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

The sun is finally setting. Summer weather is always unusually sultry, but the cool evening air is much more pleasant. Sitting on a tree stump, fanning yourself with a palm leaf fan, watching the children run around, you can't help but smile. You feel a great sense of accomplishment and comfort.

Unfortunately, it's not cool nighttime yet.

The main room of the Ning family courtyard was open, and a man and a woman sat facing each other inside. The air was somewhat stuffy, and they were both silent.

"Have you decided to leave?" As the head maid of the Zhu family, Zhu Cuiwei would ask the young doctor from time to time how things were going. The young doctor would usually smile and say, "It's alright, things are steadily improving."

Hearing this strange yet unexpectedly reassuring wording, she replied, "That's good."

After a moment, the woman would add casually, "There's no need to overwork yourself. Master Zhu wrote to me that he didn't have much hope to begin with."

This time was no different; she spoke first.

She already knew about the dissatisfaction and complaints of Qin Yuanyao and others, as well as the people in the Prince's Mansion. She also knew that Commander Qin had confronted the other party with a hint of "coupling." This was not just Commander Qin's confusion and anxiety, but came from the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard.

It's even possible that this female commander was instructed by the Emperor himself... It seems the Emperor himself could hardly tolerate his almost willful and reckless behavior.

The investigation can be left to the Embroidered Uniform Guard... That's what my elder brother said, and that's what the Grand Tutor said too.

Even within their own royal residence, there were many complaints.

The village's accountants were secondary; the real problem was the trouble caused by the stewards in the capital. They were saying that their businesses were running into deficits and that they simply couldn't raise the necessary funds, and they were subtly requesting that she return to the capital as soon as possible to take charge.

But in the end, with the support of the chief secretary of the Prince's Mansion and Chen Ruhai of Changqing Trading Company, the money was still escorted over.

She only learned about the establishment of the Changqing Trading Company by reading a letter from the Chief Secretary, and that her family's businesses were now all under the name of this trading company.

In her memory, Chen Ruhai was the manager of Fulai Tavern, and the chief clerk praised him for his auspicious appearance and competence. Little did she expect that a few years later, the chief clerk would appoint him as the head manager of Changqing Trading Company.

Ning Nan sat at the other end of the elm wood square table, his hands resting on the table, remaining silent.

"You've done a great job." Cui Cui frowned. "If you really can't catch anything, then forget it."

Ning Nan pointed to Cuicui's abdomen.

"My injury is healed," Cui Cui said, knowing that this person was referring to the thief who had stabbed her. "I'll take revenge later."

"You can only be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days..." He sighed and rubbed his sore arms.

"Let's wait two more days," Ning Nan said with a sigh.

Cui Cui glanced at him, her eyes somewhat indifferent. After a moment, she turned her head and nodded her chin nonchalantly, "Hmm... then let's wait two more days."

Zhu Cuiwei pursed her pink lips and remained silent.

The cunning and ferocity of the bandits from Black Tiger Stronghold far exceeded her expectations. No wonder all of her dozens of guards, both overt and covert, were wiped out, leaving only a seriously injured maid, Qinghuan.

Her abdomen, which had just recovered from its injury, was now even slightly sore, and Zhu Cuiwei's brows gradually furrowed.

If Xiao Chun were placed in a chaotic era, he might very well have succeeded; he was indeed a strategist and a great bandit.

We can't kill him this time.

However, upon returning to the capital, he would immediately request an imperial decree to have his elder brother send people to supervise the surrounding garrisons and even mobilize the capital garrison to exterminate this traitor.

This was also one of the suggestions the young doctor gave to Commander Qin.

He hoped that a general or a eunuch from the palace would coordinate the various garrisons to encircle Black Tiger Stronghold.

On the one hand, Xiao Chun's guerrilla tactics put immense pressure on the various garrisons, making it difficult for them to send out elite troops.

On the other hand, it was also because the young doctor was unfamiliar with the regulations of the imperial court.

Whether it was a general or a eunuch, these people were inherently corrupt. Once the local areas paid tribute, they could return to the capital to report that the local garrisons were indeed in dire straits, and then request funds from the court to suppress the bandits... After obtaining the funds, they would then collude with the local officials to split the profits 30/70... As for suppressing the bandits...

Zhu Cuiwei took a deep breath, her eyes filled with complex emotions... Yes, this is what it means to raise an enemy for personal gain.

The task of supervising the suppression of bandits still had to be handled by civil officials.

Even if a civil official is greedy, his subordinates cannot fool him, he can keep military officers in check, and he is capable of getting things done.

After all, civil officials were temporary officials, serving in various regions, and those with talent and ambition would always return to the capital.

