The scattered machine guns showed no signs of damage.

Moreover, Mo Yunhan didn't know much about mechanical arts.

But he absolutely refused to believe that there was anything wrong with Luo Jiu's map, and that the Ministry of War would never dare to tamper with such a matter.

He slowly stood up.

"Just as General Qin said, pack all the parts into boxes and seal them away. When we return to the capital, we will summon all those involved and bring them to the Zhaoyang Palace for a confrontation."

Seeing his composure and intimidated by his god-like presence, the soldiers no longer had any doubts and responded in unison.

Qin Minglang's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything more.

Just then, an old man came over, leaning on a cane and trembling.

"You...you're the leader, right?"

Qin Minglang coldly rebuked him.

"How dare you! This is the Ninth Prince of the current dynasty, ordered to attack the city. Using your bandit leader's title to spout nonsense, you'll lose your head!"

The surrounding people became increasingly fearful and apprehensive.

The old man argued, tapping his cane.

"Why are you attacking the city? What crime have we committed? Even princes of the Great Zhou cannot be unreasonable!"

Some soldiers tried to step forward and take the man down.

Mo Yunhan raised his hand to stop him.

"Old man, who are you?"

The old man's clothes were clean, and he looked like an old scholar.

Hearing this, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

“I am the street chief here. You seem like a reasonable person, so why did you lead your troops to attack us and kill the city guards?”

Mo Yunhan sized him up.

This person's demeanor and words do not suggest that he is lying.

He thought for a moment, then took out a drawing of a golden hooked scimitar from his pocket and unfolded it.

"Old man, have you seen this in the city?"

The old man stepped forward to examine it closely, then shook his head.

I've never seen it before.

He then called over the surrounding people to identify him, but they all shook their heads and didn't know.

Judging from their breathing and footwork, Mo Yunhan knew they were not skilled in martial arts.

They are indeed just ordinary people.

But Mo Yunzhao went to great lengths to have him lead troops out of the capital to suppress the rebellion; how could he possibly give him such incorrect information?

Even if there are ulterior motives, at least we should put on a show and give him a real bandit's den, which would be better than the present situation.

He carefully put the blueprints away.

"Old man, is there a blacksmith shop in town?"

The old man nodded immediately when he saw that the old man's attitude was very good.

"Yes, there are three, but the best craftsmanship comes from Zhang the blacksmith in the east of the city."

"Please take me to see it."

After Mo Yunhan finished speaking, he looked at Qin Minglang and said, "General Qin, you shall stay here and not allow anyone to leave the city or harm the people in the city."

Qin Minglang wanted to go with them.

"Your Highness, may I accompany you?"

Mo Yunhan glanced at him indifferently.

"General Qin's injuries have not yet healed; he should rest."

The old man led Mo Yunhan toward the east side of the city. Along the way, Mo Yunhan spoke gently, chatted about everyday things, and observed the surrounding streets. There was nothing unusual.

I learned from the old man that Qingfeng Village used to be just an ordinary village, but it was later attacked by bandits who looted a lot of treasure and killed people.

After discussing it, the villagers spontaneously built a city wall, which gradually became the Qingfeng Village we know today.

The village is mostly inhabited by locals, but also by some homeless migrants with tragic pasts.

The local people are simple and self-sufficient. Although they are subject to the local county government, the village chief sends tribute money to the county government every year. The villagers also avoid going out and causing trouble, so they do not add to the burden of the county government. The county magistrate is naturally satisfied.

When they arrived at the blacksmith shop in the east of the city, they found a wooden sign on the door indicating that it was closed.

The door was locked; Zhang the blacksmith wasn't home.

The old man looked completely bewildered.

"Could it be that Zhang the blacksmith went out of town to work?"

Through the window, Mo Yunhan could see that the forging tools were still there, and the furnace fire was still burning.

There was also a piece of forged iron lying on top.

Clearly, Zhang the blacksmith left in a great hurry.

Mo Yunhan looked at the old man.

"Besides the city gate, are there any other ways out of the village?"

The old man shook his head.

"No, we built the city walls to protect ourselves, so we couldn't have left so many gates. Besides, if there were gates, we would have definitely fled when you attacked the city."

Mo Yunhan coldly said, "If it was to protect yourself, and you were robbed by bandits, why didn't you leave a way out when you built the city wall?"

The old man looked somewhat uneasy and subconsciously glanced towards the back of the mountain.

But he immediately looked away and explained in a gruff voice, "Things are different now. There's a government office here now, and we've trained guards in our village to protect the gate. Bandits don't dare to come easily."

Mo Yunhan didn't ask him any more questions. He kicked open the blacksmith's door and went inside.

The old man stamped his feet in frustration.

"You are a prince, how can you do what bandits do, trespassing on private property? You're going to incite public outrage!"

Mo Yunhan ignored him.

After going inside and checking everything, they found no clues about the golden hook scimitar, only some ingenious parts, the purpose of which was unknown.

He put on various costumes and then looked at the old man.

"The imperial court has received a secret letter stating that Qingfeng Village is harboring traitors and has over a hundred soldiers. Until this matter is thoroughly investigated, we need to stay in the village and take over everything there. We would appreciate it if the village chief could find us a larger residence."

Although the old man was somewhat reluctant, he did not refuse.

“There’s a council hall in the village where the villagers usually discuss matters. The house is big enough, but there aren’t enough rooms for people to live in. With so many soldiers like you, I don’t think there will be enough room.”

"It's alright."

Mo Yunhan replied.

The two returned to the city gate, where Ye Qi and the others had already returned.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!