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

The sounds of firecrackers crackling, cannons booming, bugles blaring, and countless eunuchs shouting in unison, "Liu Gongzhi, Zhongyun of the Eastern Palace," "Chen Yuezhi, Shaozhanshi of the Eastern Palace," and "Ma Chang, Sizhilang of the Eastern Palace," echoed throughout the palace.

The Prince Xin's Mansion, the Ning Mansion, the wine shops, rice shops, silk shops, general stores, spice shops, and even the entire Datong Street seemed to be filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and the shouts were deafening.

Even though Ning Nan was hiding under the covers, the noise inevitably seeped into his ears through the thin blanket, making him sigh.

Not long after.

Another burst of firecrackers and shouts of "Respectfully seeing off Your Highness" rang out. These sounds were close by, and Ning Nan thought for a moment that they must have come from outside the Ning residence, indicating that Prince Xin's entourage had already left the residence.

Last night, Steward Wang consulted with him and said that today is the ritual before Prince Xin ascends the throne. After the Crown Prince's entourage leaves the mansion, he will go west along Datong Street to Taiping Street, then north through Taiping Gate to Xuanwu Lake, and then turn east to Xiaoling Mausoleum on Zhongshan Mountain to pay homage to Emperor Taizu and Empress Xiaoci.

Steward Wang bought firecrackers and instructed all the servants in the mansion to get up early and kneel down outside the door to greet them as a sign of respect.

However, Steward Wang knew the master's temperament and said that the master, mistress and second young lady did not need to go in person. He would just take the servants to kneel down. If it disturbed the master's rest, he hoped that the master would not blame him. Ning Nan would not blame him. He only praised the old steward for being mature and prudent. He never expected there would be such troublesome matters.

He turned over, and now he was alone on the bed.

Cui Cui's wife left early.

Judging from the noise, I guessed that his wife had left around 3 AM.

In a daze, she remembered that a few days ago, Cui Cui's wife had said that Prince Xin was about to ascend the throne, and that as a clerk in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she was highly valued by the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had recently been transferred to Prince Xin's residence.

Prince Xin is a woman, so he wouldn't be jealous.

At the time, I thought that since my wife's workplace had changed from Qingliang Mountain to the one next door, she should be able to sleep in a little longer every day. I never expected that she would be waking up even earlier.

With 200,000 taels of silver in his pocket, Master Ning of the Ning family couldn't help but sigh. He felt that his wife's monthly salary of three taels of silver was too much for her, and the intensity of her work was really too much. However, his wife never complained and seemed to enjoy it, so he couldn't bring himself to ask her to quit.

The firecrackers exploded loudly, and dogs and chickens scattered all over Datong Street.

The Crown Prince's entourage slowly made its way towards Zhongshan Mountain, and the world gradually quieted down.

Once things calmed down, Ning Nan slept soundly for another half hour. He only woke up when a ray of golden light shone through the window and mosquito net onto his eyes.

When Ning Nan finished washing up and went to the flower hall for breakfast, Qing Huan skipped over excitedly and handed him a small cloth bag with gold and red intertwined.

"Brother-in-law, the sachet," Qinghuan said, her dark eyes sparkling.

Ning Nan took the cloth bag, which was slightly larger than the palm of his hand, and weighed it in his hand. It was bulging but light.

The overall design features red patterns, with a phoenix embroidered in gold thread on the front.

Its crest stands tall, and its tail has three tassel-like tail feathers.

"This is a phoenix." The little girl pointed with her slender finger. "The one on your sister's sachet is a phoenix."

Ning Nan gave an "oh," smiled, and brought the sachet to her nose to sniff. "Hmm, it really smells wonderful. It seems to contain osmanthus, chrysanthemum, and some peony, among other things." She squeezed it and found that it was probably powdery inside.

He laughed and said, "You're quite skillful."

Hearing the praise, Qinghuan's face lit up, and she said, "Thank you, brother-in-law."

"Thank you, brother-in-law." Ning Nan put the sachet in his pocket and smiled.

Then he asked Qinghuan if she had eaten breakfast.

