The carriage came to a stop, the window curtain blown open by the wind, revealing a gap. The moonlight poured in, illuminating Gu Yings face, which was as smooth as jade. Her heart skipped a beat at this moment, for if anyone were to discover that she and Lin Xie were sharing the same carriage, no amount of explanation could clear her name. Second Master Lin Xuzongs anger would be overwhelming, and he would never let her and Lin Xie live to tell the tale.

  Gu Ying sat down in Lin Xies arms, her eyes fixed on the car door curtain that was blown by the night wind, and asked calmly: "Aunt Zhao, who is blocking the way ahead?"

  "Auntie, Seventh Lady, is it you?" Lin Jingchangs voice came through the carriage curtain.

  Gu Yingxi let out a sigh of relief and turned her body to lean on the soft couch, wanting to change positions. However, she grabbed something that felt like a dead snake, and even through her pants, it still felt warm. She suddenly realized that she was still sitting in Lin Xuans arms, with one hand resting on his thigh.

  Gu Yingxi wasnt a naive girl, so of course, she knew what she had grabbed onto. Her hands quickly let go, but her body lost balance and fell back into Lin Xuans arms again. Gu Yingxi was flustered, her hands supporting Lin Xuans chest, her smooth face rubbing against his sharp jawline.

  She sat up straight, still not daring to make any noise in the carriage, trying to maintain a calm demeanor as she spoke to Lin Jingchang in front of the carriage: "Jingchang, what did you want to talk to me about?"

  Lin Bings face contorted in pain, his teeth clenched and his mouth twisted, but he couldnt make a sound. Gu Ying looked at him with an exaggerated expression on her face, and she found it amusing: Is it really that painful? She felt embarrassed in her heart, but still focused her attention outside the carriage.

  Lin Jingchang walked up to the horse carriage, he also knew etiquette, but avoided speaking loudly for others to hear: "If Seventh Lady encounters a scholar, she must make him walk as far as possible, Second Young Master is not easy to get along with..."

  Gu Yingxiu looked at the blurry figure of Lin Xun in the darkness and said to Lin Jingchang outside the carriage, "I understand, I wont go find him now..." Just then, a horse carriage came from behind. Gu Yingxiu thought that Lin Tingxun would come out of the ancestral hall soon, and if she met him, there would be no excuse to stop him from getting into her own carriage. Without time to chat with Lin Jingchang by the roadside, she said to Zhao Hus mother outside, "Auntie Zhao, take me back to the mansion, Im a bit tired and want to rest early."

  Zhao knew that the carriage couldnt stay on the road, so he led the horse in the direction of the mansion, with Gu Yings personal maid and two attendants following behind. They had originally planned to ride in the carriage, but now they could only walk along with it.

  Lin Jingchang watched as the Seventh Lady hastily departed after a few words of consolation, thinking that Lin Xies mistake this time was too great and had even caused the usually caring Lin Madame to retreat. Lin Jingchang gazed at the horse carriage in the night scene and let out a long sigh, silently saying: Ah, scholar, youd better take care of yourself, not even the Seventh Lady can help you, nor does she dare to help you.

  **************

  Lin was thinking about Lin Jingchang, even though Lin Jingchang was a bit timid, he had to stay in Shanglindu, no one could afford to offend the second young master. Today, he himself had put a knife to the second young masters throat and forced him to kneel down in public, everyone knew that the second young master hated him deeply. Jingchang still came over to find Madame Qi, wanting to borrow Madame Qi to remind himself, he sighed inwardly: one day well share wealth and honor together.

