The riot at the flower market along the canal caught the attention of Emperor Kangxi. Soon, news arrived from the Imperial Guards that Yinzhi had left his personal guards to care for the people along the canal.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. Yinzhi had grown up and was now able to understand how to handle the aftermath.
"Xuan Ye, is Yin safe and sound?" Upon hearing Shu's report, Consort Tong quickly handed the twins over to the nannies and hurried out of the inner chamber, worried about the children's safety.
"Yes, the fourth prince has grown up!" While Kangxi was praising him, Consort Tong listened attentively to the specific details of what happened by the canal.
On the other side, the carriage quieted down, and Qingyan leaned against Yin, listening to him talk about the upcoming arrangements.
As they approached the Yuelai Inn, Yin and Qingyan prepared to have lunch there. She stepped off the horse stool, and the people around them simply assumed that the carriage belonged to a young master and mistress from a wealthy family.
They didn't receive much attention, but as soon as Yin and Qingyan entered the Yuelai Inn, the innkeeper quickly came out from behind the counter and personally led the two into a special private room.
In the past, guests were led to private rooms by waiters, but today, the manager's unusual behavior drew the attention of many regular customers.
"Master, this servant has prepared everything." The shopkeeper was still somewhat incredulous at Qingyan's arrival, but quickly greeted his masters after regaining his senses.
The Yuelai Inn here is located in the suburbs of Yangzhou, some distance from the bustling streets.
He had received advance notice that members of the White Lotus Cult were lying in ambush at the flower market, and that they had specially prepared a batch of fine flowers and plants in hopes of kidnapping a member of the royal family.
Upon hearing this news, the shopkeeper immediately reported it to his superiors, but received no response. Now, with two masters appearing out of nowhere, his fear intensified. (From Yikan Book - Chapter 1)
Earlier, there had been a commotion on the other side of the canal, and the shopkeeper was relieved that his two masters hadn't come over.
"Master, I have a report that there are members of the White Lotus Sect here," the shopkeeper said hesitantly, worried that the shopkeeper on the other side had not passed on this important information to the two masters.
There are members of the White Lotus Sect here?!
Qingyan was stunned. Neither of them had delivered the message. It seemed that someone in their intelligence network had betrayed them or had not taken the message seriously.
"Are you sure you've already compiled the information at headquarters?" Yin asked.
The shopkeeper quickly revealed that he would go to the Yangzhou headquarters for meetings on the 5th and 10th of each month. Therefore, he personally wrote a secret letter and delivered it to the shopkeeper at the headquarters, repeatedly instructing him to deliver it to his two masters.
Yinwei frowned slightly. It seemed that the people in Yangzhou needed to be investigated.
"Alright, send over some lunch first." Yin didn't trust this shopkeeper either. "Suzhu, go and make two delicious dishes for the Fujin."
"!" Su Zhu left with the shopkeeper.
Qingyan stared blankly outside, her heart still trembling. The panicked voices seemed to still be ringing in her ears.
"Little darling, drink some warm water first!" Yin brought a cup of warm tea and advised Qingyan to calm down first.
"Fourth Brother, do you think that news is true or false?" Qingyan was a little confused. Originally, these managers were all selected by Yin, and they were all loyal. As soon as they had news, they would get the news to him as quickly as possible.
Yin shook his head; he wasn't sure if the managers at headquarters were alright.
"Let's put that aside for now. Erlu has already sent people to investigate. If the higher-ups make a mistake, we'll be completely at a disadvantage," Yin said with a sigh.
From the private rooms on the second floor, looking down at the streets, the situation on the other side of the canal was gradually affecting the market. Many women from wealthy merchant families boarded carriages to return home.
As the number of people on the street gradually decreased, Yin felt a little uneasy. He glanced at Su Peisheng and told him to go out and secretly find the guards to protect them as much as possible during their escape.
"Sit down and eat first," Yin said, pointing to the table. "We'll leave soon."
White Lotus Sect!
Emperor Kangxi had always wanted to eradicate the White Lotus Rebellion, but they were unable to do so because its members were hidden among the common people and difficult to find.
After a quick lunch, Yin and Qingyan left swiftly. The number of guards around the carriage increased, and some secret guards changed their clothes and stepped forward. They cautiously surveyed their surroundings, and some people who were watching this side were remembered by the guards.
The carriage slowly departed, but Qingyan was far from relaxed. Once she returned, she would reorganize the communication channels of the Yuelai Inn.
If the shopkeepers develop selfish motives, their information channels become completely useless.
Yin Ze had arranged for Erlu to go directly to the headquarters in Yangzhou to investigate. The managers were to thoroughly examine the staff from top to bottom, and anyone found to have acted disloyally would be permanently banned.
Upon arriving at the palace, Li Dequan hurried to greet them. Seeing that they had returned safely, Xin, who had been hanging in suspense, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fourth Prince, Fourth Princess, please come in quickly. His Majesty and Nie Nie have been waiting." Kangxi was getting anxious when he saw that Yinzhi and the others had not returned by lunchtime, so he quickly had Li Dequan come out to greet them.
Yin and Qingyan's carriages were brought together so that the two could be summoned to an audience as soon as possible.
"Anda, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Yin knew that Kangxi had learned about what happened by the canal.
Li Dequan smiled slightly, relieved that Fourth Master had returned safely.
The investigation by Tulichen was orchestrated by the White Lotus Sect, and Consort Tong almost fainted.
Before his southern tour, Cao Yin purged and cleaned up many people in Yangzhou, classifying them as followers of the White Lotus sect. For Kangxi's safety, Cao Yin dared not relax his vigilance.
Reality slapped Cao Yin hard in the face; his advance preparations almost led Yin into a predicament.
Yin and Qingyan entered the main hall. Kangxi and Consort Tong breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the young couple return safely.
"Let's begin the kowtow," Kangxi quickly said.
Consort Tong smiled slightly, knowing that the children should already know the truth.
"Father, I need to go back and take care of some things. The Yuelai Inn near the flower market has sent a message, but I haven't received it yet." Yin had to admit that this communication problem made him take it seriously.
What? !
Kangxi's eyes widened. Was Yin not wrong?
"Are you sure?!" Kangxi asked uncertainly.
Yin nodded. This matter was extremely important. The headquarters in Yangzhou was the transportation hub of Jiangnan, and a great deal of information was continuously sent to the capital from here. If they were not careful, they would truly become blind to the truth.
"Father, I need time to investigate," Yin repeated.
"Hmm, I'll give you three days to thoroughly investigate all the managers here in Yangzhou. If any of them are unruly, don't hesitate to punish them directly." Kangxi had also placed two or three managers at the Yuelai Inn; those were people he trusted. Now, he had to think things through.
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