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

In the end, he failed to get what he wanted. Wang Wen curled up in the corner and had not slept for six days and six nights. He was completely overwhelmed by sleepiness. Every inch of his consciousness was dozing off heavily, but his nerves were still tense and he dared not relax.

At this moment, the prison door was roughly pushed open with a "clang", and the dazzling light of the torch illuminated the dark little space. Several Jinyiwei strode in, pulled Wang Wen up from the ground without saying a word, threw a new official uniform in front of him, and ordered him to change into it.

Wang Wen numbly changed his clothes and walked out of the cell with one foot deep and one foot shallow, pushed by the Jinyiwei.

It was just dawn outside, but the streets of the capital were already crowded with people and the noise was endless.

It turned out that in order to build momentum for this so-called "just trial", the government specially arranged for a public verdict to be held in the Chang'an People's Hall, attracting countless people to watch.

When Wang Wen was escorted to the Great Hall, it was already surrounded by people.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, and the curses and spitting instantly drowned him out.

In full view of everyone, Wang Wen was pushed to the table, on which was placed the confession letter that had been prepared long ago, and the pen and ink were also ready.

Wang Wen's hands trembled violently. The moment he picked up the pen, he looked at the angry, unfamiliar faces in the audience, his heart filled with despair. Amidst the urging and shouting from all around, he slowly lowered his pen and signed his name, completing the process of a humiliating confession and accepting his punishment.

The news spread throughout Chang'an in an instant, and Wang Wen became the focus of heated discussion on the streets overnight.

Whether it is the bustling Suzaku Street or the quiet alleys, people talk about this man who is known as "the most corrupt official in the Tang Dynasty" after dinner.

Those who are unhappy with their daily lives use him as an outlet to vent their frustrations and blame him for all the misfortunes in their lives.

"The late emperor was truly foolish. How could he allow such a young man to hold such a high position? Now, he's fostered a corrupt official who's swallowed up all the hard-earned money of us ordinary people!"

An old man sitting at a tea stall on the street shook his head and spoke angrily.

"That's right, at such a young age, how could he have any self-control? He must have been blinded by power and money!"

The young man next to him echoed.

Under such public opinion guidance, a wave of fierce criticism of Wang Wen was launched among the people. His reputation was completely destroyed and he became the target of everyone's condemnation.

After confessing his guilt and signing a contract, Wang Wen was finally thrown back into the cell.

He collapsed on the straw pile like a puddle of mud, his tense nerves relaxed instantly, and he soon fell into a coma.

He did not sleep well that night. His dream was filled with the angry faces and insults of the people, and those false accusations were circling in his mind.

In the following month, Wang Wen's trials continued one after another, becoming a regular "farce" in Chang'an City.

At least one game a day, sometimes as many as two or three.

Wang Wen was dragged out of the cell again and again and taken back again and again.

In court, he looked at the hateful eyes in the audience and his self-doubt grew deeper and deeper.

He began to feel dazed. Could it be that he really had embezzled such a huge sum of money?

He has always been committed to fighting corruption, but now he has become the biggest "criminal". The irony of fate makes him extremely painful.

The number of trial sessions was exactly the same as the number of torches he saw when he was arrested.

The days passed one after another, until one day in late February, several familiar figures appeared in the courtroom.

Wang Wen's eyes instantly moistened when he saw Xiao Cui. She was pregnant and moving a little slowly. The once chivalrous woman now looked haggard, her eyes filled with worry.

Beside her are Wang Wen’s parents and younger siblings, and the faces of all the family members are filled with vicissitudes of life.

Wang Wen sat in the dock. The moment he saw his relatives, the last line of defense in his heart completely collapsed.

He numbly repeated the crimes he was asked to confess, but at this moment, someone in the audience began to loudly accuse the late emperor of misjudging people, and his words were full of disrespect.

Wang Wen thought of the late emperor's kindness in recognizing and appointing him as his mentor. The trust and importance he once displayed flashed before his eyes like a movie. He was filled with pain and could no longer control his emotions. He covered his face with his hands and burst into tears.

The trial ended that day and Wang Wen was taken back to the cell.

He turned around and took a deep look at Xiao Cui and his family, his eyes filled with attachment, reluctance and guilt.

After returning to the cell, Wang Wen looked at the ceiling of the small cell and felt completely hopeless.

That night, he took off his belt in silence, hung it on the beam, and ended his young life.

After the Jinyiwei learned that Wang Wen had committed suicide, they quickly blocked the news in order to avoid causing a bigger disturbance.

They announced to the outside world that Wang Wen would be imprisoned for a hundred years in order to quell public discussion.

Wang Wen's parents looked at the heartbroken Xiao Cui and felt very distressed. They advised her: "Child, forget about him and find a good family. He will never be able to get out of this situation in his lifetime."

Xiao Cui just shook his head quietly, and said softly but firmly: "I will wait for him."

Although the sound was small, it echoed in the empty room for a long time.

At the same time, in the far west, the vast desert glowed golden under the scorching sun, and was filled with wind and sand.

Xue Rengui was standing outside the tent, gazing into the distance in deep thought.

He only knew that General Su Dingfang had gone to Chang'an but had not returned yet, and he felt a little uneasy.

He wanted to discuss countermeasures with Wu Meiniang and Di Renjie, but he was in charge of a large army, and private contact with the envoys sent to Beijing was a taboo in the officialdom, so he could only bury this worry deep in his heart.

A soldier rushed into the tent in a panic, shouting, "General, something terrible has happened! We just received news that General Su has died in Chang'an, and the imperial court has sent the Imperial Guard to arrest you!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Rengui stood up abruptly, a trace of shock and confusion flashing in his eyes. He stared at the soldier and asked, "Is the news true?"

The soldier nodded vigorously, his expression anxious: "It's absolutely true, General!"

Then he asked cautiously, "Do you want to mobilize troops to resist?"

Xue Rengui's face darkened and he glared at him sternly: "Don't talk nonsense! I, Xue Rengui, have been loyal all my life and would never be a traitor!"

Xue Rengui knew that if he mobilized troops, he would be charged with treason.

But staying where you are is undoubtedly walking into a trap.

After some painful consideration, that night he took a few trusted aides and set out to escape westward under the cover of darkness.

He thought that he should first leave this place of trouble and then find an opportunity to clarify the facts to the court.

Not long after, shocking news reached Chang'an that Xue Rengui intended to mobilize troops for rebellion and fled west to the Arab Khan area, where he fell off his horse and died while drunk.

When this news came out, the whole world was shocked.

Emperor Taizong's wise minister who responded to his dream and Emperor Gaozong's trusted general ended up like this. He was charged with treason and rebellion.

The people were discussing this, their faces filled with confusion: "General Xue's troops are in the Western Regions, why would he flee westward?"

"If we need to mobilize troops, don't we have them in his hands?"