The sister-in-law shook her head.

He then took over the kitchen under the resentful gaze of Chef Xu and cooked a bowl of noodles for his sister-in-law.

The younger sister-in-law ate heartily, and Ning Nan also had a full meal. As for the strangely shaped pastries made by Chef Xu, there wasn't enough for the young servants in the manor, so they were all given to them.

The peach tree in the courtyard of the private school in Liuye Lane has become completely bare.

A light autumn rain is falling, making the weather humid.

The faint sun rose in the east, traced an arc, began to slant westward, and finally hung low over the top of the peach tree.

Ning Nan rubbed his wrist, which ached from writing the eight-legged essay, put down his brush, blew the ink dry, and glanced at the daylight outside.

Cui Cui's wife said she wouldn't be coming home tonight, but he didn't know if it was true or not.

Riding in a horse-drawn carriage, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, we leisurely arrived at the Jinyiwei stronghold in Qiaotou Lane.

When Ning Nan led Qian Sijin and the others into that private residence.

The servant Du Gui opened the door for him. Du Gui's face lit up with joy at first, and he excitedly called out, "Young Master!" Then he blushed. Ning Nan smiled and said, "It's normal that the people from the Heavenly Principle Sect haven't come yet. Don't worry."

Erlai was furious and was squatting on a stool eating his dinner.

Upon seeing his elder brother arrive, he jumped off the stool, put down his bowl, and complained, "Brother, are you really not going to torture them?"

Ning Nan shook his head. Seeing that his elder brother had denied it, Er Lai had no other choice but to scratch his head in frustration.

Bamboo, Tian Laosi, and the porter named Cheng Zhuang were all locked up separately. Their hands weren't handcuffed, but their feet were cuffed with two pairs of handcuffs. Ten people were watching over them. When it was time to deliver food, as Ning Nan had instructed, five people would deliver food to each prisoner together. After they finished eating, the wooden bowls and chopsticks would be taken away, so they weren't worried about them escaping.

The same applies to prisoners relieving themselves; five people watch over them, leaving no chance of escape.

Bamboo's room was simply furnished with a simple bed, a table, and a few chairs. There were no porcelain bowls or anything like that. On the table was a bamboo jar filled with water.

Ning Nan pushed open the door, glanced at Zhu Zi lying on the bed, and said in the Hejian Prefecture accent, "Brother Zhu Zi."

When Bamboo saw him arrive, his expression became complicated, but he managed to sit up. "Just call me Bamboo," he said in his local accent.

Ning Nan placed the two jin of braised donkey meat he was carrying on the table. Since Zhu Zi had lost half a tooth, Ning Nan asked the butcher to chop the donkey meat into small pieces and wrap it in paper.

Qian Sijin placed a jar of Hengshui Laobaigan liquor on the table with a blank expression, threw down two wooden bowls, uncorked the liquor, and began to pour it.

With one eye no longer swollen and the other half-open, Bamboo couldn't help but swallow hard when it smelled the aroma of meat and wine.

Ning Nan raised his wooden bowl and said, "Brother Bamboo, let's have a drink first."

Zhu Zi took a breath, then, without caring about anything else, picked up the wine glass with her bandaged hand and clinked glasses with Ning Nan. She downed the elegant and mellow Lao Bai Gan in one gulp, then began to chew on the braised donkey meat in large mouthfuls.

The braised donkey meat was rich and flavorful, with a delicate and tender texture. Ning Nan glanced at Zhu Zi, who was wolfing it down, and asked with a smile, "Is it authentic?"

With trembling fingers, Zhu Zi stuffed the donkey meat into his mouth and nodded vigorously.

"Brother Ning, you're a good man." Zhu Zi wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his swollen face showing a complex expression.

Ning Nan said, "Brother Zhu, I have a few questions for you."

Bamboo gave a wry smile: "Brother Ning, I won't tell you anything you ask."

Ning Nan, however, didn't seem to mind, simply smiled, and asked the same question as before:

"I just want to ask, has the weather been good in Hejian Prefecture these past few years? How are the harvests? How are the people in my hometown doing?"