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

The letter was written on ordinary Xuan paper, and the content was written in the secret code of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The matter mentioned in the letter was quite simple.

The Southern Dynasty empress questioned her husband, asking why he hadn't sent her a letter on time and whether her mission had gone smoothly.

Wearing a melon-shaped hat and a jade belt around her waist, Mu Shu touched the letter, looked at the handwriting, and a look of doubt appeared on her face.

This letter was probably sent out about ten days ago, and the news of Ning Baixuan's death, which was sent south, should not have arrived yet.

In other words, the Southern Dynasty Empress was not yet aware that her husband had died... killed by the Rakshasa and the Heavenly Principle Sect.

Mu Shu put down the letter.

"on time……"

He repeated those two words to himself, remembering that on February 26th, Ning Baixuan had indeed sent a letter back to the Empress of the Southern Dynasty. But he had intercepted it.

In hindsight, this was probably one of Ning Baixuan's tricks.

"Could it be that those letters are real? Did he and that woman from the Southern Dynasty agree to send a letter every few days?"

Mu Shu frowned and thought for a moment.

Ning Baixuan was cunning and resourceful. Even though many days had passed, he still felt terrified when he thought about it.

Given this person's meticulousness and attention to detail, it's quite possible.

but……

Mu Shu clicked her tongue twice.

Perhaps because Prince Duan was protecting them, or perhaps for some other reason, the Emperor had always prevented them from torturing Ning Baixuan.

There are some things he simply can't verify with the other party.

Moreover, he has made a grave mistake this time. If it weren't for the fact that it was just before the war, his position as a first-rank minister would probably be in jeopardy.

Now they dare not offend Prince Duan, who is highly valued by the Emperor.

Now that the north and south channels are basically under control, the main force of the Eight Banners is already on its way.

What worries the Emperor and himself most now is the absence of the Southern Dynasty's envoy, Prince Jing, and the envoy's seal.

Thus, the two countries had no alliance.

If an alliance can be signed, it should be sent to the south.

The garrison troops of the two cities north and south of the river went out to take over the cities, and the main force of the Eight Banners and the three major camps cut off the retreat of the two armies. Then the Southern Dynasty could really take it down in one fell swoop.

The alliance was largely ruined by Ning Baixuan. Without this alliance, the Southern Kingdom would definitely have doubts. The only remaining purpose of the alliance would be to help them cover up the main force of the Eight Banners.

Now, they still had to attack the city.

That will depend on the new-style cannons manufactured by the Imperial Household Department.

The sun sank completely behind the distant mountains.

It gradually got dark outside the window.

A maid came in and lit an oil lamp for him.

Mu Shu was processing the constant stream of urgent reports that were being sent to him.

At this moment, someone else came to report that the people of the Southern Dynasty had sent a second letter to Shi Sidong.

Mu Shu frowned.

Another one?

Upon opening the second letter, it was found that it did not use the secret codes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the ink was relatively fresh.

It looks like it was written in the last few days, or even yesterday.

Mu Shu scanned the letter from top to bottom, her pupils contracting repeatedly.

"Have you caught who sent it?" he shouted.

The visitor clasped his hands in embarrassment and said, "Not yet. The person who delivered the letter to Shi Sidong is extremely experienced; he left the letter in the stable of the restaurant."

Mu Shu kept his eyes open without blinking, said nothing, and waved his hand to signal his subordinates to take their leave.

Without Yue Le and A Lin, we have lost two key generals.

He has recently sensed that things are not running smoothly at Yonghe Temple, and is currently making urgent promotions to some talented individuals.

The first letter had already surprised him somewhat.

This second letter... stirred up a storm in Mu Shu's heart.

"The Heavenly Principles Sect respectfully informs you that all members of the Southern Dynasty delegation are in our hands. If you wish to take them back, please send Ning Baixuan to Miaofeng Mountain within five days."

What surprised him was not only the content of the letter itself, but also the red seal stamped on it.

It was the official seal of the Southern Dynasty's envoy!

"Someone come here!"

After pondering for a long time, Mu Shu stood up. Two guards rushed in from outside, and the minister in charge of the Sticky Rod Office said in a low voice:

"Imperial seal".

……

……

not long ago.

Inside the narrow alley.

Lu Chong pulled a short knife from his sleeve and pressed it against the neck of a burly man.

When the burly man saw Lu Chong's gloomy eyes, his pupils became slightly unfocused.

As Lu Chong reached out and tore off a few strands of his beard from his face, the burly man was even more horrified.

"To command..."

The short sword left the opponent's neck with a clang, and Lu Chong disdainfully sheathed it.

"Shut up," he snapped.

Qian Sijin quickly shut up.

Besides Qian Sijin, there were two Imperial Guards lying on the ground. One had been punched by him, and the other had been slapped, leaving one of his teeth loose.

Qian Sijin was also going to get kicked, but he was skilled enough to dodge it. However, the next moment, a short knife was placed against his neck.

Not far away, Zhen Susu held a bottle of wine in one hand and a piece of silk in the other, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Noticing that someone was following her, she didn't go back to the Seventeenth Princess's residence, but instead came to the alley next door.

This was arranged with Qian Sijin and the others; if anything went wrong, they would be left to handle it.

But to my surprise, this guy, who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, dealt with Qian Sijin and his group as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

Lu Chong glanced at them and chuckled coldly in a low voice, "So incompetent, no wonder the mission encountered such a major problem!"

Earlier, he saw the young maid meeting someone in front of the Sihe Restaurant. He glanced at the young man and felt that he looked somewhat familiar. At the same time, the Sihe Restaurant was Shi Sidong's territory.

He couldn't tell whether Shi Sidong was loyal or treacherous, but since the other party's shop was located on the main street, it was naturally not as easy to rob as Zhao Yunji's blacksmith shop.

After a moment's thought on the street, he remembered that the young man must be a captain in his own family's Imperial Guard Commandery.

This made him suspicious of the maid's identity.

Lu Chong immediately turned around and shielded them from the hidden guards from the Sticky Rod Division.

He continued to follow the maid who had finished serving the wine.

And he deliberately revealed the bottom half to scare the maid.

Sure enough, after turning a few corners and entering this alley, these useless good-for-nothings jumped out.

…………

A cool breeze was blowing.

Night fell.

Several oil lamps were lit in a side room, and five or six silhouettes were reflected on the window by the dim light.

Lu Chong held a short knife in his hand, narrowed his eyes, and looked at the Taoist nun in front of him:

"Where is our Southern Dynasty delegation now?"

Zhen Susu sat next to Xu Xiyin, who was drinking tea. Qian Sijin and the others stood obediently behind Lu Chong with their heads down.

The Taoist nun said calmly:

"Thank you for delivering the message for us, Lord Lu."

The former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had just gone to the Sihe Restaurant to deliver a letter to the Sticky Rod Office, shook his head:

"No need for thanks. I'd love for you to bring out the Grand Prince Consort."

At this point, Lu Chong felt a bit uneasy.

It was supposed to be a message to Shi Sitong, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but after Shi Sitong had already defected to the Northern Dynasty, it was mistakenly sent to the Sticky Rod Office.

Xu Xiyin, who had been missing for a long time, calmly said:

"Rest assured, Lord Lu, everyone in your delegation is safe and sound."

Lu Chong narrowed his eyes, having heard Qian Sijin and the others recount the whole story.

Even a seasoned spy who had weathered countless storms in his life was momentarily speechless with astonishment.