Beaten to Death While Hanging

Evan Xiao paused for a moment and asked, "So, what made you laugh so hard that night was this?"

"Yes, yes—wait, how do you know? How do you know I snuck into the barracks at night and couldn't stop laughing?"

Evan was momentarily speechless.

Could he tell her that he'd been in her space all along?

"You were there that night too? You didn't leave the barracks?"

Evan nodded.

"Then why didn't you show yourself?"

"Military business."

Grace eyed him suspiciously. "Military business again?"

Evan replied calmly, "Mm. I was making arrangements to catch the spy."

...

At the military camp.

Leon Zane looked at the man in front of him, wondering if he was a little crazy.

He couldn’t tell if the guy was nervous or excited, but he was trembling all over.

And the way he looked at him... was downright weird.

Leon felt uncomfortable and frowned, "Your name is Leo Miles?"

Leo Miles never dreamed that one day, his name would actually come out of the Imperial Advisor’s mouth.

He nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! My name is Leo Miles!"

Leon shot Grace a sideways glance and said, just as she taught him, "You seem decent! You don’t look like someone who’d steal."

Leo Miles swallowed nervously, his eyes shining with excitement. "Does the Imperial Advisor really think so?"

I thought you were nuts!

Leon took a deep breath. "Mm. There must be more to this story. Can you tell me? If you tell me the truth, I can ask the General to go easy on you."

Leo Miles stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly dropped to his knees at Leon’s feet. "Imperial Advisor, I have one wish in my life. If you grant it, I’ll die without regrets."

"What wish?"

"Let me be your servant!" Leo pleaded. "Let me be your servant, even the lowest one. As long as I can stay by your side, I’ll tell you everything."

Leon glanced at Grace again.

Grace shot him a look, signaling him to agree.

Leon took a deep breath. "I can agree, but you must swear to the gods—every word must be true!"

Leo Miles blushed and raised his hand to swear, "I, Leo Miles, swear to the Dragon God—every word is true. If I lie, may lightning strike me—"

"You should say, if you lie, you’ll never remember or see the Imperial Advisor again!" Grace interrupted.

Leo Miles took a deep breath, nodded, and repeated Grace’s words exactly.

Then, under Evan’s watchful gaze, Leon agreed.

And then, Leo really confessed.

He signed and put his seal on it.

Jason Zhuo’s name was cleared.

And with the credit for catching the spy, Evan promoted him to General Victor Zheng.

...

Leon just couldn’t figure it out—why did Leo Miles confess the moment he saw him?

And why did he insist on becoming his servant?

He sent someone to investigate and found out Leo was... well, into men.

He also found out that Leo’s former lover actually looked a bit like him.

Thinking about the way Leo looked at him, Leon roared on the spot, "Grace Zhuo!"

...

Meanwhile, Kevin Zhuo was woken up from his sleep and dragged off for interrogation.

He really wasn’t tough at all. Faced with torture and witness testimony, he confessed too.

So the one who got kicked out of the army was Kevin Zhuo.

When Minister Zhuo found out, he had Kevin strung up, threatening to beat him to death.

This time, he really meant it.

The pitiful screams were so loud that Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhuo rushed over, urging Minister Zhuo to teach Kevin a lesson about right and wrong—but not to actually hurt him.