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"General!" Zhou Cong's voice came from outside the door as Jiang Jin was feeling drowsy.
"General Wei, it's good that you're alright. Without you, Bianzhou would be in complete chaos." Wang Juesong's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He lost all strength when he saw Wei Shu, and several servants from the governor's mansion behind him quickly supported him.
"Governor Wang, I was indeed assassinated. I imagine you are quite familiar with the assassin." Jiang Jin sat in the inner room, resting his chin on his hand, listening to Wei Shu trying to deceive Wang Juesong.
“This…” Wang Juesong looked around, a chill creeping into his heart. “Please enlighten me, General Wei.”
"Zhou Cong, please tell Governor Wang about the results of your investigation." Wei Shu sat on the futon, blocking Jiang Jin's view.
"When we arrived, we only found the secret order on a few people. Later, news came from the capital that a group of people had headed towards Bocheng two days ago, but disappeared after leaving the city. It's possible that these are assassins, and judging from the swords they were carrying, they weren't ordinary soldiers." Zhou Cong glanced at Wei Shu and didn't continue.
"Governor Wang, why don't you guess who's behind this?" Wei Shu tapped the ground with his left hand, making a thud, which made Wang Juesong even more uneasy.
"This... I am foolish and humbly request General Wei's clarification." Wang Juesong wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Why don't you investigate what your family is doing in the capital? It's better for you to find out yourself than for me to tell you. Or you could calmly observe what's been happening in the court these past few days." Wei Shu stood up and patted Wang Juesong on the shoulder.
"I don't want to live in fear, so I don't want anyone else to know that I'm alright except for a few of you." Wei Shu's dagger landed repeatedly on Wang Juesong's shoulder.
"Then we must report back to His Majesty," Wang Juesong swallowed hard and asked in a low voice.
“Prefect Wang, is His Majesty someone else in your heart?” Wei Shu sneered. “Prefect Wang, go back and think it over. Zhou Cong will escort you back, remember not to let anyone discover your whereabouts.”
"Yes, General." After putting down Wei Shu's belongings, Zhou Cong led Wang Juesong into the pitch-black night.
"Jiang Jin, we should leave." Wei Shu called out from behind the curtain, applying the medicine Zhou Cong had brought.
"Where are we going?" Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu with a puzzled expression. "Whether we go to a village or a town, we have to go through a checkpoint, but we didn't have time to retrieve our checkpoints."
“So I had Zhou Cong prepare everything.” Wei Shu took out two travel permits from his bundle. “I prepared several travel permits before we left the capital, so we can enter the countryside.”
"But when you asked me to write a letter to Zhou Cong, you didn't mention 'Suo,' so there must be a code in it?" Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu in surprise.
"I always thought the Imperial Guards were either very upright or very cunning, but I never expected you guys to have such ulterior motives."
“This is the imperial court. Do you think it’s like listening to music or watching a play, where everything is clear and straightforward?” Wei Shu opened the bundle and handed a brand-new set of clothes to Jiang Jin. “Hurry up and change into these clothes. We should be able to reach Zhuxi County by traveling through the night. We can rest there after that.”
"Why the rush? Logically speaking, the Wang family shouldn't have sent anyone so soon." Jiang Jin quickly took off her dirty clothes through the curtain.
"To mobilize so many secret guards, it would require the consent of many people in the clan. I think most of them were secretly raised by the Wang family head himself."
"So we killed so many of his people. What was originally a little bit of killing intent should now be a lot more."
Wei Shu had also changed into his brocade robe. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the colors of their clothes were remarkably similar. Without saying anything more, Wei Shu quickly took Jiang Jin's hand and walked towards the path.
"That seems to make sense, but he brought this on himself." Jiang Jin grasped Wei Shu's hand, and the two walked through the night, the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind.
"Jiang Jin, you don't seem scared at all," Wei Shu asked, watching Jiang Jin stride confidently ahead.
"That's right. I have B1 and B2 protection, and my archery skills are superb. Those who should be afraid are the ones with ulterior motives." Jiang Jin had always known that ability was the foundation of one's standing.
"I mean, aren't you afraid of those supernatural things?" Wei Shu asked, looking into Jiang Jin's eyes, while the sound of wind rustling behind them could be heard.
“I have never done anything wrong.” Jiang Jin yawned and looked at Wei Shu. “But General Wei should think carefully about whether he will be knocked on the door by a ghost in the middle of the night.”
At cockcrow, Jiang Jin and Wei Shu finally arrived in Zhuxi County. A bustling market appeared before Jiang Jin, but intense drowsiness nearly overwhelmed her.
"Hurry and find an inn, I need to rest!" Jiang Jin's eyes were getting heavy and she could barely keep them open. Wei Shu could only pat her face and then carefully support her.
“I remember there’s an inn up ahead. Just hang in there a little longer.” Wei Shu put his arm around Jiang Jin and stepped into the inn. “Here… a superior room.”
Jiang Jin suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Wei Shu, "Let's go, weren't you sleepy?"
