On this day, the sun shines on the streets of Luoyang, and people are busy coming and going.
In an inn in the city, a man who looked like a young man sat quietly by the window, staring into the distance.
He was wearing a simple and elegant robe, with a high temperament, but a hint of melancholy.
He gently took out a jade pendant from his cuff, which shone with a warm light under the sunlight.
In an instant, a picture appeared in his mind - a few days ago, his mother was on the sickbed, dying.
The mother held his hand and used her last strength to tell him a secret that had been hidden for many years: he was actually Sima Yi's illegitimate son.
This news was like a bombshell, causing a sensation in his heart.
After his mother passed away, he embarked on a journey to find Sima Yi with his jade pendant according to his mother's last wish.
The inn room is simply and elegantly decorated. There are several landscape paintings hanging on the walls and a cup of fragrant tea on the table.
The young master sat quietly at the table, and the jade pendant was gently placed in his hand, as if it was his only connection with the past.
He closed his eyes and recalled the prominent history of the Sima family that his mother told him.
The Sima family, the family that has great influence in the government and the country, actually has blood ties with it.
All this made him feel both excited and confused.
The next morning, the young master got up early. After washing up, he decided to go out for a walk.
Before he knew it, he came to a quaint teahouse.
The melodious sound of piano and a faint tea fragrance came from the teahouse, attracting him to walk in.
He found a quiet corner to sit down, ordered a cup of tea, and savored it quietly.
"Have you heard of it? Now Xi Yu has taken charge of Luoyang. Luoyang is probably going to change the world!" said a customer.
"Yes, I hope Luoyang can become particularly prosperous like Pizhou and Youzhou." Another customer echoed.
The two of them unknowingly turned to the Sima family.
"Sima family, that was once a very prominent family!" a man sighed.
"That's not right, it's a pity that my family has been destroyed now." Another person shook his head regretfully.
When the young master heard this, his heart tightened, and he immediately came to the two customers.
"Two brothers, I just heard you mention the Sima family. I wonder if the Sima family is Sima Yi's family?" the young master asked anxiously.
Seeing the young master so excited, the two looked at each other and asked curiously: "Young master, you care so much about the Sima family, is it that what does it have to do with the Sima family?"
The young master panicked and quickly lied: "I'm just here to visit relatives in Luoyang. When I heard you talk, I was just curious."
The two of them said oh and continued to talk.
"The Sima family was incredible in the past. Who would have thought that they would end up like this? Sima Yi, Sima Shi, and Sima Zhao were all dead."
The young master looked pale and his body trembled slightly. He widened his eyes and looked at the two people in front of him in disbelief.
"How is this possible? Lord Sima Yi and his two sons, Sima Shi, and Sima Zhao, were actually..." The young master's voice was a little despair.
The two men looked at each other and sighed softly.
"This is the fact. Prince Sima Yi was plotted by Xi Yu and was eventually ordered to be killed by Cao Pi. Sima Shi and Sima Zhao were drowned in the water by Xi Yu." One of them said in a heavy tone.
The young master felt his world collapse instantly, and he leaned against the wall powerlessly, and his mind was in chaos.
"Why? Why is this happening?" the young master murmured to himself.
At this time, the teahouse fell into silence, and only the young master's voice echoed in the air.
"Xi Yu, why is he so cruel?" The young master's eyes were filled with pain and anger.
"The struggle for power is always accompanied by blood and conspiracy. Xi Yu uses any means to gain more power." Another person said helplessly.
The young master took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
"I must avenge the Sima family!" The young master's voice was firm.
He decided to uncover Xi Yu's conspiracy and seek justice for the Sima family.
The young master's name was Sun Jianlong. He immediately went to Sima's house. He was in a heavy mood and his steps seemed a little heavy.
With the fall of the Sima family, almost all the servants had left, but there was an old servant here to clean up.
Although the old servant is old, his body is still quite strong.
He planted some vegetables in the yard and watered them every day, as if this would make him feel at ease.
Sun Jianlong felt very heartbroken when he saw the Sima family so decadent.
He remembered the glory of the Sima family in the past, looked at the desolation of the present, and couldn't help but sigh at the impermanence of the world.
The old servant felt very strange when he saw a guest coming and was in a depressed mood.
He then stepped forward and asked, "Young Master, who are you looking for?"
Sun Jianlong looked at the old servant and said, "I used to admire Sima Yi very much. Now in Luoyang City, I still hear the Sima family's situation and feel very sad."
The old servant sighed, saying that even if anyone said Sima Yi was not good, he was always sincere to the Sima family.
Everyone left, but he was still willing to stay here, which was like his own roots.
Sun Jianlong couldn't help but feel a little moved. He looked around and found that some houses had begun to collapse.
“Some houses are also broken.”
The old servant sighed, "This proves that the master is not here, and without spiritual energy, even the house will collapse."
Sun Jianlong was shocked. He understood the old servant's meaning. He decided to do something for the Sima family to cheer up the Sima family.
