756: Chapter 756 will be added tomorrow.

After the narration concluded, Minister Yan exchanged a look with Secretary Zheng, signaling him to take a short break. Then, Secretary Zheng spoke slowly, his tone calm yet probing.

“Comrade Li Yang, based on everything you've told us and the preliminary evidence we currently have, I'd like to hear your judgment. Who do you think is the mastermind behind this?”

Li Yang fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

In his mind, he rapidly sorted through his past experiences and interpersonal relationships. Finally, he looked up and met Secretary Zheng's gaze firmly.

“Secretary Zheng, first of all, it's certain that the target of this incident has been me from beginning to end. However, since joining the military, I have always strictly adhered to military discipline. During my tenure, I've maintained good working relationships with all my colleagues and superiors. I've never held a personal grudge against anyone, let alone had a mortal enemy.”

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly solemn.

“So I've been thinking: for the other party to go to such great lengths to mobilize troops from the Imperial Military Department's Garrison District and set such a meticulous trap just to kill me, there must be a deeper reason. Given my current status and responsibilities, I believe it's highly likely related to the Independent Military Region I lead.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the office instantly fell into a deathly silence.

The expressions of Minister Yan and Secretary Zheng both stiffened simultaneously, and a hint of gravity quietly appeared between their originally calm brows.

They glanced at each other, a flash of understanding passing between them.

Li Yang's deduction coincided perfectly with the direction of the Discipline Inspection Commission's preliminary internal analysis.

As early as receiving Li Yang's report, the Discipline Inspection Commission had simultaneously retrieved all of Li Yang's biographical data and military resume, meticulously sorting through his interpersonal relationships and past experiences.

The results were exactly as Li Yang said; he had no obvious enemies in the Imperial Military Department. His style of conduct had always been steady, never leaving any handle that could be attacked.

Excluding the possibility of personal grudges, the only Breakthrough point fell on these two matters: the 'Independent Military Region' and 'Star Domain Expansion.'

Minister Yan and Secretary Zheng's gazes met again, and the same name surfaced in their minds at the same time... Yale.

As a Marshal, Yale had long coveted a position of real power in a frontline Military Region. He had direct conflicts of interest and power with Li Yang's Independent Military Region, making him a major suspect.

Seeing the fleeting gravity and mutual understanding deep in the eyes of Minister Yan and Secretary Zheng, Li Yang's heart skipped a beat. He keenly sensed that the two leaders clearly already had a definite direction of suspicion.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze carrying a hint of urgency and gravity, as he asked.

“Leaders, is it... that you already have a suspect?”

Secretary Zheng and Minister Yan looked at each other, their expressions becoming even more serious.

Secretary Zheng slowly adjusted his sitting position and explained in a calm but somewhat heavy tone.

“Comrade Li Yang, to be honest, before your Independent Military Region was officially established and the Star Domain Expansion mission officially began, there was indeed a comrade within the Imperial Military Department who had been constantly thinking about leaving the rear and transferring to a frontline Military Region. He sought either the position of Military Region Commander or to establish his own Independent Military Region.”

He paused, his gaze locked onto Li Yang, as he said word for word.

“This comrade's name is Yale. His rank is also Marshal, and he currently serves as the Director of the Military Affairs Department under the Staff Department of the Imperial Military Department.”

“A Marshal?!”

These words were like a thunderclap exploding in Li Yang's ears. His eyes widened, his face filled with unbelievable shock. He subconsciously leaned forward, completely stunned.

He never imagined that the mastermind behind this meticulously planned conspiracy that nearly led him to kill friendly forces would actually be an Imperial Marshal!

In Li Yang's understanding, a Marshal was already at the top level of the Imperial military, holding great power and a distinguished status. Meanwhile, he was just a Lieutenant General Commander of a newly established Independent Military Region.

Logically, there shouldn't have been any intersection between them, let alone a deep-seated hatred. How could the other party go to such trouble, not hesitating to use the Garrison District fleet and set such a sinister trap to target him?

After the shock, an indescribable chill slowly rose up his spine.

A Marshal would actually choose such an extreme and meticulous way to frame him.

Because of the other party's identity and status, they were capable of mobilizing the core resources of the Imperial Military Department, setting such an inescapable net, and quickly covering their tracks after the incident—even leaving him with no way to explain himself, dead men telling no tales.

If he hadn't been a bit more careful and cautious before, he would have completely fallen into the other party's trap.

After listening to Secretary Zheng, the shock in Li Yang's heart was difficult to settle for a long time. He subconsciously sat up straight and spoke again to confirm, his tone carrying unconcealable astonishment.

“Secretary Zheng Kang, is everything you're saying true? The person who plotted against me is really an Imperial Marshal?”

Seeing Li Yang's face full of disbelief, Zheng Kang nodded solemnly, his tone incredibly certain without the slightest ambiguity.

“Naturally it's true. The military records are clear; there can be no mistake. Furthermore, what's involved behind this matter is far deeper than you think. That Marshal Yale's father is the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Imperial Military Department's Staff Department. He also holds the rank of Grand Marshal. In terms of grade, he is only one level lower than Minister Yan and myself. He is a person who holds great power and carries significant weight among the military's top brass.”

“Deputy Chief of Staff of the Staff Department... and the rank of Grand Marshal...”

Li Yang repeated this identity in a low voice, feeling even more shaken in his heart. The surprise on his face grew, and he fell into a daze.

Having served in the Imperial military for many years, he knew the power hierarchy of the military's top brass well. A Deputy Chief of Staff was already a top figure in the Imperial military, standing at the core of the power center. Looking at the entire Imperial Military Department, he was one of the most prominent figures.

Such a big figure's power, status, and future were far beyond what he could compare to. He was just a newly promoted Independent Military Region Commander. In the other party's eyes, he was just an insignificant grassroots general. He really couldn't understand why someone from such a high-level circle would go through such trouble to strike at him.

Yan Zheng, who was watching the changes in Li Yang's expression from the side, spoke seriously and analyzed the situation in a steady tone.

“Of course, given that Deputy Chief of Staff's years of political vision, perspective, and consideration for his future, we have ample reason to judge that he definitely did not participate in this framing incident. He might even have been completely unaware from start to finish. The whole thing is most likely the solo act of his son, Yale, acting willfully and on his own authority.”

Li Yang fully agreed with Minister Yan's words. He didn't feel at all that Yan Zheng was defending his colleague or making excuses for him.

He knew very well that to reach the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Staff Department, that big shot had already achieved fame and success, holding core military and political power. His vision and perspective were beyond what ordinary people could compare to; it was impossible for him to care about the position of a Commander of a remote Independent Military Region.

More importantly, given his status, his core pursuit right now was to steadily move from deputy to chief, reaching the top position of Chief of Staff of the Staff Department.

As long as there was a change in the current Chief of Staff's position—whether they retired, transferred to another post, or were held accountable for a lapse in duty—he could logically take over the top spot and enter the military's highest decision-making circle.

At this critical juncture, this Deputy Chief of Staff would only act and speak with caution, doing his utmost to protect his career path. It was impossible for him to take such a risk for a trivial power struggle, using means to frame a 'minor' Military Region Commander like himself and throwing away his great political future. Anyone with even a bit of political sense could calculate this clearly.

Because of this, Li Yang became increasingly certain that the entire matter was driven by Yale's personal selfishness.