jdhmnovel Chapter 445 Gives You More
Chapter 445 Gives You More
Yun Shang picked up the teacup. It was warm and smooth to the touch, with a delicate texture. This was a fine white jade teacup, something that ordinary people simply couldn't afford.
He gently stroked the teacup with his fingertips, his eyes dark, and ordered, "This dark house has more than one exit. Immediately send men to surround the entire area within three miles of Li Guan's residence. Not a single fly should be allowed to escape."
The Imperial Guards acted swiftly, which made Li Guan and the women and servants in his household even more panicked and uneasy.
As more and more hidden entrances to the Li residence were discovered, everyone in the Li family was stunned, and even Li Guan found it hard to believe.
This house was passed down from their ancestors. Their family had lived here for over a hundred years, but they never knew that there was a hidden house underground that was almost exactly the same as their own mansion!
When Li Guan saw the dug-out entrances, he understood that the Li family now faced only one dead end.
At this moment, he only hoped that Li Chongyi would not be found in the Li residence.
But Li Guan's hopes were ultimately dashed.
An hour later, Li Chongyi and his group, who were trying to continue their escape and hiding, happened to run into Yun Shang in a narrow alley.
When Yun Shang saw Li Chongyi, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, like a sharp blade in the dark night.
His tone was familiar, as if he had met an old friend, with a slight smile, "Prime Minister Li, you must be careful, the night is deep and the dew is heavy, it is easy for cold air to invade the body."
The moment Li Chongyi saw Yun Shang, his usually calm face turned angry.
How could a lowly commoner have driven him to such a state?
Li Chongyi suppressed his anger, his expression was icy, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
He sneered, "Yun Shang, you're nothing but a dog that bites by His Majesty's side, yet you dare to be so insolent to me."
Yun Shang was not angry when he heard this. He slightly curled his lips, his face clearly smiling, but that smile was chilling. "Prime Minister Li, I didn't expect that you would still be so stubborn even in this situation."
After saying this, the Imperial Guards behind Yun Shang stepped forward in unison, raised their weapons, and the moonlight shone on their blades, reflecting a cold light.
Seeing this, the guards behind Li Chongyi quickly shielded him and drew their weapons, assuming a defensive stance.
The two sides were on the verge of a fight, and the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment.
Yun Shang's gaze fell on Li Chongyi. "Prime Minister Li wants to fight ten against one?"
Li Chongyi's eyelids twitched. Before he could say anything, he heard a series of chaotic footsteps approaching. He turned his head and saw a group of imperial guards holding weapons on both sides of the narrow alley. Looking at them, they were a huge, bustling crowd.
He is surrounded.
Unless his guards are capable of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, it would be impossible for them to escape from the encirclement.
Li Chongyi was truly unwilling to let him surrender so easily.
He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding imperial guards before finally settling on Yun Shang.
He never took Yun Shang seriously.
Even though this person appeared in public many times after entering the capital, he never paid any attention to it.
In the past, there have been brilliant but poor scholars, but without sufficient foundation and shrewdness, those scholars did not live long.
He thought Yun Shang would be the same kind of person, but he never expected that he would get close to the emperor so quickly, gain the emperor's trust, and seize the incriminating evidence against the aristocratic families in such a short period of time.
He underestimated him.
Li Chongyi's eyes were sinister as he stared intently at Yun Shang. Suddenly, he spoke, "Yun Shang, whatever the Emperor promises you, I can give you too, and even more."
“Yun Shang, the emperor trusts you now because you have nothing. But if you gain power in the future, will the emperor still trust you? Back then, the emperor was able to ascend the throne thanks to my help, but now he repays kindness with enmity.”
"I once thought I would get along well with the emperor, but only a few years have passed?"
"Serving the emperor in this court is like serving a tiger. The emperor's thoughts are too deep for you and me to fully fathom. He trusts you today, but what about tomorrow? A slight misstep could lead to utter ruin."
“Yun Shang, in the end, you and I are the same people.”
"I have been operating for several years and have established a certain foundation. If you agree today, the power, wealth, and status you desire in the future will be within your grasp, far surpassing your current precarious situation."
Yun Shang slightly raised his eyes.
His eyes remained calm, unmoved by Li Chongyi's words.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Li Chongyi cursed him inwardly for being ungrateful, but on the surface he became even more benevolent: "Wealth, honor, high office, and generous salary—all these are within your grasp if you just nod your head. Why bother working for that capricious emperor?"
He spoke gently and persuasively, his voice low and enticing.
Yun Shang listened quietly, his expression unchanged.
He said calmly, "Prime Minister Li, are you finished?"
His eyes were cold and aloof, and his aura was even more icy, as if he were unaffected by anything external.
Li Chongyi's face stiffened, then suddenly darkened. "Are you determined to oppose me?!"
Yun Shang's lips curled into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Prime Minister Li, it's not that I want to oppose you, but the crimes you've committed are unforgivable."
He didn't consider himself a good person, but he hadn't spilled the blood of innocent people on his hands.
The current positions of Li Chongyi and others are built upon the blood and flesh of innocent people.
Yun Shang did not consider himself to be on the side of justice. He killed Li Chongyi for personal gain, but unlike Li Chongyi, he had a bottom line and did not resort to any means necessary.
Yun Shang raised his hand, "Take down the traitor Li Chongyi and all his cronies. Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot."
The Imperial Guards answered in unison, their voices booming and their momentum overwhelming.
The weapons in their hands gleamed with a chilling light under the moonlight, surging towards Li Chongyi and his men like a tidal wave.
Although Li Chongyi's guards fought desperately, they were far outnumbered by the Imperial Guards and quickly found themselves in a predicament.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable to him, Li Chongyi was filled with resentment and anger, wishing he could tear Yun Shang to pieces.
His guards cried out to him urgently, "Prime Minister, let's go!"
Li Chongyi gritted his teeth, suddenly pulled out a smoke bomb from his pocket, and threw it forcefully to the ground.
With a loud bang, smoke instantly filled the air, plunging the narrow alley into chaos and completely obscuring visibility.
Taking advantage of the chaos, several guards covered Li Chongyi as he desperately fled towards the less crowded end of the narrow alley.
Li Chongyi stared intently at the alley entrance.
He was not at his wit's end. Once he left this alley, he would be like a drop of water entering the ocean, and it would not be so easy for Yun Shang to catch him again.
As the alley entrance drew closer, joy welled up in Li Chongyi's eyes. However, at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared at the alley entrance.
Before Li Chongyi could even react to who the person was, two of the three guards protecting him were killed, and another was stabbed in the abdomen, blood gushing out.
Li Chongyi was horrified and pointed at the man, "You, you, aren't you a civil official?!"
Why would a civil official be skilled in martial arts? And such formidable skills at that?
Yun Shang pointed his sword at Li Chongyi, his eyes icy cold. "Why can't a civil official know martial arts? Prime Minister Li has sent assassins to kill me many times. Doesn't he know I know martial arts?"
Li Chongyi thought that Prince Chen had sent many people to protect him.
He thought this kid was only a novice, but he didn't expect that the two sword strikes he just used were even more fierce and swift than those of his most skilled guards, each strike potentially fatal.