As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

Chapter 51: Dark Clouds Rise

Xiaoxuan leaned weakly in Ding Chen's arms, her breathing weak but steady.

Ding Chen held her hand tightly, and his heart finally settled down.

The sudden arrival of a carrier pigeon broke the tranquility of the stone chamber after the disaster.

Xuanyuan Che unfolded the note, his brows furrowed, his face ashen.

"Something happened in the capital!" His voice was low, but with a barely perceptible tremor.

There was no time to celebrate or exchange pleasantries, as a sense of impending storm hung over everyone's hearts.

After Ding Chen settled Xiaoxuan down, the group rode at full speed and rushed back to the capital overnight.

As he sped along, the scenery on both sides quickly receded, but Ding Chen's heart became heavier.

The closer we get to the capital, the stronger the feeling of oppression in the air becomes.

The once bustling streets are now deserted with few pedestrians, and everyone's face has lingering anxiety and fear.

The uneasiness in Ding Chen's heart became stronger and stronger, as if an invisible big hand was strangling his throat, making it difficult for him to breathe.

After arriving in the capital, Ding Chen and others immediately went to the residence of Censor Su.

Censor Su has always been upright and incorruptible, and hates evil. He is an ally they can trust.

However, what greeted them was Censor Su's sullen face and full of anger.

"Outrageous! This is absolutely outrageous!" Censor Su slammed the table, making the teacups clink. "Those corrupt officials, in cahoots with each other, actually tried to frame me!"

Ding Chen and others hurriedly asked the reason.

Censor Su suppressed his anger and told the whole story.

He has been secretly investigating unusual movements in the imperial court, but has encountered numerous obstacles.

The officials involved in the conspiracy colluded with each other, forming a huge network of relationships that made it difficult for him to move forward.

Not only did they destroy evidence, they also tried to fabricate false evidence to portray him as the mastermind of the conspiracy in an attempt to completely bring him down.

"They even..." Censor Su paused at this point and slammed his fist on the table with a dull sound, "They actually dared to forge the imperial edict!" Ding Chen and others were all shocked when they heard this.

Forging an imperial edict is a serious crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the clan!

"This matter is of no small importance," Xuanyuan Che said in a deep voice, "We must quickly uncover the truth and bring these treacherous villains to justice!"

Ding Chen nodded with a serious expression.

He felt that there was a huge conspiracy behind this, which was far more complicated than they had imagined.

At this moment, a guard hurried in and reported, "Sir, Yingfeng wants to see you." Censor Su was stunned, then said, "Please invite him in quickly."

Yingfeng, a member of a mysterious killer organization, is also an ally of Ding Chen and others.

He is elusive and has a powerful intelligence network, which can often provide important clues at critical moments.

Ying Feng walked into the room, bowed, and said in a low and hurried voice: "Sir, I have found out..." He leaned close to Su Yushi's ear and whispered a few words.

Censor Su's expression suddenly changed. He stood up abruptly and looked at Ying Feng in disbelief. "What did you say?!"

Yingfeng repeated what he just said again, with a more affirmative tone.

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly, everyone held their breath, and it seemed as if one could hear a pin drop.

"How could this be..." Ding Chen muttered to himself, with a hint of shock and confusion in his eyes.

"It seems that things are more complicated than we thought..." Xuanyuan Che said in a deep voice, his eyes were deep, and it was unknown what he was thinking.

Censor Su took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and said in a deep voice: "Send someone immediately..." He suddenly stopped and his eyes fell on Ding Chen, "No, this matter is of great importance, or..." He hesitated to speak, his eyes flickering, as if he was weighing something.

"Or what?" Ding Chen asked, feeling a little uneasy.

Censor Su slowly uttered a sentence: "It's better to go there in person." He looked at Ding Chen with a hint of inexplicable meaning in his eyes.

Censor Su finally decided to let Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che go together to investigate the clues provided by Ying Feng.

This clue points to a seemingly insignificant official who holds a crucial piece of evidence - a secret letter.

Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che disguised themselves and sneaked into the mansion of a minor official.

After a search, they finally found the secret letter hidden in the secret compartment.

The content of the letter clearly exposed the collusion between Minister Zhao and General Lin, who intended to manipulate the prices of grain and fodder to make huge profits, and even did not hesitate to cause a famine in order to attack their political enemies.

