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

"Creak~" The two vermilion doors creaked and slowly opened inward.

A cold wind rushed into the room, which was pitch black, with only the whooshing sound of the wind.

Ning Nan was dressed in a moon-colored robe, and several lanterns on the veranda were swaying in the wind.

The light flickered, casting his shadow in the room.

He stepped over the threshold and entered.

There was a round boxwood table in the room, only seven or eight steps from the door.

An oil lamp and a tinderbox were placed on the round table.

Ning Nan slowly walked towards the round table, intending to use a tinderbox to light the oil lamp.

At this time.

"Squeak~"

The vermilion gate rang out again with a chilling sound, slowly closing as if the wind were shutting the door for Master Ning, who hadn't actually closed it.

"Don't move."

A dark shadow flashed in the room, and a cold light gleamed in the moonlight as it emerged from behind the door, pressing against the back of Master Ning, who was only a few steps away from the round table.

Ning Nan paused.

"Hmm, Vice Envoy Ning... Scholar Ning, is that right?"

The somewhat weak female voice chuckled softly:

"Nice to meet you... You're really unlucky to have run into me... Well... not necessarily. I'll stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning. Scholar Ning, if you stay with me for the night, I promise you'll remember me for the rest of your life. How about it?"

In the pitch-black room, Ning Nan, wearing a square scarf, stood at the front, his back somewhat stiff.

Holding a long sword, Zhen Susu had a slight sheen of cold sweat on her forehead, her eyes sparkling, and her voice enchanting.

Her eyes narrowed.

As she expected, this place had been searched before. Before those people searched Xu Xiyin's side, she fled to this side, and sure enough, no one had come here.

The woman thought for a long time, wanting to escape the city, and this time she would most likely have to rely on the Southern Dynasty delegation.

After much deliberation, I felt that securing the position of the Southern Dynasty's deputy envoy was the safest course of action.

Her severely injured left arm hung limply, while her right hand gripped the longsword tightly.

"You..." Ning Nan, who was in front, didn't turn around. "How did you get in?"

His voice was dry and hoarse.

Zhen Susu smiled, and even though her voice was weak, it was still melodious and pleasant to listen to:

"Does the top scholar want to know? My sister is like a fox; the moment she smells the top scholar's scent, her heart gets so itchy, and she couldn't wait to come over. I'll tell you slowly later, how about it?"

A sharp pain shot through her left arm, and she frowned slightly.

She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and replaced "elder sister" with "this humble servant," her voice becoming even more alluring as she spoke slowly:

"Come, my lord, turn around. I've torn some strips of cloth from my clothes to tie your hands and feet. Please don't be offended, my lord, I'm terrified that you'll run away."

As she spoke, she pushed the tip of her sword forward.

Sensing the sharpness, Ningnan in front moved his feet and slowly turned around.

Under the moonlight, a face with thick eyebrows and large eyes was revealed.

When Zhen Susu saw this face, she frowned slightly. Wasn't she told that this top scholar was only eighteen years old? He looked much older.

"Don't move."

Just then, a lazy, clear voice sounded behind her.

The woman, whose face was stunningly beautiful despite having only a single wooden hairpin in her hair, was momentarily stunned, her pupils slowly contracting.

Tap, tap, tap, soft footsteps echoed in the dark room.

Zhen Susu felt a chill run down her spine as the person behind her slowly circled around to her front.

The newcomer was dressed only in white, with his hair tied up. He had a handsome and refined face, clear and bright eyes, and an air of scholarly refinement.

If one ignores the crossbow held in the other's right hand, at first glance one would only think that the other is a young scholar.

"Hmph!"

Master Ning, who had taken off his clothes and handed them to Qian Sijin to let this highly skilled commander Qian in to test the waters, finally felt a chill. He sneezed at the pale-faced, beautiful female assassin and sniffed.

"Sister fox, please put down your sword."

……

"Name?"

"Ning Su Niang".

"Oh."

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing."

"We're from the same clan as you, my lord. Are you unhappy? But we're definitely beyond the fifth degree of kinship. If you mind, my lord, I can change my surname. Or... I can take the surname of your betrothed Empress, Zhu?"

"Age." Dressed in a blue robe, Master Ning ignored her, picked up his pen, and said calmly.

"Sixteen. Just one year after her coming-of-age ceremony."

"Real age".

"???" Zhen Susu rolled her eyes: "Eighteen."

Ning Nan looked her up and down twice, then sniffed and said, "Tell the truth, or I'll just say what I've figured out."

"Twenty!" Zhen Susu suddenly said angrily.

"twenty."

Master Ning picked up his pen and wrote it down.

"Where are you from...?"

"Xuzhou".

"Real place name".

"This really is Xuzhou!"

As he asked questions, the other person made up stories.

"Was it you who assassinated Li Wei last night?"

"no."

With her hands and feet handcuffed, Zhen Susu, who could only sit obediently across the round table, glanced at him with sparkling eyes and said coquettishly.

"I came here for you, my lord. Tonight, I have fallen into your trap, and I do so willingly. This night is so beautiful; if only I could share this bed with you..."

"Heh." Ning Nan smirked.

"What are you laughing at again?" Zhen Susu's temple throbbed.

Ning Nan picked up his pen and wrote, "Assassin, attempted to assassinate Li Wei last night, suspected to be a courtesan or dancer," and said indifferently, "Nothing much."

He wrote two whole pages.

Ning Nan frowned and muttered to himself, "The accent is a mix of Jiangbei and Beijing accents, and a few sentences have a strong Beijing accent... brothel... assassination..."

He bent down, squinted, and grabbed the other person's ankle.

The unfamiliar body temperature warmed her slightly cold ankles, and Zhen Susu's face immediately turned red with anger.

Before she could react, the other person had already taken off her shoes and socks. Zhen Susu felt a chill on her right foot and arched her back.

"What are you doing!" Zhen Susu was so embarrassed and angry that she pulled her foot back forcefully and raised her handcuffed hands as if to smash the other person's head.

"Don't move." Qian Sijin, standing behind her, placed his long sword against her neck and coldly shouted.

Zhen Susu stopped her hand and pulled her foot back.

But with these small shackles on his feet, he was forced to sit on a stool, and there was nowhere he could shrink back.

A few breaths later, Ning Nan released the other person's ankle, straightened up, and muttered to himself:

"Quite a few sprain marks... she must be a dancer... hmm... her looks and demeanor are quite good... no less than Miss Qingyue or Miss Jin'er..."

He picked up his pen and continued writing without looking up: "Put on your shoes and socks yourself."

Seeing that he had clearly touched her foot but showed no reaction, Zhen Susu's eyes widened and she gritted her teeth.

As I wrote...

Ning Nan suddenly looked up at the woman who was bending over and putting on her shoes and socks in an extremely uncomfortable position, and said, "You're that famous courtesan Zhen Susu from Beijing? The one who was supposed to dance 'Green Waist' last night."

Zhen Susu suddenly looked up, her face turning from flushed to pale.

He frowned again: "Xu Xiyin saved you? A member of the Heavenly Principles Cult?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Susu, who prided herself on knowing countless men, felt a chill run down her spine, her pupils contracted, and her red lips, which had lost their color due to her injuries, parted slightly.

Just then, a soft knocking sounded on the door, followed by a clear, calm, yet slightly hurried voice:

"Vice Envoy Ning, Xu Xiyin requests an audience."