Xiao Zhong tried his best to recall
"It was so far away that I couldn't even see anyone clearly, but it was tragic at the time. It is said that everyone on the boat was burned to death, and there seemed to be some nearby residents."
Chang Sheng said nothing. Things in the palace had just gained some insights, but new troubles arose. However, the development of things was more and more consistent with what she had guessed. What happened in the palace was just a primer. This city The root cause of the chaos inside is still outside.
Xi Shusi's death may have just begun.
Thinking of this, a figure once again popped up in Chang Sheng's mind, that person who seemed to have something to do with everything, that man in a bamboo hat, Pingchuan.
Xi Shusi's death made her think of this person involuntarily.
"quarry!"
Chang Sheng's eyes lit up.
The young man named Fu Shuwu had spoken about quarrying before he died. Moreover, he was the former manager of the quarry. A few days ago, she and Yan Sihai met the man in a bamboo hat and Xi Shusi on the lake. It was learned that the man in the bamboo hat was the new manager of the quarry, but a few days later, Xi Shusi died suddenly, and even Leng Lianyi, the murderer who wiped out the Tianfeng Escort Bureau, also appeared at the quarry.
All of this seems to be inseparable from the quarry and the man in the hat.
"It's just, what secrets does this quarry hide?"
Chang Sheng said to himself.
"Quarry? That's where the ore is produced. The saltpeter we need to make fireworks is purchased from there."
Xiao Zhong said.
"Saltpeter?"
"Yes, that is the raw material for making fireworks, and it is also the largest production area in the Central Plains."
"By the way, Xiao Zhong, you just said that you recently took on a big business, right?"
"Well, speaking of this, I remembered that the business that day was the order placed by Mr. Xi. I don't know whether this business will be completed now that Mr. Xi leaves."
"Little bell!"
Chang Sheng looked at Xiao Zhong angrily.
"Why are you talking about such an important thing now!"
Seeing Chang Sheng's rare anger, Xiao Zhong didn't dare to look at her and said in a Nuonuo tone
"That day, Master asked me to go to the quarry to discuss business. When I arrived, Mr. Hirakawa, who was in charge, told me that the fireworks business was actually an order sent by Mr. Xi. In this way, we needed to purchase saltpeter from the quarry and wait until the payment was made. He can get another kickback on the balance of the payment, which means he will get a lot of money."
"However, it is impossible for such a large amount of expenditure to go to his private account. If he wants to receive kickbacks, he must go to the public account. So what is his reason for purchasing this batch of fireworks?"
Chang Sheng said thoughtfully.
"I don't know about that, but purchasing such a large amount of fireworks used to be for festivals and celebrations. Recently, there have been no festivals or celebrations. What's the reason?"
Xiao Zhong shook his head.
But it doesn't matter what he said, but it made Chang Sheng suddenly wake up.
"some!"
Xiao Zhong looked at Chang Sheng doubtfully.
"I checked the almanac, and there are indeed no festivals recently."
Chang Sheng took a deep look at the vermilion palace wall on the side and sighed.
"Of course it didn't happen in previous years, but what if it's the enthronement ceremony?"
"The enthronement ceremony? Today's saints are in their prime. How can a new emperor ascend the throne for no reason?"
Xiao Zhong asked doubtfully.
Hu Qi on the side said
"Even if the Prime Minister ascends the throne, this matter cannot be discussed openly."
"Of course not, but with the authority of the Secretary of the Ministry of Labor of Xida, we will suppress this matter for a while and wait until the Prime Minister officially ascends the throne before reporting it. It is just a matter of precedence."
Chang Sheng said.
"In this way, Xi Shusi has long been an insider."
At this time, Xiao Zhong said
"I don't know what you are investigating, but from what you say, whether Mr. Xi is still alive or not, the business will not be affected."
Chang Sheng smiled and said
"Xiao Zhong, please help me pay attention to anything unusual in the shop."
…
Not long after, Yan Sihai and Wan Chaoyang returned to the City Lord's Mansion.
"Xiao Taohua, has the city lord come back?"
Yan Sihai searched around the house for Chang Sheng. What happened in the Medical Officer's Hospital made him very uneasy, whether it was Medical Officer Xu who came from outside the Great Wall or Medical Officer Wang who did not know his purpose.
Xiao Taohua came over after hearing the sound and handed a note to Yan Sihai and Wan Chaoyang
"The city lord said that if you two come back, he will hand it over to you."
Yan Sihai and Wan Chaoyang looked at each other and unfolded the note, only to see that there were only a few words written on it.
"Quarry outside the city"
Wan Chaoyang Road
"It just so happens that the person I want to check should also be in the quarry."
Yan Sihai glanced at him doubtfully, and then said
"So, let's go find out where this quarry came from."
A quarter of an hour later, the two arrived at the city gate, only to see that the city gate was completely different from usual.
Dozens of officers and soldiers wearing heavy armor controlled the city gate. A long queue formed outside the city gate. Every citizen who entered the city had to undergo extremely detailed inspection.
"The equipment of these officers and soldiers neither resembles the imperial army nor the soldiers of the Taiyang Mansion, but rather resembles the officers and soldiers of the Chuanfeng Camp."
Yan Sihai said coldly.
Wan Chaoyang didn't take it seriously.
"Since we want to control the entire city, this city gate must be controlled first."
With that said, he walked towards the city gate.
The officers and soldiers saw the two men walking towards the city gate.
