My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Qibi Heli took off his long outer garment, revealing a muscular physique.

He first performed a set of boxing moves in front of the Duke of Yi's mansion.

This is called giving yourself courage.

Because he was facing Qin Qiong, a famous general known for taking the heads of generals, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

Qin Qiong fought more than two hundred battles in his lifetime, possessing rich combat experience and being extremely difficult to deal with.

Therefore, Qibi Heli had to deal with it carefully.

Qibi Heli thought to himself that he had come to Chang'an this time and defeated Murong Shun and Tuoba Chici.

If I can defeat Qin Qiong this time, my reputation will be even greater, and the trip will have been worthwhile.

He grew increasingly excited as he thought about it, before Qin Qiong could even get ready.

He first used the Black Tiger Heart-Piercing Fist.

He lunged forward, his right fist aimed at Qin Qiong's left chest.

If Qin Qiong couldn't dodge in time and was hit, he would likely have his chest pierced.

Even a thousand-year-old cedar tree couldn't withstand one of his punches, let alone a flesh and blood body.

Upon seeing this, Qin Qiong knew that Qibi Heli was a tough nut to crack, so he quickly dodged to the right, avoiding the punch.

秦琼见爱孙秦英挨契苾何力揍了，心疼不已，

Therefore, he planned to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson.

Qibi Heli was eager to show off and was so greedy for credit that he wished he could knock Qin Qiong down with a single punch.

The two exchanged blows, fighting back and forth.

In the blink of an eye, ten rounds had passed, and the outcome remained undecided.

Li Chengan discovered that Qibi Heli's boxing style was unique, following a fierce and powerful approach, with the strength of a thousand pounds in his arms. Without profound skills, it would be impossible to pierce through the thousand-year-old snow pine.

Although Qin Qiong was a few years old, his skills were still sharp and undiminished. His movements were still powerful and swift, demonstrating his exceptional skill.

This was unexpected by Li Chengqian.

Li Chengan was also worried about Qin Qiong. If that kid punched him, it wouldn't be a joke.

Chang He and his imperial guards were dumbfounded.

Chang He had been hearing that Qin Qiong was ill and had even stopped attending the morning court sessions.

Unexpectedly, Qin Qiong was as energetic as a dragon and tiger today.

Back then, Chang He and Qin Qiong fought side by side in the army camp.

In terms of pure fighting ability, he was no match for them.

Today, Chang He realized that Qin Qiong's kung fu was far beyond his imagination.

As Qibi Heli fought, sweat began to bead on his forehead.

He originally thought Qin Qiong was old and easy to deal with.

Now it seems I was wrong. This old fellow is not only skilled with his double bronze maces, but also quite adept at hand-to-hand combat.

Qibi Heli thought to himself, if he couldn't even beat Qin Qiong, who was so old, how would he survive in the Tang Dynasty?

Thinking of this, Qibi Heli intensified his offensive.

With a sudden exertion of his strength, his arms instantly became three times thicker, the muscles resembling blocks of iron, one after another.

Seeing this, Qin Qiong knew that Qibi Heli was about to use a ruthless trick.

Qin Qiong thought to himself that if it were 20 years ago, he would have knocked this kid down long ago. Time waits for no one, and Qin Qiong was at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

He discovered that Qibi Heli's boxing style differed from that of the Central Plains, often striking from unexpected angles, making it difficult to defend against.

Although Qin Ying was also very brave, he was no match for the other party and had his arm broken.

Thinking of this, Qin Qiong felt sorry for Qin Ying and hated Qibi Heli even more.

Outside the gate of the Duke of Yi's mansion stand two stone lions.

The two stone lions were enormous, each weighing over two thousand pounds.

Qibi Heli mustered all his strength and launched frequent attacks.

Qin Qiong retreated again and again.

Later, Qin Qiong retreated to the front of the stone lion on the right, with his back against it, having nowhere left to retreat.

Seeing his chance, Qibi Heli used his signature move of piercing through pine trees, throwing a punch at Qin Qiong's temple. The punch was accompanied by the wind and arrived instantly.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Qin Qiong dared not confront it head-on. He touched the ground with both feet and leaped more than ten feet into the air.

He dodged the punch, but the stone lion behind him did not.

With a loud "crack," the stone lion was shattered by Qibi Heli, and fragments of stone fell to the ground, scattering dust everywhere.

Everyone present was horrified.

Li Chengan wondered just how much strength this kid had in his arms, to be so incredibly powerful.

