131: A Shocking Turn of Events (Part 1)

"Lord Lu, the Grand Chancellor's residence has suddenly closed its gates!"

The Zhou Residence, which normally wouldn't close its gates until deep into the night, had suddenly shut them slowly. They didn't care if there were still officials outside holding visiting cards; they didn't even light the lanterns at the entrance.

"Something's not right..."

Lu Qianyuan gripped his saber and looked up at the sky. It was just nightfall, and a hint of light still lingered, yet the Zhou Residence had bolted its doors and even ushered out those who had already entered.

Although he couldn't hear what they were shouting, it was clear they were quite dissatisfied. Lu Qianyuan's brow furrowed slightly as he turned to instruct the Flying Fish Guards behind him: "Pass down the order for all our hidden posts to get their gear ready. Send someone back to the Pacification Bureau to tell Commander Qianhu to mobilize the archers. And remember, keep it discreet; do not let the Zhou Residence notice anything."

"Once the archers arrive, have them all lie in ambush according to the deployment. If there's even the slightest anomaly in the Zhou Residence, fire immediately!"

Lu Qianyuan didn't know what was wrong with him, but he felt that this slight oddity from the Zhou Residence tonight made him feel exceptionally uneasy.

"I hope I'm just overthinking it..." Lu Qianyuan couldn't help but mutter to himself. "But can that old fellow really make a move just like that? You guys, has there been anything abnormal recently with the City Patrol Command?"

"There's nothing out of the ordinary; there haven't even been any deployment changes in their troop movements," a Flying Fish Guard replied. "Our hidden posts have been watching them constantly, and we have our own people inside. Besides, the garrison stationed outside the capital occasionally visits the City Patrol Command under the pretext of inquiring about defense matters."

After listening, Lu Qianyuan nodded and then continued to ask: "Then what about the merchants coming in and out of the capital lately... forget it, asking this is a bit redundant."

As soon as Lu Qianyuan asked, he felt he was being foolish. As the capital of Daxing, how could the number of people passing through the four gates daily be anything less than tens of thousands?

With so many people coming and going, even with daily inspections and questioning, it wasn't difficult to forge an identity. Not to mention the many merchants from other regions who came to the capital to sell their local specialties.

If Zhou Chutian truly intended to do something, or if he had men disguised as merchants sneaking into the capital, it wouldn't be difficult for someone with his connections to bribe the soldiers guarding the city gates.

"Right, one more thing!" Thinking of this, Lu Qianyuan suddenly called back the Flying Fish Guard who was about to return to the Pacification Bureau. "Report to Commander Qianhu that it might be necessary to notify the troops stationed outside the city to be on alert simultaneously."

"This... Centurion Lord, I'm afraid that might be inappropriate?" The Flying Fish Guard looked at him with a face full of surprise. "It's fine for us to stir things up on our end, but the Imperial Guard and the troops outside the city require The Emperor's token or Duke Shen's manual order... Even if Commander Qianhu sends word, they wouldn't dare act without orders. Moreover..."

The Flying Fish Guard stopped himself before finishing his sentence. Although the Pacification Bureau was backed by imperial authority, its role was ultimately to monitor officials. If Fang Wenbo were truly to do this, it would be more than just overstepping his bounds.

If something actually happened, it would be one thing, but if nothing was wrong, such a massive mobilization would be a crime that even someone like Zhao Jiguang, the Pacification Commissioner, couldn't afford to answer for—let alone a newly promoted Centurion like Lu Qianyuan.

This was no small matter. Was it really necessary to go to such extremes just because the Zhou Residence closed its doors?

"Tch, I also hope I'm overthinking it..." Lu Qianyuan lightly pressed the hilt of his saber. "Fine, just tell Commander Qianhu what I said. Say it's just a momentary suspicion of mine. In short... just report it like that!"

Lu Qianyuan was also wondering if he was making a mountain out of a molehill. Though it was a minor thing, it still... made him feel quite apprehensive.

Hearing this, the Flying Fish Guard said no more. After he left, Lu Qianyuan's unease didn't dissipate; instead, it grew even more intense.

"No, I'm going to personally check the courtyards near the Zhou Residence." Lu Qianyuan couldn't rest easy. "Two of you stay here and keep watching. I'm going on a patrol!"

Lu Qianyuan led his men down the small building. Just as they stepped out the door, they ran straight into an old woman carrying a basket. Because Lu Qianyuan was in such a hurry, he didn't see her.

