Chapter 5

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Inside the grand Taiji Palace, Emperor Li Er wore a bright yellow dragon robe, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the jade desk, looking down from a high vantage point at Zhao Chen below, exuding an imposing and regal aura.

At this moment, Emperor Li Er was the only one in the entire Taiji Palace. Fang Xuanling and the others had already left, and not a single palace maid or eunuch could be seen in the grand hall.

Zhao Chen was brought into the Taiji Palace by a eunuch. Watching the eunuch drift away, he turned to look at Emperor Li Er, who stood with his hands behind his back at the dragon desk. For some reason, he suddenly thought of the Roman Colosseum.

At this moment, Li Er was like the ferocious beast with a gaping mouth, and he himself was the rabbit thrown into the cage.

"Your humble servant Zhao Chen pays respects to Your Majesty!"

He really didn't want to kneel. As a modern person, he had no intention of being a kowtowing worm. But there was no choice; Emperor Li Er had already taken on this regal demeanor. If he didn't kneel, the outcome would be very dire.

"Tell me about yourself!" Li Er stood behind the jade desk, looking down at the kneeling Zhao Chen, his authoritative voice echoing in the spacious hall of the Taiji Palace.

Zhao Chen was a bit puzzled. Li Er's current behavior clearly aimed to suppress him with imperial authority, but he was just a small fry. With a mere word from Li Er, he could be torn apart. Why go to such lengths?

Not understanding Emperor Li Er's intentions, he could only take it one step at a time. He cleared his throat and put on a fearful and respectful demeanor, saying:

"Your humble servant Zhao Chen has lived in the mountains with his master since childhood, working from dawn till dusk, and learning to read and write during his free time..."

Zhao Chen recounted the story he had fabricated for Cheng Chumo, while secretly observing Emperor Li Er's reaction. Seeing that Li Er's face remained expressionless and showed no signs of anger, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is that place?" Li Er, with an expressionless face, suddenly paused and stared at Zhao Chen with a penetrating gaze, asking in an authoritative tone.

"It is a valley surrounded by mountains, with ancient trees reaching the sky and filled with exotic flowers and plants. There is a river that flows year-round, and during spring and autumn, the river swells. When the water recedes, many fish are stranded on the riverbanks..."

As Zhao Chen spoke, he inadvertently described the river from his hometown, purely out of habit. He thought Li Er would be impatient, but Li Er's attitude remained unchanged, his face expressionless.

This was not a good sign! Zhao Chen's heart was on high alert. He wiped away a cold sweat, preparing to fabricate more, but then heard Li Er's voice, slightly weary, from above.

"What is your master's name?"

"My master's name is Peach Blossom Immortal. As for his real name, he has always kept it a secret and never told me!"

"Then let Me ask you, why did you leave the mountains this time?"

Emperor Li Er fell silent again, and his authoritative voice echoed in the spacious Taiji Palace. Zhao Chen even thought, with a bit of mischief, that the palace might have been designed with a sound reflection wall.

The question finally returned to the starting point. Zhao Chen knew that the next moment would decide his fate. If he answered well, he would live a carefree life in the Tang Dynasty. If he answered poorly, he would be executed on the spot, which would not be surprising.

At this thought, Zhao Chen suddenly opened his mouth and cried, tears streaming down his face: "Your humble servant dares not deceive Your Majesty. I was truly forced to leave..."

"Oh, how were you forced to leave?" Li Er, upon hearing this, clenched his fist behind his back, his gaze suddenly sharp like an eagle's, and he asked, almost word by word.

This was bad! Cold sweat trickled down Zhao Chen's back. He didn't know which nerve he had touched, but even from a distance, he could feel the sudden murderous intent from Li Er.

Zhao Chen swallowed hard and continued to cry loudly, but his words were cautious: "Your Majesty, my master is nearing the end of his life. Since I have lived with him since childhood, he did not want me to witness his passing, so he tricked me out of the valley early..."

"Later, I tried to return to the valley, but I had never left it before. No matter how hard I tried, I could not find the entrance to the valley. In desperation, I had to endure great hardships to come out of the mountains!"

After Zhao Chen finished speaking, the hall fell into a long silence. Emperor Li Er, standing with his hands behind his back, seemed lost in thought.

