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Isn't this a clear case of a feud between brothers? It has even escalated to the point where fighting and killing are taking place in the streets and the police are being called in.

Logically, he should stand on Madam Chen's side, but the Second Young Master Lu is also Lord Lu's biological son. Could he really watch Lord Lu's eldest son die under his command?

What's even worse is that there are rumors that Lord Lu is going to be transferred to the Minister of Rites, aiming to enter the cabinet!

If his political opponents find evidence against him because of this incident, his promotion would be in jeopardy, and he would be the one to take the blame.

Being hated by the high-ranking officials, I really didn't even know how I died...

The more he thought about it, the more frightened Lin Zhifu became. He was extremely anxious. After thinking for a long time, he said to the people around him: "If Mr. Lu arrives, send someone to stop him. Please go to the second hall first."

It is definitely not possible to complain by beating drums, and the lawsuit cannot be easily accepted. This matter must be reduced from a big thing to a small one, and from a small matter to nothing!

Hearing that even the Lord has said "please", the people below don't know how troublesome this matter is? They all tuck their tails between their legs, wishing they could just hide in the ground.

Therefore, when Lu Jian and his party arrived at the government office, they were faced with a group of yamen runners who were extremely respectful, as if they were welcoming their superiors, which was amazing.

Lu Jian didn't show any surprise. Instead, he calmly told Cheng Xi, "My dear brother, please wait outside for a while. I'll be back soon."

If I didn't know this, I would think you were drinking in the middle of a banquet and going to send away relatives who came to collect debts.

Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Brother Lu, be careful."

Nodding, Lu Jian walked into the government office with a few guards and a group of assassins.

Yan Yuan also saw the meaning at this moment, and said while stroking his chin, "Mr. Lu is really calm."

That's right. Apart from being a little frightened when the assassin first appeared, Lu Jian's performance this time can be described as calm. Is he able to remain calm in the face of adversity, or is there something else going on?

What Cheng Xi was concerned about at the moment was not this, but the government office in front of him.

Panyu is the seat of a prefecture and also a trading port. The government office was built with great pomp. The gate alone was so tall that it was daunting. It also covered a vast area, which looked to be about a hundred acres.

Such a large place, with soldiers stationed there, is almost like a dangerous place.

After squinting his eyes for a long time, Cheng Xi whispered, "Can you figure out the layout inside?"

Yan Yuan also replied in a low voice: "All prefectures are arranged according to the rules of six paths and five halls. The layout is easy to say, but the prison is difficult to break into."

In such provincial capitals, the prison is set up in a separate courtyard, often in the deepest part of the government office. The entrance and exit roads are extremely narrow, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Not to mention that there are countless guards guarding the important criminal now, so how can it be so easy to get in?

Cheng Xi pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's investigate it first."

How to rescue people and how to escort them out of the city after rescuing them requires a lot of effort.

I can’t go into the government office this time, so I have to find another way.

Lu Jian had been led to the second hall by then. When he saw the prefect, he immediately bowed and saluted: "Student Lu Jian, greetings to the prefect."

If he didn't bow when meeting an official, he must have some achievements. Prefect Lin stroked his beard and smiled, "No need to be so polite. When did you pass the imperial examination?"

"I became a student on government academy scholarship at the age of fifteen, and then left home to travel, which delayed my studies." Lu Jian answered respectfully.

Prefect Lin was genuinely surprised. He looked Lu Jian up and down and sighed, "What a pity."

He was able to pass the imperial examination at the age of fifteen, which shows that he is extremely talented. It is rare that he has such a gentle and handsome appearance. He must have been so desperate that he went into business.

But think about it, with such a stepmother at home, if he really continued to take the imperial examination, he would probably be killed before he became an official. It is really not easy to have such a background.

Lu Jian said, "It's just that the boy is lazy. He relies on his father being an official in the court and just wants to get some benefits from him."

Prefect Lin almost choked when he heard this. High-ranking officials of the current dynasty were eligible to pass on their rank to their children and grandchildren, but the lowest rank they could get was a fifth-rank official. He was thinking about getting a promotion at the age of fifteen. Wasn't it said that his father was an official of the fifth rank or above a few years ago?

Lips twitching, Lin Zhifu said in a pretentious tone, "I wonder if your father is..."

"My father is now the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel." Lu Jian smiled slightly.

Prefect Lin hurriedly said, "So it's Lord Lu's son. No wonder he's so handsome. My dear nephew, please sit down and talk."

"My dear nephew," Lu Jian was already calling him that. Why should he be polite to him? After taking his seat, he straightened his expression and said with a bow, "Your Excellency, I have come to you today to report to the authorities. There was an assassination attempt at the dock. If I had not brought my servants with me, I would have been killed. Please help me."

