With the cannon fodder script in hand, it is easy for the king to change his fate

Chapter 1037 The Heir Takes the Empire as Dowry 49
Three days later, Xie Nuo secretly set off.

On the surface, it was heading to another place, and it even passed through Azhen's main road.

In fact, they changed direction halfway through the journey.

Xie Nuo was often sent out on errands by A Zhen, so no one really noticed anything was wrong.

After all, what we received earlier was a secret report.

But Xie Nuo did encounter some unexpected events on this trip, and one of those unexpected events was Ji Zixing.

It was actually quite a coincidence. A month ago, Ji Zixing took leave to return to his hometown for a funeral. He had been keeping an eye on Xie Nuo, thinking of finding an opportunity to make contact. Now that Xie Nuo was about the right age, and everyone should have forgotten what happened back then, he could take some action.

My original plan was to look for opportunities after returning to Beijing following the funeral.

Who would have thought that they would run into Xie Nuo and his group in their own hometown.

According to what he had heard, Xie Nuo shouldn't be here, but Ji Zixing was a smart man and guessed that Xie Nuo might have been assigned a secret mission.

It must be said that the matter that Xie Nuo and his team were investigating this time was quite risky.

Just as Xie Nuo and the others were in trouble, Ji Zixing appeared.

Because of Ji Zixing's reputation, Xie Nuo already had a good impression of him, and with Ji Zixing's help this time, she felt even more favorably toward him.

Ji Zixing joined the operation in the following days. As a local, he was actually quite helpful. Even though Yun Qinglan and the others didn't like it, he still managed to blend in.

After getting to know him closely, Ji Zixing discovered that Xie Nuo was not a cunning or treacherous person. He was somewhat clever, but really not very shrewd.

For him, it was an unexpected delight, so he worked even harder, pretending to admire Xie Nuo's abilities and think she was the future of Zhao Kingdom, which was quite convincing.

When A-Zhuang received the news, she burst out laughing.

And Ji Zixing actually did run into one.

The other party was lucky last time and escaped.

Now that we're on Xenno's ship, we can't expect to be so lucky every time, right?

Now that the other party has a basic understanding of Xie Nuo, they probably won't change their target.

Besides Ji Zixing, the information received also mentioned that during this undercover investigation, Xie Nuo encountered a wandering swordsman. It was said that this swordsman's purpose was to kill a local corrupt official. However, he didn't expect the swordsman to be already waiting for him, having set a trap and ambushed him.

Seeing that they were in danger, Xie Nuo and his group stepped in.

People in the martial arts world often have a rough and tumble spirit, and they value loyalty. After Xie Nuo helped him, he stayed by her side and protected her.

Furthermore, Xie Nuo's purpose in coming here was to investigate local affairs, which gave Xiao Mu, a wandering swordsman, a glimmer of hope.

In the client's previous life, Xiao Mu did indeed fall in love with Xie Nuo because of this incident, and decided to protect her. He even eventually became one of the men by Xie Nuo's side, accepting the fact that he shared her with other men.

But before those men could reveal their true colors, he got into an argument with Xie Nuo and left with only his sword, without the slightest hesitation.

He believed that Xie Nuo had forgotten her initial ideals and, after becoming emperor, had not done what she had promised. As an emperor, she did not care about anything and left everything to those around her. She herself became increasingly decadent and lazy, more concerned with pleasure, and so indifferent to the affairs of state.

This wasn't the Xie Nuo he knew.

He was a person who hated evil, otherwise he wouldn't have gone around killing corrupt officials.

He admired Xie Nuo, was willing to stay by her side, and could even accept being with other men, all because Xie Nuo possessed qualities he admired. She was an ambitious girl who wanted to change the world. He longed for the Zhao Kingdom she described—a powerful kingdom where everyone could eat their fill and everyone could receive an education.

She is gradually becoming like the people he used to hate, and he can no longer accept it, so he is leaving.

After leaving Xie Nuo, Xiao Mu's whereabouts are unknown, but it is said that in some remote prefectures and counties, corrupt officials and local bullies are often killed.

Take, for example, the girls' academy that the client mentioned had changed. Some of the people managing the academy were also mysteriously killed.

It's highly likely that Xiao Mu did it.

Xiao Mu is still somewhat naive; it's unclear whether he's interested in becoming an official. With such a righteous and fearless nature, he could be a valuable asset if used wisely. Judging from his past, he doesn't care about fame or fortune; instead, he yearns for the ideal world Xie Nuo once described to him.

Coincidentally, the Zhao Kingdom is heading in that direction and desperately needs pure-hearted people like Xiao Mu. An ideal world needs people who cherish dreams, possess a touch of naivety, and are unafraid of sacrifice to achieve it.

A-Zhen propped her cheek up and put down the secret document.

Given Xiao Mu's personality, the day he leaves will be the day the men around Xie Nuo can no longer sit still.

Xie Nuo only makes empty promises and doesn't deliver; you can't retain people like that.

Things are different now. She's still alive, and Xiao Mu might not necessarily end up with Xie Nuo.

A-Zhou didn't pay much attention to what was going on with Xie Nuo.

Yun Qinglan and her group will definitely rack their brains to make things perfect.

Sure enough, two months later, good news arrived. Xie Nuo not only obtained the ledgers but also the complete list and compelling evidence. The rest was simple: Azhen only needed to arrange for the liquidation, and the vacant positions were quickly filled by more suitable people, resulting in a major reshuffle.

As a meritorious official, Xie Nuo naturally received rewards and commendations. It must be said that Xie Nuo treated those around him quite well, bringing them all to Azhen to receive their rewards, including Ji Zixing and Xiao Mu, the swordsman from the Jianghu.

They were all considered Xie Nuo's advisors, and Azhen still gave them official titles. Naturally, they worked for Xie Nuo's side, and they were all quite happy about it, as they had always seemed willing to follow Xie Nuo.

Xiao Mu wasn't particularly interested in being an official, but the increasingly prosperous Zhao Kingdom had made him feel a surge of goodwill towards Empress Azhen. He was well aware that this empress had done a great deal to bring Zhao Kingdom to its current state.

On second thought, with an official position, he could do more things.

Moreover, his official position offered considerable freedom. If he were to encounter any injustice, it would be easier to see the emperor, so he wouldn't mind the troublesome aspects of being an official.

After the merits were rewarded, the matter was considered closed.

But a country is bound to have many things to do. After only a few days of rest, Sheno was assigned new tasks and had to get busy again.

The men following her were also busy as spinning tops, and each of them was full of energy.

Especially seeing that Xie Nuo was increasingly valued by the Empress, they felt that all their efforts were worthwhile.

Inside the palace, Azhen, bent over her desk reviewing memorials, smiled without saying a word.

In fact, she had already obtained evidence regarding Zhuang Xu's identity as the son of a prince from the previous dynasty.

But Zhuang Xu's brains and the Zhuang family's money were too useful, and they had helped Xie Nuo a lot, so she couldn't bear to kill him for the time being.

Let's use it for now and make the most of it. We can eliminate them when they become resentful and want to cause trouble.

Before they knew it, the day that the client was supposed to have passed away arrived.

That year, the client was thirty-two years old, and Xie Nuo was seventeen.