After a farce, Zhao Hongrun was finally able to calm down and think deeply about the things behind this assassination.

But before that, he glanced at Shen Yu and pouted at Chen Xiao, who was probing his brain beside him.

Shen Yu understood and walked out of the inn, and when he came back, he already had an extra rope in his hand.

I saw him walk up to Chen Xiao, shake the rope in his hand, and said, "Stretch out your hand." ”

Chen Xiao was stunned, then looked at the rope in Shen Yu's hand again, and said with a shocked expression: "Tie me up again?" We've helped you! ”

"Less nonsense! …… Don't forget, you're also suspected of assassination. ”

Shen Yu tied Chen Xiao's hands without saying a word, but Chen Xiao didn't resist this time, probably because he didn't want to bear the stigma of 'cooperating with thieves to assassinate King Su', so he obediently folded his hands and let Shen Yu tie him up, just scolding and complaining in his mouth, probably thinking that Zhao Hongrun and others would take revenge or something.

Seeing Chen Xiao sitting on the ground sulking, Zhao Hongrun shook his head slightly, turned his head and ordered: "Shen Yu, go to a few people to check this inn and see if you can get some unpoisoned wine and food." …… Miri, are you okay over there? ”

Mi Rui, who was just collecting that toxin, turned her head and said, "Okay. ”

"Then you go with them."

"Oh."

Under Shen Yu's command, Gao Kuo and Chong Zhao went to search the house on the second floor of the inn, while Mu Qing followed Mi Rui to the kitchen on the first floor to see if he could get some fresh food.

The rest of the guards continued their work, lining up the corpses on the ground on one side of the inn, and then examining their belongings, hoping to find some clues.

But it's a pity that there is nothing on these people that can identify themselves, even the corpse of the shopkeeper that Zhao Hongrun pinned his hopes on, there is nothing.

At this time, Mu Qing shouted from the kitchen: "Childe, there are still a few corpses here." ”

Zhao Hongrun walked to the kitchen when he heard the sound, only to find that in the vegetable field outside the back door of the kitchen, there were several corpses that were abandoned at random, judging from the clothes, they may be the real owners of this inn, a couple in their forties, and three young men in their teens and twenties.

Mi Jiang, who was following behind Zhao Hongrun, stepped forward to inspect the corpses, and then turned back to the former and said, "I've been dead for at least a day or two." ”

"A day or two? In other words, these men were preparing to assassinate me a day or two ago?'

Zhao Hongrun frowned, you know, a day or two ago, at that time, they had just disembarked from the caravan ship of the household department because of Una's relationship, however, how could this gang of thieves be able to grasp their whereabouts so accurately?

There is only one explanation, that on the cargo ship belonging to the warehouse under the Ministry of Households, someone has reported to this gang of thieves.

"It's really powerful......"

Zhao Hongrun muttered, and then summoned Zongwei He Miao and Zhu Gui, and instructed them to find a place to bury the couple and the three young men, after all, Zhao Hongrun also had a relationship that could not escape from the death of these five people.

After finishing the order, Zhao Hongrun returned to the hall of the inn again, only to see him pull over a long bench, and look at the corpses that had been neatly arranged against the wall with his arms crossed, thoughtfully.

The leader of these thieves is undoubtedly the assassin who pretended to be the shopkeeper, although this person committed suicide by taking poison after not saying a few words to Zhao Hongrun, but Zhao Hongrun still vaguely found a few strange places.

First of all, there is the discipline of this gang of thieves.

You must know that since Chen Xiao joined the battle, the battle situation between the two sides during the melee has gradually tilted towards the side of the guards. It stands to reason that when these thieves see that the situation is not good, they should choose to retreat.

However, none of the thieves escaped.

Secondly, at the last moment, when only the "shopkeeper" and the other two thieves remained, the "shopkeeper" saw that the assassination had failed, so he stabbed one of his accomplices to death with his sword, and the other accomplice, seeing this, actually asked the former in a questioning tone, "What are you going to do?"

Does this mean that they are not in a subordinate relationship?

Again, when the "shopkeeper" said, "Do you think I'm still leaving?" …… It's time to fulfill the matters agreed in advance, and the only remaining thief actually chose to kill himself.

"...... agreed?"

Zhao Hongrun muttered a few words to himself, and suddenly asked Lu Mu and the others, who were still searching the body: "Lu Mu, do those thieves have that kind of wax pill with poison hidden in them?" It's the kind of wax pill that the man who pretended to be the shopkeeper ended up taking poison and committing suicide. ”

Lu Mu shook his head and said, "I haven't found it, it seems that only the thief who pretended to be the shopkeeper has it." ”

"That's ......"

Zhao Hongrun's eyes continued to be surprised.

Because it stands to reason that these thieves should have the kind of wax pills that hide poison, unless they ......

Unless this group of thieves is not actually a person all the way.

