Years turn into wind

The next morning, the mansion was completely silent, save for the traps Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei had secretly laid, waiting for the most concealed undercover agent to reveal himself. To complement Ling Xiaotian's plan, Cheng Yuwei deliberately spread word throughout the mansion, claiming to have found a new drug that could combat the poison gas and stored it in the pharmacy. She knew that if the undercover agent was indeed in the mansion, such news would be a great temptation.

At dusk, the pharmacy in the mansion was quiet. Cheng Yuwei sat alone at the door, deliberately putting on a thoughtful expression. She was paying attention to the movements around her and observing vigilantly. Just then, a familiar sound of footsteps came from a corner of the pharmacy.

She looked up slightly and saw the mansion's deputy steward, Liu Fu, sneaking towards the pharmacy. Liu Fu had been at the Marshal's mansion for many years, always cautious and low-key, never seeking attention and even not being good at speaking. Many servants kept their distance from him. However, at this moment, his eyes held a hint of greed and sinisterness.

Cheng Yuwei sneered and slowly stood up. Just as Liu Fu was about to reach out to touch the medicine bottle, she shouted, "Liu Fu, what are you doing?"

Liu Fu was startled by the sound and turned to flee, but the soldiers who had been lying in ambush immediately surrounded him. Cheng Yuwei calmly stepped forward, her eyes sharp as a knife: "Liu Fu, do you still want to quibble? Stealing a secret military medicine is a serious crime."

Liu Fu's face changed. Knowing he couldn't argue anymore, he lowered his head and said, "I... I was also forced! They threatened my family. If I didn't obey their orders, my family would suffer."

Cheng Yuwei snorted coldly: "Forced? But I see you've been moving around a lot these days, it's obviously not just coercion."

Liu Fu was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond. At this moment, Ling Xiaotian slowly approached him, looking at him coldly: "Liu Fu, if you confess everything, perhaps you can still live. Otherwise, I will personally hand you over to military court for punishment."

Liu Fu trembled, finally falling to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "General! I'll tell you everything! It was General Xie's remnants. Unwilling to accept defeat, they sent someone to infiltrate the palace, asking me to secretly deliver a message and to appear incredibly loyal to you, hoping they could one day deliver a fatal blow."

Ling Xiaotian's eyes were as cold as ice, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who else? Are there any other accomplices in the mansion?"

Liu Fu hesitated for a moment, a trace of panic on his face: "I... I only know that they send people to receive information every month. I really don't know how many people they have planted."

Ling Xiaotian smiled coldly and said to the soldier beside him, "Take him away and keep him under strict guard. We will deal with him later."

After Liu Fu was taken away, Cheng Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Ling Xiaotian: "Although Liu Fu was captured, only a small part of the undercurrent forces was exposed this time. I'm afraid they are still lurking in the dark."

Ling Xiaotian nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, they clearly have a bigger plan. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If we don't completely dismantle these forces, our mansion will always be in turmoil."

Cheng Yuwei thought for a moment, a sly look in her eyes: "Xiaotian, why don't we do the opposite? Instead of letting them continue to hide in the dark, we can use false information to guide them, or even lead them into a trap."

Ling Xiaotian thought for a moment and smiled in appreciation, "Yuwei, you always come up with such wonderful plans. Okay, let's pretend to announce some 'military secret' to the public, and when they come to inquire again, we'll catch them all in one fell swoop."

A few days later, Ling Xiaotian deliberately announced to the palace that he would be secretly meeting with a foreign envoy to discuss a significant military investment. Once the news broke, numerous spies quietly took action. Cheng Yuwei also secretly deployed personnel to monitor key passages within the palace, waiting for the enemy to fall into her trap.

That night, Ling Xiaotian waited for news in a secret room set up in his mansion. He was accompanied by only a few elite guards, all of whom held their breath, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the secret passage.

As the night deepened, the quiet mansion was suddenly filled with the sound of gentle footsteps. A dark figure quietly appeared at the doorway of the secret room, dagger raised, attempting to sneak in. However, the soldiers who had been lying in ambush immediately emerged and surrounded him.

The shadowy figure was clearly prepared, and upon seeing this, he quickly resisted, slashing with his dagger in an attempt to break free. At this moment, Ling Xiaotian emerged from the shadows, sword in hand, and pinned the opponent to the ground with a single blow. He coldly demanded, "Who sent you? What's your purpose?"

The man remained silent stubbornly, his eyes filled with resentment. Seeing this, Ling Xiaotian sneered, "It doesn't matter if you don't say anything. As long as you fall into my hands, I will make you speak."

After the soldiers escorted the shadowy figure away, Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei exchanged a glance, a deeper understanding forming between them. They understood that this murky game was far from over, and the road ahead was filled with unknown challenges. However, no matter the hardships, as long as they stood side by side, they could defy all conspiracies and intrigues.