Chapter 387 Shang Yi repays her kindness
The atmosphere in the Xuan Gesi government office was solemn and murderous.
Supervisor Shen Zhijie returned from court without changing his official robes and immediately summoned his subordinates.
He felt a sense of oppression as if a storm was about to come, and he had to make arrangements in advance to prevent any unexpected events.
"Leading Officer Zuo, from now on, all intelligence from both the north and south fronts will be gathered.
In particular, I must keep a close eye on the allocation of food and weapons for the border troops.
There must be no mistakes at this critical juncture."
"yes!"
"Right Junior Supervisor, give orders to the Imperial City Military Command to direct the Wuhoufang soldiers of each ward to send more patrols.
Any disturbance or suspicious signs in each district must be reported immediately."
"yes!"
The left and right young supervisors immediately agreed.
The case of cheating in the imperial examination is so unusual that it is no wonder that the supervisor is so cautious.
Shen Zhijie took a deep breath and said in a serious tone:
"In this situation, we don't seek to achieve anything, but rather to avoid mistakes."
Everyone responded in unison and immediately followed the order.
The government office suddenly became bustling with activity.
The footsteps were hurried but as quiet as possible, the voices of conversation were extremely low, and amidst all the hustle and bustle there was an order that had been formed over the years.
This kind of tension has little to do with Si Cheng Chen Yuan.
He is mainly responsible for horse affairs and is currently staying in the government office.
When he looked up, he saw Li E's familiar figure appear on time again.
Chen Yuan couldn't help but shook his head and laughed:
"You really don't miss your daily check-in. I told you, you don't have to be so rigid."
Li E stood straight and smiled when he heard this:
“It’s not good to make it difficult for you.
When everything is peaceful, nothing matters.
If something unexpected happens and I'm not around, you'll inevitably be implicated."
"Heh," Chen Yuan raised his eyebrows. "Is this based on experience? It seems you've been punished for violations of military discipline in the Xuanwu Army?"
"It was even earlier." Li E did not elaborate, obviously not wanting to talk about it more.
Chen Yuan glanced at the door and lowered his voice, "Have you heard about what happened in the court today?"
"Your Excellency is referring to the imperial examination cheating? It's a big deal, but what does it have to do with Xuan Gesi or me?"
"That being said, it's better to be cautious. I don't have anything to do here, so you can go on your own."
Li E did not move, but clasped his fists and said, "There is something."
"The troops who were previously ordered to escort the Second Princess Shufeng to the capital have finally relented and allowed the Beijing Camp to take turns traveling to Fengjing to rest and recuperate in three shifts.
I brought a group of people here today and are waiting outside the Xuan Gesi office.
I wonder if they also need to report for duty according to the rules of the department?"
Chen Yuan laughed: "Yeah, it's so hard to come to Fengjing, it would be a pity not to go shopping in the city.
There is no need to report for duty, as long as you are my superior.
But according to the rules, the list still needs to be registered for inspection. In addition," he looked more serious,
"Something big happened in the city today. You can eat, drink, and have fun, but remember to keep your mouth shut and your legs under control. Don't get into fights or discuss right and wrong."
"Yes, sir, rest assured. I will give them a stern warning. Then... let them come in and register now?"
"Go ahead."
Li E clasped his fists, bowed, and turned to leave the pawnshop.
At the corner of the alley outside the government office, there was a sesame cake stall with a roaring fire.
A new batch of pancakes has just come out of the oven. The aroma of flour mixed with the burnt aroma of roasted sesame seeds fills the cool air, making people's stomachs whet their appetite.
More than thirty dusty soldiers were squatting or standing, eating sesame cakes with bowls and spoons from the wonton stall.
Seeing Li E coming out, he stood up quickly.
"Captain!"
"Well," Li E's eyes swept across the rough faces, "Are you all full?"
"We're full!" everyone murmured, swallowing the food in their hands very quickly.
Someone smacked their lips, "Why do they say Fengjing is so good? This wonton soup is even more delicious than the ones in the north."
Li E didn't respond, but just looked around slowly, his eyes carefully passing over every face.
