Chapter 317 How to break the impasse?

Two quarters of an hour later, Xu Qi'an stepped out of the Haoqi Building, stood at the bottom of the building, closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, and left resolutely.

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

The main road is more than 100 meters wide and leads directly to the imperial city. It is the road the emperor takes when traveling. This width is mainly to prevent assassins from ambushing on the roadside. Once they encounter cold arrows and assassinations, such a wide road can provide sufficient buffer time for the imperial guards.

Not long after, they arrived at the Ministry of Justice.

Xu Qi'an saw the figure of Uncle Xu from afar. He was wearing armor and holding a sharp weapon. He should have received the news while patrolling the streets and came immediately.

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

Two guards shouted loudly, and one of them stretched out his hand and pushed Uncle Xu hard. He did not dare to fight back and staggered back.

"What, a mere centurion of the Imperial Sword Guards, dares to force his way into the Ministry of Justice?" A guard pointed at Xu Pingzhi's nose and cursed, "If you don't get out, don't blame me for using force."

Xu Pingzhi, who was in the Qi training realm, endured it, clenched his fists in frustration, and said in a deep voice: "I am Xu Xinnian's father, I have the right to visit him in prison."

Another guard sneered: "Repeated offenders of imperial examination cheating are not allowed to visit, this has always been the rule. You, an illiterate man, don't know anything."

Xu Pingzhi really didn't know that the cases related to imperial examination cheating were too far away from him and he couldn't get involved.

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

"What's wrong with you cheating? This is the Ministry of Justice. Do you dare to take action? Try to move one." The guard sneered.

"Hey leg."

Another was even more straightforward, spitting at Xu Pingzhi.

Xu Pingzhi hurriedly avoided.

The two guards laughed wildly.

"Huh"

Uncle Xu exhaled slowly and glanced at the two rows of soldiers coming out of the yamen. Obviously, if he dared to make trouble at the gate of the Ministry of Justice, he would be in trouble today.

He handed the handle to others for nothing.

"Get lost!"

The guard looked down and scolded.

Da Da Da Suddenly, the sound of rapid horse hooves came. Looking at the sound, a vigorous horse rushed over and rammed the Ministry of Justice.

Crashed into the two guards with angry eyebrows.

Bang!

One of the guards could not avoid it and was hit in the chest by the mare. He fell heavily and flew out. After struggling for a moment, he slowly fell to the ground and was injured and could not get up again.

Someone actually dared to commit a crime at the gate of the Ministry of Justice?

"Ning Yan."

Xu Pingzhi felt relieved when he saw his nephew.

"Clang" the sound of swords being drawn became one after another. When the guards in the yamen heard the noise, they all rushed out with swords in hand, wanting to chop the guys who dared to cause trouble in the Ministry of Justice into pieces.

But when they saw that the Yinluo sitting high on the horse's back was Xu Qiyan, they were all silent.

The leading guard put away his sword, clasped his fists and said in a deep voice: "Sir Xu, this is the Ministry of Justice. You should know that if you bump into the Ministry of Justice and injure the guards, you will be imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded."

Xu Qiyan ignored him, turned over and got off the horse, and kicked over the guard who was agile and avoided the mare's collision.

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

Xu Qiyan took off the sword behind his waist, picked it up in his hand and whipped it. The muffled sound of the scabbard whipping the flesh was frightening.

The guard screamed again and again.

"Lord Xu!"

"Call me Lord Viscount."

The head of the guard choked, pretended not to hear, and shouted: "Do you really think that there are no experts in the Ministry of Justice? Are you really not afraid of His Majesty's punishment and the law of the Great Feng?"

"Come on, if you can't settle this trivial matter, I, Xu Qi'an, will have been in vain in the capital." Xu Qi'an sneered and waved the scabbard to continue whipping.

The guard could dodge or raise his hand to resist at first, but after more than a dozen whips, his eyes began to roll back and he was dying.

The head of the guard gritted his teeth, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the knife jumped, but he didn't dare to really fight with the arrogant Yin Luo.

The scene of the fight that day was still vivid in his mind, and Xu Qi'an's momentum had not yet dissipated. At this critical juncture, ordinary people dared not confront him head-on.

The most important thing is that this person has a gold medal to protect him from death. Even if he kills a lot of people at the gate of the Ministry of Justice, he will only be dismissed from office in the end, and his life will not be in danger.

Seeing that the guard still had a breath left, Xu Qi'an stopped, hung his sword back on his waist, and said lightly: "Thirty taels of silver, just as the doctor's consultation fee and the cost of soup and medicine for the two of you."

