Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Chapter 1654 Mysterious Person and Investigation

In Kyoto in February, the cold wind is still biting.

The willow branches outside the palace were covered with unmelted snow, which shone coldly in the moonlight. The sound of the night watchman's clappers could be heard from afar, indicating that it was already the third watch.

In the city, in a dark secret room, only a flickering candlelight could barely illuminate the small space.

The damp walls were covered with moss, cobwebs were in the corners, and the air was filled with a strange smell mixed with mold and blood.

"What, failed?"

A suppressed roar exploded in the small space, causing the candle flame to shake violently.

In the darkness, two shadows were distortedly reflected on the mottled wall under the candlelight.

One of them stood, his figure straight as a pine tree, and the other one knelt on the ground, his posture humble as an ant.

The kneeling man was dressed in night clothes, his shoulders trembling slightly. "Reporting to the master, Zhao Yu suddenly appeared and saved Sun Simiao. Our people were unable to defeat him, so they could only commit suicide according to the rules."

"waste!"

The standing person turned around suddenly, and the candlelight illuminated a face wearing a bronze mask, revealing only a pair of hawk-like sharp eyes.

"With so many assassins, they can't even kill an old man?"

The kneeling man rested his forehead on the ground and said in a trembling voice: "Zhao Yu is a martial arts expert, experienced in many battles, and..."

"And what?" The masked man kicked over the wooden bench next to him, making a loud "bang".

"Also...according to the news from the palace spies, Feng Mulan has given birth to a prince."

The man in black lowered his voice, "It's a healthy baby boy."

"Snapped!"

A loud slap echoed in the secret room. The man in black was slapped to the ground, and his mask slipped off, revealing a face covered with scars.

The man standing there looked down at him and said coldly, "If you fail, you should pay the price."

He paced slowly, his boots making a heart-pounding sound on the wet stone slabs. "If those assassins hadn't committed suicide this time, you wouldn't have just gotten slapped in the face."

The man in black hurriedly got up and knelt again, not daring to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth: "I admit my guilt."

The masked man walked over to the candlestick and gently fiddled with the wick. The flame cast a strange shadow on his mask.

"Humph, now that Chu Ning has another son, his throne is even more secure. It will be even more difficult to deal with him in the future."

Suddenly, a cold wind blew outside the window, making the window frame creak. A few snowflakes floated in from the gaps and fell beside the candlelight, instantly turning into water droplets.

The man standing there turned around abruptly, the wind from his robe almost extinguishing the candlelight. "This kind of thing can't happen again, or you'll be beheaded!"

"Yes! Yes!" The man in black kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the stone slab with a dull sound.

The masked man took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: "Next, immediately send someone to keep an eye on Chu Ning, Sun Simiao, Ling Haoran, and Zhao Yu."

He lowered his voice, carrying a chilling tone: "If they find anything, destroy the evidence immediately. If necessary... you can use the assassination squad."

"I understand!" the man in black responded, bowed and walked out of the secret room as if he had been pardoned.

The room returned to silence, with only the occasional popping sound of candlelight.

The standing man walked to the wall and stroked his fingers over a hanging map, which marked the military deployment of each province and county in the Great Chu.

"Chun Ning, ah Chu Ning!"

He murmured to himself, his voice a mixture of jealousy and resentment: "You are really lucky. You saved this."

He suddenly exerted force with his fingers, scratching a crack on the map. "Humph, but good luck is only temporary. You can't always be so lucky!"

At the same time, the lights in the Imperial Hospital were on.

Minister of Justice Ling Haoran sat upright on a huanghuali wood chair, with wisps of hot steam rising from the teacup in his hand.

He is over fifty years old, with gray hair on his temples, but his eyes are bright and he looks intimidating without even being angry.

Sitting opposite him was Sun Simiao, who was still in shock. This old doctor, who was nearly 70 years old, had gauze wrapped around his forehead, which was obviously an injury he suffered in the attack tonight.

"Dr. Sun!"

Ling Haoran put down the teacup and said in a steady voice, "Can you tell me more about the attack tonight?"

Sun Simiao sighed deeply, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the teacup: "I have been practicing medicine all my life to help the world, how could I have any enemies?"

He looked up at Ling Haoran, his eyes full of confusion: "Those men in black recognized me the moment they appeared. They were obviously coming for me. This is very puzzling to me."

Outside the window came the sounds of patrolling imperial guards' footsteps and the clashing of armor, much more frequent than usual.

Ling Haoran looked out the window thoughtfully. In the moonlight, he could see the torches held by the imperial guards flying back and forth between the palace walls like dragons.

"Dr. Sun is a skilled doctor who has saved many lives!"

Ling Haoran retracted his gaze and stroked his beard: "If I didn't have a deep hatred for you, I would never attack you."

He paused, a gleam in his eyes: "Since they are not coming for you, then they must be trying to stop you from coming to the palace to help Concubine Lan give birth."

As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Simiao's face changed suddenly, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang", breaking into pieces.

"This...this..." Sun Simiao's voice trembled: "So, the other party's target is Concubine Lan and your Majesty's prince?"

Ling Haoran sighed, bent down to pick up a piece of porcelain and played with it in his hand: "I'm afraid it's like this."

He looked up at Sun Simiao and said, "It seems this matter is very complicated. If we want to investigate, we need to unravel it layer by layer."

A cold wind blew in through the window, causing the candlelight to flicker and the shadows of the two people to distort on the wall.

The sound of a baby crying could be heard in the distance. It must be the crying of the newborn prince.

Sun Simiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Since this matter has nothing to do with me personally, I can only investigate from other directions."

Ling Haoran stood up and bowed, "Sorry for disturbing you tonight. I'll take my leave now."

He turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, by the way, His Majesty has ordered me to tell you that for your own safety, you must stay at the Imperial Hospital for the next few days and not leave the palace."

Sun Simiao stood up to see him off. When he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something: "Master Ling, I have an unwelcome request."

"please say."

"Why not investigate from within the palace?" Sun Simiao lowered his voice and asked, "Who knows that His Majesty has summoned me to the palace?"

Ling Haoran's eyes flashed, and then he nodded slightly: "That's exactly what I meant."

He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before continuing, "I came here mainly to eliminate the possibility of your enemies taking action. Now it seems..."

He didn't finish his words, but just looked at Sun Simiao meaningfully.

The two walked into the yard, and the night wind mixed with snowflakes blew in their faces.

Ling Haoran tightened his official robe and turned to leave.

Watching Ling Haoran's figure disappear at the end of the palace road, Sun Simiao sighed and looked up at the inky black night sky.

The snowflakes fell on his face, freezing cold.

"These are turbulent times!" He murmured to himself, knowing that Kyoto would not be at peace from now on.