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

Under the cover of night, she walked to the side gate of Prince Yi's mansion and knocked on the door.

The doorman opened a small window in the side door, looked her up and down, waved his hand, and shooed her away with a strange expression.

Xu Xiyin handed over a silver ingot weighing a full twenty taels from her bosom, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Young man, I am a fellow opera enthusiast of your esteemed prince. There is a new play at the Pear Garden in the north of the city, called 'The Top Scholar of the Tang Dynasty Forces the Abbasid Prince to Kneel.' Once you tell the prince the title, he will understand, and he will surely grant me an audience. If the prince meets me, I will receive a reward for accompanying him to the play, and I will also give him a generous gift to thank you."

The doorman, with a black mole on his nose, weighed the silver ingot in his hand, his expression nonchalant. "Even a seventh-rank official has to wait at the prime minister's gate," he thought, "there are plenty of people trying to curry favor with the prince's mansion." As his master's legitimate bondservant, he had obviously received plenty of such "generous gifts" before, and didn't care much for now. He simply said:

"Wait."

Click, the small window closed.

"It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings..." Xu Xiyin secretly exhaled. If she were to say something like, "Go and report to your master immediately, or you'll ruin his plans and lose your head," she probably would never report it in her entire life.

Only by offering money and promising to offer more money later will the other party be more efficient in handling matters.

The cold, pale moonlight shone into the red walls and glazed tiles of the prince's mansion.

Hongfeng did not meet Xu Xiyin in his study, but rushed to the front yard and prepared a quiet side room.

Inside the wing.

Hongfeng sized up Xu Xiyin with a pair of cold eyes, his tone urgent and fierce as he launched into a tirade:

"Where is Ning Baixuan? What caused such a commotion at your Southern Kingdom embassy tonight? Where is my fourth brother?! Where is Gui Cai?!"

A barrage of questions came at Xu Xiyin, but she didn't answer a single one. She simply bowed slightly and said:

"Your Highness, my young master has a request. He hopes that Your Highness can quickly lead men to the Southern Kingdom's embassy to put out the fire."

Hongfeng was taken aback. Put out a fire?

The commotion at Dongjiang Rice Lane tonight really gave Wangfu Street a fright.

It wasn't that I was afraid of thieves, but rather of fire.

After all, the two streets are close to each other. Thieves can be stopped by people, but fire is something that people may not be able to stop.

When the late emperor was still alive, in order to prevent fires, 308 auspicious vats were placed in the Forbidden City, which were filled with water all year round, and ice had to be broken off in winter to prevent them from freezing.

Upon hearing that commotion tonight, both their own palace and the other palaces were on high alert.

Only when they saw that the fire in Dongjiang Rice Lane had finally subsided did the stewards of the Prince's Mansion breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Hongfeng frowned and said:

"Fire? Did Ning Baixuan burn to death? Has the fire at your embassy subsided?"

Xu Xiyin said calmly:

"There will be another fire later."

Burn it again?

Hongfeng narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Xu Xiyin, who had been running around all night, looked tired. She didn't say much, only saying:

"Time is of the essence, Your Highness, please make preparations quickly. Bring a full set of fire-fighting equipment and at least seven mule carts. Please prepare to receive about ten people and have them stay at the Prince's residence for a few days... Just don't let anyone else know..."

A vein throbbed on Hongfeng's forehead:

"What do you want to do? What does Ning Baixuan want to do? Who are you meeting?... "

The contact person?

The commotion before was terrifying, and now the whole city is searching for the traitors of the Heavenly Principle Cult...

Hongfeng's mind raced, his face paled, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Ning Baixuan...is he connected to the traitors of the Heavenly Principle Sect?!"

Xu Xiyin was somewhat surprised by the prince's quick wit and narrowed her eyes.

She remained noncommittal to his words. After a few moments, she glanced at him with calm eyes and said:

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness..."

Silence means consent… Hong Feng’s eyes flickered several times before he let out a cold laugh:

"Does Ning Baixuan think I'm a fool?! Such a huge matter, and he expects me to take the blame for him?!"

His fingers trembled. Although he didn't know what had happened over there, he was certain that things were in chaos.

He couldn't help but think about whether he should give Ning Baixuan a good beating tonight, actually go to put out the fire, and then send someone to kill Ning Baixuan in the chaos.

As for Gui Cai and Hong Jiao, they will be found later.

even……

The thirty riders from the Plain White Banner can be attributed to Hong Jiao, and it can be said that Hong Jiao and these thirty riders died at the hands of the Jiangpu army.

