Chen Ji entered the main room, and the sweet smell of blood and alcohol hit his face.

A few pieces of blood-stained white cloth were thrown beside the bed, and the water in the copper basin by the window also turned into blood.

Su Zhou lay quietly on the bed unconscious, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes looked even deeper under the candlelight.

Xiao Man whispered: "Sir, there are a total of seven injuries on her body. They were all sewn up and poured over with strong liquor."

Chen Ji wanted to visit the bed, but was stopped by Xiao Man.

He asked in confusion: "What's wrong?"

Xiaoman hurriedly explained: "Master, please don't get close to her. This fierce woman is very fierce. Don't let her hurt you. If you need anything, tell me and I will do it."

Chen Ji looked at Xiaoman: "You won't let me get close, so aren't you afraid of her?"

Xiaoman said indifferently: "The maid has her own destiny. If I am plotted by her, please remember to burn some paper money for me on July 15th every year. By the way, it would be better if you can burn four boys and girls.

One boils water for my feet, one cooks for me, one washes my clothes, and one beats my legs. I, Xiaoman, enjoy the feeling of being taken care of even when I'm underground!"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Okay, I will burn two more for you, one who is hard-working will be your coachman, and the other who is clever will make good clothes for you."

There was longing in Xiaoman's eyes: "It sounds so comfortable."

Chen Ji knocked her on the head: "Do you really want to die?"

Xiaoman came back to his senses and murmured in a low voice: "I just want to think about it... Young Master, I will wake up that fierce woman."

"Hey!" Chen Ji was about to say something to stop him, but he saw Xiaoman running to the bedside like a gust of wind, calling softly and pressing Su Zhou's wound secretly.

Su Zhou gasped for air in his sleep, and was so painful that he broke into a cold sweat on his forehead.

Xiaoman said anxiously and concernedly: "Oh, what's wrong? Is it a nightmare?"

Su Zhou gave her a stern glance: "When I get better, I'll look good with you."

Xiaoman's eyes were innocent: "I just saved you, how can I repay you with kindness?"

She leaned closer to the pillow and lowered her voice and said, "You wanted to kill my young master, so it's good that I didn't take the opportunity to kill you. But I'm warning you, don't do anything random again."

Su Zhou stared at Xiao Man for a long time: "As long as he has never betrayed the prince, I will naturally not touch him. Not only will I not touch him, I will repay him."

Chen Ji asked in the distance: "What are you two muttering about?"

Xiaoman stood up and said with a smile: "Master, she said she wanted to drink water."

Chen Ji walked to a place five steps away from the bed and stood there, hesitantly asked: "The government officials are looking for you everywhere. I need to ask you seriously, will they look for your omissions and find the Chen family? You're pregnant."

Will so much blood attract hounds?"

Su Zhou shook his head: "No, I walked through the roof when I escaped. The smell was intermittent when the hound went up. Moreover, I sprinkled mugwort and calamus powder, which would confuse the smell..."

Before he finished speaking, there was light from the fire outside the window.

Xiao Man opened the window and saw the fire outside the courtyard wall getting closer and brighter, as if there were many people holding torches approaching quickly.

Su Zhou and Chen Ji's expressions changed and they said at the same time:

"It was you who informed the government of my whereabouts?"

"Didn't you say you masked the smell?"

The two spoke at the same time, each saying his own thing, and then fell into silence.

After a while, Chen Ji said: "Don't worry, I haven't informed the government of your whereabouts. Just lie here and don't move. I'll go out and deal with them. If something goes wrong, just escape through the window at the back and don't worry about me."

…

…

Outside Mingquan Garden.

The secret agents of the Secret Service all put on official robes. In the dark night, the light of torches illuminated their black robes. A red embroidered python stretched from their shoulders to their chests, looking majestic and killing.

In the ancestral system of the Ning Dynasty, men held the position of supreme ministers, and women were ordered to wear python clothing. This python clothing was originally the highest ideal for civil servants and ministers in their lives.

However, during the Jianing period, the man in the Renshou Palace was given a python suit, and tens of thousands of spies were able to wear pythons overnight. Everyone in the Jiefan Guards could wear pythons, and they were vaguely superior to the civil servants and ministers.

In the Chen Mansion, a secret spy was walking side by side with Chen Liqin. Chen Liqin looked unhappy: "Does this newly appointed Lord Hai Dongqing want to search my Chen Mansion to death? You don't think it's my Chen family who is here."

Are you harboring bandits?"

That Hai Dongqing smiled and explained with a soft smile: "Master Chen, please don't mind, I am not targeting you, but helping you."

Chen Liqin flicked his sleeves and said angrily: "That's nonsense. How can this be considered helping me?"

Hai Dongqing joked: "If we avoid the Chen and Zhang mansions during the search, it would be easy to catch the female assassin later. If we fail to catch the female assassin, then people will gossip that there is only the Chen mansion left in Luo City and the Zhang mansion was not searched.

The thief will definitely be hiding there, will the two adults make it clear then... Do you think this is the truth?"

Chen Liqin said with a calm face: "Search if you want, don't talk nonsense."

Hai Dongqing laughed happily and said: "Master Chen must be reasonable. Just now, Master Zhang scolded me, and splashed the spit on my face... Search! Remember, don't touch the Chen family's property, otherwise I will

I can’t protect you either!”