Thinking of this, Zhao Hongrun frowned and asked, "Shen Yu, have you heard of it...... Well, the kind of assassins who specialize in killing people, the kind that can be hired. ”

Shen Yu thought for a moment and asked suspiciously, "Hidden thief?" ”

Zhao Hongrun was stunned when he heard this, and asked in astonishment: "'Hidden thief'?" What is that? ”

Shen Yu shrugged his shoulders and said, "As the name suggests, it's the 'thief who hides his whereabouts'." …… It is said that these hidden thieves can do anything for you as long as they can afford to pay them. Speaking of this, he seemed to have woken up to something, and asked with a serious expression, "Childe suspects that these people are hired hidden thieves?" ”

"I just feel this way...... Zhao Hongrun frowned and let out a long breath, then frowned and asked, "Shen Yu, tell me everything you know about the 'hidden thief'." ”

"Yes." Shen Yu nodded, and then said: "When I was still in the sect mansion, I heard someone mention it one day...... It is said that hundreds of years ago, after our Great Wei conquered Liang, Zheng and other countries, some Liang and Zheng people held a grudge against our Great Wei, and gathered people to cause rebellions repeatedly, so the first king sent troops to encircle and suppress, and those people were not defeated by the elite soldiers of our Great Wei and fled to? The deep mountains of Yang, Shiqiu, Yangxia and other places have accumulated strength to continue to fight against our Great Wei...... At that time, the hidden thieves, it is said that they specialized in assassinating princes and nobles, as well as local officials appointed by the previous kings, had caused the anger of the previous kings several times, and sent people to encircle and suppress them many times, but it was a pity that once those thieves found out that the army sent by the imperial court to encircle and suppress, they hid in the mountains and disappeared, so that the troops sent to encircle and suppress often returned in vain. ”

After a pause, Shen Yu continued: "But gradually, in the past hundred years, those hidden thieves no longer have any hostility towards my Great Wei, it may be that the descendants of Liang and Zheng Guguo are almost dead." …… Generally speaking, they and the imperial court are well water and do not interfere with river water, and it stands to reason that it is impossible to gather a crowd to assassinate someone of Gongzi's status. ”

"Why?" Zhao Hongrun asked suspiciously.

"Because in addition to being employed by others, they also have their own livelihoods. …… Like in? Yang, Yangxia and other places, such inns opened in the wilderness as this, nine times out of ten were opened by those hidden thieves, if they angered the imperial court and caused the army sent by the imperial court to encircle and suppress, these people would also suffer heavy losses. ”

"Huh? Is there still an industry? Zhao Hongrun felt a little incredible, frowned and asked, "And the imperial court actually turned a blind eye to these people?" ”

Hearing this, Shen Yu shook his head and said, "I don't know about this, probably because the imperial court thinks it is difficult to exterminate these people." …… But I've heard that Fen Cheng is connected to? Yang's hidden thief has a good relationship, and it is said that General Xu Yin has also been hired in the past? Yang's hidden thief regularly gave them some money to spy on the situation in the Chu State. As you know, at that time, the relationship between my Great Wei and Chu Xuancheng Jun Xiong Tuo was still very tense. ”

"I said that Xiong Tuo spent ten years unsuccessfully conquering Fencheng Fortress, and he actually ...... it."

Zhao Hongrun felt incredible.

After thinking about it, he pointed to the corpses and asked, "Then these people, where are the hidden thieves, do you come out discerningly?" ”

"This ......" Shen Yu smiled bitterly: "Although I heard that the hidden thieves have some methods for identifying each other, but ...... I'm afraid only a hidden thief will know about this. ”

Zhao Hongrun nodded, then raised his hand and pointed to the body of the man who was pretending to be the shopkeeper, and asked, "Among the hidden thieves, will there be someone hiding poison so that he can commit suicide by taking poison when his deeds are revealed?" ”

"I've never heard of this...... Shen Yu thought for a while, pointed to the corpse of the thief who killed himself with a knife and said, "Generally speaking, you should be like this person and kill yourself with a blade, so as not to be caught and tortured." ”

"So it seems that these are really two groups of people......

Zhao Hongrun glanced at the corpses, and secretly thought in his heart: All kinds of indications indicate that the man who pretended to be the shopkeeper should be the mastermind who hired these hidden thieves...... Well, it's the mastermind's men or something, and the rest are just hidden thieves hired to assassinate me. In other words, if I can take down the "shopkeeper", I should be able to ask for some secret things......

"It's a pity! It's a pity!'

Standing up, Zhao Hongrun walked over to the body of the man pretending to be the shopkeeper again, and looked at the latter carefully.

He really couldn't figure out what kind of grudge he had with the forces behind this man, why did these people hire hidden thieves to assassinate him?

Zhao Hongrun thought about it carefully for a long time, and he didn't expect that he had done something that would cause some people to kill intent.

Even the domestic aristocratic forces that were most dissatisfied with him because of the Sanchuan incident this time should have disappeared as he Zhao Hongrun negotiated the Sanchuan matter with King Chengling and several others.

"Wait...... Before leaving Daliang, Uncle Six Kings had asked me if he had offended anyone other than Zong Wei, in other words, Uncle Six Kings should know something......

Zhao Hongrun thought about it and felt that it was necessary to write a letter and send someone to Daliang after arriving in Shangshui County, telling Zhao Yuanling, the uncle of the sixth prince, about the matter, and asking what was going on.

But before that, Zhao Hongrun felt that it was better to go to Shangshui as soon as possible, after all, Shangshui County was his territory. (To be continued.) )