readytorunbook Chapter 411 Acquaintance
Chapter 411 Acquaintance
Zhou Chang was discouraged. Could it be that the thief had really escaped?
After struggling for a while and still to no avail, he slowly walked up the jade steps of the front hall when someone in the east shouted, "Hurry up, he's caught, he's caught..."
Zhou Chang quickly went east to meet them. A palace soldier was also running over. When he saw Prince Yi, he hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, we caught another thief."
"Where is it?" Zhou Chang kept walking.
The palace soldier replied while leading the way back: "Your study."
"Study?" Zhou Chang wondered.
Didn’t Gao Yuan just search it and find nothing?
Zhou Chang walked quickly into the study and was stunned.
In the large fishing net that he had hung up on the right hand side as a hammock, there was a man in black lying in the net, stretching his arms and legs.
Two soldiers next to them were guarding with a torch in one hand and a knife in the other.
The skinny monkey hurried over to light the oil lamp on the table.
Zhou Chang looked around and asked, "How did this guy get caught?"
This is the first time in my life that I feel a word is used so appropriately.
One of the palace soldiers put down his torch and bowed, "I don't know. We just heard some noise in the prince's study when we were searching. We didn't dare to move and are still waiting for Lord Gao to come."
The soldiers in Prince Yi's palace had all long since become farmers, and none of them were able to fight.
"Oh..." Zhou Chang had personally experienced that feeling. He didn't expect that there would be someone who had the same "disease" as him. He had to gloat over his misfortune.
Zhou Chang smiled secretly in his heart and moved the table away.
The window of the study room closest to the hammock was open, so we could infer that the thief must have sneaked in through the window, probably climbing up the beams first. However, in the dark, there was a fishing net below, and he jumped down and was killed...
"Haha, I didn't expect that my fishing net could be used in this way. It's worth my effort, haha..." The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Zhou Chang couldn't help laughing.
As I was laughing, I remembered something important and glanced at the box on the upper right corner of the table.
Fortunately it's still there.
That was sent by Yuan Yu, evidence of Prince Duan's bribery. Could it be that the thief tonight came to steal this?
He remained calm and waited for Gao Yuan to come and tie the man up first.
Hearing this, the man in black in the fishing net struggled even harder, using both hands to try to break free.
The palace soldiers were alert and immediately rushed forward with their swords drawn: "Don't move, or we will stab you now."
Zhou Chang also stood up alertly.
Just at this time, Gao Yuan got the news and rushed over: "Why don't you tie him up, especially his mouth, to prevent him from taking poison and committing suicide."
The soldiers in the government office had been lazy for many years and were no longer familiar with their duties, so they were unable to answer.
Zhou Chang didn't think of this either, and gave himself an excuse: "It's unlikely. If he had prepared this trick, he would have done it when he was caught."
Gao Yuan didn't say much. He went up and attacked with some unknown technique, but the man in black couldn't move.
Gao Yuan then ordered the palace soldiers: "Get the people out."
The four or five soldiers present were all in a dilemma, staring at the large net that was dropped high in the air.
If you want to get the thief out, the best way is to take down the net directly.
Zhou Chang realized it later, but at least he didn't wait for anyone to speak: "Cut it, just cut the net above, and remove the fishing net as well."
"Yes..." The soldiers agreed.
Gao Yuan was cautious and stood in front of Zhou Chang: "Your Highness, please get out of here first."
Zhou Chang did not delay and left the study room directly, while instructing: "I am afraid that these three are the only ones we can catch tonight. The remaining one is probably out of the palace. Take them all to the front hall, and I will interrogate them personally."
"Yes..." Gao Yuan responded, and thought again, "There is one left. If Guardian Zhou's men chase him, he may be able to be found."
Zhou Chang didn't hold out hope, but still nodded and took the skinny monkey to the front hall.
Gao Yuan did not forget to order: "The three of you follow the prince and protect his safety."
Afterwards, a team of palace soldiers escorted Zhou Chang to the front hall first.
"Cough cough..." Zhou Chang quickly walked towards the front hall and was choked by a thick smoke. Then he remembered that the back hall was still on fire.
"Ahem, hurry up, since the thief has been caught, the rest of you should go and put out the fire." Zhou Chang thought that there was only one thief left and there was nothing to be afraid of, so he gave orders to a team of soldiers behind him.
One of them looked like a team leader and hesitated: "Lord Gao ordered that the safety of His Highness be our top priority."
There was already flames shooting up into the sky from the direction of the rear hall. The moon was at its highest point in the sky and an evening breeze was blowing, making the fire even more intense.
"Go quickly. I have nothing to do here. Transfer all the people you can." Zhou Chang then realized how urgent it was.
"Yes..." The two of them went quickly.
Zhou Chang couldn't blame anyone else. It was because Prince Yi left too few soldiers in the palace, and some of the money should be spent.
Turning around, he entered the front hall, which was originally used as a "gateway". Since Yuan Qi got married, it has been filled with exquisite furniture.
Zhou Chang sat down to calm down, mainly to sort out his thoughts.
But no matter how I think about it, it seems like I've missed something.
Not long after, Gao Yuan brought his men and captured the three thieves, one dead, one injured, and one alive, and brought them all to his presence.
The dead body was thrown aside, and the injured, still unconscious, were tied up and gagged, and left aside.
The captured man was dressed in black, kneeling in the middle of the ground, his hands tied behind his back, but the black mask on his face had not been removed yet.
"Why haven't you taken off the mask yet?" Zhou Chang asked anxiously.
Gao Yuan signaled the escorting soldiers to remove the thief's mask.
He has lost a lot of weight in the past two months, but he talks more than before, which is a good thing: "Your Majesty, the thief struggled hard just now and didn't want to be removed from the mask. And because I was in a hurry to bring him here, we were delayed."
Two soldiers, one pressing and the other pulling, finally removed the mask, but the black-clad thief kept his head down.
"Look up." Zhou Chang widened his eyes.
Gao Yuan went up and pulled his hair back with one hand.
The thief had to lie on his back.
Zhou Chang was stunned.
"Monkey, light a few more lamps..." Zhou Chang blinked, unable to believe it.
The skinny monkey quickly went to the side hall to get the oil lamp and candle, lit it, and even conjured up a pot of tea and poured it for Zhou Chang.
Zhou Chang was thirsty after running for a long time. He swallowed half a cup of tea and leaned closer to check again. The name was stuck in his throat.
"Ma Feihu." The man kneeling on the ground lost his patience and simply introduced himself.
"Yes, you are Ma Feihu..." Zhou Chang took a breath, "But you... shouldn't you have been executed long ago?"
Ever since Ma Feihu was recognized, he just gave up and knelt on the ground, feeling very angry and dissatisfied: "Humph, maybe I'm lucky, so I didn't die. I wonder what it feels like to be separated from my body."