Sun Jianlong was considering a question: Sima Yi was already destroyed, so how could he recognize each other with this jade pendant? He couldn't help but feel a little depressed.
The old servant kept staring at him, feeling very strange, and said, "Young Master, you are somewhat similar to the old master."
Sun Jianlong understood that he was talking about Sima Shi.
Sun Jianlong was shocked, and he immediately realized that he could no longer hide it.
He looked at the old servant, a trace of firmness flashed in his eyes, and decided to confess his life experience to him.
Sun Jianlong took a deep breath and began to tell his past.
He told the old servant that he was Sima Yi's illegitimate son, and his mother told him the truth before her death and handed him the jade pendant as a token.
When the old servant heard the news, although he did not know about the jade pendant, he was very excited when he heard that the Sima family had a descendant.
He held Sun Jianlong's hand tightly and said in a trembling voice: "Young Master, you are a descendant of the Sima family, which is great. Although our Sima family has suffered heavy damage, as long as there is still someone there, there is hope."
Sun Jianlong nodded, his eyes firm and firm.
"I will definitely seek justice for the Sima family and make those who have hurt the Sima family pay the price!"
The old servant looked at Sun Jianlong and felt relieved and moved.
"Young Master, if you have such determination and courage, the Sima family will definitely rise again. Although I am old, I will always support you."
Sun Jianlong looked at the old servant gratefully.
Sun Jianlong said that he wanted to live here, and the old servant was very supportive of this and said that he would serve him like a former master.
Sun Jianlong looked at the old servant gratefully and thought to himself that his life here should not be too sad.
Sun Jianlong looked at the old man in front of him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
He said gratefully: "Old man, thank you for your willingness to take me in. However, my identity cannot be made public yet. I hope you can help me keep the secret. If someone asks me, you will say I am your relative."
The old servant said gently: "Don't worry, young master, I will help you keep the secret. You are a descendant of the Sima family, and I will definitely treat you like the master of the Sima family."
Sun Jianlong said gratefully: "Old man, I am very grateful for your loyalty to the Sima family and trust in me. I will definitely not let you down. I will definitely seek justice for the Sima family and make those who have hurt the Sima family at a price!"
The old man looked at Sun Jianlong with a hint of relief in his eyes. He said, "Young Master, I believe you can do it. Although I am old and can no longer do anything for the Sima family, I will always support you."
When Sun Jianlong saw that the old servant understood what he meant, he felt relieved.
So, he asked to take him into the house and prepare to tell me about Xi Yu's situation.
The old servant hated Xi Yu very much, so from his mouth, there were naturally no good words from Xi Yu.
"Xi Yu is a traitor with a strong ambition and doesn't even take the emperor seriously. In order to gain more power, he used any means to harm the Han court." The old servant said excitedly.
When Sun Jianlong listened to the old servant's words, his hatred for Xi Yu became stronger and stronger.
He decided to seek justice for the Sima family.
Sun Jianlong said to the old servant: "Old man, I used to do some business when I was in my hometown, so I can do business and support myself when I came to Luoyang. I want to know if the Sima family has other industries."
The old servant nodded and said, "Young Master, the Sima family used to have many industries, but since Xi Yu occupied Luoyang, they have been confiscated. Now only this yard and some fields are left."
Sun Jianlong's heart sank. He originally hoped to restore the glory of the family through the Sima family's property, but unexpectedly, Xi Yu took the lead. His heart was full of hatred for Xi Yu.
Sun Jianlong asked again: "Old man, who is taking care of these fields now?"
The old servant said, "Young Master, I am now taking care of these fields. Although I am old, I can still do something within my ability. I will come here every day to see them, water and fertilize them, hoping to rejuvenate these fields."
Sun Jianlong decided to take revenge on Xi Yu, but he knew that Xi Yu was a powerful prince and was just a small person. How could he shake his status? So he had to think of a way.
Sun Jianlong lay on the bed, thinking about it over and over again, his heart full of hatred and reluctance.
Sun Jianlong thought for a long time and finally came up with a solution. He decided to have a plan to win in the danger.
"I want him to know that little people also have the power of little people!" Sun Jianlong's heart was full of firmness and confidence.
He began to carefully plan his plan, and every detail was considered very thoughtfully. He knew it was a life-and-death battle, but he was not afraid.
"I must succeed!" Sun Jianlong said to himself silently.
On the other hand, the Bei'an County Magistrate focused all his attention on this serial theft case.
On this day, the master told him: "Sir, after our investigation, the Tao family is also very rich, but it has not been attacked yet, so it is very likely that it is the next target of the criminals. We can wait for the rabbit. What do you think?"
The county magistrate pondered for a moment and thought it was a good idea.
He said, "Okay, just do what you said. Immediately send the yamen runners and the king's soldiers to the Tao family's tea shop, lurking, and waiting for the criminals to appear."
The master nodded and turned to make arrangements.
