The Imperial Guards, like Yama, slaughtered until the Empress cried out for help.

Inside the council chamber of the Hundred Households Office, Black Dog and others were tidying up the chamber.

Shen Qing sat in the first seat, with several plates of pastries and several jugs of wine beside her.

This was arranged by the scholar. Just now at the Zhenfu Division, in addition to inquiring about the situation in the western city, the scholar also inquired about some of the famous local delicacies.

However, he couldn't figure out Shen Qing's taste, so he simply bought one of everything for her.

Shen Qing casually picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite, and looked at Fang Ming, who stood upright in front of her.

"Fang Ming, many martial arts sects have recently arrived in Xicheng. Have you heard anything about it?"

Shen Qing was immediately interested when she heard the news.

Fang Ming immediately understood and explained the situation.

"My lord, I do know a little about this matter. Here's what happened."

"At the end of last month, an ancient tomb was discovered on the edge of Bailuze."

"There was quite a commotion. Independent cultivators, sects, and gangs all sent people in. But the most interesting thing is that with so many sects inside, the most valuable thing was stolen by an independent cultivator."

"This rogue cultivator is quite capable; he managed to snatch the item from the sect and even managed to escape into Luoshui City."

Shen Qing snorted and looked at the scholars and others around him: "What do you think?"

Old Li said in a gruff voice, "Why don't we just go and rob it? This is our territory."

Fang Ming shook his head: "No, although this is our territory, it is ultimately a matter within their martial arts world, and we shouldn't interfere directly."

In the 168th year of Emperor Jing's reign, during which Emperor Jing was the previous emperor, a fierce conflict broke out between the Great Wu Dynasty and the Northern Zi Liang Dynasty. In this battle, the martial arts sects contributed a great deal of effort.

Therefore, Emperor Jing also issued an order to them, stating that as long as the affairs of the martial arts world do not harm the court or the people, the court will not interfere excessively with them.

Old Li was puzzled: "With so many sects entering Luoshui City, hasn't anyone been killed yet?"

Fang Ming nodded: "Although many sects came and quite a few conflicts broke out, they haven't found that rogue cultivator yet, so they've all been very restrained. At most, they've only damaged some property, and haven't taken any lives."

Just then, the scholar chuckled.

"Are all the Imperial Guards in Luoshui City so law-abiding? But what you said makes sense; having a legitimate reason is still necessary, otherwise it will be troublesome if the court holds them accountable later. However..."

The scholar's eyes darted around, and he came up with a dirty trick.

"But they want legitimacy? Then give it to them. Just spread a little rumor that a sect has killed civilians, and that will give us a reason to enter the fray."

Fang Ming shook his head: "That's not a good idea. What if those sects want the details?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the scholar's eyes: "Please, we're the Embroidered Uniform Guard! We lack everything, but we certainly don't lack death row inmates."

"Just kill any death row inmate in jail, smear their face, throw them on the street, and claim it was done by a martial arts sect."

"As for the details, there's no need to go into them or mention the sects. Just release the news and let them guess the rest. From what I've gathered, there are more than a dozen sects with names and surnames, and quite a few of them have grudges against each other. As soon as this news gets out, they'll start arguing on their own without us even having to stir things up."

"Haven't there been rumors all these years that the higher-ups are dissatisfied with the martial arts world? Based on my guess, the imperial court will take action against these martial arts sects sooner or later. By doing this, we can not only legitimately seize the treasure, but also give these sects a good warning. The higher-ups might even reward us when they find out."

"This treasure didn't appear earlier or later, but just when our boss took office, they started making a fuss. Isn't this just rushing to give the treasure to our boss?"

"With the perfect timing, location, and support, this treasure should belong to our boss!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lao Li and Lin Zikai immediately applauded.

Shen Qing nodded. This scholar wasn't just a scholar; he was quick-witted and reliable.

"Alright, you've got a quick mind. Let's do as the scholar says."

Suddenly, Shen Qing realized that the pastry she had just put in her mouth tasted quite good. Looking down, she saw that it was a light red pastry, and she put another one in her mouth.

Seeing Shen Qing's actions, the scholar quickly ran to the side, took out a small notebook, and began writing things down.

Fang Ming thought he was writing down some brilliant plan, so he quickly leaned over to take a look, only to be stunned the next moment.

There were two pages in the book. One page contained the foods Shen Qing liked to eat, and the other page contained the foods Shen Qing didn't like to eat.

The food categories are further subdivided, including wine, pastries, poultry, and so on.

The list already contains more than a dozen food items, such as carved wine and Ningzhou roast chicken.

Now there's another one: Ding Sheng Gao (a type of rice cake).

Fang Ming looked at the scholar with a strange expression, only one thought remaining in his mind.

He will definitely make something of himself.

......

That very night, news spread among the martial arts sects that someone had murdered civilians in the west of the city, and the Imperial Guards were determined to investigate the matter thoroughly.

By the next morning, the news had spread far and wide, and the martial arts sects were buzzing with discussion.

Huangsha Gang: A young man with a gun, his eyes flashing with cunning.

"If you ask me, it must have been done by those idiots in the Blackwater Gang. Is that mad swordsman from their gang back this time?"

"That's right, that's right. In my opinion, he killed him."

At this moment, Jin Ji, the white-bearded gang leader who had been sitting quietly to the side, opened his eyes. A glint of light appeared in his cloudy eyes, and he spoke softly.

"Quiet."

"There's something fishy about this. The news from the Embroidered Uniform Guard came too suddenly, without any details. It's highly likely that this is a smokescreen released by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They probably also have their eyes on this treasure and want to get a piece of the pie."

"Don't be anxious, don't fall into the trap of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Just then, a member of the Yellow Sand Gang rushed in.

"Boss! Something terrible has happened! Those bastards from the Blackwater Gang are going around the streets claiming that our Yellow Sand Gang killed people!"