After Jiang Dong's inspector, Jia Pengyu, came out to serve, his merits were mostly in the criminal department, but he was registered in Xiqin and inevitably gave him the label of Xiqin faction.

  Last year, the officers and soldiers were defeated by the Donghu people at Chentangyi in Jibei, suffering heavy casualties. This also forced the central government to accept the surrender of the Xiang family under humiliating conditions, offering them land and titles in exchange for their support on the northern front. The defeat at Chentangyi made the Emperor lose all confidence in the ruling Western Qin faction officials. Although Chen Xinbo, the leader of the Western Qin faction, was still able to hold onto his position, he was on shaky ground. Other Western Qin faction officials in the court were either demoted or dismissed, and the once-powerful Western Qin faction was on the verge of collapse.

  Jia Pengyu, familiar with the laws and regulations, was appointed as the Jiangdong Investigating Censor. In Jiangdong, he had a good reputation for being clean, diligent, and wise in decision-making. However, he knew these wouldn't be enough to protect him, as the new noble of the Chu party, Gu Wu Chen, was approaching aggressively. He thought that if he could just retire peacefully, it would be best.

  Jia Pengyu, who was approaching sixty years old, had a short beard and temples with a hint of white hair. Under the lamplight, he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lin Xie standing in the courtyard. He gazed at this young man who had made a name for himself in Jiangning just a few nights ago by causing a disturbance at the government office. He saw that Lin Xie was tall and slender, with an air of composure, although he was a Confucian scholar. Despite his youth, he had the bearing of a heroic warrior. It was no wonder that Gu Wudeng had strongly recommended him to be the prison officer of Jiang Island. Jia Pengyu thought to himself: Why didn't Lin Xie go to the capital to participate in the imperial examination to compete for an even more prestigious title? He then thought: Maybe it's better not to have such a prestigious title, as the factions in the court were constantly vying with each other, and one could never predict what would happen ten or eight years later. Perhaps it was safer to stay in a local position.

  Jia Pengyu was also thinking that he could retire and return to his hometown, perhaps after a few years the Chu Party would decline and he would still have the opportunity to serve again. At this time, he wouldn't go out of his way to provoke Gu Wuhen's anger for no reason. Although he had some reservations about Gu Wuhen's recommended person in his heart, when he saw Lin Xie's extraordinary demeanor, he couldn't help but be enthusiastic and patted Lin Xie's shoulder, saying: "Good, good, the young man recommended by Governor Gu is indeed promising." As for the details of how Lin Xie brought people into the city after circling around the south city, Jia Pengyu wouldn't bother to investigate. Moreover, since Lin Xie and others took the East China Gate, the two ladies from the Xiao family would likely intercept the people from the Jiangning Prefecture's military department, which would make the achievements of the Provincial Inspector's Office seem less impressive. From this perspective, Jia Pengyu also thought that Lin Xie and others had done a good job.

  "Everything is thanks to the cultivation of the two seniors," said Lin Xuan.

  Xue Mingyue and her sister-in-law, Xue Songshi, stood in the courtyard with their heads bowed and eyes downcast. They had no idea what Lin Xie's identity was all along, only feeling anxious and fearful as they were led around the city walls. Now, seeing the Jiangning Surveillance Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, two high-ranking officials, being overly friendly to this young man called "Lin Xie", they were even more puzzled: Who exactly is he? Before coming over, they had not heard of any prominent Lin family in Jiangning City.

  At this moment, Yang Pu's side had prepared a quiet room and invited the two ladies to enter and rest for a while. The two ladies rested in the quiet room for a short while when they heard the sound of horseshoes coming from outside the main gate. The soldiers on guard at the yamen loudly announced the arrival of Wang Xueshan, the prefect of Jiangning, Zhang Yuhe, the left commander of the Jiangning garrison, and others. The footsteps in the courtyard were chaotic, and soon they heard familiar voices coming from the courtyard. Xi Mingyue couldn't hold back her tears and cried out, opening the door to see her second brother standing in the courtyard surrounded by guards, chatting with the two high-ranking officials of the inspecting censor's office. Choking back sobs, she called out: "Second Brother..."