With the evidence conclusive, Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che immediately presented the secret letter to the emperor.

The emperor was furious and immediately ordered the dismissal of the minor official and a thorough investigation of Minister Zhao and General Lin.

When the news came out, the people applauded and praised Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che for eliminating the evil.

However, this is just the calm before the storm.

How could Minister Zhao and General Lin just sit there and wait for death?

They had already bribed the eunuch Li who was beside the emperor.

Eunuch Li exaggerated the crimes of the minor officials in front of the emperor, putting all the blame on Ding Chen and others, falsely accusing them of forming a clique for personal gain and plotting rebellion.

The emperor was already suspicious, and with the slander of Eunuch Li, he also became suspicious of Ding Chen and others.

He ordered an investigation into Ding Chen and others, and secretly sent people to monitor their every move.

Ding Chen, Xuanyuan Che and others are in a crisis-ridden situation. If they are not careful, they will be doomed.

"Brother Ding..." Xiaoxuan looked at Ding Chen's departing back, her eyes full of worry.

She gripped the medicine bottle tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white. "I must..."

Xiaoxuan looked at Ding Chen's departing back, her heart felt as if being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, worry and anxiety surging like a tide.

Regardless of her weak body, she struggled to get up, carefully selected some self-defense medicines from the medicine box, and packed them carefully.

When she found Ding Chen, he was frowning and staring at the night outside the window, as if thinking about something.

Xiaoxuan walked gently to his side, handed him the medicine bag, and said softly: "Brother Ding, take these with you, just in case." Ding Chen took the medicine bag and felt the warmth of Xiaoxuan's palm, and his heart warmed.

He looked at the undisguised worry and affection in Xiaoxuan's eyes, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a reassuring smile: "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Xuanyuan Che rode back to the palace, galloping through the empty streets.

Suddenly, there was a sound of breaking air, and several black shadows rushed out from the darkness, waving sharp blades and attacking him.

Xuanyuan Che reacted quickly and drew his sword to block, but the assassins were well-trained, coordinated well, and their moves were deadly. For a moment, he was unable to withstand them.

"Hmph, today is the day you die!" A man in black said with a sneer, and the long sword in his hand pierced Xuanyuan Che's vitals.

At the critical moment, Xuanyuan Che dodged the fatal blow by leaning sideways, but a deep wound was still left on his left arm, and the blood instantly dyed his clothes red.

The fierce battle was in full swing when the sound of horse hooves came from afar and General Lin arrived in time with a group of soldiers.

"Commander Xuanyuan, I'm here to help you!" General Lin shouted, waving the long sword in his hand and joining the battle.

The two stood back to back, covering each other, and fought a desperate battle with the assassins.

The flashing of swords and the shouting of killing shook the sky. The people around were so scared that they fled in all directions. The scene was in chaos.

During the fight with the assassins, Xuanyuan Che keenly discovered that one of the assassins had a special mark embroidered on his sleeve - a black mandala flower.

He was suddenly moved, remembering that the garden in Minister Zhao's mansion was also full of these exotic flowers.

Is it...

As soon as this thought came to mind, it was interrupted by an assassin's attack.

Xuanyuan Che quickly swung his sword to block, but his heart was filled with turmoil.

General Lin slashed the last assassin to pieces with a single blow, panting heavily as he said, "These assassins are well-trained and exceptionally skilled. They are definitely not ordinary killers."

Xuanyuan Che nodded solemnly and told General Lin the mark he had discovered.

After hearing this, General Lin's face turned ugly.

"It seems that things are more complicated than we imagined..." Xuanyuan Che said in a deep voice, looking towards the direction of Minister Zhao's residence, "We must find out the truth as soon as possible."

Ding Chen looked at the secret letter in his hand, his face terribly gloomy.

"Minister Zhao... General Lin..." He gritted his teeth and said, "I will never let you go!"

Xuanyuan Che walked up to him, patted his shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Let's go, let's go meet them."

The two looked at each other, their eyes full of determination.

Shrouded in the darkness of night, the residence of Minister Zhao looked exceptionally solemn, with high walls and tightly closed gates, like a dormant beast waiting for its prey.

Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che walked to the gate of the mansion and stopped.

"Are you ready?" Ding Chen asked in a low voice.

Xuanyuan Che nodded, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "Let's go."

Ding Chen took a deep breath and raised his hand...