Feng Bochen was about to leave when his newly acquired concubine clung to him, refusing to let him go. Although he was currently only a staff member of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture and did not hold any real official position, he had countless people seeking his help because he directly consulted with the Prefect and was highly regarded by him.
The saying goes, "He who takes little money is responsible for his troubles." He handled a considerable amount of money, which is why he was able to afford this mansion, and why, after marrying his beautiful wife, he could also take two concubines.
"Master, someone has arrived at the manor. They say they were sent by Consort Li," a servant called out from the doorway.
"Master, it's still early. Why are you up so early?" The concubine wrapped her arms around Feng Bochen's neck, preventing him from getting up.
"Didn't you hear? My cousin sent someone over. It must be something. Take your hand away!" Feng Bochen cared a lot about Madam Li because if she spoke well of him to the Fourth Prince, he wouldn't have to keep an eye on the position of advisor for so long.
Feng Bochen hastily dressed, and before he could even wash his face, he immediately ran to the main house to see the person sent by Li. The person was wearing a black cloak and a bamboo hat.
"Lord Feng, this is a letter from my mistress. She has written down all the things she has entrusted to you. I will come again in five days. Then you can tell me what you have learned." After saying this, the woman made a move to leave.
"Wait a moment, how is my cousin? I haven't seen her for a long time. I wonder when I can come to the manor to see her." Feng Bochen was not as simple as he claimed, just wanting to see Li Shi. He wanted to show off his merits to Li Shi and ask for her favor so that he could get rid of his position as a staff member as soon as possible. Even if he had great power, he was still a staff member and guest without the court's appointment.
"The Lady Consort is very kind. She said that as long as Lord Feng handles this matter well for his master, she will have the opportunity to speak well of him to the Fourth Prince," the woman said coldly.
"Thank you, sister. I'll personally see you out!"
Feng Bochen personally escorted the woman who delivered the message to the door before turning back inside.
When he opened the handwritten letter from Li, his expression changed, and he muttered, "Cousin, you're giving me a hard time. Xinghui is the deputy commander of the Northwest Camp. How could I possibly keep an eye on him?"
However, since Li had given the order, Feng Bochen dared not disobey. After thinking for a while, he managed to come up with a way to keep an eye on Xinghui.
After making up his mind, Feng Bochen asked a maid to help him wash his face and tie his hair before getting into his own carriage.
Upon arriving at the yamen, Feng Bochen summoned a constable he knew well and said to him, "Constable Tian, I received a message from the Deputy Commander's household guards in Bao'an. They said someone is plotting against Lord Xinghui and would like us to send some men to guard his door to see who approaches. If Xinghui goes out alone, you must secretly follow behind and protect him."
When Constable Tian heard that it concerned the Deputy Commander, he naturally dared not be careless, so he led a group of men to wait outside Xinghui's house.
Xinghui was naturally unaware that his home had been under surveillance for some time. These past few days, he had been thinking about what Yan Yu had said. The nine-colored deer and the white fish carrying auspicious omens were naturally beyond question, but if it could cause an underground spring to gush forth, that would be a truly auspicious sign. If Yan Yu's child could be associated with these auspicious omens even before birth, then his status in the Fourth Master's eyes would naturally be extraordinary.
Meanwhile, Constable Tian and his men scattered around the entrance of Xinghui Mansion, and they gradually discovered something unusual. Xinghui was frequently heading towards the Western Hills.
Constable Tian reported this situation to Feng Bochen, who, knowing what Xinghui was planning, immediately became interested. He instructed Constable Tian to continue monitoring Xinghui's eastward journey towards the Western Hills, while simultaneously sending a message to Madam Li. The woman who had delivered the message to his residence that day was naturally Que'er. When Que'er returned to his house, Feng Bochen immediately demanded to see Madam Li in person before he would speak.
Que'er relayed Feng Bochen's request back to Li Shi, who reluctantly agreed through gritted teeth.
On this day, Feng Bochen finally arrived at the Fourth Prince's mansion as he had wished. When he entered the mansion, he was immediately overwhelmed by its magnificent and dignified atmosphere. This was the residence of the famous Fourth Prince, the Cold-Hearted King.
Que'er led Feng Bochen through several narrow paths until they arrived at the East Courtyard. Madam Li, of course, was well-prepared; she wore a warm-colored brocade robe, her headdress extravagantly luxurious, making her appear exceptionally graceful and noble. When Feng Bochen saw his cousin, whom he hadn't seen for many years, he was overjoyed and somewhat incoherent. After bowing deeply to Madam Li, he still couldn't quite believe it. Although he had been in Shuntian Prefecture for several years, this was the first time he had seen Madam Li, and he was naturally very excited.
"Cousin, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and let's talk." Madam Li was quite pleased with the impression she had made on Feng Bochen. With a smug smile, she gestured for Feng Bochen to sit down.
"Cousin, it's been so many years! You're as beautiful as ever," Feng Bochen boasted.
"Hehe, not at all. My cousin is as dashing and handsome as ever. By the way, I heard from Que'er that you've been keeping an eye on Xinghui. What exactly is he doing in Xishan?" Li Shi was too lazy to argue with him anymore and asked directly.
Seeing that Li was anxious, Feng Bochen said smugly, "My cousin discovered that Lord Xinghui hired a group of people in Xishan to do something. We don't know what they are doing, so we need to keep an eye on them."
Seeing the tone of Feng Bochen's voice, Li knew that he was keeping her in suspense. She was annoyed, but had no choice but to hold back and changed her words, saying, "How long has my cousin been working for the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture? It seems like it's been several years."
When Feng Bochen saw that Li was finally willing to talk about herself, he said happily, "My cousin has been working there for three whole years and has been waiting for his cousin for three years."
Li cursed inwardly, but on the surface she pretended to be very moved and said, "Thank you for your trouble, cousin. Recently, Fourth Master has been working in the Ministry of Revenue. I took the opportunity to speak to him and ask him to promote you to fill the vacancy."
Feng Bochen finally heard these words. He immediately stood up from his seat, patted his sleeves towards Li Shi, knelt down and said, "Thank you for your kindness, cousin. I will do my best to serve you."
Li gave him a helping hand and said, "Cousin, you must find out what Xinghui is doing in the Western Hills. This is related to my future in this mansion, and naturally it will also affect your career."
Li's story was told in a captivating and persuasive manner, naturally making Feng Bochen feel that it was closely related to him, and thus he would risk his life for her without hesitation. Although the two were cousins, they had long since lost any kinship; all that remained was exploitation and self-interest. Once the connection of interests was severed, they would likely have already fallen apart.
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