Madam Cao was in a fit of anger and kept quiet, too lazy to pay him any attention.
Lord Cao couldn't contain himself any longer and flung open the door. The servant he had sent to inquire scrambled back, his face filled with panic: "My lord! A lot of soldiers have come and surrounded our mansion!"
Lord Cao's legs went weak, and his face turned deathly pale.
——
Chi Yan sat on his horse, slowly twirling the whip in his hand, and glanced at everyone with a cold look in his eyes: "Keep a close eye on me, not even a fly is allowed to get out!"
The torchlight flickered across his face, highlighting his handsome features and well-defined contours. However, his slightly drooping eyelids concealed the emotions in his eyes, making it impossible to discern their depth.
The staff of the Yiluan Division were excited and eager to get started, as this was the first time they had taken on such a big case since the division was established.
The gate opened from the inside, and Lord Cao was helped out. His expression was barely calm. He immediately spotted Chi Yan on horseback. In the vast crowd, Chi Yan stood out with his striking appearance and imposing presence, truly a crane among chickens.
His heart was pounding. Looking at the scene before him, Lord Cao's limbs went weak. He still couldn't believe he had been exposed, and he barely managed to maintain his composure.
"Commander Chi, is there something you need for this sudden visit in the middle of the night?"
Chi Yan raised his thin eyelids and glanced at you with interest: "Of course, I'm here to take your life!"
Lord Cao's expression suddenly changed, his lips trembled, and his tone was filled with anger: "Chi Yan, you led troops to surround my Cao residence in the middle of the night without any reason. As a fellow official of the court, I asked you in a polite manner, but don't take advantage of His Majesty's backing to bully others!"
Chi Yan smiled at him, his gaze deepening: "I was answering Lord Cao seriously. You don't think I was joking with you, do you?"
As he spoke, his expression turned cold. Before the other party could react with shock, he suddenly raised his hand, his eyes filled with chilling intent, and ordered, "Search!"
"yes!"
Lord Cao trembled and suddenly looked up: "Without a search warrant, what right do you have to search my residence! Tell me what crime I have committed!"
"I suspect you of kidnapping a high-ranking official of the imperial court, making you a spy for an enemy country!" Chi Yan casually lowered his eyes, pulled out something from his robes and unfolded it. "The search warrant you requested, have you looked at it carefully?"
Lord Cao stared intently, his face paling. He sneered angrily, "What a joke! Without any evidence, what makes you accuse me of being a spy? And what makes you conclude that I kidnapped an official of the imperial court?"
If the first half of the sentence made him feel guilty, the second half was simply an unfounded accusation!
Chi Yan sized him up, his smile carrying a deeper meaning: "Won't you know after you've searched him?"
Lord Cao's eyelids twitched, and he had a strange, bad feeling.
He couldn't stop the menacing Imperial Guards and could only watch helplessly as they stormed into the mansion like locusts, waking everyone inside.
Chi Yan was extremely patient, not even dismounting his horse, his posture was extremely leisurely, which made Lord Cao increasingly uneasy.
Soon, the Imperial Guards carried out stacks of gold and silver jewelry.
Chi Yan glanced down at him, his tone playful: "Lord Cao is just a Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and he doesn't make much money in a year, yet he has so much wealth in his household. His family is quite wealthy, isn't he?"
Lord Cao gritted his teeth: "Everyone has some possessions!"
Soon, someone presented several secret letters and something wrapped in black cloth: "My lord, this was found in Lord Cao's study!"
Chi Yan took out the item from the black cloth—a familiar ghost mask. He paused, unfolded the secret letter, scanned it, and narrowed his eyes coldly.
"The evidence is conclusive, arrest him!"
Lord Cao looked surprised and uncertain. The secret letter was indeed his; it was a correspondence between him and several ministers.
But he had never seen that mask before!
He suddenly looked up at Chi Yan, gritting his teeth: "You framed me?!"
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