Qibi Heli and Qin Qiong fought for more than ten rounds, but still could not determine a winner.

Seeing that he could not defeat Qin Qiong, Qibi Heli became even more anxious.

He thought to himself that Li Tai valued him highly and had sent him here to avenge him.

If, under the watchful eyes of everyone, even the elderly Qin Qiong cannot defeat him, then there is no need for him to participate in tomorrow's martial arts exam.

Upon realizing this, Qibi Heli swayed and suddenly staggered backward more than ten feet.

Then, he bent down and pulled something out from his right calf. The thing was larger at one end and smaller at the other, more than two feet long, and appeared crystal clear in the night, faintly emitting a blue light.

Qibi Heli threw the object at Qin Qiong. The object spun in the air and flew straight toward Qin Qiong's neck, as fast as a shooting star.

When Qin Qiong saw it, he wondered, "What is this thing?"

"That's the Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions!" Li Chenggan shouted quickly. "Duke of Yi, be careful!"

When Qin Qiong and Qibi Heli fought, they made it clear that neither of them would use weapons.

Therefore, Qin Qiong handed the bronze double maces to Qin Huaiyu, who was not carrying any other weapons.

Unexpectedly, the Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions was hidden in the lower leg of Qibi Heli.

Actually, this is also a tactic.

Whenever Qibi Heli went into battle, he would take off his shirt and go shirtless, making people think that it was impossible for him to be hiding any weapons.

At this moment, however, something unexpected happened.

This is one of the reasons why he often takes off his shirt in the cold weather; his purpose is twofold: first, to make himself appear strong, and second, to mislead the other party.

It makes people lower their guard against him.

How could Qin Qiong possibly dodge such a sudden and fatal blow?

The Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions spun like a flying disc, heading straight for Qin Qiong's throat.

Qin Qiong sensed that something was wrong and struggled to take several steps back.

However, the Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions seemed to be equipped with a tracking device, keeping a close eye on Qin Qiong.

Seeing this, Li Chengan kicked the Western Region Sacred Flame Token back.

Qibi Heli caught the frisbee in his hand, and it vanished instantly, much to his surprise.

Li Chengan shouted, "Qibi Heli, it was agreed beforehand that neither side would use weapons. Why are you using weapons now?"

"This is the Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions, a symbol of a totem, and cannot be considered a weapon," Qibi Heli said confidently.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought to himself, "This kid is really good at making excuses."

"This thing is enough to kill a person; how can you say it's not a weapon?"

"I said no, and that's final. Goodbye!"

Qibi Heli quickly stuck the Western Region Sacred Flame Token into his calf, picked up his clothes, and ran away.

Qin Qiong was also startled and broke out in a cold sweat.

He knew that Li Chengan had saved him.

It's hard to say what the consequences would have been if Li Chengqian hadn't been there.

Qin Qiong touched his chest; his inner shirt was soaked with sweat, and he was exhausted.

To be honest, he found that Qibi Heli was a tough guy to deal with.

He had encountered countless masters in his life, but this was the first time he had met one like Qibi Heli. No wonder Qin Ying was no match for him.

Qin Huaiyu rushed over and asked with concern, "Father, are you alright?"

Qin Qiong waved his hand: "I'm fine, there's no need to make a fuss."

Qin Huaiyu was finally relieved after hearing what his father said.

Qin Qiong bowed to Li Chengan: "Your Highness, I am so grateful for your help just now. I never imagined that Your Highness's leg skills were so remarkable."

Li Chengan waved his hand: "This is nothing to me, it's just that Qibi Heli is too cunning."

I'm glad you're alright.

Although Li Chengan spoke of it casually, Qin Qiong knew that the difficulty involved was beyond imagination.

Li Chengqian's humility and composure impressed Qin Qiong.

At this moment, Li Chengan walked up to Chang He: "General Chang, regarding that jade pendant, I have just asked the Duke of Yi about it."

The Duke of Yi made it very clear that it was a token exchanged between him and Luo Cheng.

Therefore, Luo Cheng never came here.

During the daytime martial arts competition, he and Gu were together.

Later, they broke up.

Now I don't know where he went.

"A keepsake between cousins?"

"Yes, if you don't believe me, go and ask Duke Yi yourself."

Chang He thought to himself that this was a serious matter and he really had to ask Qin Qiong in person.

Chang He walked up to Qin Qiong, bowed, and said, "Duke Yi, this humble general greets you."

Qin Qiong snorted: "General Chang, if it weren't for you, how could my grandson Qin Ying have been injured?"

