The moonlight turned into the Milky Way, and just as it was about to shine down, it was blocked by the blowing clouds.
There was no other light in the palace except the candles carried by the patrolling guards.
Not far away, outside the eunuch's palace, several strong men came over timidly.
"Brothers, listen up. This eunuch dares to contradict the eldest son because he has Zhao Gao's support. We are not killing people for money. We are simply trying to prevent the eunuch from becoming bigger in the future and help the eldest son eliminate the threat in advance."
Several people behind him nodded, looking like they were here for righteousness.
Then they drew out their blades and gently pushed open the courtyard door.
The clouds dispersed and the moonlight finally shone.
The originally dark courtyard became brighter.
The lieutenant froze on the spot.
He swallowed and looked at Zhao Gao and a few cronies who had just finished their work walking out of the house.
They looked at each other speechless.
Zhao Gao looked at the sneaky lieutenant and was confused for a moment. It was not his duty to bring people here today.
He glanced guiltily at the half-open door behind him, which still smelled of blood.
Although he was acting in accordance with His Majesty's wishes, the matter could not be brought to the table. If it was discovered that a big fuss had occurred, he would have to take the blame himself. Zhao Gao was a little panicked for a while.
And the lieutenant couldn't figure out why this man came to the courtyard of the eunuch's palace at night.
Visiting an injured subordinate?
Suddenly he coughed with a guilty conscience.
"Ahem! It's so late, and Zhao Fuling is still handling affairs in the eunuch's palace? It's really hard work and merit!"
Zhao Gao also put on a polite fake smile.
"Lieutenant is also busy. I remember you are not on duty today, right? Are you here to patrol here so late? It's really hard work."
Both parties caught each other's sore spots, and the atmosphere was a little awkward for a while.
The body has not been disposed of yet, and Zhao Gao and others dare not move unless the lieutenant leaves.
After all, the lieutenant had taken the eldest son's money and didn't want to come here in vain. No matter what, he wanted to see the eunuch and remember what he looked like, so that he could find an opportunity to kill him.
The two parties just stood there awkwardly confronting each other.
This stalemate didn't matter to the lieutenant, but Zhao Gao was a little anxious.
I have been caught. I have to send them away quickly, otherwise the longer I delay, the bigger the problem will be.
So Zhao Gao touched his arms, but he didn't want to go out tonight because he didn't bring any money.
Helpless, he could only take off the wooden pendant hanging from his waist.
This pendant is shaped like a jade pendant, but it exudes a sweet fragrance. It is his favorite treasure.
But now at the critical moment, he hesitated twice and finally threw it at the lieutenant.
"What we are doing today is the intention of the higher-ups. We can't say it clearly. If the lieutenant reveals it, no one will be in trouble."
"Our family won't let our brothers go in vain. This wooden ornament is from the collection of the Chu King's royal family. It is extremely precious and is enough for the brothers' salary for several years. How about we just pretend that nothing happens today?"
The lieutenant subconsciously caught the wooden pendant, but he was a little confused and couldn't help blurting out.
"Are you here to kill people too?"
When Zhao Gao saw the other party catching it, he thought he was spending money to eliminate the disaster.
But he didn't want the other person's words to make him almost collapse.
In an instant, he understood that the other party had the same purpose as his own.
Your Majesty cannot leave one thing to two people, so the lieutenant must have been sent by the eldest son.
He looked at the wooden ornaments thrown out and felt regretful.
You should have said it earlier! My baby.
In this era, there is no reason to take back rewards and gifts.
Zhao Gao could only wave his hands angrily and let his men go back into the house to continue processing the bodies.
But the lieutenant became troubled. This man didn't have to do it himself, and he still received two copies of the money. He always felt a little guilty.
He carefully opened his mouth to discuss with Zhao Gao.
"Can the government order me to go in and make two more cuts? This would be considered as living up to the great trust!"
Zhao Gao immediately rolled his eyes and said angrily.
"Everyone is dead. You can do whatever you want. It's none of my business."
A quarter of an hour later, the satisfied lieutenant left happily with his brothers.
Zhao Gao had a gloomy face.
As expected of the two father-in-law, they are really thoughtful, bah! No one is good!
After the two groups of people left, the palace returned to silence again.
Equally quiet is the Shushan Pavilion in the Imperial Palace.
This is equivalent to Qin Shihuang's study room, with rows of bamboo slips and books inside.
Ying Zheng was sitting in front of the desk, holding a bamboo slip and reading it carefully.
In front of him, a man in black was half-kneeling on the ground.
"Your Majesty! Zhao Gao has left the eunuch's palace with his cronies, and the investigation of the undercover officials has been dealt with."
Ying Zheng did not look away from the bamboo slips, but nodded slightly.
The man below continued to report back.
"The people involved in the matter are all his cronies, and they have a good relationship with the eunuch. I think after this incident is over, they will no longer be loyal to Zhao Gaoding."
The man raised his head slightly and glanced at Ying Zheng, then continued when he saw no response.
"It's just that during the process, the Lieutenant of the Forbidden Army also took two casual personnel to the courtyard, and they happened to meet Zhao Gao."
"After checking with the minister, we found out that there was no other motive except that the eldest son had a few whispers with the lieutenant when he left the palace in the morning."
