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

Mr. Huang's cold words gradually eased the tension in the students' expressions.

Thinking of that senior who remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him and ultimately became the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination, a sense of longing and envy arose within him. He gritted his teeth and picked up the book again with renewed determination.

The sound of reading aloud filled the school.

Time passed by, bit by bit.

The raindrops outside were intermittent.

Before we knew it, August 25th was coming to an end.

Dusk was falling.

Ning Nan opened her paper umbrella and walked out of the private school.

Qian Sijin and his three companions, wearing straw raincoats, surged forward and followed behind him.

They had been responsible for protecting Ningnan, and they didn't know what major event had occurred in the city. However, since such a major event had happened, they naturally became more nervous, and their waist knives never left their sides.

Ning Nan flicked his wrist, raised the umbrella slightly, and glanced at the darkening horizon.

It's almost night.

Cui Cui's wife didn't come back yesterday, but she should be back today.

When he gets back, he might find that the woman has already finished eating, and is even glancing at him, complaining about why she's only coming back now.

Or she might simply not eat it and wait for him to come back and make it for her.

Thinking this through, Master Ning pursed his lips and decided to simply go to the butcher shop and buy some mutton to take back, so as not to have to send someone out to buy it later.

Uncle Ping cracked his whip and drove the big yellow horse over.

Ning Nan folded his umbrella, shook off the water, and got into the carriage. Qian Sijin and the other three also mounted their horses and stood guard around him.

A light drizzle continued, leaving the ground damp.

The carriage traveled along the water-splattered cobblestone streets, making a crisp sound as it rolled over the puddles.

Ning Nan glanced through the carriage curtain, which was lifted by the wind, at the occasional clusters of spears passing by outside.

While feeling a slight chill in my heart, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as I saw business slowly recovering.

Most of the shops have opened.

Even brothels have opened.

However, none of the shop assistants dared to go out on the street to solicit customers; they all obediently stayed inside the doorway with their sweat towels draped over their shoulders.

The girls in the building were in a similar situation, standing by the second-floor window with resentful eyes, twisting their handkerchiefs, not daring to speak, watching the passersby below with longing eyes, but not daring to call out.

There are some small stalls and vendors, but not many.

If these kinds of vendors don't have powerful relatives or connections in the government, going out on the streets now is just like delivering rations to the soldiers.

Just now I saw a soldier in leather armor dragging a candied hawthorn seller down the street.

The candied hawthorn seller cried out that he was innocent, but the soldier retorted, "Innocent? Then why did you look at me with those shifty eyes just now?" The candied hawthorn seller was truly speechless; he could only cry out that he was innocent.

The damp, stifling wind blew against his face through the carriage curtains. Ning Nan pursed his lips and thought to himself, "It seems that the wanted criminal who has caused so much unrest in the city still hasn't been caught."

He ordered Uncle Ping to stop the carriage at the butcher shop.

He got off the bus and bought five catties of mutton leg meat. He heard some customers next to him saying things like, "The city gate is open," "It's very strict," and "No one is allowed to leave or enter the city without a sign."

The butcher at the butcher shop, holding his cleaver, cut meat from half a goat's hind leg while letting out a cold laugh:

"I can't leave the city either, and the sheep dealers can't get in. Ladies and gentlemen, there won't be any meat left tomorrow, only some offal. If you want it today, we'll give you a discount. We won't be open for business tomorrow; we'll just stay home and sleep."

Ning Nan took a breath, picked up the leg of lamb tied with straw rope, and walked onto the carriage, hanging the leg of lamb on a rivet on the side of the carriage.

The carriage hadn't gone more than a few steps when it saw a familiar face.

"Oh, Commander Shangguan?"

Ning Nan jumped off the carriage and smiled leisurely at the man.

Shangguan Xiu, pale-faced, walked along leading a dog. When she looked up and saw the other person, her eyes lit up, but then dimmed again, her face growing even paler. She forced a smile and said:

"Bai Xuan".

Ning Nan glanced at the dog he was holding. It was a tall, black slender dog with shiny fur, a concave waist, and earlobes. It was sniffing around on the ground.

"Commander-in-Chief, what kind of wanted criminals are you arresting?"

