In the past few days, Changliu led several secret guards to follow him all the way and protect him in the dark.
The other secret guards went to investigate the clues of the assassination attempt on him that day.
If he finds any clues or useful information, Changliu will pass it on to Shang Xingjian.
When Shang Xingjian felt that he needed to meet, he would go out alone, find a secluded place, ask Changliu to appear, and tell him the clue or information in detail.
This morning, after receiving the note from Changliu, he went out to see Changliu.
Behind this inn is an empty and dilapidated alley. No one lives in this alley. There are only two rows of short and dilapidated houses and a yard overgrown with weeds. It is silent and quiet.
The two met here.
"Have you found out?" Shang Xingjian asked.
Chang Liu said, "Master, we've investigated everything. The Luzhou prefect embezzled water conservancy funds allocated by the imperial court. He was afraid that Master would find out, so he personally planned this assassination."
"Master, there is one more thing. This is the correspondence I found with the Luzhou prefect. Please take a look."
Shang Xingjian took the envelope handed to him by Changliu, which contained several letters.
The letter paper is thin and smooth, as soft as skin and as pure as jade.
"This is... Chengxintang paper." Shang Xingjian frowned.
This kind of paper is extremely expensive and produced in very small quantities. Most of the paper produced each year is supplied to the royal family and used by royal family members. It is extremely difficult to find among the common people.
At this moment, his heart sank violently.
After reading the contents of the letter, his eyes dimmed and he felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained away. His legs became weak and his body swayed backwards.
These are letters between the third prince and the prefect of Luzhou. The contents of the letters involve embezzlement of official funds and falsification of accounts, etc.
The third brother is one of the princes closest to him...
Chang Liu hurriedly supported him, "Master, are you okay?"
Shang Xingjian paused for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I'm fine."
He handed the letter back to Chang Liu and said, "Keep all this evidence. Send someone to monitor the Third Prince's whereabouts and report back to me at any time."
Shang Xingjian lowered his eyes slightly, and a strange feeling flashed through his mind.
No, my third brother is not a rough-minded person. If he was colluding with court officials, why would he use paper specially provided for the royal family for correspondence?
After a moment's contemplation, Shang Xingjian said, "Regarding the case of the Luzhou prefect, the parts involving the Third Prince will be omitted. Also, pass on my order that those remaining in the capital should closely monitor the movements of all the princes."
After saying this, he pulled out a tiger-shaped jade pendant from his bosom and continued, "The Luzhou government office has been taken over by the Luzhou prefect. Take this to Jiangnan Road to find the Suiyuan pacification envoy and ask him to send a command battalion over."
A command battalion consists of 500 infantrymen, so there is no problem in controlling the Luzhou government office.
"As you command." Chang Liu took the tiger-shaped jade pendant, carefully put it in his arms, and flew away.
Shang Xingjian felt depressed and walked slowly back to the inn.
At this time, smoke was curling up outside the inn, and people who got up early started their day's work.
By this time, Miss Su should have woken up, so Shang Xing simply bought a few breakfasts as a pretext for going out early in the morning.
After placing breakfast on the table, Shang Xingjian said nothing.
Su Wanti had no intention of being his confidant, so she carried breakfast out of the room and gave it to her mother and younger siblings.
Shang Xingjian said very little on the way today and was always silent.
An Jing noticed his abnormality and quietly went to ask him, but Shang Xingjian just looked at him with a gloomy look and said, "We'll talk about it after we get to Luzhou."
In the evening, the group checked into the inn and asked for three rooms, just like the previous days.
After Su Wanti settled her mother and two sisters, she returned to the room, but found that Shang Xingjian was not in the room.
"Are you going to meet his secret guards again?" Su Wanti said silently.
[Host, Shang Xingjian didn't go to meet the secret guard. He's drinking downstairs!] The system answered readily.
"It's okay as long as the person is not lost." Su Wanti asked the waiter to bring warm water to wash away the day's fatigue.
Then, she sat on the chair and waited for Shang Xingjian to return to the room.
The wait lasted until late at night. Su Wanti couldn't resist the invasion of sleepiness and fell asleep with her arms as a pillow on the low table.
Shang Xiangjian drank a pot of warm wine and sat there until late at night.
He was so distraught today because he could not imagine that the quarrel between brothers would actually happen to him.
There are eight princes in Daning today. He is the eldest prince born to the queen. In addition to him, there is the fourth prince born to the queen, the third prince born to the imperial concubine, and the other five princes born to the concubines in the harem.
In addition to the prince, there are six princesses in the palace.
My father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen, were both kind people. They loved every prince and princess very much, and my younger brothers and sisters were also respectful and polite to him.
He thought that the tragedy recorded in ancient books of brothers fighting for power in the royal family would not happen to him.
Unexpectedly...
Is this the fate of being a member of the royal family?
Shang Xingjian felt bitter in his heart, and even the taste of the wine became bitter and hard to swallow.
After taking a sip of the small pot of wine, he suddenly remembered that he still had to undergo treatment today and Miss Su should still be waiting for him in the room, so he got up and went back to the room.
After pushing open the door and entering the room, he saw Miss Su had fallen asleep in the chair.
She must have fallen asleep while waiting for him, and Shang Xingjian felt a sense of guilt in his heart.
The chair in this room is not high. Miss Su's legs and arms are bent. If she sleeps here for a night, her waist, legs and arms will be sore the next day.
Shang Xingjian gently pushed her shoulder and said softly, "Miss Su, wake up. It's late. Go to bed."
The woman lying on the table had her sweet dream disturbed. She frowned slightly, mumbled a few times with her rosy lips, and her beautiful and smooth neck emitted an alluring soft glow under the dim light.
Shang Xingjian's eyes darkened.
The woman's eyes were half open, and the moment she saw Shang Xingjian, her hazy eyes suddenly became clear.
"Master, you're back." She just woke up and her voice was soft.
"I'm back." Shang Xingjian's voice was filled with apology. "It's too late now. Go to bed, young lady. You can treat me after you wake up. We'll be in Luzhou tomorrow anyway, so it won't matter if we're delayed for an hour tomorrow morning."
Su Wanti held his hand, her moist eyes gazing into his, her voice as soft as a feather, "Today is the last treatment, no medicinal bath is needed."
Shang Xingjian's body had fully recovered. He drank some wine and his palm was held by the young woman's soft little hand. At this moment, his breathing stagnated, his body stiffened slightly, and all the blood in his body gathered somewhere.
It was hotter and harder than ever before.
"Today's medicine is mine." The woman's beautiful cheek came closer and closer, and a gentle kiss fell on his lips.
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