The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Chen Huai'an and Li Shimin's lips twitched simultaneously, unsure of what to say.

How come you, Cheng Laohei, are just like Pei Ji, with such a smooth face-changing ability?

Just then, Li Zhen and his men returned.

"Sir, He Ming and Zhao Baishan have been brought back by us." Li Zhen had the men put down, then stood tall and proud, like a child who had done a good job and wanted praise.

Li Shimin immediately looked over.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked at it, because once I did, my eyelids started twitching uncontrollably.

Zhao Baishan lay on the ground like a dead dog, his eyes lifeless, his whole body bruised and swollen, filthy and disheveled, one hand covered in blood, with even the white bones visible.

The other He Ming wasn't in much better shape either. His mouth was swollen beyond recognition, a large handprint was clearly visible, and his face was covered in blood. He looked utterly miserable.

Li Shimin finally understood why these two people had confessed so quickly.

So this is what Chen Huai'an meant by "friendly exchange"?

However, Li Shimin didn't pay much attention to this trivial matter. He stood up, walked up to He Ming, and looked down at him, saying, "He Ming, tell me, how did you acquire all this treasure in this room?"

He Ming didn't speak immediately. Unlike his nephew, he was still conscious, so he saw everyone in the room when he came in.

Including Pei Ji, who had been secretly giving him signals.

"What? You don't want to talk?" Li Shimin's face turned cold.

He Ming remained silent, but turned his gaze to Chen Huai'an.

"Monk, have you done what I asked you to do?" Chen Huai'an asked directly, without avoiding He Ming's gaze.

Tang Heshang, looking up from behind, said, "Sir, don't you trust me?"

"After you gave your instructions, I immediately went to find He Ming's family and told them to pack their things and leave Chang'an as quickly as possible. I also left two people to escort them out of the city."

"Judging by the time, they should be setting off now."

Upon hearing these words, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

Li Shimin understood, but didn't say anything more. They were just the family members of a nobody, not important. He released them without hesitation.

If he doesn't release him, He Ming will most likely never betray Pei Ji, even unto death.

Pei Ji's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

A hint of relief flashed in He Ming's eyes, and he nodded to Li Shimin.

"Your Highness, he can't speak..." Chen Huai'an reminded him from the side.

"Bring him paper and pen," Li Shimin immediately ordered, and soon someone brought paper and pen.

Pei Ji opened his mouth: "Your Highness..."

"Shut up!" Li Shimin's voice was chillingly cold. "Did I give you permission to speak?"

Two imperial guards stepped forward, looking at Pei Ji expressionlessly.

He immediately fell silent, his body going limp.

"Tell me, where did this money come from?" Li Shimin asked He Ming without hesitation, then added, "Don't worry, I know you're just someone who does things, and I won't harm your family."

He Ming nodded, knelt on the ground, picked up his pen and wrote on the paper: "In recent years, there have been many natural disasters in various places. In the face of disasters, the imperial court must distribute grain to provide disaster relief."

"However, transporting grain was a major problem, especially for some remote areas. So this is where the opportunity arose. Pei Ji used his power, colluding with other officials, to first convert the grain into cash and distribute it."

"After the grain is distributed, various means can be used to suppress its price, and then it can be distributed to disaster victims at a price far below the market price. The difference in price ends up in the pockets of these officials."

"The lion's share naturally belongs to Pei Ji."

Li Shimin turned around abruptly, clenching his fists tightly, his eyes filled with a look of rage that seemed to want to devour Pei Ji alive right now.

Cheng Yaojin, arms crossed, looked at all this and couldn't help but sneer, "The Duke of Wei certainly has some impressive methods."

Pei Ji lowered his head, his expression obscured by the shadows.

"Where did all this money come from?" Li Shimin gritted his teeth, recalling what Chen Huai'an had said that day.

To save the people, first save the officials!

How ironic!

Three other teenagers shared the same thought.

The three looked at each other, their admiration for Chen Huai'an growing stronger.

He Ming shook his head, picked up his pen and continued writing: "Of course not, this can only be done in remote areas where transportation is difficult, and it only accounts for a small portion."

"If Zhese's proposal is rejected, then sand can be mixed into the grain to intercept a large amount of food. Then, in collusion with disaster area officials, the distribution of relief grain can be delayed, causing the people to starve to the point of gnawing on tree bark, eating clay, or even exchanging their own children for food..."

"After that, they can join forces with grain merchants to continuously raise grain prices and squeeze the last penny out of the people."

"If the people can't come up with the money, we can lend them money at exorbitant interest rates. Starving people are willing to sign up for their wives and children no matter how high the interest rate is."

As He Ming wrote this, he felt the atmosphere in the room had become incredibly oppressive. Li Shimin sat in a chair, his eyes bloodshot, his body trembling with rage.

Cheng Yaojin, Chen Huai'an, and the others fell silent.

The three immature teenagers behind him couldn't stand it anymore. They pointed at Pei Ji's nose and started cursing, their faces turning red with anger.

At first, they thought Chen Huai'an was exaggerating, but they never expected that reality would be far more cruel than Chen Huai'an described.

Is this guy even human?

Even animals aren't this beastly!

"Ha ha......."

Li Shimin couldn't hold back any longer. He first chuckled softly, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha!"

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! What a pure and noble Duke of Wei!!!"

"The things you've done make me want to skin you alive, pull out your tendons, and smash your bones inch by inch!"

"Are you even human?!"

Li Shimin's face contorted in anger as he roared, "Ah!!!"

"Tell me! Are you even human?"

"Have you lost all your conscience?!"

"Fuck your mother!"

Pei Ji lowered his head and remained silent.

His trembling hands betrayed his fear.

Li Shimin tried his best to suppress his anger, but it seemed to be of little use. He roared, "Continue!"

"I want to see what else he's done!!!"

He Ming's eyes were full of complex emotions as he continued writing: "The calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain were almost all gifts from others, mostly from officials who wanted to get promoted. They changed hands multiple times through various covert channels before ending up in his hands."

"This isn't all... There are many more hidden in the secret rooms of his house; this is just a part of it."

"But the real bulk of all the money comes from another source."

"Oh?" Li Shimin suddenly laughed and said to Chen Huai'an and Cheng Yaojin, "Huai'an, Zhijie, did you hear that?"

"This is only a part of it. I've really learned something new."

"It seems we'll have to make a trip to the home of the pure and virtuous Duke of Wei later."

"..."