Yangzhou Six

Walking on the tree-lined path of Dayin Temple, Aruo felt a sense of clarity as if he had seen the light of day again. All the fatigue from the past few days seemed to be melted away by the soft Buddha's light, no, it was the sunlight.

"Shuangshuang is too cruel. With the accounts of the past year, if she were in modern times, she would definitely be an outstanding capitalist." Although she is still an outstanding member of the upper class of the feudal class. Aruo leisurely put his hands behind his back and jumped slowly, "It's been so long since I last calculated. Fortunately, I haven't gotten rusty. I haven't been here for a few days. I wonder if Su Feng is feeling better. Yiyuan will definitely nag me."

It was quite irresponsible to abandon the person in Dayin Temple, but Yiyuan had no objection when he knew that it was Qin Shuang who detained the person.

Since they met, none of them could fight against Qin Shuang. The difference was that before, they were afraid of Miss Qin Shuang, but now they are afraid of Madam Qi Qin Shuang.

"You haven't been able to take up the mantle of husband for several years. Your future is uncertain." No wonder you haven't had any children after being married for several years. Aruo jumped two steps as he predicted the future for his senior brother while shaking his head.

There were four landing sounds.

Ba blinked, and Aruo slowly turned around. No one was behind him. He glanced around, but no one was there. He took two more leaps, landing on the ground with four thuds. "Echo...echo?"

Feeling a chill down his spine, Aruo glanced at the Buddha bell not far away and said, "There shouldn't be any evil spirits causing trouble at the Buddha's feet, right?"

If it wasn't a ghost, then it must be... Swallowing, Aruo involuntarily quickened her pace. The footsteps behind her were hurried, coming from far and near, but when she turned around, she saw no one. For a moment, it seemed as if the entire path was filled with eerie noises. Aruo grew increasingly timid and couldn't help but break into a jog.

From afar, I saw the semi-arc door of Yiyuan's bedroom being opened from the inside, and a man in a white round-necked robe stepped out of the threshold, his figure tall and straight.

"Su Feng!" Aruo grabbed the hem of her skirt and ran towards him.

Su Zirui looked up. The girl was wearing an apricot-colored, chest-length skirt and a half-sleeved blouse. The hem of her skirt fluttered like a butterfly as she fluttered into his arms. Her steady heartbeat suddenly became unstable in the blink of an eye. Her eyebrows were gentle. She extended her arms to embrace the person whose breath was unstable, and looked down into her slightly panicked eyes. "What's wrong?"

"That," Aruo pointed over there hurriedly, "someone wants to arrest me."

He glanced over there coldly, turned around and led the person into the door.

"Did you see it? Did you see it? Is it a human?" Aruo wanted to see but didn't dare to stick her head out. She grabbed the clothes on his chest and asked with her head down.

The deserted path was peaceful and quiet, with only the occasional falling leaf. Su Zirui patted her head and said, "It's okay, maybe it's the monks cleaning."

"I was scared to death. It kept following me and I couldn't see it when I turned back... It wasn't a ghost even in broad daylight." Aruo raised her eyes, pouted her lips and complained aggrievedly. She was not afraid of ghosts, but she was afraid of people who couldn't see their deep meaning.

"Well, don't be afraid." Su Zirui stroked her hair gently. The girl didn't braid her hair today. Her hair swayed with her and wrapped around his fingers.

She must have eaten dessert before going out. The sweet fragrance of peaches lingered in her arms, like the surface of a lake being lightly touched, creating subtle ripples.

Finally coming to her senses, Aruo realized the ambiguity of their posture. She was almost completely nestled in his arms, her hands still wrapped around his narrow waist. Her body stiffened instantly, and Aruo coughed uncomfortably, gently pushing him away. "Well... thank you."

Watching her with interest, even though her ears were red but she remained calm, Su Zirui asked gently, "Have you settled the accounts?"

Yiyuan and Caixin had both expressed pity for the person in front of him. Su Zirui couldn't help but feel a little curious about the eldest daughter of the Qin family, who was very capable but extremely protective of her child.

How could such a person allow the people she was protecting to suffer outside?

"You know everything?" Aruo kicked the hem of her skirt embarrassedly. "I didn't mean to leave you here. I just have a lot going on these days. But I sent a message to Fatty Fang, asking him to send Old Xue over quickly."

Su Zirui smiled. This girl always liked to say when she was upset, "Don't worry, although I haven't recovered yet, I'm just a little dizzy."

