My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

I have heard many ominous sounds in my life.

For example, the sound of my father drawing his sword.

For example, the sound of the emperor saying "I only trust you" in the golden palace.

For example, the sound of all the hammers in the blacksmith's workshop stopping at once.

That silence was terrifying.

It's not that there's no one left; it's that everyone is waiting to kill.

Ah Liu squatted in the woodshed, his face as white as if it had just been plastered with lime.

"Young master, I think we can actually talk now."

I glanced at him.

"Who should we talk to?"

"Follow Manager Tao."

"What are you talking about?"

Ah Liu thought about it seriously: "Let's talk about whether we can pretend we were never here."

I whispered, "Do you think he'll agree?"

As Ah Liu listened to the approaching footsteps outside, he remained silent for a moment, then said sadly, "No."

The young craftsman was even more afraid than Ah Liu.

He clutched half a piece of firewood in his hand, his hand trembling violently, as if the firewood could scare him to death at any moment.

I reached out and pressed my hand on his shoulder.

He shuddered suddenly.

"Don't shout," I said.

He nodded, his eyes filled with regret.

In life, there will always be a moment when you realize that you shouldn't have talked too much.

Clearly, he has realized it now.

I asked him, "Besides this woodshed, is there another path in the backyard?"

He shook his head.

"Where's the wall?"

"Great, it's a dead end outside."

"Where is the dark room?"

His face turned even paler.

"I have no idea."

I looked at him.

He gritted his teeth and changed his story: "Behind the furnace room, there is a side room that only the shopkeeper can enter."

"What's inside?"

"I don't know. Every time someone comes, the shopkeeper tells us to go to the front to forge iron and not to come any closer."

Are there many people coming?

"Not many. Mostly at night."

"Wearing gray clothes?"

The young craftsman hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

I have a plan in mind.

The small stone was just one of the things.

The real problem lies with the Tao family's ironworks itself.

This place not only makes farm tools and axles, but also makes brass buckles for certain people, hides things, destroys things, and may even prepare identity markers for gray-clad assassins.

The furnaces in the ironworks are perfect for destroying evidence.

Burning a piece of paper, a piece of cloth, or the origin of a person are all easy tasks.

The firelight outside was getting closer and closer.

Tao the shopkeeper's voice came through.

"Have you searched the backyard?"

Someone answered, "No."

"search."

Ah Liu mouthed to me: What should I do?

I also want to know what to do.

Unfortunately, the most useless thing in this world is to look down and ask yourself what to do when someone comes after you with a knife.

I touched the lime powder in my pocket, and then looked at the charcoal ash and scrap iron in the corner of the woodshed.

If you can't win, don't fight.

If you can run, then run.

If you can't escape it, then make things difficult for others too.

I asked the young craftsman in a low voice, "Is the flue of the furnace connected to the back of the woodshed?"

He froze for a moment.

How did you know?

"The smell of charcoal here is too strong, but the firewood hasn't been burned. This means the smoke is leaking in from over there."

The young craftsman subconsciously looked towards the back wall of the woodshed.

There was a shiny black brick at the base of the wall.

I walked over and tapped it with the hilt of my short blade.

empty.

Ah Liu's eyes lit up: "Young master, is there a way?"

The young craftsman said with a bitter face, "It's not a road, it's a dust removal opening. People can't get through."

I glanced at Ah Liu.

Ah Liu immediately puffed out his chest: "The smaller one is skinny."

I looked at him again.

He slowly shrank his chest back in.

"She doesn't seem that thin."

The ash removal port is indeed too narrow for people to pass through.

But it can pass through smoke, ash, and even a bag of lime.

I handed the lime powder in my arms to Ah Liu.

Ah Liu took it, his hand trembling.

"Young master, you're not going to make a scene again, are you?"

"It wasn't me, Yang."

"Who will raise it?"

I looked at him.

Ah Liu was overcome with sorrow: "I knew it."

Footsteps outside had already reached the door of the woodshed.

The door was kicked open.

The torch was brought in first.

The firelight flickered, illuminating the woodpile, pebbles, and sacks, as well as the empty ground.

The three of us were pressed against the shadows on the side of the woodshed, using the pile of discarded cart axles to cover half of our bodies.