After venting his anger, he stared at the head of the guard and said: "Go in and tell him that I want to see Xu Xinnian."

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

After a while, the head of the guards returned and said, "Sun Shangshu wants to see you."

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

Xu Pingzhi followed silently, and the two entered the yamen, passed through the front yard and the corridor. Second uncle Xu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but chose to remain silent.

The guard led the uncle and nephew into the side hall. On the main seat in the side hall sat Sun Shangshu in a red robe, with a serious face and expressionless waiting.

"Hello Sun Shangshu." Xu Qi'an clasped his fists.

Sun Shangshu looked straight ahead, as if Xu Qi'an was not in his eyes, and said lightly, "Two words are missing."

After staring at Sun Shangshu for a few seconds, Xu Qi'an bent his spine and said in the tone of a subordinate meeting a superior, clasping his fists, "I have seen Sun Shangshu. I want to meet Xu Xinnian"

Seeing this scene, Xu Pingzhi's eyes suddenly became sore.

Sun Shangshu smiled with satisfaction and said, "Cheating in the imperial examination is a serious crime, and it is human nature for family members to visit."

Suddenly, he changed the subject: "No."

Xu Pingzhi gritted his teeth.

After speaking, Sun Shangshu stopped looking at the uncle and nephew and picked up the teacup. In official circles, if the host does not drink the tea in the middle of the conversation, it means to send the guests away.

"Don't disturb Sun Shangshu." Xu Qi'an turned and left.

Looking at the backs of the uncle and nephew, Sun Shangshu said lightly: "There are a few thorns in the yard. I heard that Lord Xu has cultivated a golden body of Buddhism. Are you interested in trying it?"

Xu Qi'an left without looking back.

As Xu Pingzhi walked out of the Ministry of Justice, he cursed: "Son of a bitch, you want you to apologize by carrying thorns, I will not agree even if I draw my sword and chop him."

"Why did my second uncle come so quickly?" 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." Uncle Xu said with a headache:

"You just cry and cry. Alas, Ning Yan, what should we do about this?"

Although Xu Pingzhi was a crude warrior, he knew about the "festival" between the Imperial College and Yunlu Academy. On the way here, he tried hard to analyze it and felt that Erlang's imprisonment was most likely related to this matter.

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

Xu Qian'an didn't want to waste time, so he mounted the mare and ran away along the street.

Wei Yuan's words emerged in his mind:

The first step is to prevent the Ministry of Justice from forcing people to confess. Chen Fuyin of the government office is a slippery official who is good at getting along with everyone. Once this matter is confirmed, he will most likely not want to offend Shangshu Sun.

"Sun Shangshu hates me to the core. The imperial examination fraud case just gave him the opportunity to take revenge. In fact, it was him who pushed for it. At the very least, he was one of the participants. It is almost impossible to expect him to treat Erlang well."

The little mare ran out of sweat and panted, and finally stopped in a courtyard in the outer city.

"Master, Master, help me!"

Xu Qi'an pushed open the courtyard door and ran straight to the inner room. He saw Master Jinlian lying peacefully on the bed, as if he was asleep.

He went to the cat again. He was in a hurry. Seeing this scene, the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching.

After the last time the little mare kicked him in love, and the purpose of asking for help, Xu Qi'an did not wake up Master Jinlian physically. He sat at the table and waited silently. In less than three minutes, a slender shadow appeared at the door.

"What's the matter."

Master Jinlian squatted at the doorstep, his voice was gentle and calm, and he seemed to be used to talking in this way.

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

Xu Qian'an briefly described the ins and outs of the matter, and then said: "Master, I need your help."

The orange cat's amber pupils stared at him, shaking the air, and said:

"I don't know enough about the officialdom of Dafeng, so I can't give you effective advice. You shouldn't come to me for this matter. Wei Yuan is a master of political struggle. If political struggle is divided into grades, Wei Yuan is the second grade."

Xu Qian'an, who was originally very anxious, heard this topic and couldn't help but continue: "Only the second grade? Then who is the first grade?"

The orange cat smiled and said: "Of course it is Emperor Yuan Jing. In terms of the emperor's mind, Emperor Yuan Jing has reached the pinnacle. Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen both hope to fight the first grade, but they have different ideas and political views.

"Emperor Yuan Jing deliberately put two tigers in the court, and he really sat on the mountain and watched the tigers fight. "

That makes sense. Wait, didn't you say you didn't know much about the court? Xu Qian'an cursed in his heart, and asked:

"Do you think that political struggles have levels beyond the level?"

