After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 810 - 808: Encirclement

The pigeon landed on the window ledge, looking around.

Duke Chong sat on the chair, his face dark enough to drip ink.

Dark Guard Li Zhong went over to catch the pigeon, checking the bird’s ankle, Li Zhong said, "Duke, it’s news from Zhangzhou."

"Quick, let me see," Duke Chong said urgently.

Ever since Marquis Dongxiang petitioned, and the Emperor awarded Zhangzhou to Su Jin as her fiefdom...

Zhangzhou had become a troublesome worry for Duke Chong.

These days, with no news from Zhangzhou, he was restless and sleepless.

Now that news had come from Zhangzhou, how could Duke Chong not be anxious?

Li Zhong handed the letter to Duke Chong.

Duke Chong hurriedly opened it.

With just one glance, Duke Chong stood up from his chair.

His complexion was worse than when he witnessed the public execution of the Heir of Duke Chong.

Ever since he realized Marquis Dongxiang premeditated to take over Zhangzhou, Duke Chong had been uneasy.

He hurriedly sent people to Zhangzhou to handle the aftermath.

Before sending them, he first sent a letter by carrier pigeon to Zhangzhou.

Although Marquis Dongxiang sent people to help Princess Duanhui move, Xie Jingchen, to avoid alarming anyone, only confirmed the presence of iron mines in Zhangzhou and found that someone was secretly mining.

Beyond that, Xie Jingchen knew nothing more.

No one knew whether the iron ore was sold or used to forge weapons.

Marquis Dongxiang sent the Flying Tiger Army to, first, investigate this matter, second, take over the iron mines, and third, keep an eye on Princess Duanhui’s Mansion.

Concealing mining from the court was no small crime.

Even if Princess Duanhui didn’t die, all her assets would be confiscated into the National Treasury.

Zhangzhou was quite far from the Capital City, and hiding some farmland and shops before the court arrived was too easy.

It’s just that those things were the most valuable.

Marquis Dongxiang sent eight hundred Flying Tiger Army soldiers to Zhangzhou.

To avoid drawing attention, using the excuse of going to the border for a battle, he allowed them to return home to visit relatives, leaving the capital in batches.

The Flying Tiger Army gradually arrived in Zhangzhou.

Most of them stayed outside Zhangzhou City, with only a dozen disguising themselves to sneak into the city and quietly investigate.

After all, the court decree awarding Zhangzhou to Su Jin had not yet reached Zhangzhou.

Before the notices were posted, Zhangzhou was still the domain of Princess Duanhui.

But secretly mining was no small crime, a slight mistake would be a death sentence.

The person handling this matter was extremely cautious.

The Flying Tiger Army investigated for several days, finding nothing.

Fortunately, they eventually discovered the destination of the iron ore, which had been smelted into weapons.

The Flying Tiger Army did not act, surrounding Zhangzhou City tightly, waiting only for the court’s decree to officially take over Zhangzhou.

However—

It was then that the carrier pigeon with Duke Chong’s letter arrived.

The steward of Zhangzhou wanted to transport the smelted iron ore and weapons but feared that Zhangzhou was already being watched.

Leaving rashly would mean getting caught red-handed.

The Zhangzhou steward was clever, employing a diversion tactic.

He used seven or eight horse-drawn carriages to transport over twenty large boxes under the cover of darkness.

They were surrounded ten miles from Zhangzhou City.

The seemingly heavy boxes were filled with stones.

The Flying Tiger Army was exposed.

The Zhangzhou steward was extremely anxious.

In his desperation, the Zhangzhou steward decisively ordered the forged weapons to be burned, and those that couldn’t be burned were thrown into the Lotus Pond to be hidden.

In one night, a warehouse full of weapons was emptied.

By the next day, the court’s decree arrived in the Capital City.

The Flying Tiger Army entered the city.

Not the type to hesitate, the Flying Tiger Army, having waited outside the city for two days, had run out of patience.

They immediately surrounded the location where the weapons were hidden.