He didn't sound alright... Ruo stared at his pale face, feeling a surge of guilt. She'd saved him, yet she'd left him here... Yiyuan hadn't taken good care of him, I don't even know if he'd given him anything to eat. Seeing the man, previously so arrogant, sarcastic, and sardonic, now so easy to talk to, Ruo felt a surge of discomfort and guilt.

This is clearly a transformation that can only occur among the rich second generation who have endured the beatings of society and human nature.

"Auntie said that your poison is very strong. The longer you delay, the greater the damage to your body... Why don't you care?" Aruo muttered and handed over the food box in his hand.

"It's just that I can't use my internal energy." Su Zirui looked a little tired, and his tone seemed weak.

The subtle, almost inaudible sound made his ears twitch slightly, and his eyes turned ironic. He reached out his hand, crossed the food box, and directly grasped her wrist, leading her into the house. "You won't be able to use it in the temple these days."

Ah Ruo looked at his long fingers holding her wrist and followed him blankly, a little confused in her eyes, "That... food box."

"What's wrong?" Su Zirui looked back at her with a frank expression.

As they walked into the room, he let go of her hand and placed the food box on the table. Opening it, Su Zirui frowned slightly and asked in a somewhat awkward tone, "Sweet?"

His wrist felt a little hot. Was he still feverish? Aruo put his hands behind his back uncomfortably, and only came to his senses when he saw the lunch box opened.

"This is delicious!" Her eyes sparkled when she mentioned the food. "I added honey to it, and it's the perfect dip."

"And drizzle it with honey?" The sweet aroma of honey is fragrant, and the appearance is indeed delicious, but the greasy taste is also daunting.

"High-quality ingredients, simple cooking." Aruo thought he thought it was easy to eat, so he picked it up neatly. "I learned how to make this pork elbow from an old lady who runs a roujiamo shop in Xining. You'll never forget the taste."

The girl with a sweet smile held the plate in front of her face, her curved eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, hiding the tiny stars in her eyes.

"I really can't forget it..." Su Zirui whispered suddenly.

"What?" Aruo was confused.

Smiling and shaking his head, Su Ziru pulled her over to sit down and said, "Let's eat together."

Aruo shook her head, she had already eaten.

"Hmm," Su Zirui suddenly frowned and covered his abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Aruo was startled and quickly reached out to support him. She remembered that he had been stabbed. "Has the wound split open again?"

"It just hurts a little..." Su Zirui whispered, pulling her to sit down, "It's okay, don't worry."

This frail look is really...uncomfortable. A Ruo moistened her lips and said, "Well, Su Feng, eat more. Auntie said you need to nourish yourself well."

Although she thought she should bring some fruit, after hearing what the old lady said, she just brought pork elbow, which should be able to replenish collagen and help the wound heal.

The hand holding the chopsticks paused, and Su Zirui glanced at her meaningfully, "Let's eat together."

"No, I don't want to..."

"You thought so." Su Zirui said gently, picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and handed it over, "Open your mouth."

Aruo, who had recently become accustomed to being fed, opened her mouth and took a bite without thinking. She stared blankly into his slightly startled eyes, and her mind suddenly cleared up. What had she done...

Her front teeth were clenched on the chopsticks, neither eating nor spitting. What was even worse was that she seemed to have only brought a pair of chopsticks. Carefully biting off the soft and fragrant meat, Aruo tried to remain calm. "Excuse me, Su... Master Su, I'll go to the kitchen to get you a pair of chopsticks."

Damn it! Even in the less conservative Da Qi, sharing a pair of chopsticks was considered intimate. How could she be so unguarded? Aruo was so embarrassed she almost dug a huge hole to bury herself, or bury the person across from her.

Su Zirui wanted to laugh, but the girl in front of him was almost blushing to her neck. To prevent her from getting angry and running away again, he decided to suppress his laughter and wiped her mouth with the handkerchief prepared in the lunch box. "It's okay."

He used the chopsticks she had used to eat to pick up the meat and put it into his mouth. His movements were graceful and calm. Aruo felt inexplicably hot and even her heartbeat seemed to become wild.

Looking around unconsciously, Aruo suddenly asked, "Su Feng, are you here to check that?"

"Which one?"

"It's... the Salt Administration." Aruo was afraid that someone might be listening. Although this was Yiyuan's territory, who knew if all those monks were his people? He leaned over and whispered.

Su Zirui raised his eyebrows, a smile flashed across his eyes, his expression remained indifferent, and he leaned slightly closer to her, "What do you mean?"

When talking about other things, Aruo was not so nervous anymore and didn't even notice him approaching.

