After the constables dragged the person hiding behind the haystack out and pushed her in front of Duolong, it turned out she was another elderly woman.

"Why is it another woman?" Duolong thought to himself.

Having captured the assassin who had attempted to kill the Seventeenth Prince, Duolong felt somewhat relieved. He ordered the constables to keep a close watch on the woman, and then he went to report back to the Seventeenth Prince, Yunli. The Seventeenth Prince was already in bed, being attended to by Chen Guo.

After repeatedly apologizing, Magistrate Lou returned home with a heavy heart, leaving behind the group of yamen runners to protect the Seventeenth Prince. The doctor examined each of the guards who had been poisoned, and it turned out they had all been given a sleeping potion.

After Duolong and Doctor Chen Guo helped prepare the antidote, they fed it to the unconscious guards one by one.

Seventeen wrote a letter overnight, sending everything that had happened here to Fourth Master via carrier pigeon. By the time everything was arranged, it was already past midnight when Duolun arrived at his room.

Doron felt no fatigue whatsoever; on the contrary, he was somewhat excited. Having captured the assassin, he could finally give an explanation to his subordinates.

Now, Prince Yunli, the Seventeenth Prince, enjoys the deep trust of Prince Yinzhen, the Fourth Prince. This naturally attracts a chorus of reactions from other princes—envy, jealousy, and even hatred, especially from the Eighth Prince's faction, who are truly resentful. By the way, the assassination attempt on the Seventeenth Prince might have been carried out by someone from the Eighth Prince's faction.

Having considered this, and without waiting for dawn, Duolong ordered his men to interrogate the assassin.

To avoid alerting the Seventeenth Prince, Yunli, he ordered his men to bring the assassin he had been fighting to his inner chamber. Duolong wanted to personally interrogate the assassin that night, and the guards shoved and jostled the bound assassin before him. Looking at her, the assassin was a young and beautiful woman, very young, tall, and despite being dressed in black, her shapely figure was still evident. Although her face was smeared with grass and mud, in the bright candlelight, her almond-shaped eyes, beneath her arched eyebrows, were lively and expressive. In a different setting and with different clothes, this woman could easily be a woman who could win a man's heart; it was a pity she had become an assassin.

Duolong sat upright, with guards standing on either side. Duolong narrowed his eyes and began to scrutinize the woman. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he shouted, "Who ordered you to assassinate the Seventeenth Prince? And how did you know that the Seventeenth Prince lived here?"

The woman showed no fear; she merely glanced at Duolong, then kept her cherry-like lips tightly shut and remained silent.

Doron coughed lightly and said in a tone that was both soft and firm, "Do you know that I can make even the strongest man talk? But I pity you, a weak woman, who has been deceived by others. I don't want to torture you."

He refused to believe that a mere woman could be subdued. His entourage, threatening like wolves, clamored around him, but Duolong raised his hand to stop them, indicating his willingness to untie the woman. He believed there was no need for a major confrontation; a little appeasement would surely convince her.

Unbound, the woman stretched her numb arms, ignoring Duolong and the others as if she were in her own boudoir. She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and began wiping the mud and weeds from her face. Seeing her blatant disregard, the guards shouted. The woman remained unfazed. Suddenly, she smiled at Duolong and the others, a smile both alluring and enigmatic, yet also deeply meaningful. Then, she bit off a corner of the handkerchief…

"Oh no!" Duolong's heart sank. He rushed forward to snatch the embroidered handkerchief, but it was too late. The woman had already collapsed limply, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth...

Doron kicked one of the guards beside him away and cursed, "Damn it, her plan has failed?"

Alas, he was filled with remorse. After a night of searching, he had finally caught the assassin, only to be careless and let him commit suicide right before his eyes. What a loss of face he had lost…

At daybreak, Duolong came to see the Seventeenth Prince Yunli, dejected. Fortunately, the Seventeenth Prince was kind and did not scold him, but instead comforted him with kind words.

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