Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Seeing that Qiu Liang was a member of the old and powerful faction, Jia Can did not intend to make things too difficult for him. He simply asked Qiu Liang to do his best to investigate the origins of these assassins and also asked him and Fu Shi to report the matter to the court as soon as possible.

Qiu Liang and Fu Shi naturally nodded in agreement, indicating that they would do their utmost to investigate and immediately report the assassination attempt to the imperial court.

Seeing that the two had agreed, Jia Can and Yu Hui rode back to the city first.

Yu Hui seemed to be afraid that Jia Can would be assassinated again, so he escorted Jia Can all the way to Ningguo Mansion before leaving.

Jia Can watched him leave before entering the mansion.

In the backyard, Qin Keqing saw that he had returned early today, so she asked:

"Chan-lang, why are you back so early today?"

Jia Can didn't mention the assassination attempt, perhaps to avoid worrying her, and only said that he had finished his official business.

Qin Keqing didn't ask any more questions. She virtuously helped Jia Can undress, and the two spent some time together.

A moment later, Jia Can embraced her and whispered in her ear:

"Keqing, tomorrow you go and tell Sister-in-law You that I would like to invite the sisters from the West Mansion to the mansion to enjoy the flowers and have wine. I promised the sisters before, so please ask her to go and tell them."

Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing looked up at him, a sly glint in her eyes, and said with a half-smile:

"Is Chan-long's real intention something else entirely?"

Jia Can blushed slightly upon hearing this, and gently pinched her slender waist:

"If you dare to talk nonsense again, see how I punish you..."

Qin Keqing let out a soft cry and nestled gently into his arms, pleading for mercy.

"Oh dear... I know I was wrong... I won't say it again... Hehehe..."

However, her clear and melodious laughter betrayed her; she was clearly not afraid, but merely begging for mercy to comply with Jia Can's wishes.

Jia Can naturally understood this, and gently patted her sensitive spot, which finally made Qin Keqing beg for mercy.

Seeing her shy and pleading demeanor, Jia Can was quite moved, so he took the opportunity to move closer, and the two fell into tender entanglement once again.

……

In the Imperial Palace, in the Imperial Study.

After reading the memorials recently submitted by Jia Can, Yu Hui, Fu Shi, Qiu Liang, and others, Emperor Jing'an's face turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"Jia Can and Yu Hui were actually assassinated outside the city! Who dares to do such a thing right under my nose?!"

Emperor Jing'an was truly enraged this time. Jia Can and Yu Hui were both third-rank military officers. Although they were not top-tier figures in the capital, they were still respectable people. Yet, they were assassinated outside the capital.

On a larger scale, the fact that the person behind this doesn't respect the emperor means that the entire capital is not safe.

This is something an emperor would absolutely not want to see.

Immediately, an order was given to Xia Shouzhong:

"You old fool, immediately go to the Dragon Feather Guard and convey my imperial decree, ordering Qiu Xu to personally take charge of this matter and investigate it thoroughly. I want to see who is so audacious as to commit such blatant evil deeds in the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Shouzhong did not hesitate at all and immediately went to relay the message.

Emperor Jing'an watched Xia Shouzhong leave, then picked up Jia Can's memorial and looked at it again.

In his memorial, Jia Can only described the circumstances of his assassination attempt, saying that he didn't have many guards around him. Fortunately, Yu Hui happened to meet him, otherwise he would have become a victim of the assassin's sword. He also warned Emperor Jing'an to be wary of this matter, speculating that it might be related to some people who were wary of him.

After pondering for a while, Emperor Jing'an understood what Jia Can meant. His eyes flashed, he slammed his hand on the table, gritted his teeth, and muttered to himself:

"Hmph... Well, I haven't even sent Jia Can south yet, and you're already so eager to kill him. It seems Jia Can has truly frightened you."

"However, the more this is the case, the more I must send Jia Can south!"

