After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

A black, cross-collared long robe, with four-clawed flying fish embroidered in gold thread on the chest and shoulders, and a black jade belt tied around the waist, making it look imposing and powerful. With a straight back, it exudes an aura of dominance... This must be the flying fish robe of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ning Nan lowered his gaze and saw that the other person was holding a black knife about three feet long. The blade was hidden in its sheath, and its sharpness could not be seen. This was the Embroidered Spring Knife.

"Upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon? Not bad at all." Ning Nan glanced at the other person a few times and said calmly.

Shangguan Xiu didn't understand the meaning of "upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon," but judging from the other party's tone, he still guessed the general meaning.

"The standard uniform of a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Shangguan Xiu smiled.

"Hey, I was the one who hit you on the head that day!"

San Zhuang stepped forward, his face puffed out, his legs trembling violently, but he still leaned on his cane and raised his head: "It has nothing to do with my eldest brother!"

Ning Nan placed his right hand behind his back, pressing down on the dagger, and sighed inwardly.

Shangguan Xiu looked him up and down, recognizing Sanzhuang as the simpleton who had hit him with a stick that day. He smiled and said, "What? Do I need to praise you?"

San Zhuang was taken aback.

What do you mean?

Suddenly, the pretty-faced Imperial Guard stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and praised him, "Good man."

San Zhuang stared at his left shoulder: "Huh?"

Before anyone could react...

The imposing commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard turned around and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting to Ning Nan, whose face was somewhat astonished: "Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—Shangguan Xiu, courtesy name Yushan." Shangguan Yushan.

Ning Nan paused for a moment, not understanding what he meant, but still subconsciously raised her hand: "Uh... Ning Nan."

Without an identity or title, introducing yourself can seem very awkward.

He didn't even dare to add the words "Li Family Village" in front of it, worried that it would make him seem even more ridiculous.

The scene was surprisingly harmonious, without the slightest hint of tension.

Li Baoxin was taken aback, and the villagers around him stared wide-eyed. The next moment, the scene erupted in uproar!

What's going on?

This peddler... no, why is the Imperial Guard being so polite to Ning the Demon?

Aren't the Embroidered Uniform Guards all killers?!

Ning Nan frowned slightly; it seemed the other party really hadn't come to interrogate him.

"Is Lord Shangguan trying to be polite before resorting to force?" he asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Only courtesy, no military force." Shangguan Xiu glanced at the people around him and smiled, "There are too many irrelevant people here. Would you allow me to have a chat at Brother Ning's house?"

By this time, it was completely dark, but fortunately, Li Baoxin arranged for people to raise torches.

The venue was well-lit.

The light rain that had been falling for two days gradually stopped.

Li Baoxin didn't care that the Jinyiwei commander called him "a nobody," and just breathed a sigh of relief.

He bowed and politely led Constable Chen and the two constables to his home. As the three men in black robes left the brocade-clad officer, they visibly breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted from their shoulders.

The old man didn't dare to ask any questions, but simply instructed his men to prepare good wine and food to entertain them.

Li Erlai's house is very close to the bridgehead.

On the day the peddler was caught, Er Laizi wasn't there. He listened to San Zhuang and Li Xing brag for two whole days! He was itching with envy and craving. How could such a grand event not include me?

Fortunately, another opportunity has come today.

He stood next to Ning Nan, carrying a butcher's knife.

Ning Nan was to be led to his home by the Imperial Guard.

"Big brother," Er Laizi said in a low voice, his eyes filled with malice, as he patted the knife at his waist, "come to my house. If he turns on me, I can handle him."

It's not a big deal.

It's fine to go to Erlaizi's house. Ning Nan smiled and patted his shoulder: "It's okay... but it's alright, I'll come to your house for some tea."

Erlaizi's family was a little bigger than Ningnan's. His father built a pigsty and raised several pigs. Although he was a butcher, Erlaizi's father was a very honest man. Whether he was butchering pigs or selling meat for others, he never stole meat or shortchanged anyone.

"Thank you, Uncle Donghu."

Ning Nan accepted the teacup with both hands, smiled at the middle-aged man who brought the tea, and the butcher named Han Donghu said honestly, "You're welcome."

Uncle Donghu is around forty years old. He married into the Erlai family twenty years ago. Ten years ago, Erlai's mother passed away. Uncle Donghu took care of Erlai's grandparents until three years ago when they passed away one after the other.