  "You said you, how many people worry about you?" Gu Yinxiu leaned in again and whispered to Lins ear, worried that the people outside the carriage would hear them. Not whispering was not an option, but just now, after falling into his arms, with her hand supporting the root of his thigh, the ambiguity was like a bright moon in the night sky, impossible to hide. How could she suppress the romantic thoughts in her heart? Her body had to be close to his to discuss their plan, and as they spoke in hushed tones, it was like lovers gentle whispers. Gu Yinxiu felt her body heat up, trying hard to breathe normally. "I really dont know what youve been through in Baisha County, but now is not the time to listen to your stories. I think you must have made up your mind to go to Jiangning already. You heard Xiao Wus words, so lets not delay any further. Dont go back to Zhao Hus house tonight, hide outside for a night, and tomorrow Ill come to Huyan again, and we can meet once more."

  "Go ahead and turn at the corner in front," Lin Mou said quietly.

  "Are you really not concerned about who you saved today?" asked Gu Yanxiu.

  "Who?" Lin Xie asked.

  Listening to Lin Xies simple question, Gu Yingrou was so angry that she wanted to punch him in the chest. She said: "My second uncle was reused by the imperial court last year and worked as a censor in the Hanlin Academy for a period of time. This time he came to Jiangdong as the deputy envoy of the touring inspectorate. He hasnt returned to his hometown for twenty years, so he took a boat along the Hongze River to take office, just wanting to stop at Shiliang for a few days to worship his ancestors. I didnt expect that someone in Jiangdong would not welcome him."

  "I just guessed it was Gu Wuchen!" Lin Fu said.

  "Then you sneak away without even saying thank you to my second uncle?" Gu Ying said with a scowl, "This afternoon, my second uncle sent someone to say that he would come visit and thank us in two days. My second uncle is a very polite person, but I didnt expect you to leave for Shanglin tonight."

  "He left Shiliang County twenty years ago and never returned, how did he know that I was taken care of by you, Gu Yingxue?" Lin Xie thought that Gu Wudus knowledge of etiquette had its limits. Having been an official in the capital for twenty years without returning, he said to Gu Yingxue, "Liang Zuoren had a lot of opinions about the Lin family children, and before I exposed the assassin in the county, I had verbal conflicts with them. I didnt think of taking credit or staying there to seek trouble, so I left."

  "I dont know how determined Second Master Lin Xuzong is, but if hes really set on it, only Zhou Pu and Zhao Hu will follow you. Im not at ease; tomorrow Ill tell Second Uncle to let you go with them to Jiangning - after the assassination, Shiliang County will send troops to escort my second uncle. After arriving in Jiangning, you must still be extremely cautious."

  Lin Xie didnt tell her that there were only Zhou Pu and Zhao Hu beside him, thinking that he could tell her about these things later. He wasnt clear on the details of how Gu Wu Dun was reinstated by the imperial court, but in short, with Gu Wu Dun taking up the position of Vice Inspector in Jiangdong, it should be possible for Gu Xuan to avoid being bullied by others at the Lin residence. Its no wonder that Lin Tingxun didnt show any intention of making a move in the horse market, as it turned out that he had also known earlier that the person sitting in the teahouse at noon was Gu Wu Dun.

  "...Lin tied almost slipped out of his mouth to ask Gu Ying, who was the girl dressed as a boy, and inadvertently grabbed the girls chest - hmm, didnt expect her to be quite young, but still quite well-developed."

  "What are you thinking about?" Gu Yingxu looked at Lin Xianyou with a puzzled expression as he walked absent-mindedly, pinching the edge of his left palm.

  "Theres nothing," Lin said, "some things, Ill tell you tomorrow."

  From the ancestral temple to Lins mansion, the road is not long. Before they could say much, they heard the sound of horseshoes galloping in front and saw two fast horses rushing over under the dim night sky. Zhaos family and the two maidservants hastily pulled the carriage aside to make way, while Gu Yingxues maidservants were frightened and rolled into the ditch. As the horses brushed past the carriage, they startled this side of the horse, which let out a terrified whinny. The usually fierce and formidable maidservants who followed Gu Yingxue cursed loudly.

