Reborn as Lin Pingzhi, starting from escorting Daiyu to the capital.

clap clap clap!

He Siyuan clapped his hands three times, and two young women slowly walked to the front of the hall and removed the screen.

"This humble woman greets all of you esteemed officials!"

Behind the screen, a slender figure emerged gracefully, carrying a pipa, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's song.

She wore her hair in a wavy bun, and the candlelight shone on her face, making her look as beautiful as a flower, like a cloud emerging from a mountain.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they secretly exclaimed in amazement, "How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world!"

The hall fell silent for a moment; you could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, with a clang, someone's wine glass fell to the ground, followed by two more clangs as someone else's wine glass fell to the ground.

Lin Pingzhi had seen beauties like Yilin and Azhu before, but compared to the woman before him, she lacked a certain radiance.

The scholar who had been standing there stared in disbelief for a long while before finally regaining his senses and pointing at the woman, stammering:

"You...you are Chen Yuanyuan!"

So she was Chen Yuanyuan!

Upon learning the woman's identity, for some reason, everyone felt a sense of relief.

Such a stunningly beautiful woman should be unique, one of a kind in the world.

Everyone couldn't help but secretly admire He Siyuan, thinking to themselves: He actually managed to invite Chen Yuanyuan; his methods and abilities are truly not to be underestimated.

"Miss Chen, please take a seat," Lin Ruhai said politely, snapping out of his daze first.

"Thank you, Lord Lin." Chen Yuanyuan smiled gracefully and sat down elegantly next to Lin Ruhai.

The atmosphere in the hall was instantly agitated, as everyone was captivated by Chen Yuanyuan's beauty and began to fawn over her.

Cui, the镖头 (bodyguard), seemed somewhat disheartened. He silently got up and walked out.

Seeing this, Lin Pingzhi sensed something was wrong and followed him out.

All that could be seen was Chief Escort Cui standing quietly at the bow of the boat, staring blankly into the distance.

"Chief镖头, are you not used to this kind of occasion?" Lin Pingzhi asked curiously.

Upon seeing that it was Lin Pingzhi, Chief Escort Cui said somewhat embarrassedly:

"Young Master Escort, when I was young, I joined the Funiu Sect, and Ke Baisui was my senior brother. He was very wealthy and generous, and thanks to his care, I lived a pretty good life."

"But my elder brother, alas..." Chief镖师 Cui sighed, his expression somber, and continued, "He was a petty thief, a gambler, a murderer, and a arsonist—he did all sorts of things. Later, he offended the Murong clan of Gusu over something, and then he disappeared without a trace."

"In my search for him, I traveled all over the country, inquiring about him everywhere. Later, I simply joined the Fuwei Escort Agency."

This was the first time Lin Pingzhi had heard Chief Escort Cui mention his background in person.

"Over the years, I have traveled all over the country and seen countless people displaced, their families torn apart and their lives ruined. Meanwhile, the rich continue to live extravagant and wasteful lives."

Chief镖师 Cui looked into the distance and said:

"Young Master Escort, I'm not saying what they did was wrong, I just have some mixed feelings about it."

Lin Pingzhi understood Cui's feelings, nodded, and said, "As the saying goes, 'Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie.' That's just how the world is."

By this time, the surrounding area was already lit up, making the lake surface shimmer, and the painted boats glided gently on them. From time to time, small boats passed by, carrying the sounds of music, singing, and laughter.

Lin Pingzhi couldn't help but murmur, "The water that capsizes a boat is the tears of the common people; you won't know until you see it in a raging torrent."

Chief镖师 Cui read it aloud several times, praising, "Well said, young镖师, did you write this poem?"

Lin Pingzhi shook his head and said, "I heard this from somewhere else."

"The water that capsized the boat is the tears of the common people; you won't know this until you see it in a raging torrent."

A steady voice came slowly from behind, tinged with appreciation. Lin Pingzhi and Chief Escort Cui turned around and saw that Lin Ruhai had appeared at some point.

"uncle!"

"Master Lin!"

The two quickly bowed and greeted each other.

Lin Pingzhi asked, "Uncle, why aren't you inside?"

After spending this time together, he and Lin Ruhai had become much more familiar with each other, and they spoke much more casually.

Lin Ruhai shook his head, looking somewhat forlorn: "Attending this banquet was not my intention. Ever since Min'er left, I have had no desire for any woman in the world."

Min'er is Daiyu's mother, and Jia Min, the daughter of Old Madam Shi.

He then chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Well, the truth is, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself if I stay inside for too long."

