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

……

A thin mist hung heavy.

A sharp spear pierced through the mist and plunged into the banana grove with a hissing sound.

Large banana leaves rustled softly.

With a twist of the spear, the tip stirred continuously, and with a pull back, the banana leaf trembled violently.

The owner of the spear shouted, "Not here!"

A rough, booming voice responded:

"Search again."

"Search inside."

"Search for hidden compartments or secret rooms."

……

"Ta-da, ta-da!"

Footsteps like drums in a drill ground; about thirty Imperial Guards, accompanied by nearly fifty constables in black uniforms, stormed into the Ning residence.

"Walk!"

"Go to the front yard! Get out to the front yard!"

"Bang bang bang, bang bang bang!"

"Open the door! Open the door for me!"

The soldiers roared and shouted for everyone to go to the front yard, while constantly thrusting their knives and spears into the various bushes of flowers and plants.

Large swaths of banana leaves were chopped down, and clumps of young chrysanthemums were trampled, turning the ground into a golden carpet.

The dozen or so servants in the mansion were terrified, their legs trembling and their faces pale as they walked toward the front yard, not knowing what had happened.

Steward Wang turned his head, so frightened that he tore off several hairs from his beard, and wanted to run to the backyard to report to the master.

"Bang!" A soldier kicked him, and the old steward cried out in pain. With no other choice, he could only drag his swollen and painful thigh toward the front yard.

As he walked, he called out to the cooks, servants, and maids in the mansion to follow him, so as not to be bullied and to avoid disgracing the Ning family.

Qinghuan put down her needlework and pushed open the door to go out.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw several soldiers wreaking havoc on the Ning family garden with their swords and spears. Her face turned ashen with worry, and tears welled up in her dark eyes.

Just as he reached out to tell them to stop, a vicious voice came from behind him.

"What are you looking at! Get the hell out of here!" A soldier turned and glared at her, seeing that she was an ugly woman with a scar on her face, and cursed even more fiercely, "Damn it, get lost!"

She took a few steps forward and reached out to shove him, but Xia Wandong's expression changed and she rushed forward.

Dong Ying thrust her elbow upwards at an angle, "Bang!" and pushed away the soldier's thick, single hand.

"Hey!" His eyes flashed, and he made a move to draw his sword, but Dong Ying shouted coldly, "Insolence!"

The voice carried an air of haughty, aloof maidservantness, causing the soldier's hand, which had been drawing his sword, to freeze in mid-air, his pupils shrinking.

Although the superiors had given orders before setting off this morning that the search should be conducted without any scruples and anyone who stood in their way would die, the soldiers' hearts skipped a beat and they hesitated when they actually encountered this maid with an extraordinary air about her.

If these wealthy families were to settle scores later, the higher-ups would probably ignore it again, so he spat and glared, saying, "Get out! Get out of here! Go to the front yard! All of you, go to the front yard!"

Qian Sijin took a step back, solemnly clasped his hands, and said, "Commander Shang, you have just returned to the capital and may not know that this residence belongs to Young Master Ning. I, Qian Sijin, am acting on the orders of Commander Qin..."

"Don't try to intimidate me with Qin Yuanyao!" Leng Ying, the commander, gripped the hilt of his sword and shouted, "I'm ordered to search for wanted criminals in the imperial court. I'm acting on the orders of Commander Liu, who in turn is acting on His Majesty's orders. Today, let alone a lowly banner officer like you, even if Qin Yuanyao were here, I would still be acting in accordance with the law, and no one can stop me!"

The moment Leng Yingqianhu uttered those words, Qian Sijin and the others were utterly astonished.

As a junior officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was currently wearing the blue robe and cap of a servant of the Ning family, and his status was incomparable to that of the commander of a thousand men, who was wearing a red flying fish robe.

Although Qian Sijin's forehead was beaded with sweat, he didn't know what to say, and only frowned and asked:

"Searching for wanted criminals?"

The commander named Shang Jiuyang remained silent and didn't even glance at him.

More than ten people from the Ning family lined up in a row.

San Zhuang walked behind, still half asleep.

Although he was pushed and shoved, he wasn't angry. He slowly walked over to Steward Wang, stood next to him, yawned, and asked, "Uncle Wang, what's wrong?"

Manager Wang's face turned ashen. He glanced at the tall and imposing Third Master, shook his head with a resentful look, and wondered how Third Master could be so bold, still looking like he hadn't woken up at this hour.

Accompanied by two maids, Qinghuan walked to the front yard and stood next to Sanzhuang.

Not long after Qinghuan arrived.