The villagers were all guessing when Uncle Donghu would let Erlaizi change his surname. They were even thinking of stepping forward to persuade him, saying how difficult it was for Erlaizi's grandparents to take him in back then. But they never expected that the man would never let his son change his surname to continue his Han family line. Everyone lost a chance to stand on the moral high ground and could only feel regret and remorse.

The tea served was pre-Qingming tea, considered top-grade tea in the countryside.

Ning Nan took a sip of tea. This tea was quite expensive. It seemed that Uncle Donghu was very afraid of losing face in front of outsiders. He was a kind-hearted man.

Shangguan Xiu sat opposite Ning Nan and glanced curiously at Han Donghu a few more times. The man seemed to be somewhat afraid of the Imperial Guards. He said, "Uncle is going to have a drink," leaving Er Laizi with a pig-slaughtering knife and San Zhuang with a stick guarding outside the house before hurrying away.

Ning Nan raised his head, called out to Shangguan Xiu, and inquired about the purpose of this centurion's visit.

He refused to mention the other party's previous act of posing as a peddler and secretly investigating Miss Zhu.

Earlier at the bridgehead, the villagers gossiped that it was this Imperial Guard who had been lustful, but he felt it couldn't be, and he couldn't guess.

In general, I don't care, it's not important.

I don't want to know the other party's purpose.

What's even more frightening is that if they actually find out something, they might end up in trouble themselves. Secrets are things that the other party has to keep well.

Shangguan Xiu first humbly suggested that Ning Nan address him by his courtesy name, and then asked Ning Nan for his courtesy name. Ning Nan shook his head and said he didn't have one, so he continued to address him as "Brother Ning".

After establishing a rapport, the Imperial Guards, dressed in black flying fish robes, got down to business.

"To be honest," Shangguan Xiu said solemnly, "I have come to see Brother Ning because I have an important matter to ask of you..."

After saying all that,

Ning Nan's pupils dilated slightly.

"Handcuffs?"

He was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the other party had come all this way just for this.

He thought for a moment, then reached into his pocket. The black handcuffs gleamed under the oil lamp. With a swish, he slammed the handcuffs onto the table and pushed them to the other person.

"Thank you, Brother Ning." Shangguan Xiu picked up the dark iron handcuffs, which were icy cold to the touch.

Click click click!

He adjusted the handcuffs, touched the toothed ratchet of the crescent-shaped handcuffs, examined them carefully, clicked his tongue twice, and then tightened the handcuffs. The ratchet and pawl immediately made a clicking sound inside the handcuffs, and Shangguan Xiu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Truly ingenious! ... Brother Ning, what's your price? I'd like to buy the blueprints for this iron shackle mechanism."

"Well……"

Ning Nan glanced at the Jinyiwei commander across the table, who had a rather serious expression.

"Brother Yushan, do you like this item so much?"

"good!"

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"As long as Ning Nan is willing to part with it, the conditions are up to Brother Ning."

Ning Nan's hand hung down on the table, and his eyes suddenly darkened.

Jinyiwei Hundred-Household Commander...

This is considered a very high-ranking official position.

……

……

Widow Ning was always carefree. When she heard that the legendary, fierce Imperial Guards were coming to find Ning Nan, she was so frightened that her heart skipped a beat. She quickly pushed the horse and stood up to run out to find her son.

But when she heard from the villagers that nothing serious had happened, and that Ningwa had invited the Imperial Guard to Erlaizi's house for tea, she turned off the fire. Li Xing, that kid, also ran over to report that everything was alright, saying his older brother was fine and looked very impressive!

When the Imperial Guards saw their elder brother, they all bowed!

Hearing Xing'er's embellished and exaggerated boasting, the woman immediately laughed and truly felt relieved. Hands on her hips, she said smugly, "Hey! I knew my son was capable!"

He went back to his third sister-in-law's house in a very open and easy manner, tilted his head back, pushed the cards aside, and started the next game.

The night deepened, and the moon was about to climb high in the sky.

A faint silver light shone through the paper window and fell on the windowsill of Ning's house.

After waiting for a long time, Zhu Cuiwei finally lost her patience. She sat up from the bed and, in the pitch-black environment, her fair fingers touched the tinderbox on the wooden table. She opened the cover, blew on it, and lit the oil lamp on the table.

"What happened?"

The room was filled with a warm, dim light, and the woman's brows were furrowed.

Over the past two hours, her feelings have been extremely complicated.