Return of the Pearl

At this moment, Altai had an irrepressible look of pride on his face, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes. He was secretly delighted in his heart. He felt that he finally had the bargaining chip to negotiate with Qianlong.

He laughed wildly with his head thrown back, then said in an extremely arrogant tone, "Your Majesty, if you are truly willing to release me, I might actually tell you who my confidant is. Otherwise, even if I die, I will never reveal a single word!"

After saying that, he raised his chin provocatively, as if to say, "See what you can do to me!" But in his heart, he was secretly planning that once he escaped this disaster, he must find a way to make a comeback and make these people regret what they did today.

After hearing Altai's arrogant words, Qianlong couldn't help but frowned slightly and fell into a brief silence. A complex emotion flashed across his eyes, including anger and thought, but he did not respond immediately.

When the others saw Altai's reaction, the indignation in their hearts burned like a raging fire, and the anger churned in their chests, as if it was about to burst out.

At this time, An Yi could no longer suppress the surging anger in his heart. He clenched his fists tightly, gnashing his teeth and said hatefully: "Master, why don't you let me teach him a lesson again! I don't believe that this arrogant and domineering guy can be so stubborn and refuse to tell the truth!" After saying that, his body trembled slightly with anger, as if he was about to rush forward at any time and give Altai a good beating.

Altai's body trembled involuntarily, like a leaf shaking in the autumn wind. He looked so helpless and pitiful. However, he still shouted stubbornly, "Even if you use all kinds of means to torture me, I will never tell you anything!" His words were full of stubbornness and persistence, but his eyes clearly revealed a trace of fear and uneasiness. It was the fear of an unknown fate and the uneasiness of possible torture.

At this moment, everyone present was silent, as if even the air had frozen. They held their breath, stared wide-eyed, and stared at Qianlong nervously, their hearts tense, quietly waiting for his decision. Everyone felt as if their heart was tightly grasped by an invisible hand, beating extremely hard, and fine beads of sweat seeped out of their foreheads.

At this suffocating and tense moment, Xiao Yun slowly took out a list from her arms. Her movements were extremely slow, as if every tiny movement required a lot of effort.

Her expression was as solemn as a dark cloud, her face was as pale as paper, veins bulged on her forehead, and her eyes were full of anxiety and worry. She said in a low and hoarse voice: "Hongli, this is what Li Ergou gave me. This is the list of Altai's confidants. Moreover, he once said that not all officials in Shandong are guilty of heinous crimes. Some of them have to choose to wait and see because of the situation, just like duckweed drifting with the tide..." The whole scene was full of depression and heaviness, as if it was the eve of a storm.

As soon as Xiao Yun said this, Altai was shocked. His face turned pale as paper in an instant, and his eyes were full of fear and resentment. He said hatefully: "This damn guy, I never thought that I would capsize in this ditch and be defeated by him! He let you go, right? Otherwise, so many soldiers would not suddenly appear!" After that, his body trembled slightly with anger.

However, Xiao Yun turned a deaf ear to Altai's words, as if he had not heard them at all, and ignored him at all. Xiao Yun's face was expressionless, and he looked ahead with cold eyes, as if Altai's words were not worth his response at all.

When Qianlong saw this, his eyes suddenly lit up. He stretched out his hand as fast as lightning and took the list eagerly. He held the list tightly as if he was holding a rare treasure. His eyes were as sharp as torches, focused and nervous, and then he looked at it carefully.

His brows were first tightly furrowed, forming a deep "Chuan" character, as if he was trying to identify something. Then, the "Chuan" character gradually relaxed and turned into a surprised smile, blooming on his face like gorgeous fireworks. His eyes were wide open, shining with excitement like bright stars, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes spread out like cheerful ripples.

He was so excited that he could hardly control himself, his body trembling slightly, and his voice became high and loud with excitement: "Yun'er, you have really made great contributions to the court this time! You are simply my right-hand man." His words were full of praise and affirmation for Xiao Yun, and his happy expression was like a vivid picture, making people seem to feel his inner joy and excitement.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qianlong straightened his body slightly and handed the list to Fu Heng with a very solemn expression. His eyes were focused and sharp, staring at Fu Heng closely, as if he wanted to deeply imprint this instruction on Fu Heng's heart.

Qianlong solemnly ordered: "Fuheng, you must follow the names on the list and capture them as quickly as possible. Don't let any of them escape! This concerns the safety of the court, and there is no room for carelessness!"

Fu Heng stretched out his hands respectfully and took the list steadily. His fingers were long and strong, and he held the list tightly, as if holding a heavy responsibility. His expression was serious and resolute, and his brows revealed a firm determination. His eyes, as sharp as an eagle, flashed with a resolute light.

He replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!" Fu Heng's voice was low and powerful, full of loyalty and responsibility. After he finished speaking, he turned around and left quickly. His steps were firm and powerful, and every step was full of resolute momentum. Under the gaze of everyone, his figure quickly disappeared in the distance, and he went to carry out the arduous task of arresting the person.

Qianlong then issued another series of orders. He announced in a resounding voice, "Altai has been executed. From now on, Erkang, you will lead your men to retrieve the relief grain and distribute it. As for the investigation of Altai's residence, you will be responsible for it, Fulun!"

This order was like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears. Qianlong's tone was firm and decisive, leaving no room for doubt. His eyes were as sharp as swords, revealing majesty and determination.

When Erkang and Fulun heard the order, they felt a sense of mission and responsibility. They knew that this was a difficult and important task and they had to go all out to fulfill their mission. They accepted the order respectfully, with determination flashing in their eyes, ready to immediately devote themselves to these two important tasks.