  Gu Yingxiu was also startled, and felt Lin Xie lightly grasp her hand, saying in a low voice: "Im going down." Lin Xie took advantage of no one noticing, got off the carriage. Gu Yingxiu still had the residual warmth from his light grasp on her hand, thinking to herself: Hes really reckless, even daring to touch my hand! She lifted up a corner of the carriage window curtain, watching as Lin Xie walked away into the distance like a ghost, hugging the wall of the courtyard.

  *****************

  From a distance, he saw a figure and Zhao Hu rushed over to meet him. It was Lin Xie. He asked: "Have you seen the Seventh Lady?"

  "Ive seen him," Lin Xie said, "wheres Master Zhou?"

  "Where are we?" Zhou Pu and Wu Zetian hid behind a clump of trees, just as they saw them leading their horses out, with a thin wooden stick in the horses mouth and a rope tied to the horses neck, so that the horse would not make any noise.

  "Leaving tonight?" Zhou Pu asked.

  "Want to stay another day, you know who were those assassins in Shiliang County today?" Lin Fu said.

  "Who is it?" Zhou Pu asked.

  "Its Gu Wu Chen, the one who should be so ashamed that hed jump into a river," said Lin Fu. Zhou Pu didnt know about Gus family background and continued to say, "The Vice Censor-in-Chief of Jiangdong, Left Supervisor of the Office of Scrutiny for War..."

  "It turned out to be a big shot," Zhou Pu asked, "How did he end up having dinner with the county magistrate of Shiliang at a tea house?"

  "This Liang Zuoren is also a person who has not achieved his ambitions, and he and Gu Wuduan were fellow students in the same year. They became good friends, but it took Liang Zuoren nine years to pass the imperial examination and be appointed as the magistrate of Shiliang County. Gu Wuduan was on his way to Jiangning for a new appointment when he deliberately took a detour by waterway to return home to pay respects to his ancestors in Shiliang County, where he met with Liang Zuoren without anything unusual happening."

  "What a commotion! Who exactly wants to assassinate him and prevent him from taking up his post in Jiangning?" asked Zhou Pu.

  "Who knows? The water here wont be shallow," Lin Mou said, "Well find a place to hide for the night, and tomorrow Ill go to Lake Weir to meet this Mr. Gu, it will be beneficial for us."

  Zhou Pu nodded, recognizing Jiang Dongs deputy envoy was absolutely a beneficial thing.

  ****************

  This morning, in the local government, there is no clear concept of a provincial level. Above the prefecture, there are three offices: the Pacification Commission, which is in charge of civil administration, the Surveillance Commission, which is in charge of lawsuits and also supervises local officials, and the Military Command, which is in charge of military affairs and garrisons within its jurisdiction. The major powers of the locality are divided among these two commissions and one command. Only in individual cases, such as resisting foreign invasions, suppressing popular uprisings, or pacifying powerful rebels, will the court set up a governor-general to oversee local military and administrative power. The governor-general is not a regular local official, and the officials appointed are all envoys dispatched by the court, without fixed terms of office. After the local situation has been stabilized, the court can recall the envoy at any time and abolish the position of governor-general.

  The Surveillance Commissioners Office, with the Surveillance Commissioner and Deputy Surveillance Commissioner, were officials of the third and fourth ranks. In addition to being in charge of local lawsuits, the Surveillance Commissioners Office also served as a supervisory agency dispatched by the central governments Censorate to the provinces, responsible for supervising local officials. The Surveillance Commissioner usually concurrently held the title of Vice Censor-in-Chief, while the Deputy Surveillance Commissioner usually concurrently held the title of Assistant Censor-in-Chief. Although the Deputy Surveillance Commissioner was only a fourth-rank civil official, due to having the authority to supervise local officials and report directly to the emperor, they were actually considered to be only slightly inferior to the high-ranking officials such as the Pacification Commissioner, Provincial Governor, and Surveillance Commissioner.

  According to Lin Xiangs understanding, Gu Wudu is roughly equivalent to the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Politics and Law Committee and a member of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection in later generations.