Zhao Chen knelt below, trembling with fear. He was a man who had appeared out of nowhere in the Tang Dynasty, with no evidence to support his fabricated story. It was truly a last resort.

"Then how did you come to know Li Jing?" After a long silence, Li Er's authoritative voice finally echoed in the hall. Strangely, he did not question Zhao Chen's numerous inconsistencies, making Zhao Chen wonder if Li Er was a bit dim-witted.

However, upon hearing Li Er's question, Zhao Chen wished he could slap himself. Why had he shown such a strong interest in Li Jing? Now he had tied himself up!

Since you lived in the mountains from childhood, how did you come to know the general of the Tang Dynasty?

Damn, if he hadn't acted, he wouldn't have died!

Forget it, let all the sins be attributed to his master!

Zhao Chen thought shamelessly, wiping away his tears and said: "Your humble servant heard about Li Jing from my master. My master said that Li Jing, the great general, is a rare talent with both military and political skills, so I remembered it!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Upon hearing this, Li Er suddenly burst into a strange laugh. Zhao Chen was certain this was not a good sign.

"Such a great talent with both military and political skills!" After laughing, Li Er took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing his anger, and repeated Zhao Chen's words with a hidden meaning.

This was bad, he had offended Li Jing badly!

Zhao Chen, hearing Li Er's words, imagined Li Jing glaring at him, ready to tear him apart. His back tingled, and he quickly tried to smooth things over: "My master also said that Your Majesty is a wise ruler, and with such a ruler, the Tang Dynasty will surely be peaceful and prosperous, and Your Majesty's glory will shine for generations..."

In the grand Taiji Palace, Zhao Chen knelt below, his face full of flattery, praising Emperor Li Er with all his might, looking like a despicable and sycophantic person.

Strangely, Emperor Li Er did not show any discomfort. Zhao Chen did not think Li Er was so shallow. This was the emperor who had personally killed his brothers and forced the old emperor to abdicate in the Xuanwu Gate.

But why?

Zhao Chen felt he could not grasp Li Er's intentions. Fear often comes from the unknown, and Li Er's current attitude made Zhao Chen feel extremely uneasy.

"Is the gold mine real or fake?" After a moment of contemplation, Li Er's tone suddenly softened.

"Your Majesty, the gold mine is real. Your humble servant dares not deceive Your Majesty. I discovered it by chance when I left the mountains!" Zhao Chen, hearing Li Er's question about the gold mine, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered.

The Tang Dynasty's treasury had been emptied by the Turks, and Li Er was now a poor man, desperately needing to fill the treasury. This was a good opportunity!

"Very well!" Li Er's attitude had completely softened. He returned to the dragon desk and sat down, looking at Zhao Chen and said, "I will arrange for you to lead a team to the gold mine."

"Your humble servant obeys Your Majesty's command!" Zhao Chen replied respectfully.

"Hmm, you are alone in the Tang Dynasty. For now, stay at the inn!" Li Er, seeing Zhao Chen's disheveled and ragged appearance, frowned and added, "Discovering the gold mine is a great achievement. Once it is confirmed, I will reward you!"

"Your humble servant, as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, feels honored to contribute a small effort to the Tang Dynasty..." Zhao Chen knelt below, with a look of dedication to the Tang Dynasty, and said in a loud voice, "Furthermore, all the land under the sky belongs to Your Majesty. The gold mine is Your Majesty's, and I dare not claim credit..."

Li Er, hearing Zhao Chen's shameless words, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He had probably never seen such a shameless person! The muscles in the corners of his mouth twitched, as if trying to suppress his anger. Finally, he waved his hand in a lack of interest, ordering the eunuch to take Zhao Chen to the inn.

After leaving the Taiji Palace, Cheng Chumo was already waiting outside. Zhao Chen, being alone in Chang'an, had no relatives or friends. Since Cheng Chumo considered Zhao Chen a brother, he naturally wanted to take Zhao Chen to the Cheng residence.

However, Zhao Chen politely declined Cheng Chumo's offer. Li Er's attitude made him extremely uneasy. Despite the numerous inconsistencies in his story, Li Er had ignored them. Zhao Chen preferred Li Er to question him rigorously rather than this lukewarm and unpredictable attitude. Not understanding Li Er's intentions, he could only stay at the inn to avoid involving Cheng Chumo.

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