Hearing this, Prefect Lin was in a state of panic. It turned out that this wasn't a fight, but an assassination! However, his heart was churning, but he had to pretend to be surprised: "In broad daylight, someone actually dared to do such a shameful thing?! Has the assassin been caught?"

"There are twelve people in total, and they are all brought here." Lu Jian said immediately.

What kind of assassins are these? They caught twelve of them in one go! Prefect Lin's lips trembled again, and he said with all his might, "Since we've caught them, I will interrogate them rigorously and give justice to my nephew."

Unexpectedly, Lu Jian shook his head and said solemnly, "I don't know the assassin. He was obviously ordered by someone. I just want to catch the culprit behind this!"

Prefect Lin was speechless. How could he not know that the assassin was ordered? Yet, even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare conduct a real investigation. If the instigator turned out to be the third son of the Lu family, or even the mistress of the Lu family, would a mere prefect like him dare to make the matter public? Was he afraid of his own mortality?

After trying his luck, Magistrate Lin said cautiously, "Of course we have to investigate this, but we might not be able to get anything out of these desperate criminals. My dear nephew, why don't you think about it first? Have you ever made enemies with anyone?"

"I'm a businessman, and I've always believed in peace and harmony. Even if there are some arguments, they won't lead to a fight to the death." Lu Jian sighed, "That's why I really want to know who did it. Even if it's just to find out who did it, it's better than living in fear all day long."

This request was perfectly reasonable. Prefect Lin said dryly, "Don't worry, nephew. I will do my best."

Lu Jian looked into his eyes and said firmly, "Then I'll trouble you, Your Excellency. If you really can't find out, I will go to the capital to seek justice."

Prefect Lin's stomach was boiling with rage, and he just wanted to vent his anger. What did "going to the capital to seek justice" mean? Did he want to find your father, or did he want to find someone to mess with me? But isn't it just a case of the fire in the city gate, and the fish in the pond are affected? Aren't you brothers already fighting and killing each other, and now you want to harm others?!

However, he couldn't utter a single word of these words.

After all, the person sitting in front of him now is the Minister's biological son. Even if he leaves home, his identity will not change.

After much hesitation, Magistrate Lin finally said, "My dear nephew, you may not know that there are many important criminals being detained in the city lately, and I am overwhelmed. This is a serious case, and the trial may take some time. We cannot rush it."

Lu Jian pursed his lips, and said stubbornly, "I can wait."

Prefect Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was all right to wait. The trial would take a month or so. The longer it could be delayed, the better. Maybe the Lu family would be able to settle the matter themselves.

Whether the deal is reached or not, it has nothing to do with him, right?

Thinking of this, Magistrate Lin smiled again: "My dear nephew, you were also frightened today. Go home and rest quickly. You can fill in the complaint later.

I'll come back to you after the results of the trial come out in a few days."

This meant they were about to kick him out, and Lu Jian was a sensible person, so he immediately stood up and said goodbye.

Seeing that the other party was quite sensible, Prefect Lin also breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether to try him or not, he would just be thrown into jail and beaten for no reason. If he could not escape punishment, all would be well.

When he walked out of the door, the assassins had long disappeared. They must have been taken away for interrogation. Lu Jian paused and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

It was said that he would be back in no time, and it really only took a cup of tea. Seeing that Lu Jian had finished it so quickly, Cheng Xi was also a little surprised: "Is it all done?"

Lu Jian sighed, "This is a troublesome matter. It will probably take some time. Let's go back first."

Anyone who had just experienced an assassination would not have the heart to hang around outside at this moment. Cheng Xi followed suit and followed him back to the Lu Mansion.

This was clearly an internal struggle within the Lu family, but the tactics used by both sides were somewhat bizarre, making it difficult to understand.

Cheng Xi had no intention of getting involved. If Lu Jian really needed her, he would definitely ask for her help, and she would then take some benefits as appropriate.

While Lu Jian easily handled the situation, the other side was in an uproar. Inside the jewelry store, the head manager slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Is this the expert you hired?! He's completely useless, and someone's even got a hold of him. How am I supposed to explain this to the mistress?!"

The old shopkeeper was so dejected after being scolded that his face was covered in dust. He grumbled, "Who, who would have thought... No, the people I was looking for were all tight-lipped and hadn't revealed their identities, so we couldn't find them..."

"What the hell is he investigating?" the chief steward roared. "That Lin guy accepted the gift and received the Third Young Master's letter. What the hell is he investigating?!"

