"Let's go, I'll take you back to the Imperial Preceptor's residence." Xiao Xiyou picked up the pile of food that Zhou Zhizhi had just bought and walked out first.
Seeing that Xiao Xiyou didn't pursue the matter of why she left in such a hurry, Zhou Zhizhi wisely shut up and followed Xiao Xiyou back to her residence.
"Your mistress was frightened today. Go back and brew some calming tea for her." At the entrance of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Xiao Xiyou instructed Wu Da.
"Yes, this servant has noted it down."
"Grand Preceptor, did something unfortunate happen today?" After watching Xiao Xiyou leave, Wu Da hurriedly stepped forward to ask.
"It's nothing serious, just encountered an assassin," Zhou Zhizhi replied calmly.
"But this assassin is very strange. Why would he dare to carry out an assassination in broad daylight in a busy city, especially inside a famous clothing store in the capital? He was clearly prepared. He died on his own after the first attack failed?"
“As far as I know, this clothing store has always been doing business honestly and has not colluded with any forces. How could they agree to let assassins hide here and ruin their reputation for no reason?” Zhou Zhizhi said as she followed Wu Da and Wu Er back into the mansion.
"Could this be the Wang family from Jiangnan coming to seek revenge on you, Grand Preceptor?" Wu Er voiced his thoughts from the side.
The Wang family of Jiangnan is renowned throughout the land for its fragrant rice and clothing, with shops scattered across the country. Ironically, their master was assassinated at one of their clothing shops, which immediately brought Liu Lian's thoughts to mind, along with past events…
"The Wang family of Jiangnan, when did I become enemies with them?" Zhou Zhizhi was completely baffled at this moment. She didn't remember the book mentioning which powerful families the original owner had offended.
"Grand Preceptor, you really have a short memory." Wu Da was reminded by Wu Er's words and also remembered their grudges with the Wang family of Jiangnan.
It's just that Jiangnan is far from the capital, so they didn't think about it at first.
"Back then, the Wang family of Jiangnan wanted to offer fragrant rice from Jiangnan as tribute, so they specially sent a young and beautiful woman of marriageable age from their household to be given to the master as a concubine." Seeing that Zhou Zhizhi really couldn't remember, Wu Da slowly began to tell her.
“The master and mistress are deeply in love, and it would be impossible for them to accept such a bribe. In addition, the fragrant rice offered by the Wang family is not as good as that of the Li family, so the master did not put much effort into finding a channel for him.” After listening to Wu Da’s account, Wu Er couldn’t help but interject and continue.
"But the Wang family is ungrateful. We don't know where we got the evidence, but they insist that the young master bribed an official of the imperial court and the examiners to become the top scholar that year."
"After all, it concerns the young master's future. Although a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear, the master was in a precarious position in the court at that time."
"So the master hired a few spies to go to the Wang family in Jiangnan to gather information and see what their so-called evidence really was."
"I just didn't expect that not long after, I heard that the patriarch of the Wang family in Jiangnan had died."
"Everyone is spreading rumors that it was our master who killed the Wang family patriarch."
After listening to Wu Dawu's explanation, Zhou Zhizhi nodded, already having formed her own judgment.
The annual examinations are held in the capital. How could the Wang family, located far away in Jiangnan, have any evidence that his brother bribed the examiners?
The fact that these baseless accusations could attract the father's attention shows that the evidence in the Wang family's possession must be so convincing as to be indistinguishable from the truth.
There must be someone instigating the Wang family behind this, otherwise, a powerful and influential family like theirs would never dare to oppose an official appointed by the imperial court.
Zhou Zhizhi made up her mind that she must go to Jiangnan to find out what was going on.
However, before that, she still needs to find the eldest prince and learn the Northern Darkness Divine Art.
Staying alive is more important!
Three days passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for the Crown Prince to visit Qi Chenge at Liuxiang Tower again.
Zhou Zhizhi arrived early and sat in the outermost room of Liuxiang Building, which was the best vantage point to observe the activity at the back door.
Although she wasn't sure if the eldest prince would arrive as scheduled, she decided to try her luck.
If the Crown Prince still hasn't arrived today, she will visit his residence directly to ask him for the Northern Darkness Divine Art.
Zhou Zhizhi couldn't wait any longer, and she couldn't wait any longer!
Persistence pays off, and Zhou Zhizhi's sincerity finally moved Heaven. Just as Zhou Zhizhi was drinking her third pot of tea, there was finally movement at the back door of Liuxiang Tower.
A tall man followed his servant in, looking rather mysterious.
Seeing the opportunity, Zhou Zhizhi immediately set off and arrived at Qi Chenge's room before the eldest prince.
"Chenchen, it's been so long! I've missed you terribly! Have you missed me too?" The First Prince's voice preceded his arrival.
But the scene he saw when he opened the door was not what he wanted to see. Qi Chenge sat quietly to the side, without her usual smiling face.
Standing in the center of the room was an old friend he did not want to see.
"Grand Preceptor Zhou, what brings you here?" Crown Prince Xiao Dongyang asked with a gloomy face, clearly displeased that someone had exposed his whereabouts.
He immediately decided to go back and conduct a thorough investigation, find the person who exposed his whereabouts, and punish them severely as a warning to others.
“Of course I came to see you. The Crown Prince wouldn’t think I came here just to drink and chat with you, would he?” Zhou Zhizhi didn’t mince words and went straight to the point.
"Your Highness has a copy of the 'Northern Darkness Divine Art,' which I find very interesting. I wonder if Your Highness would be so kind as to part with it and allow me to examine it for a couple of days?"
Upon hearing Zhou Zhizhi's words, Xiao Dongyang's forehead veins bulged even more. This person not only spoiled his mood by coming here, but also pretended to be crazy and talked nonsense. Wasn't the Beiming Divine Skill taken from Wu Chi long ago?
"Grand Preceptor, would you like some walnuts to nourish your brain? If you don't have any at your residence, I can send someone to deliver some to your residence."
"Wasn't the 'Northern Darkness Divine Art' already taken from Wu Chi by the Imperial Preceptor? Why are you coming to ask me for it again?"
The eldest prince, Xiao Dongyang, looked at Zhou Zhizhi with an expression as if she were a fool, not understanding why the usually intelligent imperial advisor was pretending to be stupid today.
"Who told you that?" After hearing the Crown Prince's words, Zhou Zhizhi had a vague guess in her mind.
"Naturally, it's Wu Chi."
Hearing the Crown Prince's answer confirmed Zhou Zhizhi's inner thoughts.
"You bastard Wu Chi, you dare to play me for a fool!" Zhou Zhizhi roared inwardly, determined to beat Wu Chi to a pulp in a moment.
It's a shame that she, with her illustrious reputation, was completely fooled by a cunning businessman. This is truly intolerable!
However, to save face, Zhou Zhizhi couldn't directly tell the Crown Prince that she had been tricked.
So she walked straight up to Qi Chenge and reached out to release the pressure points on her body.
"Your Highness~" Qi Chenge's eyes were slightly red, her brows furrowed with affection as she called out to Xiao Dongyang.
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