Thief Emperor

Chapter 88 Burning the Imperial Envoy
"Bang bang bang!"

Li Yun was very strong, so his knocks on the door were naturally very loud. Soon, the Gu family's doorman was alarmed. After opening the small door and taking a look at Li Yun outside, the tone of the doorman, who was about forty years old, was a little unfriendly.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Looking for Gu Zhang."

Li Yun thought for a moment and continued, "And Gu Cheng."

"Looking for the Second Master and the Second Young Master?"

The concierge frowned and held out his hand, "Do you have a visiting card?"

Li Yun shook his head: "No need for a visiting card, just go and inform them that Li Zhao from Qingyang is passing by Shidai and wants to stay overnight."

"Li Zhao..."

The doorman thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Are you the head of Qingyang County? I've heard of you."

"Since you have heard my name, why don't you report it?"

The doorman did not dare to neglect it and turned around to report. After a long while, Gu Cheng, the second young master of the Gu family, came to the door reluctantly. After seeing Li Yun, he clasped his fists and asked, "Why did Captain Li come to Shidai?"

"Visiting relatives."

Li Yun smiled and said, "But it's getting late now, and we need to find a place to stay. I don't have many friends in Shidai, so I can only come to Gu's house and stay for a few days."

Gu Cheng nodded nonchalantly and said, "Then please come in, Captain Li. I'll have my servants arrange accommodation for you."

No matter what, Li Yun was his "lifesaver". Although the uncle and nephew of the Gu family did not want to recall those hellish days, and even hated to see anyone related to that incident, since Li Yun had come to their door, the Gu family could not refuse to receive him.

After all, he is my savior. If we don’t entertain him, it will damage the reputation of the Gu family.

Gu Cheng turned around and looked at the doorman, saying, "Go prepare a room for Li Dutou to stay in."

After saying this, he turned around and was about to leave.

He really didn't want to see Li Yun, as it would remind him of some of the not-so-good memories about Erlongzhai.

Li Dutou smiled and waved behind him, saying, "Uncle, come quickly. We have a place to stay tonight."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wenchuan hurried forward and followed Li Yun.

Gu Cheng had already walked away. Upon hearing this, he turned back to look at Li Yun and asked, "Captain Li, who is this?"

"My uncle."

Li Dutou said with a smile: "Follow me and visit my relatives in Shidai."

Young Master Gu still looked around, but still ordered: "Prepare two rooms."

"Need not."

Li Yun smiled and said, "We can just live in one room, uncle and nephew."

Gu Cheng did not insist. He turned around and walked away quickly. Soon he disappeared without a trace, and the doorman who received Li Yun led the way in front.

Gu Wenchuan followed behind Li Yun and asked with a frown, "Captain Li, the person you saved was the young man from before?"

Li Yun smiled and nodded.

"How rude."

Gu Wenchuan frowned and said in a deep voice: "How can you be so negligent in saving my life? The Shidai Gu family is also a family of scholars, and they are of the same origin as my family. How can their descendants be so rude!"

Captain Li didn't take it seriously and said with a smile, "They look down on us warriors. Besides, they were kidnapped by bandits in Qingyang at that time, and saving them is what I, as a captain, should do."

As they were talking, the two of them had already arrived at the Gu family's wing room. After pushing the door and walking in, they found that there was an inner and outer room. After the servant who led them here left, Li Yun looked around the room and said, "Mr. Gu, you live inside, and I'll be guarding outside."

Gu Wenchuan nodded first, but he didn't rush into the inner room to rest. He sat down on a chair outside, then looked up at Li Yun and sighed: "When we were having dinner outside today, I probably already knew that the tax increase in Shidai was a full 800 coins."

"Then it is not difficult to guess the cause of Shidai people's rebellion."

He looked at Li Yun and continued, "Brother Yue Ji told me that when Shidai suppressed the anti-people movement, you, Captain Li, participated in the entire process. Now there are only you and me, and no one else."

"I won't take notes, and I won't ask you to sign or seal your name. Can you tell me what happened in Shidai at that time?"

Li Yun poured him a cup of tea and sat opposite the old man, looking calm: "Since you don't want evidence, then... is it difficult to guess what happened in Shidai?"

"It's not hard to guess."

Mr. Gu looked gloomy: "I have already guessed most of it, but I still have to hear it from others in person before I give up."

Li Yun smiled and said, "Sir, the imperial envoy has already been here."

"The last time the imperial envoy came here, he also asked Li a similar question. You know the final result, sir."

Li Yun poured himself a cup of tea and said calmly, "I am only following the orders of the county government and trying my best to protect you. I don't know anything else and I won't tell you anything."

"Sir, you will have to leave Xuanzhou sooner or later, but it's not so easy for me to leave."

Mr. Gu sighed and shook his head helplessly: "Deep-rooted, deep-rooted."

Li Yun smiled but said nothing.

That night, the imperial envoy slept peacefully in the inner room.

Li Yun, on the other hand, spent the whole night in the outer room, half asleep and half awake.

The next morning, Gu Wenchuan, who had been sighing yesterday, once again went out of the city with full energy. He first took a walk around Shidai City, and then rode out of the city with Li Yun to take a look at the "Hexi Village Ruins".