Despite this, none of the people below dared to say a word. This wasn't a question of whether the government dared to investigate, but rather that the second young master had brought the matter to the attention of the government. If things went wrong, it would become a "family scandal."

The Master is about to take over the Ministry of Rites. Is this the time to stir up trouble? If a disturbance really breaks out, the Mistress may not be implicated, but they will all suffer.

If I had known this would happen, I would have sent a servant. At least if the assassination fails, he can die cleanly and won't be caught and thrown into jail!

After a burst of anger, the chief steward took two deep breaths and stared at the old shopkeeper again: "Really can't find us?"

"We can't find anything!" The old shopkeeper quickly wiped his sweat. "The one who gave the money and the one who contacted us are not our people. There is no way they can trace it back to us!"

The steward's expression brightened slightly upon hearing this. Seeing this, someone whispered, "Should we find someone to silence him in prison..."

"You can't find anything yet you're trying to silence the witness. Why don't you just hand the evidence over to him?" The steward immediately spit in his face.

The man shrank his head and dared not say a word.

The chief steward calmed down and said, "Don't worry about those people in the prison. I think someone will find a way to eliminate them one by one. It's more important to deal with the second young master. If we don't solve it quickly, it will definitely cause endless trouble."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. After a long pause, someone whispered, "After this incident, the Second Young Master must be even more vigilant. How should we proceed?"

Before, Lu Jian was wandering around the streets, so he naturally had many opportunities to take action.

Now that someone has tried to assassinate him, he must be careful and on guard, and try not to go to places with few people.

How do we do this?

"He has a shop and a house in Panyu. Are you afraid that you can't do anything?" The steward smiled coldly.

"Will this be too much noise? The city is under martial law now, so it might be difficult to deal with." Someone whispered.

"Yes, yes, do you want to wait and see?" someone agreed immediately.

There are a lot of defenders in the city now. Whether setting fire or attacking the mansion, it will cause a lot of trouble, which may be difficult to explain later.

The chief steward said, "The news of his assassination will reach the capital in half a month. In another month, the ship from Nanyang will be back. Who can take the responsibility if we delay? Let's fight. Whether we succeed or not is uncertain, those people in the prison will definitely die. By then, the Second Young Master will have no evidence against us, and this matter will be much easier to resolve."

Now everyone shut up again. If there hadn't been the previous assassination attempt, it wouldn't be impossible to delay it for some time.

Now that it's messed up, we have to find a way to fix it.

Taking action at this time is not only to put pressure on the second young master, but also to force the prefect, Lord Lin, to help them get rid of the evidence.

By the time he was repeatedly assassinated, his house was destroyed, and even the witnesses sent to the government office were all killed, the Second Young Master should have realized the seriousness of the matter and retreated, right?

Of course, it would be great if we could really kill him.

There is no evidence to prove it, so how could anyone dare to blame the mistress? This way, they would be safe.

This isn't a very good solution, but it's as bad as it gets.

Now that we are in trouble, we have to give it a try!

After only one day of rest at home, and before Yan Yuan could go out to explore the terrain, Lu Jian came to the door and said to everyone with a smile: "Thanks to the help of my brother and Brother Yan yesterday, we were able to easily deal with the assassin. Today, I will host a banquet at Jinxiu Pavilion to show my gratitude."

Yan Yuan didn't know what others were thinking, but his face nearly darkened as he said directly, "Master Lu, if those people fail in their assassination attempt, they will definitely have a backup plan. It's better not to go to places like Jinxiu Pavilion."

What is Jinxiu Pavilion? It's the biggest brothel in Panyu City! Why don't you just have the party at home? Why go to a brothel like that?

Lu Jian smiled and said, "It's precisely because we're so many people that we feel safer. After yesterday's deadly fight, it's time to relax a little. The wine and food at Jinxiu Pavilion are all excellent, and we have courtesans to accompany us. If Brother Yan doesn't like it, we can just drink and enjoy the fun."

Yan Yuan wanted to say something, but Cheng Xi glared back at him.

"Since Brother Mingde has praised it so highly, we naturally have to go and see it for ourselves." Cheng Xi agreed without hesitation.

After receiving the promise, Lu Jian immediately ordered his men to make arrangements. Yan Yuan held his breath for a long time before whispering, "Boss, prostitutes have sharp eyes. They might have seen through the flaws..."

There are big differences in bone structure between men and women. Ordinary men may not be able to see it, but those women who sell their smiles may not be able to see it. What if their identities are exposed?

Cheng Xi asked in return, "Is Lu Jian a womanizer?"

Yan Yuan shook his head.

At least on the surface, he was truly a handsome and elegant young man with great manners and bearing, and absolutely no sign of being a frivolous playboy.

