Chapter 37: Li Shimin is dumbfounded
"Yes, you are young, why do you do something else but do that deceptive business? Now you have to stay here honestly!"

The two were about to leave when Xu Luo spoke up: "Believe it or not, tomorrow your prefect will come in person to ask me to leave."

"What?" The two laborers were stunned, and then burst into laughter.

"This guy is so arrogant and shameless. It's really hilarious!" They left with a smile, leaving Xu Luo alone. He looked calm and was not moved by the ridicule. His eyes were so deep that it seemed as if he could see through everything that would happen tomorrow.

The two prison bosses walked out of the cell with grins on their faces, leaving behind a trail of mockery.

Xu Luo just smiled slightly, knowing that although he was in prison, there was still a chance for a turnaround. He traveled here and had been supporting his sister. He might not know the nobles in the court, but he had some friendship with the merchants Lao Li, Lao Cheng and others.

He had a clear conscience and believed that he had never done anything wrong. This so-called benefactor might be Old Li.

Xu Luo sat down in a corner of the cell, facing the small ventilation hole, thinking about Miss Sun's affairs. Not long after, he suddenly heard a metallic collision outside, followed by footsteps that gradually became clearer.

The footsteps stopped outside the cell. Xu Luo didn't even turn his head. A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth and he said, "Old Li, you guys are really slow!"

"Huh? Mr. Xu, did you already know we were coming?" Li Shimin's voice was filled with a hint of surprise.

Xu Luo slowly turned his head and saw that the people standing outside the prison door were Li Shimin and Du Ruhui. He smiled and couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

"Old Li," Xu Luo shook his head, a complex look flashing in his eyes, "Life is so unpredictable. Yesterday you were so prosperous, but today..."

"Things in the world are unpredictable," Xu Luo said with a hint of joking, as if responding to this sudden temptation, "Look, surprises always come inadvertently."

In the dark cell, Xu Luo, Li Shimin, Du Ruhui, and Cheng Yaojin sat around, and Wei Zheng was the only one who felt very uncomfortable. On the table, the aroma of wine and food filled the air, and this prison banquet seemed particularly absurd.

If an outsider saw this scene, he would definitely be shocked - an emperor and several powerful ministers were actually drinking and chatting with a quack in prison.

"Mr. Xu, please relax!" Li Shimin frowned, but pretended to be relaxed and said, "I have arranged everything. As long as you are indeed innocent, you will be free soon!"

If the old man Wei Zheng had not been present, Li Shimin would have ordered the Jingzhao prefect to release the prisoners. But Wei Zheng's words forced him to change his mind.

Although Xu Luo was suspected of being a criminal, he could have been exempted from the punishment because he had the emperor's guarantee. But if a precedent was set, and every criminal used connections to get away with it, wouldn't the law become a mere decoration?
Although Li Shimin was full of complaints about Wei Zheng's tone, after careful consideration, he still felt that what he said made sense.

"What I said before was not to defend myself!" Xu Luo put on a compassionate look, "I said it because I sympathize with the young lady of the Sun family.

Just think about it, a lady from a rich family, regardless of her social status, falls in love with a common man, and even wants to run away with him. Alas, what a pity... "

He deliberately dragged out his voice, with a sly look in his eyes, “A few days ago, I advised her that no matter what happened tonight, she had to stay at home, that was the way to save her life.

But looking at the situation now, she obviously didn't take my words seriously. "

Li Shimin and others looked at each other, and Du Ruhui and Zhangsun Wuji also frowned.

"Mr. Xu, didn't you say in court that she was fine? What's going on here?" Li Shimin couldn't help asking.

Xu Luo laughed, "Old Li, the business world is like a battlefield, you don't understand the art of war! All is fair in war, do you understand this principle?
If I don't say this, how could that guy fall for it? If he doesn't fall for it, how can we follow the clues to find out the truth? "

He continued confidently, "As long as the prefect sends someone to secretly watch, he will definitely find Miss Sun, and then I will be cleared of suspicion." After hearing this, Li Shimin's face changed, and he quickly turned around and ordered, "I understand, Old Sun, go tell the prefect and ask him to send someone... uh, Mr. Xu, who should he send to follow?"

"Haha, of course it's Miss Sun's sweetheart and her sister!"

"Oh, go, go!"

At this moment, Xu Luo couldn't help but glance at the portrait of Miss Sun from the corner of his eye. He saw that the woman in the painting had eyes like autumn water and lips like flower petals, which made people imagine.

He smiled secretly in his heart. If this operation was successful, his innocence would be proved, and this young lady of the Sun family would probably become a chess piece in his hands.

When Changsun Wuji heard this, he immediately perked up and strode straight to the government office. At this time, Xu Luo raised his wine bowl with drunken eyes and told Li his true feelings: "Old Li, you are a very loyal person! I have decided to be your brother!"

He shook the wine bowl and continued, "At this critical moment, we still have to rely on you brothers!" After that, he tilted his neck back and drank all the wine.

Li Shimin was not willing to show weakness. He laughed and raised his wine bowl with a heroic look: "Xu Luo, I accept your words!"

He ignored Wei Zheng's attempts to stop him and, imitating Xu Luo's example, drank the wine in one gulp.

"Hahaha, this is so refreshing!" Xu Luo laughed and said to everyone.

"Lao Li, Lao Cheng, and Lao Du, when I get through this, I will definitely invite you all to my home. By then, we won't be in jail anymore, but at my home. I will cook for you myself, and we can have a good drink again!"

Cheng Yaojin's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked with a chuckle, "Xu Luo, do you still have any roasted sweet potatoes in stock?

Ever since I tasted it at your house last time, I have been thinking about it all the time." He stroked his chin, savoring the taste.

On the other side, the prefect's face turned pale and he kept cursing.

The woman frowned upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Master, what's the big deal that scares you so much? Did you mess with some important person again?"

"Ugh!"

"This is much more serious than provoking a big shot!"

"Do you know who the fortune teller I caught today is?" asked the prefect of Jingzhao.

The woman was stunned for a moment and shook her head: "Isn't he just a mysterious guy? Does he have any special identity?"

“嘿
, he has no special status, but his relationship with the current emperor, as well as the Duke of Qi, the Duke of Cai, and the Duke of Lu is extraordinary! "

"Ah? How could this happen?"

The originally calm woman couldn't help but be shocked when she heard this.

"Then, then, then... Sir, is the emperor very angry?"

"Angry? Ha, if I were just angry, would I be so scared? You don't know that today the Emperor and the Duke of Qi came to trouble me in person!" The prefect said in horror.
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(End of this chapter)