Two burly men came in first.

One carried an iron hook, and the other carried a short stick.

They didn't see us immediately.

I pointed to the ash removal port.

Ah Liu gritted his teeth, stuffed the lime powder into the crack between the bricks, and slapped it down hard.

The other end of the ash removal port is connected to the furnace flue. Hot air rushes back, and white ash is instantly sprayed out from the direction of the furnace.

The next moment, a chorus of coughs and angry curses erupted from ahead.

"What is that?!"

"Gray! Eyes!"

"The stove is leaking!"

The two burly men who kicked the door turned around instinctively.

This is the moment I've been waiting for.

I grabbed a piece of gravel from the ground and smashed it hard onto the torch.

The torch fell to the ground, and sparks flew onto the edge of the burlap sack.

The young craftsman's face turned green, and he said in a low voice, "It'll catch fire!"

I said, "They'll only get busy once it's burning."

Ah Liu added from the side, "Young master, we're inside too."

This kid has been getting increasingly adept at reminding me of things that could be fatal lately.

I bent down, picked up a piece of scrap metal, and hurled it at the knee of the nearest burly man.

My martial arts skills are not high.

But my father taught me that if you can't beat someone in the chest, beat them in the knees; if you can't cut their neck, cut their wrists; and when you're running for your life, don't think about winning, think about slowing others down.

The burly man screamed and knelt down.

The other person had just turned around when Ah Liu picked up a sack of charcoal ash and threw it at him.

The dust exploded.

He's more like a bandit than I am.

I froze for a moment.

Ah Liu was also stunned for a moment.

Then he said in a trembling voice, "Young master, wasn't I very brave just now?"

"Um."

"Will I get a raise when I go back?"

"We'll talk about it when we get back alive."

"Then let's focus on staying alive first."

We rushed out of the woodshed.

The front yard was in complete chaos.

In the furnace, lime and charcoal ash were mixed together, and several craftsmen covered their eyes and cursed incoherently. Manager Tao stood in the courtyard, his face ashen, the keys at his waist clanging loudly.

He spotted me immediately.

I saw him too.

At that moment, I really wanted to reason with him.

For example, I am an official appointed by the imperial court.

For example, killing an imperial censor is a serious crime.

For example, it's not too late for you to plead guilty now.

But Manager Tao had already taken a hammer from the person next to him.

Reason is usually not enough to stop a hammer.

"Take it down!"

Shopkeeper Tao roared in anger.

Four or five burly men rushed at me.

I turned and ran.

Ah Liu ran even faster than me, crying as she ran, "Young Master, isn't this a countermeasure? Why are you still running?"

"Countermeasures mean buying time to run away."

"You should have said so earlier!"

We ran along the base of the backyard wall.

The young craftsman followed behind, his legs so weak he nearly fell several times.

As I ran, I observed the layout of the courtyard.

The front gate is blocked.

There are people at the side door.

The back wall is too high.

The only place to hide was the small room behind the furnace.

That is, the dark room that Manager Tao doesn't allow people to enter.

When people are being chased, they will instinctively run towards the exit.

But I'm determined to go inside now.

Because Manager Tao is most afraid of us getting close to that place.

I suddenly turned around and rushed towards the back of the furnace room.

Manager Tao's expression changed as expected.

"Stop him!"

That sound was too urgent.

He was so anxious it was as if he wasn't trying to escape for his life, but rather to dig up his ancestral graves.

I am actually quite certain in my heart.

There must be something in the dark room.

There is a narrow door at the back of the furnace room, with an iron lock on it.

The lock is new, and there is white stone powder on the edge of the keyhole.

It's the key that Manager Tao carries on his waist.

I stopped in front of the door and looked back at the crowd that had come chasing after me.

Ah Liu was panting like a bellows.

"Young master, the door is locked."

"I know."

"Then what are we doing here?"

"Make him anxious."

Shopkeeper Tao was indeed anxious.

"Lord Shen." He finally recognized me.

Ah Liu immediately whispered, "Young master, he knows you."

I said, "That's not surprising."

Manager Tao gripped the iron hammer, his face twitching as he forced a smile.

