Her breathing was even and calm, not like she was asleep, but more like... she had been drugged.
Ye Zhen finally understood why Li Heng chose to use young children to frame the Charity Hall; it was because he was a beast in human nature.
Those iron cages reminded her of her previous life, and she suddenly clenched her fists.
Just then, footsteps were heard.
They were two men on patrol.
One of them yawned and said, "You're being too cautious. They're closed down, and they've all taken their medicine. What could possibly happen?"
The other person scanned the area with keen eyes, but found nothing suspicious, before saying, "I have a bad feeling about Mu Zili's sudden escape. Let's keep an eye on things."
Mu Zili is the same person who disguised himself as a bearded man and abused a boy in Shibapu last time.
He has never appeared since that incident.
At first, Prime Minister Li suspected that he had been arrested by the Crown Prince, but a few days later someone discovered that he was frequenting brothels in a neighboring city and had even robbed a family.
They also discovered that the Crown Prince did indeed have someone impersonate the bearded man that day. Ordinary disguise techniques could fool others, but not those of them who were familiar with Mu Zili.
Only then did Prime Minister Li dispel his suspicions about the Crown Prince.
However, Mu Zili's betrayal of Anzhai and his escape have always been a source of trouble.
"Didn't the master send people to arrest him? They'll catch him sooner or later. That kid knows he won't have a good ending, so he wouldn't dare expose the secrets of the Dark Abode."
He put his arm around his companion's shoulder and said, "Let's go, we need to rest, we're exhausted."
The footsteps faded away again, and Ye Zhen and Shi Yan emerged from behind a curtain.
Ye Zhen knew that Mu Zili was now being imprisoned in Xie Tingzhou's secret cell, just like Minister Su.
The people who frequented brothels and robbed wealthy merchants were all Xie Tingzhou's men, disguised as Mu Zili's human skin mask.
The mask was made by Ye Zhen, precisely to prevent Li Heng from discovering that Mu Zi Li had fallen into Xie Tingzhou's hands, thus alerting the enemy.
The two continued up the stairs, where the walls were covered with all sorts of masks.
It should be intended for those who come down to enjoy themselves.
These bastards have lost all sense of humanity, yet they've learned to have a sense of shame.
Shi Yan also frowned.
He walked ahead of Ye Zhen, adopting a protective stance.
The second floor should be built on the ground, with a row of neat rooms, and behind it a courtyard wall that is much higher than that of ordinary houses.
Apart from that, it's no different from any other mansion.
After looking around, I discovered that this house had everything from eating and drinking to gambling and prostitution, and there was even a place where people could seduce ecstasy.
This is how Li Heng won people's hearts.
"Father, I want to go up and see where this is."
Coming from underground, it's not far, so this house should be near the Prime Minister's residence.
With that, she lightly touched the ground with her toes and was on the roof.
After looking around and having a better understanding of the situation, he quickly jumped down and headed towards the stairs.
She sensed the aura of a powerful figure approaching, who must be a highly skilled guardian of the house.
Shi Yan sensed this as well, and once again grabbed Ye Zhen's wrist, leading her back to Li Heng's study.
After putting everything back in its place in the study, the two returned to the Marquis's residence.
"The patterns on the secret passage mechanism resemble the totem of the Crescent Moon Clan of the Western Moon Dynasty."
Shi Yan spoke first, “Decades ago, the Crescent Moon Clan ruled the Western Moon Kingdom. They were ambitious and wanted to seek the help of the Great Wei to annex the surrounding countries, but the Great Wei refused. Among the gifts they sent at that time, many items were engraved with their totems.”
Ye Zhen also noticed the wolf head on the lock cylinder. "What happened to the Crescent Moon Clan afterward?"
"About fifty years ago, the Crescent Moon Clan was overthrown and wiped out by the combined forces of the current Western Moon Royal Family and the Muya Clan."
The Great Wei had no intention of getting involved in the conflicts between other countries. Moreover, it was separated by mountains and seas. In addition, countries like Xiyue Dayuan were insignificant small countries in the eyes of the Great Wei and posed no threat to it. Therefore, it did not pay much attention to them.
Shi Yan also saw it in the royal archives, but that was all he knew.
But that was enough for Ye Zhen to have a clue.
"Xie Tingzhou had previously suspected that Li Heng might be a member of another race. Judging from his age, he was nearly ten years old when the Crescent Moon Clan was destroyed, and it is highly likely that he escaped at that time."
She even brought other relatives with her.
Ye Zhen had always been puzzled as to why Li Heng treated Qin Xue's mother and Li Shiling better than his own children. If the siblings were his relatives, then it would make sense.
People from conquered nations and foreign tribes always cherish the few remaining members of their own race, and they value those members even more if they are related to them by blood.
In his eyes, the children of Madam Shen and Madam Xiao were born to foreigners.
Similarly, if Li Heng is a descendant of Yueya, it would explain why he killed the Muya chieftain and instigated the conflict between the Western Moon royal family and Dayuan.
Because the Muya tribe and the Xiyue royal family both had a blood feud with him, as for Dayuan, it was probably because of her rebirth that Li Heng's ambition to seize the country was not as successful as in his previous life.
Therefore, he wanted to use Dayuan to weaken Xiyue, or perhaps he could reap the benefits after both sides were weakened.
Ye Zhen remembered the location of that house, but he didn't really know anything about the family.
She glanced at the sky; it was almost dawn. She said to Shi Yan, "Father, I'll have someone take you to rest."
She wanted to see whose house it was.
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