"Of course," Taoist Jinlian raised his paw, licked it, and said, "The highest level of political struggle is to suppress everything with force. No one dares to disobey his words. Every founding emperor is like this."

The Taoist seemed to be gradually influenced by the cat's habits. Sure enough, for any creature, it is actually the body that controls the brain. The hormones secreted by the body determine what you have to do. Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, drink water when you are thirsty, and give alms to female pilgrims when the treasury is full. Then the question is, does Taoist Jinlian like female cats or female cats?

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

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

And jump back and forth? Xu Qian'an subconsciously flashed this sentence in his mind, and then quickly turned the topic back and said: "Master, I want to ask you for a favor"

Following the canal outside the capital, to the south, ten miles outside the city, there is a lake with vast smoke and waves, surrounded by green mountains on both sides, and lotus flowers in the lake, the scenery is extremely beautiful.

There are also farmers, teahouses and restaurants with smoke curling by the lake.

Because this place is just outside the capital, it can be reached by boat, which is fast and convenient. Therefore, every spring, there are countless young men and rich daughters who take boats to cruise the lake, which is very lively.

An exquisite embroidered boat is anchored on the shore. Wang Simu is dressed up today, wearing a popular wide-sleeved light gauze skirt with the same pattern color as the base color, which is both complicated and exquisite, and low-key and restrained.

Exquisite makeup, a beautiful bun, and gold hairpins and jade hairpins embellished in black hair, completely according to the standard of dating.

But an hour passed, and the others had cruised around the lake, but Miss Wang's boat was still parked in the same place, and she was in a very bad mood.

"Miss, forget it, let's go back." The maid whispered: "Xu Huiyuan won't come."

"Didn't you send the message?" Wang Simu refused to accept this reality, and glared at the maid, trying to shift the blame to Xu Xinnian.

"How dare I, it must have been sent." The maid said aggrievedly.

Wang Simu sat for a long time, and her bright eyes could not hide the disappointment. She whispered: "Forget it, go back."

"Hey." The maid responded briskly, walked out of the cabin in small steps, and went to the stern to inform the boatman to return.

The boatmen pulled the anchor out of the water, paddled together, and the embroidered boat slowly moved along the canal back to the capital.

After returning to the dock of Beijing, Wang Simu entered the carriage waiting on the roadside and ordered: "Lan'er, you go to Xu's house immediately and tell her that I want to go to Miss Lingyue to play.

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

"Miss, why is this?" The maid frowned.

"Even if he has no intention of me, I have to know it clearly." Miss Wang was very aggressive

Xu Xinnian, the champion of the Spring Examination, was arrested by the Ministry of Justice and imprisoned for suspected fraud.

This major case, which was destined to shock the entire capital, spread from the government office and the Ministry of Justice, and then spread quietly throughout the officialdom of the capital through the six ministries.

After a few days of fermentation and spread, it will be known to everyone.

During the lunch break, officials and clerks who were familiar with each other gathered in restaurants, teahouses and other places to discuss the imperial examination fraud case.

"I knew that if the students of Yunlu Academy won the championship, would the officials in the court agree? Isn't it here? "

"You only know one side of the story. This matter is definitely not that simple. Xu Xinnian is Xu Qi'an's cousin. Xu Qi'an is the top poet in Dafeng. I don't believe that there is no trick in writing such a masterpiece as "The Hard Road to Travel"."

"Nonsense. Is Xu Qi'an the only one in the world who can write poetry? Can't we scholars have a flash of inspiration and get something by chance?"

"Okay, there is no point in arguing about this. Xu Huiyuan is doomed this time. Whether there is cheating or not, his future is ruined. I remember that in the twelfth year of Yuan Jing, there was a cheating case involving three students. The case was investigated for two years and they were finally released, but their reputations were ruined and their studies were abandoned."

"A similar case also happened in the twentieth year of Yuan Jing, but that time the evidence was conclusive and the students and examiners involved were beheaded by His Majesty. "

"If this case is confirmed, with Xu Huiyuan's status as a student of Yunlu Academy, there is no possibility of turning around. Do you think Duke Wei will take action?"

"It is very likely. Xu Qi'an is Duke Wei's confidant and will definitely ask Duke Wei to take action."

"What if Duke Wei just sits on the sidelines?"

