Outside the Huìtóng Hall, within Dōngjiāng Rice Lane, soldiers and horses were in disarray. The Yǔlín Army seemed to be facing a formidable enemy.

Li Xuān’s anger surged. The Xià prince’s double had died on the road, and the Yǔlín Army responsible for the escort could not escape blame.

This was a hundred thousand li of urgent news!

At this moment, the Gāolǐ envoy had already been forced back into Huìtóng Hall by the Yǔlín Army and was not allowed to step out a single step.

Li Xuān held a sword in his hand, pointing at several Yǔlín Army soldiers brought back from Shídīng. “Zhōu Chóng, Zhōu Lì, Duō Bǎo, Lǐ Cēn, you each lead eighteen men, guard all exits, do not let anyone escape, and absolutely cannot let the eunuch faction know about this matter.”

Chén Jǐ glanced at him. “Too late!”

Li Xuān was stunned for a moment. “What’s too late?”

Chén Jǐ explained, “The Mìyǔ Office is always catching Jǐng Dynasty spies. When the Gāolǐ envoy came to pay tribute previously, they changed into plain clothes and hid among the common people! When we came out from Xióngtiān Gate, there were always secret spies following us! As soon as the double died, they immediately went back to report! There are over a hundred Gāolǐ envoys; it’s fundamentally impossible to find the murderer in such a short time! Once the Mìyǔ Office arrives, the Yǔlín Army won’t be able to stop them!”

Li Xuān’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed. “How can this be good? That poisonous prime minister is waiting for an opportunity to retaliate against the Qí, Chén, and Xǔ families. You are all related by marriage. If the eunuch faction gets a hold of this, even if you don’t die in the Èdì Prison, you’ll be stripped of a layer of skin.”

Chén Jǐ calmly said, “Since the matter has come to this, prepare for the worst. It’s hard to say you won’t have to take a trip to Èdì Prison!”

The deputy commander Zhào Zhuófán, who had argued with them at the Jīngjīng Office earlier, suddenly let out a cold laugh. “The envoy came out under your escort; this matter has nothing to do with me. I just won’t wade into this muddy water with you all!”

After saying that, he called to his subordinates. “Let’s go.”

Li Xuān said in a deep voice, “You can’t go. If you go, the remaining people here are fundamentally not enough to seal Dōngjiāng Rice Lane. If the envoy tries to escape, no one can bear the responsibility.”

Zhào Zhuófán looked at him askance. “What? Commander Lǐ, can you possibly command me? Even Commander Chén has been dismissed, that’s something to talk about when the new commander arrives.”

Li Xuān stepped forward and said in a condensed voice, “I know you are angry, but Chén Wénrén’s dismissal has nothing to do with me or others. He was negligent in his duties, he brought it upon himself!”

He held his sword and stood opposite Zhào Zhuófán, continuing, “Since the founding of my Níng Dynasty, never has an envoy died within the Heavenly Dynasty’s territory! This is not assassinating one person, this is breaking the hairpin tassel alliance, cracking the clan vassals! If not thoroughly investigated, Liúqiú, Ānnán, and various vassals will surely doubt my Great Níng’s prestige, and the tribute routes of the five borders will collapse from then on! At this time, we should prioritize the overall situation and first bring the murderer to justice. How can we make a joke of it because of personal feelings?”

Zhào Zhuófán turned around and walked away. “Stop using that big hat to label me, go.”

Li Xuān suddenly asked, “I’ll ask you one more time, do you really want to leave?”

Zhào Zhuófán said without looking back, “Leave.”

However, just at this moment, Li Xuān raised his hand and the sword fell. One sword struck down from Zhào Zhuófán’s neck, and his head rolled to the ground!

It was like that day at Shídīng when he raised his hand and the sword fell, beheading a general and seizing a flag from amidst ten thousand troops!

Scarlet fresh blood splattered on Zhào Zhuófán’s white cloak and also splattered on Li Xuān’s face. Everyone on the scene was shocked to the extreme!

Qí Jiànzhé exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. Sister-in-law, his little aunt is the second house’s most favored concubine of the Chén family, and you just killed him like this.”

Li Xuān casually wiped the blood from his face. “According to my Great Níng’s law, Chén Wénrén is dismissed. Now I, the Yǔlín Army, only have one commander left, who can temporarily act as the governor! Zhào Zhuófán disobeyed military orders and should be beheaded!”

Zhào Zhuófán’s subordinate soldiers were shocked and doubtful. They looked at the Yǔlín Army soldiers who had followed Li Xuān back from Shídīng, but those Yǔlín Army soldiers quietly looked at Zhào Zhuófán’s rolling head, as if looking at a sheep that had just been slaughtered!