"Stop! No one is allowed to leave the city. Anyone who violates this rule will be killed!"
Dozens of bright long knives shone coldly in the sunlight.
Wan Chaoyang didn't want to talk nonsense with them. The long sword was thrown straight out, and the extremely thin and sharp sound of breaking through the air suddenly exploded, stabbing everyone around him as if they were deafened, let alone the officers and soldiers who were facing the long sword directly.
They all covered their ears. The long sword moved so fast that they could no longer see it, but in the blink of an eye.
"Dangdang..."
It actually easily pierced through several long knives. The precious swords in the hands of the officers and soldiers turned into scrap metal after just one encounter.
While the officers and soldiers were stunned, the two men had already walked up to them. Wan Chaoyang just glanced at them. The officers and soldiers stood there as if they had been struck by lightning. At this moment, they only felt that their feet were nailed to the ground. On the ground, the throat was blocked by something, no one dared to move a step, no one dared to make a sound.
It wasn't until the two of them left the city gate that the officers and soldiers dared to breathe heavily, and their backs were already soaked.
"Centurion, that man is so scary. Is he the legendary Chang An, the world's best master?"
The young recruit looked at the white figure with lingering fear.
The elderly centurion, whose cloudy pupils trembled slightly, gently patted the recruit on the shoulder.
"Get on with the work."
There is a quarry ten miles outside the city.
With the two people's light skills, it only took more than a quarter of an hour to travel with all their strength, regardless of the consumption of internal energy.
"etc."
Yan Sihai was about to go in, but was stopped by Wan Chaoyang.
"Why, with all our efforts, you and I can't take down this quarry?"
Wan Chaoyang explained
"It's not easy to catch people, but it's not easy to know the secrets here."
"What do you mean?"
"We enter in disguise."
As he spoke, Wan Chaoyang jumped up, swung high for a moment, and then fell behind a small dirt bag.
After a while, he jumped out of the small bag and returned to Yan Sihai. He was holding a package in his hand. He opened the package and found a few tattered clothes inside.
Yan Sihai raised his eyebrows and took a look. These clothes were in tatters, just like the clothes worn by the hard workers in the quarry far away.
"Have you already prepared these clothes?"
Wan Chaoyang explained
"I came here to investigate before, and the person I'm tracking is also here, so I prepared a few sets of clothes to be prepared."
The two of them put on their clothes and wiped some mud on their faces, then the old man and the young man walked into the quarry.
"stop!"
Not long after entering, he was targeted by officers and soldiers at the quarry.
"Which district are you from? Why haven't I seen him before?"
The officers and soldiers looked sideways at the two men.
Lao Yan smiled obscenely
"Sir, our grandfather and grandson are new here. We went to rest for a while, but we couldn't find our way back."
Wan Chaoyang nodded and said with a naive smile.
"Sir, my grandfather is old and can't keep up with his physical strength, so I supported him to rest for a while. As a result, the mine was too big and he got lost while walking."
As he spoke, Wan Chaoyang whispered into the officer and soldier's ear:
"Sir, we are from the white area..."
The officers and soldiers were about to reprimand them, but their expressions suddenly changed.
"You came from that place, you don't know the way?"
Wan Chaoyang smiled mysteriously, motioned to the officers and soldiers to look at the coolies around them, and whispered:
"Sir, getting lost is just another way of saying it. We went out to deliver some goods."
The officers and soldiers were stunned
"Then the fireworks shop wants some goods again? It seems like they are quick enough."
There was an undetectable light in Wan Chaoyang's eyes, and he continued calmly.
"Who says it's not the case, but it's better to hurry up and finish it early so that the brothers in the white area can rest for a while."
The officers and soldiers nodded
"Well, then why don't you go quickly? That Li Er in your area is not an easy person to talk to."
Wan Chaoyang smiled bitterly
"That is……"
With that said, Wan Chaoyang led Yan Sihai away from here, and the officers and soldiers scolded him behind him.
"What are you looking at! Get to work quickly!"
The two of them walked all the way to the depths of the quarry, and Yan Sihai asked in a low voice
"What is the White Zone?"
Wan Chaoyang Road
"When I came to investigate that day, I overheard the person in charge talking about the white area."
"Do you know the way?"
Wan Chaoyang nodded
"I didn't find Leng Lianyi's hiding place in the White Area last time, so I thought of coming back again."
"It turns out that what you want to check is Leng Lianyi, a cold-faced Rakshasa."
Yan Sihai suddenly realized.
"Why, have you heard of this cold-faced Rakshasa?"
"I've heard of it, but there are rumors in the world that he joined the Twelfth Floor?"
"I'm afraid it's not a rumor anymore. I traced him all the way to the capital and found out that he is connected to the Twelfth Floor."
Hearing this, Yan Sihai glanced east
"No wonder, that place attracts this kind of people the most."
While talking, the two of them had almost passed through the entire quarry, and were about to walk out of the quarry. Yan Sihai looked at Wan Chaoyang in confusion.
"If we leave now, we will leave the quarry."
As he spoke, Yan Sihai also noticed that the coolies working around him and the officers and soldiers in the area were looking at the two people more and more strangely.
Wan Chaoyang patted him and signaled him to stop talking.
The two of them walked straight through the quarry under the strange gazes of everyone. There was a forest in front of them. Their view in the distance was blocked by the woods and they couldn't see clearly what was behind them.
"You can't talk any further. There are spies in front of you."
Wan Chaoyang said softly.
