Who put the yellow robe on me?

As Xuanyuan Feiyan finished speaking, Zhong Xiaodan frowned, walked forward, and gently crushed the dust on the ground with the tip of his boot. Then he looked around with a sharp eagle-like gaze: "Yes, someone has been active here, and it can't have been for long. It seems that the secrets of this secret passage are deeper than we imagined."

Jiang Chen stood in the center of the dark passage, his hands folded before him. His expression was as calm as water, yet his gaze was sharp enough to penetrate the darkness. He slowly scanned the carvings on the surrounding walls, the firelight illuminating his eyes, a trace of deep thought lingering in them.

He sighed softly and said, "This secret passage is more than just a way to get around."

Xiong Zhiheng couldn't help but ask, "What does Your Highness mean?"

Jiang Chen raised his head slightly, staring at the lines, and said in a low voice: "It's more like a barrier, a barrier used to protect a secret."

Xuanyuan Feiyan's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and he carefully examined the formation patterns on the murals again. As the firelight flickered, he could vaguely discern that the intricate and intertwined lines seemed to vaguely echo certain mechanical designs.

He was slightly shocked, and then said in a deep voice: "Your Highness is absolutely right. These patterns do not seem like decorations, but more like some kind of secret formation."

Jiang Chen didn't respond. He continued forward, his steps steady and his eyes scanning the secret passage vigilantly. The others didn't hesitate any longer and followed him, continuing deeper into the tunnel by the light of the fire.

As we walked along the winding passage, the air became increasingly heavy, as if an invisible pressure was squeezing in from all directions, making our chests stuffy and breathing difficult.

Suddenly, a stone wall appeared at the end of the passage ahead, carved with intricate runes, faintly exuding a mysterious aura.

Xuanyuan Feiyan stepped forward to examine it carefully. He reached out and gently touched the lines, feeling a chill beneath his fingertips. He frowned slightly and whispered, "There's a mechanism here."

Zhong Xiaodan also stepped forward to investigate. He patted the stone wall vigorously, put his ear close to it and listened for a while, then raised his eyebrows and said, "There might be a secret room behind this stone wall."

Xuanyuan Feiyan nodded, took a deep breath, and then held his breath and concentrated. He slowly traced the lines with his palm and soon found a depression. His brows twitched, and without hesitation, he pressed hard.

"Click!"

A dull mechanical sound echoed, and then the entire stone wall seemed to tremble slightly, as if some kind of lock had been released. However, everyone held their breath and waited, only to find that the tunnel before them had not changed at all.

Xuanyuan Feiyan was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Jiang Chen with a puzzled look on her face: "Your Highness Prince Yan, I have opened the mechanism, but this tunnel... has not changed at all."

Zhong Xiaodan frowned slightly, came forward, put his palm against the stone wall and felt it carefully, then closed his eyes and listened attentively.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze slightly bright, and said in a firm tone: "General Xuanyuan, are you mistaken? I heard the sound of dripping water inside. There must be a secret door inside."

Xuanyuan Feiyan's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly rechecked the mechanism, while everyone was also carefully searching around the secret passage for possible secret doors.

Time passed little by little, and the burning torches made slight "crackling" sounds in the dull air, as if urging them to find clues quickly.

However, after an incense stick of time passed, everyone still found nothing.

Xuanyuan Feiyan finally stopped, wiped the sweat from her forehead, looked at Jiang Chen with a determined expression, and said firmly: "Your Highness, I am sure that this mechanism has been opened, but why there is no secret door, I don't know."

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment, his eyes narrowed, and he slowly said, "If the mechanism has been opened, but no secret door has appeared, then it means..."

Before he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly brightened and an idea flashed in his mind: "Is there a possibility that the bait is here, but the big fish is somewhere else?"

Zhong Xiaoshan looked at him blankly: "Sixteenth Prince, what do you mean?"

Jiang Chen did not answer immediately. Instead, he scanned the secret passage with a deep gaze and slowly explained, "What if this place is just a switch that triggers a secret door, and the real secret door is not here?"

Zhong Xiaodan was stunned for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Then where will it be?"

Jiang Chen raised his eyes slightly, then suddenly turned around and asked, "Second Young Master, is there anyone left behind in the Ministry of Revenue's tax treasury?"

Zhong Xiaodan thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, General Xianyu Linyuan and others were staying in the tax silver treasury just now."

Just as he finished speaking, suddenly——

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

A hurried call came from the entrance of the secret passage, with a hint of panic and urgency.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a figure running towards him hurriedly. When he saw the person clearly in the light of the fire, his eyes changed slightly.

"Xian Yu Lin Yuan?"

Xian Yu Linyuan stopped in front of Jiang Chen, panting, with a look of shock on his face. Even his clothes were a little messy, obviously he had run all the way here.

He didn't bother to tidy up, and slid down to his knees in front of Jiang Chen, his voice slightly hurried: "Your Highness! Your Highness! The Thirteenth Princess has been found!"

"what?!"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

Zhong Xiaodan took a step forward, staring at Xianyu Linyuan closely, and asked anxiously: "General Xianyu, where did you find Princess Rou?"

Xian Yu Linyuan took a few breaths, trying to steady his breath, and quickly replied, "It's in the tax treasury! Just an incense stick ago, for some reason, a noise suddenly came from the secret room of the tax treasury. Brother Qingsong and I rushed to check, only to find that the Thirteenth Princess and the Imperial Guard were trapped in a secret compartment in the secret room, both of them were dying. Brother Qingsong has now led the Imperial Guards to escort the Thirteenth Princess back to the palace!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was moved.

When Zhong Xiaodan heard this, his face changed drastically. He pushed Xian Yu Linyuan away and rushed out like crazy!

Jiang Chen's eyes darkened slightly, and without further delay, he quickly followed with everyone.

Jiang Chen and others were all shocked when they heard this. Zhong Xiaodan even pushed Xian Yu Linyuan away and rushed out like a madman.

He was moving extremely fast, his footsteps almost created a gust of wind, his cloak fluttered behind him, and his boots stepped on the ground, making a quick and powerful sound.

Jiang Chen's pupils shrank slightly, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, and then he said in a deep voice: "Let's go!"

Xuanyuan Feiyan, Xiong Zhiheng and others did not dare to hesitate and followed closely behind, quickly returning along the dark passage.

Xianyu Linyuan followed Jiang Chen, still breathing heavily, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

As he ran, he added, "Your Highness, when we heard unusual noises coming from the secret room, we thought there was something wrong with the mechanism. But when we opened the secret compartment, we saw the Thirteenth Princess and the Imperial Guard collapsed there...

We were startled at the time and rushed forward to check. We found that the princess was breathing weakly and her face was pale. She seemed to have been extremely frightened. The guards were seriously injured and unconscious. Their injuries were extremely serious!