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With a "thud", the arrow pierced through the curtain and nailed to the compartment board, and the long tail feathers shook endlessly.

Being pressed on the seat by a hand, Lu Jian's breathing became a little rapid. There were already three or four arrows stuck in the place where he had been sitting just now, and the sound of arrows hitting the wall of the compartment was like rain hitting banana leaves, making a constant sound.

They were all powerful crossbows from the army. If the carriage had not been reinforced with iron plates and cotton cloth, they would not have been spared even if they lay down.

Even though he had experienced many dangerous situations and was not completely ignorant of this, his heart was still beating fast, and he was on the verge of life and death.

However, the hand pressing on his shoulder did not tremble at all, but was firm and powerful, protecting him firmly underneath.

The changed face lost its original beauty and looked a little strange, but it made people feel at ease.

The shouting and screaming outside was loud for a moment, then gradually faded away. The hand pressing on his shoulder loosened, and the man whispered to him, "Stay still, I'll go take a look."

Before he could say anything to stop him, the other party had already lifted the curtain and jumped out of the car.

Without trying to sit up, after a while, Lu Jian raised his hand to touch his shoulder and gently exhaled the breath that was held in his chest.

The battle outside has basically ended. The group of officers and soldiers were killed and wounded on the ground. The guards of the Lu Mansion are checking them one by one to make sure that no one is left alive.

When Lu Sanding saw Cheng Xi get out of the car, he immediately went to meet him and whispered, "Boss Cheng, everything has been handled here and the people have been evacuated. Is there really no problem?"

This was also what he was most worried about. Murder would leave traces. As long as the government was determined, how could they not find the results? The most terrible thing was that they had already known the background of this group of people. They were not thieves in disguise. If they were tracked down, they would have no explanation.

Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Don't worry, someone will cover it."

To prevent assassinations, the most important thing is to know where the enemy comes from. She didn't choose to strike when the bandits arrived, but had to wait until they left before taking action. She also blew up the government office right away. She didn't believe that there was no traitor.

When the city is under martial law, the most common people are naturally the patrolling officers and soldiers. If you choose a team to take action during an inspection, it would be difficult to defend against.

The only question is whether Ning Fu can find a suitable candidate.

If there hadn't been an invasion by bandits, it would have been difficult. However, with Panyu City in distress, countless garrisons had mobilized their forces. Wouldn't it be easy to bribe the centurions and thousand-man households to act secretly? Furthermore, since the government office was under attack, they didn't have to take much risk. They could simply claim that bandits were hiding in Lu Jian's carriage and act in broad daylight.

As for whether or not this would offend the Red Flag Gang, the navy might have some concerns if it was a maritime force, but what would the garrisons on land fear? Could it be that the Red Flag Gang would declare war on the imperial court for one of their own?

This is an extremely simple arrangement, but one with a very high success rate. Ning Fu chose a smart person, and he did things perfectly.

This group of people had been patrolling here for two days and could not find any flaws. When they got close, they knew to let Lu Jian show his face and make sure that the target was in the car. Therefore, when they started to attack, they were really swift and unexpected, making it impossible to defend against them.

Unfortunately, they found the wrong person. Cheng Xi was in this line of work and had an extraordinary ability to detect the environment. He got out of the car first in order to confirm the target.

Whether someone has the intention to kill, what weapons they carry, and when they are ready to strike is just a matter of a glance. Once the target is locked, the ambushers waiting nearby can prepare.

She had deployed personnel at every checkpoint from Lu Mansion to the bank, using small shotguns.

This thing is made of thick bamboo tubes and uses lead bullets. It is not very powerful, but it is enough to be used at distances like in streets and alleys, and the results are obvious.

There were shouts and explosions. Such a loud noise naturally caused a commotion. Soon, a group of yamen runners and soldiers surrounded them.

Seeing that the dead were all officers and soldiers, many of them immediately drew their swords and yelled at the Lu Mansion's men. However, Lu Sanding stepped forward and shouted, "My lords, the one in the carriage is my master, the son of Lu Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel and the head of China Merchants Bank. Just now, thieves attacked with firearms, killing and injuring countless people. Please report this to the authorities immediately and send someone to escort us to the government office!"

These words immediately made the yamen runners suspicious and uncertain. They knew Mr. Lu's character best, and they also knew who was behind China Merchants Bank. Shouting for help to the police was enough to make them shudder.

The officers and soldiers were naturally a little afraid of the "Minister of Personnel." Besides, how could they not tell whether firearms were used or where the wounds were? It was indeed an attack from behind, and although there were signs of fighting on both sides, the matter had already come to a head, and there was no need to report it to the authorities. Who would be willing to be the first to do so?

During this hesitation, the Lu family's carriage had already changed direction and was about to head towards the government office.

The yamen runners were helpless and could only shout, "Hurry up and send someone to collect the body and check if the thieves who were lying in ambush are still here."

After looking around and seeing nothing unusual, Cheng Xi turned around and got on the car. Inside the car, Lu Jian also sat up at this moment, but he didn't sit next to the window, and squeezed awkwardly in the corner. When he saw Cheng Xi, he immediately asked, "How are you?"