"You're a fourth-rank official at the imperial court, with Beili and the others by your side. You've sustained such a serious injury, yet nothing has leaked out. Furthermore, you haven't even gone to the authorities, which suggests you were secretly investigating, and it's likely that an official injured you." Jianghu gangs couldn't really reach the Baiyan Gang's territory, so Aruo believed the perpetrators were likely officials. "Every official is corrupt, and with the wealth of Jiangnan, there's more to be corrupted. Especially since Yangzhou is the salt capital, it's unconscionable not to share in such a huge pie."

Even a commoner could see through it, yet there were still people in the court who thought it was a false accusation? Su Zirui scoffed, "Official secrets, no comment."

"I am your savior." Aruo pointed at his chest and abdomen with his index finger.

"Do you want me to marry you?" Su Zirui asked seriously.

His expression was tangled for a moment, and Aruo withdrew his hand unhappily, "I don't want it."

Su Zirui raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, but said nothing.

"Didn't you just recover the disaster relief money? Does the Ministry of Justice also have KPIs? There's not even a day off." Being an official these days is hard, and there isn't much pay. No wonder those local officials in Jiangnan even dared to touch private salt.

"What?" Su Zirui didn't hear the girl's mumbling clearly.

Holding her face with her hands, she watched him eat for a while, still unwilling to give up. "Can't you really say just a little bit? Just a little bit."

Aruo made a little gesture with two fingers and looked at him expectantly.

"Not even a little bit, not at all." Su Zirui put down his chopsticks, looking businesslike.

Tch... Aruo lowered his eyes, it seemed that he could not get any inside information from him.

"You better behave yourself and stay out of these things." The salt administration has too many implications, and it would be bad if she got dragged into it. Besides, his goal wasn't to deal with such trivial matters. Thinking of her history of getting into trouble, Su Zirui couldn't help but remind her.

"Didn't you get involved too?" Aruo frowned, "and ended up with injuries all over your body."

"It's okay." There was dissatisfaction in her eyes, which made Su Zirui feel uncomfortable.

As Aruo looked at the man before him, he felt a little different. His features were still as cold, but the aloofness in his eyes and brows seemed less pronounced. And...was he smiling more often? He always sneered or sneered, so why did he seem a little... gentler now? Aruo shuddered at his own thoughts.

"What's wrong?" The girl suddenly widened her eyes like a frightened rabbit. Su Zirui couldn't help but ask curiously.

Shaking his head blankly, Aruo carefully observed his micro-expressions. There was a smile on the corner of his mouth and his expression was gentle. This man was as gentle as jade, completely different from his previous noble and indifferent demeanor. It seemed that the temperament emanating from the inside out made people want to get close to him.

Any change in a person must have come after a major setback. But Aunt Song had examined his pulse and the injuries were clear. Could it be that... after this serious injury, he finally realized that his usual life wasn't quite right? Or perhaps he realized that in crucial moments, character was everything, so he let go of his high tailbone and opted for a more approachable approach?

This idea was even more terrifying. At least Aruo couldn't imagine the scene of the present Yama interrogating someone gently with a single blow.

"Do you want to eat more?" Su Zirui looked at her with amusement as she kept staring at him, and handed her a piece of meat with chopsticks.

As if habitually opening her mouth slightly, Aruo suddenly came back to her senses, her fair cheeks flushed crimson, and she covered her face with her hands in shame. She stood up quickly and said hurriedly, "The medicine is at the bottom of the box, you should rest well!"

Without waiting for his answer, Aruo grabbed the hem of her skirt and ran out quickly. Su Zirui was stunned for a moment and then laughed.

"So this is so interesting." His slender fingers pointed at the different bottles of medicine hidden under the food box. The bottles were covered in tiny yellow paper with their various effects written on them. Su Zirui's eyes were gentle, his tone indifferent, yet there was a strange tenderness in his voice.

"grown ups."

The slender figure landed lightly on the ground, and the man in night clothes saluted respectfully.

"Here I am." The jade-like figure in white, twirling the Buddhist beads in his hand, sat by the window disinterestedly, looking over with a hint of disdain in his eyes, "Beili, you've gained weight."

Beili, who had just recovered from his injury, lowered his head silently, thankful that the night had concealed some of his embarrassment.

It was all because he hid at his third brother-in-law's house to avoid being seen. His third sister made a fuss about giving him tonics every day... If he didn't hear from the adults anymore, he would become the young master Fang of Sizhou.

That's a guy who can't get a wife! Bei Li broke out in a cold sweat, "Sir, please stop teasing me."

Su Zirui casually threw the Buddhist beads on the table, bent one leg, and looked at him with his chin propped up. "How's it going?"