It was a pity that there were no villagers from Hexi Village near the village. When evening came, the two men rode back to Shidai.

At this time, the governor Tian and the Sima Cao of Xuanzhou had already arrived at Shidai County.

When Li Yun and the others returned to the Gu family, the Gu family was no longer as indifferent as they had been the night before. Gu Wen, the head of the Gu family, stepped forward and pulled Li Yun aside. His face was a little pale. "Captain Li, the Gu family has never sinned against you, right?"

"You Qingyang's suppression of bandits was paid for by Gu!"

Li Yun looked puzzled: "Master Gu, you didn't say it wasn't your money, what's wrong?"

Gu Wen took a deep breath, carefully glanced at Gu Wenchuan at the door of the Gu family, and whispered: "If Captain Li still remembers the friendship between us, please take this gentleman to live somewhere else tonight. Afterwards, I will definitely reward him handsomely!"

"Okay."

Li Yun smiled and said, "Then I'll go tell him that the Gu family won't let him live there anymore."

The head of the Gu family grabbed him and tried to lower his voice: "The Gu family didn't stop him from living here!"

His voice trembled: "It's Li Dutou. He has a better place to live."

He took out a vermilion gem from his sleeve, stuffed it into Li Yun's hand, and said through gritted teeth: "The best inn in Shidai is called Xuanfuju. You can stay there tonight..."

Li Yun looked at the gem in his hand and said with a smile: "Master Gu, what if this gentleman died in Xuanfu Residence tonight?"

The head of the Gu family twitched his face: "That...that has nothing to do with the Gu family."

"Master Gu is too confused."

Li Yun shook his head and said, "I brought this gentleman to live with the Gu family because of the one thousand strings of cash that Mr. Gu gave to suppress the bandits."

Li Yun put the gem back and said, "Since the Gu family is not accepting guests tonight, let's go to another place to stay."

Li Yun turned around and left. Just as he was about to talk to Mr. Gu, he was grabbed by the sleeve by Gu Wen. The head of the Gu family let out a long breath and gritted his teeth and said, "Just live in my house!"

"Wait a moment, I have someone guarding outside the room. Captain Li, if you need anything, just ask."

Li Yun looked at the head of the Gu family with some surprise.

He moved into the Gu family with no good intentions.

When such an important imperial envoy arrived in Xuanzhou, the officials in Xuanzhou, as long as they were not deaf or blind and had no connections in the court, would generally be able to detect some clues.

Not to mention, this matter involves the crown prince. The officials in Xuanzhou may be deaf and blind, but the crown prince is definitely not.

In other words, it won’t be long before Gu Wenchuan’s identity is exposed.

At this time they were living in the Gu family. If the Gu family took them in, they would have to face pressure from the entire Xuanzhou local officials, and might even become enemies with the local officials of Xuanzhou.

On the contrary, Imperial Envoy Gu might not necessarily be ruthless.

And now, the head of the Gu family was able to make a decision so quickly, which made Li Yun look at him with admiration.

There is a reason why the Gu family has been able to prosper in Shidai for several generations. At least in terms of decision-making ability, Mr. Gu is definitely not bad.

Li Yun didn't say much. He went back and told Mr. Gu, and the two of them entered the Gu family one after another again.

Mr. Gu walked behind Li Yun and suddenly asked, "Is that man the head of the Gu family?"

Li Yun looked back at Gu Wenchuan and said with a smile, "Yes, sir, can you see that?"

Gu Wenchuan put his hands behind his back and said silently: "You said yesterday that many things are not difficult to guess, but sometimes people are unwilling to guess."

After the two people entered the suite, Gu Wenchuan sat on the chair and looked at Li Yun.

"Little brother, you watched over me for almost the entire night yesterday. Tonight, you go in and sleep first, and I will watch outside."

Li Yun smiled and said, "Sir, you are an imperial censor of the imperial court. How can I let you stay outside?"

Gu Wenchuan looked at Li Yun and smiled: "I have to write documents tonight, and it will take at least until the second half of the night, so you can go to bed."

Li Yun thought about it, then shook his head and said, "Sir, I will stay outside with you."

"If there is any danger, there will be someone to take care of you."

Gu Wenchuan looked at the oil lamp on the table, thought for a moment, and said, "Then go ask me for some lamp oil. I'm afraid the lamp oil in this room is not enough for tonight."

This is easy to understand. The old man probably has to write a report for the court tonight, and the oil in the oil lamp on the table is indeed not enough.

Li Yun nodded and went out to ask the Gu family outside for lamp oil. The servants of the Gu family were very proactive and soon brought a lamp of lamp oil to Li Yun.

After Li Yun put the lamp oil in place, Gu Wenchuan sat down at the table and began to write furiously, while Li Yun dozed off beside him.

This continued until the second half of the night, when Li, half asleep and half awake, smelled a strange smell.

He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that Gu Wenchuan was pouring a full lamp oil all over the room.

Li Yun immediately widened his eyes, all sleepiness gone, and cried out in a choked voice: "Mr. Gu, what are you doing!"

"You're awake."

Mr. Gu held the candlestick in one hand and pointed outside the house with the other hand, saying with a smile: "Someone outside is discussing how to kill us."

"Come and help."

Mr. Gu looked calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

"Burn down this house."

(End of this chapter)