"I don't know." Zhang Hong shrugged and said, "What I did that day was very simple. I've already said it before, Shi Hao asked me to do it. As for how he fought, I really didn't see it. Sigh... But no matter what, the enemy still couldn't be stopped."
Zhang Hong sighed as he spoke, but Jiang Yitian could sense the implication. "What about Xiao Chen? I noticed that he didn't show up during the entire battle? Wang Jiyuan provided information saying that you had a meeting before, and he went to investigate the other side?"
"Minister Jiang, I am a transparent person. To put it nicely, they are just asking me to attend a meeting. To put it bluntly, it is to deal with the committee's rules. Although legal consultants can participate in decision-making consultations, no one really takes me seriously. I tell you, no matter what decision they make there, it has nothing to do with me, and I have no idea how to implement it."
"You mean, we can't be sure what Xiao Chen was chasing after?" Jiang Yitian asked.
"certainly."
"You also participated in the previous negotiations with the Empire, right?"
"It's the same thing! I participated, but I was just a marginal figure. Shi Hao, Xiao Chen, and Huang Zheng were all here, what could I have to do with them? I just ate two meals to make up the numbers and support them." Zhang Hong's eyes were no longer nervous, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction. "I really don't know what they talked about with the imperial people. All I know are the things they announced to everyone."
"You mean, there is some secret agreement between them and the Imperials?" Jiang Yitian asked.
"I didn't say that." Zhang Hong denied it flatly, but after denying it, he whispered, "But who knows? They have done a lot of mysterious things. Whether it was the sudden visit of the Imperials asking for passage, or Shi Hao arranging for the Imperials to visit our pneumatic cannon, or Xiao Chen leaving with the two strongest fighters, and then the Imperials began to attack the city, it all seemed very strange, didn't it?"
"Your accusation is very interesting." Jiang Yitian wrote a few words on a notebook and said to Zhang Hong with interest.
——————
The second person Jiang Yitian asked was Xiao Chen.
It had been less than a day since Xiao Chen woke up from his coma, and he looked very weak. He had fallen into a deep sleep after passing by the small mountain village, and later Roger carried him all the way back.
After lying in the ward for two days, he finally woke up. It was in his ward that Jiang Yitian conducted the interrogation.
When he came in, Roger and Evelyn were standing by his side. Although Evelyn asked Xiao Chen to come back tomorrow on the grounds that he was weak, at Jiang Yitian's insistence, Xiao Chen himself agreed to the inquiry and let the two leave the room.
Jiang Yitian asked Xiao Chen about what he had heard from others, and Xiao Chen answered truthfully. The whole process was uneventful, and Jiang Yitian did not question or doubt anything until the very end, when Jiang Yitian asked, "Xiao Chen, what do you think of the traitor who opened the door?"
Xiao Chen's voice was very soft and a little hoarse: "I think... it's very likely. I've studied that door. If it's not opened from the inside, it can't be opened from the outside. That's why we thought we could take Master Orgas away without any worries."
Jiang Yitian asked again: "Do you have any guesses about who the traitor is?"
"We were not in the city at the time, and all the information about this matter was heard from others later."
"Do you think that was done by the Imperials in our team?" When saying this, Jiang Yitian tilted his head towards the door, obviously hinting at something.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, I just think those imperial people are more suspicious than us real Chinese, aren't they? Especially since some of them may be imperial nobles with titles. Isn't this a good opportunity for them to glorify their ancestors and serve the emperor
Think about it, if the gate of Heimuguan Pass, which had not been conquered for hundreds of years, was opened by such a person, what kind of rewards would his family receive? Title, territory, wealth, or even entry into the Senate?"
"What? Do you have your suspicions about your target now?" Although Xiao Chen sounded a little weak, there was still a clear chill in his voice.
"Don't be nervous. I suspect everyone." Jiang Yitian tapped the edge of the notebook with the ballpoint pen in his hand.
"I hope you won't waste your time on people who obviously have alibis." Xiao Chen said.
"This is a magical world. I won't stick to something like an alibi, which can be destroyed by magic at any time." Jiang Yitian suddenly stood up, approached Xiao Chen, stared at him and said, "Roger, an imperial man, a military noble, a high-level peak warrior, trusted by you and Shi Hao. On the day when Blackwood Pass was captured, there was no other living person except you and the dark elf Evelyn who could prove his whereabouts. It was said that all routes outside Blackwood Pass were blocked, but after the city was captured, it took him less than four days to cross the mountains and return to the team. And you were unconscious the whole time, and you had no idea how he got here. Do you think you are really qualified to prove anything for him?"
"If you have any doubts, you can go and investigate. Talking loudly to me here can only prove one thing." Xiao Chen said halfway.
"What?"
"You have bad breath."
Jiang Yitian stood up straight and smiled, "I'm glad you still have a sense of humor. But Xiao Chen, let me tell you something, this matter is not just for the entire committee, all of us time travelers will not let it go easily. In fact, I don't mean to target you, really." When he reached the door, Jiang Yitian turned around and said, "By the way, I'll give you two pieces of news. First, the great magician Edel who you reported was killed by you is not dead, and he has been roaming around Heimuguan in recent days. So what you said about killing a great magician with the help of a few high-level magicians is very suspicious. Everyone is guessing what happened that day.
The second piece of news is that the family Roger belongs to has received a reward from the emperor, with a higher rank and a large fiefdom. The timing of this reward is really interesting, isn't it?"
Although Xiao Chen and Jiang Yitian had a confrontation at the end, the soundproof barrier cast by Jiang Yitian blocked all the sounds. Roger and Evelin, who were waiting at the door, had no idea what was happening in the ward.
After walking out the door, Jiang Yitian asked his two assistants to take Roger and Evelyn to different rooms.
His eyes scanned the two of them, like a wolf looking for food: "I need to question you two separately." (To be continued)