This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

When he woke up again, he suddenly shivered. It was so cold! It felt like "icy rain slapping his face." The feeling was chilling to the bone, yet exhilarating!

When he came to his senses, he was emo. Sure enough, someone was slapping ice water all over his face, like they were having an "ice water carnival party."

"Damn it, that's enough, I'm awake!" The shout was incredibly loud.

He finally understood that the ancient people's way of waking people up was very crude. Was it really necessary to waste water resources just to wake them up?

He opened his eyes; it was just beginning to get light. A cool breeze blew by, causing him to sneeze.

The chill all over his body told him that although he hadn't suffered any devastating blows during the night he was unconscious, he must have been exposed to a lot of cold wind.

Only then did he have time to observe his surroundings.

I found myself inside a besieged city, surrounded by massive walls on all sides, and many people stood on those walls, especially on the eastern wall—the scene was truly magnificent.

Although they were far apart, he could still clearly see that the person standing at the very front was Emperor Wu, and behind him were all the civil and military officials.

These people were all scrutinizing him with mocking eyes, and that look of utter contempt made Xiao Xingchen instinctively feel a surge of unease.

What am I? A monkey in a circus?

Before this, Xiao Xingchen would have considered that being new to the area, keeping a low profile was the safest course of action. But now, the backbone of a Chinese man wouldn't allow him to continue being subservient.

This was blatant contempt and insult. The gazes of those on the city wall filled him with grief and indignation. Then he slowly stood up, standing straight in the very center of the besieged city.

A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated; even in death, he would die standing. This was what he thought at that moment.

However, he had another thought: what was so special about Xiao Jianren? He was clearly an idiot, yet he attracted so many people to gather. Was it really necessary to make such a big fuss?

Something unusual must be going on. Perhaps once he figures out where this evil comes from, today's crisis will be averted.

"what?"

This action seemed to elicit a gasp of surprise, even the Emperor Wu's closed eyes lit up, though he only uttered a soft exclamation.

"Xiao Jianren, do you know your crime?"

Faced with the questioning from an unknown source, Xiao Xingchen smiled dismissively. Since things were unusual, he would do the opposite.

Do you know why my surname is Xiao?

"Huh? Why?" The person who asked the question was taken aback, and answered reflexively.

"Because I'm the King of the Mountain, you son of a bitch get out here! You think you can just call me by my name? Who do you think you are? You dare to talk back to me? Believe me, when I get out of here, I'll kill your whole family!"

Xiao Xingchen's sudden outburst silenced the city wall for a moment, then someone said...

"Awesome!" This drew everyone's attention.

To be so arrogant in front of Emperor Wu is unprecedented in history.

"How dare you! Emperor Wu has issued an edict that, effective immediately, you are stripped of your title of Prince Kao Shan. You are no longer a prince; you are nothing but a lowly wretch, just like your name, Xiao Jianren, you little wretch, hahaha."

The snickering sound rang out again, and then a figure appeared in front of him.

"It's you?"

"You never thought you'd get this day, did you, you little bitch?"

Xiao Jianren's memories flooded back. He recognized the person standing before him; his name seemed to be Xu Zhonghou. This name had once piqued Xiao Jianren's interest, because the Xu family were servants of the Marquis of Guoyun, and Zhonghou meant "loyal to the Marquis of Guoyun."

With this reputation, Xu Zhonghou could be considered the most prominent playboy in the capital.

As for why he's now a eunuch, it's all thanks to his brother Xiao Jianren. The two of them both fell for the same courtesan. While others feared Xiao Jianren, Xu Zhonghou wasn't, thinking he could easily outmaneuver him. But he met a simpleton. Xiao Jianren, in no time at all, castrated him on the spot in the brothel. This incident caused quite a stir in the capital. Unexpectedly, when they met again, he had already entered the palace as a eunuch.

"I said it's been a long time since I've seen you. So you've become a eunuch. A eunuch dares to yell at me like that. Looks like the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough."

"Hmph, Xiao Jianren, by His Majesty's decree, Xiao Jianren has acted perversely and disregarded the law. Today, she will be publicly executed to uphold the law and set an example for all."

Xu Zhonghou looked at Xiao Jianren with smug satisfaction, feeling extremely pleased. Everything he had was caused by the man before him. He had been waiting for this day while serving in the palace, and now, heaven had finally smiled upon him, giving him the chance for revenge.

"I'm acting against the tide? I'm lawless? You must be mistaken. What crime have I committed?" Xiao Xingchen retorted.

"You brat, your crimes are so numerous you could list them for three days straight!"

“I deny it, I didn’t do any of those things,”

"Bah! Stop your nonsense! The Dali Temple has already made a preliminary assessment of your crimes. Since you entered the capital, you have committed 1,872 major crimes, each one heinous and shocking. Even cutting you into a thousand pieces wouldn't be enough to vent our anger. You even coveted the Crown Princess and robbed tribute and tax silver. Your crimes deserve a thousand deaths!"

"What? So many?"

This time it was Xiao Xingchen's turn to be surprised.

"These are your charges. I'm afraid you won't admit them. Take a look for yourself."

Xu Zhonghou immediately ordered someone to bring out a box, which, when opened, was neatly filled with Xiao Jianren's criminal records.

"Awesome!"

Xiao Xingchen picked up a scroll and flipped through it casually, initially thinking it was a setup. But after reading it, he once again gave Xiao Jianren a thumbs up. This guy was truly a talent; these crimes were presented with solid evidence and no exaggeration.

Let alone others, even he himself would want to kill himself if he saw this. Keeping such a menace in the world is just a waste of food.

"Now do you plead guilty, you little bitch?"

"The evidence is well-reasoned and well-written, but I don't accept it,"

"You won't admit it? You think you can escape punishment by denying it?"

"That's your business. You want me to confess? No way."

Xiao Xingchen started acting like a rogue, saying, "Do whatever you want, I won't admit it. You can kill me if you want."

Besides, why should Xiao Xingchen have to admit to the crimes Xiao Jianren committed? Of course, he couldn't bring himself to say that.

Xu Zhonghou smiled sinisterly, then looked towards the city wall. After receiving instructions, a squad of soldiers in golden armor stepped forward and surrounded Xiao Jianren.

Seeing this, Xiao Xingchen was taken aback. Had he guessed wrong?

Although he had just transmigrated, the palace dramas he remembered didn't portray things this way. If Emperor Wu really wanted to kill him, it would surely involve an interrogation by someone like the Minister of Justice or the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. There was no need to have a eunuch conduct a public trial; that wouldn't be proper procedure.

So he was gambling, gambling that this Emperor Wu wouldn't kill him, but now it seems things aren't going as he expected.