TNIBFT -Chapter 243 Went Out and Someone Robbed the House?

Tao Lichun’s cloudy eyes twitched, his expression one of disbelief.

He staggered a few steps backward, unsteady, and was caught by Zhao Kang by the arm. “Master, are you alright?”

Tao Lichun’s brows twitched slightly. He felt certain he must be seeing things, or had made a mistake. His voice trembled slightly: “Th… that carriage… is that Ye Tian?”

“Is it Ye Tian?”

Zhao Kang’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he turned to look. Ye Tian’s carriage was already approaching the city gate.

At that moment, Ye Tian sat in the carriage, one hand holding a whip, one leg dangling casually over the edge, talking to the man riding beside him.

“It’s Ye Tian!”

Zhao Kang affirmed.

Tao Lichun swallowed hard, his brows tightly furrowed.

Where had he gone wrong?

Where was Imperial Uncle Zhao Boping?

Could Yunting have been mistaken?

No!

Wasn’t the silver-armored army behind Ye Tian the main force of Daliang?

What exactly had happened?

Behind Tao Lichun stood a group of civil officials, most with white hair and gaunt frames. Even the slightly younger ones were upright and resolute, eyes sharp with determination.

Someone asked, “Holy Saint, what should we do next?”

“We’ll follow your lead!”

“Zhao Boping, that treacherous minister, didn’t come to Sifang City?”

The group murmured amongst themselves. Seeing Ye Tian’s carriage reach the city gate, Tao Lichun raised his hand to stop them. “First, come with me to greet the City Lord. The rest can wait!”

…

Outside the city,

“Phew!” Ye Tian stopped the carriage.

He jumped down nimbly, looking up at the city gate. Why was it still locked?

Went out for a while and someone robbed the house?

Ye Tian frowned. That shouldn’t be possible. Old Yang and the Ye family’s personal guards were still in the city. When he left, he had taken most of the elite forces. The remaining ones wouldn’t be so bold.

The main army gradually halted.

Fang Shenghu and Zhu Heyu stepped forward. Seeing Ye Tian frown, Fang Shenghu asked, “What’s going on?”

“If it comes to it, we’ll coordinate from inside and outside to storm the city.”

Fang Shenghu and Zhu Heyu didn’t yet know that the moment they left, Ye Tian had killed Xiao Haoyang and assumed the position of City Lord himself. So many things had happened along the way that there hadn’t been time to clarify everything.

Liao Fanjun and a few others nodded in agreement.

Ye Tian hadn’t spoken yet. “Creak…”

The heavy gate groaned, followed by the squeak of iron chains. The wooden bridge over the moat slowly lowered, and after a moment, the gate opened.

A squad of city troops charged out.

Tao Lichun, along with a group of elderly officials and scholars, hurriedly came out of the city.

“Master Tao?”

Seeing Tao Lichun in his official robes, Ye Tian was surprised. Since the day he killed Xiao Haoyang and became City Lord, Tao Lichun had sent his seal and official robes back, resigning his post. And yet today, he was fully dressed in official attire. Had he come to terms with things?

No!

From all his interactions over the past half year, Ye Tian knew Tao Lichun’s character very well.

A man who followed the rules his entire life, adhered to the ways of the sages, loyal to the emperor and patriotic. Making him a rebel would be worse than killing him!

Ye Tian pretended not to notice. He stepped forward a few paces, kindly supporting Tao Lichun’s arm. “Master Tao even personally came to welcome me back.”

“I knew it. Our bond is different from others!”

Ye Tian grinned cheekily.

Tao Lichun’s temples were already white with worry. He sighed helplessly and bowed respectfully to Ye Tian. “Welcome back, City Lord!”

“Welcome back, City Lord!”

Tao Lichun bent deeply in a bow. The civil officials and scholars behind him followed suit, bowing in unison.

Outside the city gates, the garrison soldiers knelt one after another, greeting the returning city lord.

Their voices were loud, filled with reverence.