"Then is there anyone among us who can be won over by just having a woman?" Cheng Xi asked again.

Yan Yuan shook his head again.

Living in the Lu Mansion, he was always worried, fearing that his boss would accidentally reveal his true identity.

Besides, they came to Panyu not for pleasure, but to save people. How could they have the mind to think about women?

Cheng Xi smiled: "If that's the case, why did he insist on holding the banquet at Jinxiu Pavilion?"

Yan Yuan was startled, then suddenly realized: "He must have other intentions!"

Yes, Lu Jian was a shrewd man, and he was an expert at reading people's minds. How could he have made such a strange decision? After figuring it out, Yan Yuan immediately said, "Then we should make some preparations."

"No need. Even if there is an arrangement, it is because he needs our help." Cheng Xi said simply.

No matter how gentle Lu Jian appears, he is ruthless and unscrupulous when facing the Lu family. How could he not have a backup plan? We can just wait and see what happens.

Lu Jian was not slow in his actions. He quickly prepared the car and took his two "benefactors" to Jinxiu Pavilion.

As the largest brothel in Panyu City, Jinxiu Pavilion’s most iconic feature is its street-facing door. Hundreds of women are seen waving their red sleeves and dancing with colorful handkerchiefs, and the sounds of joy are heard even before nightfall, almost enough to captivate people’s souls.

This kind of behavior is not seen in ordinary places. It is most popular near the harbor. With a moon floating on the sea, a sow can look as beautiful as Diao Chan, not to mention such a rouge cave and pink formation, which can really drain your money in minutes.

The elegant residence that Lu Jian chose was not a stand-alone small building, but a three-story building not far from Huanmen. As long as he opened the window, he could see the lively scene outside. When the window was closed, it was quiet and elegant, and no one could peek in. It was quite interesting.

After entering the house, the host and the guests took their seats, and dishes were placed on the table in a continuous stream.

This time they did not choose a large round table, but instead had separate seats for each person to sit at. Each person was served by a beautiful maid, who served tea and wine attentively. There were also courtesans playing music to entertain the guests.

After three rounds of drinks, Lu Jian asked, "Are these dishes to your liking, brother?"

"The wine is good, the food is delicious, but waiting is a bit boring." Cheng Xi smiled slightly.

Lu Jian raised his eyebrows and laughed: "My dear brother, you have seen through it."

He raised his hand and clapped twice, and many women stood up, closed the windows, and left the room.

The hall suddenly became quiet, and Lu Jian said, "Brother Sun, there are no outsiders here. Please come and meet me."

Yan Yuan was shocked. He didn't see anyone in the room who was worth paying attention to.

At this time, a man came from behind the screen outside, sat down at the second seat, and bowed to everyone, saying, "My name is Sun Yuanrang, nice to meet you all."

When did he come in? Yan Yuan's eyes narrowed, and his whole body became alert. This man is quite capable. He can come close to him without anyone noticing. It's really hard to guard against him!

Cheng Xi looked at him with interest and asked, "Did you bring in the dishes just now?"

Sun Yuanrang showed surprise on his face: "Did Gang Leader Cheng notice?"

"Not at that time." Cheng Xi smiled and shook his head.

When food is served in this kind of private room, it is usually brought outside the door by a waiter and then brought to the table by a maid.

She was sitting in a position where she could see him near the screen and saw his figure.

But at that time, he was hunched over, his shoulders hunched, and he didn't have any aura at all. But now, his shoulders were straight, his eyes were sharp, and he had lost all his cautiousness.

To be honest, he looks good, with a high nose, a wide mouth, and bright eyes, but it is difficult for him to hide in the crowd without being noticed.

Sun Yuanrang smiled when he heard this: "It's just a trivial trick. I'm sorry to make Gang Leader Cheng laugh."

Yan Yuan had already realized that this person must have used some underworld tricks. Did he come to Jinxiu Pavilion just to see him? What was this person's identity?

Fortunately, Lu Jian didn't keep him waiting for long. He smiled and introduced, "Brother Cheng, Brother Sun is the nephew of Sun Mingli, the leader of the Suoyi Gang. He came here today to discuss something."

Yan Yuan clenched his knees. "The Straw Coat Gang!" This Sun guy is so bold! Aren't the soldiers and officers all over the city just after these straw coat thieves? The two bandit chiefs are still locked up in the government jail, and this guy has the audacity to pretend to be a servant and come to Jinxiu Pavilion to meet people. Is he really not afraid of death?

Cheng Xi looked him up and down again and suddenly asked, "Were the people who tried to assassinate Brother Lu yesterday Brother Sun's men?"

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