There is a god in the sky

Chapter 390 Drinking

It was quick to stir-fry a few vegetarian dishes, and Shen Lan soon brought out several plates of food.

Seeing that Li Ge was about to leave, she called him back.

"Why are you leaving so soon? I still have something to ask you."

Li Ge sat down sullenly, showing none of the arrogance and coldness he usually displayed in the palace and in front of the officials.

The three sat down, and Shen Lan, seeing there was wine, poured a glass for each of them.

"This is our first gathering since we took our revenge. The first drink is to celebrate the fruits of our years of hard work."

The cup is finished.

"The second cup is for our family and fellow villagers, wishing them peace and happiness in their next life."

As the third cup of wine was poured, Shen Lan's eyes reddened, and she said to her two companions, "This third cup of wine is for Miao Niang, so that she may be able to sleep peacefully knowing the news."

Li Ye also drank alcohol.

For him, rules and regulations were merely mental constraints, and he no longer wanted to restrict himself.

"It took a full eleven years, much faster than I expected. I thought that even if I risked my whole life, it would be difficult to achieve my goal."

Li Ye ripped off his wig and pulled open his collar, revealing himself to be a complete drunkard.

His cheeks were flushed, clearly from drinking too much.

He grabbed Li Ge's arm and urged, "Li Ge, let's go. Let's not concern ourselves with the affairs of the court anymore. What does it matter to us who becomes emperor? Wouldn't it be better to go far away and find a quiet and peaceful place to live?"

Li Ge's gaze shifted, and when he saw Shen Lan looking over, he quickly laughed and said, "You can't hold your liquor, you got drunk after only three cups."

"You're not drunk. You have to tell me today what you really want to do?"

Li Ge lowered his head, a hint of pain in his eyes.

He pulled Li Ye's fingers away, picked up the wine jug, and took a big gulp of wine.

"I just didn't want to be bullied to the point of being powerless to fight back anymore. I gave up everything to get to where I am today, but it was King Zheng who ascended the throne."

What kind of person was King Zheng?

Hypocritical! Incompetent! Two-faced!

What right does such a person have to be a ruler? How many more ancient towns like Guri will emerge under his rule?

This was the first time Shen Lan had heard him confide these thoughts to her.

It was also the first time I realized that Li Ge was not only doing things for himself, but also for the people of the world.

“Everyone outside says that you helped King Zheng ascend the throne and that you eliminated his political opponents. The court officials don’t care about your good intentions, and the people don’t know anything about what you’ve done.”

"It doesn't matter, it's just a worthless life."

The Tong family forced the emperor to abdicate, and the crown prince and emperor died too quickly. At that time, the court was unstable, and the second prince was unprepared and unable to suppress the ambitious eldest princess and Prince Zheng.

"Letting the King of Zheng seize the throne first was part of our long-term plan."

Li Ge laughed heartily, grabbed Shen Lan's hand and pressed it against his face.

"Lan'er, will you look down on me?"

"will not."

Even if I become a eunuch who is remembered with infamy for eternity?

"No, in my eyes, you are a true man!"

Shen Lan's words were like a ray of light illuminating Li Ge's eyes.

His eyebrows were curved, his smile was pure, and he was incredibly beautiful.

"Lan'er is so kind," Li Ge said with emotion.

If he had grown up with Shen Lan, he would definitely have grown into a kind and cheerful person.

Instead of being like this now, with dark thoughts and cruel methods.

He himself loathes himself now.

How could his bad luck possibly taint such a beautiful woman like Shen Lan?

A knock came from outside the small door.

Three long and one short, it's like some kind of pre-arranged code.

Li Ge got up to open the door.

By the moonlight, Shen Lan saw a guard standing outside the door.

It's unclear what he said, but Li Ge's face darkened.

When he turned around, his expression returned to normal, and he said to them, "I have some things to take care of, so I'll be going now."

"Li Ge," Shen Lan called out.

