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

The imperial court posted a notice announcing that a delegation had been selected to go to the Northern Dynasty to discuss an alliance between the North and the South.

The chief envoy of the mission was Zhu Enbai, Prince Jing of Liang.

There were two deputy envoys.

The Right Vice Envoy was Jia Shi'an, the Vice Minister of War.

The Left Deputy Envoy... was none other than the top scholar of this imperial examination, the grand prince consort who was already engaged to Her Majesty the Empress—Ning Baixuan!

"Ning Baixuan is going on a diplomatic mission to the Northern Dynasty!"

After the notice was posted,

Suddenly, a single stone stirred up a thousand waves!

Whether they were those who had been cursing Ning Baixuan for ruining the alliance between the North and the South for days, or those who supported Ning Baixuan and said that the beile was well beaten, they were all stunned by this news.

The officials, both high and low, who had been determined to submit a memorial to impeach Ning Baixuan, were all astonished. They withdrew their memorials, inquired around, and were confused about whether the matter was true or false.

"Is Ning Baixuan courting death?!"

This idea became the first thought that came to everyone's mind when they saw the notices and newspapers.

Inside the Hanlin Academy, Li Yanting, who had recently become a compiler, and Tang Lianbin, the second-ranked scholar, looked at each other, somewhat dumbfounded.

Not to mention the two of them, even the head of the Hanlin Academy, Grand Secretary Liu, was stunned by this sudden news.

Li and Tang immediately asked for leave, and Grand Scholar Liu quickly granted their request, instructing them to go and find Bai Xuan to confirm whether the news was true.

Inside the carriage, the two men looked at each other and smiled wryly.

Li Yanting had met "Madam Ning" several times at the Ning residence; she was actually the older sister of his fiancée, Qinghuan.

Although Tang Lianbin had only met him once, he was deeply impressed by him.

When the emperor announced the names in the Golden Hall, the two looked up and saw His Majesty's face. They were both puzzled and alarmed.

Later, when the Tartars proposed marriage in the Golden Hall, Brother Bai Xuan intervened in the hall, and the two had no more doubts... The empress who sat high on the throne was none other than Ning Bai Xuan's wife!

Upon arriving at the Ning residence, the two were invited in for tea, where they personally confirmed the news with the person involved. Both of them were somewhat stunned.

"Unbelievable courage...unbelievable courage..." Tang Lianbin shook his head repeatedly with a bitter smile.

Li Yanting frowned: "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall."

Ning Nan, holding his teacup, smiled and said, "The Northern Dynasty isn't afraid of any gentleman or anything like that."

Li Yanting choked.

He slightly bit his cheek on his handsome face.

Even he had to admit that only by sending the other party as an envoy to the Northern Dynasty could he silence the officials and allow the alliance between the North and the South to continue.

Otherwise, the other person would probably have to live under the empress's wing for the rest of their life.

He wasted his talent and learning.

Li Yanting's expression was complicated; he lowered his eyes, unsure of what to say.

Tang Lianbin laughed heartily and praised:

"Brother Ning truly possesses extraordinary talent and ambition! No wonder he is the top scholar of our Great Liang!"

Ning Nan smiled and said, "Brother Tang, you flatter me."

That's what he said, but in reality, the reason his brother-in-law asked him if he dared to go on a mission to the Northern Dynasty was because he had secretly received assurances from the Third Prince that there was no danger to his life and that he could persuade Prince Yi.

More importantly, his brother-in-law also told him about Daliang's real plan.

Ning Nan was stunned when he heard this.

His brother-in-law glanced at him and laughed:

"If Bai Xuan is unwilling to go on the mission, there are still solutions. When Bai Xuan conquered Black Tiger Mountain, he was quite knowledgeable in military affairs... In March, or at the latest April, when our Great Liang launches its northern expedition, Bai Xuan can be given the title of commander-in-chief. If he can recapture the area south of the Huai River and annihilate the three major camps of the Northern Dynasty... Bai Xuan should be able to sweep away all the suspicions in the court..."

The brother-in-law's voice was warm but weak.

Seeing that he had told him everything and trusted him completely, Ning Nan felt extremely relieved. However, knowing his own limitations, he waved his hand helplessly and said:

"Your Majesty, fighting bandits and waging war are two completely different things, and I, Ning, am well aware of my limitations. The attack on Black Tiger Mountain will most likely rely on throwing money around... I, Ning Nan, am just a scholar; I'm good at business, and I can make some strange and unusual things, but when it comes to real military warfare..."

He shrugged helplessly.

"I have never tried even a little bit, and I dare not waste the lives of my soldiers."

He naturally knew that his elder brother meant that he would "only hold the title of commander-in-chief" and the battle would still be handed over to Shangguan Yun or Fan Shiwei.

But Ning Nan couldn't stand it even more, worried that he would become a hindrance to generals like Fan Shiwei and turn into a royal relative who only knew how to "reap credit".

It would be best to let them fight the war and let them take the lion's share of the credit... He just needs to handle things like weapons, penicillin, compensation, and the management of wounded soldiers' camps, and keep the logistics in order...