"If Duke Wei doesn't take action, who else can save Xu Huiyuan? Can we rely on Xu Qi'an, a warrior? He may be a good hand at solving cases and killing enemies. How can a mere warrior figure out the tricks of officialdom? "

Chu Yuanzhen, who was staying at an old friend's house, also learned about this from his friend who had returned from the government office during lunch time.

No. 3 was caught in the imperial examination fraud case. Although No. 3 was extremely smart, the struggle between Yunlu Academy and the Imperial College was an irreversible trend. The best outcome that could not be compensated by intelligence was to be deprived of his fame. No. 3 could not be an official, which was a loss to the court.

"I heard that this matter was caused by the impeachment of the newly appointed Right Censor-in-Chief, but I guess, well, the various parties either watched or secretly helped, and Xu Xinnian was in danger." The friend said.

Chu Yuanzhen sighed and said in a deep voice: "I left the temple because I was tired of party disputes. Since ancient times, party disputes have hurt national strength, and emperors have hurt their luck by practicing Taoism."

The friend's face changed drastically: "Yuanzhen, be careful with your words."

"What are you afraid of? I have long been a white-clothed man, free and easy. "Chu Yuanzhen sneered, then sighed: "I just thought about it for a long time, but I couldn't break the situation. Unless Wei Yuan goes down to fight, with Xu Ningyan's potential, Wei Yuan should make a decision.

"However, this may be exactly what those people want to see. Alas, I still can't break the situation."

The palace.

In Dexin Garden, Huaiqing, wearing a plain palace skirt, sat behind the table and nodded to the chief guard in the room: "I know, you can leave."

After the chief guard left, Huaiqing stood up, walked to the window, frowned and pondered: "If it were me, how would I break the situation?"

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

Then, she suddenly thought, if it was Xu Ningyan, what would he do?

In a restaurant in the inner city, Sun Yaoyue booked a private room and invited her classmates and friends from the Imperial College to drink. The main purpose was to share a major event that would shake the Confucian scholars in the capital.

"Xu Xinnian, the champion of the Spring Examination, was arrested by my father this morning. It is said that he cheated in the imperial examination and bribed the examiner."

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

"Of course it is true. I went to the government office to confirm it myself and asked my father. Although he was kicked out of the government office, Minister Zhu has already told me. Xu Xinnian is in prison, waiting for trial." Sun Yaoyue glanced at his friends and said proudly.

Sun Yaoyue is the only legitimate son of Shangshu Sun. He is quite good at studying, better than most of the playboys, but he has a problem, he loves gossip.

Sun Yaoyue was jealous and angry about Xu Xinnian, a student of Yunlu Academy, who won the championship. Now he is in prison for cheating in the imperial examination. Don't mention how happy he is.

"That Yinluo Xu Qian'an is not a man. He relied on the protection of Wei Yangou to show off his power in the capital and wrote poems to insult my father. He really deserves to be cut into pieces."

Sun Yaoyue slammed the table and laughed wantonly: "If you can't cut him, cut his cousin. Hahaha, drink, drink."

The students of the Imperial College were surprised and relieved to hear the news. That's right, the first place in the Spring Examination was won by a student from Yunlu Academy. Where is the dignity of these scholars in the Imperial College?

It must be cheating, absolutely cheating, no other reasons are accepted.

"Brother Sun, it is better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone. We should let such a gratifying thing spread widely."

"That makes sense. Let's do it. See you tonight at the Jiaofangsi."

After eating and drinking, Sun Yaoyue left the restaurant drunkenly and got into the carriage parked outside the restaurant. With the help of his entourage, he climbed into the carriage.

He was planning to take a nap when he saw a slender orange cat squatting on the soft couch covered with tiger skin, with amber pupils looking at him quietly.

Without any movement, the carriage continued to move forward. The window suddenly opened and the orange cat jumped out. It stood with its tail erect and walked very fast, disappearing in the bustling crowd.

Ministry of Justice.

Sun Shangshu called the clerk and asked, "Go to the prison and ask if Xu Xinnian has confessed."

The clerk took the order and left. A few minutes later, he returned and reported, "Sir Shangshu, Xu Xinnian is very stubborn. No matter how you beat him, he won't confess."

"That's because you didn't beat him enough," Sun Shangshu snorted coldly, and said, "The Ministry of Justice has many tortures. Let him experience them one by one. Even a stone can make it bloom. Well, just leave a breath."

"Yes."

The clerk left, and as soon as he left, a man rushed in in a hurry. He was dressed like a rich man, with gray hair, and he even tripped when he crossed the threshold.

