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

The Heavenly Principle Sect has deep roots and complex influence in the north. It can be described as infiltrating all walks of life, from the most religious sects to the most secular.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had an advantage in high-level military and political intelligence.

However, the information from the Tianli Sect is probably more comprehensive and accurate, especially among those from the general public and those from the martial arts world.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't find out about someone like "Ning Jiexiao," who had never shown his face before, since he didn't have much to do with the Great Liang Dynasty, so they naturally didn't bother with him. However, the Heavenly Principle Sect was not unaware of him.

Xu Xiyin turned a page of her book and said calmly and without changing her expression:

"In the evening, Chen San will come to see the leader and ask him for a favor. The leader may inquire of him at that time."

The Taoist nun's voice was like a babbling brook.

Flowing calmly.

She neither admitted to knowing nor denied not knowing.

Ning Nan frowned slightly.

He hummed in agreement.

Master Xu's statement suggests that the Heavenly Principle Sect does indeed know something; we can inquire about it tonight.

When Chen San was in Chuzhou, he was ordered to leave early and head north to wait for him in Beijing.

As the deputy envoy of the mission, he boasted to Jia Shi'an and others that he would guarantee the mission's complete withdrawal from Beijing and return to the south.

This cannot be just empty talk.

Several plans were being formulated and implemented. The merchants they met along the way were part of the preparations and backup plans that would enable the mission to successfully return to the south.

"What Ning Jiexiao? Can he compare to Ning Baixuanyao?"

Zhen Huli, who was grinding ink next to Ning Nan, rolled her eyes and gave the sect leader a sweet glance, saying:

"In my humble opinion, this Ning Jiexiao must be incredibly ugly, otherwise why wouldn't he dare to show his face in public? Those booksellers call him some kind of handsome young man, humph, aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew to trick women into buying their books? Handsome young man? Bah!"

She blinked her big eyes, tilted her head to look at Ning Nan, her pretty face flushed, and pretended to be drunk as she said:

"No one is as handsome as my cult leader brother."

Qian Sijin stood aside, looking down at his nose and pretending not to see or hear anything.

Ning Nan ignored her and continued to read the newspaper while recording important news.

"Heh." Xu Xiyin, who was usually serious, suddenly chuckled.

Mocking? ...The perceptive Su Su sensed the emotion in the laughter, turned her head, glanced at the Taoist nun who was reading a book on physiognomy called "Plum Blossom Divination," and asked suspiciously:

"What are you laughing at, Nun Xu?"

"Call me Auntie."

"Aunt Xu, what are you laughing at?"

"I wasn't laughing." Xu Xiyin, her smile gone, casually turned the page of her book.

Zhen Susu narrowed her peach blossom eyes. In her memory, Xu Xiyin had never smiled before. This was the first time she had ever heard the other party smile.

Ning Nan ignored the two of them, and continued to organize the news with a frown.

The news this month can be roughly divided into three categories.

One category consists of those who criticize Nian Gengyao. The so-called "Nian selection" refers to the officials selected by Nian Gengyao. Nian Gengyao selected some officials and recommended them to the court for promotion.

Emperor Yongzheng granted almost every request. Even for a position as the salt commissioner of Hedong, a position that was considered a major source of revenue, Emperor Yongzheng appointed someone from Nian Gengyao's faction.

The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue of the imperial court were extremely dissatisfied. Longkodo, the Minister of Personnel, and the former Vice Minister of Revenue submitted a series of impeachments against Nian Gengyao.

Longkodo was a member of the Tongjia clan of the Bordered Yellow Banner, and the maternal uncle of the Yongzheng Emperor. It is not advisable to act rashly against him.

Emperor Yongzheng then appointed a new Vice Minister of Revenue. The new Vice Minister, surnamed Wei, was obsequious and subservient. The newspapers then quipped, "Wei the sheep enters the Ministry of Revenue," satirizing him as a sheep brought to the Ministry of Revenue by the emperor.

The second type of news is like "Wei Yang," which satirizes corrupt officials from all walks of life.

