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

Xu Xiyin ignored her and gave her a nonchalant glance:

"What happened last night? Shouldn't you have gone dancing and then toasted Li Wei? Why did you switch with that inexplicable fake daughter of his?"

Zhen Susu was in extreme pain in her left arm and could not lift it.

She gritted her teeth, without even frowning, and said:

"It was Li Wei's steward who said this a few days ago. He said to send that vixen instead. I came for nothing, and now I have to teach that vixen to dance."

Xu Xiyin asked, "What's the matter with his adopted daughter?"

"I don't know, don't ask me. Li Wei just walked right into this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But even after so many people died, I still couldn't kill that corrupt official Li Wei. Can't Aunt Xu let me rest for a while?" She looked at Xu Xiyin pitifully.

Xu Xiyin fell silent. After a few moments, when she heard some noise outside, she began to pack her things.

"The search has already begun outside. The first room they searched was the one belonging to Deputy Envoy Ning. I am a woman, and Deputy Envoy Ning is understanding. Zhang Yaojie will be the one to search our room later."

As she spoke, she tidied up the blood-stained gauze.

"Wait a minute, hide on the roof beam."

"Does hiding on the roof beam do any good? What kind of altar master are you?"

"Knowing I'm the forum leader, you still dare to argue with me?"

Zhen Susu laughed and said, "I'm not from your jar."

Xu Xiyin said, "The people in the delegation will give me face. Even if they see you, they won't dare to say anything. They will only report to Vice Envoy Ning, who will then handle the matter."

Zhen Susu looked at the female Taoist priest with suspicion and said, "You keep mentioning Vice Envoy Ning, Vice Envoy Ning, and you're known for your love of poetry and literature..."

She teased, "Sister Xu, it's not like you've finally realized how good spring is now that summer's here, is it?"

She was actually quite curious about this; the other party had managed to infiltrate the Southern Dynasty's delegation, which meant they were quite capable.

"When I become the leader of the sect at the Fragrant Mountain Gathering, I will promote you to the position of Left Protector..." The woman glanced at the Taoist nun with her alluring eyes and blinked.

Xu Xiyin said calmly, "Li Susu."

Zhen Susu immediately retorted angrily, "I'll demote you to be the head of the incense shop!"

At this moment, as if remembering something, Zhen Susu said:

"By the way, how's my dad? I heard he was injured?"

"It's all better now."

"Who hurt him? I asked Shen Shou, the one with the broken leg, but he wouldn't say. Was he some kind of powerful person?"

"Anyway, it's none of your business. Old Peng will talk to you about it later."

Zhen Susu glanced at the female Taoist priest, rolled her eyes, and said, "Don't worry, my father hasn't sent me much money all these years. Why would I go and avenge him?"

Xu Xiyin said calmly, "Go ask your father yourself at the Fragrant Hills Gathering."

Zhen Susu snorted.

Xu Xiyin waited for a long time.

Seeing that the woman didn't have any allergic reaction, he poured out a little more penicillin and gave it to her.

"Stay put. If anyone searches the place, jump onto the roof beams and don't respond."

She gave the instructions.

"I'm going out to see if anyone else has escaped."

Zhen Susu hummed in agreement.

Just before the other person left, Zhen Susu asked one more question:

"Will that cheap cult leader attend the Fragrant Hills Gathering?"

"The leader is the leader, don't be rude to him." Xu Xiyin's voice was unusually annoyed.

"Who would respect him..." Zhen Susu gave a noncommittal "hmm".

Xu Xiyin pushed open the door and left.

The room fell silent.

After a brief moment of silence, Zhen Susu's eyes suddenly dimmed.

He gently placed his right hand on the wound on his left arm, his brow furrowed deeply.

At this moment, the sounds outside seemed to become somewhat noisy.

Zhen Susu frowned.

"Jumping off the roof beams..." She curled her lip; this Taoist nun was incredibly stupid.

Tap, tap, tap, she slowly walked to the door and peeked through the crack at the east wing across the way... the east wing... um... the east wing had already been searched before.

…………

Huai'an Prefectural Government Office.

