Why should I believe you're telling the truth?
"I only have this one answer, believe it or not!"
Yan Yilun said with certainty, "I met him in front of Changsui Mujing Bay. He seemed to know everything about my situation. Knowing that I would come to Yanchuan City to find my second uncle, he told me about Lingshan and said that it might be useful to me."
Zhao Cheng stared coldly at Yan Yilun, his fanatical expression seemingly genuine.
"Cui Wuming has been missing for so long, I was almost forgetting about him if he didn't reappear soon," Zhao Cheng sneered.
Yang Taozhi said, "As far as I know, Cui Wuming is just a swordsman who has always served as Su Wansan's bodyguard. He is good at killing, but he has no strategy. But Yan Yilun's description showed me a different Cui Wuming."
Zhao Cheng said, "You mean, Cui Wuming was acting under someone's orders?"
Yang Taozhi said, "Either he was instructed by someone, or Yan Yilun is lying."
Yan Yilun immediately said, "I'm not lying! Cui Wuming lost an arm, but his killing intent is very strong. By the way, he also said that his arm was cut off by Xu Qingshan, and he is going to find Xu Qingshan to take revenge!"
Zhao Cheng and Yang Taozhi exchanged a glance.
At this moment, Zhao Yan led a fat man out of the cell and said, "Brother, we've found something!"
When Zhao Cheng saw that the fat man following behind Zhao Yan was actually Zhu Guoneng, he quickly went outside.
Yan Yilun chased after him, shouting, "You still haven't told me..."
"Wait on the side!" Zhao Cheng shouted.
Yan Yilun complained, "I have to wait again..."
Zhao Cheng stopped in front of Zhao Yan and asked, "Third brother, what's going on?"
“Boss Zhu said he knows the old guy who wants to kill you.” Zhao Yan stepped aside, making room for Zhu Guoren.
Zhu Guoneng bowed to Zhao Cheng and said, "Young Prime Minister, it's like this. When you were assassinated, an old servant of mine was in the crowd. He saw the old man and thought he looked familiar, so he came back and told me. When I heard that the matter was related to the Young Prime Minister, I didn't dare to delay and quickly found Third Master to identify the body. That's where we found this person..."
"It really is an old acquaintance!"
Zhao Cheng knew that Zhu Guoneng used so many prefixes to show his loyalty, so he said in a gentle tone, "I am very grateful that Boss Zhu can take me into consideration. Please tell me in detail."
Zhu Guoneng nodded and said, "This old man is named Su Mingcheng. He used to be the Su family's steward."
"The Su family?" Zhao Cheng asked doubtfully, "The Su of Su Wansan?"
"Exactly!"
Zhu Guoneng continued, "Su Mingcheng has a very high status in the Su family. In the past, when my Zhu family dealt with the Su family, it was not easy to even see Su Wansan and his brother, let alone Su Mingcheng. For generations, his family were all servants of the Su family. The surname Su was bestowed upon him by the head of the Su family."
"When it comes to Su Mingcheng, Su Wansan has an excellent relationship with him. He was raised by Su Mingcheng since he was a child and calls Su Mingcheng his 'big companion'."
Zhao Cheng asked, "Why did Su Mingcheng escape when the Su family was exterminated?"
Zhu Guoneng said, "It was probably ten years ago. Su Mingcheng had an accident and injured his leg, which made him less mobile. He was not young at that time. Su Wansan felt sorry for him and gave him a sum of money to live a peaceful life. I heard that he later settled in Jingbei County. Su Wansan had an accident, so he was probably overlooked, or he had already run away by the time the court remembered him."
Zhao Cheng pondered Zhu Guoneng's words, looked at Yang Taozhi, and said, "So, Cui Wuming's search for Yan Yilun, and Su Mingcheng's actions this time, were all for the purpose of avenging Su Wansan?"
Yang Taozhi said, "That's how it is."
Zhao Hu also said, "If Yan Yilun had succeeded, Su Mingcheng wouldn't have needed to make a move. But precisely because Yan Yilun failed, Su Mingcheng had to take a desperate gamble."
"Thank you, Mr. Zhu. You can go back now. I'll remember this favor."
"Young Prime Minister, you flatter me. I shall take my leave now!"
After Zhu Guoneng left, Zhao Cheng said with a solemn expression, "Your analysis is all correct, but there is one point of doubt."
Everyone looked at Zhao Cheng.
Zhao Cheng said, "The Su family shouldn't know about Lingshan."
Yang Taozhi asked, "Do you have someone you suspect?"
Zhao Cheng said, "Sister, you just said that Cui Wuming is just a swordsman and does not have the ability to plan. He must be acting under someone else's orders. So the mastermind behind it must be someone who knows about Lingshan, or someone who does not actually know the details of Lingshan but suspects Lingshan."
"I can only think of one person who meets this requirement." Zhao Cheng glanced at Yang Taozhi and Zhao Hu alternately.
Yang Taozhi and Zhao Hu were both present during the Battle of Lingshan.
"Yang Qingzhi!!" the two said at the same time.
Zhao Cheng nodded and said, "He is the most likely candidate, but it doesn't make sense either."
Zhao Hu was completely confused and asked, "Why doesn't it make sense?"
Yang Taozhi explained, "The Chamber of Commerce has already built factories in Jiangyang County and Yunjing County. Yang Qingzhi is waiting to open up trade between the two countries to make money. He won't make a move against Acheng at this time."
Zhao Cheng said, "There's another point. If Southern Zhou wants to keep the Great Jing in turmoil, it won't actively cause the downfall of either the Left Prime Minister's Mansion or the Right Prime Minister's Mansion. That's why I dared to let Yang Qingzhi go back to Lingshan. You see, he did indeed keep my secret because he knew that the Right Prime Minister's Mansion was too weak at that time, and the emperor suspected my father. If I had become too prominent in Lingshan, the emperor might have taken action against the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, and the Right Prime Minister's Mansion could very well have been destroyed overnight."
"If both the Left and Right Prime Minister's Offices were still in existence, they could not only weaken each other, but also restrain Yuan Zhang."
“His father, Yang Zhanbei, wouldn’t let him do that.”
Zhao Hu frowned and said, "This is wrong, that is wrong, haven't you been talking for nothing?"
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