Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 141 The mastermind is the eldest prince?

"My mother is long gone, yet you continue to be so aggressive. Do you really want to tear off all pretenses before you'll stop?"

Li Wudao's face turned cold.

“So what if it is, so what if it’s not?”

But Wang Xu stroked his mustache, looked down at him, and sneered disdainfully, "Tell me, will you kneel or not?"

Seeing the undisguised mockery and ridicule on the other person's face, Li Wudao shook his head, his eyes growing colder.

Wang Xu frowned, about to say something.

Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared before me, and a gust of wind swept in.

"Oh!"

The next instant, he felt as if he had been struck in the abdomen, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

With Li Wudao's current combat strength, he could easily suppress even a Martial King in the early stage. Even a casual kick from him would be more than Wang Xu, a Martial Grandmaster in the late stage, could withstand.

Wang Xu's face contorted in pain, waves of excruciating agony washing over him. He broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't get up for a long time.

"You think you're worthy of making me kneel?"

Li Wudao stood with his hands behind his back, glanced at him coldly, and said, "Consider this a lesson. If you dare to disrespect my mother again, I'll chop off your head!"

At this moment, he felt no goodwill towards the Wang family whatsoever, only indifference.

"Homeowner!"

The servant was terrified and glared angrily at Li Wudao, shouting, "How dare you! Do you know that the master is the Vice Minister of Rites? You've committed a grave offense!"

He pointed at the boy in a panic, his face full of disbelief.

It should be noted that given the Wang family's status in the Great Yu Dynasty, even the heads of the other three major families in the imperial city would not dare to openly take action against Wang Xu.

Not only did Li Wudao commit such a taboo act, he also threatened to cut off his head!

How could he not be terrified by such a crazy, suicidal act?

"You little beast! Since you're so eager to die, then I, the patriarch, will grant your wish!"

Wang Xu's eyes were red, and it took him a long time to recover.

He was covered in grime, staggered to his feet, looking like a ferocious wolf, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Men, beat him! Kill him or not!"

Immediately, a group of elite guards rushed into the courtyard, rubbing their hands together and heading towards the male protagonist.

"Looks like we're in for a killing spree today..."

Li Wudao inwardly sighed at the trouble, but outwardly remained calm and composed, showing no reaction whatsoever.

"I could hear all this commotion from far away, what's going on?"

Suddenly, a hoarse yet authoritative voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

An elderly man dressed in a gray robe came into view.

He was hunched over and thin, with a full head of white hair and a wrinkled face. He walked over with a dragon-headed cane, his steps somewhat unsteady.

"Old patriarch!"

"Old Master!"

Upon seeing the old man, the Wang family members' expressions changed immediately, and they quickly bowed and paid their respects.

Li Wudao looked at the old man and secretly raised an eyebrow.

Judging from appearances, this person is none other than Wang Weiyong, the current Grand Secretary, the actual head of the Wang family, and his nominal maternal grandfather.

"Father, what brings you here?"

Wang Xu's expression was somewhat unnatural.

"This is the Wang family's residence. Do I need your permission to go wherever I want?"

Wang Weiyong snorted coldly and said seriously, "I heard shouts of fighting and killing from a great distance just now. What exactly happened?"

As he spoke, his sharp gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on Li Wudao. He paused for a moment, then said:

"Those eyebrows and eyes...they're so alike..."

Immediately, he took a deep breath, walked towards the boy, and asked with surprise and doubt, "Young man, who are you, and what brings you to the Wang family?"

Upon learning Li Wudao's identity, a mixture of surprise and delight appeared on Wang Weiyong's serious face.

Leaning on his cane, he quickened his pace to the boy, looking him over with a sigh, and said, "It's been eight years since we last met, hasn't it? I can't believe you've grown into such a big boy..."

"Grandpa." Li Wudao bowed respectfully.

Wang Weiyong nodded with a smile, "To be honest, he is quite handsome, with refined features and an extraordinary appearance..."

Seeing the old patriarch praising Li Wudao so highly, Wang Xu was filled with rage and could no longer contain himself, so he said bitterly:

"Father, you don't know, this little beast has no respect for elders. I just gave him a few words of reprimand, but he actually dared to hit me!"

