanted to work for another master. He has asked us to betray Prince An’s Manor for many times. And I would be hit or killed if I didn’t obey his order. I really have no other choice...”

“Manager Qian took advantage of Li Yao. All this was his idea. I already wanted to report him!”

Listening to these people’s stopless words, Song Ziwen, Zhao Xingyuan, and Qian Zhong looked pale and trembled. They even stood instability. At this moment they realized that misfortunes had come to them.

Looking at these people coldly, Shangguan Qingcheng said, “What else do you want to say now?”

Song Ziwen knelt down suddenly, sweat dripping down like raining. And Qian Zhong had collapsed to the ground. Only Zhao Xingyuan gnashed and said, “I lost the battle today. There is nothing to say!”

Zhao Xingyuan sat on the food case, feeling no fear. He believed that he would survive. Li Ye couldn’t kill Zhao Xingyuan in private because he was an officer of the military. And Li Yao would rescue him when he was escorted to court.

Although the eight hundred guards were the Trusted Army of Prince An’s Manor, they still were not the private army. The right of kill belonged to Empire, not Prince An’s Manor.

Seeing Zhao Xingyuan’s fearless look, Song Ziwen calmed down a little and thought, “Yes, Li Ye is only an Heir Apparent and I’m an official of Eight-Class. He can’t kill me. If he wants to punish me, he has to hand me over to the Criminal Department. Why should I be afraid of him? As for arson... He could do nothing as long as I do not admit. After several days, Chile Yao will rescue us.”

Thinking of that, Song Ziwen became calmer, and his look returned to normal.

“Damn! You still don’t feel regretful!” The man who had expressed loyalty to Li Ye before stepped forward and kicked Zhao Xingyuan in his face, turning him over to the ground.

Zhao Xingyuan spat out a mouthful of blood and gave him a look of indifference and unyielding.

Seeing his behavior, Li Ye naturally knew his mind.

Shangguan Qingcheng was already furious and wanted to kill Zhao Xingyuan, so she looked at Li Ye for permission.

Li Ye sneered and said only two words, “Kill him.”

Shangguan Qingcheng got permission and immediately became spirited. She pulled out knife at once, walked to Zhao Xingyuan in two steps, raised knife and was going to kill him. “You reckless man.”

“You dare to kill me?!” Zhao Xingyuan stared at her and shouted aloud, in fearless look.

Under Zhao Xingyuan’s unbelievable eyes and other people’s incredible eyes, Shangguan Qingcheng put down knife and killed Zhao Xingyuan, blood gushing and his head flying away for meters at once. His face still had the expression of “do you dare to kill me?”

Blood kept dripping on the knife. Shangguan Qingcheng neatly scabbard knife, and glanced at Zhao Xingyuan’s corpse, unwilling to say a word. She saluted Li Ye to report on her completion of task, just like she did nothing.

This scene shocked all the people inside and outside the hall.

They didn’t expect Li Ye really dare to order the murder, also didn’t expect Shangguan Qingcheng dare to kill.

Song Ziwen, whose face pinked up already, was frightened to quiver and collapsed to the ground again when he saw Zhao Xingyuan’s head falling down. This time he was unable to stand up again.

Li Ye looked around at the crowd and said calmly, “I cannot tolerate any mistake and betray. If you dare to bully me, I will dare to kill you. A traitor takes himself seriously?”

Saying that, Li Ye glanced at Song Ziwen and Qian Zhong, “As members of my Manor, but you conspired with outsiders to murder me and still thought that I did not dare to kill you. Do you think I’m good bully? I know that you are not the only one who have turned to Li Yao. Now I’ll give you a chance to confess your accomplices and I will spare you from death.”

When Song Ziwen saw Li Ye’s eyes, he quivered at once and felt fearful. He knelt down and kowtowed incessantly, “My Heir Apparent, forgive me, I was confused...”

Qian Zhong, who was outside the courtyard, saw that Song Ziwen didn’t confess, so he didn’t dare to say anything without authorization. He also knelt down and kowtowed incessantly.

Li Ye sneered, “You are challenging my patience. Unfortunately, I have no patience. Kill him!”

Shangguan Qingcheng’s face became gloomy, pulled out knife again and walked to Qian Zhong in two steps. Then Qian Zhong was killed before he begged for mercy.

“Hiss!” This time everyone gasped.

Song Ziwen saw Qian Zhong was killed in an instant. He was scared to pee and didn’t dare to play petty tricks and waste time any more. He hurriedly grovelled to the ground and quavered, “Sun Shouli, Wei Dangguo, Xu Zhiyuan...”

He announced a dozen names for one time.

Li Ye laughed scornfully, “So many of you, arrest them!”

Shangguan Qingcheng waved hand, and armed Guards rushed toward them and quickly controlled them. During the time, some people tried to resist, but were knocked to the ground.

After a short time, a dozen well-known people were escorted to the courtyard and knelt down.

Li Ye came to the gate and gave these people a cold look, “Hit them. Hit them to senselessness, and then throw them into the woodshed to look after. Tomorrow I will hand you over to Chang’an Office.”

“Yes, my lord.”

At the command, these Guards didn’t hesitate and began to beat them intensely. At that time, shrieks were heard in the courtyard.

When these people were beaten for a while and escorted out. Li Ye returned to the Host’s Seat of the hall and looked around at the people in the hall. He calmly said, ” Under the rule of me, there is no room for a dirty dog and no mistreatment of loyal and righteous people!”