Li Ge stared intently at her.

Shen Lan raised her glass to him, "My little courtyard is always waiting for you to come back."

Li Ge nodded, and when he went out again, he seemed to have boundless power within him.

Once outside the alley, the guard said, "The Second Prince has secretly returned to the city, and we intercepted the message the Eldest Princess was trying to send to the palace. What should we do next?"

"Find him, and then send a few more men to assassinate the Emperor's family."

When King Zheng ascended the throne, his family members, who lived far away in Tanzhou, finally set off for the capital.

The young prince was completely indifferent to the crown prince position that was about to be his.

After the death of the princess, he devoted himself to Buddhism and no longer had any attachment to the secular world.

Because of his delay, the other members of the Prince's Palace could not set off first, so Prince Zheng was in a state of isolation and helplessness in the capital.

"We may not have enough manpower."

Within the Imperial City Guard, less than half were truly at Li Ge's command; the other half had already dispersed after Zhao Jinxiao was captured.

The identities of the secret guards were kept secret, and even if King Zheng wanted to investigate, he wouldn't be able to find out their true identities.

They might be street vendors, students at an academy, or even an old man selling firewood.

Li Ge took the opportunity to plant people in the secret guards, which led to its current scale.

Even so, King Zheng was wary of him and wanted to take over the Imperial City Guard from him.

If he hadn't been temporarily unable to find a suitable replacement, Li Ge would have been sidelined long ago.

Li Ge gave him a sign. "Don't worry, after you leave the city, head south to Li's Inn in Tongzhou and find the manager. He will help you contact those people."

Not long ago, news came that a family was caught in a flash flood while migrating south, and the entire family perished.

When the news reached the capital, only a few people knew that those buried under the mud and rocks were Liu Engui's family members.

When local officials were clearing the official road, they unearthed several corpses. There were no signs of foul play, so they reported it as an accident.

Because of the large number of deaths, the government reported the case layer by layer, and the Chief Justice had seen the case files and autopsy records.

Xiao Ji did not inform Shen Lan of the news. If it was done by someone, only Li Ge could have done it.

Perhaps only when the entire Liu family is wiped out will he find peace of mind.

Those people who caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Guli Town back then are now getting their comeuppance.

Xiao Ji could not sympathize with the families who were implicated; he could only feel sorrow for them.

"Sir, there is someone outside requesting an audience. He refuses to reveal his identity or name, but he has produced this."

As the wind presented him with a jade pendant, Xiao Ji raised an eyebrow, stood up, and went out to greet him.

He led the visitor into the study, and only after the door was closed did the person remove the curtain.

"Did Your Highness return secretly?"

The person who arrived was none other than the Second Prince in disguise.

He looked much thinner than before, with sunken cheeks, but his eyes looked much more mature.

"Yes, I came back for help. The eldest princess intends to kill us brothers in the imperial mausoleum. I overheard the eldest princess's plan and had no choice but to escape."

"So, what does Your Highness intend to do?"

"According to our previous plan, we should have the Imperial Uncle eliminate the Tong family's faction in the court, quell the rebellion, and then act according to the circumstances."

But I can't worry about that now. I want to expose his crimes of forging imperial edicts, counterfeiting the imperial seal, and plotting to seize the throne.

The second prince took something out of his pocket, unwrapped the velvet cloth, and revealed the real imperial seal.

"This was given to me by Steward Li a while ago. The jade seal in the palace now is fake."

Xiao Ji was shocked that Li Ge would dare to steal even this; his audacity was truly boundless.

"Please keep this safe, Your Highness. I will have the Marquis of Pingyang send men to the imperial mausoleum to rescue the people. Once you issue the order, our people will rise up together at the morning court tomorrow."

The second prince nodded vigorously, "Alright! Thank you for your hard work!"

Xiao Ji bowed to him, "Your Highness's willingness to compromise and bend is truly admirable."

"I will always remember the kindness of the Xiao family in helping me."