Regardless of the circumstances, Chang He and Qin Qiong had gone through thick and thin together back then.

If we calculate it that way, Qin Ying would be considered a junior, and it's really a bit unreasonable for an older person to bully a younger one.

Chang He blushed: "I didn't lay a hand on him, it was Qibi Heli who did it."

At this point, Chang He had no choice but to shift all the blame onto Qibi Heli.

"Who exactly is Qibi Heli? Why is he so arrogant?"

"I heard that he was a master invited by Li Tai, who was preparing to show his skills in the martial arts arena and defeat all the heroes in the world."

During the day earlier, he had already injured Murong Shun in the arena, breaking two of Murong Shun's ribs.

"If His Highness hadn't intervened in time, Tuoba Chici might have been injured as well," Chang He explained to Qin Qiong.

"I am old and in poor health, often ill, and have not been involved in court affairs for a long time."

"I don't want to concern myself with other matters," Qin Qiong said, making his stance clear. He knew Li Tai was also very powerful and couldn't afford to offend him, so it wasn't appropriate for him to comment on Li Tai in public.

"As for my cousin Luo Cheng, I want to reiterate that he has never come to see me, and I haven't seen him for a very long time."

As for the jade pendant, His Highness has already explained it to you, so General Chang, you've misunderstood.

Upon hearing this, Chang He thought to himself, "No wonder people often say that old people are cunning and old horses are slippery. It's true!"

Qin Shubao pushed it away cleanly, and there was nothing to criticize.

Chang He smiled slightly: "Duke Yi, since that's the case, then I'll take it as you're telling the truth."

I have come here with no other purpose than to protect you and your family.

Because bandits are rampant now, and this isn't the first time that rebels and spies have appeared in Chang'an.

"Oh, you're so kind as to protect me and my family, thank you so much," Qin Qiong paused, "My uncle Luo Yi wasn't a rebel either, he was killed by Su Dingfang."

"You say Luo Yi was killed by Su Dingfang, do you have any evidence?"

"No, we are still investigating this matter."

"Since you can't provide any evidence, it can only be said that it's your one-sided statement, which is probably not valid."

"Could you ask your servants to step aside so we can search the place?" Chang He asked tentatively.

"Hasn't Gongsun Wuda already searched the place?"

"No, he just came to your study and chatted with you for a few minutes, but you gave irrelevant answers, saying he was some kind of Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and You Junda."

Back then you were like a sickly person, completely different from who you are now.

"Lord Yi, putting aside everything else, your skill in feigning illness is truly first-rate; I am truly impressed."

Qin Qiong could tell that Chang He was being sarcastic and mocking.

However, he didn't hold it against Chang He.

He figured that if he let Chang He in, they might be able to find the entrance to the tunnel.

If we continue down the tunnel, we might catch up with Luo Cheng. If that happens, things will become very complicated.

Qin Qiong pondered for a moment and said, "It's not that I'm afraid your men are clumsy and will damage the things in my mansion."

If this gets out, it won't sound good. Those who know will say you were acting under orders to protect my family, while those who don't will think we're harboring traitors.

Furthermore, the Emperor himself stated that if you wish to conduct a search, you must present the Emperor's decree; without it, no search is permitted.

Upon hearing this, Chang He realized it was indeed a troublesome matter. He had already sent Gongsun Wuda to request an imperial edict.

But Gongsun Wuda has not returned yet, and no one knows what the emperor's intentions are.

A northwest wind blew in, icy cold.

Li Chengan put his hands in his sleeves and said to Chang He, "Back then, you and the Duke of Yi were sworn brothers, and you both participated in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. You were both meritorious officials of the Tang Dynasty."

Since the Emperor has not issued an order for you to search the Duke of Yi's mansion, you should withdraw your troops and return home.

Duke Yi should not take this matter to heart.

"Chang He is doing this because it is his duty."

Chang He thought to himself, "Since I have already sent Gongsun Wuda back to request the imperial edict, then I will wait for the edict to arrive before making any further decisions."

The emperor ordered me to search, so I searched; he ordered me to withdraw my troops, so I withdrew my troops.

Qin Qiong, however, persisted: "That won't do. If it's said that their Imperial Guards can besiege the Duke of Yi's mansion at any time..."

If someone can come and go as they please, what's the point of having this title of Duke?

Then anyone can come and search, right?

Therefore, Chang He must sincerely apologize.

Furthermore, his actions have damaged my reputation. How will that be repaid?

