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

The stream flowed gently, and the days passed one by one.

Unlike the usual peaceful days, Li Family Village has been quite lively these past few days. A caravan has arrived from who-knows-where, saying they want to build a stockade in a valley behind the mountain. No one knows what the purpose is, but the stockade is very large, and they are in a great hurry, working day and night.

The villagers were initially worried, but when government officials arrived and said it was a serious matter, Li Baoxin dispelled his doubts about whether the other party was a bandit.

Horse-drawn carriages, like dragons, kept entering the village day and night, piled with earth, wood, bricks, and stones.

There were even many small boats on the river transporting these things to the village.

The mountain roads were difficult for vehicles and horses to travel on, so the caravan hired villagers as porters to carry the earth, timber, bricks, and stones to the village that was under construction.

A trip costs five copper coins, and you also get a meat meal a day.

So these past few days, the men of Lijia Village have all been experiencing some back pain, but as the coins in their wallets jingled, their backs visibly straightened up.

The women's faces showed a mix of emotions: some smiled, some frowned, a mixture of joy and sorrow. Their daily conversations often turned to questions like, "How many loads did you carry today?" Those who carried less were itching to go home and wring water out of their lazy husbands' backs.

The Imperial Guards were dumbfounded.

The porters were not only locals, but also from other places. When transporting bricks and stones by boat, there were also many unfamiliar boatmen... How could they possibly identify spies?

Secretary Qin remained silent about the situation. Old Man Xu had offered his opinion tactfully, but Ning Nan rejected it, saying, "The safety of the people is the most important thing." With that heavy accusation, Old Man Xu had no choice but to shut up.

The accountants from the Prince's mansion were always looking worried. No matter how fast they calculated with their abacuses, they couldn't keep up with someone's extravagant spending.

However, living in the village, they naturally heard about the true relationship between their master and the young master surnamed Ning.

They were genuinely grateful that the other party had saved their master... but then the other party married their master, well, that's... that's a bit hard to explain... even good luck doesn't come easily, and many people felt a deep sense of indignation and bitterness, their faces contorted with pain every day.

However, since His Majesty has not explicitly objected, there is indeed a possibility that this marriage will actually happen.

The Grand Tutor did come to the village and met with Prince Xin, but he quickly returned in a huff... Hmm... Uh... Sigh... Even the Grand Tutor couldn't object to this matter... Prince Xin is still staying at the other party's house.

So, when this incredibly lucky young master Ning presented plan after plan, anxiously asking, "Will this money be approved?", they could only swallow their anger and force a smile, saying, "Don't worry, young master Ning, of course it can be approved."

Approving this, approving that.

Criticize what you can understand, criticize what you can't understand, and even criticize what you can't understand at all, or what you find absurd, unreasonable and excessive!

Finally, the other party even used words that sounded sarcastic, such as "They actually approved this?!" and "Master Zhu is so generous!"

The accountants were in a frantic rush to transfer money from the various properties of the Prince's mansion.

Fortunately, His Highness Prince Xin glanced at the account book. Although he frowned and even took a breath, he finally nodded and said, "Do as he says." The accountants felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They wiped away a cold sweat, but in the blink of an eye, a deep regret appeared in their eyes... This person spent money so much, and they had cooperated and indulged him, but His Highness had actually approved it all... approved it all! ... He hadn't even uttered a word of reprimand... This is truly... um... sigh...

Time passed slowly as one group busied themselves while another group relaxed.

Sunrise and sunset.

The golden sun had already risen and set six times without anyone noticing.

That afternoon, Ning Nan leaned against a tree, muttering to himself, leisurely watching the play.

On the stage, the female lead is singing in a traditional opera style, reciting lines in a high-pitched voice.

Just then, Secretary Qin walked over with a serious expression and brought some unpleasant news.

Xiao Chun led two hundred men to attack Hangezhuang. Hangezhuang suffered heavy losses. As soon as the camp troops arrived, Xiao Chun fled and refused to fight any longer.

Before this, Xiao Chun had already harassed several villages, robbed countless caravans, and even committed acts of arson and extermination in the surrounding areas.

But attacking Hangezhuang is different. Hangezhuang is a large village, very close to the garrison, and now it is garrisoned by elite troops. Xiao Chun's audacity in attacking it can be described as outrageous.

Its reputation has spread far and wide, and some bandits are responding, with some even showing a strong following.

"Whether it's your spy Wang Fu or our spies, they've all found out that Xiao Chun will indeed be attacking Li Family Village soon... but the exact date is uncertain! Xiao Chun clearly knows that this place is under our control, so he won't attack... He knows it's a trap, but he's not stupid... All the money we spent and all the methods we prepared have been useless..." Qin Yuanyao said, suppressing her anger... Not only did the Prince's Mansion spend a lot of money, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard also spent a lot of money and manpower.

Oh, it's time to lay the cards on the table... Ning Nan remained noncommittal, nodding his head, and asked the other party how the camp on the back mountain was being built.

Qin Yuanyao snorted, composed herself, and forced out four words: "Almost done!"

