The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the iron bars of the prison, casting dappled patterns on the cold stone floor.
With a heavy heart, Yan Shiyu pushed open the heavy wooden door leading to Xiang Hao's cell.
He was filled with unease. Last night's search had yielded no results, and the news of Xiang Hao's death had put him under unprecedented pressure.
Inside the cell, Xiang Hao's body lay quietly on the cold stone slab, his face ashen and his lips purple, clearly showing signs of poisoning.
Yan Shiyu crouched down and carefully examined Xiang Hao's body, his brows furrowed and his heart filled with doubt.
Last night, Xiang Hao knew the food and wine were poisoned, so he couldn't possibly eat them anymore. Could it be that Xiang Hao committed suicide?
But then Yan Shiyu thought it was impossible. If Xiang Hao wanted to die, why would he wait until now?
Moreover, Xiang Hao was shouting and yelling last night; he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would commit suicide.
Yan Shiyu squatted down next to the corpse and asked the two team members responsible for protecting Xiang Hao's safety in a cold voice.
"Did anyone approach this cell last night?"
Upon hearing this, both team members shook their heads, quite certain that no one had approached the cell last night.
"Captain, we didn't leave the house an inch last night. Even when we went to the restroom, we took turns, and someone was always guarding the door."
"Um."
Yan Shiyu slowly stood up; he believed his men's words.
He looked around and saw a ray of sunlight shining on his face through the window. He quickly turned to look at the window, then leaped up, grabbed the windowsill, and looked outside.
This sight was quite alarming. Yan Shiyu's eyes widened immediately. The windowsill was covered in dust, but right next to his hand were two brand-new handprints, the marks very clear.
He was startled. Without even thinking, he knew that these marks were definitely related to Xiang Hao's death.
Releasing his grip, Yan Shiyu landed steadily, then hurriedly gave the order.
"Immediately cordon off the area; no one is allowed to approach!"
The team members acted quickly, sealing off the cell and prohibiting anyone from approaching.
Yan Shiyu stood by the window, his mind filled with doubt. How did the assassin enter the cell so silently and leave without a trace?
A strong sense of unease welled up within him; the assassin's methods were too skillful, making him feel threatened like never before.
"Could it be that he didn't come in?"
A new idea suddenly popped into Yan Shiyu's mind, and he hurriedly turned around to examine Xiang Hao's corpse carefully.
His face clearly showed signs of poisoning, but no wounds were visible.
He grabbed Xiang Hao's hand and examined it; there were no wounds. He unbuttoned Xiang Hao's shirt and looked at his chest; it was the same.
"Could it be behind us?"
Thinking of this, Yan Shiyu slowly turned Xiang Hao's body over. Just as he was about to examine it, a teammate behind him suddenly shouted, "Captain, watch out!"
Upon hearing the sound, Yan Shiyu hurriedly stopped what he was doing. The team members behind him rushed forward and picked up an inconspicuous needle from his hand. It was black, but the tip was white, as if the paint had been rubbed off.
Yan Shiyu frowned slightly, reached into his pocket, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wrapped the needle.
"It's definitely a poisoned needle. Thanks for reminding me. If it had stuck in my hand, I probably would have died."
After putting away the poisoned needles, Yan Shiyu continued to examine Xiang Hao's body. Suddenly, he noticed a small, black dot on Xiang Hao's neck.
"It seems someone attempted to assassinate Xiang Hao by throwing needles through the window. You all stay here and guard the area; I'm going to see the Emperor."
...
In the imperial study, Chen Zhennan was reviewing memorials. Although these memorials were all approved by Jiang Wenyu a long time ago and contained no useful clues, they could reveal the attitudes of the city's officials.
"emperor!"
Yan Shiyu's voice rang out from outside the door, tinged with urgency.
Chen Zhennan raised his head, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Come in."
Yan Shiyu pushed open the door and hurried in, his face filled with anxiety.
"Your Majesty, Xiang Hao has been killed."
Chen Zhennan paused, his expression instantly turning gloomy.
"What happened?" Chen Zhennan's voice was low, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.
Yan Shiyu gave a detailed account of what had happened, and Chen Zhennan's face grew increasingly grim.
"This assassin was able to kill Xiang Hao under the protection of the special forces. Who exactly is he?" Chen Zhennan's voice was filled with shock.
Yan Shiyu lowered his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "Please punish me, Your Majesty. It was all due to my negligence."
Chen Zhennan waved his hand and said with a light smile, "It's not your fault. I was too confident. Killing is much simpler than protecting."
Chen Zhennan's gaze lingered among the memorials before him, trying to find clues between the lines to resolve the current predicament.
However, after thinking for a long time, he realized that it was almost impossible. He frowned and his eyes revealed a hint of anxiety.
"A clue, a clue..."
Chen Zhennan muttered to himself, repeating those two words over and over.
Without clues, the other party will remain lurking beneath the surface, like a venomous snake hidden in the undercurrent, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
Just as Chen Zhennan was racking his brains, a subordinate's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, a memorial has been forwarded from the capital. It is written by Lin Cheng, the Prince of Bohai, and it is extremely urgent!"
Chen Zhennan gave a wink, and Yan Shiyu turned around and hurriedly opened the door, bringing in the memorial.
"read!"
Yan Shiyu nodded, reached out and opened the memorial, his voice deep and powerful: "Lin Cheng, the Prince of Bohai, has submitted a memorial stating that Japanese pirates are rampant and are invading other countries along the southeast coast. Should we take action against them?"
Chen Zhennan frowned slightly after hearing this. He didn't really take the Japanese seriously now, but he had to pay attention to the current situation.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.
The Judaism army is pressing in from the southwestern border, while the Japanese invaders are attacking other countries from the southeastern coast. Is it just a coincidence that we are attacked from two sides?
"Shiyu, what do you think?" Chen Zhennan turned his gaze to Yan Shiyu, his voice carrying a hint of consideration.
Yan Shiyu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, this is probably not a coincidence. There may be some connection between the Japanese pirates and the Jewish cult. They may be trying to distract us and prevent us from concentrating our forces to deal with them."
"Um."
Yan Shiyu's analysis cleared up some of the fog in his mind. Just as he was about to say something, the anxious voice of his teammates suddenly came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty, a report has been forwarded from the capital to Prince Zhenbei, Ai Zijun, in his own handwriting. It is extremely urgent!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Shiyu put down the memorial Lin Cheng was holding and hurriedly went to open the door again to bring in the new memorial.
Opening the memorial, Yan Shiyu frowned and read aloud: "The Prince of Zhenbei, Ai Zijun, reports that the army of the Slavic Principality has frequently crossed the border to plunder border herders, and hundreds of herders have been killed. Negotiations are currently underway, but the Slavic Principality has no sincerity in peace talks and intends to invade. We request that troops be sent to counterattack and annihilate the army of the Slavic Principality."
A ruthless glint flashed in Chen Zhennan's eyes as he sneered, "A three-way war is about to break out, and a huge net has clearly been formed. I'm afraid the memorials from the Northwest will arrive soon as well."
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