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

Lu Zhong's voice was like a low, muffled thunderclap. His fingers, resting on the knife, tapped the hilt.

In the scorching heat, his gaze swept over the thick, shiny iron block and then fell upon the middle-aged man opposite him.

The man, whose body was bandaged in several places, held an iron hammer in one hand and an iron clamp in the other, with a three-inch-long pair of iron shears attached to one end of the clamp.

Whoosh! The bellows continued to push and pull.

The charcoal in the stove was burning very brightly, a deep red, like a large piece of gleaming gold.

The son, who was pulling the bellows, kept his eyes fixed intently on the stove, sweating profusely from exhaustion.

Lu Chong smiled at this, and Zhao Yunji quickly threw down the iron clamp.

when!

The iron clamp holding the shears fell onto the iron block, and the blacksmith pressed his left hand back, pressing down on his son's shoulder.

His son narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Yunji hurriedly said to his son, "We're one of our own."

The fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy then put away the small knife he had taken out of his sleeve with his left hand.

Lu nodded slightly: "Your son is not bad."

Sweat dripped from Zhao Yunji's forehead into his eyes. He smiled nervously and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Commander."

His son could take on five thugs in the alley by himself. But if he dared to mess with the guy in front of him, he would be overestimating himself and courting death.

Lu Chong nodded: "I don't have much time left."

The blacksmith took a breath, washed his hands in the bucket of water used for quenching, and nodded heavily.

"I will tell the commander immediately."

There is no tea.

There is no alcohol.

Lu Chong kept his knife close at hand. After listening to Zhao the blacksmith recount what happened that night, he finally let go of the hilt of the knife a moment later.

He pulled down his melon-shaped hat with its fur trim to block the wind, grabbed the reins, and turned the unruly donkey around.

Before leaving.

The old spy, who had returned to his old ways, said:

"It's right that the Grand Prince Consort doesn't trust you. Don't resent him."

Zhao Yunji cupped his hands and said, "This humble official dares not."

"You have a quarter of an hour. Within that time, get out of this alley, go to Dong'anmen Street, turn north onto Xila Hutong, where someone will meet you at the alley entrance. One of you should dress up as a monk with a certificate of ordination, and the other as a laborer, and carry timber out through Dongzhimen. Once you're out of Dongzhimen, carry timber all the way to Tianjin, stay there, and get out of Beijing!"

Zhao Yunji turned around, grabbed his son, and ran away.

They dared not linger for even a moment, nor dared they turn back.

Since the commander said so, it means this road must be safe. The father and son hurried along.

……

Leading a stubborn donkey, they headed south out of the narrow alley.

Lu Chong slowly made his way to Dongjiang Rice Alley, sorting through some things in his mind.

The delegation was attacked at night... Prince Jing was captured... The Grand Prince Consort received a summons... The secret guards became open guards... They left the city at night... Together with three hundred cavalrymen from the Northern Dynasty, they went to arrest the Heavenly Principle Sect... Delivering a message... There was a traitor... Shangguan Xiu produced the Grand Prince Consort's letter... and sent him back to the capital...

"Oh."

Lu Chong found a teahouse in Dongjiang Rice Alley, where the smell of burnt rice still lingered, and ordered a bowl of tea.

He sipped his tea while chewing on a piece of dry biscuit.

It seems there's been a problem with the spies in the capital.

Several important spies were surrounded by pairs of eyes, like hunting dogs. He didn't use any of them, lest he reveal his whereabouts.

Only a few spies, who had been hidden for decades or even two generations, were used to do small things, such as bringing the Zhao family father and son out of the capital.

He dipped his fingers in the tea, tapped a few dots on the table, and chewed on a dry biscuit that had little flavor.

The tea master came to pour him tea, carrying a long, pointed teapot.

"Greetings, brother," Lu Chong said, clasping his hands in Cangzhou dialect. "I wonder if there are any high-ranking officials or nobles around here who hire bodyguards?"

The tea server sized him up; he was burly, with a sharp demeanor, and there was a knife on the table. He chuckled, "Guest, would you like to work for the gentlemen of Beijing?"

Lu Chong took out two qian of silver from his pocket and placed it on the table: "I'm a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from Cangzhou. I'm thinking of following Master Dong's example and seeking refuge with some lord to make a living."

The martial arts master's name was Dong Shengchuan. He created his own Bagua Changquan (Eight Trigrams Long Fist). In his middle age, he joined the Prince Lian's mansion as a servant. He was highly skilled in martial arts and was promoted to the head of the guards.

The tea server touched the silver: "Brother, which escort agency are you from?"

Lu Chong looked embarrassed: "Cangzhou Weihu Escort Agency. It's too small a place."

"A small temple can attract many bodhisattvas." The tea server said dismissively, "If you have good tools and equipment, brother, you might not be without a chance. These days, if you're talking about which master's household has the most promising future, the first one that comes to mind is Prince Yi! Prince Yi is the Emperor's own brother, so whatever he says, the Emperor believes. However, the line of men who want to be Prince Yi's servants could stretch from here to Yongding Gate. If you're well-off and have good manners, I know the brother-in-law of the first-class steward in Prince Yi's household. I can put in a good word for you."

Lu Chong nervously patted his pocket: "To be honest, it's only enough to stay in the city for four or five days. I'm afraid it won't catch the eye of any important person."

"It's all a way of showing filial piety, no matter how much."

The tea server smiled understandingly, but his tone inevitably became a little flippant as he continued:

"Secondly, there's this Prince Doroi, the Borjigit General. The General likes strong men. You just need to be able to wrestle better than the Mongol warriors in his household. Even if you can't beat them, being able to hold your own for a couple of rounds might catch his eye. However, he's going to send troops out, so it's not suitable for you if you're looking for a peaceful life."

Lu Chong picked up his teacup: "Brother is right."

A guest called from afar, and the tea server chuckled a few times, ran over to refill the guest's tea, and returned after a while to continue chatting with Lu Chong, commenting on the various princely mansions on Shiwangfu Street.

As he spoke, he began to gesticulate with an air of authority, his face flushed and spittle flying everywhere.

I came out of the teahouse.

Lu Chong stroked his beard and led the donkey to Wangfu Street.

"Prince Duan..."

The tea master gave a thumbs up: "The other day, the Rakshasa demon and those incense-burning monks bombed the Southern Kingdom's embassy, ​​leaving those prime ministers and princes in the south looking utterly humiliated. It was only because Prince Duan led his troops out of the city that they were able to vent their anger."

Lu Chong clicked his tongue in amazement, holding his teacup: "That's really impressive."

He didn't mention the Southern Dynasty at all during the entire conversation.

He led the donkey and slowly arrived at Wangfu Street.

The sun is about to set.

A grand banquet was being held at the Prince Duan's residence, and guests were arriving in droves at the entrance.

Speaking with a Liaodong accent, he took a black cloth strip from the side of the donkey, stepped forward, and greeted the steward who was receiving guests with a smile:

"Nigeli, a member of the Ningguta clan from the Plain Blue Banner, came from Liaodong to serve his master."

He handed over a document with his banner affiliation and identity clearly written on it.

He opened the black cloth bag, inside were seven high-quality pearls, and handed the steward a door bag weighing about five taels, bowing respectfully.

The steward touched the silver, glanced at the pearls in the pouch, ordered the official to record it, then looked at Lu Chong and frowned, saying:

"Looking for connections?"

Lu Chongdao said, "I wouldn't dare. I only dare to do some business, selling ginseng and fur."

The steward nodded, raised his hand, and said:

"Sit outside."

Lu Zhong bowed and nodded in response, then stepped over the threshold of the Prince Duan's mansion.