He glanced at the four Imperial Guards following behind Shangguan Xiu.

Shangguan Xiu's eyes were complicated. He looked at him deeply, then looked away, took a breath, and said, "Yes, I am here to capture that wanted criminal."

Shangguan Xiu lifted the dog leash in his hand and said solemnly:

"Bai Xuan, you should go home early. The curfew will be early and very strict today. The soldiers patrolling the city are very fierce. Bai Xuan, you must not go out on the streets tonight."

Previously, the Five City Garrison was responsible for the curfew patrols.

Tonight, however, is the most elite of the Brave Guard Battalion.

Shangguan Xiu then gave the other party a piece of advice.

Ning Nan glanced at the other person's black greyhound again, frowned, and asked:

"Commander-in-Chief, what exactly is this wanted criminal you've apprehended?"

He had been curious about this all day, but the soldiers hadn't brought any portraits; they were just searching all over the city, saying they wanted to capture the wanted criminal.

Seeing that Shangguan Xiu had brought out his greyhound to track them, they became even more curious. The dog was sniffing around, seemingly trying to find something.

Shangguan Xiu shook his head and didn't say much, only saying, "A group of people captured several ministers in the court, but I don't know the specifics."

Several high-ranking officials were arrested… Ning Nan’s pupils suddenly contracted, and he was inwardly astonished. Arresting officials from the capital city? That’s incredibly audacious!

As Shangguan Xiu moved the leash in his hand, the black greyhound seemed to have caught a whiff of something, and its two black eyes suddenly lifted up, staring straight at Ning Nan.

"Woof!" it barked, its head thrust forward, and it burrowed straight into Ning Nan's arms.

"Woof woof woof—woof woof woof!" The greyhound bared its teeth, lunged at Ning Nan, and barked fiercely!

Shangguan Xiu pulled hard on the dog leash, making it taut.

The black dog kicked its two hind paws on the ground and pawed at the ground with its two front paws. Ning Nan frowned.

Shangguan Xiu looked embarrassed, while the Imperial Guards behind him exchanged glances, their eyes gradually turning cold as they looked at Ning Nan and began to stride forward.

"stop!"

Shangguan Xiu drank.

Suddenly, several Imperial Guards, gripping their sword hilts, stopped in their tracks, looking at Commander Qianhu with puzzled expressions.

Since Jinbao is calling him that, it's obvious that even if this person isn't the wanted criminal they're looking for, he's definitely highly suspicious. How could Commander Shangguan be planning to let this person go?

The black dog's head was still barking as it snuggled into Ning Nan's arms.

Shangguan Xiu looked helpless. He naturally knew what Jinbao was barking about, and he also knew that Ning Nan definitely had nothing to do with this matter. He gave a wry smile and said, "Bai Xuan, I'll take my leave now. You should go back early too."

Ning Nan looked at the dog with a strange expression.

Following the other person's gaze, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sachet woven with gold and red.

"Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!"

Seemingly having spotted what it wanted, the dog's eyes lit up, its hind legs thrashed about on the ground, and its barking became much louder.

Ning Nan waved his hand left and right, barking, "Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!" The dog's head followed the sachets, its eyes indeed fixed on the sachets Qing Huan had given him.

Upon seeing the sachet, Shangguan Xiu instantly understood what was going on. An embarrassed smile appeared on his face. After thinking for a moment, he casually explained:

"One of the officials who was captured by that wanted criminal also had a sachet with a similar scent on him; it was a gift from his wife."

Ning Nan gave an "oh," nodded knowingly, waved the sachet, and smiled at the black dog, "Smells good, doesn't it?"

"Woof woof woof!"

"I won't give you the incense either." Ning Nan smiled and put the sachet into her bosom.

The black dog bared its teeth and barked incessantly.

Ning Nan ignored him, chatted briefly with Shangguan Xiu, and seeing that the other's eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he hadn't slept all night, he decided not to disturb him any longer and boarded his carriage to say goodbye.

When they returned to the Ning residence carrying the mutton.

An autumn breeze wafted in from inside the mansion.

Night had fallen.

The autumn rain has stopped.

Cui Cui's wife still hasn't returned.