Princess Mingyue was still sobbing, tears streaming down her face.
Lu Yan remained completely unmoved, and even thought of lighting a cigarette.
This little brat is quite the actress.
Unfortunately, he ran into his own old fox.
"Alright, alright, Your Highness, I believe you are innocent."
Lu Yan spoke in a perfunctory tone, as if he were coaxing a child who was crying incessantly.
Upon hearing this, Princess Mingyue immediately stopped crying.
A pair of large, watery eyes stared intently at Lu Yan:
"Really? Lord Lu no longer suspects me?"
"nature."
Lu Yan gave a forced, insincere smile.
"Her Highness is of noble birth; how could she do such a despicable thing?"
Princess Mingyue stopped crying and started laughing. She grabbed Lu Yan's sleeve and said coquettishly:
"I knew Lord Lu was the best!"
Lu Yan subtly withdrew his sleeve, thinking to himself:
Hehe, little girl, you're still too green.
After seeing Princess Mingyue off, the smile on Lu Yan's face vanished instantly.
He summoned Li Kui and Night Owl, his face terribly grim.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
Li Kui and Night Owl asked in unison.
"The assassin at the banquet was definitely not from the Northern Xiang Kingdom."
Lu Yan said coldly.
"In my opinion, the mastermind behind this must be someone within our Great Tong Dynasty!"
Li Kui and Night Owl exchanged a glance, both looking shocked.
"What does Your Excellency mean..." Li Kui asked tentatively.
"Hmph! Those old scoundrels in the court can't stand my reforms, so they sent assassins to kill me. They're incredibly audacious!"
A cold glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.
"I'd like to see what tricks they have up their sleeves!"
"Your Excellency is wise!" Li Kui and Night Owl said in unison.
"Night Owl, you are to conduct a secret investigation into the personnel within the government office, as well as any suspicious individuals who have recently entered or left Shannan Prefecture."
Lu Yan gave the instructions.
"We must find the mastermind behind this and locate the assassin!"
"Yes!" Night Owl accepted the order and left.
"Li Kui, strengthen the defenses of the government office to prevent the assassins from attacking again."
Lu Yan continued:
"Furthermore, send someone to the capital to keep a close eye on those officials in the court. Report any unusual activity to me immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" Li Kui bowed and accepted the order.
After Night Owl left, Lu Yan sat alone in the study, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as he fell into deep thought.
Those old fogies in the court are all cunning and treacherous.
Finding out the mastermind behind this is easier said than done.
However, I, Lu Yan, am not one to be trifled with.
Since you want to play, then I'll play with you!
Lu Yan's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with cunning.
"A bunch of rabble, you dare to fight me?"
At this time, Shannan Prefecture appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging beneath.
The owl transforms into a ghost of the night, moving in and out of the government office to gather all sorts of intelligence.
Li Kui then led his men to strengthen the defenses of the government office, turning it into an impregnable fortress.
Lu Yan pretended to be nonchalant on the surface.
Secretly, they were plotting, waiting for the mastermind behind the scenes to slip up.
......
The next day, Lu Yan was reviewing official documents in his study.
Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
"My lord, we've found the assassin who attempted to kill us at the banquet that day!"
The owl's voice carried a hint of excitement, but also barely concealed his exhaustion.
Lu Yan put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and the ink from the tip of the brush spread on the rice paper.
It formed a small ink flower, just like his calm and undisturbed mood at that moment.
"Oh? So fast? Where was it caught?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the assassin was hiding in a dilapidated temple outside the city. Your men captured him."
The owl answered respectfully.
"Take me to see it."
Lu Yan stood up, straightened his official robes, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
He wanted to see who had the audacity to run wild on his Shannan Prefecture's territory.
The interrogation room in the government office was dark, damp, and smelled musty.
Under the dim light of an oil lamp, a figure was tied to a wooden frame.
His body was covered in wounds, his face was bruised and swollen, and he was no longer recognizable as he used to be.
Lu Yan slowly approached, looking down at the dying assassin with an icy tone.
"Speak! Who sent you to Shannan Prefecture to assassinate me?"
The assassin struggled to lift his head, revealing a bloodied and mangled face.
A few knocked-out teeth are still faintly visible.
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and mumbled incoherently:
"You...you're Lu Yan, aren't you...I'm going to kill you!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan sighed helplessly and shook his head, saying:
"You choose the path to heaven but refuse to take it, while you insist on coming to hell when there is no way out."
"Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being impolite."
He waved his hand, signaling Night Owl to continue the interrogation.
The owl understood immediately and picked up a red-hot branding iron from the brazier next to the rack.
The branding iron had a strange shape, with one end split like a flower petal, and was now gleaming with a chilling dark red light.
Night Owl grinned maliciously as he walked step by step toward the assassin.
The smile looked particularly sinister and terrifying in the flickering firelight.
"ah--"
The moment the branding iron touched the skin, a piercing scream echoed throughout the interrogation room.
It lingered in the damp air, sending chills down your spine.
A foul stench of burnt flesh filled the air, irritating Lu Yan's nasal cavity.
The assassin's body trembled violently, his hands, bound to the wooden frame, struggling desperately.
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