"Greetings, senior!" Xie Daoyun bowed gracefully, a hint of joy on her face. Unlike other places, the disciples of the academy have a strong sense of belonging to the academy, and they are naturally closer to their fellow alumni than to ordinary people.
The officials initially thought Xie Daoyun was just a close female friend that Zu An had brought along. Many even thought that this Marquis Shen was really bold, daring to bring a beautiful young woman along when carrying out imperial duties, and not afraid of being impeached by the censor in the capital when he returned.
Now that they know she is Yan Xiangu's last disciple, they immediately think more highly of her and greet her warmly, while also inquiring about Yan Xiangu's recent situation.
As the empire's foremost rune master, Yan Xiangu has created countless formations, whether in the imperial palace, local government offices, or military camps.
Officials in the court considered it an honor to possess a magical artifact or a piece of calligraphy by Master Yan. Unfortunately, Yan Xiangu rarely sold his works to private individuals, making them increasingly precious.
Local officials like those in Yi County don't even have the hope of being qualified to obtain Master Yan's works. But now they have the opportunity to get to know her closed-door disciple. Once they establish a good relationship, they might have the chance to get some magical artifacts from her in the future. Even if they can't compare to Master Yan, as her closed-door disciple, she will become a master sooner or later.
Considering the connections involved, how could these officials not be eager to please?
Seeing that Zu An seemed to admire Liao Ling quite a bit, Zhang Zijiang and Wang Bolin naturally wouldn't be so stubborn as to cause him trouble. Instead, they took the opportunity to praise Xie Daoyun in various ways, which in their view meant currying favor with Zu An.
Overwhelmed by their praise, even the usually demure Xie Daoyun found it hard to keep up and instinctively shrank behind Zu An.
Seeing this, the old foxes in the officialdom exchanged glances, realizing that this Miss Xie had a close relationship with Zu An.
Fortunately, the sound of rapid hoofbeats relieved her embarrassment. Everyone turned to look and saw a pair of black-armored knights rapidly approaching. Each knight was riding a magnificent horse and wearing bright, imposing armor. In terms of equipment, they were in no way inferior to the Emperor's personal guards and the Imperial Guards.
Upon seeing that group of people, Prefect Zhang Jie of Yi County involuntarily frowned.
Noticing this scene, Zu An's expression was somewhat amused. It seemed that the relationship between the local officials of Yi County and the Prince of Yan's mansion was not so harmonious.
He recognized the attire of the arriving men; they were black-armored cavalry from the Prince of Yan's mansion, and he himself had a blood feud with the leader for the murder of his son.
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