“Vomit.” Zhào Zhuófán’s subordinate soldiers Xiàng Wèi retched!

Li Xuān shook his wrist, swinging the blood from the sword blade. “I ask you all again, do you still want to leave?”

The vomiting soldiers looked at the still-spouting blood from the corpse and hurriedly said, “No, no.”

Li Xuān said loudly, “Now is not the time to vomit. Zhōu Chóng, Zhōu Lì, Duō Bǎo, Lǐ Cēn, lead your soldiers to seal Dōngjiāng Rice Lane. Those who disobey orders will be executed without mercy.”

Zhōu Chóng and the others cupped their fists and responded, “Yes!”

After saying that, the four of them respectively pointed to their soldiers and turned towards the lane entrance!

When they turned around, the white cloaks behind them fanned out and then closed!

Li Xuān then instructed Qí Jiànzhé, “Go to the roof of Huìtóng Hall and keep watch!”

“Okay!” Qí Jiànzhé flipped and climbed onto the roof, standing on the ridge to overlook all directions!

At this time, Chén Jǐ was squatting in the small green stone lane, lowering his head to examine the corpse!

Li Xuān also squatted down and asked in a condensed voice, “How did he die? Poisoned?”

Chén Jǐ did not answer rashly. He lifted the corpse’s clothes and saw that the entire body was black and blue, and the fingertips were even like they had been soaked in ink! He then pinched open the corpse’s mouth, and even the tongue was black!

The corpse presenting a black and blue color was mostly related to lack of oxygen. When the oxygen content in the blood is insufficient, the skin and mucous membranes can appear blue or purple, which is called cyanosis!

Three common poisons that can lead to cyanosis are Āonítīn, Léishénhuā, and Mǎqiánhuā. Among them, Āonítīn is more of a forbidden drug and cannot be bought and sold casually!

However, the onset time of Āonítīn poison is between half an hour and two hours, while Léishénhuā requires several days, even dozens of days!

Chén Jǐ opened his mouth and said, “Mǎqiánhuā, only Mǎqiánhuā can cause immediate poisoning!”

Li Xuān looked at him in astonishment. “You distinguished it so quickly? Is there no possibility that it’s other slow poisons that just happened to take effect at this time?”

“No possibility. Two hours before this double died, he was still in the palace, neither eating nor drinking, so Āonítīn is excluded. Léishénhuā requires daily poisoning. If there was this ability, they shouldn’t have poisoned a double. Besides, they couldn’t control the time of death, so it’s excluded…”

Chén Jǐ said calmly, “Distinguishing what poison it is is not difficult, nor is it important. What is important is… who poisoned him?”

From Wǔmén to Dōngjiāng Rice Lane, he and Li Xuān were always near the sedan chair. They could be sure that no one had approached the sedan chair!

Chén Jǐ parted the corpse’s clothes and checked for traces of blow darts or the like!

None!

Chén Jǐ then felt its clothes, and similarly found nothing!

Li Xuān frowned and said, “Can we find the murderer? The Mìyǔ Office will probably arrive soon!”

Chén Jǐ did not answer, turning his head to look at the Gāolǐ Xià prince inside Huìtóng Hall. “Xià prince, when you entered the palace to face the emperor, you once said that the Jǐng Dynasty thieves had attempted to assassinate you several times?”

The Gāolǐ Xià prince stood inside the door and nodded. “Three times!”

Chén Jǐ asked again, “Where are they? I want to interrogate one!”

The Gāolǐ Xià prince said, “They took poison and killed themselves after being caught. Their appearance after death was exactly the same as this double of mine!”

Chén Jǐ thought for a moment and said loudly, “Where is the secretary official of Huìtóng Hall?”

A middle-aged clerk ran out from inside Huìtóng Hall. “Adult, this humble one is he!”

Chén Jǐ said, “Bring the record of names. I want to check all the items carried by the Gāolǐ envoy group. Every single item should be recorded!”

According to Níng law, when envoys come to the capital, even a needle and thread must be registered, no omissions are allowed!

The secretary official hurriedly said, “Yes, yes!”

He ran back in small steps and came out again holding a thin blue account book. “The items carried have been registered one by one, and there are absolutely no prohibited items!”

Chén Jǐ unfolded the account book. “What was the name of the person who died?”

The secretary official answered, “Jīn Mǐnhé!”

Chén Jǐ flipped through the pages one by one, his gaze settling on a certain page!

Just at this moment, someone was heard outside Dōngjiāng Rice Lane facing the Yǔlín Army, speaking with unquestionable certainty, “The Mìyǔ Office is investigating this matter, retreat!”

