After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The cold, white moonlight poured down on the steps of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Fragmented information kept colliding and dissolving in my mind, and then gradually being integrated.

A startling thought flashed through Mu Shu's mind as she dressed in pure black silk, and her heart sank into an ice cellar.

His legs felt like they were filled with lead as he shuffled step by step toward the two vermilion doors of the main hall, the jade belt around his waist gleaming dimly in the moonlight.

The first-rank minister in charge of the Imperial Guard was deathly pale, and his jet-black beard trembled and shook in the wind.

Fei Ting, who has a dog's nose and is good at solving criminal cases, handed him a message.

It is said that the bodies of Yue Le and the others were transported back to Yonghe Temple by carriage, and he carefully examined the bodies.

Yue Le's neck was slashed before he even drew his sword. Judging from the wound, the weapon was a sword.

Of the others, one was stabbed through the throat by a spear, while the remaining three were hacked to death.

The wounds on the five men seemed to match what Ning Baixuan had said: they were caused by the sudden attack and killings by members of the Heavenly Principle Sect, each armed with weapons.

At the same time, Fei Ting observed that Ning Baixuan was carrying a sword, while the Jinyiwei commander under his command was carrying a long bag on his back, which an expert would immediately recognize as two pieces of a spear that had been disassembled.

Other members of the Imperial Guards were equipped with swords, but instead of the Embroidered Spring Blade, they were equipped with broadswords commonly seen in the north.

Ning Baixuan once asked the sticky pole office at Yonghe Temple to replace the knives of his men, saying that their knives had become dull.

Fei Ting was puzzled, so he found the knives that his subordinates had replaced at the Yonghe Temple and compared them one by one.

To Fei Ting's surprise, the knives these people took off were different from the ones on Yue Le and the others, and the smell of blood was also different from that on Yue Le and the others.

Logically, Fei Ting should have stopped there and stopped absurdly believing that Ning Baixuan killed Yue Le.

But Fei Ting, this stubborn young man with a deadpan face, rode back to the now-ruined Southern Embassy.

Ask those present to help him find the knife near where Yue Le's body was found.

Ning Baixuan finally came out from the north gate. Fei Ting then sent people to search for the knives along the road from the east gate to the north gate. Sure enough, they found about ten embroidered spring knives that had been thrown into one place in a collapsed ruin in the fifth courtyard of the main courtyard!

These embroidered spring knives were charred black by the fire, making it difficult to discern the notches. Fei Ting was comparing each knife with the wounds, but due to time constraints, he had not yet found a matching blade.

"I know this matter is too suspicious. Even if the Imperial Guards changed their swords before leaving the embassy, ​​there is no way to determine whether Ning Baixuan and his men really killed Yue Le. But I dare to ask you, sir, to quickly send someone to remind Lord Alin that Yue Le's death must be related to Ning Baixuan, and to have him disarm Ning Baixuan and his men, just in case."

Upon receiving this message from Fei Ting, Mu Shu's heart sank. Fei Ting was always a man of his word, but he wouldn't make definitive statements without solid evidence.

The message sent by the Third Prince was the fatal blow he would receive that night.

"I have verified that tonight's fireworks were set off by Ning Baixuan's men." Mu Shu's hand holding the note trembled. "I can assure Father Emperor with my wife's and my own lives that Han Qing has not been to the capital recently!"

Han Qing... never went to the capital!

This news came as a bolt from the blue for Mu Shu.

So... tonight... Han Qing is not here...

"call……"

He stood outside the hall, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He had no time to think about how the emperor would deal with him after today; now he could only think about making amends for his crimes.

Mu Shu walked into the hall.

There was no Han Qing... but there was a beggar... the beggar who extorted money outside the Sihai Tower.

The beggar must be sending a message to Ning Baixuan.

It's still such a major news story concerning the survival of a nation.

Mu Shu's eyes narrowed slightly.

Originally, Yue Le had arranged for two sentries to be visible and two sentries to be watching the beggar.

The brother who went to hand over the surveillance duties just now reported that three of the four spies were dead and one was wounded. The one who was still alive was almost dead, having been stabbed in the chest, but he was lucky to escape with his life.

"Who is sending the message? Which official is sending it to the Southern Dynasty? Or is it one of the Embroidered Uniform Guard spies who hasn't been found yet?"

Mu Shu, who had been pampered for many years, revealed a long-lost ruthlessness on his face.

After boldly speculating that "Ning Baixuan obtained information about our dynasty's grand plan from a beggar," all of Ning Baixuan's series of unusual behaviors tonight can be explained.

Such an explanation sent chills down his spine, and his heart sank to the bottom as if struck by a hammer.

but……

"There's still time."

He strode in, lifted his robe, and gritted his teeth as he entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Not long after he entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Bang! Another thunderclap echoed through Beijing...

The fiery red sky over Dongjiang Rice Lane, which had finally darkened, suddenly lit up again in a bright red, accompanied by thunder.

Siamese Embassy...

It exploded...

…………

Zhen Susu rode on her horse, holding a torch in her left hand and taking a red cloth strip from a bag next to the big black horse with her right hand. She wrapped it around her left arm a few times, bit one end of the red cloth with her pearly teeth, and tied a knot.

Behind her, more than ten imperial guards and more than twenty servants also took out red cloth strips from the side of their horses and tied them to their left arms.

Chang Rui, the deputy commander of the cavalry of the Imperial Guard, who was riding alongside her, had a big beard. He glanced at Ning Baixuan's beautiful maid on the left, frowned, and said, "Tie a red cloth strip."

The two rows of cavalry behind Chang Rui also turned their heads to look at the group of Southern Dynasty people who suddenly tied red ribbons around their necks.

After Zhen Susu finished tying up, she took out a torn strip of red cloth from the bag with her right hand and handed it to Chang Rui.

She spoke to Chang Rui in fluent Beijing dialect: "Commander Chang Rui, have each of your men tie a piece of cloth to their left arm. Only the left arm, and make sure they don't tie it to the wrong arm."

Chang Rui turned her head away, not only refusing to take the dozen or so red cloth strips held in that slender hand, but also not even glancing at them.

"Girl, you should take it back. Although it was a night raid, with the capabilities of my cavalry, we could crush a bunch of worthless Heavenly Principle Cult thieves before even distinguishing friend from foe. There's no need to tie them with cloth strips yet."

Zhen Susu spoke calmly and melodiously, "Commander Chang Rui, do you know who killed the elite troops led by Commander Tianye?"

Chang Rui turned his head, his full beard giving him a rugged and ferocious appearance, and the light in his eyes even seemed to be devouring people. He sneered:

"What do you mean by this, young lady? Tianye Commander was careless and negligent in his precautions. More importantly, he did not have firearms on hand, which allowed those Heavenly Principle Sect traitors to succeed. However, at least he was loyal to the country."

"Now that my troops are fully equipped with muskets and three-barreled guns, does the young lady really think my Eight Banners cavalry are just for show? That they can't even handle a mere rabble?"

He dispatched ten scouts ahead, and the muskets were all ready. This place was mostly flat, and whether they wanted to launch a sneak attack or ambush them, they would be courting death.

Zhen Susu said calmly:

"Commander Chang Rui, you've got it wrong."