Ning Nan rubbed her sore neck and slowly walked over.

The autumn rains have been continuous these past few days, and the morning fog is quite thick.

As I walked over, my face was a little wet.

He squinted at the unfamiliar red flying fish-themed suit in front of him, then strolled over.

After learning about the situation from a few familiar Jinyiwei brothers, Qian Sijin jogged over.

Whispering to Ningnan Dao, this Lord Shang Jiuyang, commander of a thousand households, is here in Ning Prefecture on the orders of Commander Liu Xinghan to search for a criminal wanted by the imperial court. He will leave after the search is complete.

Ning Nan nodded. Many flowers and plants inside the mansion had been trampled, and some doors and fences had been kicked.

Just now, a few soldiers brought Qiu, the accountant of the Ning family, to him, saying they wanted to see the Ning family's storeroom. Ning Nan frowned in confusion, not understanding their intention, but still went over and opened the door for them himself.

They were quite disciplined, knocking and banging on the floor to check for a basement or something, and then left, their hands and feet relatively clean.

Since it was the imperial court that was apprehending a wanted criminal, Ning Nan didn't put on any airs and honestly supported the court's work.

Standing next to his sister-in-law, he saw that she had red eyes and a mournful face. He knew she was heartbroken over the flowers and plants, so he smiled and said that he would send someone to restore them all, and not a single plant would be missing. His sister-in-law seemed afraid that he would worry, so she quickly wiped her eyes, lowered her eyelids, and hummed in agreement.

The cold-noodle commander strode over and began questioning the servants one by one, asking questions such as "What's your name?" and "Where were you yesterday?"

It wasn't until San Zhuang answered that the answer came: "Yesterday at the Commandant's Office in Qingliang Mountain." The commander frowned. Qian Sijin had said that this strong man was learning martial arts at the Commandant's Office. The commander snorted, neither confirming nor denying.

The soap shoes were moved.

Looking at Qinghuan, he frowned and casually said, "Where did you get that scar on your face, you ugly thing?" Qinghuan's face turned pale instantly, and she subconsciously covered her face with her hands. Xia Wan and Dong Ying glared at him.

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap rang out.

Urgent, abrupt, rapid.

Like lightning.

Before the cold-faced commander's eyes, a hand flashed, his head was slapped to the side, his right cheek turned red, and five clear finger marks were clearly visible on his face, enough to show how much anger the person who slapped him was filled with. The speed of the slap also showed that the person made the action subconsciously and instinctively, as if without any thought, which was completely unexpected by the commander.

Apart from the whooshing sound of the slap, all was suddenly silent.

Everyone looked stunned.

Staring wide-eyed, he looked at the person who had slapped the commander, then at the commander himself who had been slapped for a single sentence, his face filled with disbelief.

The Imperial Guards were dumbfounded.

The Ning family members, realizing what had happened, were utterly devastated.

Shang Jiuyang raised his right hand and touched his right cheek. His eyes darted around and he looked at the young man next to the ugly woman. His eyes seemed to pop out of his head in disbelief. "You hit me?"

Ning Nan calmly shook his hand, glanced at the Jinyiwei commander, who appeared to be around forty years old, and said in a light tone:

"Commander Shang, what did you just say?" His tone was as calm as a still lake.

Clang clang clang!

In an instant.

Several trusted men guarding behind Shang Jiuyang drew their swords and aimed them at the young man who dared to slap the commander, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Shang Jiuyang ignored the other party's question and said with a gloomy face, "You dare to beat up an official of the imperial court?" He put one hand on the embroidered spring knife at his waist and strode towards Ning Nan.

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes: "I'm asking you, what were you just saying?"

Qinghuan's eyes were red, she covered her scars with her hands, and pouted. The two maids on her left and right sides stared at the evil commander with their faces flushed with anger.

Shang Jiuyang's eyes were cold, and he couldn't help but sneer. Good, very good. No wonder such a big thing happened. As soon as he was transferred to the capital last night, Liu Tongzhi told him that he could be polite to other residences today, but he could not be polite to the Ning residence at all.

Although its owner is of low rank and is a commoner, his residence must be thoroughly searched, as long as no one is harmed.

Recalling the Commander's words, Shang Jiuyang's expression suddenly turned even colder. This man, living in such a mansion and receiving such preferential treatment from the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was probably the son of a reckless merchant, unaware of his own wealth in the bustling city. However, he must have climbed up to someone to be so bold. What? Qin Yuanyao's lover?

Clang!

Without another word, he drew his sword and slashed fiercely!

Slash at that foolish white-haired guy! Cut off one of his hands first!