Chapter 494

Inside the main hall of the Wannian County Office, the silver-bone charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, the red flames leaping, and the flowing warmth dispelled the coldness around.

Chen Yan, dressed in a dark brocade robe with dark gold flowing cloud patterns embroidered on the hem, leaned sideways on a couch covered with thick felt. His right hand was carelessly fiddling with the copper chopsticks at the edge of the brazier, his gaze fixed on the leaping firelight, his expression indifferent.

Yuwen Xiang, holding a volume of bamboo slips, stood bowing in the warm light, reporting: "My Lord, many new rare treasures have been found in the new tomb on the border, and they have all been registered and cataloged!"

Chen Yan withdrew his gaze from the charcoal fire, landed it on the bamboo slips in Yuwen Xiang's hand, and nodded slowly: "Good."

His fingertips paused for a moment, then he instructed: "Take the list later, carefully count those treasures, and properly store them in the warehouse."

"Yes!" Yuwen Xiang replied respectfully.

Sun Xiangbai, standing to the side, saw this, a burning light of reverence flashing in his eyes. His gaze toward Chen Yan was full of admiration. He stepped forward half a step, his voice carrying undisguised excitement, and couldn't help but praise loudly: "My Lord, you are truly divine!"

He paused, unable to suppress his curiosity, and asked urgently: "How did you know there was something else inside?"

Chen Yan slowly picked up the blue porcelain tea bowl at his side, took a shallow sip of hot tea, and only after his Adam's apple rolled did he speak slowly: "Marquis Xianyang loved Rong Qi extremely in this life, pampering him to the extreme while alive, wishing to offer all the wonders of the world to him. How could he be willing to separate after death and let him guard an empty tomb alone?"

He paused and continued: "Therefore, I specifically asked the Night-Wandering God to go and explore again, and it really was a tomb within a tomb!"

Chen does not have golden eyes, nor can he predict the future, but he understands human nature...

Marquis Xianyang was so "rebellious" while alive, would he stop after death?

Sun Xiangbai was convinced, immediately gave a thumbs up, his tone full of genuine admiration: "My Lord's eyes are like torches. To be able to see through the mysteries of the tomb based only on rumors and appearances, I truly admire this insight and foresight!"

Chen Yan nodded slightly, cast his gaze toward Yuwen Xiang who was standing to the side, and instructed slowly: "Since those treasures have been registered, arrange for someone to move them safely into the warehouse as soon as possible."

He paused, looked at the snowflakes falling outside the window, and his tone added a hint of distance: "After all the treasures have been moved out, seal the tomb within a tomb completely, and do not let anyone disturb it again."

Chen does not understand or comprehend the love between men, but he respects it...

Fulfilling their wish to stay together in the afterlife.

"Obey!" Yuwen Xiang immediately bowed and cupped his hands, responding respectfully.

After Chen Yan finished giving instructions, his gaze turned to Gao Jiong, who was sitting in the corner of the hall.

Gao Jiong had no urgent official business today and was sitting quietly holding a hand warmer, looking at the charcoal fire in the hall with a leisurely expression, appearing quite relaxed.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Chen Yan's mouth, his tone carrying a hint of casual invitation: "A-Jiong, seeing that you have nothing to do today, and you are idle anyway, why don't we play a game of chess, how about it?"

Hearing this, Gao Jiong raised his head abruptly, a hearty smile appearing on his face. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately agreed loudly: "Alright!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he put the hand warmer in his hand on the side table, rubbed his hands, stepped forward two steps while rolling up his sleeves, his tone full of competitive spirit: "I played against you before and lost three games in a row. Today, it's rare to have a chance to fight again. I must win back and wash away my shame no matter what!"

He looked like he was determined to win.

Seeing him like this, Chen Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud, the smile in his eyes deepening, his tone carrying a hint of teasing and expectation: "Oh? So confident?"

"Then you must work hard. I won't show mercy!"

Hongye soon brought the things, holding an exquisite ebony chessboard in his hand, with black and white jade chess pieces placed on both sides.

He skillfully placed the chessboard neatly on the main table in the hall, arranged the chess pieces one by one, and bowed to stand to the side.

As Chen Yan gently dropped a black piece, with a crisp "clack," the game officially began.

Half an incense stick later.

