With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

Princess Mingyue was still sobbing, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Yan's heart was calm, and he even wanted to light a cigarette.

This little girl really gave a good performance.

What a pity that I ran into such an old fox.

"Alright, alright, Your Highness, I believe you are innocent."

Lu Yan's tone was perfunctory, as if he was coaxing a crying child.

When Princess Mingyue heard this, she immediately stopped crying.

A pair of big watery eyes stared straight at Lu Yan:

"Really? Lord Lu no longer doubts me?"

"nature."

Lu Yan pulled the corners of his mouth with a forced smile.

"How could Her Royal Highness, a princess of noble status, do such a despicable thing?"

Princess Mingyue burst into laughter, grabbed Lu Yan's sleeve, and said coquettishly:

"I know that Lord Lu is the best!"

Lu Yan pulled back his sleeves without leaving any trace, thinking to himself:

Haha, little girl, you are still too young.

After seeing Princess Mingyue off, the smile on Lu Yan's face disappeared without a trace in an instant.

He called Li Kui and Ye Xiao, his face looking terribly gloomy.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

Li Kui and Ye Xiao asked in unison.

"The assassin at the banquet was definitely not from Beixiang State."

Lu Yan said coldly.

"In my opinion, the mastermind behind this must be someone from within our Datong Dynasty!"

Li Kui and Ye Xiao looked at each other, both with shocked expressions.

"What do you mean, sir..." Li Kui asked tentatively.

"Humph! Those old scoundrels in the court can't stand my reforms, so they send people to assassinate me. How audacious they are!"

A cold light flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.

"I want to see what tricks they can come up with!"

"Your Excellency is wise!" Li Kui and Ye Xiao said in unison.

"Ye Xiao, secretly investigate the people inside the government office and any suspicious individuals who have recently entered and exited Shannan Prefecture."

Lu Yan ordered.

"We must find out who is behind this and find the assassin!"

"Yes!" Night Owl took the order and left.

"Li Kui, strengthen the government office's defenses to prevent the assassins from attacking again."

Lu Yan continued:

"Also, send someone to the capital to keep a close eye on those court officials. Report any unusual movements to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" Li Kui bowed and accepted the order.

After Ye Xiao left, Lu Yan sat alone in the study, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought.

Those old guys in the court are all cunning and treacherous.

How easy is it to find out who is behind this?

However, I, Lu Yan, am not a pushover either.

Since you want to play, I will play with you!

Lu Yan curled up the corner of his mouth in a sneer, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes.

"A bunch of rabble, you dare to fight me?"

At this time, Shannan Prefecture seemed calm on the surface, but undercurrents were actually surging.

The Night Owl transformed into a dark night ghost, shuttling inside and outside the government office, collecting various intelligence.

Li Kui led his men to strengthen the defense of the government office, turning it into an iron wall.

Lu Yan pretended to be calm on the surface.

But they were secretly planning and waiting for the mastermind behind the scenes to reveal himself.

......

The next day, Lu Yan was reviewing official documents in his study.

Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Sir, we've found the assassin who attacked us at the banquet that day!"

Night Owl's voice was filled with excitement, but it also couldn't hide his fatigue.

Lu Yan put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and the ink on the tip of the brush spread on the rice paper.

It formed a small ink flower, just like his mood at the moment, calm.

"Oh? So fast? Where did you catch it?"

"My Lord, the assassin is hiding in a dilapidated temple outside the city. I have captured him with my men."

Night Owl answered respectfully.

"Take me to see it."

Lu Yan stood up, straightened his official uniform, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

He wanted to see who was so bold as to act so recklessly on his territory of Shannan Prefecture.

The interrogation room in the government office was dark, damp, and smelled of mold.

Under the dim oil lamp, a figure was tied to a wooden frame.

He was covered in wounds, with a bruised face and nose, and his original appearance was no longer recognizable.

Lu Yan walked slowly closer, looking down at the dying assassin with a cold tone.

"Tell me! Who sent you to Shannan Prefecture to assassinate me?"

The assassin raised his head with difficulty, revealing a bloody face.

A few knocked-out teeth can be vaguely seen.

He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and said incoherently:

"You...are Lu Yan...I'm going to kill you!"

Hearing this, Lu Yan sighed helplessly and shook his head.

"There's a road to heaven but you don't take it, there's no door to hell but you go in anyway."

"In that case, don't blame me for being rude."

He waved his hand, signaling Night Owl to continue the interrogation.

Night Owl understood what he meant and picked up a red-hot iron from the brazier next to the rack.

This branding iron had a strange shape, with one end split like a petal, and was currently emitting a chilling dark red glow.

Night Owl grinned grimly and walked towards the assassin step by step.

The smile looked particularly hideous and terrifying under the flickering firelight.

"what--"

The moment the iron touched the skin, a shrill scream echoed throughout the interrogation room.

It echoed in the humid air, making people feel creepy.

A foul odor of burning flesh filled the air, irritating Lu Yan's nostrils.

The assassin's body was shaking violently, and he was struggling desperately with his hands tied to the wooden frame.

The tense muscles bulged like gnarled tree roots.

"To say or not to say."

However, this assassin is a tough nut to crack.

Even though his skin was torn and flesh was exposed in the charred wounds, he refused to utter a word.

He clenched his teeth and let out a low whimper.

Sweat mixed with blood flowed down his scarred face.

Seeing this, Lu Yan frowned slightly.

It seems that the person behind this is not a simple person.

He walked up to the assassin, squatted down, and said softly:

"Do you think if you don't speak, I'll be helpless? I have plenty of ways to make you speak."

"It seems that we have to be serious about it."

Lu Yan stood up and brushed off the non-existent dust on his robe.

After clapping his hands, Night Owl immediately understood and stepped aside.

"Night Owl, go get a bucket of honey and some bees."

Night Owl was slightly stunned, then reacted.

"Sir, this is going to..."

"Let him have a taste of 'sweetness'."

Lu Yan smiled meaningfully.

After a while, Night Owl came in carrying a bucket of honey with a sweet aroma.

Behind him were several yamen runners, holding a few beehives in their hands, which were buzzing.

The assassin had his eyes tightly closed, looking ready to die.

Hearing the buzzing sound, he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the beehives in horror.

"Now, I'll give you one last chance. Will you tell me or not?"

Lu Yan's voice was as cold as ice, echoing in the gloomy interrogation room.

The assassin's Adam's apple rolled, and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth and said nothing.

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with alcohol!"