The soldiers sent by Xi Yu were completely obeying the orders of the county magistrate.
The yamen runner immediately came to the Tao family and told them about the relevant plans.
The Tao family has been worried these days, but when they learned about this plan, they felt relieved.
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high, and it was silent.
In the Tao family’s tea shop, the yamen runners and Xi Yu’s soldiers were hiding in the dark, waiting quietly.
Suddenly, a slight sound of footsteps came, breaking the tranquility of the night.
The yamen runners and soldiers immediately became alert, staring at the door, and the weapons in their hands were also ready.
After a while, several black shadows quietly approached the store. They were holding tools in their hands, obviously coming to steal.
Just as they were about to break into the door, the yamen runners and soldiers suddenly rushed out and surrounded them.
"Don't move!" The county magistrate personally led the team, and he shouted loudly.
The criminals panicked and tried to escape, but it was too late.
The yamen runners and soldiers quickly subdued them and arrested them.
"Okay, I finally caught you!" the county magistrate said excitedly, because he could finally explain to Xi Yu.
Next, the county magistrate began the trial.
The county magistrate conducted a severe interrogation on them. They were beaten to pieces, but they never dared to tell who the mastermind behind the scenes was.
"Say! Who instructed you?" the county magistrate shouted angrily.
The criminals lowered their heads and said nothing.
Seeing this, the county magistrate thought to himself: These people are so stubborn, it seems that there must be a greater force behind them.
He decided to temporarily put these people in prison and investigate slowly.
It turned out that after discussion, the two brothers Chen Ping and Chen An believed that it was not enough to just use economic interests to tempt those people, and their families had to be held hostage at critical moments. Only in this way would those people be loyal to the two brothers.
Chen An thought, things had been done, so he had to listen to his brother no matter what.
Since you have fallen, then you will fall to the end.
Therefore, even if the county magistrate beats him up, those people would rather die than surrender, because once they confess their mastermind behind the scenes, their families will suffer.
The next day, the county magistrate planned to go to the Qin family and reported the news to Xi Yu.
The sun was shining, and the county magistrate sat in a sedan chair and walked through the bustling streets to the front of the Qin family.
The Qin family is a famous local family. There are red lanterns hanging at the door and two stone lions in front of the door, which looks particularly solemn.
The county magistrate got out of the sedan chair, sorted out his clothes, and then walked towards the door. When the gatekeeper saw the county magistrate coming, he immediately greeted him, knelt on the ground, and saluted the county magistrate.
"I have met the county magistrate!" said the concierge.
"Get up." said the county magistrate.
"Sir, please come in. My master is already waiting for you inside." The concierge said.
"How did he know that the county will come?"
"My master heard that he might have caught the thief, so the county magistrate must come to see the king."
The county magistrate Oh, nodded, and followed the gatehouse into the Qin family.
As soon as I entered the gate, I saw a spacious yard, which was planted with flowers, plants, trees, and rockery, making it look particularly quiet.
The county magistrate walked through the yard and came to the main hall. The main hall was decorated particularly gorgeously, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.
Xi Yu sat in the main seat of the main hall and saw the county magistrate coming.
The county magistrate immediately saluted Xi Yu.
"A little man, please pay homage to the king."
"Stop talking nonsense, just say it, is there any result?"
The county magistrate then told me about what happened last night.
After hearing this, Xi Yu frowned. He knew that this matter was definitely not simple. He said to the county magistrate: "There must be a manipulator behind this, and we must find out clearly."
The county magistrate nodded and said, "The young man has sent someone to investigate, I believe there will be results soon."
Xi Yu pondered for a moment.
Xi Yu nodded and said, "Yes, I think so too. It seems that we must go to prison in person to meet these criminals in order to find the real murderer."
The county magistrate asked, "King, what should we do?"
Xi Yu said: "You don't have to worry about this matter, I will naturally have a solution."
A cold light flashed in Xi Yu's eyes. He decided to use his secret guard to find out the truth about this matter.
The next morning, Xi Yu changed into plain clothes and quietly came to the prison with a few confidants.
The prison is gloomy and terrifying, full of unpleasant smells.
Xi Yu saw several criminals who were locked in different cells with different expressions.
Xi Yu called his secret guard and said, "Take all these criminals out, I will interrogate them separately."
The secret guards nodded, and their figures flashed and disappeared into the darkness.
After a while, the secret guards appeared in front of Xi Yu with criminals.
When the criminals saw Xi Yu, they all lowered their heads in horror.
Xi Yu said, "You all know who I am, right? I came here today just to hear your truth. Don't worry, as long as you tell the truth, I can guarantee your safety."
The criminals looked at each other and didn't say anything.
Xi Yu said: "Don't be afraid. I have investigated your background. You are all ordinary people. The reason why you were involved in this theft case must be threatened by some people. As long as you tell the truth, I can guarantee that your family will not be harmed."
The criminals still didn't say anything, as if they were hesitating.
Chapter completed!