First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

Sui Dynasty, Shiqi City.

This place is very close to the capital.

As the sun began to set, Xu Mu led his horse into the city, intending to find an inn to rest. Just then, he saw a group of soldiers rushing into the city.

"It seems something has happened. We haven't even reached the capital yet, and this is already happening. The capital is indeed a very dangerous place."

After sighing for a moment, Xu Mu ignored it and found an inn to stay overnight.

The next day, I heard other people in the inn talking about how the Li family in the city had been raided.

Xu Mu listened for a moment and realized that this Lord Li was the prefect of Chengtian Prefecture in Shiqi City. Some time ago, he was suspected of treason for colluding with a prince and was executed by order of the emperor. Now, he had come to confiscate his property.

"It's a pity. Lord Li has always been honest and upright. Last night, they searched his house overnight and only found some copper coins and jewelry. There was very little gold, let alone silver."

"I heard that Madam Li committed suicide by crashing into a pillar in her own home, to prove her innocence with her death."

"Alas, death is the end of life. The officials arrested all the women in the household early this morning and brought them back to the capital. They will probably all be sent to the brothel. I still remember the two young ladies of the Li family who were both beautiful and talented. It is pitiful and lamentable that they have fallen to such a state."

"Lord Li is known for his integrity and loyalty; how could he possibly conspire with a prince to commit treason?"

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense. This is an imperial decree, it's an ironclad case. How dare you question it? If you do, you'll be arrested too. This is a crime of collective punishment."

"..."

It was clear that many people felt indignant about Lord Li's treatment, but dared not speak out.

Soon, the conversation turned to the women of the Li family, praising their beauty and talent, and lamenting that they would be entering the brothel to serve men.

"With the beauty and talent of the eldest and second young ladies of the Li family, I wonder if they could become the most beautiful courtesans in the brothel?"

This topic is very popular, and everyone is sharing their opinions.

Although none of them had ever been to the Jiaofangsi (a brothel), that didn't stop them from using their imaginations based on what a brothel looked like.

After listening for a while, Xu Mu put aside those who were just watching for fun and felt that this Lord Li had a very good reputation, so he might really have been wronged.

If it's a crime like embezzlement, it might be possible to know someone's face but not their heart, but the crime of treason is basically a political crime.

This emperor is probably a bit incompetent.

Xu Mu was on his way to the capital to see this emperor when he suddenly sensed trouble...

But having accepted Yan Qing's magic weapon and jade slip, and promised to help him complete the mission, he couldn't just give up halfway.

Unfortunately, I had no choice but to go to the capital.

It's unclear whether any sects are involved in this matter, which would make the situation even more complicated.

Then, recalling how Lao Yu had been made a scapegoat and died in prison, he suddenly felt a little annoyed.

"Waiter, the bill is due."

……

After leaving the inn, Xu Mu led his horse through the streets of Shiqi City and saw many people spontaneously wearing mourning clothes and burning paper money at their doorsteps while crying.

It's clear that this prefect is very popular with the people.

Xu Mu sighed inwardly, thinking that good people often don't live long in this world, so he didn't really like being a good person.

Fortunately, such suffering is rare, so he was able to choose to ignore it.

The lives of ordinary people in this world are definitely much better than those in the feudal dynasties he knew in his previous life.

In name, the emperor and powerful ministers of the court are the most powerful, but their inflated ambitions always collide with the incense and faith that are in a higher position.

What sects need most is a large amount of incense offerings. If the common people can't even survive, where will they get incense offerings?

Therefore, in this world, it is only natural and a fundamental principle that the people are more important than the ruler.

The hallmark of a prosperous era is that the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the country is rich and the people are safe.

The key is to reduce taxes and levies, and not to place too much burden on the people.

Here, low taxes and light burdens are the foundation of the nation.

That being said, the struggle for political power will not stop, and corrupt officials will not be eliminated as a result.

Ordinary people all know that unless an official incurs the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and must be punished by heaven, the gods will not interfere.

Human affairs ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of the imperial court.

Officials abusing their positions to enrich themselves and factional struggles within the court are commonplace. It's already quite remarkable that most ordinary people can watch with a spectator's mentality.

It can only be said that with a layer of supervision from a high level, the population was protected and a bottom line was drawn, so that large-scale disasters would not occur. However, the burden on individuals is still unbearable.

The Li family is such an example.

……

As night fell, the sound of sobbing drifted from the sparse pine forest, a scene of profound sorrow.

Li Zhiyuan hugged her legs and silently curled up in the prison cart.

Li Zhihua, the younger sister, was crying in another prison cart, while her mother's body was wrapped in cloth and placed on a cart. Even in death, they wanted to go to the capital.

This family is completely shattered.

Not long ago, the two sisters were happily reciting poems and playing musical instruments together. Their father taught them to paint and write, their mother taught them needlework, and matchmakers came knocking on their door to propose marriage.

Overnight, things turned out this way...

Such unpredictability of fate catches people completely off guard.

Li Zhiyuan couldn't imagine, nor dared to imagine, what kind of life she would face in the future.

At that moment, what she wanted to do was to die, like her mother, to prove her loyalty with her death and go with her parents.

But her younger sister isn't as resolute as her, so what should she do?

The more Li Zhiyuan thought about it, the heavier and more confused she became. She hugged her legs tightly, tears streaming down her face, but dared not cry out loud.

It's actually a little easier for my younger sister to cry.

Meanwhile, Xu Mu gradually caught up with the team and would arrive in the capital tomorrow.

It's only a little over a hundred li from Shiqi City to the capital, and there aren't many routes to choose from, so even if Xu Mu didn't deliberately chase after him, they would still run into each other.

Hearing the girl's mournful cries from afar, he couldn't pretend not to hear them. He could only sigh and say, "Since we've met, let's just consider it fate."

When Lao Yu was framed, he was powerless to help, but now that they are in the mortal realm, he should still be able to help those in need.

With a wave of his hand, he cast a spell, and a thick fog slowly rose from the forest.

The officials didn't notice at first, but after a while they exclaimed in surprise, "Why is it foggy?"

Xu Mu waved his hand again, and the wind and mist rose, extinguishing the fire.

This startled everyone.

The moonlight was blocked by the leaves, providing only a faint glimmer of light so that they could see the surrounding misty atmosphere.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the two prison vans were opened.

"Who, who!"

"No, no one's here. It's a ghost, a ghost!"

Everyone screamed in terror, and the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Household Department were also completely terrified.

"ah--!"

The Li sisters suddenly screamed in terror as an invisible force lifted them from the prison cart, sent them flying, and disappeared into the mist.

All that could be heard were their panicked screams fading into the distance.

Everyone was trembling. The soldiers, holding their knives, were filled with fear and dared not move, afraid that they would be next.

No one suspected that someone was trying to rescue prisoners; they were more afraid that it was a ghost or monster eating people.

Only when the surroundings quieted down and the fog gradually dissipated did they breathe a sigh of relief, drenched in sweat. They dared not linger any longer and quickly escorted the other prisoners, pulling the empty prison cart, and left the place overnight.