Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The night at the Zhou residence was deeper than usual.

Since the news of Zhou Wenyuan's assassination attempt reached the mansion, the entire residence has been shrouded in an invisible, tense atmosphere of oppression.

The number of guards has increased significantly. From the front yard to the inner yard, there is a guard every five steps and a sentry every ten steps. Even the servants walk with their feet light and keep their voices very low, for fear of angering their master who is in a state of shock and rage.

In the study of the west wing of the inner courtyard, the candlelight flickered.

Chen tide had dismissed Chun Tao and sat alone behind his desk, but he had no interest in reading any books.

Hearing the news of Zhou Wenyuan's assassination attempt during the day set off alarm bells in her mind, and a strong emotion mixed with worry, anxiety, and helplessness lingered in her mind.

The failed assassination attempt signifies the King of Qi's madness and recklessness.

This time the target is Zhou Wenyuan, but what about next time?

Could it be the Zhou residence?

Is it her, this "remnant of the previous dynasty"?

Her grandfather sent her to seek refuge with Zhou Wenyuan because he thought it was safe here, but now it seems that there is probably no truly safe place in this prefecture.

Zhou Wenyuan is barely able to protect himself, so how long can he protect her?

More importantly, the Golden Dragon Token was still in her hands. This was a hot potato, but also her only hope.

Her grandfather said that this decree concerned the secrets of the previous dynasty, and could become her means of survival and even turn the tide of the crisis.

But where is the hidden treasure? Where are the clues? Zhou Wenyuan is tight-lipped about this. Is he truly unaware, or... is he holding something back, or perhaps has ulterior motives?

She couldn't just sit and wait to die. She had to take the initiative to do something, even if it was just to learn more about the situation and gather more information.

The window was tapped very lightly three times, the agreed-upon signal.

Chen tide immediately got up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

Like a shadow in the night, A-Yue slipped in silently and closed the window behind her. She had changed into a dark, fitted outfit suitable for nighttime movement.

A-Yue walked to the table, and by the candlelight, took out a small cloth bag from her bosom, placed it on the table, and opened it. Inside were several small clumps of soil and debris of different colors and textures. The most conspicuous thing was a dried and blackened mark in the middle, but still recognizable as dark red, attached to a tiny piece of debris that looked like a rusted and peeled-off door hinge.

"This is it."

A-Yue pointed to the dark red mark, her ashen face expressionless, but her eyes were serious.

"I found it in the gap inside the threshold of the west wing room and under the door hinge. Although it had been cleaned, it wasn't completely clean. It was blood, and it hadn't been there long, at most three or four days."

"In addition," she picked up another handful of darker, finer-grained soil, "this soil is not the kind commonly found in the mansion's garden or yard. It has a very faint, damp, musty smell, similar to that of a cellar, and... a slight smell of rust and kerosene."

Blood?

Three or four days ago?

The cellar smells damp and musty?

Rusty kerosene?

Chen tide's heart suddenly raced.

Three or four days ago, wasn't that the time when Lin Feng was hidden by Wang Zhen after retrieving the account book from Cui Liu Lane and fighting with the "Shadow Guards"? Could that west wing have been used as a temporary detention or treatment place for the wounded? Or is there some secret hidden there?

"Did you go in and see what was going on inside?" Chen tide pressed.

"I can't get in. The door is locked with a special brass lock, very sturdy. The windows are also bolted shut from the inside. But when I sniffed through the crack in the door, the smell inside was stronger. Besides the musty smell and the smell of rusty kerosene, there was also... a very faint bitter smell, similar to some external wound powder, which is quite different from the smell of Panax notoginseng commonly used in wound medicine." Ah Yue's sense of smell is exceptionally sensitive, a skill she honed through her long-term life in the mountains.

External wound powder? Not ordinary wound medicine? This is even more suspicious. The Zhou family has its own physicians and pharmacy. If someone is injured, why would they need to use special powder and secretly hide it in that secluded west wing for treatment?

"Any other discoveries?" Chen tide forced herself to calm down and continued to ask.

A-Yue shook her head: "The surroundings are very clean, obviously thoroughly cleaned. But the cleaner it is, the more likely there is a problem. There's no need to be this cautious in a room that's just a regular storage room."

Chen tide paced back and forth in the room, her mind racing.

The secret of the west wing is clearly related to Zhou Wenyuan. The bloodstains, the peculiar scent of the medicinal powder, the signs of deliberate cleaning... all indicate that something happened there recently, something Zhou Wenyuan doesn't want anyone to know...

Or perhaps someone else is being held there? Like... the accountant? That mole?

But didn't Li Si say that the accountant had run away? Could it be that Zhou Wenyuan secretly captured him?

Or perhaps it's related to that Golden Dragon Token, or some secret treasure from the previous dynasty? Could there be a secret room or cellar beneath the west wing, containing secret items or information related to the previous dynasty that Zhou Wenyuan has collected over the years?

Countless guesses collided in my mind, but none of them could be confirmed.

"Sister Yue," Chen tide stopped and looked at Yue, her eyes shining with determination.

"We must find out what's in that west wing. It could be a matter of our safety, or... a matter of Brother Lin, or even a matter of what Grandfather asked me to find."

A-Yue nodded without hesitation: "How do we investigate?"

Chen tide pondered for a moment and said, "Forcing our way in won't work. Uncle Zhou is on edge right now, and the mansion is heavily guarded. If we force our way in and get discovered, the consequences will be unimaginable. We need a suitable reason, or... wait for an opportunity."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Tomorrow, I'll try to see Uncle Zhou. Firstly, he's still shaken from the assassination attempt, and as a junior, I should visit him. Secondly, perhaps I can get some information from him, or... create an opportunity."

"I'll go with you," said A-Yue.

"No, Sister Yue, you stay in the shadows." Chen tide shook her head.

"Your identity is sensitive, so it's not advisable for you to show yourself too much in front of Uncle Zhou for the time being. Besides, if anything happens, you'll be able to react more quickly if you stay in the shadows. Continue to keep an eye on the activity in the west wing, especially at night, and see if anyone goes in or out."

A-Yue thought about it and agreed, so she nodded.

The two discussed some details in hushed tones before Ah Yue left quietly, just as she had arrived.

Chen tide sat back down at her desk, staring blankly at the candlelight.

From her escape in Linyuan County to the deep mansion in the prefectural capital, danger was ever-present, never far away. But this time, she felt that the danger did not come from the distant pursuers, but was close at hand, lurking deep within this seemingly safe mansion, and had countless connections with the owner of this mansion, her nominal "uncle".

She must be more careful and vigilant.

But at the same time, she must be more proactive. Her grandfather has entrusted her with hopes and responsibilities, and she cannot let him down.