  Lin Yizhen stood quietly behind Gu Wudu, watching as Jin An Hou's second son, Shi Feihu, walked in accompanied by Wang Xueshan, the prefect of Jiangning, and Zhang Yu, the left commander of Jiangning.

  Although Xue Fei Hu was on a mission to Jin'ning as the Jin'an Marquis's emissary, a sixth-rank civil official, he was currently wearing a crimson copper-studded steel-plated armor, with a ring-headed golden-inlaid dark leather scabbard sword at his waist. His left hand held a white cloth wrapped around it, presumably due to a minor injury sustained during a fight with an assassin. Behind him, two attendants followed, one holding a lacquered red helmet with feathers, and the other helping to hold a chest-high halberd, its blade gleaming brightly in the lamp light, making Xue Fei Hu look fierce and intimidating. Adding to his tall stature, slightly gaunt face, thick eyebrows, and piercing eyes that sparkled like electricity, he had an exceptionally striking appearance.

  If it weren't for the fact that Lin Xuan personally saw him sitting outside Donghua Gate, watching as his wife and sister risked their lives to distract most of the assassins, he might have considered him a true hero. At this moment, however, there was a faint smile playing on his lips, not very noticeable in the lamplight. As he watched him chatting with Jia Pengyu and Gu Wudian in the courtyard, he thought that even if Xia Feihu was a remarkable individual, he was nothing more than a cunning hero at best.

  Xue Mingyue rushed out excitedly, while Xue Songshi, the wife of Xue Feihu, calmly and gently called out: "Husband, you're back..." Ruo Ting walked to Xue Feihu's side and politely greeted Wang Xueshan, Zhang Yuber, and others with a bow.

  "I'd like to ask which heroes saved my wife and sister-in-law? I, Flying Tiger, will certainly thank them with a generous reward."

  "I don't dare to accept, Lin Mouren is not talented, and I happened to meet the servant of the house outside the East Huamen and luckily rescued your wife and younger sister." Lin Xuan stood up and bowed his hands to Xiao Feihu, without politely declining Xiao Feihu's generous reward. Just now, he heard Gu Wudian and Jia Pengyu introduce that Xiao Mingyue was the youngest daughter of Jin'an Hou Xiao Wenxiang, and he wondered why Xiao Mingyue didn't stay by her father's side, but instead followed her brother Xiao Feihu to Jiangning for his appointment.

  "Who is this?" Xue Fei Hu's gaze was as sharp as lightning, and he glanced at Lin Zou before turning to look at Wang Xueshan, the prefect of Jiangning. His eyes seemed puzzled, as if waiting for the officials present to introduce Lin Zou's identity.

  Outside the East China Gate, when the horse team passed by Lin Xie and his group, Xiao Fei Hu, who was sitting in the carriage behind, noticed that Lin Xie and his group were wearing waist knives and leading high-headed horses. To be honest, it was Lin Xie who attracted his attention and that of the guards, but they underestimated the real assassin who used the charcoal cart as cover. Later, when Lin Xie and his group snatched the carriage from the assassin's hands and galloped eastward without stopping, Xiao Fei Hu and his men still thought Lin Xie was an accomplice of the assassin until they received a report from the Inspectorate just now. Xiao Fei Hu dispatched all his guards to search for them in the mountains, and also ordered the Jiangning Garrison and the Jiangning Inspectorate to send out large numbers of patrolmen to search outside the East Gate. Who would have thought that Lin Xie and his group had circled around from the south and returned at dusk?