"It's a misunderstanding. I didn't know Lord Shen was coming. My men are clumsy and offended you."

I looked at him.

"Now you know?"

"understood."

"Then open the door."

Shopkeeper Tao's smile froze.

"There's just some junk behind this door, it's filthy, and I'm afraid it will offend the adults' eyes."

I laughed too.

"I don't have delicate eyes; I've seen plenty of dirty things."

He stared at me, his grip on the hammer tightening.

Several burly men slowly gathered around.

I have already gripped the short blade hidden in my sleeve.

If we really fought, I probably wouldn't last more than a few moves.

But I bet Manager Tao won't dare kill me right away.

There are too many people here.

There are too many artisans.

If even one person survives, the task of killing the censor is something no single ironworks can handle.

Shopkeeper Tao clearly understood as well.

So his eyes changed.

From wanting to kill me, they now want to figure out how to make me die "accidentally" here.

For example, the stove exploded.

For example, accidentally falling and hitting a piece of metal.

For example, being accidentally injured by rioters.

These reasons are all unpleasant, but in the capital, as long as someone is willing to write memorials, even the dead can die with dignity.

I took out the piece of paper that said "The account is not here".

Shopkeeper Tao's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Who left this?" I asked.

He didn't speak.

"The scholar in the gray robe?"

His eye twitched.

enough.

I knew I was right.

"When did he arrive?"

Shopkeeper Tao's voice turned serious: "Lord Shen, there are some things you shouldn't ask."

I've heard that a lot lately.

Pei Shen said something similar.

Gu Xingzhi was similar.

Even my father's people like to say that.

It felt as if everyone in the capital was telling me to shut up.

But if I really knew how to shut up, I wouldn't be living such a miserable life.

I said, "Manager Tao, I have a problem."

"What?"

"The more I shouldn't ask, the more I want to ask."

Shopkeeper Tao finally stopped laughing.

"Then Lord Shen probably won't live long."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burly man beside him lunged at him.

It didn't hit my chest, it hit my right hand.

He wanted to snatch the paper.

I was prepared. With a flick of my wrist, I stuffed the paper back into my sleeve, and at the same time, I drew my short blade and slammed the back of the blade into his wrist.

The man cried out in pain.

I took the opportunity to back up, and my back slammed into the iron gate.

Ah Liu picked up the iron pliers from the ground and waved them around wildly with his eyes closed.

"Don't come any closer! My young master is someone His Majesty trusts!"

It would have been better if they hadn't said that.

Some say that the murderous intent in Manager Tao's eyes intensified.

The emperor trusts me.

To many people, these four words are not a talisman, but a death warrant.

Two more people approached.

My palms were sweating, and the short blade almost slipped.

Just then, a lazy voice came from above.

"I say, aren't you ashamed of so many of you surrounding a mere seventh-rank censor?"

Everyone looked up.

On the roof ridge of the stove house, someone was squatting down at some point.

The man was dressed in a drab gray outfit, his hair was casually tied up, and he had a blade of grass in his mouth. His posture was so relaxed that it seemed he wasn't there to rescue anyone, but rather just passing by and sunbathing.

But it's nighttime now.

Ah Liu looked up at him, and said blankly, "Young master, there's someone growing on the roof."

I'd like to ask that too.

Who is this person?

Shopkeeper Tao's expression changed.

"Who are you?"

The person on the roof yawned.

"Good question."

He slowly stood up and patted the dust off his trousers.

"I also want to know what kind of person I am now."

After saying that, he jumped down from the roof ridge.

It landed very lightly.

Lighter than a cat.

Before the surrounding burly men could react, he had already kicked one of them over, snatched the iron bar, and thrust the end of the bar backward, causing the second man to clutch his stomach and kneel down.

The movements are not flashy.

I'm very lazy.

I'm too lazy to even bother with an extra move like him.

But every single blow landed precisely where the person couldn't stand up.

Shopkeeper Tao took half a step back.

"Inner guard?"

The man frowned.

"Don't talk nonsense, I haven't agreed yet."

My heart skipped a beat.

Still haven't agreed?

The man turned to look at me.

He didn't look very old, just over twenty, with a casual expression and dark circles under his eyes, as if he had just been dragged out of bed.

