Cao Pi and Xiahou Dun were similar in age, so they had a close friendship, but Xiahou Chong was seven or eight years older than them. Cao Pi was very respectful and polite to Xiahou Dun's eldest son.

After giving Xiahou Chong a seat, Cao Pi reminded: "Sun Quan's assassins are rampant. In addition to Yecheng, there are also his people in Xudu. Ziman must be extremely careful in Xudu and arrange more guards at home."

Xia Houchong nodded his thanks and replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, please withdraw from the crowd. I have confidential matters to report."

Except for a few serving maids, only Cao Pi's trusted eunuch Gao Miao remained in the palace.

"Xiao Gao, take them out first, and let the tiger guards guard the palace gate. No one is allowed to enter the palace without being informed." Cao Pi saw Xia Hou's solemn face, and thought that there must be something important.

"Wei." Gao Miao replied sharply.

"Now Ziman can say whether there is something from the Emperor's side..." Cao Pi guessed.

Cao Pi was already planning to replace the Han Dynasty, wondering if Liu Xie still wanted to resist? If Sima Yi really hooked up with Guan Yu, how many tricks would he have around him?

Xia Houchong shook his head and replied: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, everything is going as usual..."

"I really want to say..."

"The destruction of the Sima family has caused panic among the people. Your Majesty must calm down the disputes between the DPRK and China as soon as possible. As for the assassins, there is no need to worry..."

Cao Pi was startled when he heard this, and thought to himself: Why did Xia Houchong say this? Does he know the inside story?

"Ziman, you..." Cao Pi stopped talking.

"The destruction of the Sima family was not caused by external forces. It was arranged by the late king before his death," Xia Houchong said.

Cao Pi swallowed his saliva and asked in surprise: "The late king's decree? Could it be that Ziman did this?"

Xia Houchong shook his head and said: "I only know that it was arranged by the late king. I don't know exactly who took action. My late father once asked me before his death. If the Sima family is really wiped out, let me come and let the king know his peace of mind."

"So he is one of our own... Why did you want to destroy Sima Man's family? Is it because the late king thought that Zhongda looked down upon the wolf?" Cao Pi's heart was filled with waves. After all, Cao Cao did not let Sima Yi go. How many back-ups did he leave behind before his death?

"My late father once told me before his death that the late king had received a few prophecies, predicting that the Sima family would replace Wei..." Xia Houchong replied.

"Prophecy? The late king was too suspicious. He dreamed of the Three Horses trough and forced Ma Chao to rebel. In the end, he killed the entire Ma Teng family. Now it is the turn of Zhongda's family? How can I deal with this..." Cao Pi looked helpless.

Xia Houchong ignored Cao Pi's complaint and continued: "Do you know why the late king did not kill him but waited until now to kill the entire Sima clan?"

"Maybe he is worried that the nobles will be frightened and that he will not be able to ascend the throne smoothly..." Cao Pi guessed.

Xia Houchong smiled slightly: "There may be such considerations, but the real reason is that the late king did not know whether the prophecy was true or false, so it takes time and events to confirm it."

"How to prove it?" Cao Pi asked.

Xia Houchong said mysteriously: "It is said that the first two sentences of the prophecy are 'the traitor will die before his death', and 'the brother forces his brother Cao Zhi to write poems'..."

Cao Pi's eyes widened and he murmured: "So..."

"The prophecy about Sima is also true. Everything the late king did was for Wei." Xia Houchong added.

"If this is true and Zhongda's family died unjustly, does Ziman know the content of the prophecy behind it?" Cao Pi asked.

Xia Houchong shook his head: "My late father only got these two sentences. You should know the character of the late king."

Cao Pi was shocked when he heard this. Cao Cao was suspicious from the inside out. Even a close confidant like Xiahou Dun could not tell all the prophecies.

Suddenly Cao Pi remembered what Cao Xiu had conveyed, that Cao Cao wanted him to rename a person named Wuhou or named Wuhou. Could it be that those prophecies came from that?

"Ziman, who do you think the late king will arrange to take action?" Cao Pi continued to test.

"It's possible that everyone was in Luoyang at the time, because both Yecheng and Xu were doing it at the same time, maybe different people were doing it." Xia Houchong deliberately set the scope and released information to mislead Cao Pi.

After hearing this, Cao Pi believed it and thought that he would leave this matter to his closest people. At that time, the only clan generals in Luoyang were Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and Xiahou Shang.

Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Chong were both loyal people, and Xiahou Mao didn't reveal any information to him, so he targeted Cao Hong and Cao Xiu.

Cao Hong and Sima Yi had never dealt with each other, Cao Xiu had the most elite tiger and leopard cavalry, and Luoyang was so close to Xudu, Cao Pi could not think of anyone else.

Cao Pi had just finished his deduction, and suddenly cold sweat broke out on his forehead. If Cao Hong really did it in Yecheng, why were there two survivors left? Is it because he deliberately did this to avoid suspicion?

"Your Majesty, it's late at night, so I won't disturb you. Please keep this matter secret. The late king did this with good intentions." Xia Houchong stood up and left.

Cao Pi nodded slightly, "That's fine... By the way, since the assassin is fake, how will this matter end?"

Xia Houchong stroked his beard and thought for a while and said: "The king can ask Zi Lin (Xia Houmao) to kill a group of 'Jiangdong Assassins' near Xudu. The king has to find a way in Yecheng. As for how to appease the courtiers, you might as well ask for advice.

The Taiwei and others are advising ministers..."

"Zi Man does everything right, why not come with Zi Lin to help Gu?" Cao Pi made the invitation.

Xiahou Chong shook his head and refused, "I know how much I am worth. The affairs of the Xiahou clan are already complicated enough. I might as well return to my fiefdom. Your Majesty, I would rather use Zilin."

"That's fine." Cao Pi didn't fight for it.

As soon as Xia Houchong left, Xu Chu was summoned into the palace by Cao Pi.

"Your Majesty, are you looking for me?" Xu Chu asked, clasping his fists.

Cao Pi nodded slightly, "The assassin's incident has made people panic. I can no longer wait for General Wei to search. General Xu mobilized the trustworthy tiger guards to leave the city immediately. No matter what method you use, I will bring back hundreds of heads within two days."

"

"Your Majesty, what do you mean..." Xu Chu was shocked when he heard this, wondering what did Xia Houchong say to him?

"General Wei is beyond his capabilities, so I am asking you to help hunt down the 'Jiangdong Assassin'. It would be best if we could find some weapons, do you understand?" Cao Pi said meaningfully.

"I don't have to worry about you, I'm just a guard at night..." Xu Chu asked again.

"If you have other arrangements, please feel free to go and do the work." Cao Pi said in his heart that the assassin was fake, so why should I be so worried?

"Wei." Xu Chu clasped his fists and left.

A big stone fell from Cao Pi's heart, and his depressed mood also improved.

The summer night was unbearably hot, and Cao Pi paced back and forth in the palace. After much thought, he called Gao Miao, "Xiao Gao, I am very excited tonight. Please go to Tongque Terrace as soon as possible and bring me two carts of fruits to cool down..."

"Wei." Gao Miao understood the idea and backed away.

On the afternoon of the third day, Xu Chu brought the tiger guards to Dali Temple and handed over more than a hundred heads and dozens of murder weapons to Dali Zhong Yao. The Jiangdong assassin case in Yecheng was solved, and Xu Chu was promoted to the official rank.

For general Wuwei.

More than ten days later, Xia Houmao killed 160 "Jiangdong Assassins" near Xinji County, southeast of Xu Du. The Jiangdong Assassin case in Xu Du was also solved.
Chapter completed!