Finishing that, he waved to Shangguan Qingcheng. Then Shangguan Qingcheng ordered Guards to carry several large boxes in.

“Guards who followed me to Tai Xuan Summit have the merit of fighting for me and protecting me. So all of you will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver. The wounded guards will be rewarded with an additional fifty. For the dead guards, their families will be compensated by two hundred taels of silver. And his immediate family could directly join the guard team if he had any.”

With a wave of his hand, Li Ye said, “I achieved the Qi-refining, which is a great joy. So, among the people in the Manor, officials will be rewarded twenty taels of silver, and the servants and maids will be rewarded ten taels of silver!”

All rewards were extremely generous, exceeding ordinary standards too much.

Everyone looked at each other, not unconvinced, bowed down and saluted, “My great Heir Apparent!”

In short, a good lord is strict in reward and punishment.

“There’s no need to be over courteous.” Li Ye raised his hand. “Although dozens of running dogs have been eliminated today, I know that there are more disloyal people than these in the Manor. However, I don’t want to investigate. This matter is over. As long as you are loyal to me in the future, I will never let you down.”

All the people were sincerely convinced, soluted Li Ye, and said, “We’ll be loyal to you now and forever!”

Lord who was strict in reward and punishment and generous and had a great and bright future, was naturally worthy of loyalty.

By this time, Li Ye won the support and loyalty of these people and held Prince An’s Manor in his hands. As long as there was no accident before he inherited the title of Duke, he would be the master of the Manor all the time.

In Li Ye’s body, the haze shrouded the Dragon Qi had been swept away, and the Dragon Qi began to flow, releasing golden halo.

In Li Ye’s field of vision, the white or red air airflows which represented the Luck of all people rose from the top of their heads and converged on him from various places in the hall, courtyard, and residence. The airflows went through his nostrils, then entered the meridians and finally merged into the Ocean of Qi.

The Ocean of Qi expanded continually. Moments later, the Ocean of Qi swung and faint sounds of ice-broken rang.

Li Ye became spirited, a bit of excitement flashed in his eyes.

Level 2 of Qi-refining.

A smile appeared on Li Ye’s face.

If Li Yao had not ordered Song Ziwen and others to commit arson in the Manor tonight, Li Ye would not have found their evidence of the crime, nor would it have been possible to investigate them immediately and dig out Song Ziwen’s accomplices. Li Ye, although having the memory of Last Life, was unable to know the detailed list of Song Ziwen’s accomplices.

Without this matter, Li Ye would not have been able to reward and punish them so that win the support and loyalty of all the people in Prince An’s Manor. Also, he would not have brought together the Luck of all and achieved Level 2 of Qi-refining.

Li Yao’s behavior provided convenience and opportunity for Li Ye.

Of course, this was not enough for Li Ye. What he wanted was to defeat Li Yao completely.

At this time, several cultivators in white gathered in the small woods which was outside the small courtyard and not far away. They looked from the treetops to the noise and disordered small courtyard. Among them, two were the cultivators of the Level 1 of Qi-refining and two of the Level 2.

They were not Li Ye and had no Dragon Qi, so they couldn’t see the sight of Li Ye gathering people’s Luck, but they saw all other things happened there.

They were ordered by Li Yao to snatch Taoist priests while Song Ziwen and others were committing arson. But now, they all looked serious and felt surprised.

“Li Ye eliminated all the people Childe Yao arranged... Why he was so smart and found out Song Ziwen and his accomplices? It was inconceivable that he acted so quickly and effectively and caught all traitors.” The cultivator of Level 2 of Qi-refining was amazed and said.

“Li Ye actually will kill someone as long as he said, which was decisive. It’s insane of him. Didn’t he consider the consequences?” The other cultivator of the Level 2 gnashed.

“Song Ziwen and others were caught, how to carry out our plan? Without the chaos caused by arson by Song Ziwen and others, do we have to rush into the Manor to rob people openly?” A cultivator of Level 1 of Qi-refining worried.

“Things have reached such a point, which is beyond our expectations. And we can’t decide by ourselves. We have to report it to Childe Yao...” The cultivator of Level 2 who spoke first said to other cultivators. His name is Xue Shaoli. Then he took out the Messaging Jade Note and hurriedly informed Li Yao of the matter here.

After Xue Shaoli’s words were finished, there was no sound for a long time on the other side of Messaging Jade Note. What he waited for a long time was Li Yao’s roar, “Song Ziwen and his accomplices are good-for-nothings. It’s useless of them. They are stupid, are you stupid too?”

“Li Ye is just a weaker who has just achieved Qi-refining, and now the cultivators with strength in the Manor are drunk, leaving behind some useless Guards. You two of the Level 2 Qi-refining and another two men of the Level 1 could attack the Manor for several times. What are you still hesitating about? Cover your face and rob people for me!”

Xue Shaoli was dazed and felt that Li Yao was right. However, he still hesitated and asked, “Childe, we don’t know where the Taoist priests are hiding.”

“Bastard!” Li Yao who was on the other side of Messaging Jade Note became angrier. “Won’t you catch someone to ask? If ordinary people didn’t know, won’t you directly catch Li Ye and ask him? Who could stop you? Isn’t he arrogant when he killed people? Catch him and teach him a lesson. He won’t be arrogant again!”

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