"What are you doing in the government office?" Sun Shangshu frowned and asked.

This man was the housekeeper of the Sun Mansion, an old slave who had followed Sun Shangshu for decades.

"Master, something bad has happened." The old housekeeper said with a sad face, trembling voice: "Young Master, he, he is missing."

"What do you mean Young Master is missing?"

Sun Shangshu's face changed slightly, he stood up and walked over, staring at the old housekeeper, repeating in a deep voice: "What do you mean Young Master is missing!!"

"The servant who followed the young master out returned to the mansion not long ago to report that the young master entertained his classmates at the restaurant today, had a drink, got into the carriage and then disappeared. When the carriage returned to the mansion, it was found that there was no one in the carriage."

The old housekeeper scratched his head, anxious and confused, and said carefully: "The guest in the mansion said, maybe, maybe the master has offended someone recently?"

There is a set of unspoken rules in the officialdom of Dafeng. Political struggles are political struggles, and they will never harm family members. It's not that the moral bottom line is so high, but if you do it on the first day of the month, others can do it on the fifteenth.

It will also be regarded as not knowing the rules and being rejected by the entire class.

This unspoken rule is very authoritative, even the court agrees with it. It is not clearly stipulated because it is not acceptable.

But Dafeng has a system that any official, once he enters the capital to serve as an official, his parents or wife and children must also enter the capital.

What is the significance of this system?

A system paves the way for an unspoken rule, which shows how authoritative this unspoken rule is.

Who did I offend? Sun Shangshu muttered to himself, and Xu Qian'an, the bitch, naturally emerged in his mind.

"Stupid!"

Sun Shangshu shouted, his beard and hair were erected, and he was furious. He roared: "You think you can make me surrender by kidnapping my son? You are destroying the Great Wall.

"If my son has any mishap, you will have no place in the whole capital. No, your whole family will die. "

After the roar, he swept all the documents on the table to the ground, smashed the teacup to pieces, and scattered the pens, ink, paper and inkstone all over the floor.

The old housekeeper was silent, not daring to breathe. The master had been an official for many years and had long developed a shrewdness that was not surprised by praise or criticism.

This kind of angry look happened twice. The first time was because of the extremely humiliating poem, and both times were because of this yellow-haired boy named Xu Qian'an.

Sun Shangshu suddenly lifted the hem of his official robe and ran out of the house with a vigor that did not match his age.

"Master, if you have any instructions, just let this old slave do it"

The old housekeeper chased out and said loudly.

Sun Shangshu ignored it and roared: "Come here, come here, go to the prison quickly, don't use torture, don't use torture"

The sky of the Ministry of Justice echoed Sun Shangshu's "Don't use torture" (broken voice)

A quarter of an hour later, Sun Shangshu, who had calmed down, returned to the hall panting, took the hot tea offered by the old housekeeper, and drank a big sip.

"You little brat, you dare to threaten me, you are ignorant and stupid!"

After cursing, Sun Shangshu changed the subject and ordered the housekeeper: "You go to the night watchman's office immediately and let that damn dog thief come to see me."

Although the other party broke the rules, Sun Shangshu couldn't be tough now. Of course, it would be best to talk. First, keep the legitimate son safe, and then settle accounts with the dog thief surnamed Xu.

The housekeeper nodded and turned to leave, and saw a guard crossing the threshold, clasping his fists and saying: "Sir, Xu Qi'an is here again."

Just in time!

Sun Shangshu's eyes shot out a gleam, and he straightened his back instantly: "Let him in. "

After a while, the guard brought Xu Qiyan, who was wearing a silver gong uniform, into the room. The thief surnamed Xu had a smiling face and walked leisurely, unlike when he asked for an audience in the morning, with a gloomy face and suppressed anger.

And the expression of Minister Sun at this moment was exactly like Xu Qiyan at that time.

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

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

Xu Qi'an looked innocent, thought about it, and suddenly his face changed drastically: "Okay, Sun Shangshu not only wrongly accused my cousin of cheating in the imperial examination, but also wanted to frame me. There are such despicable and shameless people in the world."

"You"

Sun Shangshu finally moved his eyes and stared at Xu Qi'an. He did not speak, but waved away the clerks in the hall. Then, he said word by word:

"I am willing to give you a chance because you are young and don't know the rules. If you still want to stay in the officialdom of the capital, just let him go."

Xu Qiyan shook his head and said, "Sun Shangshu must have made a mistake. I don't know what you are talking about."

