t all. As soon as he arrives, you will surely surrender obediently.""Idiot."Li Chen let out a mocking laugh. "Now he's the one bringing ransom to redeem his people, instead of this palace going to him...Chapter 1278: The Yellow Silk Scroll

By Li Chen's side lay a note personally written by Nangong Shouzhong.

The content above plainly states: No matter how much others contribute, the commoner is willing to cover everything, but all he asks for is a chance to meet the crown prince.

This sentence saved Cao Kun and his men from a bloody disaster, and allowed Nangong Shouzhong to successfully appear before Li Chen.

Upon hearing Li Chen's words, Nangong Shouchong buried his head deep into the ground and trembled as he said, "I beg Your Highness to save my entire family!"

This statement caused Li Chen's gaze to focus on Nangong Shunchong.

"Where do you get off saying that" Li Chen asked. "Your boss, Nangong, is the richest man in the South. That's being modest, I might even say he's the richest man in all of Qin. He has thousands of acres of fertile land and enough gold and silver to last him a lifetime. Who would dare offend him"

At this point, Nangong Shouzhong had thrown caution to the wind. He said without hesitation: "Your Highness, although my properties are fertile and prosperous, to be frank, everything I have, while it appears to belong to me, is actually not mine at all. The true owner is Wen Wang."

"My humble family is nothing more than a facade erected by King Wen for the eyes of outsiders. If I, even in the slightest way, were to show disrespect, King Wen could instantly reduce my entire family to ashes."

"For over a decade, this humble subject has lived in constant fear. My life is insignificant and I have no qualms about sacrificing it. But my children are young and innocent, and my wife and daughters are also blameless. I cannot bear to watch my family live in such danger day by day. Therefore, with all my courage, I beg Your Highness for mercy!"

Li Chen's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Don't talk nonsense!"

"The Duke of Wen is renowned for his wisdom and, more importantly, he is my own uncle. He enjoys the trust of our father emperor and over the years, his good name has been passed down from court officials to commoners alike. How could he be the cruel and heartless man you describe"

If you slander the royal family and relatives of the emperor again, you will be executed without mercy!

Li Chen's words sent a chill down Nangong Shouzhong's heart.

But at this point, there's no turning back. He can't go back even if he wanted to.

"Your Highness, I understand that you doubt my intentions, but please look at this. After you see it, you will surely no longer suspect that I am a spy sent by Duke Wen."

With that, Nangong Shouchong took out the small black box that had been hidden deep within his bosom and held it high above his head.

Li Chen remained silent.

The quick-witted Xiaochizi, who was serving nearby, immediately sprinted over and took the black box from Nangong Shouchong's hand.

However, he didn't present it directly to Li Chen. Instead, he faced the box towards himself and opened it with his eyes closed.

He faced the box, opening it carefully to prevent any traps inside from harming Li Chen.

Closing your eyes is to avoid seeing the secrets inside.

A moment later, the box was silent, with no mechanism triggered. Xiaozi then carefully brought the box to Li Chen's table.

Li Chen saw that there was only a yellow silk scroll with a sense of age in the box. It was densely written with characters, but because it wasn't opened, he couldn't see the specific content.

Just by seeing this yellow silk scroll, Li Chen realized that he was probably going to catch a big fish tonight.

This bright yellow silk fabric, at first glance, seemed to be at least several decades old. However, the color was only slightly dull and hadn't faded at all. Moreover, Li Chen was extremely familiar with the intricate weave of the base.

This yellow silk, only the emperor uses when drafting imperial edicts.

Those who abet others in wrongdoing shall be treated as accomplices.er, let me through."The guard walked closer and saw that it was indeed Xu Changqing. His face softened considerably as he said, "Your Highness has already rested at this hour. Sir Xu, if you have some...