It wasn't until this sentence that Ying Zheng put down the bamboo slips in his hand and smiled.
"This kid is getting better and better!"
In a better mood, he finally looked at Meng Yi.
"Arrange for someone to take a closer look at Zhao Gao. Don't let this popular favorite do anything outrageous again!"
Meng Yi nodded in agreement, but his frown did not relax.
Sure enough, the next moment Ying Zheng sighed and asked the question again.
"It's been three months and the bowl of soup hasn't been found yet?"
Meng Yi lowered his head in shame.
"Your Majesty, it's Wei Chen who is incompetent. After tracking down South Vietnam, there are no more clues. Wei Chen is not sure whether the person behind it is from South Vietnam!"
Ying Zheng's face turned cold.
"A small South Vietnamese is not so bold and has the ability to reach into the palace!"
"Continue to investigate. If you can't find anything now, wait until the army defeats Baiyue. Let's investigate step by step! I don't believe that the other party can leave no trace. No matter who it is, I must uproot it and leave no trace behind!"
Meng Yi bowed his hands and hurriedly said yes!
Ying Zheng also knew that this matter was not easy and did not force Meng Yi again.
"What's going on in the north now?"
Meng Yi breathed a sigh of relief and went to report.
"Our spies in the north have suffered heavy losses recently, but we still got reliable information."
"The royal court has prepared to launch a large army to attack the Yueshi before the rainy season this year and completely capture the north!"
Ying Zheng also frowned.
"We can't let the Xiongnu grow bigger. Do you have a way to destroy the opponent's plan?"
Unexpectedly, Meng Yi said awkwardly again.
"Originally, the minister was planning to drive a wedge between some large Donghu tribes on the east side of the Xiongnu, inducing them to start a war and draining the opponent's energy, so that the Yuezhi could have a chance to breathe. This would consume more Xiongnu troops."
"But recently, for some reason, many of the Hu spies we gathered have been discovered."
"As a result, we now have influence over the major tribes on the east side of the Xiongnu..."
Meng Yi hesitated for a moment and looked at Ying Zheng carefully before speaking.
"Almost all lost."
Ying Zheng frowned when he heard this. He had no doubts about Meng Yi's ability.
Long before Ying Zheng took office, Meng Yi was doing all the intelligence work.
Even when the Six Kingdoms were pacified, Jia Xu, who openly traveled around the Six Kingdoms, only made many achievements by cooperating with him.
Now that the layout that had been laid out for several years was completely wiped out in a few months, Ying Zheng was a little surprised.
"How could this be?"
Meng Yi replied helplessly.
"Weichen guesses that there may be something wrong with someone under his command! Weichen is already investigating each one!"
Ying Zheng did not pursue the question any further. Some questions required giving subordinates some time.
He stood up and walked to the window, watching the bright moon in the sky gradually being enveloped by dark clouds.
"Have the nobles of the Six Kingdoms everywhere been honest lately?"
When asked here, Meng Yi obviously relaxed a little.
"Although there are still some connections with the old tribes in various places, the letters sent are not out of the ordinary, so it is considered honest."
Ying Zheng sighed.
"Killing them will easily lead to unrest, but not killing them will cause a group of disasters. It's so embarrassing!"
"The Xiongnu in the north are growing steadily, and there are many hidden dangers in the country. The army really cannot stay in Baiyue."
"But the soldiers are used to fighting. Today's Great Qin is like a chariot that can't stop. So many soldiers staying in the country without war are also a disaster. How should we deal with it!"
Ying Zheng's frown was like dark clouds flashing with thunder and lightning, echoing the sky.
…
Lightning finally fell, lighting up the entire palace instead of moonlight.
Ying Xuan, who was already getting better, suddenly woke up to the sound of thunder.
He watched the maid who was already at his mercy swallowing her saliva.
His hands were uncontrollable and he wanted to continue exploring, but he kept warning him rationally.
The person who secretly poisoned him has never been found, and everyone around him is suspected.
Even the maid of the first wife must be on guard. Once something like that starts, there is no guarantee that Ying Xuan will be able to stay sane to guard against danger.
Finally, another thunder struck down, successfully bringing Ying Xuan back to his senses.
Ying Xuan shuddered all over and suppressed his impulse to push the maid off the bed again.
This time, let alone the maid, he even cursed secretly, she was really not a man.
Seeing the lightning and thunder outside the house, Ying Xuan suddenly thought of where the counselor was. Are you still on your way? That's too pitiful.
Ying Xuan couldn't help but shook his head,
"It's a pity that I don't know where you are? I can't pick you up, alas! You should take care of yourself!"
After blessing, Ying Xuan dove into bed and gradually fell asleep while smelling the fragrance of the maid with peace of mind.
Only the side of the bed was left, with a pair of green dog eyes scanning all the movements around him.
…
Outside Xianyang City, an embarrassed figure wearing a raincoat and carrying a salute gradually walked in.
Looking at the closed city gate, his determined eyes couldn't help but feel helpless.
The only option is to hide under the tower to avoid the rainy night.
“I’ve come thousands of miles to invest, but I don’t know who this young master is and whether it’s worth it!”
