Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Liu Qinghong's pupils contracted, and she suddenly looked at Bian Hongzhen.

The governor of western Sichuan had long anticipated that someone would steal the defense map.

Was the action of the alien race anticipated, or... was it all just a pretext to lure people in?

Bian Hongzhen's next move gave him the answer.

The Sichuan Provincial Governor calmly straightened his clothes, stood up, and gave the order, "Take him down."

The guards reacted immediately, grabbing Liu Qinghong's wrists and pressing his knees against his back, slamming him to the ground.

The kraft paper drifted down gently.

With her cheek pressed against the cold floor tiles, Liu Qinghong struggled like a fish on a chopping board, saying, "Your Excellency, I am not a spy from another race. I came here with the best intentions to deliver a message. If you don't appreciate it, fine, but why..."

Before he could finish speaking, a piece of coarse cloth was stuffed into his mouth, his eyes were covered with a cloth strip, and his limbs were quickly and tightly bound.

Liu Qinghong tried to speak, but could only let out a muffled sob, like a trapped beast.

He refused to listen to any explanations or inquire about news from other tribes.

By now, how could Liu Qinghong not understand that he had fallen into a meticulously designed trap and was being manipulated?

My heart is sinking.

Was he being used by the foreign race as a scapegoat to test the waters? Or were those men in black not foreign at all, and truly working for His Majesty as they claimed?

If it's the former, then the handover location on the defense map he possesses is probably just something the aliens made up on the spot. Even if he takes Bian Hongzhen to that forest to catch someone, he'll only end up empty-handed.

If it is the latter, then the man in black, together with Bian Hongzhen, set a trap to test him, clearly indicating that they had doubts about his identity and stance because of his act of climbing over the city wall at night.

Even if his choice at this moment cleared him of suspicion as a spy, without the merit of reporting the foreign tribes, he would be nothing more than a petty thief who sneaked over the city wall at night in the eyes of the Sichuan Provincial Governor.

What makes Bian Hongzhen able to protect his sister for life?

The future he painstakingly planned for his sister ultimately turned out to be nothing but a mirage, a complete waste of time.

Despair washed over him, freezing him to the bone. He struggled desperately, trying to crawl toward Bian Hongzhen and beg him to show mercy.

Bian Hongzhen slowly squatted down in front of him, his sharp questions hitting the flaws in his previous statement one after another: "How did you, a student of the Imperial Academy, manage to scale the city wall at night right under the noses of the city guards?"

"If you claimed you were leaving the city to write a letter and had no choice but to climb the city wall, why were you prepared beforehand and carried night clothes with you?"

"Your skills in infiltrating the post station don't seem like something you learned in a day or two. You really haven't done anything else shady?"

"If you are truly as righteous and awe-inspiring as you claim, with no intention of stealing the city's defense map, then why did you sneak into the room so quietly, and hesitate to disturb me even after reaching the bedside?"

Bian Hongzhen stood up, hands behind his back, and admonished, "Considering that you ultimately held your ground, didn't take the bamboo tube, and instead chose to awaken me, attempting to use the information about the 'alien race' to secure your sister's future, I'll give you a word of advice..."

"When you get to 'them,' you'd better put away your little schemes and tell the truth. Your half-truths won't fool me, let alone 'them.'"

they?

Are you referring to those men in black?

Liu Qinghong gradually calmed down and stopped resisting.

Whether it was the implied meaning in the words of the Sichuan Provincial Governor or the first question the other party asked when they came down from the city wall that night, it undoubtedly showed that the three men in black were indeed working for His Majesty.

He, a petty thief who scaled the city wall at night, was not executed on the spot as a spy. Instead, he was set up to test them, which at least shows that "they" did not act in a way that disregarded human life.

But... what merit or ability does he possess that makes him worthy of such elaborate schemes, even having the dignified Provincial Governor of Western Sichuan, a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court, cooperate in setting a trap?

Filled with doubt, Liu Qinghong felt himself being stuffed into a small wooden box. Soon, he felt the box being lifted and placed somewhere.

It wasn't until he felt a regular vibration beneath him, the wheels rumbled forward, and he passed through the checkpoint of the post station guards that Liu Qinghong realized he was on a handcart.

Not far from the post station, chaotic footsteps and noises came from behind, accompanied by shouts of surprise.

"Thief! The thief broke through the window and escaped!"

"Quick, chase after him! Don't let him get away!"

"We just let a diesel truck go; should we bring it back for re-inspection?"

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and chase after them! What's gone must be something extremely important. Didn't you see that even though Governor Bian of Sichuan was ill, he insisted on personally leading the search?"

Robbed? Him?

Escape through the window?

Bound up like a rice dumpling, Liu Qinghong vaguely realized that she had gotten herself into some kind of incident.

He was not only a fish that had taken the bait, but it also seemed to have been used as bait and thrown out again.

Soon, Liu Qinghong suppressed her curiosity and slumped down.

Why should a prisoner who climbs over the city wall at night care about so much?

He was already in dire straits, barely able to save himself.

For some unknown reason, the cart managed to avoid being caught by the people searching the post station.

Liu Qinghong was curled up in the box, her limbs bound.

After an unknown amount of time, when his whole body ached, his body was stiff, his back was soaked with cold sweat, and he could barely breathe, the wooden box was finally opened.

Fresh air rushed in, and he greedily inhaled it. Then he was pulled out of the box and led forward in a daze.

The cold winter air made his nose sting, and the night wind blew, causing his sweaty clothes to stick to his body, making his teeth chatter.

outdoor?

As he was led into a certain space, a warm atmosphere rushed towards him, and his frozen limbs began to warm up.

Liu Qinghong didn't smell the chilling stench of blood; instead, she caught a faint scent of medicine and the aroma of tea filling the room.

What place is this?

It doesn't resemble a dungeon.

Soon, Liu Qinghong's doubts were answered.

The gag in his mouth was removed, and the blindfold was taken off, and his vision suddenly brightened.

The sudden light made Liu Qinghong squint slightly.

It was indeed not a dungeon, but the main hall of a wealthy family's house.

The heavy brocade curtains kept out the cold wind from outside, and the underfloor heating was burning brightly, dispelling the chill from his limbs and bones.

Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner, and the rich aroma of tea wafted from the boiling tea on the wooden table.

A composed young man sat in the head seat. He was wrapped in a fox fur coat, leaning back in his chair, holding a hand warmer in his hands. He looked slightly tired, but his noble air was undeniable.

The boy's eyes looked over indifferently, revealing little emotion, yet they gave Liu Qinghong a sense of pressure no less than that of facing the Provincial Governor of Sichuan.

Who exactly is this young man?

It looks familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before.

What is his relationship with the man in black that night?

Those people serve His Majesty, and they have the power to act as if I were personally present...

The more Liu Qinghong thought about it, the more terrified he became.

"Why aren't you kneeling down?" A loud shout rang out from the side.

Liu Qinghong felt a pain in his knee and his legs hit the ground. He looked in the direction of the sound.

A handsome young man sat on the chair next to him, glaring at him menacingly.

It's all that scoundrel's fault! He passed on his illness to His Majesty, causing His Majesty to be sick and exhausted in the middle of the night!

...

It's getting late, sorry to keep you waiting~