This person spoke domineeringly, but his voice was as weak as a thread, as if it would break at any time!

Chén Jǐ calmly put the account book into his bosom. He turned his head to look, and the person who had arrived was impressively a pale-skinned, gloomy-looking middle-aged man!

His lips were gray and white, as if he was suffering from a severe poison and his life was not long!

Li Xuān said in a low voice, “Not good, Xuánshé!”

Chén Jǐ observed carefully and saw that Xuánshé was wearing a black robe, with a square flat fixed crown on his head, a feminine appearance that was neither scholar-like nor eunuch-like!

Behind Xuánshé, there were dozens of black-clothed secret spies with their hands on their waist knives, glaring like tigers watching their prey!

The Yǔlín Army blocked the road. Xuánshé expressionlessly tightened the collar of his black robe, as if no one else was around, and walked into the small lane, forcing the Yǔlín Army to repeatedly retreat!

Ultimately, only Zhōu Chóng and Zhōu Lì, who had returned from Shídīng, remained. They indignantly drew their swords, making a gesture to slash down with one sword!

“Stop.”

Li Xuān sighed in his heart. “Let Master Xuánshé come over.”

Xuánshé glanced at Zhōu Chóng and Zhōu Lì. “Commander Lǐ saved your lives, but since you have drawn your swords against this seat, the death penalty can be waived, but the living penalty is hard to escape!”

As he said this, when he passed by the two, he reached out from the sleeves of his black robe and lightly tapped on the bodies of the two. In an instant, Zhōu Chóng and Zhōu Lì’s eyes suddenly became cloudy, and their mouths were also like they were glued shut with paste, unable to open!

Li Xuān suddenly became angry. “What are you doing?”

Xuánshé passed between the two and said casually, “This seat is Xuánshé, one of the twelve zodiac signs of the Mìyǔ Office, a direct attendant of the emperor, a close attendant of the emperor, who can execute ministers above and all evils below. Not everyone is qualified to draw a sword against this seat! This technique will resolve itself after three days. If you want them to live, pour water for them to drink through their noses!”

At this moment, a mocking voice came from the roof. “Master Xuánshé has such great prestige. He hasn’t even reached the top three positions yet and is already calling himself ‘this seat.’ Even Master Tiānmǎ doesn’t call himself this seat.”

Xuánshé said gloomily, “Nonsense, Master Tiānmǎ fundamentally doesn’t speak!”

“Hahaha, your harsh official methods of the little five decays back then are fine for fooling these young masters of the Yǔlín Army, but don’t casually take them out later to lose face!”

Chén Jǐ raised his head to look and saw only a thin, short man wearing a pair of wooden monkey masks, his body hunched! Qí Jiànzhé, who was originally guarding on the roof ridge, was at this time softly carried in his hand! Bǎohóu!

Before Chén Jǐ could think carefully, a familiar voice came from the roof opposite Bǎohóu. “Yo, how did all the big figures of my Mìyǔ Office come?”

Chén Jǐ didn’t need to look to know it was Jiāotù and Yúnshā.

Extremely lively!

Li Xuān said in a low voice, “Why are there so many people from the eunuch faction?”

Chén Jǐ said in a light voice, “The Sick Tiger is gone!”

Li Xuān was puzzled. “Huh?”

Chén Jǐ explained, “The Sick Tiger is imprisoned in shackles and has been given a death penalty pending by His Majesty. Now the top three zodiac positions are empty, and the remaining zodiacs in the Mìyǔ Office are naturally eager to try! They will do anything for merit, by any means necessary!”

Everyone’s gaze was on Xuánshé as he walked to the front of Huìtóng Hall, silently glanced at the corpse, and said casually, “Mǎqiánhuā!”

Chén Jǐ’s heart tightened. He quietly observed this strange zodiac of the Mìyǔ Office!

Jiāotù was wearing a black outfit, squatting on the eaves and saying curiously, “Xuánshé, how are you sure it’s Mǎqiánhuā, couldn’t it be something else?”

Bǎohóu said in a strange tone, “Little girl, wait until you’ve poisoned hundreds or thousands of people, and you can naturally distinguish what poison it is with a single glance! You and that boy beside you still have a lot of youth ahead of you. You might not want to be tainted by Master Xuánshé. People who damage yin virtue have short lives!”

Xuánshé sneered, “People who come out of Wúniàn Mountain still have something like yin virtue?”

He no longer paid attention to Bǎohóu and turned to look at Li Xuān. “Commander Lǐ, who approached the sedan chair during the escort?”

Li Xuān shook his head. “No one!”

Xuánshé said slowly and methodically, “Is it that no one did, or that Commander Lǐ wants to shield the thief and murderer?”