"They even... they even threatened to cut off my head, and everyone can testify to that!"

The crowd echoed this sentiment, pointing and whispering about Li Wudao.

But the latter not only remained unfazed, but also coldly said, "He deserved to be hit!"

Instantly, Wang Xu's face turned ashen, and he was furious. He said, "Father, look at this little beast! He dares to speak so disrespectfully in front of you..."

Wang Weiyong's expression shifted, showing some unease.

"You must have said something you shouldn't have, otherwise why would Wudao attack you?"

He snorted coldly, slammed his dragon-headed cane down heavily, and said, "Also, watch your words. Wudao is Xiaoyun's son, and also my grandson!"

Upon hearing this, Li Wudao's eyes flickered with a strange light, and he was somewhat moved.

"Child, he is, after all, your uncle and the head of the Wang family. It would be bad for you to lay a hand on him..."

The next moment, Wang Weiyong pondered for a while and said, "How about this, you sincerely apologize to your uncle, and we'll let this matter drop."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Wudao shook his head. "He's not worthy!"

The warmth that had just appeared in his heart vanished instantly, and his gaze toward the old man became distant.

He overestimated his importance in Wang Weiyong's eyes.

Ultimately, he wasn't a member of the Wang family...

The whole place was dead silent.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, secretly gasping for breath.

Are you kidding me? Even the current Grand Secretary, the head of the Wang family, doesn't give me any face?

Looking across the entire Great Yu Dynasty, apart from the Great Yu Emperor and that person from the Shen family, probably no one would dare to speak to Old Master Wang like that.

Wang Weiyong's eyes flickered as he stared intently at Li Wudao, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

"You little beast, you..."

Wang Xu angrily rebuked, but before he could finish speaking, Wang Weiyong interrupted him, saying, "Shut up!"

"But he..."

Wang Xu wanted to say something more.

"Step back! It's not your place to make decisions for the Wang family!"

"yes........"

Wang Xu was filled with resentment, but he could only retreat helplessly.

Just as he turned to leave, Li Wudao gave him a deep look and said meaningfully, "I will remember this humiliation."

He's a little beast, do you really think he's a pushover you can just bully?

"Ridiculous!"

Wang Xu chuckled and swaggered away.

Wang Weiyong frowned slightly, but didn't think much of it. After dismissing everyone, he led Li Wudao into a private room.

inside the room.

Wang Weiyong handed over a cup of tea and asked casually, "Child, have you been in Lin Yuan City all these years...? Has your cultivation gone smoothly? Have you ever gone to a sect to cultivate...?"

These kinds of questions were all attempts to find out Li Wudao's background.

Li Wudao wasn't foolish enough to reveal everything; he gave vague answers and casually made up some past experiences to gloss over the situation.

"Oh, I see..."

Wang Weiyong looked thoughtful, as if he was pondering and weighing something, and occasionally asked him a few questions.

Li Wudao was also very cautious and dealt with everything very well.

Gradually, the atmosphere became somewhat cold and quiet.

"Old Master, I just heard the Wang family head mention my father, and I would like to know more about the progress of this matter."

Li Wudao frowned slightly. He really didn't want to stay any longer, so he simply asked about Li Jing's whereabouts.

Upon hearing this clearly distant form of address, Wang Weiyong's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly nodded without changing his expression:

"I didn't want to tell you this, for fear you'd do something foolish, but since you've asked, I might as well tell you."

His eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he said:

"As far as I know, your father committed a crime that brought disaster to the country. After a joint trial by the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate, the evidence is conclusive. Now, we await His Majesty's final verdict..."

Li Wudao looked intently at him and said in a deep voice, "Old man, as the current Grand Secretary, you should know whether my father is guilty or not."

Wang Weiyong dared not meet those intense eyes, and subconsciously lowered his head. After a moment of silence, he said bitterly, "I know that Li Jing is not that kind of person."

"However, more than half of the officials in the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are the Crown Prince's men. The Crown Prince himself has declared that no one is allowed to interfere or plead for leniency in this case..."

The eldest prince?!

Li Wudao frowned, sensing something was amiss.

You should know that he and Li Jing had been staying in Linyuan City and had no connection with the Crown Prince. They had never been in contact with him, so why would they be deliberately targeted?