The spies dispersed to each courtyard, and they drove Chen Wenzong out of the courtyard, who had already fallen asleep. Even Chen Wenxiao, who had not recovered from his injuries, limped out with the support of the maid.

The spies searched extremely carefully, not missing anything from the cabinets to the bottom of the bed.

Seeing the spies searching in front of the gate of Mingquan Garden, one of the spies pushed the door, but failed to open it.

He turned back and whispered to Hai Dongqing: "Sir, the doors of the rest of the courtyards are open, but this courtyard is the only one with a door latch. There may be something fishy!"

As soon as he said these words, Hai Dongqing narrowed his eyes slightly. He pressed the handle of the long knife on his waist with his right hand and made two gestures with his left hand, as if there were spies surrounding the courtyard, watching eagerly.

Chen Liqin stepped forward to explain: "My lord, please don't misunderstand..."

Haidong Qingpi interrupted with a smile: "Mr. Chen, is it a misunderstanding? It doesn't matter what you say, and it doesn't matter what I say. You'll have to open the door to find out."

After that, he pulled out his waist knife and knocked on the door with the tip of the knife: "The Secret Service is handling the case, and the people inside come out!"

The night fell into silence, and the remaining sound of torches blowing in the cold wind was restless.

Seeing that the courtyard door was still not open, Haidong Qing immediately started signing silently, and several secret spies tried to climb into the courtyard on a ladder.

A spy blew at the bronze whistle, and the magpie made a sound.

The sound of the copper whistle spread far away, and the spies who were searching other places in the Chen Mansion gathered one after another and formed a huge formation behind Hai Dongqing.

However, just when they were about to force their way in, the wooden door opened with a creak.

A secret agent brought the torch closer and saw Chen Ji's calm face. The expression on Hai Dongqing's face changed several times in an instant, and he did not speak for a long time.

Chen Liqin stepped forward and introduced: "This is the trace of the third son of my Chen family. He has lived outside the house for the past two years and has some precautions. Closing the door is also a daily habit. It is not just today."

After hearing Chen Liqin's explanation, Hai Dongqing suddenly smiled and put away his sword: "Master Chen, I told you earlier that it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Everyone, please put away your weapons. Don't scare the third son of the Chen family."

The atmosphere in Mingquan Garden suddenly relaxed.

Hai Dongqing waved to the spies: "What are you doing here? Have you finished searching other places? Let's disperse!"

The spies dispersed in a hurry. When Chen Liqin saw the spies running toward Wenyun Hall, he immediately followed him: "Wenyun Hall is full of antiques and handed down calligraphy and paintings. Don't destroy them!"

When Hai Dongqing saw the crowd dispersed, he said calmly: "Master Chen."

Chen Ji smiled and said: "Lord Xifeng, long time no see. I didn't hear that you were promoted to Haidongqing, otherwise I would have said congratulations."

Xifeng smiled shyly and said: "It's a lucky coincidence. Thanks to you and Mr. Golden Pig, I got some credit in the Liu family's rebellion case, otherwise I would definitely not be promoted. Now Mr. Golden Pig allows me to stay in Luo City and look after us.

Business in the Secret Service."

Chen Ji whispered: "You and I are both Haidongqing, so there is no need to call me in such a tone."

Xifeng hurriedly waved his hand: "It's different, it's different. I can be promoted to Haidongqing because I have endured all these years. Master Jinzhu thinks that I have no merit but hard work. You are promoted to Haidongqing because you have just entered the secret world."

A spy cannot be promoted to a higher position."

Chen Ji asked calmly: "I heard that General Wang from the Chitose Army died, but the murderer has not been caught yet?"

Xifeng said unluckily: "Isn't that right? I thought Luo City was already peaceful and I was planning to retire here, but I didn't expect that something like this happened again. The assassin really couldn't kill Wang Chongli outside Luo City.

Why, you have to put this shit basin on my head..."

At this point, Xifeng rolled his eyes: "Mr. Chen, how about you help me investigate this case? With your ability, you will be able to catch the culprit."

Chen Ji smiled: "I will go to Beijing with the Chen family in the near future, I'm afraid I don't have enough time. But you can tell me the clues you have so far, and I will help you analyze it."

Xifeng thought for a moment and recalled: "In this assassination, one of the assassins was a female assassin named Su Zhou. The matter has been confirmed. She has been wanted by the court for many years. Eighteen years ago, she pretended to be a Qing servant and assassinated Jing.

King, it is said that King Jing took pity on her life experience and let her live because of her young age; seven years ago, she pretended to be a hawker and assassinated the eunuch of our bank, the Supervisor of Rites, in Aurous Hill..."

After talking about one incident after another, it became clear that Su Zhou was carrying so many lives that it was mind-numbing.

Xifeng came closer and whispered: "It's okay for Mr. Chen and Su Zhou. It's understandable that I didn't catch the assassin who Mr. Xuan She didn't catch. But tonight the other assassin is extraordinary. I won't catch him."

no."

Chen Ji raised his eyebrows: "Oh? What's the mystery?"

Xifeng said: "A soldier from the Chitose Army went to the Soldiers and Horses Division to report the news and survived by luck. According to him, before Su Zhou assassinated him, there was another Xingguan who drove the spirit. According to his description, that Xingguan was clearly a cultivator.

The mandala secret seal drives a glutton."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Mandala Secret Seal? Are they from the Tantric Sect of Southern Yunnan?"
To be continued...