Lin Pingzhi and Chief Escort Cui couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Ruhai walked to the two of them, his expression turning serious, and sighed:

"The world is in a better state now, especially in the south. Last year, when I traveled from the capital to Yangzhou, I saw starving people everywhere, barely clothed and starving. Bandits were rampant, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities."

Laughter could be faintly heard coming from the cabin.

Lin Ruhai continued, "Fortunately, the current emperor is wise and has already realized these hidden dangers. My trip to Yangzhou is to strictly investigate the case of smuggled salt."

Lin Pingzhi asked, "Uncle, how's the investigation going?"

Lin Ruhai sighed, his brows furrowed, and said, "These days, on the surface, I've been entertaining the salt merchants with banquets and revelry, but secretly I've been investigating the backgrounds of several major salt merchants. But after investigating, I've discovered that this smuggling salt case is far-reaching and deeply entrenched, and one of the key figures is the Chang Le Gang."

"The Chang Le Gang?"

A glint flashed in Lin Pingzhi's eyes; the name was extremely familiar.

"That's right." Lin Ruhai nodded. "The Chang Le Gang's influence is widespread throughout Jiangsu, with deep roots. Many salt merchants in Yangzhou smuggle salt through the Chang Le Gang's channels, making huge profits. I think that as long as we can secretly investigate the Chang Le Gang's operations, we can follow the clues and wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

After saying that, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Perhaps because he had drunk some alcohol, and because Lin Pingzhi's previous words had touched him, he revealed a lot of the truth to Lin Pingzhi.

Wow!

Just then, a soft sound was heard, and four figures simultaneously leaped out of the water, each dressed in black water armor and holding a long sword.

With a flash of blue light, four longswords thrust towards Lin Ruhai from four directions, their sword strikes fierce and powerful.

"Protect Lord Lin!"

Lin Pingzhi shouted loudly, like a thunderclap, making the ears of the four assassins ring and their bodies freeze for a moment.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he quickly drew his long sword from his waist with his right hand and stretched out his left arm to firmly protect Lin Ruhai behind him.

Immediately afterwards, he swung his longsword, the sword light dancing like a silver snake.

With a crisp clang, he precisely parried the first thrust of the sword.

With a swift twist of his wrist, two sharp sounds rang out as the longsword flashed out like lightning, striking the wrists of the two assassins beside him.

The two men cried out in pain, and could no longer hold onto their swords, which fell to the deck with two clangs.

The last assassin's longsword was already close at hand. Lin Pingzhi slightly turned his body to avoid the blade, and then thrust his longsword forward, aiming straight for the opponent's chest.

The assassin was terrified. He was too late to change his move while in mid-air and could only watch helplessly as the longsword pierced his heart.

With a muffled groan, blood gushed out, splattering Lin Pingzhi and Lin Ruhai. The assassin's body crashed heavily onto the deck with a dull thud.

At this moment, the other three assassins jumped onto the deck, drew short knives from their waists, and revealed a fierce glint in their eyes.

Cui, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), finally reacted. He shouted and lashed out with his long whip, wrapping it around the neck of one of the assassins.

Unexpectedly, the other two assassins moved with incredible speed, flanking Cui from the left and right behind him.

A flash of cold light, and Cui, the镖头 (bodyguard), couldn't dodge in time. A long gash was slashed open on his chest, and blood instantly stained his clothes.

Upon seeing this, Lin Pingzhi swayed and, like a ghost, rushed into the battle.

With a whoosh, a sword thrust out from his side, aiming at the back of an assassin. The assassin felt a chill run down his back and fell to the ground before he could react.

He was about to turn to the other two assassins when he saw them suddenly drool from the corners of their mouths and collapse limply to the ground.

"This... I haven't even used my full strength yet?" Chief镖师 Cui stood there, stunned.

Lin Pingzhi strode over to the assassins, squatted down to examine them closely, and after a while, said, "They committed suicide by poisoning themselves." His expression was grave.

Lin Pingzhi suddenly said, "Uncle, pretend to be injured!"

Lin Ruhai was taken aback, then realized what was happening and pretended to faint.

When the other guests heard the noise and rushed over, they saw Lin Pingzhi holding Lin Ruhai's blood-covered body, looking anxious and grief-stricken.

Beside him lay four assassins.

"Master Lin!"

He Siyuan was shocked and clearly did not expect this to happen.

Chen Yuanyuan was utterly distraught.

Lin Pingzhi said coldly:

"Lord Lin is injured, and everyone is now a suspect. Please stay away."

"No one is allowed to leave Suzhou until Lord Lin wakes up."