Inside a quiet study.

The burly Li Wei sat upright behind his desk, frowning. "Still haven't found it?"

"Governor!" A general clad in black armor gritted his teeth, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed his head, saying, "This humble general has sealed off the entire city; these assassins have no chance of escape!"

Li Wei said, "They were injured, especially one of the young women who was shot in the left arm with an arrow. They couldn't have escaped far, no more than three blocks."

"The governor is absolutely right!" the general nodded in approval.

Li Wei frowned slightly and then instructed, "Capture them alive."

"Yes!" The general hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and left quickly after the governor gave no further instructions.

A short while later.

Knock, knock, knock, the butler announced from outside: "Master, Miss has something important to report to you."

Upon hearing the word "Miss," Li Wei suddenly looked up.

But when he thought about who the butler was talking about, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and agitated. After letting out a long sigh, he said, "Let her in."

Wearing a round-necked emerald green jacket, with fair and delicate skin, Li Xinlian slowly walked into the study.

"Daughter greets Father."

Li Xinlian curtsied and said in a clear, crisp voice.

Li Wei stared at the sandalwood desk without looking up and asked, "How are the preparations going?"

Li Xinlian was beautiful and charming, with a soft and sweet voice: "I've made all the preparations. I spoke with him during the toast last night."

Li Wei calmly said, "I'll invite him for drinks tomorrow night. You only have this one chance. If you succeed, you'll rise from humble beginnings to greatness; if you fail..."

Li Wei's voice turned cold: "You can't even be a chicken anymore."

Li Xinlian quickly curtsied and said, "Father, rest assured, I will do my best to help you with this matter."

Li Wei leaned back and smiled, "He's good-looking, so it's not a bad thing for you."

Li Xinlian's fair face flushed slightly.

"Go ahead." Li Wei, sitting in the boxwood chair, suddenly waved his hand listlessly.

"Yes, Father."

After bowing, Li Xinlian quietly walked out.

After the other person's figure disappeared, Li Wei sighed, stood up, and glanced around the desk.

At that moment, his eyes narrowed.

"no."

He bent down and flipped through the stacks of books on the table with both hands.

"No, no, no..."

With a soft rustling sound, he flipped through the stack of official documents that the local authorities had given him.

I flipped through the books one by one, and then tossed them aside after I finished reading them.

"No...not this one...this one isn't either..."

With each book he lost, his heart sank a little deeper.

"Hmm?" Li Wei's eyes were serious, and his fingers trembled slightly. "The secret report..."

…………

The sun is westward.

Golden rays of light shone on the surface of Xiaohu Lake, creating a shimmering effect that made Ning Nan feel as if he were in spring or summer.

A chill swept over him, and he tightened his robes before breathing a puff of white breath into his palms to warm them, realizing that it was still winter.

They turned back to Crane Garden.

The search of Crane Garden by the city's head constable has ended.

As Ning Nan walked along the winding, interconnected covered walkways, he pondered whether the layout was appropriate.

Salt merchants...the most important people in Huai'an are salt merchants.

With the alliance between the North and the South, and the impending return of the area south of the Huai River to Daliang, he used this as an excuse to have Chen Ruhai arrange a meeting with several salt merchants who had similar ideas.

Salt trading requires salt permits.

Ning Nan also asked them to do some minor tasks for him. After they finished these tasks, he would issue them the so-called "Imperial Edict of Foreign Merchants of Daliang".

Holding this imperial edict, those south of the Huai River who return to Daliang will have no worries about salt for ten years, and only they will be allowed to possess salt certificates.

Such a promise was naturally an empty promise, because the Southern Dynasty was about to launch a northern expedition... However, as long as they did those minor things and received the imperial edict, they would be on the same boat as him.

There are people willing to do beheadings, but nobody wants to do a business that loses money.

"Perhaps," Ning Nan sighed softly as he walked, "it's possible that these people are gambling with the thought of getting their heads chopped off."

Thinking and thinking.

He then went to the east wing of the Yaji Courtyard.

Ning Nan reached out and pushed the door open.