Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Chapter 1295 Taking Action

This assassination attempt not only failed to scare him away, but made him even more certain that the water in the Western Regions was deeper than he had imagined and more worthy of him stirring it personally.

"Meng Zhi."

"Chen is here!"

"Investigate this matter thoroughly! I want to know who these people's masters are."

"Also, pass on my oral order: All passes in Beiting are under martial law from today! Not even a single carrier pigeon is allowed to fly over the Tianshan Mountains without my written order!"

Deep in the dungeons of the Shuofang City Protectorate, the cold, damp air was filled with the mingled smell of blood and decay. The flickering torches on the walls stretched Qin Ming's figure, casting him against the stone walls like a dormant beast. He stood with his hands behind his back, his dark uniform unwrinkled, a stark contrast to this filthy place.

Ying Qi silently handed over a confession scroll with fresh ink on it.

"Your Majesty, the arsonist was captured and tortured, and he only revealed that he was employed by a Western merchant named 'Musa,' who was active in the Kucha and Cheshi areas and specialized in spices. He knew nothing about his employer's identity." Ying Qi's voice was particularly clear in the dungeon. "The rest of the captives committed suicide by taking poison. No one was left alive."

Qin Ming's eyes scanned the confession, his fingertips lightly tapping the name "Musa." A spice merchant...spices again. The person secretly contacting the Cheshi deputy envoy was also a spice merchant. This was no coincidence.

"Musa..." he repeated in a low voice, a cold glint in his eyes. "How could a businessman afford to hire such assassins? How could he plan such a precise assassination at the border market?"

"I have ordered the Tingfeng Guards to apprehend this man with all their might," Ying Qi said. "However, the trade routes in the Western Regions are complex and intricate. If this man intends to hide, it may take some time."

Qin Ming was silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards the dungeon exit. "No need for fanfare. Send the message down that... the arsonist couldn't bear the torture and confessed that the mastermind was the Black Khan, Zuo Guli King. Because his caravan was under scrutiny, he deliberately sought revenge and created chaos."

Ying Qi was slightly startled, then lowered his head: "I understand." Your Majesty is trying to alert the enemy, or even... put the blame on others, forcing the person behind the scenes to lose their composure.

"Also," Qin Ming stepped onto the stone steps, his steps steady. "In my name, I hereby issue a relief decree: generous relief will be provided to the officials and merchants who died in the market accident, and their families will be exempted from taxes and labor service for three years. The damaged warehouses will be rebuilt at government expense. Furthermore, I hereby inform the envoys from the Western Regions that I... am deeply disturbed by this incident, and will not be able to receive any foreign visitors for the next few days."

"Yes." Ying Qi understood. His Majesty was trying to show weakness, putting himself in the position of victim, taking a step back and waiting to see what would happen.

The edict caused an uproar inside and outside Shuofang City. The Black Khan, Zuo Guli Wang, was furious and repeatedly sent envoys to the Beiting Protectorate to plead his case, claiming it was a false accusation and a frame-up. Other Western Regions envoys, in a state of panic, submitted letters expressing their concern and distancing themselves from the incident, raising tensions across the region.

Qin Ming, on the other hand, stayed at home and rarely went out, as if he was really frightened. He only reviewed memorials in the post station or discussed border affairs with Meng Zhi and Zhao Huaijin.

In secret, the tentacles of Tingfengwei quietly spread westward with Shuofang City as the center, focusing on all channels related to "Musa" and the spice trade.

Ten days later, late one night, Ying Qi came quietly again, this time bringing with him a small scroll of parchment.

"Your Majesty, we have some clues. We found this in an abandoned beacon tower in Qiemo." Ying Qi presented the parchment. "It's a fragment of a coded account. After deciphering it, it records several huge transactions of 'special medicinal herbs' transiting through Qiemo. The recipients... point to the Khorasan region of the Arab Empire further west. Several of the ciphers are identical to the markings on the manifest for the looted batch of refined iron saltpeter from Cheshi."

Qin Ming unfolded the parchment, his eyes sharp as a knife. Qiemo… Khorasan… indeed, a carefully constructed strategic material channel that bypassed imperial oversight! The Cheshi Kingdom incident was probably just a bubble that accidentally surfaced under this undercurrent.

"Where's Musa?"

"As Your Majesty anticipated, he fled upon hearing the news, but one of his confidants is under our control in Kucha. He revealed that Musa's true backer isn't any particular nation in the Western Regions, but... the Governor-General's Office in Khorasan. Those assassins weren't ordinary mercenaries either; they were 'mutavis' under the Khorasan Governor-General's command. This term, meaning volunteers, often refers to religious zealots."

Khorasan! Qin Ming's eyes flashed with coldness! Beyond the western borders of the empire, that vast Arab Empire! Their hands have stretched so far, not only coveting the Western Regions, but also secretly funding and inciting Western forces, establishing a smuggling network, and even... daring to plot the assassination of the imperial envoy!

"Good...very good..." Qin Ming's voice was icy cold, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the parchment. "One Black Khan, the Zuoguli King, is not enough. Since they want to play, I will play big with them."

He stood up, walked to the window and looked at the dark night sky in the west.

"Ying Qi, take the 'evidence' we found regarding the Arab Khorasan's meddling in the Western Regions, smuggling strategic materials, and even plotting assassinations... and 'accidentally' leak it to the Black Khanate's spies. Remember, make it look like they painstakingly found it themselves."

"Next, have Meng Zhi gather an elite force and prepare to march westward at any moment to eliminate the culprit who dared to assassinate the Imperial Envoy. The movement...must be large."

"Also, send a decree to the Honglu Temple, granting the King of Qiemo a reward of one hundred bolts of silk and ten boxes of porcelain in my name. Also... out of concern, I'd like to inquire whether the abandoned beacon tower in his country has been peaceful lately."

"I obey your command!" Ying Qi's eyes flashed with excitement. Your Majesty was trying to drive the tiger out to devour the wolf, diverting the disaster westward! Let the Black Khan and even the entire Western Regions feel the threat of the Arabs, while also threatening small states like Qiemo that might be infiltrated, forcing them to make a choice!

In the days that followed, the Black Armor Army mobilized frequently inside and outside Shuofang City, with war horses neighing and banners fluttering, a sign of impending disaster. The "secret" rumor that Khorasan, the Arab Empire, was the mastermind spread like wildfire among the royal courts of the Western Regions, sparking suspicion and widespread panic.

After obtaining the "conclusive evidence", the Black Khan Duobi was shocked and angry. He hated the Arabs for extending their hands too far, but was also afraid that it would become a reason for Daqian to send troops. He quickly sent an envoy to Qin Ming to apologize and vowed to work with Daqian to deal with the threat from the Arabs.

The King of Qiemo was frightened by the "reward" and "concern" of the Celestial Empire. He cleaned up the suspicious forces in the country overnight and submitted an oath to the Beiting Protectorate, stating that he would always be a vassal and would never have any second thoughts.

The waters of the Western Regions were completely muddied by Qin Ming.

In the warm room, Qin Ming looked at the latest information presented from various places, and a cold arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.