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

As He Ming continued writing, he paused for longer and longer periods. On the paper filled with writing, several tear stains appeared, becoming more and more numerous and harder to wipe away.

Chen Huai'an was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "When you did these things, did you ever think that this day would come?"

He Ming's eyes were dry as he picked up his pen and wrote: "How could there not be? But I've always known that I'm just a nobody. I have no right to choose my destiny; I'm only destined to have my life controlled by fate."

"So, I kept it a secret from everyone and left behind a son and a daughter. For the past ten years, I haven't even dared to visit them."

"I can only catch a glimpse of it from afar when I have the chance..."

"I am not a good father. I did not accompany them as they grew up, teach them principles, protect them from the wind and rain, and fulfill my responsibilities as a father. So... I want to fight for something for them one last time."

"Sir, please..."

After writing this sentence, He Ming kowtowed again; this was the second time he had used the word "beg".

Chen Huai'an looked at He Ming kneeling in front of him, his expression somewhat complicated.

He and He Ming were clearly rivals, on different sides, and the other party had committed a lot of evil deeds over the years.

Even if the other party was acting against their will and following Pei Ji's orders, the facts are the facts, and the sins will not be absolved.

Logically speaking, Chen Huai'an shouldn't have agreed to any of this person's requests.

The reason I promised to protect my family was simply to get them to confess quickly, and also because they weren't the mastermind, so my family wouldn't be implicated.

Moreover, Chen Huai'an has no shortage of credit for a list; if he wanted to make a contribution, he would have had far too many opportunities.

But he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Because at this moment, He Ming was simply a father trying to secure a way out for himself...

A father who knelt and kowtowed three times and then expressed his gratitude by saying he would repay his debt of gratitude by repaying the debt of gratitude in the afterlife.

"..."

"Your Highness, the list has been obtained."

Chen Huai'an returned, carrying a blood-stained list, which he handed to Li Shimin.

"Where is He Ming?" Li Shimin took the list, flipped through it, and asked casually.

"I ran into a wall while I was checking the list," Chen Huai'an sighed softly.

Li Shimin paused, gave him a strange look, and then continued to look through the list.

In his view, He Ming was simply afraid that he would break his promise and harm his family, so he wanted Chen Huai'an to protect him.

It's no big deal; Li Shimin never intended to do anything to He Ming's family anyway.

After flipping through the names on the list for a while, Li Shimin's lips curled into a mocking smile: "I must say, I have truly received a great gift today."

"Pei Ji, how should I thank you?"

I thought Pei Ji was about to have another fit of madness and spout nonsense, but to my surprise, he seemed to have accepted it all and said with a gentle smile, "Your Highness, there's no need to thank me. This is what I should do as a subject."

"I have lost this time, Your Highness has won."

Li Shimin remained calm: "In that case, how about asking the Duke of Wei to do me another favor?"

"Tomorrow at court, could you help me identify the people on this list? That way, I won't have to waste time searching for concrete evidence. What do you say?"

Pei Ji fell silent.

Want him to testify against these people? Absolutely not.

Li Shimin didn't care about this. Just as he was about to continue looking at the list, the person in charge of counting the money came up.

"Your Highness, after a rough inventory, the amount of money inside is approximately three million strings of cash. The value of many items is not fixed, so we can only make an estimate."

"Three million..." Upon hearing this number, Li Shimin clicked his tongue. "A few days ago, the Beauty Pass in Huai'an was completed, but we were still short of a few hundred strings of cash to make a name for ourselves. Guanyinbi pawned her jewelry to get the money."

"And Lord Wei actually possesses three million strings of cash in wealth, and that's only a portion hidden outside. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I truly would find it hard to believe..."

"Speaking of which," Li Shimin stood up and approached Pei Ji, "you already have so much money, why are you still eyeing a liquor deal?"

Pei Ji stated frankly, "My money was all obtained through power. Do I need to elaborate on the current situation?"

"After Your Highness ascends to the throne, I fear I will soon lose power, and may even be purged. Of course, I must make more preparations for myself to ensure that the Pei family can still live a prosperous life even without my support."

"The value of Meirenguan wine goes without saying; it's practically a business that can be passed down through generations."

"Of course I'll find a way to get my hands on it."

"But..." Pei Ji said, glancing at the proud young men behind him with a hint of regret, "I clearly sent people to investigate, but they didn't find anything at all. If only I had investigated more thoroughly."

"If I had known that the people behind this were the sons of three powerful dukes, I certainly wouldn't have been so reckless."

Cheng Chumo grinned: "Sorry, even if you investigate thoroughly, you won't find anything. This is a business that the three of us did with Mr. Cheng's guidance. Even my father doesn't know about it. Where are you going to find out?"

Pei Ji: "..."

Cheng Yaojin: "..."

"So be it, it's fate...it's destiny." Pei Ji sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

Li Shimin's gaze was icy: "Take him away and imprison him in the Dali Temple prison, where he will be kept under strict guard."

"Yes." The two guards acknowledged the order and escorted Pei Ji away.

"Um... Your Highness, I'll be leaving now." Cheng Yaojin said, taking his leave at the opportune moment.

Tang Songling also sensibly said that he wanted to leave.

Li Shimin waved his hand in agreement.

Chen Huai'an was about to leave when Li Shimin suddenly said, "Huai'an, you stay."

Chen Huai'an: "..."

"Your Highness, I shall take my leave."

Cheng Yaojin cupped his hands in greeting, then grabbed Cheng Chumo's ear without hesitation and dragged him outside.

Cheng Chumo's eyes widened: "Cheng Laohei, what are you doing?"

"I've done a great job, I've made money, I'm a hero, and you, you scoundrel father, still dare to treat me like this?"

"Let go!"

"Let go!"

"Fuck your mother!" Cheng Yaojin roared in fury. "You little brat, you're ruthless! Such a big thing, and you didn't even consult me!"

"If I hadn't found out from Mr. Chen, I wouldn't have known that Meiren Pass was our business. What the hell are you trying to do?"

Cheng Chumo's ear was being pulled, causing him excruciating pain, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Didn't I tell you at the beginning? I said I wanted to do business, but you didn't believe me. You even looked down on me and my brothers, saying that we spend our days catching cats and fighting dogs, let alone doing business. You can't even dream about it."

"Now you know how powerful I am? Let me tell you, Old Black, it's too late! This is my money, don't even think about taking it."

Cheng Yaojin cursed, "You little brat, you want to eat all by yourself?"

"Who's eating alone? You can have it if you want. I've called you 'Dad' for so many years, if you're willing to call me that..."

"Ouch...don't hit my head...oh crap, I was wrong, I was wrong, waaaaah~"

"..."

PS: My score is 5.9 at the start, I'm about to lose it.

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