After a pause, he suddenly realized and said with concern: "From what Sun Shangshu said, it's no wonder that the young master got into trouble? Kidnapped by thieves? Tell me, I am the most public-spirited person and no one can solve the case. As long as Sun Shangshu speaks, I promise that I can find him back for you within one day."

Playing dumb with me Sun Shangshu was furious and said viciously: "Xu Qiyan, don't forget that you have a family too."

Xu Qiyan sighed and showed a sad face: "Sir Shangshu, you don't seem to understand me. My parents died when I was young, and my second uncle raised me.

"Of course, my aunt bullied and humiliated me, and humiliated me in every way. When I was fifteen, she drove me out of the house and made me live in a doghouse. It's a pity that I don't have a father who has 100,000 troops around him and can twist his mouth."

"Xu Qi'an!" Sun Shangshu interrupted angrily, stared at him for a long time, and whispered:

"What do you want? The imperial examination fraud case is investigated by His Majesty, the Ministry of Justice and the government office are in charge, and the whole court is watching. I am not the only one who has the final say. If you want to threaten my son, I can only fight to the death with you. Don't be naive!"

These days, whoever is more arrogant can take advantage. The importance of the cousin is naturally not as good as that of the son. I can be "cruel", but he can't. Xu Qi'an narrowed his eyes, walked to Sun Shangshu, and whispered in his ear:

"I have only one request. During Xu Xinnian's imprisonment, no torture shall be used, and don't try to force him to confess. If he loses a finger, I will cut off a finger of your son. I will leave as many wounds on your son as he has.

"After the imperial examination fraud case is over, no matter whether Xu Xinnian can escape punishment or not, I will release your son as you said."

"Xu Qiyan"

When Sun Shangshu was about to scold him, Xu Qiyan suddenly turned dark, his face was ferocious, and he said sternly: "Call me Lord Viscount."

Sun Shangshu gave in and said in a deep voice: "Lord Viscount, why should I trust you."

Xu Qiyan walked slowly to the table, picked up a piece of cake and ate it, and said lightly:

"Does Sun Shangshu have a choice? Believe it or not, you have to do what I want. Unless you don't want a legitimate son. I didn't ask you to help Xu Xinnian escape punishment, but I just asked you not to do unnecessary things. This is not difficult."

He walked in front of Sun Shangshu, wiped his scarlet robe, and said in a deep voice: "It's just as you said, I also have a family."

This step was taught by Wei Yuan, but the method and plan were his own idea, and Wei Yuan did not give any advice.

Doing nothing and hoping that the opponent is merciful is nothing but a foolish dream. The teasing and cold reception he encountered in the Ministry of Justice this morning is a perfect proof of this.

If you want to defeat the enemy, you must seize the opponent's weakness.

And most of the weaknesses are close relatives. However, it is a taboo to harm family members. Xu Qi'an has to consider and control the scale himself.

Therefore, he did not have the fantasy that Sun Yaoyue alone could save Erlang. Just use Sun Yaoyue to make a deal with Sun Shangshu. In this way, the difficulty is greatly reduced and the nature is lighter.

As for Sun Shangshu's disagreement and insisting on torturing Xu Erlang, Xu Qi'an also did what he said. Even let Sun Shangshu send the black-haired man to his death.

So far, everything has been as he expected, thanks to his good grasp of the scale.

Minister Sun exhaled: "I trust you this time. I will not torture Xu Erlang. I also hope that my son will return home safe and sound. Otherwise, he will bear the consequences."

"Of course." Xu Qi'an snorted.

"But I am also worried about you. I want to see Xu Xinnian. Please ask someone to arrange it."

As he said that, he walked to the door with a step that did not recognize his relatives. Suddenly he turned around and smiled, "By the way, Lord Viscount is right."

Minister Sun's face was gloomy, and his beard was shaking with anger

"Hua La La"

With the sound of sliding chains, the jailer opened the door to the prison, and the damp and decayed smell came to his face.

Under the guidance of the jailer, Xu Qi'an walked through the dim passage and came to the cell where Xu Xinnian was imprisoned.

Xu Xinnian closed his eyes and rested against the wall. He was wearing a prison uniform, his face was pale, and his body was covered with blood.

Seeing his younger brother's miserable appearance, Xu Qi'an's face darkened in vain. After all, he was a step too late. Erlang suffered a lot in prison.

He underestimated Sun Shangshu's determination to avenge him.

Xu Qi'an whispered: "Erlang, Erlang"

Xu Erlang was stunned, suspecting that he had heard wrongly, and opened his eyes in astonishment.