In the tent outside the county town, the warm afternoon sun gently shines through the gaps, bringing a bit of comfort to the tent.

However, at this moment, the atmosphere was as tense as a bowstring about to break.

The air in the tent seemed to freeze at that moment.

The lazy atmosphere that should have been in the afternoon was gone, replaced by a suffocating heaviness.

The candle in the center of the tent was burning even in the daytime, as if trying to dispel the invisible pressure.

It seemed to sense this strong change in aura and trembled even more violently.

The dim light and shadows danced wildly on the walls of the tent, like a group of ghosts with bared fangs and claws.

In the relatively bright environment of the afternoon, the dance of light and shadow appears even more abrupt and strange.

They distort and elongate the figures of the people in the tent, interweaving with the sunlight that pours in, creating a terrifying sense of disordered light and shadow.

Sometimes, light and shadows would quickly scratch across the tent walls like ghostly claws, as if trying to break the gloomy atmosphere.

Sometimes it looks like a hideous ghost face, appearing and disappearing in the flashes, making people feel cold.

The wildly dancing light and shadows broke the tranquility of the afternoon and made everyone in the tent feel as if they were falling into an ice cellar.

The warmth originally brought by the afternoon sun has now disappeared without a trace.

Prince of Jin Zhu Gang stared straight at Zhang Changshi, who was still pretending to be ignorant even though he knew the truth, with a look in his eyes that seemed to be spitting fire.

I saw that he was clenching his teeth and the muscles on his cheeks were bulging.

It was like two solid rocks, locking up the anger in my heart.

The masseter muscle kept trembling due to the force, as if it was engaged in a fierce struggle with itself.

Every rise and fall of his muscles seemed to be telling of Zhu Gang’s intolerance at the moment.

His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if driven by an invisible force.

The blue veins on the back of his hand stood out like winding snakes, clearly visible, and one could even see the veins pulsating slightly with Zhu Gang’s rapid heartbeat.

These blue veins were like angry veins, transporting the rage that was about to erupt to every corner of the body.

His knuckles turned white from excessive force, as if they would break at any time under the tremendous pressure.

At this moment, Zhu Gang was like a volcano about to erupt, trying his best to suppress the anger that was about to erupt in his heart.

Every subtle movement reveals his inner struggle and restraint.

It seemed that just a little more spark would trigger a violent explosion.

Zhu Gang suppressed his anger and said word by word: “Zhang Changshi, it has come to this, do you still plan to continue pretending?”

The voice was low and cold, as if it came from the Netherworld, carrying with it a terrifying deterrent force.

When Zhang Changshi heard Zhu Gang’s low and cold words, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in his ears.

His body trembled violently, as if he had been hit hard by a heavy hammer.

At this moment, Zhang Changshi’s pupils suddenly shrank sharply, and his eyes were full of fear and panic.

The calmness he pretended to have before was completely shattered at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, his forehead was instantly covered with beads of sweat, as if those beads of sweat were forced out by some powerful force.

One is close to another, as if a string of fine beads were strung together.

In a flash, beads of sweat gathered into bean-sized grains and rolled down Zhang Changshi’s already pale cheeks.

The tracks of the sweat beads rolled down like winding streams, leaving traces of fear on his face.

As beads of sweat continued to roll down, they soon soaked Zhang Changshi’s collar.

The collar, which had been relatively smooth, was now soaked with sweat.

It stuck tightly to Zhang Changshi’s neck, adding to his inner embarrassment and anxiety.

Zhang Changshi swallowed subconsciously, his lips trembling slightly, but he couldn’t say anything for a while. Zhu Gang’s eyes shot straight at Zhang Changshi, taking in his momentary loss of composure due to timidity.

Zhang Changshi’s body was shaking violently and sweat was pouring down his forehead.

Such an embarrassing posture made Zhu Gang feel as if his heart was hit by a heavy rock, and he suddenly became even more disappointed.

Originally, Zhu Gang had high hopes for Zhang Changshi. Outside the tense situation in Shangyuan County, he was fully expecting that the other party would be able to come up with strategies to break the impasse with his calmness and wisdom.

But the cowardly look in front of him was so frightened by a few questions that he almost lost his soul.

This is completely different from the image of a capable assistant that Zhu Gang had imagined.

His frown became tighter and tighter, as if the space between his brows could crush everything in the world.

The suppressed anger in his eyes was now fueled by disappointment and burned even more fiercely.

Zhu Gang secretly clenched his back teeth, the muscles on his cheeks kept twitching, and his heart was filled with resentment.

“At this critical moment concerning the lives of soldiers, Zhang Changshi, who usually seems smart and capable, is so vulnerable. He really failed my long-standing trust and reliance!”

This disappointment was like a dark cloud, hanging heavily on Zhu Gang’s heart, making him even more worried about the current situation.

It also made the already depressing atmosphere in the tent even heavier, making it hard to breathe.

“Since Mr. Zhang has nothing to say, I will explain why I reprimand you in public.

Come, bring those two ‘grey-robed men’ with ulterior motives to me!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain of the tent was suddenly opened.

A gust of wind carrying dust blew in, and the candle flame flickered violently.

Two men in gray clothes had rags stuffed in their mouths and were making muffled whimpering sounds.

He stumbled into the tent under the escort of four members of the Hidden Dragon Guard assassination team.

The two men in gray had dishevelled clothes and disheveled hair, and their faces were filled with fear and embarrassment.

One of them staggered and nearly fell.

He was barely able to stand firm after being pulled hard by the Hidden Dragon Guards.

Their hands were tied tightly behind their backs with ropes, which cut deeply into their flesh. The pain must have been unbearable.

The four members of the Hidden Dragon Guard assassination team who escorted the two gray-clad men were all agile and had eyes as sharp as eagles.

The four members of the Hidden Dragon Guard assassination team had blank expressions on their faces, revealing a chilling and murderous aura.

They were dressed in specially made black uniforms with the silver Hidden Dragon logo embroidered on them.

In the dim tent, a cold light flickered.

The tight-fitting clothes are close to the body, making movement easier and highlighting the slender and powerful figures of the four members of the Hidden Dragon Guard assassination team.

Their steps were neat and steady, each step was firm and powerful, as if carrying an irresistible majesty.

Four members of the Hidden Dragon Guard assassination team escorted the two gray-clothed men to the center of the tent.

As soon as they let go of their hands, the two men in gray fell to their knees with a thump.

The two men couldn’t stop shaking, their eyes filled with fear.

From time to time, he would steal a glance at Zhu Gang, whose expression was stern, as if he was facing the King of Hell.

Seeing this, Zhu Gang said solemnly, “I have repeatedly stressed that as long as the crown prince is alive, no one is allowed to covet that position.

The Prince of Jin’s Mansion had only one goal from the beginning to the end, which was to establish a vassal state overseas that was completely controlled by the Ming Dynasty.

If anyone dares to commit treason, I will make him lose his head!”

(End of this chapter)