He glanced at me, then at the short blade in my hand.

"Shen An?"

I didn't answer, but instead asked, "And you are?"

He sighed; this problem was bothering him.

"Yan Xiaoyi".

I froze for a moment.

This name doesn't sound like that of a master; it sounds like the name of the tofu seller on the next street.

Yan Xiaoyi took out a waist token from his pocket and casually tossed it to me.

I caught it and took a look.

Inner Guard Card.

Ah Liu suddenly perked up.

"One of our own?"

Yan Xiaoyi corrected, "Temporary."

I asked, "Did Gu Xingzhi send you?"

"no."

"Who is that?"

Yan Xiaoyi yawned.

"His Majesty."

The courtyard instantly became even quieter.

Manager Tao's face turned extremely ugly.

Yan Xiaoyi scratched his head and said as if reciting a memorized text, "His Majesty said that Lord Shen cannot die yet."

I felt no emotion whatsoever.

Really.

The emperor's words sound like a life-saving plea, but upon closer inspection, they sound like pig-raising advice.

You can't die now.

That means you can die later.

Ah Liu was so moved that he almost cried.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at him.

"Don't be so wise yet, the door isn't open yet."

Shopkeeper Tao suddenly shouted sternly, "Attack together!"

The rest of the people rushed forward.

Yan Xiaoyi sighed.

"What a hassle."

Then he moved.

I finally understand what it means to be "lazy but steady".

Each time he struck, it seemed as if he used less force, yet the person fell very quickly. In his hands, the iron rod didn't feel like a weapon, but rather like a bamboo pole used to herd chickens.

A blow to the wrist, a strike to the knee, and a kick to send the man tumbling into the coal pile.

Before half a cup of tea was finished, a patch of tea had spilled on the ground.

Ah Liu was dumbfounded.

"Young master, he is a better fighter than you."

I looked at him.

"You don't have to say it."

"oh."

Seeing that things were not going well, Manager Tao turned around and ran to the front yard.

Just as Yan Xiaoyi was about to give chase, I called out to him.

"Don't chase the shopkeeper, take the keys!"

Yan Xiaoyi paused, seemingly reluctant, but still stepped over the fallen man and struck Tao Zhanggui in the waist with his stick.

The keychain flew up.

I reached out and caught it.

Shopkeeper Tao knocked over a charcoal basket and fled in a sorry state to the front gate.

Yan Xiaoyi watched his retreating figure.

"Don't chase?"

I said, "Chasing him is pointless."

He raised an eyebrow: "The shopkeeper's already run away, and it's still not working?"

I inserted the key into the lock of the dark room.

"The fact that he dared to run means he knew there was nothing more deadly inside."

Click.

The lock is open.

As the iron gate was pushed open, a cold, ashen smell wafted out.

The dark room was very small.

Inside, there was a table, an iron box, and several molds hanging on the wall.

As I walked in, the first thing I saw was one of the molds.

It is round, has a small hole, and has fine lines on the edges.

It was the mold for the gray-clad assassin's copper buckle.

Ah Liu exclaimed in surprise, "Young master, it really was them who did it!"

I didn't say anything.

I walked to the table.

There were freshly burned paper ash on the table, with a few unburnt pieces of paper mixed in.

I used a short blade to pry it out.

Only half of three words remained on the corner of the paper.

"Turnover in..."

The back burned out.

My fingertips tightened.

This matches the phrase "money approved, circulating into the inner treasury" on the old paper.

The metal box was empty.

But there was a crease on the bottom of the box, as if a thin booklet had once been placed there.

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the door and yawned again.

"Did you find the account?"

"no."

"So all that work for nothing?"

"It doesn't count."

I looked at the copper clasp mold on the wall, and then at the paper dust on the table.

"At least we know that someone has sabotaged accounts here, and we also know where the gray-clad assassins got their stuff from."

Yan Xiaoyi nodded.

"Can we go now?"

I looked at him.

Are you in a hurry?

I'm sleepy.

"You're ordered to protect me, and you're still being so perfunctory?"

Yan Xiaoyi looked completely innocent.

"His Majesty only said you cannot die now, he didn't say you can't be injured."

