“You should know better than I do that Chu Ran has a secret room in his residence in the Northwest. And in this secret room, there is a box, a box containing a map of the mine’s secret passages.”
"You know everything about Chu Ran's affairs, so you must have told Emperor Shun everything. But why did Emperor Shun hide this secret from Huo Yan, refusing to reveal a single word? Why did he let him find the secret passage on his own and even let him capture everyone in the mine?"
Why did he do that?
The dark-faced god stared at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "How did you know these things? I didn't expect you to be so intelligent, to be able to see through such secrets. I... underestimated you."
Before he could finish speaking, the black-faced man suddenly flashed forward, flipping over with the speed of a ghost. Then, with lightning speed, he snatched the dagger from Su Ruanruan's hand.
The dark-faced man held the dagger in his hand, examined it carefully, and then scanned Su Ruanruan up and down several times with his cold gaze. Finally, he swung his arm and mercilessly threw the sharp dagger into the abyss.
As the dagger disappeared from sight, Su Ruanruan's expression changed instantly. "How could you...?"
An unbelievable smile appeared on his usually cold and icy face, but it sent chills down one's spine. "I never imagined that I would fall in love with a woman. But now that you know my true identity, I must get rid of you before Chu Ran arrives, no matter what."
Faced with such a tense situation and the threat of death, Su Ruanruan remained unusually calm and composed, showing no sign of panic whatsoever. She simply said, "So be it, I'm just a shell after all. But before I die, could you answer my questions?"
After a moment of silence, the Black-Faced God slowly spoke, “In fact, His Majesty had long suspected that the Prince of Zhennan harbored ulterior motives. The reason he kept him around was simply to use him to counterbalance the various forces in the court. Even though he is far away in Jiangnan, the power he controls behind the scenes is still not to be underestimated.”
"In fact, His Majesty has always favored Prince Yi as the crown prince. However, the Huo family behind Prince Yi has made outstanding contributions. For a hundred years, the Huo family has been military generals who have made great contributions to the Great Shun. As a result, some remote areas only know about the Huo family and not about the emperor."
"His Majesty has long been wary of this, and is even more worried that the maternal relatives will become too powerful after Prince Yi ascends the throne."
At this point, the Black-Faced God paused slightly, then continued, "The mine's ledgers are sent to the Zhennan Prince's Mansion every year. But without exception, all of these ledgers have been altered and forged by me."
“The Prince of Zhennan would burn the ledgers after reviewing them, never keeping a copy. The real ledgers were sent to His Majesty long ago. His Majesty originally intended to settle accounts with Huo Yanqiu after dealing with the Prince of Zhennan, and to strip him of his military power.”
"But unfortunately, the Summer Palace was destroyed by fire, and a lot of things were burned, including those account books."
Su Ruanruan knew about the fire at the Summer Palace. She heard that Emperor Shun was furious and had many palace maids and eunuchs killed.
So that's why he was angry.
But what does the mine's ledger have to do with Huo Yan?
Su Ruanruan's eyelids twitched, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind: "How much silver should be recorded in the ledger?"
The Black-Faced God couldn't help but admire Su Ruanruan's wit; she was able to so easily grasp the crux of the problem.
“Five million taels of silver,” he answered softly.
Upon hearing this number, Su Ruanruan pursed her lips. As far as she knew, the Huo family army had only transported 4.5 million taels of silver back to the capital.
So, where did the 500,000 taels of silver that disappeared go?
Could it be that Huo Yan embezzled the money?
Emperor Shun's emphasis on this account book stemmed from his intention to manipulate the 500,000 taels of silver. Regardless of how Huo Yan used the money, concealing it would constitute the crime of deceiving the emperor.
Emperor Shun knew everything, yet he still set this trap, leading Huo Yan step by step into it.
But what made him so certain that Huo Yan would definitely use that sum of money?
With a stern expression, the black-faced man drew a sharp sword from his waist. The blade gleamed with a cold light, and the tip pointed directly at Su Ruanruan's delicate body.
A hint of reluctance flickered in his deep eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He was a ruthless, merciless killing machine, and should never develop feelings for anyone, especially not be captivated by Su Ruanruan's beautiful fragrance.
As Chu Ran's personal bodyguard, he had naturally sparred with Huo Yan. Although he could fight to a draw with the incredibly strong Niu Mang and the agile Jin Yu, he could never defeat Huo Yan.
That night at the hot spring, he was about to leave when Su Ruanruan whispered a few words in his ear, which ignited a long-dormant desire for victory deep within him. So, not long after leaving, he inexplicably turned back the way he came.
It was this turning back that made him fall deeply into this gentle embrace, leaving a flaw that allowed Su Ruanruan to discover his true identity.
Faced with a life-or-death decision, Su Ruanruan did not show the fear and panic that a dying person should have. She simply stared quietly at the black-faced man holding a sharp blade in front of her.
"In your next life, may you be reborn into an ordinary family." As soon as he finished speaking, the black-faced god suddenly raised his long sword and thrust it at Su Ruanruan.
In an instant, a crisp sound rang out, followed by a sharp pain. The black-faced god looked down in shock at his chest, only to find it pierced through by something! His black robes were quickly soaked with blood…
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