Soon, a plan formed in his mind. He spoke to the scout from the Prince of Ding's mansion.
"Are there any brothers from the Dark Guard camp available?"
"We can mobilize six people at present."
"That's enough. Tonight, find a way to capture a few of the close guards under Shan Yan. He wants to harm General Xiao, doesn't he? I'll let him taste what it's like to be framed!"
"Yes!"
The moon was dark and the wind was high, with a cool spring breeze.
The Ninth Prince was sleeping soundly when he heard someone rushing to report outside his door.
"Your Highness, it's bad, Your Highness!"
"Who is outside causing such a commotion?"
He got up groggily, his temper flaring. Before he could even inquire about the disturbance, he heard the anxious voice of the guard outside.
"Your Highness, the wooden bridge has been blown up again. General Su has captured the culprit and is waiting for you to interrogate him."
"What!"
The wooden bridge being blown up was even more infuriating than the stone bridge.
After all, he was only a few days away from crossing the river to claim credit. Now, it was indefinitely postponed. His eyes blazed, and even Long Guang beside him couldn't restrain him. He gritted his teeth and said to the guard outside.
"Tell General Su that I will be there immediately. I want to see who dares to cross me!"
With that, he got up and immediately dressed.
Long Guang, who was serving him, dared not be negligent. Even his breathing was light, for fear of accidentally angering the Ninth Prince and bringing disaster upon himself.
A moment later, when the Ninth Prince arrived at the front hall, he saw General Su and the men behind him covered in black soot. Their eyes were fixed on the nearly dead man in black lying on the ground, while several people lying scattered around them had already lost their lives.
The Ninth Prince never expected the scene to be so grim. He turned to General Su and asked.
"General Su, what is the meaning of this?"
General Su, feigning a look of grief and indignation, began to twist the facts. He ferociously pointed at the injured man on the ground and said.
"Your Highness, your humble servant was ordered to build a wooden bridge over the Lan Shui River for many days. It was almost completed, when tonight these people took advantage of a loophole and blew up the nearly finished wooden bridge into pieces, injuring several craftsmen! If we hadn't discovered it in time, I fear all the remaining materials for building the bridge would have been destroyed with them! Truly scoundrels! Your humble servant suspects they are colluding with the Northern Di people who destroyed the stone bridge. Otherwise, why would they repeatedly blow up the bridge, their goal being to prevent us all from crossing!"
As he spoke, he acted as if he were helpless, his eyes blazing at the severely injured man.
The Ninth Prince snorted, his sinister gaze fixed on the man on the ground. The man seemed to want to say something, but for some reason, he couldn't speak.
It was Long Guang, however, who found the man somewhat familiar.
After observing him carefully for a moment, he suddenly realized and exclaimed to the Ninth Prince.
"Your Highness, he is a guard by the Governor's side. I have seen him before!"
"Really?"
Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince was somewhat disbelieving. General Su, on the other hand, felt a surge of joy, as it saved him the trouble of a fake investigation.
These words coming from someone beside the Ninth Prince were far more convincing than if they had come from his own mouth.
"Are you one of Shan Yan's men?"
The Ninth Prince suppressed his anger and shouted at the injured man.
Before the man could even speak, with a "whoosh," a steel nail pierced through his chest.
If there had been no obstruction, the Ninth Prince himself would have been in danger.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Long Guang, seemingly unafraid of death, stepped in front of the Ninth Prince, appearing ready to defend him to the death. This came as a surprise to the Ninth Prince.
In his eyes, there was a newfound affirmation that had been absent before.
General Su, with quick reflexes, immediately crouched down to examine the wound. The man glared at General Su with malice in his eyes, but large amounts of blood flowed from the small hole in his chest. In a moment, he stopped struggling.
"Seeking death! Quickly go outside and see who is trying to silence him!"
If the Ninth Prince had still harbored some suspicion towards General Su upon seeing the scene earlier, as the deaths and injuries meant nothing could be interrogated, and it was possible he had done it deliberately.
However, with this series of events, his suspicions had somewhat faded.
"Where is Shan Yan?"
"Your humble servant will send someone to arrest him immediately!"
"He must be captured alive! I want to ask how much the Northern Di paid him to act like this! To the point of repeatedly blowing up bridges to prevent me from rescuing General Xiao!"
He wasn't foolish and immediately shifted the blame to Shan Yan.
Otherwise, if Emperor Qi were to investigate, he might be implicated!
When General Su and his men rushed into Shan Yan's room, the man had already vanished. The room showed signs of disarray, indicating a hasty escape.
When this was reported to the Ninth Prince, his rage truly erupted!
"Excellent! The dignified Governor of the Northwest, a high official, is colluding with the Northern Di! Imprison his entire family and send a message to my father, issuing a warrant for his arrest! We must apprehend this man!"
"Yes, Your Highness is wise!"
For a time, the dark night in Ganzhou seemed as bright as day, with soldiers everywhere searching for Shan Yan. His family, still asleep, were all thrown into the Ganzhou prison, awaiting their fate!
And at this very moment, the governor who had caused such a stir was drugged and lying unconscious in a pile of dry grass in the backyard, utterly ignored!
General Su lowered his head, remaining silent, listening to the Ninth Prince issue orders everywhere, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Indeed, the men under the Prince of Ding were exceptionally reliable.
This series of frame-ups, with each step meticulously planned, meant that even if Shan Yan had a hundred mouths, he couldn't explain himself.
Moreover, he wasn't wronged!
When they captured him, the brothers from the Dark Guard camp found evidence of his treason in a hidden compartment under his bed!
The firecrackers used to blow up the stone bridge were deliberately arranged by him, and the Northern Di men who blew up the bridge were also planted by him.
The Northern Di had promised him that from then on, the river would serve as the boundary, and in secret, they had given him one hundred thousand taels of gold!
With such an enormous temptation, how could he bear not to blow it up!
Besides, he was confident that the Northern Di people could not build bridges. As long as the Lan Shui River did not dry up, Ganzhou would be safe.
Killing two birds with one stone, he eliminated Xiao Ji and gained immense wealth. As for whether the people of Liangzhou city lived or died, what did it matter to him?
However, if the wealthy merchants and families in Liangzhou city could escape amidst the chaos, he wouldn't mind taking them in.
After all, they were all people who brought money, so why refuse?
Therefore, he had taken the action of blowing up the bridge.
Later, Liangzhou was saved by Xiao Ji, and General Su personally supervised the construction by the river. He could no longer target the bridge and could only spread insidious rumors in the Ninth Prince's ear.