In the Dudu Mansion of Yingzhou City, Wei Ting looked at the red sun slowly rising on the horizon.
There was a hint of worry on his face.
He didn't know why, but he had been tossing and turning last night, and he didn't get a sound sleep all night.
As soon as it dawned, Wei Ting got up.
Standing at the gate of the Governor's Mansion, looking at the red sun in the distance, Wei Ting felt inexplicably panicked.
Even he couldn't explain the reason for this panic.
"Sir." The confidant handed over to Wei Ting.
Wei Ting turned around and asked hurriedly: "Is there any news from Tianzhu Mountain?"
"Tianzhu Mountain?" The confidant was slightly stunned.
I wonder what kind of news there is in Tianzhu Mountain.
With just a dozen or so people like Zhao Chen, can they still capture Tianzhu Mountain?
"Don't worry, sir. The peak of Tianzhu Mountain is dangerous. How did Zhao Chen and a dozen people get up the mountain?"
"What's more, there are generals like General Luo Yi in the mountains, and they can't deal with those dozen little thieves?" The confidant and Wei Ting laughed.
No news was received from the mountains today.
But this is normal.
They don't have daily contact with Tianzhu Mountain.
There is no news today, maybe nothing happened.
Hearing his confidant say this, Wei Ting felt a little better.
"Then Zhao Chen is not an ordinary person. Otherwise, with so many important ministers in the court, the emperor would not just keep him with him."
"It's better to be careful about this matter, otherwise our lives will be in danger."
"Send a message to the mountains and ask them how they are doing."
Wei Ting was still a little worried and asked his subordinates to pass on the message.
After the confidants left, Wei Ting leaned against the pillar at the door of the Governor's Mansion, but his expression did not soften in any way.
…
Coming down from Tianzhu Mountain, no one saw any trace of Luo Tong.
Zhao Chen led a group of students from the academy and followed the Tianzhu Mountain bandits.
The bandits themselves are familiar with these mechanisms on the mountain.
No one took the initiative to mention Luo Yi.
But everyone felt extremely incredible in their hearts.
Luo Yi, the veteran who was so powerful in Youzhou back then, actually ended up living in Tianzhu Mountain.
"Sir, where has Luo Tong gone? Will he come back?" Li Ke and Zhao Chen asked.
He was one of the only people who saw Luo Yi commit suicide.
At this moment, Li Ke was also worried whether Luo Tong would blame Zhao Chen for his grandfather's death.
After all, Luo Yi would not have died if Zhao Chen hadn't led his men to exterminate the bandits.
"The fallen leaves have returned to their roots. Luo Tong took his grandfather back to Youzhou." Zhao Chen said something to Li Ke and waved for everyone to follow.
Zhao Chen is not too worried about Luo Tong, but Wei Ting from Yingzhou City is not so easy to win.
Wei Ting has been operating in Yingzhou for ten years, and his spies are everywhere in and outside the city.
If Wei Ting learned that people like him had captured Li Yuan, how could he not be prepared?
"How is the situation at the bottom of the mountain?" Zhao Chen and Cheng Chumo asked beside him.
"I just received news that a group of people passed by the official road. They searched for a while and then turned back."
"I guess I went back to report to that old guy Wei Ting." Cheng Chumo replied, putting the big knife in his hand on his waist.
Zhao Chen knew what Cheng Chumo meant by his actions just now.
Most probably because he wanted to return to Yingzhou City, he killed Wei Ting.
"Let everyone rest where they are and ask two people to be on guard." Zhao Chen said to Cheng Chumo.
He turned around and came to Li Yuan's place.
Li Yuan looked pale at this moment. He didn't know whether he was frightened or tired from not sleeping all night.
But Zhao Chen didn't care about this.
Now he had to get information about Li Yuanji's whereabouts from Li Yuan.
"You...you are Zhao Chen." At this moment, Li Yuan was disheveled and pale.
Seeing Zhao Chen standing in front of him, he felt a little panicked for no reason.
Li Yuan still hasn't thought about how Zhao Chen and the others got up the mountain.
Obviously, Tianzhu Mountain has a dangerous peak, and he had people set up a lot of traps on the two roads leading into the mountain.
Why did they come over so quickly?
"Where is Li Yuanji?" Zhao Chen looked at Li Yuan and asked.
"No... I don't know." Li Yuan glanced at Zhao Chen, then quickly looked away.
Li Yuan only knew that Zhao Chen was very young. When he saw Zhao Chen's face, the look of surprise in his eyes flashed past.
The Zhao Chen in front of him is clearly what Li Shimin looked like when he was young.
At this moment, Li Yuan was already wondering whether the rumors outside were true.
Zhao Chen and the emperor were really who they were rumored to be.
"Li Yuan, I will only give you one last chance, or tell you the whereabouts of Li Yuanji and save your life."
"Or, die here now."
"I believe that Wei Ting should also know the whereabouts of Li Yuanji." Zhao Chen stood in front of Li Yuan and said slowly.
Zhao Chen always felt that this trip to Jiangnan was not interesting.
He now wants to return to Chang'an City, stay with Li Ruoshuang, and wait for her to give birth to the child.
As for Li Yuan's life or death, Zhao Chen didn't care at all.
At this moment, a short blade was already placed on Li Yuan's neck.
How could Li Yuan withstand such coercion? People became panicked at that time.
He actually wanted to show that he would rather die than surrender.
But the short blade in Zhao Chen's hand had already cut the skin on his neck.
And Zhao Chen is right, Wei Ting also knows the whereabouts of Li Yuanji.
If he didn't say it himself, Wei Ting would definitely say it.
It would be better to...
"Zhao...Zhao Chen, I said...tell the whereabouts of Li Yuanji, and you have to...let me live." Li Yuan said to Zhao Chen, his face trembling.
Zhao Chen did not speak, but looked at Li Yuan indifferently.
Not only did the short blade in his hand not retract, it actually took a step forward.
At that time, blood fell from Li Yuan's neck.
"I said, I said!" Li Yuan was really scared. At this moment, the breath of death had enveloped him.
"Li...Li Yuanji, he is...just in Lujiang."
"Lujiang?" Zhao Chen retracted his short blade and looked at Li Yuan.
"Yes, it's Lujiang. He has a house ten miles east of Lujiang City. Wei Ting bought it for him to settle down in."
"We met there before."
Li Yuan had no choice.
If the Zhao Chen in front of him hadn't been so ruthless, he wouldn't have leaked Li Yuanji's traces.
He originally pointed out that he could return to Chang'an City one day in the name of Li Yuanji.
But now his life is in Zhao Chen's hands.
Saving life is the most important thing.
Zhao Chen looked at Li Yuan and saw that there was no look on his face that was lying to him, and his brows couldn't help but wrinkle together.
Li Yuanji is in Lujiang.
The place where the emperor and Wei Zheng went this time was also Lujiang.
I don't know if they can meet each other.
"Zhao Chen, you promised that if I told you about Li Yuanji's whereabouts, you would spare my life." Li Yuan and Zhao Chen shouted.
"I won't kill you. As for how to deal with it, let the emperor make his own decision." Zhao Chen glanced at Li Yuan and turned to leave.
"Zhao Chen, you lied to me." Li Yuan yelled from behind.
He knew what would happen if he fell into the emperor's hands.
Outside Yingzhou City, the bandits occupied the territory for several years, during which time they robbed caravans and killed several Zhechong captains.
If the emperor didn't kill himself, Li Yuan wouldn't believe it.