"Everything is as your Excellency expected. Qi Qi has already arrived in Beijing, and Old Su will surely make some movement soon. The others have also started to move around. As for the officers who died on the ship, I have already found someone to properly settle their families." Beili recounted what had happened recently. Thinking of the man in front of him who had been seriously injured and missing in order to protect him and Qi Qi, the seven-foot-tall man's throat choked a little. "This time, we were lucky to meet Aruo who came to our aid, otherwise the situation would have been dangerous. Your Excellency, there will be no next time. I am inferior in skills and I should bear the consequences. How can I let your Excellency take the blame for us..."

"If they're all dead, who will work for me?" Su Zirui interrupted him lazily, "Don't mention this again."

How could the people from the Ministry of Justice be killed so easily by those minions?

"The Ministry of Justice in the capital... Can Mr. Chen still hold on?" He took several people away at once. The Ministry of Justice has always had a lot of official business, and Minister Chen is old and it is not known whether he can handle it all now.

"Mr. Chen has returned to the Ministry of Justice to take charge, and Doctor Cui and others are also capable of handling the current situation. What Mr. Chen meant is that this matter is of great importance, and you should be careful not to get too involved." Beili dutifully reported the meaning of his superiors and did not dare to speculate too much.

Su Zirui curled his lips slightly. He certainly knew what the old man meant. Minister Chen had experienced two dynasties and naturally knew how to pierce the undercurrents amidst the internecine strife and protect himself.

"Where is Zhu Jiazhen?" Su Zirui seemed to have just remembered this person.

"He previously denounced the salt merchants and caused some conflicts with the Marquis of Dingbei, involving the Luo family. He is still imprisoned, but I believe he will be released soon."

The more fish there are to catch, the more they can catch. It was Zhu Jiazhen's actions that prevented Dingbei Hou from grasping their whereabouts. Now that the people in the capital have taken action, even if Dingbei Hou guessed their destination, he would not be able to find them for a moment.

"Speaking of which, all of this was planned so promptly, thanks to your foresight, sir. You traced the source of the 100,000 official silver coins to a high-ranking official in the northwest..."

Thinking of the origin of this clue, Su Zirui was rarely speechless. "It's more luck than foresight."

The theft of 100,000 yuan in government silver was merely a drop in the bucket; the hidden truth was the military pay in the northwest. There was no trace of anything connected, but a hungry girl in the mountains asked him to shoot a fat pigeon, which led to the interception of important information. Who could have imagined that his actions were all motivated by eating a carrier pigeon?

Beili was stunned, thinking his master was being modest. Remembering the latest news, his face darkened. "Lord Lin, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, has already arrived in Yangzhou, and... Marquis Dingbei is also heading south."

Su Zirui's brows knitted slightly, and his expression changed slightly. "He's here again?"

While the current emperor isn't inherently suspicious, the Marquis of Dingbei has been in the northwest for four years, establishing a close relationship with General Ning, who is entrenched there. Now that he's finally returned to the capital, how could he allow someone to meddle in these matters without first confirming the details? Furthermore, the Luo family isn't entirely innocent in this matter.

"I heard that it was Concubine Luo who begged for mercy." Beili also heard about it from his third sister. Although his third sister married far away in the south of the Yangtze River, she still enjoyed the gossip in the capital. Perhaps she was the most suitable person for the Ministry of Justice.

"He's such a troublemaker..." Su Zirui smiled faintly, not wanting to worry about his debts. "The salt administration case is easy to investigate, but since these nobles are interested, it would be unreasonable not to help."

Bei Li felt a chill run down his spine again when he heard his words. It had been three or four years since his master had been so eager to help... The last time he said this, he had massacred the entire village...

"Ahem, Aruo isn't the kind of girl who likes to meddle in other people's business. Why is she interested in the salt administration?" Beili changed the subject. He knew that these two girls rarely took the initiative to meddle in other people's affairs. "Could it be because of the Qin family?"

During this period of secret investigation, it was found that the Qin family's Baiyan Gang had quite a lot of dealings with these salt merchants and salt transporters.

"No, maybe it's because of me." Su Zirui replied absentmindedly.

Bei Li was stunned, his expression a bit silly, unable to react. He couldn't help but scratch his ears, thinking that he must have heard correctly. He remembered the many times that Aruo had left without a trace of regret... and the gloomy face of his master when he found out that he had left.

No, that shouldn't be the case. Bei Li thought about it in his mind but didn't dare to say it out loud.

Su Zirui glanced at his dumbfounded subordinate with a half-smile, then leaned against the windowsill. The bluish-white moonlight shone on him from outside the window, and his whole body seemed to be covered with a soft veil.

Half of his handsome face was hidden in the moonlight, and his expression was unfathomable.