The Flying Tiger Army went in to make arrests.

Straight to the armory they went, but finding it empty, with not a single weapon unearthed even after digging deep, the Flying Tiger Army was dumbfounded.

The Zhangzhou steward demanded an explanation from the Flying Tiger Army; even though Zhangzhou had been granted to Princess Jin Ning, the house was still private property, and without a search warrant, the Flying Tiger Army couldn’t just break into private homes.

The Prefect of Zhangzhou came to mediate, knowing that the house belonged to Princess Duanhui.

The Flying Tiger Army belonged to Marquis Dongxiang.

Now Zhangzhou belonged to Princess Jin Ning, Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter; he, as Prefect of Zhangzhou, wasn’t even sure if he would keep his job.

Caught between the demoted old master and the newly appointed one.

This was a tricky position.

Without evidence, the Flying Tiger Army had no grounds and could only leave.

The Zhangzhou steward had just breathed a sigh of relief when the Flying Tiger Army discovered something amiss.

The Flying Tiger Army had previously investigated this villa at night, and when passing through the garden, they had seen a maid stepping over stones.

Now that stone was submerged in water.

The water level was a head higher.

With no rain in Zhangzhou these past days, this sudden change was certainly unusual.

There was something in the water!

Most of the Flying Tiger Army were skilled in water; they immediately jumped in and retrieved the hidden iron and weapons from the water.

Seeing their failure, the Zhangzhou steward drew a soft sword from his waist and killed two servants beside him, then leaped to escape.

With the Flying Tiger Army guarding the villa, could he escape?

Seeing himself with no way out, the Zhangzhou steward directly slit his throat.

The weapons forged over the past year in Zhangzhou all fell into the hands of the Flying Tiger Army.

Seeing Duke Chong’s grim face, Li Zhong sighed in his heart. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

It had not been easy helping Princess Duanhui maintain her position as a Commandery Princess.

Now that the Zhangzhou affair was exposed, she might not even be able to keep her life.

Fortunately, the matter of the weapons had been kept secret, and not only did the Zhangzhou steward take his own life, but he also silenced those who knew.

Even if the Emperor and Marquis Dongxiang suspected that Prince Qi was involved, there was no evidence.

Especially with Nanliang eyeing them covetously, the Emperor would certainly try to stabilize Prince Qi to avoid internal and external threats.

Duke Chong was not worried about Prince Qi.

After all, Prince Qi was far off in his fiefdom; if trouble arose in the Capital City, he would naturally receive news.

If anything happened to them, they could still count on Prince Qi to save them.

Now, Princess Duanhui was like meat on Marquis Dongxiang’s chopping block.

He needed to find a way to save her.

The Empress Dowager had already suffered repeated blows, and her health was no longer what it was.

If something happened to Princess Duanhui, who knew how the Empress Dowager would take it.

They still needed the Empress Dowager to steady the Imperial Palace; she must not collapse!

Duke Chong was about to get up.

But his legs were weak, and he couldn’t stand. Li Zhong supported him, "Duke...."

Duke Chong raised his hand to stop him.

Propping himself on the desk, Duke Chong stood for a while before stepping out of the study.

Just as he stepped out of the mansion, a servant rode in, excitedly announcing, "Duke, Prince Qi has returned to the Capital."

Not just the reporting servant was happy, but the gatekeeper servants of the Duke Mansion were also happy.

Their Duke had been suppressed by Marquis Dongxiang to the point of suffocation.

Now, being in mourning at home, Marquis Dongxiang had the court under complete control.

Now that Prince Qi was back, would Marquis Dongxiang still get the chance to speak?!

The servants were eager to see Prince Qi suppress Marquis Dongxiang to avenge Duke Chong.

However, upon learning this news, Duke Chong’s face turned white.

His body swayed, and if not for Li Zhong’s timely support, he might have fallen.

Duke Chong’s vision went dark.

Why had Prince Qi come back?!

After the incident in Zhangzhou, hadn’t he sent a message to tell him not to return to the Capital?!