The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

The shop owner cried and begged for mercy.

"The Fatty Second in Command?"

Zhao Yong frowned. It seemed that the fat man had a trick up his sleeve!

Feng Rusi squatted down, carefully observing the owner's expression, and asked in a deep voice:

"You mean the middleman? What did he look like? Do you remember?"

The shop owner nodded quickly and said:

"I remember! I remember! I...I remember! That man...was tall and thin, but he always came."

"He used a long turban to cover his head and face so tightly that he was unrecognizable!"

Zhao Yong spat and cursed:

"Damn it, you're kidding me! Do you really think I'm a fool?"

He kicked the shop owner on the ground in annoyance.

Feng Rusi remained calm, patted the dusty hem of his clothes, and said:

"General Zhao, don't be impatient. Although this clue is vague, it is not completely useless."

Zhao Yong stared and said impatiently:

"It's useful? He's tall and thin, with his head covered tightly. There are people like him everywhere on the street. Where can I find him?"

Feng Rusi smiled slightly and said:

"Don't worry, General. At least we know this middleman is acting cautiously."

"And it's very likely that he's hiding in this small town. We can investigate secretly and maybe make some new discoveries."

Zhao Yong sighed. Although he still felt a little unwilling, he also knew that what Feng Rusi said made sense.

He waved his hand and ordered:

"Come here, take this bastard away and keep him under strict guard!"

"Then pack up all the stuff in this store and ship it back to the capital!"

These are all evidence of the sea sharks' looting and also solid evidence of Li Chengfeng's fight against pirates.

In a dark corner in the distance, a tall and thin man, with his head and face tightly covered with a long turban, was watching all this silently.

"Humph! A bunch of idiots, do you really think you can catch me? Maybe in the next life!"

Zhao Yong and Feng Rushi worked for most of the night and finally finished all the work.

Feng Rusi rubbed his eyebrows and said:

"General Zhao, it seems we'll have to stay here for one night."

Zhao Yong yawned and said:

"That's all we can do. This shabby little town doesn't even have a decent inn."

The two of them found a relatively clean room and slept in their clothes.

The next morning, Zhao Yong and Feng Rushi set out back to the capital with the seized stolen goods.

After returning to the capital, Zhao Yong immediately reported the seized stolen goods to Li Chengfeng.

Li Chengfeng looked at the mountains of gold, silver and jewelry and praised Zhao Yong and Feng Rusi for their efficiency.

"General Zhao, Lord Feng, you have performed a great service this time! I will reward you handsomely!"

Zhao Yong and Feng Rushi quickly knelt down to express their gratitude.

Li Chengfeng asked again, "Any clues about the whereabouts of the sea shark?"

Zhao Yong took a step forward and said with spit flying:

"Your Majesty, I have captured the second-in-command of the pirates, but I have not yet inquired about the whereabouts of the sea shark."

"No trace of sea sharks was found in the pirates' lair."

"The only available clue now is the middleman mentioned by the store owner."

"I have already arranged a covert presence in the town. If any suspicious individuals are found, they will be immediately apprehended."

"I believe there will be news soon!"

Li Chengfeng wiped the saliva off his face, thought for a moment, and said:

"This middleman is so cautious, it seems difficult to deal with him."

Feng Rusi stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, I believe we can start with this middleman and follow the clues to find the hiding place of the sea shark."

Li Chengfeng nodded and said:

"Lord Feng, your words make sense. I'll leave this matter to you. Make sure you catch the sea shark!"

"I obey your order!" Feng Rushi took the order and left.

Feng Rushi returned to his mansion and immediately summoned his men to begin deploying an investigation plan.

......

In the Golden Palace, Li Chengfeng slowly and methodically stirred the chicken soup in the bowl with a spoon, appearing calm on the surface.

But he was thinking about the sea shark in his mind: This old bastard is as slippery as a loach. His nest has been destroyed, but he was able to escape.

He put down the spoon and casually asked the eunuch next to him:

"I remember the Minister of Personnel reported a few days ago that the treasury was empty and that military spending needed to be cut?"

The eunuch replied, "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case."

Li Chengfeng sneered and put the bowl heavily on the table.

"Humph! The treasury is empty? I think he is blind!"

"Could this mountain of gold, silver, and jewelry be made of stone?"

"Pass on my order that all these stolen goods be deposited into the national treasury."

"Allow another portion to be allocated to the soldiers guarding the coastal areas as my reward to them."

Li Chengfeng picked up the bowl and said:

"Also, tell the Minister of Personnel to open his eyes."

"Don't stare at my treasury all day long. My money is also used for the country and the people!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the eunuch said with a bow.

This is to warn the Minister of Personnel to stop causing trouble.

After dealing with these trivial matters, Li Chengfeng got up and went to the Imperial Garden, but he was thinking in his mind how to completely eradicate the sea shark.

"Your Majesty, He Sheng requests an audience." A shrill voice interrupted Li Chengfeng's thoughts.

"Xuan."

A moment later, He Sheng walked quickly into the Imperial Garden and bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"No need for formalities. What's the important matter to report?" Li Chengfeng asked calmly.

He Sheng took out a secret report from his sleeve and presented it with both hands:

"Your Majesty, this is the news sent back by the spies sent to the northern border to investigate the genocide of the Yiwu people."

Li Chengfeng took the secret report and quickly read it through.

"The King of Northern Frontier actually ordered the extermination of the entire Yiwu tribe?"

Li Chengfeng narrowed his eyes and stared at the secret report.

"Your Majesty, according to the spies' report, the King of Northern Frontier did indeed order the massacre of the Yiwu people."

"But no evidence was found that the Yiwu people were colluding with foreign enemies."

He Sheng answered cautiously.

"No evidence?" Li Chengfeng threw the secret report on the ground.

"Humph! How dare the King of Northern Frontier exterminate an entire clan on trumped-up charges!"

"That's thousands of lives lost in such a confusing way!"

"Your Majesty, King Yiwu has been beheaded, and the whereabouts of his only daughter, Ayimu, are unknown."

He Sheng added.

"Ayimu..."

Li Chengfeng muttered the name softly, and a vague figure emerged in his mind.

He vaguely remembered that in the game, Aimu was an important NPC who was inextricably linked to the rebellion of the King of Northern Frontier.

"Keep tracking down Ayimu's whereabouts. If he's dead, we must find his body!"

Li Chengfeng immediately gave the order.

Ayimu's life and death may be the key to solving the mystery of the rebellion of the King of Northern Frontier.

"I obey your order!" He Sheng took the order and left.