This is the most troublesome point for the Embroidered Uniform Guard. This person is building a camp in the back mountain with great fanfare, with earth, wood, bricks and stones, and donkeys and horses pulling carts in and out from time to time. How could the thieves not guess?!

No matter how many arrangements the Embroidered Uniform Guard made, they were all in vain.

The man even thought using donkeys and horses was too slow, so the next day, he asked her to use a boat for transport, and Master Zhu's accountant approved the payment.

The section of the Erhu River near Lijia Village is narrow and shallow, making it unsuitable for large boats to pass.

The man then requested that the large boat be sailed from Shijiu Lake downstream, and that the earth, timber, bricks, and stones be hauled away by trailer. He also called for many small boats to go upstream and transport the difficult-to-move items by waterway, and then have the people of Lijia Village act as porters.

The other party needed the goods urgently, so they rented quite a few large ships, which even caused a lot of congestion downstream, and money was being spent rapidly every day.

However, all of this is useless now...

Because Xiao Chun will never come.

"Young Master Ning,"

The female commander exhaled and spoke sincerely.

"Let's leave aside what happened before... Our top priority now is to relocate... relocate Miss Zhu!" Qin Yuanyao said urgently. "We must move Miss Zhu to Nanjing as soon as possible; staying here is far too risky..."

It failed... Although I don't want to admit it, this plan has failed.

She didn't blame Ning Nan, but they had to admit their mistakes and correct them.

Qin Yuanyao solemnly said, "Young Master Ning, as long as you give the order to move Miss Zhu and Miss Cuicui into Nanjing, I think Master Zhu will listen. Moreover, there's no need to worry about safety. Master Zhu has asked the magistrate to dispatch five hundred elite soldiers to escort them. Xiao Chun's men, who are hardly worthy of respect, will only dare to flee like rats and would never dare to charge the regular army!"

Ning Nan smiled and said, "If that's the case, then we won't be able to catch Xiao Chun."

"Then we won't arrest him!" Qin Yuanyao said solemnly.

"The safety of Miss Cui Cui and the others, as well as Miss Zhu, is of utmost importance... If we can't catch them, we can't catch them. Xiao Chun is no ordinary bandit."

Leaving aside the matter of money, Qin Yuanyao knew that the scholar in front of her had made many preparations in the past few days and had put in a lot of effort.

But they were too passive.

It's like preparing for a rainstorm, waiting for the thunder to arrive, but the thunderstorm is too cunning, delaying its arrival and instead relentlessly harassing you with its lingering, continuous thunder without any rain.

Originally, they wanted to build up a powerful force, but now it seems that it is Xiao Chun who has built up this force... With Xiao Chun's rampant looting, the banditry in the surrounding areas has become even more rampant, and local governments are in a state of chaos.

With such talent, yet he willingly became a bandit... What a pity...

"Young Master Ning," Qin Yuanyao comforted the disheartened scholar before her, "it wasn't that you made a mistake. We've witnessed your preparations these past few days and admire them greatly..."

This statement is at least 90% true. Although a lot of money was spent, the other party made many preparations in a very organized manner, including the fact that the construction of the camp was actually extremely complete, with two layers, inner and outer.

This person also asked me for thirty people I could absolutely trust, saying that we were going to conduct secret training in the back mountains, and that it had to be kept absolutely secret. All supplies could only be left in one place for them to retrieve.

When transporting goods by small boat, the other party found a way to widen the upstream river channel so that the water volume would increase a little... The other party said that since the flood season was coming soon, this was something that should be done anyway, so they could kill two birds with one stone... Unfortunately, the other party did not allow them to go with them that day, and only Li Sanzhuang and a few others went with Xin Wang carrying baskets... I don't know how the other party managed to do that.

In addition, what impressed her the most was that, with the help of the map and the guide, the other party created a model of Black Tiger Mountain that left everyone speechless!

This sand table is truly ingenious, clearly marking Black Tiger Mountain and all its foothills.

With his own inside man and Wang Fu as his inside man, the entire Black Tiger Stronghold's troop deployment and some key outposts were marked out. Even the location of the granaries, armories, and logistics supplies was clear at a glance, making it a powerful tool in military operations.

This alone broadened her horizons, and she even felt that the imperial court should create such a sand table for the entire country.

However… her expression turned solemn again. “It’s not that Young Master Ning is incompetent… it’s just that Xiao Chun is too cunning. We simply cannot reel him in. Moreover, even the wisest can make a mistake. Delay could lead to unforeseen changes. If Miss Zhu stays here any longer and makes even the slightest mistake, we will all be doomed… I urge you, Young Master, to make a decision as soon as possible!”

The female commander solemnly clasped her hands in greeting.

At this moment, the actress on stage made a wonderful appearance, and the audience immediately stood up and clapped their hands hard, with bursts of applause echoing throughout the venue.

On a bench shaded by trees.

Ning Nan let out a deep breath and swept the fallen leaves off his shoulder.

He stood up, patted his bottom, and his eyes gradually became melancholy.