At this time, the servants and guards in the Prime Minister's residence, under Liu An's orders, strengthened their defenses.
They patrolled back and forth, armed with swords and knives.
His eyes scanned the surroundings warily, the atmosphere tense and oppressive.
The Prime Minister's residence, which was once brightly lit, is now a mixture of firelight and lamplight.
The scene reflected the servants' panicked figures, resembling a living hell.
Thick smoke filled the air, causing people to cough incessantly.
The maids and servants, awakened by the fire, stood in the courtyard, their clothes disheveled.
Their faces were filled with terror as they whispered among themselves, discussing the sudden turn of events.
Upon receiving the news, the commander of the city's defense forces dared not delay.
They immediately mustered their troops and rushed towards the Prime Minister's residence.
The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the night, growing clearer and clearer as it approached.
Shops along the street closed their doors and windows, and pedestrians also went home.
They were afraid of being drawn into this sudden storm.
The city's garrison commander was dressed in armor and rode a tall horse.
He led hundreds of soldiers in a grand procession to the front of the Prime Minister's residence.
He dismounted, strode quickly to Liu An, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:
"Your Excellency, I am late in coming to your rescue, please forgive me!"
His tone was respectful, but he couldn't hide his nervousness.
Liu An's face was gloomy, and he waved his hand.
"Rise, there's no need for such formalities."
"The mansion has been attacked. You must immediately lead your men to seal off the surrounding streets, search every house, and bring the culprit to justice!"
Upon receiving the order, the commander immediately rose and directed the soldiers to take action.
The soldiers quickly dispersed and surrounded the streets around the Prime Minister's residence.
Armed with swords and knives, they searched house to house, leaving no corner unchecked.
The people were awakened by the sudden search and came out of their homes to inquire about the situation.
The soldiers shouted at them to go home immediately and not to interfere with official business.
The noisy search operation continued until dawn.
However, apart from the charred remains of the thunderbolt, nothing was found.
The soldiers returned to the Prime Minister's residence dejectedly and reported back to Liu An.
Liu An listened to his soldiers' report with a gloomy face, his expression growing increasingly grim.
After a night of searching, no clues were found except for the metal lump that had been blown to pieces.
Those damned assassins seemed to have vanished into thin air.
...
The sky over Beijing was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.
The cheetahs, mingling with the caravans entering the city, were all in high spirits, ready to leave the city.
However, before they had gone far, several city guards blocked their way.
"Halt! Routine inspection!"
A man who appeared to be the captain of the city's defense forces shouted loudly.
The cheetah inwardly knew something was wrong, but outwardly remained calm.
"Sir, we are law-abiding merchants, and this is our travel permit."
The city defense army captain walked up to Cheetah, looked him up and down, and asked in a deep voice:
"Where do you come from? What brings you to the capital?"
The cheetah forced a smile and said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Sir, I come from the north to sell some furs, and I'm planning to sell them in the south."
As he spoke, he took a piece of animal hide from the truck behind him and handed it to the city defense army commander.
"Sir, look, this is a top-quality fox fur, warm and comfortable."
The city defense army captain took the animal hide, his rough fingers stroking the soft fur, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, another soldier rushed over and whispered a few words in his ear.
The city defense army commander's expression changed drastically, becoming extremely serious.
"Last night, the city was attacked by a group of rebels."
"For the next few days, only entry is allowed, no exit. Everyone must undergo inspection!"
The city defense commander threw the animal hide back into the cheetah's hands, his tone forceful.
The cheetah frowned slightly, thinking to himself that things were not going well and that plans could not keep up with changes.
He suppressed his unease and forced a helpless smile onto his face:
"Sir, this... I have urgent business to attend to."
As he spoke, he quietly slipped a piece of silver into the hand of the city defense army captain.
"It's just a small token of my appreciation, but I hope you can do me a favor, sir."
The city garrison commander calmly pocketed the loose silver, his tone remaining unyielding:
"This is an order from above, and no one can disobey it!"
"Go back now, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
Seeing that things were hopeless, the cheetah could only sigh helplessly and lead the group back into the city.
The pedestrians dispersed, each searching for an inn to stay in.
The cheetah entered an inn called "Yuelai Inn" and asked for a superior room.
He pushed open the door, looked around, and only after confirming that the room was safe did he walk to the table and sit down.
He took out a piece of paper from his pocket, dipped it in tea, and wrote a few lines of small characters on it:
Martial law is in effect in the capital, and people are temporarily unable to leave the city.
The cheetah rolled the paper into a thin roll, stuffed it into a small bamboo tube, and then released a carrier pigeon.
The carrier pigeon flapped its wings and flew into the distance, carrying news of the cheetah towards Shannan Prefecture.
At this moment, Chen Qingwan sat upright in the Golden Palace, her phoenix eyebrows slightly furrowed, her expression solemn.
She had just returned to the capital two days ago and immediately began to deal with government affairs.
He also pondered how to deal with that old fox, Liu An.
That old bastard dared to use her army without her permission while she was away; he's really asking for trouble!
She was plotting how to weaken Liu An's power.
At this moment, Liu An, accompanied by a large group of ministers, entered the Golden Palace in a grand procession.
Liu An walked to the front of the hall, bowed deeply, and said in a somber voice:
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