The voice was very low, but it carried an unquestionable weight: "Are you all ready?"
The leading man nodded heavily: "Captain, the brothers have been waiting for you."
"Okay." Li E took a deep breath, "Follow me!"
The moment he turned around, his eyes met the owner of the sesame cake stall for a very brief moment.
The other person's hands did not stop kneading the dough at all, only his eyelashes twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Li E no longer hesitated and led the more than 30 silent men, walking with heavy steps straight towards the solemn vermilion lacquer gate of Xuan Gesi.
The footsteps on the bluestone slabs made a dull echo, revealing an almost tragic determination.
…
Deep in the imperial palace, Yu Jingheng, the Shangyi Bureau's Shangyi, walked calmly on a secluded palace road.
This place is close to the inner court storehouse, and most of the people coming and going here on weekdays are low-ranking palace maids and eunuchs.
She happened to meet a team of eunuchs on patrol. The leader saw her and bowed hurriedly: "Yu Shangyi."
Yu Jingheng looked calm, nodded slightly, and spoke in a normal tone:
"I have been ordered to check whether the candles and utensils used for the Qianqiu Festival are appropriate to avoid any problems."
She was indeed holding a thick booklet in her hand, which looked like a list of accounts.
The eunuchs respectfully made way and watched her go away.
After walking around several palaces, Yu Jingheng stopped in front of an old warehouse where miscellaneous items were stored.
After looking around to confirm that there was no one there, he quickly unlocked the door and slipped in.
The warehouse was covered in dust, but she walked to the innermost part as if she were familiar with the place, moved away several heavy empty wooden boxes, and revealed a very hidden mechanism on the back wall.
Pressing hard, with an almost inaudible sound, a stone slab on the ground slid away quietly, revealing a dark and deep hole extending downwards.
This is a secret passage in the palace, and few people know about it.
Your Majesty came to the throne in a hurry, so he probably doesn't know about this.
Twelve figures who had been waiting in the darkness quickly filed out.
The action was silent, and only the murderous aura that had been tempered by the years filled the small space in an instant.
Yu Jingheng's face turned pale. He pointed at a large wooden box in the corner and said in a very low voice, "Hurry!"
When the lid of the box was opened, inside were twelve sets of Qilin Guards' uniforms and standard light armor.
As the Shangyi who is in charge of palace rituals and some internal affairs, it may not be too difficult for her to get some clothes for the guards.
But this armor, especially the standard armor worn by the palace guards, is by no means easy to wear.
I don't know how much effort it took to secretly gather enough equipment for twelve people, bit by bit.
None of the twelve spoke, and the silence was as solid as a rock.
He quickly took off his clothes and put on the armor of the Qilin Guard.
The slight clicking sound of the metal blades colliding was particularly clear in the silence.
After changing clothes, the leader walked up to Yu Jingheng and saluted.
That face was surprisingly similar to that of a captain in the Qilin Guard, and his figure had been deliberately adjusted to be almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
Yu Jingheng lowered his eyes, unwilling to look closely, and only whispered quickly:
"Today's passcode for the South Gate is 'Eternal Stability of the Mountains and Rivers', and the reply is 'Peace and Prosperity Across the World'."
Although the palace passwords are top secret, they do change every day, and there are more fools who forget the passwords than you think.
Over time, a rotation pattern will form, and if you pay attention... you will always find it.
Then she handed over the paper stuck in the account book, and when it was unfolded, it showed a map of the imperial palace starting from this place.
"The patrol routes of each Qilin Guard squad, the times they pass through each palace area, and a map of the Imperial Palace's layout are all listed on paper."
The leader clasped his fists again and remained silent.
Yu Jingheng turned sideways, made way, and lowered his head deeply.
The "Qilin Guard" team passed by her in an orderly manner and merged into the shadow of the palace outside in the blink of an eye.
The footsteps gradually faded away until they disappeared completely.
Yu Jingheng stayed there alone. After a long time, he finally let out a long breath of foul air that had been suppressed for too long.
Fourteen years have passed. The former crown prince saved my life...
Today, it was finally reported.
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