Detective Di Renjie: The Mysterious Dynasty

Chapter 329 Are there any masters? !
There was a fierce battle going on outside, and Shangguan Wan'er was powerless, so she could only stay in the small building and wait for the outcome of the battle.

The lights in the room had already been turned on at this time. She had no doubt about the abilities of Wang Xiaojie and others, so she sat quietly in the room, sipping tea leisurely and listening to the sounds of fighting outside.

Soon, Wang Xiaojie and sisters Ruyan and Xiaomei walked in quickly, bringing the news of victory: "Talented man, the Snake Spirit rebels have all been killed, and the rebel leader Xiao Qingfang has surrendered!"

After returning from the battle, Wang Xiaojie and others were covered in a strong smell of blood, but Shangguan Wan'er seemed to be unaware of it.

She smiled and nodded, "Congratulations, General Wang. Without further ado, I will return to the palace to report to His Majesty and ask for merit for General Wang and his soldiers. General Wang can now lead his troops to the East Palace to help Lord Di!"

Wang Xiaojie was overjoyed when he heard this: "Thank you, talented person!"

Upon hearing this, sisters Ruyan and Xiaomei also wanted to follow Wang Xiaojie and go to the East Palace to find Zhao Ji and Di Renjie.

Unexpectedly, Shangguan Wan'er suddenly spoke up and called the two sisters: "Ladies, please stay!"

When Xiaomei and Xiaofeng heard the voice calling them, they stopped and turned around to look around, only then did they realize that it was their sisters that were being talked about.

Xiao Feng's eyes immediately turned cold, and he stared at Shangguan Wan'er, unconsciously reaching for the two swords at his waist.

Xiaomei was calmer. She gently held down her restless sister and signaled her to stay calm.

Wang Xiaojie has always been loyal. Seeing Shangguan Wan'er keeping the two sisters, he was slightly unhappy: "Talented man, these two are from Lord Di's residence. If you have anything to ask, you should ask Lord Di first, right?"

Shangguan Wan'er took in everyone's reactions, but she just smiled calmly: "Excuse me, General, it is His Majesty who wants to see the two girls!"

When these words came out, Xiaomei and Ruyan were all shocked, and Wang Xiaojie was even more surprised and asked, "Your Majesty?"

Shangguan Wan'er smiled and nodded.

Wang Xiaojie's brows were tightly knitted. Even in front of the emperor, he might not easily compromise: "Shangguan Cairen, these two girls just killed Xiao Qingfang with their own hands. They have nothing to do with the snake spirit's rebellion tonight!"

"And they, like Miss Ruyan, were sent by Lord Di's residence to help me. I can't let them be taken away by you without knowing the reason."

Perhaps realizing that his attitude was a little blunt, Wang Xiaojie softened his tone a little: "How about this? The two girls have just experienced a fierce battle and are covered in blood. It doesn't seem appropriate to go to see the emperor like this, for fear of offending him."

"Why don't we let them go back to the Di Mansion to bathe and change clothes first? I will go to the East Palace to report to the Di Lord. If the Snake Spirit rebels have indeed been eliminated, wouldn't it be more appropriate for them to meet His Majesty together at that time?"

"Can you please be flexible for my sake?"

Shangguan Wan'er couldn't help but laugh when she heard this: "I've long heard that General Wang is a brave warrior on the battlefield, both wise and courageous. Today I know that the general is also eloquent."

"However, His Majesty has personally instructed that the two young ladies should be invited to the palace to see him as soon as possible. How dare Wan'er delay? Don't worry, General. Wan'er promises to return them to you tomorrow morning!"

"No matter how bold and domineering Wan'er is, she would not dare to offend the three of you, General Di, and General Zhao, all at the same time!"

"This..." He had already said all the good things he could. Since it was the emperor's order and this was not a "general away from home", Wang Xiaojie could not refuse.

Ruyan's eyes were full of worry as she looked at the sisters Xiaomei and Xiaofeng, while Xiaofeng's eyes looked at Shangguan Wan'er with increasing displeasure and vigilance.

However, when Shangguan Wan'er mentioned Zhao Ji, Xiaomei felt relieved.

She patted Xiaofeng's arm gently, and then calmed everyone down with a calm attitude: "General, why do you have to be like this? It is our sister's honor to be summoned by His Majesty! We will just go with Shangguan Cairen."

Seeing Xiaomei's appropriate response, Shangguan Wan'er nodded secretly in her heart, with some admiration in her eyes.

But Xiaomei hadn't finished her words yet, she turned around and gave Ruyan a detailed instruction: "Ruyan, when you see Chengyuan, tell him not to worry!"

When Shangguan Wan'er heard the word "Chengyuan", her brows unconsciously frowned slightly, and the admiration she had just felt instantly gone.

With a hint of worry, Ruyan first looked at Shangguan Wan'er, then turned to Xiaomei, and finally nodded in agreement.
-
Inside the Eastern Palace, Zhao Ji was still unaware of the complications arising from the Xiaomei sisters' affairs, and still looked down upon Yuan Tiangang, Li Shouli and other lonely men.