On the chessboard, the black and white pieces were intertwined, and the situation was intense.

Chen Yan pinched a black piece with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and was about to drop it. Gao Jiong also leaned over to stare at the chessboard, his brows furrowed slightly, pondering how to break the situation.

Just then, a guard rushed into the hall, his footsteps light but unable to hide his urgency. He bowed and cupped his hands, reporting respectfully: "My Lord, Prefect Liu of Jingzhao Prefecture has come to visit in person. He is waiting outside the office now, saying he has something important to see you!"

Hearing this, Chen Yan's hand holding the black piece paused. He raised his head slowly, a flash of doubt in his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of surprise: "Old Liu? He is not handling official business in Jingzhao Prefecture, why did he run to Wannian County for no reason?"

After saying this, he let his gaze fall back on the chessboard, his fingertips moved slightly, and the black piece landed on a key position with a "clack," instantly reversing the local situation.

After doing this step, he signaled the guard: "Invite him in..."

But before he could finish speaking, a cry so urgent it was hoarse broke through the wind and snow from outside the door: "My Lord, help!"

Only to see Liu Bingzhong's figure had already stumbled and crashed open the hall door.

Perhaps because he ran too fast, he stumbled under his feet, and with a "thump," he fell heavily to the ground. His knees and palms hit the cold blue bricks hard, making him wince in pain, but he couldn't care about getting up.

He struggled to prop up his upper body, his hands groping wildly on the ground, his gaze locked on Chen Yan behind the table. His eyes were full of panic and terror on the verge of collapse, his voice carrying a trembling sob, shouting loudly: "I hope you can lend a helping hand and save me!"

Seeing Liu Bingzhong's disheveled and panicked appearance, Chen Yan's mouth first lifted slightly, his fingertips loosened, and the black piece in his hand landed on the chessboard with a "clack." Ignoring the intense game, he stood up immediately and walked forward quickly.

He reached out his hand, firmly supporting Liu Bingzhong's arm, and with a slight force, helped him up, his tone carrying a hint of teasing: "Old Liu, there is still more than a month before the end of the year, why are you paying me such a big gift in advance?"

"So solemn, I didn't prepare any New Year's money for you!"

After Liu Bingzhong was helped up, his trembling did not decrease at all. His hands gripped Chen Yan's hand tightly as if grabbing a straw, his fingernails almost embedding into the sleeves.

His face was as pale as paper, his lips quivering uncontrollably, his eyes full of panic and despair drowned by fear, his voice carrying a sobbing plea: "You must save me!"

Immediately, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapid breathing, but his voice still couldn't stop trembling: "Now, only you can save me!"

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy. Sun Xiangbai was full of doubts, quietly turned to the side, used his elbow to gently nudge Yu Xiaojie beside him, lowered his voice, and muttered with a hint of incomprehension: "Who did Prefect Liu offend? He is so panicked that he can't even save his life?"

Yu Xiaojie's brows were tightly locked, and hearing this, he also leaned into his ear and guessed in a low voice: "Could it be that he offended the Grand Preceptor or the Grand Tutor?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he shook his head gently, denying this guess himself: "That's not right either. If he really offended those two, I'm afraid they would have directly thrown Prefect Liu into prison..."

Gao Jiong stood to the side, heard their private whispers, his brows furrowed slightly, followed the topic and added in a low voice: "And Prefect Liu has always been cautious in his actions, knowing the measure of advance and retreat in everything, there is absolutely no such possibility..."

The three people's gazes met, all looking clear, and then they nodded slowly in unison, but they became more and more confused.

Chen Yan ordered loudly: "Bring a pot of hot tea!"

As soon as the words fell, he supported Liu Bingzhong's arm, pulled him directly toward the table where they were playing chess, and pressed him to sit on the couch on the other side.

He sat down opposite, his tone slowed down a bit, carrying a sense of comfort: "Old Liu, don't be anxious, don't panic, sit down and talk slowly."

Chen is also curious, what made the dignified Jingzhao Prefect so scared out of his wits...

And the possibility of offending the Grand Chancellor and the other two is the first one to be ruled out!

Comrade Old Liu is the fastest at seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages!

Hot tea was soon brought to the table by the guard.

Liu Bingzhong held the tea bowl with both hands, his fingertips feeling the warmth of the porcelain wall, and gulped down a large mouthful of hot tea. The scalding tea soup slid down his throat, finally suppressing some of the panic in his heart.