“Master Tao, you don’t need to go this far. Why is the city gate closed today?” Ye Tian stepped forward, naturally supporting Tao Lichun. Tao Lichun shook his head, his face full of worry and helplessness. Seeing Ye Tian return safely, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

The two murmured quietly to each other.

Zhu Heyu and Fang Shenghu looked completely bewildered.

City Lord?

They had only been gone for two days. What had Ye Tian been doing in that time?

Seeing Fang Shenghu so shocked, Liao Fanjun asked, “You don’t know?”

“You really have no idea? You’ve been guarding the heir, and yet you’re unaware of something this big?” Liao Fanjun shook his head, full of disappointment.

Fang Shenghu and Zhu Heyu exchanged glances.

No wonder Ye Tian could mobilize the garrison—Fang Shenghu had thought it was Miss Xiao’s men.

Qin Fengyi, Nanfeng, and the other Da Zhou people watched curiously from the side.

Nanfeng whispered, “Ye Tian really is a weak city lord. While he’s not even in the city, his subordinates took it upon themselves to close the gate. The city lord almost couldn’t even enter his own city.”

Nanfeng had a bias against Ye Tian and took every opportunity to criticize him.

Seeing that Qin Fengyi was examining the people around Ye Tian without stopping him, Nanfeng continued, “I think Ye Tian is far too soft-hearted. He doesn’t understand, in chaotic times, how to control people.”

“That’s enough!”

Qin Fengyi interrupted him coldly.

Nanfeng immediately shut his mouth, feeling resentful, but Qin Fengyi continued, “Control people?”

“You think Ye Tian really doesn’t know how?”

“Do you know who is with Ye Tian?”

Nanfeng looked over in surprise.

A smile curved Qin Fengyi’s lips as she looked at Nanfeng: “Tao Lichun, a model scholar of the world. Even when Ye Tian was rebelling and absent from the city, he was able to have Tao Lichun personally guard the city gate. Now, Tao leads scholars and students to welcome Ye Tian. What does this mean?”

Nanfeng’s pupils constricted, and his face turned red instantly.

Tao Lichun’s reputation was known throughout Da Zhou.

Ten years in seclusion.

A man with the spirit of the Jian’an scholars, a paragon of morality, a benchmark for literati.

Qin Fengyi said, “The only person in the world who could command Tao Lichun to rebel is Ye Tian!”

“And behind Tao Lichun, there are people like Zhao Kang and Xie Jinnan. Each one is a talented figure Da Zhou has long sought but never obtained. They hold no official position, yet they willingly stay in Sifang City. Don’t you understand the significance of Tao Lichun?”

Meeting Qin Fengyi’s cold, domineering gaze, Nanfeng’s heart skipped a beat.

He hurriedly clasped his fists in apology, no longer daring to speak.

…

“City Lord, where is Imperial Uncle Zhao Boping?”

Tao Lichun urgently asked Ye Tian, glancing at the carriage behind him, holding onto a thread of hope. Zhao Boping might still be inside the carriage.

Because Zhao Boping could not possibly die so easily!

If Zhao Boping lives, there’s both good and bad!

If the Imperial Uncle survives, Ye Tian might still have a chance at life. Killing him, however, would be a direct challenge to the Emperor of Da Liang.

If he’s alive, next, the Imperial Uncle might come after Ye Tian instead.

Ye Tian said simply, “Dead.”

Without saying anything more, Tao Lichun nodded: “Good that he’s dead.”

“Good,” Ye Tian echoed.

Seeing the old man’s conflicted expression, almost on the verge of tears, Ye Tian felt warmth in his heart. He shouted behind him, “Aren’t there several carriages of precious herbs?”

“Deliver them all to Master Tao’s residence. Not a single thing stays for me.”

“Master Tao has worried himself sick for me. Eat more supplements; nourish your body.”

“Yes!”

Immediately, someone drove the carriages, one after another, into the city.

Looking at the carriages full of valuable goods, Tao Lichun flushed red with embarrassment and waved his hands. He didn’t want them: “I cannot accept these things.”