Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1116 - 140: Prince Han Vomits Blood in Anger

To stop these Xiongnu Assassins from taking their own lives, Tong Xi and his men extracted the hidden poison from their mouths. On top of that, Zhao Yao dosed them with a toxin that left their limbs limp and useless. Yet, as a elite suicide squad with rigorous training, prying any valuable intel from them was incredibly tough.

Locked away in utter darkness devoid of any light, they still refused to utter a sound.

"Your Highness, we've tried every interrogation tactic, but none of them will talk. What now?" Harsh tortures were applied, yet the Xiongnu Assassins stayed mute. They were even hurled into the ocean, but silence held firm. Obviously not mutes, they pretended to be, not speaking a word.

"Do this: blindfold them, slice their arm or thigh, and let blood drip slowly. When the wound clots, cut again to keep the blood flowing," Zhao Yao commanded. "Isolate each one in a deathly quiet spot where they can hear their own blood trickling."

Tong Xi pictured the horror of this approach and felt a deep chill.

"Yes, Your Highness." How did His Highness devise such a spine-tingling technique?

Zhao Yao had naturally picked it up from his dream counterpart. A truly innocent soul could never invent something so nightmarish.

Tong Xi set off to carry out the orders. The Xiongnu Assassins showed no fear at first, but bit by bit, as the drip of their own blood echoed and cold seeped into their bodies, dread started gnawing at their hearts.

Darkness, icy chill, terror, and utter hopelessness gradually shattered their minds.

Though molded into ruthless Assassins, they weren't lifeless machines. As living beings, fear and panic lurked within them all.

Soon enough, certain Assassins broke, howling in frenzy.

One cracking open led to another. In no time, most Assassins started spilling words.

A swift beheading seemed far better than the soul-crushing despair and horror they'd just endured.

Questioned by Zhao Yao in the Xiongnu tongue, they reeled in shock—a Great Zhou Prince fluent in their language was unthinkable.

They concealed nothing, revealing every secret they held to Zhao Yao.

Interrogating this batch of Assassins yielded scant useful details for Zhao Yao.

These killers weren't trusted insiders of Prince Han or the Third Princess. Assassinations defined their role, with no entry to high secrets. Above all, they'd never laid eyes on Prince Han or the Third Princess—their chief wasn't him.

"Never thought these Assassins knew zilch," Tong Xi raged, all that grueling effort wasted without a shred of intel.

Zhao Yao wagged a finger, declaring, "We actually gained some useful info."

Lu Guang, Tong Xi, and Liang Chun gazed at Zhao Yao, puzzled yet eager, "What useful information?"

"Some of these Assassins hail from the Central Plains, but they can't speak the Central Plains tongue. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Tong Xi answered, "It does seem strange, but they claimed they were raised in Xiongnu, drilled as killers from youth. No wonder they lost the Central Plains language."

"If Xiongnu can mold Central Plains folk into Assassins, why not into spies?" Spies infiltrating rival nations is commonplace. The Xiongnu Third Princess schemed with Prince Han, and likely with more. Spies could lurk among those others.

Zhao Yao reflected on the recent plot: Concubine Shu poisoning Noble Princess Consort Rong into critical illness, prompting Prince Dai's urgent return to the capital.

Kids snatched by Xiongnu, once loyal Great Zhou subjects, emerged from training utterly devoted to Xiongnu and seething with hate for their birthland.

Lu Guang's face grew grave, "Your Highness, do you mean Great Zhou harbors Xiongnu spies—Central Plains natives kidnapped and turned by them?"

Zhao Yao gave a faint nod, "Exactly." He now doubted Prince Han's ties to the Third Princess began only after his enfeoffment and dispatch to Youzhou as an adult. They might trace back far earlier—perhaps linked through Concubine Shu.

Concubine Shu and the Third Princess had probably connected long ago. But how? Did they know one another before the Third Princess's abduction to Xiongnu?