Li Shouli knew very well that he could not escape the disaster tonight. Looking at Yuan Tiangang who was also in a desperate situation, he actually felt a little bit of gloating in his heart.

"You old thief! What? You schemed so hard, but you still have to end up like me!"

This is the common dark side of human nature. If one is not good himself, he cannot stand others being good. What’s more, Yuan Tiangang is his enemy.

Di Renjie was not interested in appreciating the two people's bickering. He asked Zhao Ji, "Chengyuan, now that things have developed to this point, you should also explain the whole story clearly, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall put aside their prejudices and positions and turned their eyes to Zhao Ji.

Li Shouli covered his aching chest and shouted to Zhao Ji, "Yuan Tiangang and I both lost tonight. If you still have a trace of brotherhood in mind, let me kill Yuan Tiangang first, and then die happily! Brother, I appreciate your kindness!" Zhao Ji heard this and shook his head slightly. He didn't really care about this so-called "brotherhood", after all, it was his predecessor.

Besides, how could he let it go when things haven't been made clear yet?
Kui Wenzhong's famous saying: Their plan is so ingenious that if they don't say it out loud, they will feel uncomfortable, and the same is true for Zhao Ji.

So, he glanced at Yuan Tiangang and Li Shouli again, and said meaningfully: "Don't be anxious, it's not the end yet, there are still some things that haven't been made clear!"

"Where should I start? Ah! It has to start from your identity and from the battle we had in the palace last night!"

Li Shouli was stunned when he heard this: "My identity? The battle last night?"

Zhao Ji nodded slowly and said calmly, "That's right. I injured you last night, and Huan Bin suddenly showed up and rescued you. Later, he tried to put me in a disadvantageous position by crying thief."

"However, you are digging your own grave. It was that accident that allowed me to discover the secret courtyard and the tunnel leading to the palace in advance!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shouli lowered his head and stared at Huan Bin's body, feeling a surge of regret in his heart.

Di Renjie took over the topic at this time and continued, "Yes, Chengyuan told me at the time that the courtyard was where the emperor imprisoned the prince's family many years ago."

"He also mentioned that the tunnel was half old and half new. I saw with my own eyes today that the old part was made of bricks and stones and it looked like it had been built many years ago."

"I was wondering before, if only the Prince of Xiang's family members were imprisoned in that courtyard, who were they? Why did they go to such great lengths and risk so much time and effort to build a tunnel in the palace? It couldn't be that the Prince of Xiang was having a tryst with his family in private, right?"

Li Shouli sighed and admitted as if he had accepted his fate: "Yes, I was imprisoned with the Prince of Xiang's family at the time. The tunnel was actually built by the snake spirit specifically for me!"

"Hahahahaha..."

Someone's laughter suddenly echoed in the empty hall, carrying a hint of sarcasm and disdain.

Li Shouli's expression suddenly turned gloomy, and he stared at Zhao Ji unhappily: "What are you laughing at?"

Di Renjie closed his eyes and sighed, "Alas! He laughed at His Highness for being stubborn and stubborn. Even now, when he is in a desperate situation, he is still covering up for others!"

Zhao Ji's laughter gradually subsided. He shook his head, and said with emotion: "You are indeed infatuated with Li Tang. But your lying skills are too poor!"

"Digging a tunnel like this in the palace is a huge undertaking. Without help, how can it be hidden from the public? Besides, you, a living person, disappear frequently. Without protection, how can no one notice it?"

Li Shouli's face turned pale as paper, and he suddenly shouted hysterically: "Stop talking! Please stop talking!"

There was a hint of pleading in his eyes as he stared at Zhao Ji, as if hoping that he would stop there.

"I beg you not to say anything..."

However, Zhao Ji just sneered, as if he turned a deaf ear to Li Shouli's pleas.

His voice became even louder, as if he wanted to reveal all the secrets to the public: "Not to mention, that tunnel originally led to the East Palace! And the heir to the throne who lived in the East Palace at that time was none other than the current Prince of Xiang, Li Dan!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Shouli felt as if struck by lightning. His eyes went dark and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, Kui Wenzhong and Xiaohui, who were standing by, were quick-witted and quickly held one side of him, preventing him from falling.

"Your Highness, are you okay?" Kui Wenzhong asked with concern.

Yuan Tiangang, who was standing on the other side, also had a pale face and broke out in a cold sweat.

Although these two great conspirators in the palace do not get along with each other, it seems that they both have unclear and unexplainable relationships with Prince Li Dan!

Li Shouli's face was almost bloodless, and his lips were terribly pale. He said in a trembling voice: "Keep your promise... Even if it is for the sake of Li Tang's country... Why... Why do you have to reveal this matter..."

Zhao Ji seemed to have finally let out a sigh of relief and felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

He said coldly, "I won't offend anyone unless they offend me! Someone wants to use me as a scapegoat! A stepping stone! How can I do what he wants?"

"Are you right? Yuan Tiangang! Huh?" Zhao Ji's eyes were like knives, stabbing coldly at Yuan Tiangang.

　In history, Li Shouli was indeed imprisoned with Li Dan's family. He was released by Wu Zetian only after Li Xian became the crown prince.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)