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

Qingliang Mountain is located in the north of the city.

Ning Nan placed the food box into the carriage and ordered Ping Shu to drive the carriage straight to the Shence Gate in the north under the cover of night.

With bonfires blazing at the city gate, he showed the token given to him by Fan Shiwei, and the deputy commander temporarily in charge of guarding the city let him pass.

Not long after.

The carriage rumbled and tumbled as it arrived at the Imperial Guard Commander's Mansion at the southern foot of Qingliang Mountain.

On this pitch-black night, the most notorious government office in Daliang was brightly lit.

Groups of people carrying torches went in and out, the firelight illuminating the two imposing stone lions at the gate. The flickering light and shadow added to the already majestic appearance of the stone lions.

The men in flying fish uniforms had serious expressions, and their footsteps, both orderly and hurried, pounded.

Shortly after Ning Nanyang Qian Xiaoqi went in to report, a centurion dressed in a blue flying fish robe hurriedly came out to greet him.

Ning Nan stood beside the stone lion and saw the newcomer. After a moment's recollection, he remembered that this person was an acquaintance from the previous siege of Black Tiger Mountain—Xu Tong, Commander Xu.

At the time, the other party seemed to be a junior officer or a senior officer. That night, he held off Xiao Chun and Steward Zheng by the lake, making a great contribution and being promoted to centurion.

"Greetings, Young Master Ning," Xu Tong said, bowing with clasped hands.

Ning Nan let out a soft breath, quickly clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Commander Xu, you're too kind." His eyes held a hint of anxiety as he cut to the chase:

"Commander Xu, to be honest, I've come to your office late at night for the sake of my wife. My wife is a clerk in your office, serving under Commander Qin, but... um... she hasn't returned home for three days since the 24th. I wonder if Commander Xu could..."

He pursed his lips, considered for a moment, then took the still-warm food box from the carriage and said:

"I wonder if Commander Xu could be so accommodating as to show me the way so I can deliver a meal to my wife?"

Xu Tong looked up at him, his expression first troubled, then slightly embarrassed. After a moment, his embarrassed expression turned to determination, and he solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Well, thank you for your information, young master. Your wife... she is currently preoccupied with important matters and is probably unable to meet with you for the time being."

Ning Nan was taken aback, not quite understanding what the other person meant. Her mind instinctively went for the worst, and her heart sank.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the imposing Imperial Guard commander before him, and said in a deep voice:

"Commander Xu, I don't quite understand what you're saying. Could you please explain further, sir?"

Even if there are important matters to attend to, meeting up for a meal shouldn't be a problem.

What made him even more uneasy and confused was that even if they couldn't meet, Xu Tong could have brought the food in for him, but Xu Tong didn't mention it at all. Ning Nan's hand holding the food box trembled slightly, but after gritting his teeth, he quickly calmed down.

call.

Xu Tong let out a soft breath, lowered his eyelids, and seemed to be struggling with his own question.

Upon seeing the other party's expression, Ning Nan's face paled even more. He picked up the food box with one hand, stepped forward, and stared intently at Xu Tongdao with piercing eyes:

"My wife is dead?"

"No, no, no!" Xu Tong jumped in shock, his face turning pale instantly. He raised his head and hurriedly said, "Young Master Ning, don't worry, your wife is in good health, perfectly safe."

Ning Nan carefully observed the face of the Jinyiwei centurion. After a while, seeing that the man's expression did not seem to be feigning, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat and relax his eyes slightly... No matter what happened, it was good to rule out the worst-case scenario.

Xu Tong looked troubled. After pondering for a long time, he was still really at a loss. He felt that he really didn't know where to start, so he sighed and clasped his hands, saying, "Please wait a moment, young master. I will go and report to Commander Yan. I will trouble Commander Yan to explain to you."

Ning Nan glanced at Xu Tong's hurried departure, then looked at Qian Sijin and frowned: "Commander Yan?"

Qian Sijin clasped his hands and said, “Commander Yan, whose name is Yuqing, after the Commander went to the two northern cities, Commander Yan took charge of the Imperial Guard’s headquarters. Even Liu Xinghan, who is of the same rank, had to obey his orders.”

Ning Nan nodded, his eyes narrowed, and he looked into the deep gates of the Commandant's Mansion. His eyes flickered, indicating that this Commander Yan was the highest-ranking official here.

After a while.

Xu Tong, carrying a knife, strode out.

"Young Master Ning, Magistrate Yan requests your presence."

Ning Nan, carrying the eight-treasure food box, strode across the threshold of the Commandant's Mansion. Together with Xu Tong, they walked through a winding corridor and arrived at a small courtyard.

The corridor was lit up with lights, and through these lights, one could see that the Commandant's Mansion was heavily guarded, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps.

Ning Nan followed behind Xu Tong silently.

Upon arriving at a study in the courtyard, Xu Tong pushed open the door and stood to the side, saying, "Young Master Ning, please." Ning Nan nodded, and as soon as he entered, Xu Tong slammed the door shut.

Ning Nan's eyes darkened, and he couldn't help but take a breath. He looked up and saw that there was a wall on the east side of the study, with a painting hanging on it.

The painting depicts a beautiful woman standing by a lake, with a bamboo basket at her feet containing what appears to be silk. Strange rocks stand along the lake, and the surface of the lake is calm. Ning Nan thought for a moment and concluded that this must be a painting titled "Xi Shi Washing Silk".

Perhaps because the door had just been opened and a breeze had blown in, the painting "Xi Shi Washing Silk" trembled slightly at that moment.

"Young Master Ning."

A somewhat cold, old voice came from behind.

Ning Nan hurriedly turned his head and saw an old woman with a somewhat indifferent expression sitting behind the sandalwood desk on the west side.

The old woman was in her sixties, with few wrinkles on her face, but a full head of white hair. Her eyes shone with a sharp light that did not belong to her age. What surprised Ning Nan the most was that she was wearing a scarlet robe... Oh, this person should be the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard... Yan Yuqing.

Ning Nan stepped forward, carrying the food box, and said, "This humble student, Ning Nan, greets Commander Yan!"

Yan Yuqing's voice was cold and sharp as she raised her white eyebrows and glanced at him indifferently.

"Young Master Ning, do you distrust the Embroidered Uniform Guard so much?"

Ning Nan was taken aback, not expecting the other party's first words to be an accusation.

Yan Yuqing said, "If I remember correctly, when I sent your wife to do something important, I already instructed her to tell you that she should be busy these next few days and unable to return, right?"

Ning Nan took a breath, raised his eyebrows and said, "That's right, my wife did say that."

"If that's the case, why did you bother to come to our Embroidered Uniform Guard?" she sneered. "It's as if our Embroidered Uniform Guard lost your wife! What, are we Embroidered Uniform Guards so incompetent that we need Young Master Ning to come and instruct us?"

"Hmm?" Ning Nan frowned. He didn't know why this old woman was so aggressive and irritating from the moment they met.

"Prefect Yan, I am my wife's husband. She has not returned home for many days, and I am extremely worried. It is only natural for me to come and inquire about her situation. Besides..."

Ning Nan's voice turned slightly colder, "My wife is just a mere clerk. I wonder what kind of task Yan Tongzhi assigned to her that has kept her from going home for several days."

"What's wrong with the documents?" Yan Yuqing said calmly, "One who eats the emperor's food must also bear the emperor's worries."

My wife receives a monthly stipend of three taels of silver.