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

"We can only ask them to take us out of the city."

The tone of this sentence is as light as a feather, but its meaning is as heavy as Mount Tai.

Surrounded by the Eight Banners, like a cage between heaven and earth, they were firmly trapped and suffocated.

Behind the boxwood desk, the prince consort brazenly declared that the owner of the cage should personally lead them out. Upon hearing this, Minister Jia, dressed in a scarlet robe, was utterly astonished.

A series of difficulties subconsciously surged into his mind. In a daze, he saw a giant figure dressed in imperial robes suddenly appear from the night above the cage, blocking out the moonlight and plunging the entire city into darkness.

The giant extended a colossal hand, pressing down from the sky. The shadow of its five fingers made the entire city feel suffocated, and from those five fingers, countless tiny hands seemed to sprout, one after another, covering the entire city…

The Vice Minister of War, who had served as an official for over a decade, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He paused for a moment, took half a step forward, and exclaimed:

"What does the Grand Prince Consort plan to do?"

……

……

He mounted the large white horse that had been abandoned there before, and led more than ten imperial guards and more than thirty servants, setting off from Dongjiangmi Lane and heading east.

After exiting the alley, you will arrive at Chongwenmen Inner Street.

Head north along Chongwenmen Inner Street, passing Dongdan Archway and Dongsi Archway, and you will reach Taibao Street.

After running east along Taibao Street for a while, you will arrive at the brightly lit Yonghe Temple.

Leading the way was Wang Hui, a third-class guard from the Sticky Pole Office, accompanied by more than ten guards in black riding jackets, followed by thirty armored cavalrymen of the Plain Red Banner.

Following the armored cavalry, there were over a hundred armored infantrymen from the guard battalion running to surround them.

The Imperial Guards and their servants were all unarmored, so they naturally couldn't defeat them.

Along the way, the sounds of horns, horses' hooves, footsteps, and fireworks rose and fell.

Groups of armored cavalrymen carrying torches passed through the streets.

Squads of infantry searched the streets and alleys for the whereabouts of the man in the white python robe.

When Ning Nan reached Chongwenmen Inner Street, he could already hear soldiers kicking down the doors of some houses.

Every now and then, there were sounds of wild dogs barking, whimpering, wild cats screaming, tiles falling, jars breaking, and children crying.

Upon arriving at the Yonghe Temple with its red walls and golden tiles, two rows of armored guards stood outside, creating a somber atmosphere. Inside, however, it was brightly lit, with people carrying torches coming and going.

Wang Hui, with a solemn expression, dismounted and ordered his subordinates to enter and report.

Ning Nan and the others also reined in their horses and dismounted together.

Ning Nan tossed the whip and reins to Qian Sijin, while the Flowing Water Sword hung to the right of the white horse.

"My department needs to report to Lord Mu Shu for his decision. Please wait a moment, Vice Envoy Ning!" Wang Hui said, his face ashen.

Ning Nan nodded. Weapons were not allowed inside. He wrapped his arms around his waist and untied the leather bag. The musket was heavy, and his arm involuntarily straightened and then drooped down.

He took a step, intending to tie it to the side of the big white horse.

At this moment, Zhen Susu, dressed in black with a hood, suddenly stepped forward, took the musket with her fair hands, and tensed her forearms.

Zhen Susu was tall, only half a head shorter than him. She leaned against him, took the musket, and whispered urgently, her breath sweet as orchids:

"Yue Le's sword is still sheathed!"

Ning Nan's pupils suddenly contracted, and he nodded slightly, letting the woman take the leather bag.

This is a loophole... Ning Nan turned around, glanced at the north gate of Yonghe Temple in front of him, and remained silent.

He had previously told Wang Hui that they had been attacked in the east courtyard. Yue Le was brave and charged forward, but was beheaded by the bandits, and the other guards also died. He and his brothers rushed forward to surround and kill them, which finally drove the bandits away.

He has some clues about these traitors and needs to meet with the Minister in charge of the Shangyu Preparatory Office to request that he quickly send troops to protect him, so as to help him find King Jing and kill all the traitors.

But... Ning Nan's eyes flickered slightly. Su Su's reminder reminded him that when he killed Yue Le before, Yue Le's knife was not drawn and he had no other wounds on his body, so he obviously had not experienced a fierce battle.

Although the other four guards had many wounds and several of their swords were drawn, with perhaps a few drops of splattered blood on the blades, the blades had no nicks or notches, or at least no freshly made nicks. An expert would immediately know that something was amiss.

The bodies of Yue Le and the others will inevitably be discovered, and may have already been discovered...

This is the problem caused by the tight schedule... Ning Nan took a slight breath. They didn't have time to collect the bodies or make any arrangements. One oversight could lead to complete failure.

Not long after.

A broad-chested figure stepped out from the tall North Archway.

The newcomer wore a melon-shaped hat, had a square face, and a sinister look in his eyes. He had his left hand in front and his right hand behind his back, with a jade thumb ring on his left thumb.

"Greetings, Lord Alin!" Upon seeing the newcomer, Third-Class Guard Wang Hui hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

Ah Lin, dressed in a black mandarin jacket with a golden unicorn embroidered on the left breast, looked the young man in the moon-colored robe up and down, then swept his brows across the thirty or forty people the young man had brought with him.

"I am Niu Hulu Alin. First-class bodyguard in charge of affairs at the Imperial Guard. Greetings to the Deputy Envoy of the Southern Dynasty." Alin's voice was deep and resonant as he bowed slightly.

First-class bodyguard, third rank, one level higher than Yue Le… Ning Nan snorted coldly and said impolitely:

"Enough with the nonsense! Take me to your superiors immediately! Send an elite force to escort me and arrest them right now!"

Alin's expression remained calm. He nodded slightly, turned to the side, and spread his hands.

"Vice Envoy Ning, please."

Ning Nan, without hesitation, tossed his robes and went straight into the North Archway.

Zhen Susu and Qian Sijin took a step forward, about to go in together.

Ah Lin raised his hand, revealing unusually long fingers and an enormous palm, stopping Qian Sijin, and said:

"Only Vice Envoy Ning is permitted to go. Please wait a moment."

Ning Nan then turned around and shouted:

"Wait for me outside!"

"Yes!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Alin ordered two attendants to lead the way for Ningnan, then turned his head and glanced at them.

Thirty riders, mounted on their horses, stood in front of the east archway, eyeing the southern army with predatory intent.

Fifty infantrymen blocked the west archway, and about fifty more infantrymen blocked the entrance to Taibao Street.

He withdrew his gaze and said calmly to Wang Hui:

"The bodies of Yue Le and the others have been found. Fei Ting personally rode out to investigate and then rode back to report. The lord is already aware of this."

He extended two fingers of his right hand and brought them together, nodding towards Qian Sijin and the others:

"Take good care of these friends."

Upon hearing the words of the first-class guard, nicknamed "Cold Official," Wang Hui felt a chill run down his spine, sensing the coldness in the guard's voice, and quickly lowered his head.

"Your subordinate obeys, sir!"

We walked past the North Archway.

After walking along the carriage road lined with bonfires on both sides, and then through the Zhaotai Gate adorned with two red lanterns, Ning Nan followed behind two men in black riding jackets into the Yonghe Temple.

Two attendants led him to turn left, past a drum tower and an octagonal pavilion, and through a side gate into the second courtyard.

After passing through a covered walkway and a side door, Ning Nan arrived outside the study of Mu Shu, the first-rank official in charge of the Sticky Rod Office.