Traveling through the emperor, overthrowing the empress dowager at the beginning

A dungeon that can hold thousands of people.

Right inside the capital city.

These Luzhou businessmen have definitely invested a lot of money.

Ye Chen's face was gloomy.

It would be impossible to carry out large-scale construction in the capital city and transport all the waste soil out of the city so quietly without anyone's help.

There must be a lot of people involved in this.

As far as Ye Chen knew, the City Defense Force, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Personnel were all involved, but he was afraid that these people had even bigger backers.

Ye Chen walked into the tunnel and felt a damp heat wave coming towards him. He frowned slightly and saw torches standing on the walls on both sides of the tunnel.

As he walked down, he saw cells. These cells had iron bars and looked very sturdy, but there was nothing inside them except some dry grass.

Ye Chen only felt that the air was extremely hot and stuffy. Staying in such an environment was undoubtedly a torture.

The distances between the cells were very small and very crowded, but in the aisle, Ye Chen could still see many torture instruments. Not long after walking, he smelled a foul odor again.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards discovered a place where corpses and excrement were placed. It's a bit disgusting. You'd better not go and see it."

Shen Qiu walked forward and said.

"I'll go over and take a look."

Ye Chen covered his mouth and nose, strode forward, took a look, and then stepped back.

"Get these people out and bury them."

Ye Chen's face looked very ugly, but he didn't want to stay underground anymore, so he turned around and left.

"Where did the Lu merchants here escape to? Any news?"

After walking out of the tunnel, Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said in a cold tone.

In his opinion, everything underground was like hell, and the people who created this hell could not be called human beings, but a group of devils.

"Our people are investigating, but they haven't found any trace of Lu Shang yet. The gates of the capital are under martial law."

Shen Qiu said to Ye Chen.

"Humph."

The city defense troops are all related to this matter. Can the city gates of the capital city keep out these Lu merchants?

Even if the imperial guards took over, there would definitely be leaks everywhere.

Ye Chen's expression became increasingly ugly.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. How could this group of Lu merchants run away right under his nose?

He had clearly almost set up a tight net, just one move away, but Lu Shang slipped away first!

"Investigate! Keep investigating! Even if these Lu merchants run to the ends of the earth, I will catch them!"

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice.

"promise!"

Shen Qiu said quickly.

"Qiu'er, let's go back to the palace now."

"The news of this operation must have leaked!"

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes.

He wanted to take action against the Lu merchants, and this matter should not have been spread by the imperial guards.

The imperial guards who followed him out of the palace were all Su Mengjiao's confidants and should be trustworthy. Otherwise, the previous operations he led with the imperial guards would not have been so successful.

As for the people from the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, Ye Chen only ordered them to be transferred out and deployed around the area. He had not yet issued an order to encircle and suppress the Lu merchants, so they should not be the ones who leaked the information.

"Your Majesty, a man from the Jianghu wants to see you."

Shen Qiu suddenly said.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Ye Chen withdrew his thoughts and asked.

"That man said he had a way to find those Lu merchants."

Shen Qiu's face looked a little unnatural. The surrounding imperial guards and people from the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion were trying their best to search, but because of the city defense troops, the itinerant merchants and civilians ran around, causing chaos, and the Lu merchant was nowhere to be found.

When the imperial guards had no way out, these people from the martial arts world actually said they had a way.

This made Shen Qiu a little unconvinced.

"Oh, let them come."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up and he said immediately.

Soon, a strong man wearing a short shirt, showing strong arms and a knife on his waist came in front of Ye Chen.

Ye Chen remembered that this guy seemed to be called Lu Niu Dan, and his most powerful skill was swordsmanship.

"Lu Niu Dan, can you find Lu Shang?"

Ye Chen was a little confused.

This Lu Niu Dan looks quite honest. If he didn't have a knife hanging around his waist, he could have just been playing a farmer with a hoe.

How could this guy who doesn't look smart at all find Lu Shang?

Ye Chen was a little skeptical.

"Sir, I have dealt with Lu merchants in the Jianghuai area before."

Lu Niu Dan knelt on one knee, clasped his fists towards Ye Chen and said, "I know the habits of the Lu merchants. They usually have two hideouts, open and hidden!"

"This inn and this chamber of commerce are both in the open."

"Their second hideout should be nearby. I've checked. There's an alley behind this inn and the Chamber of Commerce. The Lu merchants must have walked through this alley, and they definitely didn't go far!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Okay, Lu Niu Dan, I'll give you a hundred men. Go find these Lu merchants for me. If you do, I'll reward you handsomely! If you can capture them, the reward will be doubled!"

Ye Chen waved his hand and gave the order.

Hearing this, Lu Niudan was slightly stunned and a little surprised.

He originally thought that Ye Chen would at most have someone follow him to look for Lu Shang, but he didn't expect Ye Chen to directly give him a hundred people.

This is really making use of him.

"Sir! Give me two days and I will definitely complete the task!"

Lu Niudan's surprise quickly turned into excitement and he said.

"Go."

Ye Chen waved his hand and took Shen Qiu into the carriage.

"Qiu'er, let the Imperial Guards interrogate the civilians in the Ministry of Justice's prison, as well as any suspicious individuals captured by the Imperial Guards. No one from the Ministry of Justice is allowed to interfere."

"Yes."

Ye Chen pondered for a while before saying to Shen Qiu, "Qiu'er, are the people around me trustworthy?"

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother is always keeping an eye on those around you. I am certain that those around you are all loyal to either Your Majesty or the Queen Mother."

"is it?"

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes.

"Your Majesty, do you think there's something wrong with someone around you?"

Shen Qiu also felt that Ye Chen's attitude was wrong and asked.

"Humph."

Ye Chen snorted lightly, his face slightly gloomy. It was impossible for the imperial guards and the people from the Jing'an Marquis Mansion he brought with him to leak the secret.

After thinking about it, he decided that the only person who could have leaked the secret was someone close to him.

This is undoubtedly a betrayal.

Ye Chen hates traitors very much.

We must find it out!