Half-heartedly, Jiang Jin followed Wei Shu up the stairs. The moment she entered the room and saw the soft blankets, she instantly forgot everything and threw herself onto the bed.
"I'm giving you half of my bed because you're injured, so please don't disturb my rest. I'm very sleepy right now!"
After speaking, Jiang Jin took off her outer robe and slipped into the bed curtains. A moment later, her even breathing could be heard. Wei Shu carefully lifted the bed curtains to look at Jiang Jin's face.
It seemed like it had been a long time since he had gazed at her so simply and quietly. "Jiang Jin, can I call you A-Jin from now on?" Wei Shu reached out and took Jiang Jin's hand. Her hand was soft, but her palm had thick calluses that were not undeniable.
Jiang Jin was fast asleep and naturally couldn't answer Wei Shu's question. "Ah Jin, sleep well."
Wei Shu carefully placed Jiang Jin's hand on the brocade quilt, then straightened the bed curtains and left the inn.
His injuries weren't serious, but the most important thing right now was whether Wang Juesong could find out anything about the Wang family in the capital as planned.
After a short while, Wei Shu turned into a small alley, and after navigating through a maze of alleys, he arrived at the gate of a courtyard.
He knocked on the door four times, then knocked five more times after a pause. A response came from inside. "Who is it?" a hoarse voice asked. Wei Shu was taken aback and replied, "Fishing Hermit."
The door creaked open, and Wei Shu slipped inside, looking at the man in front of her and asking, "What's wrong with your throat?"
"It's just a cold, my lord, don't worry. I'll send someone to tell the master you've arrived right away." The man straightened his hunched back and pointed into the room. "My lord, you can change the dressing in the room."
"Alright." Wei Shu closed the door and sat on the stool, quietly waiting for someone's arrival. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the courtyard gate creaked open again, and the door was opened the next moment. The person who entered was dressed in a round-necked robe and had an extraordinary air about him, but the patch on his waist revealed his impoverished life.
"Elder Qin." Wei Shu stood up and bowed to the visitor to greet him.
"Lord Wei, there's no need for such formality. We are both officials in the court; I should be the one bowing to you." Qin Bo sat down and looked at Wei Shu's shoulder. "Are you injured?"
"It's just a minor injury," Wei Shu said humbly, bowing slightly. "I came here today simply to avoid trouble."
"You little brat, you think you can fool me?" Qin Bo glanced at Wei Shu and said with a smile, "I heard you got married. It's a pity I couldn't have a chance to eat at your feast, Lord Wei."
"Mr. Qin, you flatter me. If you feel regretful, I'll arrange another meal for you when you get back." Wei Shu looked at Qin Bo with a smile in his eyes. "Thank you for the congratulatory gift. Mr. Qin, are you still unwilling to go back?"
“Why go back? Partisan strife is nothing but deceit and intrigue, you scheme against me, I scheme against you. I don’t want to go through all that trouble with my old bones.”
Qin Bo waved his hand and sighed, "There was a time when I was just as bold and ambitious as you, but I can't anymore, I'm too old."
"Old Qin, you're in your prime now, you shouldn't say such discouraging things." Wei Shu poured a cup of tea and handed it to Qin Bo.
"If you're here today to act as a mediator, then forget it." Qin Bo stopped talking and looked at Wei Shu.
"I really came to your territory today to escape disaster. The Wang family has sent many assassins. It's better for me to hide here than to be a target outside," Wei Shu quickly explained, waving his hand.
"Where is your wife? Why didn't you bring her with you?" Qin Bo glanced at Wei Shu, who was clearly stunned, and said with a hint of exasperation, "Did you leave her alone at the inn? You'll regret it if something happens to her."
“This is your territory, so I don’t think those assassins would dare to touch your people.” Wei Shu rarely showed a relaxed expression. “Besides, she has been traveling all night. If she were to travel this far again, I wouldn’t be in a good position either.”
"You think highly of this old man." A smile finally appeared on Qin Bo's face. "It seems you and your wife get along well. His Majesty has done a good deed."
"Only you would dare to speak to His Majesty like that." Wei Shu moved closer to Qin Bo. "Elder Qin, if one day someone told you that he wanted to defy the rules that have been in place for thousands of years, would you support him or oppose him?"
"That depends on whether he has an advantage or not, and whether he is in the right or in the wrong." Qin Bo patted the dust off Wei Shu's clothes.
“When you were in school with the princes, I told you that governing a country is never static. You need to be keenly aware of changes in the dust and have various strategies to deal with them.”
"What if it's both advantageous and reasonable, but it's also something shocking or basically impossible? What would you do then?"
“Anything that benefits the people is worth trying. Shu’er, I once told you that the people must always come first, but unfortunately none of you have done so.” Qin Bo coughed. “It is true that the powerful families should be eliminated, but we cannot resort to any means and disregard the people.”
"I know His Majesty is not a cold-blooded person; he is deeply saddened by the people's grievances," Wei Shu argued softly, head bowed.
"Don't you think about yourself? Do you want to be His Majesty's sword forever, eventually turning into scrap metal?"
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