Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

It was late at night and everything was silent. The moonlight seemed to have cast a veil over Wang Wen's mansion. It was so quiet that only the occasional call of the night watchman could be heard.

Wang Wen's mansion usually exudes peace, but at this moment the tranquility was broken by a sudden noise.

The sound of hurried and heavy footsteps came from afar, and then, groups of Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms and embroidered spring swords on their waists entered one after another, holding torches.

The blazing torches added a touch of eerie atmosphere.

For a moment, the entire palace was in chaos.

The butler woke up from his sleep, his clothes disheveled and his eyes half-closed, but he was trembling with fear at the scene before him.

Someone tried to inform Wang Wen, but was ruthlessly stopped by the Jinyiwei.

The dogs in the palace were also frightened and started barking non-stop. The sounds of barking, shouting, and objects colliding were intertwined, completely tearing apart the tranquility of the past.

At this time, Wang Wen was still immersed in sleep, having a peaceful dream.

In his dream, he saw His Majesty again.

But his sweet dream was suddenly and rudely interrupted. Several tall Jinyiwei rushed into his room like ferocious monsters and dragged him out of his warm bed without saying a word.

He was dazed, his eyes still not fully open, and he could not see anything in the darkness except the flickering, somewhat dazzling torches.

The strong light irritated his eyes, making him instinctively want to avoid it.

Before he could react, he was punched hard in the face with a "bang".

The huge impact force caused his head to tilt to one side suddenly, and a trace of blood instantly flowed out from the corner of his mouth. The pain made him sober up a little.

Immediately afterwards, he was pushed to the ground by the Jinyiwei. The cold ground touched his cheeks, and the biting chill spread through his skin and throughout his body, making him shiver.

He struggled hard, waving his hands wildly, trying to see the faces of these people clearly, but the light of the torches hurt his eyes. The faces of those people appeared blurry and hideous in the interweaving of light and shadow, and he could not see them clearly no matter what.

As he was being escorted forward, Wang Wen was filled with fear and anger with nowhere to vent, and the noisy sounds around him made him upset.

He could only count the number of torches in his mind, one, two... He counted in his mind, no more, no less, exactly forty-two.

The next morning, as the sun just shone on the Taiji Hall, the court meeting began.

The ministers were dressed in court robes, lined up in neat rows, with different expressions on their faces.

Xu Jingzong straightened his court robes, held his tablet in both hands, and walked to the center of the court. He bowed respectfully to Li Jingyou, who sat on the dragon throne, and said in a loud and indignant voice, "Your Majesty, Wang Wen's crime of corruption has been exposed."

"The Imperial Guards confiscated over a million taels of silver from his home. He is truly the biggest corrupt official since the founding of the Tang Dynasty!"

As he spoke, he secretly observed Li Jingyou's expression, and a hint of imperceptible pride flashed in his eyes.

Hearing Xu Jingzong's words, Li Jingyou just nodded expressionlessly, his eyes so deep that it was hard to read.

"Our Great Tang has always been intolerant of corruption. This is a serious case. Let me investigate and try it. I must make Wang Wen confess his crimes."

Li Jingyou's voice echoed in the court, carrying unquestionable majesty, "This is simply bringing disgrace to our Tang Dynasty!"

All the ministers echoed this, and the court was immediately filled with discussions.

Inside the prison, there was a dark, damp atmosphere filled with a foul odor. The walls were covered in moss, the ground was damp, and from time to time the sound of rats rustling could be heard in the corners.

Wang Wen sat in the corner, his clothes were dirty and torn, and his hair was scattered messily on his face.

He knew that this day would come. Ever since His Majesty left, he had a vague feeling that the new emperor was dissatisfied with him and would not let him go easily.

But he just couldn't figure it out. There must be a reason to arrest someone, right?

I have always been diligent and honest, so what crime can I accuse you of?

At this moment, Xu Jingzong walked in slowly from outside Zhaoyu, holding a torch.

The light of the torch was particularly dazzling in the dark prison, and it also clearly illuminated the smug smile on Xu Jingzong's face.

Looking at Wang Wen, now imprisoned and destitute, he couldn't help but laugh triumphantly. His laughter echoed off the walls of the prison, sounding particularly harsh. "Wang Wen, you've finally come to this? You've committed such a serious crime, how could the court forgive you?"

Wang Wen heard Xu Jingzong's words and slowly raised his head. His eyes were filled with resentment. He looked straight at him and said in a hoarse but firm voice, "May I ask what crime I have committed?"

Xu Jingzong chuckled coldly, his laughter filled with mockery, echoing through the prison, making people's hair stand on end. "What crime have you committed? You embezzled a million taels of silver. What crime have you committed?"

Hearing Xu Jingzong's words, Wang Wen felt as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He couldn't help but laugh, and that smile was full of bitterness and helplessness: "My entire fortune, Wang Wen, is only a hundred taels of silver. Where did a million taels of silver come from?"

Xu Jingzong simply smiled and said nothing. He slowly pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and placed it in the hands of the Jinyiwei, his eyes threatening. "You, in front of the people of the Great Tang, sign your name on it. This matter will be over."

He paused, a hint of hypocritical kindness on his face, "Admit the crime, His Majesty will not blame you."

Xu Jingzong's words only made Wang Wen smile again.

He knew in his heart that once he acknowledged the words and signature, it would be tantamount to admitting his unfounded crime, and his life would be completely ruined. Not only would he be disgraced, but his family would also be implicated.

The most important thing is that it will implicate the late emperor.

Seeing Wang Wen's attitude, Xu Jingzong was not angry. He had long expected that Wang Wen would not give in easily.

He glanced at the Jinyiwei, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible sinister smile: "Don't hurt him, you know."

Thus, a cruel torture began.

Buckets of ice-cold water were poured on Wang Wen. Every time he felt sleepy, a bucket of cold water was poured on him. The chill instantly penetrated his bones and made him wake up instantly.

Sometimes, the Jinyiwei would beat gongs next to his ears, and the sharp and piercing sound seemed to burst his eardrums. Sometimes, they would beat drums next to him, and the dull drum sounds hit his heart again and again.

For four days and four nights, Wang Wen didn't sleep a wink. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with despair.

His body became weak and his spirit was on the verge of collapse. The Jinyiwei did not beat him or scold him, but used this method to destroy his will bit by bit.

Wang Wen, who had not slept for four days and four nights, was on the verge of collapse. Now he wanted to have a good sleep, even if it was only for a short while.

He thought about committing suicide, but he was tied tightly to the tiger chair and could not move.

Every struggle only made the ropes around him tighter, and the pain made him more aware of his situation.

Just like that, on the sixth day, a piece of news completely defeated him.

At Xu Jingzong's signal, a jailer approached Wang Wen and whispered, "Xiao Cui is pregnant."

When Wang Wen heard this, he was stunned at first. He remembered the last time Xiao Cui came to Chang'an and every moment he spent with Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui's gentle smile seemed to still be ringing in his ears.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Cui became pregnant after returning home, but what replaced it was endless sadness.

He knew that his current situation would not allow him to provide Xiao Cui and the child with a future, and would even put them in danger.

He smiled, a smile full of sadness, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

He shook his head, his voice hoarse as a broken gong, filled with despair: "I confess, I confess everything, let me have a good sleep, okay?"

At this moment, he had given up resistance. He just wanted to have a good sleep, even if the price was to admit the false accusation, even if he knew that this admission would mean eternal damnation.