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After thinking for a moment, Li Mu saw one of Qin Siyuan's personal guards, waved him over, and explained the situation. The guard's expression immediately became solemn. He clasped his hands in a salute to Li Mu and hurriedly rushed to the small hall, presumably to report to Qin Siyuan.

A moment later, Qin Siyuan, surrounded by two guards and several talented scholars, went down from the second floor and headed towards the lobby on the first floor.

On the other side, the door to the private room opened silently, and a young nobleman dressed in a fox fur coat walked out. He glanced at him and walked downstairs, followed by a tall and thin man who also walked downstairs.

Before the two people in front had even come downstairs, the door opened silently again, and several more people walked out. The first one was the burly man who had just gone in.

The other two were also quite tall, wearing fur coats and short outfits. One of them had a scar on his face, and the other was slightly overweight, but also looked strong and robust.

Before the three of them could even come downstairs, a fight broke out downstairs. With a loud bang, a table was suddenly smashed open in mid-air, sending debris flying everywhere in the dust. Many guests in the lobby on the first floor were startled and scattered in all directions with a loud crash.

Chaos erupted in the teahouse.

Hearing the commotion, the three behind him roared and jumped down from the second floor, instantly engaging Qin Siyuan with his two bodyguards and the servants and guards of the scholars.

Yuan Jin'er and Nie Yunzhu heard the commotion and ran out as well. They were stunned to see a chaotic scene below. Everything was fine when they arrived, and now, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it had turned into this mess.

Yuan Jin'er glanced enviously at the longsword in Nie Yunzhu's hand. Nie Yunzhu had been practicing the Jade Maiden Heart Sword technique diligently recently, never letting the sword leave her side. Seeing the chaos before her, she couldn't help but grip the longsword tighter.

Although her martial arts skills were already quite good, she had never actually fought before, so she was inevitably nervous.

Just then, a loud shout came from downstairs: "Old thief Qin, watch me take your dog's life!" In the chaos, the most burly man roared, knocked away a servant blocking his way, and slashed at Qin Siyuan with his sword. The guards desperately blocked the attack, but Qin Siyuan was already in a state of panic.

These five assassins were all highly skilled. Apart from Qin Siyuan and his two guards, who were able to fight them to a standstill, many of the servants and guards brought by the scholar had already fallen, some even terrified.

After all, one man's fists can't fight four hands. If the situation continues like this, it probably won't last long.

Li Mu turned to Nie Yunzhu and asked, "Want to go down and try out your sword?"

Nie Yunzhu suppressed her nervousness and gripped the sword in her hand: "Alright!"

Li Mu laughed and said, "Don't worry, with me here, no one can hurt you."

Nie Yunzhu nodded, gritted her teeth, used her lightness skill to jump down first, and the tall, thin man with the sword among the five saw this and swung his sword to meet her. The two instantly started fighting.

Nie Yunzhu's swordsmanship was exquisite, and the tall, thin man was experienced in fighting. For a time, the two were evenly matched.

Li Mu then leaped down, drew his longsword, and faced the man with the highest martial arts skills and the most robust physique. He didn't use any other martial arts, just the Yangwu Sword Technique, and fought with the big man.

The Yangwu Sword appeared slow and seemingly powerless, yet Li Mu effortlessly suppressed the burly man with a mere casual strike. He simply didn't want to reveal his martial arts prowess too much in public; otherwise, he could have killed the man in just two sword strikes.

Two of them were taken away, and two out of the five were gone. The remaining three, facing Qin Siyuan's two personal guards and a large group of servants and protectors, were quickly put at a disadvantage.

As Nie Yunzhu's swordsmanship became more and more proficient, the tall, thin man was finally injured and captured, and Li Muyue took the opportunity to subdue the big man.

With everyone working together, they quickly captured the remaining three.

This assassination attempt was finally over.

Chapter 623 Miss Shishi

The assassins were all captured, and the situation at the scene finally stabilized.

Yuan Jin'er then mustered her courage and ran out of the room. Seeing the wounded groaning all over the ground, and several seriously injured and dying servants and guards, she was terrified by the cruel scene. She quickly hugged Nie Yunzhu, who had just sheathed her sword and was still trembling slightly, whether from fear or nervousness.

Li Mu reassured the two men for a few moments, then approached Qin Siyuan: "Old Qin, are you alright?"

Qin Siyuan shook his head and sighed, "It's nothing. I should thank you, Liheng, for today."

Then, with some emotion, he said, "I've heard you say you know martial arts, but I thought it was just talk. I didn't expect you to be so skilled. It's all thanks to you and Yunzhu, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Li Mu said casually, "Old Qin, why are you being so polite? It's only right. As for the background of these people, do you have any clues?"