He caught his breath, his eyes still carrying lingering fear, looked at Chen Yan opposite, his voice low and carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling: "My Lord, recently Jingzhao Prefecture... seems to have been cast with some kind of extremely bizarre curse."

Chen Yan also picked up his own tea bowl, took a shallow sip of hot tea, and asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone: "What curse? It can make you panic like this?"

Liu Bingzhong suddenly put down the tea bowl in his hand, his chest heaving slightly, the blood on his face had not yet returned, his eyes full of lingering fear, his voice carrying uncontrollable panic: "My Lord, this matter starts from half a month ago..."

"At that time, on the beams of the main hall of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office, someone wrote a line of words with blood—'The officials of Jingzhao Prefecture shall die one by one'."

He swallowed his saliva, his fingertips unconsciously gripping the hem of his robe: "At first, I thought it was a rascal or a disgruntled official playing tricks, deliberately teasing the office, so I had the blood washed clean, only ordered my subordinates to investigate secretly, and didn't take it too seriously."

"After all, Jingzhao Prefecture is in charge of the security of the capital, so it is inevitable to offend some small people, and this kind of intimidation tactic is not the first time."

Chen Yan's action of holding the tea bowl paused, a flash of surprise in his eyes, then he blinked and asked calmly: "And then?"

Liu Bingzhong took a deep breath, his voice raised instantly and then pressed down suddenly, his whole body unable to stop trembling, "Less than three days after that blood-written line appeared, Military Advisor Han collapsed in front of his desk without warning while handling official business, and stopped breathing on the spot!"

"After the coroner examined it, he couldn't find any cause of death, only saying it was like his soul had left his body."

"At that time, I already felt a bit creepy in my heart, but I still forced myself to be calm, thinking that Military Advisor Han had some hidden illness."

He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his tone becoming more urgent: "But who would have thought, less than five days later, Military Advisor Zhang suddenly collapsed to the ground while walking in the back courtyard of the office, and also died instantly. His state of death was exactly the same as Military Advisor Han's!"

"And just now," Liu Bingzhong's voice carried a sob, his eyes full of despair, "Junior Prefect Li just arrived at the office. A moment ago he was instructing his subordinates on duty matters, and the next moment he fell straight down and stopped breathing!"

"In just half a month, three colleagues died one after another, all without warning, without cause of death, completely fulfilling the curse of the blood-written words!"

"My Lord, this is definitely not a coincidence, it must be that bizarre curse at work!"

After Chen Yan finished listening, there was no horror on his face, but instead he raised his brows slightly, carrying a hint of disapproval: "You are a dignified Jingzhao Prefect, in charge of capital prisons for so many years, having handled countless murder cases and bizarre cases, how can you still be scared by the ethereal saying of a 'curse'?"

Immediately, his fingertips tapped the table lightly, his voice steady and powerful: "Where in the world is there any curse?"

"It's just criminals playing tricks, using the talk of evil spirits to cover up the truth of murder."

"The three died one after another, seemingly bizarre, but there must be a human conspiracy hidden inside, and there must be criminals at work in the dark!"

Liu Bingzhong shook his head vigorously, his face full of bitterness and helplessness, and retorted in a deep voice: "My Lord, you don't know, I thought so at first too, but this is really strange to the extreme!"

He took a deep breath, his tone full of powerlessness: "When Military Advisor Han had his accident, his subordinates were working at the desk opposite, watching him suddenly cover his chest and collapse on the bamboo slips and stop breathing. The whole process was between one breath and another, and no one approached at all..."

"Military Advisor Zhang was walking in the back courtyard of the office, and there were three patrolling guards around. Everyone watched him soften his steps and collapse. Let alone the murderer, there wasn't even a suspicious shadow..."

"As for Junior Prefect Li, he had an accident right at the gate of the office, under the eyes of a group of guards on duty!"

"What's more bizarre is," Liu Bingzhong's voice was pressed lower, carrying a trace of trembling, "The coroner carefully examined the first two bodies three times, and there were no knife wounds, poison spots, or even a trace of struggle, and no murder weapon or traces left by the criminal could be found."

"It's as if... it's as if they were really deprived of their lives by an invisible force!"