After being forced to marry as a substitute, I became famous in the limbo

I don’t know the past, the fire gradually disappeared, and only a little orange sparks remained on the burnt wood lying on the side. The burning gas was quietly wrapped in the cold morning dew breath, and the imperial guards who gradually regained consciousness stood up and consciously started searching for the wreckage with Shen Tong’s guards.

Liu Jinfu, who was sitting on the side, had already lay down at some point, and beside her, the men in black who had been brought back were lying on the ground in disorder, and there was a faint snoring sound in the wind.

Jiang Ning was still standing there quietly, with a straight figure and a solemn expression, while Mu Jingzhao was beside her, relatively speechless.

The sky turned pale, the fire subsided, and the forbidden army who had completed the search and rescue work came to the two of them at some point, "Master Hui, the house has been searched, and everyone has regained consciousness and rested."

Mu Jingzhao turned his face away with a tired expression, "Let's go now."

A group of people immediately escorted the assassin to his feet, and drove towards the city with chariots and horses.

I don't know how long it has passed, the carriage arrived at the gate of a slightly quaint house in the city, Shen Tong got out of the car first, said a few words to the servants of the house, and the servants immediately opened the door and welcomed everyone in.

The decoration of the house is simple, not more elegant than the original one outside the city, but more lively.

In the courtyard, there were a few busy servants scattered here and there, but they didn't see the existence of a master.

Shen Tong smiled and said, "A few days ago, my friend went to the capital to take refuge and left this house behind. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable thinking that it wasn't my house, so I didn't think about it. The servants are all old people in this family, and the young master can do whatever he wants."

This sentence was really too far-fetched, but Mu Jingzhao seemed really not in the mood to talk more nonsense, so he just nodded slightly and turned away.

Mu Jingzhao said a few words to Lin Zheng, and then turned his head to flirt with Pei Yu. Lin Zheng immediately left with the group of assassins, and Pei Yu followed Mu Jingzhao to Jiang Ning's side.

"You go back to rest and recuperate first. You've worked hard all night." He finished his sentence to the imperial guard in front of him, turned around and dragged Jiang Ning into the room.

In the room, Jiang Ning and Mu Jingzhao sat opposite each other, while Pei Yu stood behind Mu Jingzhao with a somewhat disturbed expression.

Mu Jingzhao poured a cup of tea, handed it to Jiang Ning, and then gestured to Pei Yu, "Please sit down."

Pei Yu glanced at Jiang Ning, who was drinking tea, before taking his seat.

Mu Jingzhao's face remained unchanged, and he poured another cup of tea slowly. This time, the tea was delivered to Pei Yu.

Pei Yu looked terrified and waved his hands again and again.

Mu Jingzhao didn't make any excuses, but withdrew the tea with his normal expression, put it on his lips and took a sip, then put it down again, and said in a calm tone, "Since the master knows my identity, does that deny the crime of killing the king?"

Pei Yu trembled, trembling and about to kneel down, but before he could move, Mu Jingzhao grabbed him.

"No, you are Ning'er's friend, and I don't want to embarrass you."

Pei Yu's expression was still terrified, a small piece of blood on the gauze around his neck continued to be stained, he looked at Mu Jingzhao, bit his lips slightly, "If I tell you all this, can your majesty spare the life of my companion?"

"Heh...you're talking about the conditions with me."

"Grassmen dare not."

"Even if there is no crime of regicide, you have committed evil here for a long time, and the crime is already unforgivable." Mu Jingzhao curled up his lips with some sarcasm, "I thought you dared to do such a thing in the first place, and you have already made up your mind."

With a smile on his brows, his gaze swept across Pei Yu's preoccupied face, and fell on Jiang Ning's handkerchief around his neck, pausing slightly.

Looking away, he couldn't help but recall the scene of Jiang Ning standing in front of Pei Yu not long ago.

"This is on the border of Qingshui County, and Ning'er's hometown. You know, if someone with a heart catches this, not only you, but even Ning'er may be implicated." The teacup in his hand turned slightly, his chin raised, "If you want to buckle the hat of regicide and treason, anyone will be spared, but not everyone can afford it."

Jiang Ning frowned slightly, she couldn't tell that Mu Jingzhao was using herself to coerce Pei Yu into compromising and confessing his companion.

She naturally knew that this was a last resort, but she still felt a little uncomfortable in her heart.

As if aware of her emotions, Mu Jingzhao glanced at her subconsciously, heaved a sigh of relief, and was about to speak.

But he saw Pei Yu "thump" and fell to his knees, "Caomin is willing to confess to this." He raised his eyes, glanced at Jiang Ning hesitantly, and then kowtowed heavily to Mu Jingzhao, "I also ask the emperor to forgive Le Yin. After she left three years ago, Caomin has never seen her again. All of this has nothing to do with Le Yin. Please let the emperor know."

Jiang Ning frowned more and more, no matter Pei Yu's protection or Mu Jingzhao's behavior of using her as a bargaining chip made her feel unhappy.

She would rather be held by Mu Jingzhao, tied up and locked up with those men in black, but no matter what, she doesn't want to become a bargaining chip in the negotiation.

Mu Jingzhao glanced at Jiang Ning, raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth were still raised, but there was no smile in his eyes anymore.

"All ears."

"Caomin and the others were originally local salt merchants in Qingshui County. When the official salt and iron camp was officially implemented." He looked at Jiang Ning, his eyes flinched, and his voice gradually lowered. "After the Jiang family was in trouble, our families engaged in salt sales suffered unreasonable disasters one after another. Some families took the initiative to hand over the power in their hands in order to survive, and those who did not want to hand over the power would end up being wiped out like the Jiang family back then."

Mu Jingzhao nodded slightly, as if thinking of something.

"The patriarchs who were killed today were the salt merchants who voluntarily handed over their power?"

"Yes."

Mu Jingzhao frowned, "Since it's not that you won't be given compensation and official positions, why do you bother?"

Pei Yu's emotions suddenly became agitated, "Your Majesty! You don't know that the local salt merchants have a big business and a deep foundation. The head of a family not only shoulders the food and clothing of countless people, old and young, but also has a relationship with the livelihood of countless salt workers. How can a small official position make up for it?"

"Didn't you offer any other compensation back then?"

"not at all."

Mu Jingzhao took a deep breath.

"When we negotiated with us back then, the silver taels proposed for compensation were not even comparable to the entire family's income in one month. They were vague about the settlement of the salt workers, and they were rejected even if they made a little effort. There was no room for negotiation at all."

Mu Jingzhao frowned, his expression not without pain.

In order to avoid this situation, he allocated a lot of money to Qingshui County to appease the people.

Unexpectedly, the money was in vain, and the matter was messed up like this.