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

……

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss!"

As torches were lit by fire folding pins, bursts of fire quickly followed.

Along the long street, more than a hundred riders raised torches, their hooves pounding the ground, flames shooting into the sky, resembling a ferocious fire dragon lying on the ground.

With a dignified and imposing face, Liu Xinghan ordered Li Sanzhuang to mount a horse and follow behind him. Turning his head, he gave a gruff command to the messenger beside him:

"A burst!"

Without hesitation, the messenger raised a red flag and waved it forward.

Twelve riders spurred their horses forward, taking the lead and protecting Zhu Cuiwei behind them. Each of the twelve riders was equipped with a crossbow and a lightweight shield.

The lead rider spurred his horse on with both legs, gave a long shout, and then rode ahead.

The entire fire dragon moved slowly forward.

After the cavalry had gone a few feet, Liu Xinghan ordered a change in formation.

The messenger took two yellow flags from the cloth bag, raised them in both hands, and waved them to the sides.

The cavalrymen equipped with lances shouted a few words and spurred their horses to the two sides to protect the flanks.

San Zhuang couldn't understand the flag signals, but his eyes lit up. He felt both excited and nervous. After all, he had been in Qingliang Mountain for a long time, so he didn't dare to ask. He just followed behind Commander Liu, who had a big beard.

Walk a few more feet.

The lead cavalryman tightened his grip on his horse's back and kicked its belly, making the horse's hooves clatter faster.

They walked another ten or so feet.

The lead cavalryman heard the hoofbeats of the cavalry gradually becoming more synchronized.

With a light flick of the whip, the horse picked up speed again, reaching a pace comparable to a normal person's trot.

They ran out onto the long street.

The lead cavalryman spurred his horse on again.

The horse neighed and the clatter of its hooves grew faster and faster.

Before long, the cavalry passed through Qingliang Gate, crossed the Qinhuai River, and exited Jiangdong Gate, moving like thunder as they trampled across the moat.

In the darkness, the speed increased, and it rushed straight towards the official road like a fiery dragon!

……

……

The bright moon hangs in the sky.

The moonlight was soft and gentle.

Weeds grew rampant on both sides of the official road.

The road was straight, and in the distance, a faint white shadow was rushing from west to east.

The cold moonlight shone on the white figure in front of them, and in just a few moments, the white figure had run more than ten feet away, its speed was extremely fast and visible to the naked eye.

Someone shouted, "It's a horse!"

"Clang!"

A dozen or so Imperial Guards drew their swords and rushed onto the main road, waving torches and brandishing their blades, shouting at the rider:

"The Emperor's personal guards are investigating! Halt immediately!"

Shangguan Xiu and several skilled Imperial Guards were searching for traces of the bandits in the dense forest on the left side of the official road.

Upon hearing this, the brothers roared out.

Shangguan Xiu and his companions turned their heads sharply and saw a white horse slowly coming to a stop on the official road.

He gripped the embroidered spring knife at his waist and hurriedly ran out of the dense forest.

Just then, the owner of the white horse dismounted.

A woman, her voice hoarse and sobbing, said:

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard? Who are you?"

"Exactly!" Shangguan Xiu ran to the official road and said loudly.

The woman held something that gleamed in the moonlight. Shangguan Xiu squinted and saw that it was a gold hairpin.

"Waaah... I..." In the firelight, the woman's face was covered in soot, and then she shed another tear, making her look even worse.

A tear slid down the black stain, leaving a trail that revealed a glimpse of her originally fair and radiant complexion.

Even though she was covered in dust from her journey, it couldn't hide the woman's beautiful face.

"I...I'm called Gongsun Heng...Who are you? Waaah...Waaah...Please, please save my master!"

Gongsun Heng… Shangguan Xiu’s expression froze. After a breath, he felt a chill run down his spine and exclaimed in surprise:

"Miss Gongsun!"

Miss Gongsun disappeared along with the great scholar!

Shangguan Xiu's pupils contracted, and his scalp tingled!

What are you doing here, Miss Gongsun?!

He quickly introduced himself, saying he was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, holding the rank of commander, and had been ordered to find Miss Gongsun and Ning Baixuan. He anxiously asked, "Miss Gongsun, why are you here? Where is Ning Baixuan? Is he with you?"