Li Chengan realized that these two were not people to be trifled with.

The more Qin Qiong tried to stop the search, the more Chang He wanted to search.

Qin Qiong demanded that Chang He apologize, but Chang He felt that he had done nothing wrong.

……

It was the third watch of the night.

Zichen Palace.

Li Shimin sat upright in front of the document, reflecting on the events of the day.

To his surprise, Yin Hongzhi dared to assassinate him, which caused him great distress.

When Chang'an was captured by the Tang army, Yin Shishi and his entire family were arrested.

If it weren't for my intervention, my father would have issued an edict to execute Yin Shishi's entire family.

Only after his earnest persuasion did his father issue an edict to execute Yin Shishi.

They pardoned Yin Hongzhi and Consort Yin's clansmen, and sent them to the Yeting Palace to serve as slaves.

Soon after, he took Consort Yin into his harem, showered her with affection, and had a son, Li You, with her.

Logically, Yin Hongzhi and his sister Yin Defei should have been extremely grateful.

Consort Yin should educate her brother to cherish what he has, know when to advance and retreat, and understand gratitude.

It seems that Consort Yin not only failed to educate Yin Hongzhi well, but also seems to harbor hatred towards herself, and doesn't love herself as much as she appears on the surface.

Li Shimin then thought of Empress Zhangsun. Based on his understanding of her, he knew that Empress Zhangsun would not normally interfere in political affairs.

Unexpectedly, this time, Empress Zhangsun actually asked her to release Yin Hongzhi, which is contrary to common sense.

Empress Zhangsun knew perfectly well that Yin Hongzhi had tried to assassinate her, yet she still asked her to release Yin Hongzhi. What were her intentions?

However, what Empress Zhangsun said did not seem to be entirely without reason.

If Yin Hongzhi dies, Consort Yin will surely be devastated. If anything happens to Consort Yin, who will raise Prince Li You?

This is all part of a chain reaction.

However, no matter what, Yin Hongzhi's audacity in daring to assassinate him was unforgivable.

If he is pardoned this time, he will do it again.

Li Shimin grew angrier the more he thought about it.

at this time,

Dai Zhou rushed in from outside and knelt on the ground in a panic.

Li Shimin held the document in his hand and looked down at him.

Dai Zhou was pale and covered in sweat, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

Li Shimin found it strange and said, "Minister Dai, stand up and speak."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Dai Zhou stood up and stood respectfully to the side.

Li Shimin looked at him and asked, "It's so late, what brings you to see me?"

"Your Majesty, Yin Hongzhi has been rescued from the Dali Temple prison."

"What did you say?" Li Shimin was also shocked.

"Yin Hongzhi has been rescued."

Li Shimin couldn't sit still any longer, so he stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

Because something like this has never happened before.

Li Shimin was furious: "Some time ago, Fang Yi'ai sneaked into your Dali Temple prison and poisoned two people who looked like Chengxin and Wei Lingfu. Not long after, this happened again. What is going on?"

Isn't your Dali Temple supposed to be impregnable?

How come now it's become a situation where anyone can come and go as they please?

Seeing that Li Shimin was furious, Dai Zhou quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, a similar thing happened during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han."

Wei Qing was imprisoned, but was later rescued by his friend Gongsun Ao.

This precisely demonstrates that Your Majesty is a wise ruler, just like Emperor Wu of Han.

Dai Zhou compared Li Shimin to Emperor Wu of Han, and Li Shimin didn't really object.

Li Shimin also knew about Wei Qing's experience of being imprisoned and later rescued by his friend Gongsun Ao.

Back then, Princess Guantao's daughter, Chen Ajiao, married Emperor Wu of Han.

Emperor Wu of Han made Chen Ajiao his empress, which could be considered a way of repaying Princess Guantao.

However, Empress Chen was hot-tempered, domineering, and frequently clashed with Emperor Wu of Han.

Moreover, Gillian Chung has never gotten pregnant.

Later, Wei Zifu entered the palace and gained the favor of Emperor Wu of Han. Soon after, she became pregnant.

This matter made Chen Ajiao feel vaguely uneasy.

Chen Ajiao sensed that her position would be replaced by Wei Zifu.

At the same time, Emperor Wu of Han began to gradually promote Wei Qing to higher official positions.

Princess Guantao, wanting to teach Wei Zifu a lesson, arrested Wei Qing and prepared to execute him.

When Wei Qing's friend Gongsun Ao learned of this, he led a group of people into the prison and rescued Wei Qing.