For example, Cai Ting, who was beheaded, Li Wei, who served as the new governor of Jiangnan, Xu Tang, who was promoted to vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and several other high-ranking officials were all ridiculed by him.

Those praised as honest officials were only a few officials from the Plain Red Banner, and they included both Bannermen and Han Chinese.

The third category consists of miscellaneous tasks and romantic matters.

For example, there's the fourth-floor courtesan competition, Zhen Susu's trip south, the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, the Du Tower poetry gathering, and so on... Among these, the most prominent is the mysterious Ning Jiexiao.

From afternoon until nightfall.

Ning Nan's wrist ached from writing, so she handed it over to Zhen Susu, a fox who had nothing better to do, for a second round of editing.

At dusk, just after finishing his first dinner in Beijing, Chen San, disguised as a laborer, came to visit.

Ning Nan received the other party in the study of Qingfeng Xiaozhu. Xu Xiyin and Zhen Susu accompanied him.

"Kneel down before the cult leader!"

Chen San, with a short scar on his left cheek, shouted at Zhen Susu in a deep voice.

Zhen Susu, the head of the Northern Qiantian Temple, knelt down in front of Ning Nan with a thud.

Chen San also knelt down with a thud and solemnly begged for forgiveness:

"Reporting to the Master! The assassination attempt on Li Wei was arranged by Zhen Susu. I originally thought... I originally thought..."

Chen San gritted his teeth. He wasn't originally part of Zhen Susu's faction, but Zhen Susu had made a solemn vow.

He thought that the other person's identity was indeed more convenient and gave him a greater chance. Moreover, the other person was someone he had raised like a younger sister since childhood, and he trusted them enough. He didn't expect to fail in the end.

After stammering for a while, Chen San finally sighed and bowed, saying, "Chen San knows his crime and will accept the punishment from the leader!"

Zhen Susu bent her slender waist and bowed pitifully, saying:

"I will submit to the Master's punishment."

Seeing the two kneel down, Ning Nan sighed helplessly, took a step forward, and bent down to help Chen San up:

"Get up, everyone..."

……

……

Wangfu Street.

Prince Yi's Residence.

The small courtyard and flower hall where Prince Hongfeng lived were brightly lit.

A commotion arose from within.

"Feng-ge'er, I've called all my bondservantes over. This time, whether you dare to fight or not, I'll cover your debt!" A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy wearing a golden python robe and a yellow belt shouted loudly, raising his hand.

"Good! Eighth Prince is righteous!"

"Eighth Prince, I'll go with you! I'll be your vanguard general!"

"Me! Me too! I'm with the Eighth Prince!"

A group of young people dressed in blue, white, or dark blue python robes with red belts around their waists immediately joined in the shouting.

In an instant, the flower hall erupted in chaos.

Huang Daizi shouted, "Tomorrow, after he loses, we'll all go together, with the bondservant guards providing backup, and beat this bastard to death!"

The young gentleman, holding a snuff bottle in one hand, took a puff from the brightly colored bottle, then, feigning delight, smiled and said:

"First, ruin his reputation, then give him a final, definitive judgment!"

"Not bad, not bad! Tomorrow, we'll have a hanging corpse from Du Lou!" A short, stout man with a red sash patted his belly and said.

The handsome Eighth Prince, with a raised nose, exclaimed excitedly, "He dared to hit our Feng-ge'er, so we'll beat him ourselves! Beat him to death!"

"Yes! Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

A young man holding a folding fan, wearing a blue python robe, and with a fleshy growth on his left cheek, said excitedly:

"We'll kill him ourselves, and have the bondservant kill the servants he brought. That way, if the Emperor blames us, our bondservant won't have to die, and the Emperor can't kill us either."

"Hmph!" The short, stout man with the red ribbon glared at him disdainfully. "Do you think the Emperor didn't want to kill him? It's just that he's an envoy, and the Emperor can't easily kill him, so we did it for him. The Emperor will be praising us for it!"

The snuff bottle slumped in his sandalwood chair and chuckled, "With the Eighth Prince around, what could the Emperor possibly blame? He'd be too busy praising the Eighth Prince for having the same heroic spirit as the founding emperor!"