"It's not impossible." Tang Tian'er looked worried. That guy had just come to the merchant's bank to pick up his things, and then he went and arrested the prefect. Is he really my nemesis?

"I'm worried that it will soon implicate the Zhenyuan Chamber of Commerce." Qian Dong had seen that person come to the Chamber of Commerce to pick up something before, so it was hard not to connect the two parties.

"Do you think someone might be behind this?" Tang Tian'er asked, frowning.

"Could it be the Pegasus Merchant Guild?" Qian Dong said. "They've always wanted to take our place."

"Ten Pegasus Merchant Guilds can't compare to us. I'm just afraid they have someone backing them." Tang Tian'er stood up and looked out the window. "Have you found out anything about Zhang Che, the owner of the Pegasus Merchant Guild?"

Qian Dong and the others shook their heads: "This person has a mysterious background and high cultivation level. We have not been able to find any concrete evidence. However, based on our analysis of his past, we suspect that he may have a connection with the Demonic Sect."

"The Demonic Cult?" Tang Tian'er snorted. "These guys are good for nothing but causing destruction. Send someone to keep an eye on the Demonic Cult's branch in Yunzhong County, and report back immediately if there is any unusual activity."

"Yes!" Qian Dong hurriedly accepted the order and left.

Then Tang Tian'er assigned tasks to the other shopkeepers. Seeing their worried expressions, she couldn't help but show her sweet smile again: "Don't worry, everyone. The Zhenyuan Chamber of Commerce has weathered all kinds of storms over the past few hundred years. What is this little thing?"

The shopkeepers all laughed and said, "What the young lady says is true. We are the ones who provoke others, not the other way around. If this matter doesn't involve us, then so be it. But if they want to frame us, we are not easy to bully."

Tang Tian'er smiled and nodded, waved for them to return to their posts, and then sat alone in the room, lost in thought.

...

Meanwhile, Sang Hong brought Zuo Su and the others back to the guesthouse and imprisoned them, then personally interrogated them about the smuggling.

Zuo Su, of course, vehemently denied it, claiming that he had been framed.

They were all seasoned veterans of officialdom, and naturally knew how to deal with these interrogation tactics.

After reviewing it for half a day, we didn't find anything useful.

Sang Hong had no choice but to stop the interrogation and go outside the cell to discuss the matter with Zu An.

"Does Uncle think he is innocent or not?" Zu'an asked.

Sang Hong's face was gloomy, and he shook his head.

Zu'an was startled: "They've finished the interrogation?"

“No, that’s not it,” Sang Hong replied. “This guy is very cunning; he hasn’t revealed any flaws. Unfortunately, that’s precisely his biggest flaw. If he were truly innocent, he would definitely be working with me to investigate who the real culprit is, instead of beating around the bush and spouting meaningless nonsense like this.”

Zu An was immediately filled with respect: "Uncle, you truly have keen insight; you saw through him so quickly."

"Stop flattering me, we're in big trouble now." Sang Hong gave a bitter smile. "I still had a sliver of hope before, that Zuo Su was framed, so the court still had someone useful here. But now even he has problems, which proves that the entire officialdom in Yunzhong is rotten to the core."

"We are now completely isolated and helpless."

He couldn't help but be pessimistic. This time, he only brought a few hundred Imperial Guards. Although they were a considerable fighting force, they were no match for a real army.

Originally, they planned to unite with the Prefectural Governor's forces to counterbalance the Governor's Office, but now even the Prefectural Governor's Office is no longer trustworthy.

"Let's wait until Gao Ying and Pei You bring the others back. Those people don't have Zuo Su's composure. Once someone speaks up, everything will be resolved," Zu An comforted him.

Zuo Su's identity is special, so torture cannot be used against him, but others are not subject to this restriction. The Embroidered-Robed Envoy is most skilled at getting people to talk.

Once the evidence is established, Zuo Su can be dealt with legitimately, and then the military power of the prefect's office can be taken back, leaving no one with any complaints.

"I hope so," Sang Hong knew this was the best outcome, but he quickly frowned slightly. "Why haven't they returned yet?"

Just then, a commotion broke out outside, and soon someone came to report: "Lord Gao and Lord Pei have returned."

Sang Hong and Zu An rushed outside and were shocked to see the two looking dejected: "Where are they?"

Instead of bringing back food for the suspects as expected, the two brought back many stretchers, each covered with a white sheet. Upon seeing this, Sang Hong and Zu An felt a chill in their hearts.

Gao Yingpei explained with a mournful face, "We searched according to the list and found that those people either received advance notice and ran away, or committed suicide in their rooms. We didn't catch a single survivor."

"Silence them!" Zu'an and Sang Hong exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

But that doesn't make sense. They acted so quickly this time, so how could someone be faster than them?

The person hiding behind the scenes must be incredibly powerful.

Just as the group was facing a turbulent storm, heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside.

What was that sound?

The group suddenly turned around.

At that moment, a guard rushed in, shouting, "Report! County Commandant Dong Jin is leading a large army here!"

"What!" The group of people were immediately shocked.

Sang Hong snorted coldly: "How dare you!"

After saying that, he walked out with a stern face. Gao Ying and Pei You hurriedly followed. Zu An waved his hand, telling Yu Linlang to get ready.

When the group arrived outside, they found that the entire residence was surrounded by people.

"Dong Jin, how dare you!" Sang Hong stared at the leader with a grim expression. "Are you planning a rebellion?"

Dong Jin was tall and imposing. Everyone had met him before at the welcome party, but at that time his official rank was relatively low, so he did not sit in the main seat.

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