"Oh my!"

The old woman cried out and nearly fell. Seeing this, Lu Qianyuan grabbed her hand to steady her: "Apologies, apologies. I was in a rush and didn't see you."

"Oh, Officer, this old woman didn't mean to bump into you!" When the old woman saw the flying fish robe Lu Qianyuan was wearing, her face turned pale as if she had lost her soul. "I'm just walking the streets to sell some buns and snacks; I truly didn't mean to offend you, Officer!"

"Don't worry, I am on official duty and will not harm the people," Lu Qianyuan explained softly, seeing the old woman's panic. At the same time, his eyes glanced at the ground where buns and boiled eggs had rolled out of the basket. "Here is some silver; take it."

As he spoke, Lu Qianyuan took out a coin pouch from his robes and gave all his loose silver to the old woman: "Take this. Consider it as me buying all these buns and eggs. Go home early; it's best not to wander the streets these next two days."

"No, no, no, Officer, how could I?" The old woman waved her hands hurriedly. "This is too much. My things aren't worth this much money!"

"It's fine, just take it." Lu Qianyuan placed the pouch in her hand. "Oh, right, you should leave quickly, later..."

Before Lu Qianyuan could finish, a dagger suddenly plunged into his chest. The old woman gripped his left hand tightly, a sliver of a smile appearing on her face: "The Officer is truly generous, but I would much rather have the Officer's life..."

"It's getting late. Jingzhong, with the Special Imperial Examination approaching, you should rest early."

Ning Wuya looked at Tang Jingzhong, who was buried in paperwork at the desk across from him, and couldn't help but rub his temples. "I'm old, not like you young people. I used to be the same, working until midnight, but now that I'm old, I've developed all sorts of ailments."

"The Grand Chancellor is joking; I still have much to learn from you." Tang Jingzhong finished writing the last character before setting his brush aside. "It's thanks to the Consort's Son-in-Law coming here, otherwise those candidates wouldn't have settled down."

"Yes, even so, I still feel the Consort's Son-in-Law is too extreme." Ning Wuya was always blunt, which was why the current and previous Emperors held him in such high regard. "It's just that the court sometimes needs such extreme people. Er, Jingzhong, there's a question I've always been curious about."

"Please ask, as long as I know the answer."

"Regarding that killing in the market back then, did you guys not try to stop the Consort's Son-in-Law?"

“Sir, you're joking.” Tang Jingzhong laughed somewhat helplessly. “You saw him order the shooting of those candidates; do you think he would have stopped if I tried to persuade him?”

“Sigh, it's just a pity.” Ning Wuya shook his head. “The Consort's Son-in-Law was also a Juren originally. I specifically looked up his examination papers; his essays were truly well-written, and his insights were very unique.”

“Sir, if that were the case, I'm afraid many cases in the Pacification Bureau this year wouldn't have gone so smoothly.”

Everyone understood the logic, but Tang Jingzhong never believed that just because he studied, he had to follow the path of a scholar. During the exam fraud scandal, he had even wanted to join the army in a fit of rage. Though Tang Jingzhong wasn't as good as Lu Qianyuan, and certainly couldn't compare to monsters like Mo Yingqi.

However, in the Pacification Bureau, his martial arts skills were among the best. The only flaw was that Tang Jingzhong was a master of Baguazhang but wasn't skilled with weapons; his saber techniques could only be described as mediocre, far less lethal than his close-quarters combat.

“Very well, it's getting late. If you're not in a hurry, I've ordered the servants to bring some Yangchun noodles and side dishes. Let's eat together before heading back.” Ning Wuya looked out the door. “They should be here soon. You can take my carriage later; I'll give you a lift on the way.”

“In that case, I thank the Grand Chancellor.”

Just as they finished speaking, a servant from the Ning Residence arrived with a food box. The two ate their noodles and chatted briefly about the upcoming imperial examinations before leaving the Imperial Academy together.

Outside the side gate, the Ning Residence carriage was already waiting. Seeing Ning Wuya come out, the driver hurried over to bow and placed the mounting stool in front of the carriage.

“My Lords, would you like to buy some snacks?”

An old man dressed in simple cloth clothes, leaning on a cane and carrying a basket, walked over slowly. “It's late. This old man is walking the streets to sell some pastries. Please, My Lords, have some mercy and buy some so I can go home early?”