As for helping Ning Baixuan accept a dozen or so people suspected of being traitors of the Heavenly Principle Sect, Hong Feng naturally wouldn't do that.

On the contrary.

Since Ning Baixuan was associated with the Heavenly Principle Sect, he was the enemy of the Qing Dynasty.

If Ning Baixuan were to loudly proclaim something like, "You knelt before me, Prince Beile,"...

Whether others believe it or not, at least they dare not agree with Ning Baixuan.

Moreover, he could have easily done the opposite and published it first in the Beijing Daily:

"Ning Baixuan knelt down and apologized to Prince Hongfeng yesterday, which is why the prince didn't make things difficult for him."

However, since Gui Cai and Hong Jiao have not yet returned, he has not yet made a move to checkmate Ning Baixuan!

Hongfeng stared coldly at the doctor disguised as a man in front of him, wondering whether he should call someone over to take her down first.

At this moment, he heard Xu Xiyin calmly say:

"Does Your Highness know what happened tonight?"

Hongfeng sneered, "The Heavenly Principle Sect sent people to attack the Southern Kingdom's embassy? And among these people is Ning Baixuan's lover, who's playing the hero and wants this prince to protect his beauty's life?"

Xu Xiyin did not comment on Prince Hongfeng's sarcastic remarks, but calmly looked at the prince and said to him:

"The members of the Heavenly Principle Sect stormed the embassy."

"They were wearing thirty suits of Plain White Banner armor that the young master had seized from someone."

"Wearing armor, they killed the military commander and nearly forty other soldiers in the guard battalion, and then blew up the embassy."

"They also removed their armor, which was left inside the embassy. It should have been picked up by the Nine Gates Admiral and the Sticky Rod Office. They are now investigating where these thirty suits of armor came from."

talking.

Xu Xiyin seemed to remember something, her eyes glazed over for a moment, and then she continued:

"Oh, Your Highness, Yue Le, a second-class guard from the Imperial Guard, has also been killed. The Imperial Guard carried Yue Le's body out of the embassy. They said they must find out where these people got their armor from, in order to avenge Lord Yue Le..."

Only one oil lamp was lit in the side room.

Clang, clang, clang—the night wind howled against the windowsill. Hongfeng's eyes widened, and upon hearing the sound, he shuddered.

"Hoo," Xu Xiyin exhaled wearily, speaking in a tone that was somewhat helpless yet necessary:

"Your Highness...you might be thinking that the Sticky Rod Office and the Nine Gates Admiral won't be able to find out for the time being, or you might want to be loyal to the country and confess to your father that you secretly mobilized troops to try to ambush and kill our young master in Chuzhou."

"As the legitimate son, your father will definitely protect you."

"Or perhaps you're thinking of pinning the secret troop deployment on your poor brother..."

Xu Xiyin shook her head slightly and said calmly:

"It's no use... Young Master has pickled Amurtu's head and brought it to the capital."

"If you don't do as the young master says, we'll throw Amurtu's head at the entrance of the Yonghe Temple. Once they see the head, they'll understand everything."

"The people of Pingnan Camp can no longer cover for you, Prince, otherwise they would also be implicated."

"As for confessing to your father... your father will protect you..."

Xu Xiyin, following the instructions taught by the cult leader, said sarcastically:

"Your father's health isn't very good. He was alright when he was alive, but what about after he died? Now that your father is dead, the emperor will definitely settle accounts with you later."

"To tell you the truth, King Jing has been lost tonight."

The North-South alliance is doomed tonight.

"Whether it's the Emperor, Ortai's Ministry of War, Mushu's Sticky Rod Office, or the Nine Gates Commandery, they're all looking for someone to take the blame."

"And you, Prince, you've delivered yourself to my doorstep."

"Prince Yi can certainly save your life for the time being. But you have ruined such a major event for your dynasty, won't they impeach you and your father like crazy?"

"Your title is in jeopardy... After your father's death... it's uncertain whether you'll even survive..."

"Not only will you lose your title, but the young master will also release your fourth brother."

"Hongjiao will say that you ordered Amurtu to kill Ning Baixuan, but he fell into Ning Baixuan's trap. After killing that cavalry, you knelt down and survived, while your fourth brother refused to surrender and was respected by Ning Baixuan, who eventually sent him back with courtesy... Our young master accepts this version of events..."

"While your reputation is tarnished, your title..."

Xu Xiyin slightly raised her neck, her voice as calm as water.

"Hmm...it will be your fourth brother, Hongjiao."