To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 290: Is the coal destined for the Xiang family in Jiangdong?

"Furthermore, the other party is highly likely to use framing tactics to mislead the investigation. For example, they might fabricate evidence to pin the coal theft on local bandits, or frame remnants from the other six countries, or even falsify accounts to portray the coal as a private sale by local officials!"

The expert paused for a moment, then gave his final recommendation:

"The best strategy right now is to 'lure the snake out of its hole.' Don't push too hard. Observe secretly whether there is any deep connection between these coal thieves and the Xiang family, see how they will play their next move, and then make a plan!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan broke out in a cold sweat.

A flash of inspiration struck him.

Where exactly did Mi Yueyao send all that coal out of Shangdang County to?

The Xiang family actually took the initiative to handle the mess of this major case. Could it be that... this huge amount of coal was originally destined for the Xiang family in Jiangdong?

How exactly will the Xiang family handle this matter?

"Sir, I understand!"

Zhang Fan quickly responded and then hung up the call.

It had gotten completely dark.

But right now, we must find Mi Yueyao immediately and ask her about this.

Since the Xiang family stepped in to quell the incident, the coal most likely ended up in Xiang Liang's hands.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan could no longer sit still.

He quickly grabbed his coat and put it on, not bothering to call Fusu and Mofeng, and strode out of the room after opening the door.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he left a note before departing!

now!

The streets of Changzi County remained bustling, with some time still remaining before the curfew.

Zhang Fan hurried along, quickly weaving through the crowd, heading straight towards Ji Honglou.

To take a shortcut, he turned into a secluded alley.

Just as I reached the middle of the alley, a cold wind suddenly blew by.

Zhang Fan paused, sensing something was amiss.

The alley was quiet and deserted; even the chirping of insects had disappeared.

Just then, two men in black slowly emerged from the shadows at the end of the alley ahead. By the faint moonlight, one could see that they held unsheathed blades and were approaching him step by step.

Zhang Fan turned around abruptly and found that his escape route had been completely blocked by the two assassins.

Oops!

Zhang Fan cursed inwardly.

I left in such a hurry; I should have brought Luo Ying and Luo Li with me!

The man in black in front of him looked at Zhang Fan, who was alone, and sneered as he slowly spoke:

"Immortal Master, it's late. Where are you headed?"

Zhang Fan forced himself to calm down, stared intently at the other party, and coldly questioned, "Who sent you?"

The man in black snorted coldly and slowly raised the steel knife in his hand:

"When you die, go to the underworld and ask King Yama!"

The voice just fell.

Without another word, the four assassins brandished their blades and charged at Zhang Fan simultaneously!

Just when I thought I was doomed!

"Clang! Clang!"

Several ear-piercing metallic clanging sounds suddenly rang out.

Several sword-wielding black-clad guards suddenly leaped down from the rooftops on both sides, directly blocking the assassins' attack.

One of the guards quickly retreated to Zhang Fan's side and said urgently:

"Young Master Zhang, come with me quickly! The rest of you, hold them off!"

Looking at these completely unfamiliar faces, Zhang Fan didn't bother to question their identities at the moment.

In the alley not far away, the assassins and guards were already engaged in a fierce battle.

"Walk!"

Zhang Fan gritted his teeth, quickly followed the guard, and disappeared into the intricate alleyways.

The two moved quickly through the night.

When he finally stopped, Zhang Fan looked up and realized that he had been taken to Ji Honglou's backyard.

The guard stopped, sheathed his sword, and turned to the side respectfully, saying, "Young Master Zhang, the Master is waiting for you."

Zhang Fan frowned slightly.

OP?

Mi Yueyao's people?

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, stepped into the building, and went straight to the top floor.

Pushing open the door to the top-floor room, a night breeze blew in.

Zhang Fan passed through the outer room and arrived at the pavilion on the top floor. Looking up, he saw Mi Yueyao sitting on a soft couch in the pavilion.

Tonight she changed into a red dress, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, making her particularly eye-catching under the swaying lights.

He strode into the pavilion, his gaze fixed on the woman in front of him.

Mi Yueyao sat upright behind the tea table.

The small red clay stove on the table was burning brightly, and white steam was billowing from the spout of the teapot.

She calmly picked up the teapot and poured the boiling tea into two celadon cups with fluid movements, showing no surprise at Zhang Fan's disheveled appearance.

"Young Master Zhang, please have a seat!" Mi Yueyao put down the teapot and pushed one of the cups of tea to the opposite side.

Zhang Fan didn't sit down. Instead, he placed his hands on the tea table, looking down at her with suppressed anger in his voice:

"Were those people in the alley just now the ones you sent to rescue me?"

"Young master is too kind!"

Mi Yueyao raised her head, looking directly into Zhang Fan's eyes, her tone calm, "If Yueyao hadn't sent someone to keep watch, Young Master would already be a cold corpse in that dark alley. In a way, Yueyao just saved Young Master's life!"

Zhang Fan took a deep breath, pulled out a chair, and sat down heavily, forcing himself to calm down.

"Who sent the assassin?"

Zhang Fan picked up the teacup in front of him, but didn't drink from it. Instead, he rubbed it in his hands. "At the inn this afternoon, I overheard someone mentioning an assassination organization called 'Wind and Rain Pavilion.' Was it them who did it?"

Mi Yueyao nodded slightly, picked up her teacup and took a sip: "Not only Fengyu Pavilion, but the person who hired you to kill you was extremely generous, placing a death order directly."

Upon hearing this confirmation, Zhang Fan instantly recalled the prediction data given by Bureau 749.

It came true so quickly!

"Was it done by the Xiang family?" Zhang Fan wasn't asking a question, but stating it with certainty.

He stared into Mi Yueyao's eyes and analyzed rapidly:

"I just went to the prefectural governor's office this afternoon and ordered an investigation of anyone in the city who speaks with a Jiangdong accent. Xiang Liang is a cunning old fox. Since he took on the task of handling the coal theft case, he definitely doesn't want anyone causing any trouble at this time. My sudden investigation of people from Jiangdong triggered him, so he simply hired someone to kill me, hoping to sever this connection once and for all!"

Mi Yueyao did not refute in any way, but listened quietly!

He only frowned slightly!

Seeing her calm demeanor, Zhang Fan's suspicions became clearer, and cold sweat broke out on his back once again.

He suddenly leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said, word by word:

"But that's not the most crucial point. Why is Xiang Liang so concerned about this case? He's even willing to clean up other people's messes and deal with the Qin Dynasty's Black Ice Guard investigation?"

Zhang Fan stared intently at Mi Yueyao's facial expressions, not missing a single, minute change.

"Unless, of course, the ultimate destination of this enormous quantity of coal is the Xiang family of Jiangdong!"