Because Princess Guantao was responsible for this, the matter was dropped.

However, Emperor Wu of Han also made his stance clear by promoting Wei Qing's official position again, which was tantamount to announcing to Princess Guantao that he was Wei Qing's backer.

Li Shimin knew the ins and outs of this matter very well.

Li Shimin thought to himself that if Yin Hongzhi had even one-third of Wei Qing's talent, he would be willing to suffer a fatal blow from him.

But can Yin Hongzhi be compared to Wei Qing?

I promoted him repeatedly, but he always caused chaos and trouble, and I had to clean up his messes. That's how I spoiled him.

Li Shimin looked intently at Dai Zhou: "Yin Hongzhi and Wei Qing are not comparable."

Although they were both related to the imperial family through marriage, there was a fundamental difference between them.

Moreover, Gongsun Ao, who rescued Wei Qing, was also an outstanding general.

In your judgment, who did this?

Dai Zhou pondered for a moment: "Your Majesty, so far, we have no clue about this matter."

Therefore, I dare not make any rash judgments.

However, according to Sun Fujia, there seemed to be several monks among those who broke into the prison.

"What! A monk?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt that the matter had become even more complicated.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, frowning, and slowly said:

"Yin Hongzhi has always been a servant in the Imperial Palace. How could he possibly have any connection with a monk?"

"This humble servant is unaware of it."

Li Shimin lowered his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly stopped in his tracks: "Issue my decree, ordering Chang He to immediately seal all the gates of Chang'an."

Furthermore, surround all the temples in and around Chang'an and search them one by one. I refuse to believe we can't find those bald monks.

"Your Majesty, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Is it appropriate to do this in a sacred Buddhist site, disturbing the Buddha?

Moreover, Master Xuanzang of the Great Ci'en Temple is your imperial brother.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "I can't worry about that anymore. I won't be able to quell my anger until those monks are dragged out."

It seems Yin Hongzhi has accomplices. We must follow the trail and wipe them all out to prevent future troubles.

Seeing that Li Shimin had already made his decision, Dai Zhou felt it was inappropriate to say anything and could only comply.

As soon as Dai Zhou left, Gongsun Wuda walked in from outside. After paying his respects, Li Shimin asked, "General Gongsun, what brings you to see me so late?"

Gongsun Wuda then recounted how Chang He had led his troops to besiege the Duke of Yi's mansion.

Gongsun Wuda then said, "I have come here to request an imperial decree to search the Duke of Yi's mansion."

After hearing this, Li Shimin did not immediately express his opinion, but instead paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

In fact, Li Shimin was very grateful to Qin Qiong.

In his early years, Qin Qiong followed Lai Huer and Zhang Xutuo.

Later, he also stayed with Wang Shichong.

In the end, Qin Qiong surrendered to Li Yuan.

Li Shimin thought highly of Qin Qiong, so he transferred Qin Qiong to his Qin Prince's Mansion.

It can be said that Li Shimin's acquisition of Qin Qiong was like adding wings to a tiger.

Whenever a major or tough battle occurred, Qin Qiong was Li Shimin's trump card.

Whenever the Tang army encountered an arrogant and domineering enemy general, Li Shimin would send Qin Qiong to fight him one-on-one.

Moreover, what pleased Li Shimin even more was that Qin Qiong always managed to return victorious.

This made Li Shimin look at Qin Qiong with new respect.

Li Shimin regarded Qin Qiong as his trump card.

Later, when Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Qin Qiong did not back down and strongly advocated killing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

With Qin Qiong's support, Li Shimin felt even more confident.

However, after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin fell ill and had nightmares every night.

Later, someone gave Li Shimin an idea: to have Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong guard him.

In this way, Li Shimin slept soundly.

Li Shimin felt that this meant Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong wouldn't have time to sleep every night, which was unacceptable.

So Li Shimin invited a painter to paint a portrait of each of them and pasted their portraits on the door. Unexpectedly, the effect was quite good.

Unfortunately, not long after, Qin Qiong told Li Shimin that he was getting old, had suffered too many injuries, his old wounds were recurring, and his health was deteriorating day by day.

Qin Qiong therefore took a long leave of absence, no longer attending court, and recuperated at his residence.

Li Shimin then agreed.

Because so many things have happened recently, Li Shimin has not had time to visit Qin Qiong.

At this moment, Li Shimin met Gongsun Wuda and asked, "How is the Duke of Yi's health?"