Daily life in the academy

The four of them talked in the conference hall for a while, and then General Bai left first because he had to deal with military affairs.

Yan Qingchen took out the letter from Wenzhe and handed it to the two of them. "Azhe is still compiling the geographical records at the Research Institute. When the King of Qi was exiled, the research institute was suspended for a long time. After we left Sheng'an City, Azhe asked Minister Wen to write a letter to His Majesty, asking him to continue compiling the geographical records with his colleagues. He then took over the position of King Qi. However...Originally, King Qi compiled the geographical records only to better understand the terrain of Yan State and prepare for rebellion."

Bai Zhi glanced at the general content of the letter and said, "The letter says that the King of Qi and the King of Jing had originally made preparations for both internal and external events. Is the external event the Di Kingdom attacking the northern border? If this is the case, there is a high possibility of internal division within the Di Kingdom. Besides finding the traitor, we can also send people to secretly infiltrate the Di Kingdom and spread the news that the Di generals are colluding with the people of the Yan Kingdom. Perhaps there will be a new turning point."

Mu Bailian shook his head in disagreement, "The dispute between the Di Kingdom and our country has continued since the founding of the country. Even though they have internal disagreements, the Di people's wolfish ambition to expand their territory has never disappeared. If your method fails, wouldn't it be a meaningless sacrifice?"

"One more day of war will cost the lives of many soldiers who are dedicated to serving their country. What about these sacrifices?"

"If you knew..."

Seeing the two of them about to argue again, Yan Qingchen quickly spoke out to stop them: "Okay, you both have a point. We can't be careless in the war with the Di Kingdom. To avoid prolonging the war, we must catch the traitors within the Di Kingdom. I will also secretly send people to incite news inside the Di Kingdom."

...

On the second day, there was no news from the traitor, and the Northern Army soldiers were unstoppable. The Di soldiers were defeated repeatedly. The war that lasted for more than two months finally made new progress. General Bai Lao returned from outside the city with a group of soldiers. When the people heard the news, they came to greet them.

However, when the people arrived, they found that the officers and soldiers still had serious expressions, and even a hint of resentment in their eyes. It was not until they saw two officers wearing armor of the central army and with high positions tied up at the end of the team that they realized something seemed wrong, and they all started talking about it.

"Hey, brother, do you know what those two people did?"

"I don't know. I only heard that they came specially to welcome the soldiers into the city after a victory. General Bai has always been kind and has never paraded his soldiers through the streets for making mistakes. I guess these two have committed an unforgivable crime."

"Could it be... treason?"

At the same time, there was a lot of commotion in front of the Li Mansion on the other side. A group of Northern Army soldiers surrounded the Li Mansion. Mu Bailian led a group of soldiers to break down the door, not giving anyone in the Li Mansion any chance to react. They took control of the entire Li Mansion, and Li Mantang and his eldest son Li Ming were taken to prison.

The Li family was used to abusing their power, so when they were arrested, the people cheered and hoped that this time they would be completely overthrown.

At the hour of You, in the prison, Li Mantang and his son Li Ming were tied up. Looking up, they could see various torture instruments not far from them. Some of the instruments were covered with rust, as if they had not been used for a long time. Some were covered with black and red stains, and a faint stench could be smelled. The color seemed to be formed by the solidification of blood, which was terrifying to see.

Interrogating a criminal requires ruthlessness. Bai Zhi didn't think she could adapt to such a scene, so she stood far away and let Mu Bailian walk into the gloomy room with a nonchalant step.

Li Ming saw Mu Bailian walk into the cell and immediately put on a fawning expression. "Master Mu, I was blind and offended you before, but it was just a minor incident, and you beat me up to vent your anger. If you are still angry, I have many rare treasures in my house. You can choose any of them as long as they can make you feel better."

Mu Bailian just blindly selected the torture instruments that suited his needs without even looking up. "I always take revenge on the spot. Your little misdeeds are not enough to make me worry about it for so long." He picked up a pointed hammer and weighed it in his hand. He turned around and gestured at Li Ming's head. "This hammer is good. I wonder how many hits you can take. Do you want to make a bet with me?"

"Master Mu, let's talk it out. I really don't know what mistake my father and I have made..." Li Ming's legs kept shaking, as if the hammer was going to hit him in the next moment.

Mu Bailian did not reply, and replaced the torture instrument in his hand with a branding iron. There happened to be a stove burning brightly next to him, so he put the branding iron in. There was a "clang" sound, which scared the father and son so much that they trembled.

"Perhaps I prefer the taste of cooked meat. It's been a while since I've had barbecue." Mu Bailian said calmly, curling his lips and sneering, "You two have done something shameful. It's best to confess the truth today and suffer less physical pain. Otherwise, I won't mind trying all these torture instruments on you."

Li Mantang and Li Ming looked at each other, and the next moment they both shook their heads and cried out, "Master Mu, I really don't know how I offended you. Although I have some money at home, I have always been kind to others and have never done anything that would harm others..."

Li Mantang's mournful and eloquent plea made Mu Bai smile. "Azhi is right. The wicked always think they are innocent. Well, I don't want to waste my time talking to you..."

"Ah...ah..."

Heart-wrenching screams came from the prison, frightening Bai Zhi so much that she trembled all over. At this time, Yan Qingchen happened to come over and took her into his arms to comfort her.

"I told you before, this punishment is not something that ordinary people can endure, not to mention you are just a little girl. Why don't you come out with me first?"

Bai Zhi buried her face in Yan Qingchen's chest until the sound of his strong heartbeat drowned out the screams in the cell. She slowly relaxed, took a deep breath in his arms, and felt her mind gradually become clearer, so she slowly withdrew from his arms.

"I'm not scared, I'm just a little uncomfortable... and..." Bai Zhi turned her head and looked towards the cell again, "Bai Lian's appearance is also very unfamiliar to me."

"If he wants to become a hero who protects the people, he must be mentally strong. It seems that he has grown a lot in the army over the past few months." There was a hint of admiration in Yan Qingchen's words.

Bai Zhi slowly turned her head to look at Yan Qingchen and asked softly, "What about you? Have you ever experienced this before?"