Tang Jingzhong frowned, scrutinizing the old man. There were indeed such elderly people in the capital who sold food on the streets at night, and some would indeed frequent the areas near government offices, waiting for officials on night duty to patronize them.

However, when these people did business near the offices, they usually just waited to one side and wouldn't dare approach to ask. Officials were officials, and this was the capital; how could ordinary citizens dare to take the initiative to bother them?

“Very well, I'll take some back for my family.” Ning Wuya spoke first, reaching for his coin pouch. “Jingzhong, you get in the carriage first. I'll join you after I pay.”

“No, Sir, I will wait here.”

Even as Tang Jingzhong spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the old man under the light of the Imperial Academy's lanterns. Just as Ning Wuya was about to hand the money to the old man, Tang Jingzhong suddenly struck the old man's right wrist with a fierce palm. The sound of metal hitting the ground rang out in the silent night as a sharp short sword fell from his sleeve.

“Protect the Grand Chancellor!”

Tang Jingzhong pulled Ning Wuya behind him and immediately kicked toward the old man's chest. However, the old man shrank back with an extremely strange posture, dodging Tang Jingzhong's kick.

“Stop shouting, Sir. I'm afraid those bailiffs from the Imperial Academy won't be coming out for a while.” The old man patted the dust off his clothes. “I knew the Pacification Bureau Clerk Tang Jingzhong had good martial arts and excellent palm techniques, but I didn't expect your alertness to be so high as well.”

“Heh, you're joking. If you can't hide your tracks, how can you be a thief?” Tang Jingzhong stood in front of Ning Wuya, assuming a defensive stance. “With hands so clean, you don't look like an old man who sells snacks on the streets...”

“Ha, quite true.” The old man's originally hunched back slowly straightened as he loosened his limbs. He drew a short blade from his robes. “Clerk Tang, no matter how good your skills are, you can protect yourself, but can you protect the defenseless Grand Chancellor behind you?”

“That is none of your concern.”

As Tang Jingzhong spoke, his left hand slowly reached behind his back to signal Ning Wuya. Ning Wuya understood; staying here would only be a burden. But just as the Grand Chancellor was about to move, a throwing knife suddenly thudded into the carriage.

“Sir, since I dared to come, you should know I'm not alone.” The old man grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. “Apologies, but you and the first-rank Grand Secretary Ning behind you—neither of you is leaving!”

In a small abandoned temple on the outskirts of the capital, Xie Qingfeng was tending a fire, roasting sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

“Tch, luckily I swiped some seasonings from my disciple's Estate.” Xie Qingfeng spread out a large leaf. While peeling the piping hot potato, he sprinkled salt and pepper from his robes onto it. “I said, can you let me finish eating? Also, the one who came to kill me isn't that thief priest? What kind of things are you?”

Outside the dilapidated open door, several men in black stood motionless, holding their swords in reverse grips. Xie Qingfeng glanced up and then suddenly laughed: “Seven people, tch... the School of Quanzhen has really fallen, taking on any dirty job now, eh?”

“Old Layman, do not speak nonsense. We...”

“Stop fucking pretending. You don't even know how to hide your tracks and you're trying to play assassin?” Xie Qingfeng cursed with a mouthful of potato. “Next time you do this dirty work, change your swords. You're still fucking carrying Quanzhen sabers. And... your Quanzhen is best at the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Array, and exactly seven people showed up. I'm afraid I wasn't your target to begin with!”

“To be honest, we didn't come here to kill the Old Layman, but to ask the Old Layman... to lend us a hand!”

“...Say what?”

Xie Qingfeng looked surprised, but his expression wasn't as shocked as the old woman who tried to assassinate Lu Qianyuan. That dagger was sharp enough to cut a hair, yet it couldn't pierce Lu Qianyuan's chest!

“I knew something was wrong with you. There isn't a single callus on your hands; you must have treated them so people wouldn't notice these are hands that hold weapons!”

Lu Qianyuan grabbed both her hands with immense strength. The old woman felt as if she were being held by iron pincers.

“Don't be nervous. My family has been in the Border Army for generations; I'd be dead if I didn't have some defensive measures!” Lu Qianyuan sneered. “A gold silk soft armor—it cost my grandfather a fortune. If I didn't play dumb, would you have fallen into the trap so easily?”

“Uh, Centurion Lord, weren't you actually the one who was tricked?”

“...Get lost!”