Qin Siyuan glanced at the captured assassins, frowned, and after a long while smiled with a complicated expression: "I have been living in seclusion in Jiangning for many years and haven't encountered anything like this in a long time. Judging from their attire and accents, they are probably Liao people."

"The Liao people..." Li Mu said, "I've heard a lot of rumors about Elder Qin these days. Elder Qin has been living in seclusion in Jiangning for many years. Why would the Liao people assassinate him now instead of earlier or later? Could it be that they've heard those rumors too?"

Qin Siyuan gave a bitter smile. These days, rumors are circulating everywhere that the Blackwater Alliance he presided over was a trap set for the Liao Kingdom. It not only corrupted the Liao Kingdom's upper class but also sowed discord between the Liao and Jin Kingdoms. If this news reaches the Liao Kingdom, it's not impossible that someone might be so angry that they would send someone to assassinate him.

Li Mu and Qin Siyuan chatted for a few minutes, and soon the government officials arrived. A group of soldiers took over the scene, followed closely by the people from the Prince Consort's Mansion who had received the news. The leader was Lu Agui, Kang Xian's confidant.

Lu Agui and his guards quickly took control of the assassins and found a lot of things on them, including trade documents.

“Liao people.” Lu Agui took out the document and looked at it. His face was solemn. “The Duke of Qin has been in seclusion for seven years. These Liao people still dare to come and assassinate him. They deserve to die…” As he spoke, he led his men to interrogate them.

……

Seeing that the situation on the scene had been completely calmed down, Li Mu said goodbye to Elder Qin and then took his leave. Yuan Jin'er and Nie Yunzhu were still unable to adapt to such a bloody scene.

In the evening, Li Mu received news that the matter had finally been clarified: the assassination of Qin Siyuan had nothing to do with the Liao court, which was quite normal.

To prevent the alliance between the Wu and Jin states, the Liao state is currently working to improve relations with the Wu state; how could they possibly send someone to assassinate Qin Siyuan? Moreover, the assassination attempt by these five assassins was quite casual, unlike anything seen as a well-organized and carefully planned operation.

After interrogation and considering the items found on these individuals, a rather absurd conclusion was reached.

These five people were indeed from the Liao Kingdom. The young nobleman in the lead was a member of the Liao Kingdom. There are always angry young men everywhere. During this period, this young nobleman, accompanied by his family retainers, came to the Wu Kingdom under the guise of trade, and traveled around enjoying himself immensely!

One day, rumors about Qin Siyuan suddenly spread everywhere, and this noble young man naturally heard about them. Thinking of the current tragic state of the Liao Kingdom, he realized that all of this might be caused by this man named Qin Siyuan, and his blood boiled. For a hot-blooded youth, this was unacceptable; he immediately slammed his fist on the table, vowing to kill this old scoundrel.

Without hesitation, he led several men to Jiangning, determined to assassinate Qin Siyuan.

And so, this chaotic assassination attempt began.

That night, after practicing the Great Harmony of Yin and Yang for several rounds, Su Tan'er let her long hair fall loose and nestled against Li Mu's chest: "I heard today that you encountered an assassin, my husband. Were you in danger?"

Li Mu said, "You know my martial arts skills. How could a few assassins pose any danger?"

Su Tan'er said, "Then you should be more careful in the future, and don't go into dangerous situations."

Li Mu said, "Alright, don't worry, my wife. If we really encounter something we can't handle, I won't meddle in other people's business."

Su Tan'er hummed in agreement, seemingly finally feeling a little relieved.

After a moment, Su Tan'er spoke again: "Qingming Festival is coming soon. I'll accompany my husband back to the old house and clean it up."

Li Mu knew he was referring to the Ning family's old house, and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll listen to my wife."

……

The next day, Li Mu was strolling around when he passed by the Qin residence. He thought he would go and play a couple of games of chess, but when he turned a corner, he saw that the Qin residence was already bustling with activity, with many carriages and sedan chairs parked there.

Qin Siyuan had been living in seclusion in Jiangning for years, and few people had visited him. However, after the rumors spread some time ago, more people came to visit. Yesterday, he was attacked, and the Liao people were even involved. Today, people from all walks of life have flocked to him.

Li Mu glanced around a few times. He was too lazy to participate in such a lively occasion, so he turned to leave.

Qin Siyuan's concubine, Yunniang, happened to be passing by and saw Li Mu, who seemed to be leaving. She quickly came over to greet him.

"Why isn't Liheng going in..."

Li Mu smiled and said, "I have many guests today, so I won't go over. I'll visit you another day."