If he wanted to pacify the Northern Dynasty, he would be overwhelmed and exhausted by his own efforts, so he naturally wouldn't compete with his capable subordinates for credit.

After pondering for a moment at Jingren Palace, Ning Nan made his decision.

He already harbored suspicions about the Northern Dynasty's sudden desire to form an alliance.

Seeing that his brother-in-law and his wife were both clear-headed, he felt relieved and decided to go to the north to take a look himself.

After seeing Li and Tang off at the door.

The female disciple rushed over with red eyes, utterly incredulous.

Gongsun Heng cried and angrily said, "How could my master's wife allow you to go?"

Seeing her crying and sobbing, Ning Nan felt helpless and could only say with a stern face:

"I'll be back soon... in just a month or two. When I get back, I'll check your math skills..."

Tears welled up in Gongsun Heng's phoenix eyes, making Ning Nan smile. He quickly ordered Chunyu to get a handkerchief to wipe them away for her...

"After your master leaves, your master's wife will also summon you to the palace to check your math skills."

As Gongsun Heng sat in the carriage, she gasped and asked, "Does Master's wife know math?"

Ning Nan raised his chin and said, "Your master's wife is the emperor... do you dare say she wouldn't?"

Gongsun Heng opened her phoenix eyes, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Hmm... then I'm relieved..."

"Huh?"

Ning Nan: "..."

……

……

"Hmph, the Grand Prince Consort's move is quite clever! The entire court is suspicious, and this trip to the Northern Court will only exacerbate his numerous difficulties, while he's also earned a reputation for great courage. I just don't know..."

Princess Zhu Jiamu of Tang, dressed in a pink, shimmering gown, came to the Ning residence for lunch. She raised her head slightly and looked at him, saying...

"Does the Grand Prince Consort have a plan to escape from the Northern Dynasty?"

Zhu Jiamu's words were not very polite, and even a little sarcastic, but Ning Nan naturally noticed the worry in her almond-shaped eyes.

The first time he killed and fought against the Tartars was to save the woman in front of him.

Ning Nan, holding her rice bowl, didn't answer, but smiled at the princess who hadn't visited in a long time and said:

"Actually... um... I know a few dishes from the Cantonese region. I'll cook them for the princess when I get back..."

Zhu Jiamu's eyes reddened, and she scoffed, "Who asked you to cook? Don't I have a cook?"

Ning Nan laughed and said, "After I come back, I'll go to Guangzhou and help you open a Baiyufang that will make a fortune every day... Make me a few Guangzhou dishes to try."

Zhu Jiamu's pretty face paled slightly. She knew the other person was deliberately interrupting her. She opened her mouth, but fearing that her words might come true, she simply wiped her eyes and didn't ask any further questions.

The princess, who couldn't cook, glanced at him and snorted:

"My culinary skills are inherited from the ten most famous chefs in Guangdong. Let alone a few dishes, you could eat my cooking for a lifetime and never get tired of it..."

Ning Nan smiled and poured a bowl of rice for the person who was boasting...

……

We had lunch and soon after seeing the princess off.

Big Black came rushing over from the Ministry of Works' gunpowder workshop, covered in dust.

Ning Nan handed the "Secrecy Guidelines" and the "Manufacturing of High-Quality Steel Flintlock Rifles" to Da Hei, saying:

"Your sister-in-law gave you an official position. The Ministry of Works has established a new Bureau of New Weapons, which doesn't include the word 'fire' in its name, to avoid revealing its true nature. You, Li Dahei, are now a secretary in the Bureau of New Weapons, a ninth-rank official."

Looking at his composed older brother, Dahei was inwardly shocked by his sister-in-law's revealed identity, but this was not the time to ask questions. He gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, I'll go with you..."

Ning Nan shook his head and said, "No, I need you to stay in Daliang."

In the flower hall, where only the two of them were present, Master Ning took a sip of tea and said to the blacksmith who had followed him from Li Family Village:

"Although your official rank is only ninth grade, Xu Tong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is your deputy, and he listens to you. Your sister-in-law will also assign you one hundred elite soldiers and one hundred craftsmen. You can recruit more craftsmen later... Hmm... The first thing you need to do is to go with Xu Tong and choose a location. It needs to be remote and have water. Let's find a mountain along the Yangtze River... Then all the craftsmen, elite soldiers, Embroidered Uniform Guards... and their families should all move there... You lead them to build a fortress and store up food. For three months, except for a very few people, no one else is allowed to enter or leave... People will deliver meat and vegetables to you, but only five to eight li away. The location will be different each time... You and Xu Tong will decide on the location. Take ten to twenty people to escort the mules and horses... Keep it a secret... It must be kept a secret..."

After giving several instructions, Dahei nodded solemnly.

As soon as he stepped out of the Ning Mansion gate, he saw Xu Tong, who had once tracked Xiao Chun together on Black Tiger Mountain. Xu Tong smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Xu Tong greets Lord Li." Da Hei quickly bowed in return...

After Dahei left, Ning Nan returned to his study and continued writing.

By the time of Shenshi (3-5 PM), the sun was already setting in the west.

After glancing at the sky, he put down his pen and ordered Uncle Ping to drive the carriage to take him to Jiang Sixue's place.