Gao Yingxiang, who was killed during the early Ming Dynasty, was eliminated when the civil official Chuan Tinggong left the capital to serve as the governor of Shaanxi.

"Don't let another Gao Yingxiang emerge." After analyzing Xiao Chun's various methods, Zhu Cuiwei's eyes darkened.

Unlike Qin Yuanyao and others, what surprised her the most, and even made her wary and shocked, was Xiao Chun's methods of managing his subordinates.

To be able to command two hundred powerful bandits to obey orders, prevent them from being greedy for merit and acting rashly, and to advance and retreat with reason, is already considered the mark of a good general among bandits.

Moreover, by stealing horses and mules and recruiting new thieves, Xiao Chun's gang seemed to be getting stronger with each fight.

With these two hundred men as his core, it wouldn't be too surprising if Xiao Chun conquered a prefecture or county, gathered five thousand or even ten thousand men, and raised the flag of rebellion.

"Black Tiger Mountain must be wiped out as soon as possible... but we may need to send out an official from one of the Six Ministries who is knowledgeable in military affairs. Minister Zuo of the Ministry of War has served as the Provincial Administration Commissioner in Liuhe City and Jiangpu City north of the Yangtze River, so he would be a good candidate..."

She silently made up her mind, raised her eyebrows like distant mountains, collected her thoughts, and glanced at the seemingly helpless young doctor, whose eyes were already quite bloodshot.

"I knew I had put him in a difficult position." Zhu Cuiwei suddenly felt a pang of regret.

They suddenly put such a heavy burden on him.

His mental state seems relatively normal; he hasn't broken down or given up and gone into hiding, which is already quite good.

My gaze lingered for a moment on the young doctor's worried face, then I looked at his still somewhat tanned fingers... Actually... he had really made a lot of preparations... What a pity...

She parted her lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but then stopped herself, pursed her lips, picked up the teapot, and slowly poured a cup of tea for the other person.

The aroma of tea and the delicate fragrance emanating from Cui Cui's body filled the air.

"After you catch Xiao Chun, can you give my arm a massage?" Ning Nan stared at the swirling tea, raised his aching arm, and asked with a pained expression, trying to take advantage of the situation.

Zhu Cuiwei's dark, jade-like eyes narrowed into dangerous slits: "What if we can't catch it?"

"I'll give you a massage." Ning Daga made a face as if he had suffered a great loss, turned his face away, and said in pain.

"Heh..." Zhu Cuiwei sneered.

Then, she raised her chin, her voice cold and clear.

It's a deal.

...Hmm...Fine...I'll give you a way out...Come on...

Ning Nan's eyes widened, and his mouth opened... He almost gave up on the spot, completely lacking any backbone!

...

...

"Am I inferior to Xiao Chun?"

The night before they were to send Miss Zhu back to Beijing, Ning Nan got completely drunk at Er Lai's house, clutching a wine jar, and angrily slammed his fist on the table.

"Sanzhuang, tell me! Am I more powerful or is Xiao Chun more powerful?!" Ning Nan's face was flushed, and he pointed at Sanzhuang with his right hand.

San Zhuang had just stuffed an egg into his mouth when he heard this and instinctively shook his head quickly, uttering a few unintelligible words through his bulging mouth, seemingly saying, "Big Brother is awesome!"

"Erlai! You say it—" Ning Nan bared his teeth again, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Erlaizi.

Erlai slammed the sharp knife in his hand onto the table!

"Brother! I'll castrate this son of a bitch for you sooner or later!" he shouted through gritted teeth.

"Hmm..." Ning Nan nodded, smiled with satisfaction, but still seemed unsatisfied. He glanced at the third person in the room.

"Wang Fu! What do you think? Am I more powerful, or is your Xiao Chun more powerful?!"

"Who says Xiao Er-zhang is from our family..." Wang Fu, the double agent who came to deliver the message, looked miserable and only dared to sit on one side of his buttock: "Young Master Ning! Of course, you are the most capable..."

Ning Nan grinned widely, laughing loudly. After his laughter subsided, he slumped back in his chair, his eyes somewhat dazed, and smirked, "The camp I built is so powerful... no one can break it... it's more than enough to protect Miss Zhu... that dog Xiao Chun is definitely scared... hehe... he's scared of me... he doesn't dare come..."

Wang Fu remained silent.

At the beginning of Hai hour, Qin Yuanyao arrived. She glanced at the messy room, then stared at Ning Nan, who was lying drunk, before finally turning to Er Lai and San Zhuang expressionlessly and saying, "Tell your eldest brother that I have sent word to the Beijing garrison in Han Ge Zhuang that five hundred men from the Beijing garrison will be dispatched tomorrow at Mao Zheng to escort Miss back to the capital."