While furious, Emperor Jing'an also realized that Jia Can's value had been demonstrated. If he wanted to eradicate the salt trade, Jia Can was key, and at least for now, he had to make good use of Jia Can.

Therefore, Jia Can cannot afford any accidents before the salt administration is properly rectified.

With this in mind, Emperor Jing'an immediately summoned the vice ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and ordered them to allocate a sum of money for the Longfu Guard, including military pay and armor.

Logically speaking, matters involving expenditures like these usually require the approval of the cabinet, unless there is a genuine need for it before the cabinet will agree.

However, this sum of money is not much at the moment. Since Emperor Jing'an has already spoken, the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War are not stupid. Going against the emperor on such a trivial matter would be tantamount to ruining their futures.

Moreover, since it was an order personally issued by the emperor, the money and weapons were quickly allocated to the Longfu Guard Office.

With this money and armor, Jia Can was able to recruit more soldiers, expanding the force from one thousand to three thousand. The Longfu Guard finally regained some of its former glory.

Yu Hui also reported the matter to the Emperor Emeritus. The Emperor Emeritus reacted indifferently, only asking if Jia Can was injured and instructing Yu Hui to arrange for people to protect Jia Can, and then nothing more.

Because of the assassination of an official, the capital was placed under martial law for a period of time, and the checks at the city gates became more stringent. Some local thugs became scapegoats, while some yamen runners and city guards took advantage of the situation to make money.

The real mastermind behind the crime cannot be found by the Jingzhao Prefecture and the City Patrol Garrison alone. They can investigate ordinary people, but for serious cases involving powerful figures like this, the Dragon Feather Guard is the only option.

However, this time, the Dragon Feather Guard seemed to have run out of ideas, with no clues whatsoever. The assassin's clothes, weapons, arrows, and other items could not be traced back to where they were made, leaving only the corpse, which seemed to be beyond any further investigation.

After learning the results, Emperor Jing'an reprimanded Qiu Xu and ordered him to continue the investigation and get to the bottom of it.

Emperor Jing'an himself knew that the Dragon Feather Guards would definitely not find anything, but he still had to maintain the proper attitude.

……

Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

As a famous brothel in the capital, it was bustling with people coming and going even during the day.

In a guest room on the third floor, Jia Can and Xue Pan sat facing each other. The table was laden with various dishes, and each of them was surrounded by two or three scantily clad prostitutes.

Before them was a gauze curtain, behind which a young woman was playing a zither.

Xue Pan greeted Jia Can with a broad smile and a carefree manner:

"Brother Can, drink up! It's on me today, so just eat and drink."

Jia Can sat upright, his composure unwavering despite having lived two lives, and politely replied:

"Thank you, Brother Xue. Let me toast you."

As he spoke, he raised his glass in a gesture of respect.

Xue Pan felt extremely honored and quickly raised his cup with a smile:

"Hey, how can I let you, Brother Can, show me respect? I should be the one showing you respect."

After speaking, he first toasted Jia Can with a cup, and Jia Can politely returned the toast, showing him considerable respect. However, his eyes were full of indifference, as if he were looking at a dead man.

Xue Pan, oblivious to the deeper meaning in Jia Can's eyes, continued to greet Jia Can with a smile and scolded the courtesans beside him, telling them to be more enthusiastic and serve Jia Can well, as they would surely receive a reward.

Hearing this, the women of the night naturally worked even harder, but Jia Can remained calm and unwavering, no matter what tricks they used, which earned him the admiration of the women of the night.

After all, men who come here, even if they pretend to be proper on the surface, will inevitably reveal their true colors once they have a beautiful woman in their arms. But Jia Can is completely different. He seems to ignore her, which is definitely not an act.

Seeing this, Xue Pan assumed Jia Can was just being picky and said mysteriously:

"Brother Can, I've specially reserved the most famous courtesan in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for you, Miss Su Ying. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"