High Martial Arts Three Kingdoms: The Incompetent Strategist

"Really?" Cao Hong looked at Tang Ke suspiciously, feeling that this person didn't seem very reliable no matter how you looked at it.

"Of course it is true. Go and inform Lord Cao immediately, and invite him to General He's residence. There are important matters to discuss."

Tang Ke had no interest in sneaking into Zhang Rang's mansion to steal the seal; the risk was too great, and he wouldn't gain anything from it.

In comparison, the risk of forging seals is much smaller. Even in modern society, there are many cases where this trick can fool people. Moreover, the identification technology in ancient times was much worse. As long as the craftsmanship was good, it was almost impossible to be exposed.

The most important thing now is to quickly find some documents with Zhang Rang's seal. He Jin and Cao Cao should be able to handle that. We also need to find a few seal engravers to make copies. They should be able to carve suitable seals.

Things progressed surprisingly smoothly. He Jin and Cao Cao both agreed with his idea and quickly gathered dozens of documents from Zhang Rang.

More importantly, Cao Cao brought in his teacher Cai Yong, a famous seal engraver in Luoyang, so it was not difficult for him to replicate a seal.

Cai Yong's trust in Cao Cao clearly went beyond that of a typical teacher-student relationship. After hearing Cao Cao say that he wanted to imitate Zhang Rang's seal, he did not ask any further questions and immediately plunged into the pile of documents in his study.

He carefully examined each document, while Tang Ke categorized them one by one. During the process, Tang Ke discovered that replicating this seal was far more difficult than making a seal privately in modern times.

The seal's patterns on the document indicate that it was carved with great care, revealing the craftsman's superb skill.

After all, Zhang Rang's seal was already a symbol of the pinnacle of power in the Han Dynasty, and to some extent, it could even be considered a guarantee of the court's credibility.

Cai Yong first made a mold for the seal out of soft clay, then selected a piece of fine-textured stone and began to carve it meticulously. His technique was skillful and delicate, each cut was just right, as if he had some kind of tacit understanding with the stone.

After several days of work, and after ruining seven pieces in a row, he finally carved the eighth one, which could produce a seal that was almost identical to the original.

After stamping the letter, Cao Cao arranged for Cao Hong to sneak into Zhang's residence and bury it at the designated location overnight.

By this time, Ma Yuanyi had been tortured beyond recognition and still hadn't revealed any information about his accomplices. Jian Shuo and the others had no choice but to agree to Emperor Ling's request to open the city gates after reporting to him.

The day arrived in the blink of an eye when Ma Yuanyi agreed to hand over the secret letter, and everyone was invited to witness it together.

When Tang Ke saw Ma Yuanyi again, he was almost speechless with shock at the man's miserable state.

His face was covered in blood, his eyes were sunken, his gaze was empty and desperate, and there was still blood on the corner of his mouth. His body had begun to twist and deform.

His clothes were almost torn to shreds, and his exposed skin was covered in wounds and blood, a sight too painful to behold. His hands hung limply at his sides, as if even breathing was difficult for him.

Even now, he still hasn't revealed the truth. Tang Ke's heart was roaring with anger. Why would such a tough guy betray his once closest brother?

"When we go to Zhang Rang's residence to identify the letter later, stand at the back. Don't let us look like we've planned this," Cao Cao whispered to him.

Tang Ke patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'm the kind of person who can remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses in front of me, and not even blink if a deer runs past on my left."

As the supervisor, Zhang Rang faced considerable difficulties in searching Zhang's home, as the imperial decree for the search had not yet been issued.

A squad of elite cavalry had already surrounded the area. The leader was none other than Yuan Shao, the Commandant of the Capital Region. His eyes were sharp and his expression was resolute. Behind him were several capable subordinates and several recorders.

Once Jian Shuo returns from the palace to request an imperial decree, these people will be able to rush in in no time.

This once-powerful mansion was now shrouded in shadow. The gates were tightly shut, the lights were dim, and the occasional low murmurs of conversation added to the eeriness of the place.

Just as everyone was getting impatient, Jian Shuo finally rushed over with the imperial edict: "By order of His Majesty, since the assassin has implicated Zhang Changshi, in order to clear his name, permission is granted to enter and search the premises." After speaking, he held the imperial edict high, and the golden edict shone brightly in the night.

"Open the door!" Zhang Rang received the imperial decree and finally stopped obstructing the search.

The door slowly opened, and dim light spilled out from the cracks. The imperial guards' faces were cold and stern, filled with a murderous aura. They quickly split into two groups: one group followed Cao Hong to surround the mansion to prevent anyone from escaping; the other group followed Yuan Shao into the mansion and began a thorough search.

The mansion was brightly lit, but the servants of the Zhang family showed no panic in the face of the menacing imperial guards; instead, their eyes were full of mockery.

The Imperial Guards paid no attention to their reactions. They were already very familiar with this kind of search operation, and each of them performed their duties. Some carefully searched every scroll of documents in the study, while others went straight to the storeroom to check for any contraband.

The air was thick with tension and unease; every turn of the pages and every opening of the box felt like a blow to the heart.

Yuan Shao personally led a troop of men straight to the back garden of the mansion. The layout here was elegant, and every piece of furniture seemed to showcase the owner's wealth and taste.

However, in Yuan Shao's eyes at this moment, these were all useless places that were a waste of time but which he had to pretend to search.

He already knew the location of the buried secret letter from Cao Hong, but he had to carefully search every corner to avoid giving others cause for criticism.

"You, go search this way. You, yes, you, go look under the artificial hill." He kept adjusting the search direction.

"Lord Yuan, we've made a discovery!"

After a thorough search that took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a guard finally found a loose floor tile under his guidance. They pried it open, took out a sealed copper box, and quickly handed it to him.

Tang Ke stole a glance at Zhang Rang. His calm expression finally changed slightly, as if he had sensed the danger, and his eyes were full of doubt.

Yuan Shao's gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, a barely perceptible chill flashing in his eyes. He slowly opened the bronze box and took out a secret letter.

"This letter isn't mine; someone framed me!" Zhang Rang's voice was sharp and grating, clearly sensing the conspiracy.

Feng Xu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity to kick someone while they were down: "Attendant Zhang, the letter hasn't even been opened yet! How do you know it's a frame-up? Could it be that you have something to hide?"

“Yes! Perhaps it’s just routine correspondence? Lord Yuan, don’t hesitate, let me open it and take a look.” Jian Shuo snatched the letter from Yuan Shao’s hand and eagerly opened it.

He Jin sneered, for this evidence was enough to ruin the once powerful eunuch's reputation and even exterminate his entire family.