"The assassin has been dealt with, but it is still unknown whether there is a backup plan. The rest will have to be dealt with by you..." Cheng Xi did not hesitate and explained the details in detail.

Lu Jian had learned about Cheng Xi's arrangement before, but he was a little skeptical that the Changjing Gang would really use government troops to assassinate him. Now he has nothing to say, and it's just a matter of how to end it.

This was Lu Jian's strong point. Because of the prison break, the previous prefect was stripped of his official hat. The new prefect unfortunately encountered a battle between the Red Flag Gang and the government army, and was even more respectful to Lu Jian.

Now that I have been implicated, how can I retreat?

Escorted by a group of people, the carriage arrived safely at the government office.

Because of the explosion the day before, the wall of the yamen was still in tatters, and many craftsmen were busy resting. Lu Jian ignored these people and took Cheng Xi straight into the yamen.

Prefect Liu had heard the news a long time ago and was now like an ant on hot pan.

How could he be so unlucky to have to take over such a mess! Previously, when the Red Flag Gang defeated the government troops, all the blame fell on that unlucky Wang Ling, which at least had nothing to do with him. Later, the Red Flag Gang reorganized the coastal areas and even set up a bank, so he got some benefits from it.

It was for this reason that Lord Liu would never dare to offend Mr. Lu. He didn't expect that Lu Jian would encounter an assassin just after his doorstep was bombed, and even implicated a team of officers and soldiers. It was really a headache just thinking about it!

"Lord Liu, someone is trying to assassinate me in broad daylight. Is there no one in Panyu City to take charge?"

As soon as the voice rang out, Prefect Liu's forehead began to sweat. He hurried forward and said with a smile, "Look at what you are saying, my dear nephew. My office has been bombed. Who can I complain to?"

Just from the title, one could tell the attitude of the prefect Liu, but Lu Jian did not appreciate it: "My Lord, I'm afraid you don't know the inside story. It's not just the bandits who are ambushing me today, but also the soldiers who are drawing their swords."

Prefect Liu opened his eyes wide: "How is this possible?"

"How is it impossible? How many people can produce so much gunpowder now? What if they start with the government office first and then kill me, causing great anger at the sea, can this Panyu City still be saved?" Lu Jian said with a cold face.

Liu Zhifu's legs went weak, and he quickly sat back down. What did "on the sea" even mean? He swallowed hard for a long time before saying, "I don't think so. There are too many foreign troops in the city right now. Maybe they are just bandits in disguise. Besides, if they are all bandits, why would they kill even their own people..."

Before Prefect Liu could finish his words, Lu Jian laughed and said sarcastically, "Firearms are very effective. If my guards weren't dressed so warmly, I don't know how badly they would have been injured. If they couldn't distinguish between friend and foe, wouldn't they have been wiped out? If you think it's not important, why don't you check my carriage to see how many arrows are stuck in it and how many of them are made by the army."

Prefect Liu's expression was so tense that he quickly said, "I'll tell Captain Jia about this matter and have him investigate it thoroughly. He'll definitely give you justice. Don't worry, the safety of Panyu City is our top priority. If you're worried, I'll send you some more runners..."

Lu Jian waved his hand and said, "Forget about the yamen runners. Your Excellency's government office has been bombed to such an extent that I dare not let the yamen runners get close to me."

Prefect Liu was startled, a chill running down his spine. Could there be a traitor within the government? Indeed, how could such powerful gunpowder be buried in the wall and ignited? Someone must have orchestrated it, right? His unfortunate predecessor had suffered the same fate. The jailers had colluded with one another, allowing the death row to be robbed and costing him his position.

But now, if he is not careful, he may lose not only his official position, but more likely his life!

Liu Zhifu was sweating profusely. He hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Then, then my nephew thinks..."

Knowing that he was also afraid, Lu Jian smiled reassuringly: "If your uncle doesn't mind, my men can help investigate. We are all from the underworld, so it won't be difficult to catch a traitor. Now you and I are tied together, so we should take care of each other."

This was much more pleasing to the ear than the previous one. Prefect Liu quickly said, "My dear nephew, you are kind. I am also new here, so how can I find anyone suitable for you? Alas, in this world, who has it easy?"

"They are just some jumping clowns. Uncle, don't worry. I will take care of it. But in the army, you still have to step in to prevent any more trouble." Lu Jian warned.

The Dagan Dynasty has always governed the military with civil power. Even though the prefect is being cautious now, if he really meets a captain or a captain, he can still scold him at will.

Moreover, they were all from outside. To be honest, Governor Liu was worried. What if they really colluded with the bandits and captured Panyu City?

Having said this, they had reached a consensus. Everyone had to get busy. Prefect Liu personally escorted the person to the door, which was considered the utmost courtesy.

After walking out of the door, Lu Jian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and turned to look at Cheng Xi. Unexpectedly, she was still like a proper servant, with her eyes on her nose and her nose on her heart, and she had no sense of existence at all.

Somehow, Lu Jian laughed, shook his sleeves, regained his former spirit, and got into the tattered carriage.