Chapter 43

Even Song Yuanzhuo, who had only recently entered the city, was ruled out as a suspect. Wen Tao really had no idea who had left this footprint in the hall of the government office.

The other party took the secret letter, and then what?

The letters contained his contact with the person above him. Even if someone were to take them and publish them to the world, who could guarantee the authenticity of those secret letters?

He could easily deny it and accuse the other party of forgery!

The wrinkles, some deep and some shallow, like cracked tree bark, suddenly came to life on his face.

He had to eliminate the other party before things escalated completely in order to ensure his career and life remained unscathed.

Wen Tao composed himself, beckoned the guards outside, and ordered in a deep voice, "Tomorrow I will personally go to Guangfu Temple to burn incense and pray to Buddha, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in Anyang Prefecture. Go and give the order."

The guards, accustomed to obeying orders, immediately cupped their hands in greeting and replied, "Yes, sir!"

However, just as he took a step, he suddenly heard a short shout from above: "Wait!"

Wen Tao's expression shifted between light and dark, and after a long while, he uttered a few cold words with a pale face: "Let Song Yuanzhuo go along as well."

The guard reacted slowly for a moment and a half, then realized his lapse in composure and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your subordinate understands."

The news spread quickly to the Wen family residence.

Cui Pei confirmed the message with the servant several times before smiling and politely seeing him off.

With just a turn of his head, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by clear black and white pupils and an exceptionally gloomy expression.

"Boss, Wen Tao is clearly here for you. Could it be that he's discovered something?"

Cui Pei was thinking that Anyang was not Jijing after all; it was not their territory. If the mission was exposed, they might not be able to leave Anyang alive.

The Xiaolong Guards are far away in Jijing. Even if they wanted to rescue them, it would take several days for them to come and go, so they wouldn't be able to come in time to rescue them. Instead, they would be able to collect the bodies.

"impossible."

Two lanterns hang under the eaves of the main house in the side courtyard. It's unclear how long they've been hanging there, exposed to wind and rain, as the fabric of the lanterns has faded.

The light and shadow of the two lanterns intertwined in a complex way on the ground, and the young man's figure was divided into several bright and dark shadows by the dim light, making him seem even more elusive.

"If he really discovered something, would you and I still be standing here unharmed?"

Cui Pei seemed to have taken a reassuring pill, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. In an instant, she raised her lips and said, "That old fellow Wen Tao is too cunning. Does he suspect you?"

“That’s normal. After all, Song Yuanzhuo is just a cousin of the Wen family, and the theft at the government office happened shortly after we entered the city. Wen Tao couldn’t find the owner of the footprint, so his attention naturally went to us.”

Cui Peimeng scoffed, then tentatively asked, "So, are we still going tomorrow?"

"Go." Pei Lingjun raised an eyebrow slightly. "The time to show your loyalty has come, why not go?"

Cui Pei was about to say that he would go with him, but Pei Lingjun spoke first, "Tomorrow, I alone will be enough to accompany Wen Tao. Too many people will only arouse his suspicion. As for you, just keep a close watch on Zhu Zijin and don't let him cause trouble."

Cui Pei swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Just as he nodded and turned around, Pei Lingjun suddenly stopped him again, "Cui Pei, what Zhu Zijin said today, you told him, didn't you?"

"!!"

Zhu Zijin arrived so late, how could he possibly know what happened at the medicine shop? And what about Wen Shu being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall?

It could only be that someone leaked these things to him.