Li Xuān sheathed his sword. “Master Xuánshé doesn’t need to test me. I, Li Xuān, act upright and sit straight, and will not do those things that disregard national law!”

Xuánshé smiled slightly. “I don’t know if Commander Lǐ has heard of the red embroidered shoes and the pipa hall in my Mìyǔ Office’s prison?”

The so-called red embroidered shoes were the red-hot irons in the Èdì Prison!

And the pipa hall was the place specifically for interrogating prisoners!

Li Xuān ignored his threat and no longer spoke!

Xuánshé looked towards Huìtóng Hall and asked the Gāolǐ envoys, “Who approached the sedan chair?”

The Gāolǐ envoys chattered a lot of unintelligible words. Xuánshé sneered, “Interpreter, come out and speak.”

A fat middle-aged man was seen waving his hand hurriedly. “This has nothing to do with this humble person. This humble person also didn’t notice who approached the sedan chair!”

Xuánshé pointed at the other chattering Gāolǐ envoys. “What are they saying?”

The interpreter hurriedly said, “They are saying, please quickly catch the Jǐng Dynasty thief and murderer and uphold justice for them!”

Xuánshé was silent!

Bǎohóu burst into laughter. “Like a bull’s head and a horse’s mouth! So many foreign envoys speaking bird language, even an expert in criminal cases like Master Xuánshé has to be troubled!”

“Master Xuánshé, quickly catch the Jǐng Dynasty thief and murderer, I’ll give this merit to you!”

Xuánshé said calmly, “Come, people, first clean up the crime scene! Isolate the envoys inside Huìtóng Hall separately, don’t give them an opportunity to collude! Please invite the Hónglú Temple interpreter over and interrogate them one by one. I don’t trust their interpreter!”

The secret spies behind him said in unison, “Yes!”

Bǎohóu tsk-tsked. “Master Xuánshé doesn’t ask questions, just issues orders.”

Xuánshé ignored him and continued, “The Yǔlín Army is to be sent to the Èdì Prison for trial and also isolated separately! Those who dare to resist orders will be executed without mercy!”

Li Xuān subconsciously looked towards Chén Jǐ. “Is there any way? If we are locked up in Èdì Prison…”

Chén Jǐ did not answer, only raising his head and exchanging a glance with Jiāotù, letting the secret spies brought by Xuánshé push him out of Dōngjiāng Rice Lane! On the roof, Bǎohóu leaped down, casually throwing the fainted Qí Jiànzhé to the ground, squatting down to size up the corpse!

Under the mask, a hoarse voice said in a low tone, “Indeed, he died from Mǎqiánhuā poisoning. He died very quickly, without even the strength to struggle. His heart and lungs are both damaged!”

Another sharp voice rang out from under the mask. “Sī Cǎogēng or Sī Cǎobǐng, these two are most skilled at using poison. I’ve been investigating them for a long time and must kill them.”

The first hoarse voice said, “You don’t even know what they look like, how can you kill them? Just boasting!”

Under the mask, a woman’s voice said lazily, “Noisy!”

At this time, Xuánshé walked over, and Bǎohóu’s original voice rang out, “Stop arguing!”

All voices disappeared together!

On the other side, Yúnshā on the roof watched as Chén Jǐ was taken away, saying doubtfully, “It’s the first time I’ve seen this boy helpless. I thought he could find the real murderer on the spot! What is he planning?”

Jiāotù’s mouth curved slightly upward. “I know what he’s planning!”

Yúnshā narrowed his eyes. “You just looked at each other and you know what he wants to do? Are you that in sync?”

Jiāotù said disdainfully, “Does it matter to you?”

Yúnshā was speechless. He was silent for a moment. “Strange, didn’t you say the secret spy who went back to report was blocked by you? How did Xuánshé and Bǎohóu know what happened here?”

Jiāotù squatted on the roof supporting his chin, smiling and squinting. “I sent people to tell them!”

Yúnshā raised his eyebrows. “Why would you divide the merit with them?”

Jiāotù said with interest, “The White Dragon favors that boy Chén Jǐ. If he doesn’t die, becoming a zodiac is probably already a sure thing. We two absolutely cannot suppress him! It’s better to find him some new opponents. With Xuánshé and Bǎohóu, that boy will naturally need to seek help from us two. At that time, he will remember our kindness!”

And joining hands with me, this beautiful sister, is always better than joining hands with those two monsters, right? At that time, we help him kill the snake or the monkey, and his zodiac position will be vacant!

Yúnshā muttered, “Isn’t the Tiger already vacant?”

Jiāotù rolled his eyes. “Is that something we can think about? Although that boy is the East Sea Eagle now, he can’t reach heaven in one step, can he?”