The special forces soldiers acted swiftly and quickly pried up the paving stone.

Sure enough, there was a hidden passage below that was nearly ten feet wide, enough for two people to pass side by side.

"Your Majesty, a tunnel has been discovered! The silver must have been moved out from here!"

Lin Zhi squatted down by the tunnel, turned to look at Chen Zhennan, and waited for further orders.

"Search this secret passage immediately and find out where the silver went. Thirty-three million taels of silver will definitely leave heavy traces. Pursue them!"

The special forces soldiers immediately split into two teams: one team searched forward along the secret passage, while the other team stayed behind to guard the treasury as a precaution.

Chen Zhennan personally led a team, his figure appearing exceptionally resolute in the torchlight.

The air in the dark passage was damp and cold, and water droplets fell from the walls from time to time, making a dripping sound.

Chen Zhennan's footsteps echoed crisply on the slippery ground. His eyes were alert, and the torch in his hand illuminated the road ahead.

As they ventured deeper, the passageway gradually widened, eventually leading them to a vast underground space.

The place was piled with all sorts of odds and ends, clearly indicating that this was not a temporary base.

Chen Zhennan led the team, continuing to slowly move forward along the winding, dark passage.

The torchlight flickered on the damp walls, casting long shadows.

Half an hour later, they finally arrived at the exit of the tunnel.

The exit is located by the river and is wide enough to accommodate several horse-drawn carriages side by side.

Chen Zhennan stepped out of the tunnel, took a deep breath of cool air, and saw a shimmering river in front of him.

"here……"

Chen Zhennan spoke in a low voice, his gaze sweeping around before finally settling on the tire tracks outside the exit.

The marks were deep and fresh, clearly left from the transport of heavy cargo.

"The silver must have been shipped away." Chen Zhennan's voice carried a hint of helplessness as he turned and asked, "Did anyone take the map?"

However, there was only silence all around. No one answered, and no one knew the direction the river flowed.

Most of the special forces brothers had never been to Beirong City before, and they knew nothing about the terrain.

Chen Zhennan stood by the river, his gaze fixed on the water.

The river flowed quietly, carrying away the silver and his clues.

After thinking for a moment, he could only decide to return the way he came.

This decision was not easy, but without evidence or clues, he could not act rashly.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhennan had no choice but to return the way he came.

Sitting alone in the Imperial Study, Chen Zhennan was deep in thought.

Without evidence or clues, although he suspected that some officials in the court were involved, he had no way to do anything about it.

If they were all arrested and interrogated one by one, rumors would surely spread that he was a tyrant.

A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow; these methods should never be used unless absolutely necessary.

His gaze fell out the window, and he sighed deeply. He had thought that the assassination attempt on Song Yunyang by the Shadows had already revealed a flaw, but he never expected that their real purpose was the national treasury's silver.

Assassinating Song Yunyang might just be a convenient way to mislead oneself; success would be better, but failure wouldn't matter.

Thinking about this, Chen Zhennan became increasingly confused, and he could only start thinking from the beginning.

From the first ambush to entering Beirong City, Xiang Hao was killed, and the tunnel was discovered.

The more he thought about it, the more amusing it became. This was the first time he had been so thoroughly outmaneuvered, and he had been led into a trap step by step by his enemy.

"lead?"

Chen Zhennan's eyes widened slightly as he suddenly realized that he had indeed been led into the game, and that everything had happened so naturally.

Suddenly, Chen Zhennan's eyes widened as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.

"Shiyu!" Chen Zhennan shouted, his voice echoing in the empty study.

Yan Shiyu, who should have been resting, entered upon hearing the noise and knelt on one knee in front of Chen Zhennan.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Chen Zhennan pursed his lips, a hint of difficulty flashing in his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "Gather all the brothers of the special forces and wait for me at Huaming Palace."

Yan Shiyu was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt in his eyes, and asked in bewilderment, "Your Majesty, are you summoning them all?"

“That’s right, gather them all together.”

Why is that?

Chen Zhennan trusted Yan Shiyu completely, so he simply voiced his thoughts.

"There's a mole in the special forces team. I need to catch the traitor."

His voice carried a hint of coldness, each word like a heavy hammer striking Yan Shiyu's heart.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shiyu was startled. He lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and his mind began to wander.

If there is a traitor within the special forces team, then as the team leader, I bear an inescapable responsibility.

Chen Zhennan clicked his tongue, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

"Don't just stand there, this has nothing to do with you, go now!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Yan Shiyu then slowly got up, turned around and gathered all the brothers of the special forces team, telling them to wait at Huaming Palace.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Zhennan slowly walked into Huaming Palace. His steps were steady and powerful, each step seemingly echoing on the marble floor.

All the special forces members knelt on one knee in unison, shouting, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Chen Zhennan waved his hand, "Get up, everyone, don't be so polite."

As he spoke, Chen Zhennan pulled up a chair and sat down in front of everyone.

His gaze was sharp as he scanned the face of each team member, then said calmly, "I've gathered you all here for no other reason than to find out the traitor among you."

The more than one hundred team members looked at each other and began to discuss among themselves. Most of them did not believe that there could be a traitor within the special forces team.

"Your Majesty, the special forces were created by you. The brothers are loyal and devoted. How could there be a traitor among them?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, our brothers have been through thick and thin together all this way. No one has ever cheated or betrayed you."

Chen Zhennan could understand the team members' feelings. They had gone through life and death together, and it was indeed hard to accept that there was a traitor among them.

Chen Zhennan stood up and said in a deep voice, "I have already identified who the mole is. You had better step forward yourself, otherwise you'll never have a good life once I call your name."

The team members' chatter gradually faded, and Huaming Palace fell into a deathly silence once again. Everyone was silently pondering, trying to find answers in their companions' eyes.

Chen Zhennan waited for a while, and when no one stepped forward, he suddenly chuckled.

His laughter echoed through Huaming Palace, carrying a hint of coldness and mockery.

"Lin Zhi! Come out here!"

Chen Zhennan's voice was like thunder, making everyone's heart tremble.

Lin Zhi's body trembled violently as he stepped out of the group, his face full of confusion and a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I..."

Lin Zhi's voice trembled, clearly not expecting Chen Zhennan to single him out.

"Lin Zhi! When did you start working as an inside agent for Shadow?"