Yunniang said, "Young Master Ning, what are you saying? You saved Master's life yesterday, which is a great favor to the entire Qin family. If you leave like this, I'm afraid Master and Madam will blame me!"

As she spoke, Yunniang's smile faded slightly, and she suddenly said, "Yesterday's situation was dangerous, but thanks to your righteous help, the old master was able to escape danger. Please accept my bow, young master."

As she spoke, she and the maid behind her bowed deeply and gave a respectful salute.

Li Mu had no choice but to accept the greeting. It was too late to go back now, so he had to follow Yunniang into the Qin residence.

At this time, the Qin family indeed had many guests, including officials, Confucian scholars, and many other intellectuals.

When Li Mu entered, many people recognized him, and some had heard that he had saved Qin Siyuan the day before, so they all came over to greet him. Although Li Mu wasn't keen on socializing, he handled this kind of occasion with ease, exchanging a few casual words and chatting lightly, everything was done with practiced ease and naturalness.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone went to the hall, sipped tea, and began to chat about various things, including Liao assassins and the Liao Kingdom itself, which inevitably led to Qin Siyuan.

The speculation surrounding the Blackwater Alliance, a strategic move against the Liao Dynasty, has sparked debate and discussion, with some believing it and others not.

Li Mu didn't like this kind of occasion, so he sat for a while before taking his leave.

Leaving the Qin Mansion and arriving at the banks of the Qinhuai River, it was now mid-February, and spring was in full bloom, with tender green shoots emerging on both sides of the river.

Li Mu strolled around for a while, then found a restaurant to sit down, where he ate and drank while enjoying the scenery of the Qinhuai River.

At this moment, several scholars at a nearby table, after a few drinks, began to talk about romantic affairs. One of them suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard? The most beautiful courtesan in the capital, Miss Shishi, has come to Jiangning. It is said that she is incredibly beautiful, with a face like a flower and a fragrance like the moon, and is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose. Such an extraordinary woman, do you think we have any chance to meet her?"

One person said, "I've also heard that this Miss Shishi is extremely famous in the capital, and many people want to meet her but can't. It's said that Miss Shishi is only visiting Jiangning to meet friends, not acquaintances, so it's probably a rare opportunity to see her."

Another person said, "That's true. I'm afraid that if we're going to meet outsiders, we'll only be meeting those powerful and influential people!"

The man who spoke earlier said, "That's not necessarily true. We'll be able to meet talented people like Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi."

Then he cupped his hands to one of the men and said, “Brother Jichang comes from a family with a long history of learning, and his uncle is an official in the government. He might be able to meet him, but we two are not so fortunate.”

"I wonder if Li Shishi's reputation as the number one courtesan in the capital is truly deserved, or just hype. How does she compare to Qi Lan and Luo Miaomiao from Jiangning..."

Another person added, "A friend of mine once saw Li Shishi in Tokyo and was amazed by her beauty. I'm afraid even Qi Lan and the others are no match for her."

"Furthermore, have you considered whether Jiangning might be overshadowed by her this time? In Jiangning today, think about it, who can compare to Li Shishi?"

"Take the courtesan Qilan for example. Although she has an excellent figure, looks, and talent, everyone knows that she was promoted by the Puyang family with money, so she inevitably has a bit of a money-grubbing attitude. Luo Miaomiao is gorgeous, but not grand enough. Then there's Feng Xiaojing, who is known as a secluded orchid in a valley. Since she was forced to the point of almost jumping off a building by Cheng Yong, the commander of the Wu Lie Army, two years ago, she has become disheartened and rarely shows off anymore. Even the lively and pure Yuan Jin'er, I heard, has also redeemed herself."

"Right now, there's probably not a single one in the entire Jiangning region that can fight back; we simply can't compete."

Suddenly, a scholar said, "Do you think it's possible that Li Shishi deliberately chose this time to come, claiming to be just visiting a friend, but actually intending to provoke us and overwhelm the entire Jiangning in one fell swoop?"

"If that is the case, we scholars of Jiangning must unite and not let her take advantage of us."

One of the scholars said, "Brother Li is right. This matter must be taken seriously. We must not tarnish the reputation of Jiangning!"

……

As the group discussed the matter, they arrived at such a strange conclusion that they seemed to believe it. Li Mu found it amusing but didn't care much, treating it as just something to amuse himself with.

A few more days passed, and Qingming Festival drew closer. A light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The cool spring rain washed the world clean and clear, and the sprouting grass and budding flowers were all so vibrant and colorful.

After all, in this era, Qingming Festival is a big day, and it is necessary to worship ancestors. This is especially important for large families, some of whom start preparing more than ten days in advance.