Gongsun Heng had seen flames and flashing blades on the official road and assumed they were highway robbers. He gritted his teeth, grabbed his gold hairpin, and stabbed his horse's rump, wanting to rush over and hurry back to Nanjing.

As they approached, they heard something about "the Emperor's personal guards," and they began to believe it to some extent. They were greatly surprised and hurriedly grabbed the reins of the white horse.

Then, seeing that these people were all wearing flying fish robes, he believed it even more. He felt anxious and sad at the same time, and tears fell down his face.

The Imperial Guard in front of her was dressed in a red flying fish robe and said he had come to find her and her master. His speech and manners exuded an air of authority, so he was definitely not a thief.

Gongsun Heng, as if grasping at a straw, cried out, "Master... Master is going to die..."

Shangguan Xiu's pupils contracted, realizing who the "master" she was referring to was, and her chest felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer: "What?"

"Master, Master killed several of them... They will definitely not let Master go... Master cannot escape..."

The woman was crying and sobbing, her voice broken and intermittent.

They killed several people?

Shangguan Xiu initially thought Ning Baixuan was dead, and her hands and feet felt cold. After listening to a few more words, it seemed that this was not the case. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

However, the other party's words, "Master is going to die," made him turn pale.

"Take us there quickly," he said urgently.

He turned his head again and ordered his brothers to quickly bring the horses. The group ran towards the tree where the horses were tied.

Gongsun Heng's eyes relaxed, and she nodded a few times. Just as she was about to turn around and ride her horse, she seemed to suddenly remember something, raised her dirty sleeve to wipe her face, and quickly said:

"No, no, Master, Master said... when we go to find him, we must bring the dog with us... we absolutely must bring the dog with us..."

"dog?"

"Yes, a dog!"

Shangguan Xiu was taken aback, his mind racing. After glancing at the gold hairpin in the girl's hand, he suddenly realized and asked:

"Miss Gongsun, did Ning Baixuan puncture his own shoe sole with this gold hairpin?"

Before placing the bamboo, the audacious scholar Ning hid a sachet in the sole of his shoe. With just a poke of the sole with an embroidery needle, the pollen and mud inside would fall along the way.

All you need to do is bring your precious greyhound and sniff around along the way to track down that group's hideout.

Gongsun Heng didn't know how this person knew, but at this moment she only hoped that the commander would hurry to save her master, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Stab him!" "Stab him!"

Shangguan Xiu let out a breath, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He felt a mix of joy and regret. He was naturally pleased that Ning Baixuan had thought of this even in that situation, but he regretted that he had entrusted Jinbao, the dog, to Dahei!

Shangguan Xiu gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go back and find Dahei. They should be back by now."

Gongsun Heng didn't know who Dahei was, but seeing that this person and the other Imperial Guards all looked anxious for their master, her heartstrings relaxed, and she couldn't help but shed tears again.

"And, and..."

Gongsun Heng's eyes lit up with anxiety as she remembered something else.

"Master said something... Little Stone Ferry... Back to Yanji... Hmm, there's also something about... Looking towards each other..."

A person nearby frowned and said, "The Stone of Longing?"

Gongsun Heng nodded vigorously: "Yes, that's right! It's the Xiangwang Stone! My master told me to go back to the capital and find the Embroidered Uniform Guard, then I'll tell you."

Shangguan Xiu's eyes were filled with suspicion and uncertainty. He knew that the three places Ning Baixuan mentioned were very likely the thieves' hiding places. He gritted his teeth and decided to send someone back to report and send people to investigate the three locations as soon as possible.

He then took Gongsun Heng back to find Dahei and brought Jinbao over.

As soon as everyone mounted their horses.

Then they heard the sound of galloping horses coming from east to west on the official road.

Shangguan Xiu looked ahead.

The leading rider wore a scarlet robe, had an embroidered spring knife at his waist, his hair was styled in a long braid, and he had a handsome face and piercing eyes.

"Dark-skinned woman!" Under the hazy moonlight, Shangguan Xiu recognized the person's face and was immediately startled.

"Qin Qian Shi!" several people around him shouted.

……

Qin Yuanyao was sweating profusely. She cracked her whip and urged her horse forward. Seeing someone daring to block her way in the middle of the road, she was extremely angry.

Her eyes sharpened, and she gathered her inner strength, letting out a fierce shout:

"Get out of my way!"