I have been a county magistrate for ten years. My subordinates insist on giving me a yellow robe.

Chen Liu's roar echoed throughout the wilderness, and Jiang Yuan scratched his head.

What's wrong with this kid?

"Well, Chen Liu, I don't have anything to offer you in return. Think carefully before you do anything." Jiang Yuan confirmed again and again.

The corners of Chen Liu's mouth twitched fiercely. "You kid still have a soft heart?"

Haven’t you cheated enough people along the way?

Now I'm taking the initiative to take the blame for you, and you're still not happy?

Jiang Yuan rubbed his hands together and said a little embarrassedly, "The key is, if you kill all the city defense soldiers, you won't implicate me when you're held accountable later, right?"

Chen Liu almost vomited blood.

It turns out that this guy only cares about me.

But thinking of what Duanmu Xiongtu had said, Chen Liu finally nodded helplessly: "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with you."

"After today, go back to your Taiping County. Everything that happens in the imperial capital has nothing to do with you."

"My master will take care of everything for you!"

Jiang Yuan blinked, still a little unconvinced.

From the moment he guessed Wang Chen's identity, Jiang Yuan already knew the whole story.

It can be said that if Wang Chen had not made such a big fuss, he would definitely have died. This was what Duanmu Xiongtu tacitly agreed.

But now, the other party has thrown out such a big olive branch. What exactly does Duanmu Xiongtu mean?

"Okay, Jiang Yuan, just go ahead. Leave this place to me. None of them can get through." Chen Liu said firmly.

"How can this be so embarrassing!" Jiang Yuan said as he ran to the horse and grabbed the reins with one hand.

Chen Liu looked at Jiang Yuan in a messy manner in the wind, and it was as if a thousand alpaca horses were running through his heart.

"Okay, let's go now."

"Then we'll see you later!"

After saying this, Jiang Yuan greeted everyone without any courtesy and ran away.

"Don't let any of them go!"

Hearing Chen Liu's roar behind him, Jiang Yuan's heart grew colder.

Duanmu Xiongtu, do you think I will be grateful to you?

I, Jiang Yuan, will never be anyone's tool!

……

The next day, when the sun shone on the earth again, the place where the battle took place last night was empty. Only a few large mounds and brown soil told of the tragedy of last night.

In the imperial capital, the palace holds an early morning court session.

Xue Zhen stood in the hall covered in blood, his face so cold that everyone kept their distance from him.

"Your Majesty, I wish to report Chen Liu, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. Yesterday, I was ordered to capture the criminal Jiang Yuan, but Chen Liu blocked our way without any clear reason."

"It also allowed many of the East Depot's experts to block the city defense forces, not only failing to capture the criminals, but also causing many soldiers to shed blood on the spot."

"Your Majesty, please make the decision for me!"

After saying this, Xue Zhen knelt in the hall with a sad face.

All the officials immediately started talking and looked towards a certain empty space.

"What? Stopping the city defense forces from capturing criminals? How dare Chen Liu!"

"This is outrageous! No matter how arrogant Chen Liu is, he can't be so arrogant!"

"Quiet!"

Sitting on the dragon throne, Duanmu Xiongtu's expression was calm. He glanced at Xue Zhen and spoke slowly:

"Xue Zhen, what do you mean by that? Why don't I remember asking you to catch the criminal last night?"

Xue Zhen's expression froze, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, although it wasn't your order, I did receive an order from the Ministry of War."

Hearing this, Duanmu Xiongtu couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

"Who gave the order?"

Xue Zhen looked at Duanmu Xiongtu with some confusion.

What's going on? Shouldn't the focus now be on Chenliu?

"This... I don't know. I only saw the tiger talisman from the Ministry of War, and I don't know who issued the order."

Duanmu Xiongtu nodded: "Okay, where is Chen Liu?"

"Your Majesty, Chen Liu was captured alive last night by me and is awaiting orders outside the palace."

"Bring it up."

"Yes!"

After a while, a guy with disheveled hair was brought to the door of the hall by two soldiers. Who else could it be but Chen Liu?

The city defense troops were the elite among the elite. Three hundred city defense troops plus two groups of assassins directly killed hundreds of masters from the East Factory.

When Chen Liu saw Jiang Yuan running away, he threw away his knife, grinned and surrendered, which almost made Xue Zhen angry to death.

"Let go! Do you think you can enter this hall?" Even though he had become a prisoner, Chen Liu still glared at the two soldiers.

"Let him come in by himself." Duanmu Xiongtu said directly.

Chen Liu immediately walked into the hall with his chest held high and his head held high, without any intention of begging for mercy.

"Chenliu! How dare you walk into the hall like this!" Xue Zhen couldn't help himself when he saw this scene.

Of the three hundred city defense troops brought out last night, only a dozen or so returned in the end, and those who died were all close confidants!

Chen Liu curled the corners of his mouth and looked down at Xue Zhen who was kneeling on the ground.

"Shut up! His Majesty hasn't spoken yet, so what qualifications do you have to speak?" After saying that, Chen Liu tore open his robe, revealing the yellow jacket he was wearing underneath.

Xue Zhen glared at Chen Liu, gritting his teeth but unable to speak.

In theory, the yellow jacket not only allows one to meet the emperor without kneeling, but also has the effect of protecting oneself from the law.

"Chenliu, I want to ask you, is what Xue Zhen said true?"

Chen Liu immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what Xue Zhen said is true."

Xue Zhen stared at Chen Liu in astonishment. What the hell? He admitted it so readily?

Are you really not going to make any excuses?

Many ministers looked as if they had seen a ghost.

In the past, if there was any guilt, Chen Liu would never admit it, either to death or at all costs.

He actually admitted to such a serious crime today?

This is outrageous!

Duanmu Xiongtu looked at the Minister of Justice standing beside him and asked, "According to the law, how should we deal with this?"

The Minister of Justice stepped forward quickly and said, "Your Majesty, according to the law, he should be beheaded."

Just as everyone's eyes were focused on Chen Liu, the latter suddenly grinned and reached out to take out a round token from his arms.

"A gold medal to avoid death?!"

Xue Zhen's eyes almost popped out. As Duanmu Xiongtu's right-hand man, Chen Liu must have this thing.

"Your Majesty! Chen Liu secretly mobilized troops to resist the army, suspected of treason, and is not exempt from death!"

In the main hall, Chen Liu looked at Xue Zhen sarcastically.

It would be fine if I didn't even know I was being used as a gun, but now I still can't see the situation clearly.

"I have made up my mind. Chenliu's resistance to the city defense army cannot be equated with the crime of treason."

"He can be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment for his crime. I shall demote him one rank and fine him three years' salary!"

Xue Zhen opened his mouth and his whole body was shaking.

Demoted one rank?

What is Chen Liu's identity? He is the chief commander of the East Factory and the commander-in-chief. Even if his rank is lowered by one, he is still the boss of the East Factory.

As for the three-year salary deduction, what’s the difference between this and no punishment!

"Your Majesty, this is against the rules!"

"Shut up! Do I want you to teach me how to do things?"

……

The border of the Great Duan Dynasty, Taiping County.

It is the coldest month of winter, and Taiping County is experiencing rare heavy snowfall.

A tall and thin figure stopped a hundred meters away from the Taiping County gate.

"Finally home."

"It's winter again..."

"I'm finally home." Li Hu took off his hat and breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Yuan looked behind him with a cold expression. There were nearly twenty people when they left the imperial capital, but now, not even half of them were left...