I suddenly realized that the people the emperor sent all had his own style.

I'll save you.

But I won't make you too comfortable.

I took the copper clasp mold off, wrapped it in a cloth, and then collected the scraps from the ashes on the table.

Just before leaving the dark room, I suddenly noticed a faint scratch behind the door.

It looks like someone carved it with the tip of a knife.

Only two words.

Very small.

If it weren't for the flickering light of the fire, it would have been almost invisible.

I leaned closer to take a look.

Those two words are:

It's past midnight.

Ah Liu saw it too and asked in a low voice, "Young master, what does this mean?"

I didn't answer immediately.

"The account book isn't here."

"Internal Treasury".

"Third watch."

These things are like three threads, intertwined, but still missing a knot.

Yan Xiaoyi peeked out.

"Did someone ask you out?"

I looked at him.

"You know?"

"I just arrived."

"Weren't you on the roof the whole time?"

"Just woke up."

He answered confidently and righteously.

For a moment, I couldn't tell what was real and what was fake.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the front yard.

They weren't from the ironworks.

It looks more like an official's boots treading on the ground.

Yan Xiaoyi straightened up.

"The inner guards are almost here."

I frowned.

"Gu Xingzhi?"

"Maybe."

"Aren't you going with them?"

Yan Xiaoyi said lazily, "I already said I haven't agreed yet."

These words touched me deeply.

He came on the emperor's orders, but said he had not yet agreed to the inner guards' request.

In other words, before the emperor placed him by my side, he and Gu Xingzhi were not necessarily on the same side.

The guards arrived just in time.

It's also very troublesome.

I put the things in my arms and turned to walk towards the backyard.

Ah Liu quickly followed.

"Young master, where are you going?"

"Walk."

"Didn't the Imperial Guards arrive?"

That's why I'm leaving.

Ah Liu didn't understand.

Yan Xiaoyi smiled.

"Smart. When Commander Gu arrives, you'll have at least half as much stuff."

I glanced at him.

"You don't seem to be sent by the emperor."

"What does that look like?"

"It's like being tricked by the emperor."

Yan Xiaoyi paused for a moment.

Then he said earnestly, "Lord Shen, we should be able to get along well in the future."

We climbed over the back wall.

To be precise, Yan Xiaoyi climbed up the wall first, then lifted A-Liu up, and finally looked at me.

I reached out my hand.

He didn't pull it.

I looked at him.

He was looking at me too.

"Lord Shen," he said, "guards are not servants."

I gritted my teeth and climbed up myself.

Halfway up the wall, a very soft laugh suddenly came from outside.

very familiar.

I looked up abruptly.

At the end of the alley, the silhouette of a woodcutter flashed by.

His steps were so steady that they didn't seem like those of a woodcutter.

My heart sank.

Xu Sandao's men.

Or, Xu Sandao himself.

I climbed over the wall, and when I landed, my knees went numb, and I almost knelt down.

Ah Liu quickly helped me up.

"Young master, are you alright?"

I waved my hand.

A night breeze blew, and the hot sweat on my body cooled down.

In the distance, flames soared into the sky from the Tao family's ironworks, while the sound of the guards' boots grew ever closer.

I have three things hidden in my sleeve.

Half of the character "内" (nei).

Copper buckle mold.

And those two words behind the door.

It's past midnight.

I suddenly realized that the night wasn't over yet.

Sure enough, as soon as we stepped out of the dead end, Yan Xiaoyi stopped and looked at the eaves of the house ahead.

A small paper crane hangs under the eaves.

The paper crane swayed gently in the night breeze.

Ah Liu's voice trembled.

"Young master, what is it now?"

I took down the paper crane and unfolded it.

There is only one sentence above:

At midnight, at the bell tower of Ci'en Temple.

He came alone.

Take that half of the seal with you.

As I looked at those words, my heart sank.

Ah Liu saw it too.

He said with a mournful face, "Young master, may I ask a question?"

"ask."

"Does this mean that if only one person comes, it doesn't include the child?"

Before I could answer, Yan Xiaoyi yawned.

"That doesn't include me either."

I looked at the two of them.

One is afraid of dying.

One is afraid of trouble.

well.

I'm finally surrounded by talented people.