  Xue Fei Hu's heart was secretly grateful, but he had to admit that it was indeed Lin Xuan and his men who had saved him. Originally, his guards could have killed all the more than 30 assassins, but in the pursuit of front and back, they entered the mountains and allowed five or six assassins to escape from the mountains. Even if Lin Xuan took a big detour and finally sent him to the Procuratorate, he could only consider it an internal struggle between the Jiangning City Government and the Prefecture, and besides, he was also clear in his heart that the people of Jiangning would have what attitude towards the Xue family who had been making trouble in East Fujian for nearly ten years. If not for fear that the Xue family would rise again, the Jiangning officials present might have hoped that he would be killed by assassins outside the Donghua Gate.

  Wang Xueshan and Zhang Yubo didn't know how to introduce Lin Lian, so Jia Pengyu smiled and said: "Young Master is a young hero; Lin Juzi is also a young hero, very much admired by Lord Gu..."

  Gu Wu Chen also nodded with a smile on his face, very satisfied that Jia Peng Yu said in front of everyone that Lin Xuan was one of his men.

  Xue Fei Hu still didn't know who Lin Xuan was, but he knew an important piece of information - the young man in front of him with the surname Lin was a trusted subordinate of Chu Dang's new nobleman and Jiangdong's Vice Envoy, Gu Wu Chen. He then bowed his fist in respect and said: "Fei Hu thanks you, Lin Xuan, for your help here today. My wife and sister-in-law have been frightened, so I'll take them back to the inn to rest early. I will choose another day to visit your esteemed residence to express my gratitude..."

  "You're welcome, you're welcome..." Lin Tie said with a smile, bowing his hands and watching Xue Feihu and the others leave the Procuratorate's gate.

  After Xue Fei Hu and others left, Wang Xueshan, the prefect of Jiangning, also did not stay and followed them to leave. On the contrary, Zhang Yu Bo, the left commander of the Procuratorate, still wanted to report to the Procuratorate about the search for the assassin and stayed behind. To be honest, as long as the two ladies of the Xue family returned safely, the Jiangning Prefecture's military affairs office and the Procuratorate were not very interested in searching for the assassin, but they still had to go through the motions on the surface.

  Lin Xie asked Zhang Yu Bo and only then did he know that except for the five or six assassins who escaped into the mountains, all the other assassins were killed by the guards of the Shi family before the soldiers arrived. The death toll among the Shi family guards was also heavy, with nearly twenty people dying on the spot and more than ten seriously injured. Ironically, the knives, guns, and crossbows used by the assassins were all from Jinan Prefecture, and Zhang Yu Bo suspected that these assassins might be soldiers under Li Zhuo's command who were dissatisfied with Shi Jie's rebellion for ten years and suddenly being able to split the land and become a marquis. After all, Li Zhuo's army had been fighting against Shi Jie for many years, and it was normal for his subordinates to have captured weapons from Jinan Prefecture; this point can also be indirectly proven by the fact that Shi Fei Hu did not plan to capture anyone alive to ask about the mastermind behind the assassination.

  However, apart from the patrol of the Bīng Mǎ Sī, Huǒ Fēi Tǔ also dispatched more than half of his guards to continue searching for the assassin, and it seemed that he was not willing to let Yú escape easily.

  The Lin family's men were still chasing after them, but Xi Fei had a few dozen elite guards who were unscathed and could be secretly summoned from Qingfeng Hang. He was starting to worry about those assassins. Of course, he wasn't worried that the assassin he let go today would be caught by the Xi family and implicate him; he could simply push it off and say the assassin had escaped and turned against them.

  Lin Xuan was tied up at the East Huamen Gate, and he had to make a quick decision to rescue Xi's family. It wasn't just out of sympathy for them. Firstly, they were holding knives and leading horses, which made them suspicious, and it would have been difficult to explain the situation to Xi's guards at that time. To avoid any misunderstandings, Lin Xuan could only keep a distance.

  Secondly, he guessed that Xi Fei Hu wouldn't be in the carriage, and rescuing Xi's family would at least make it impossible for Xi to openly oppose Jiyun Society in the future. Thinking about how Jiyun Society and Xi's family would become sworn enemies in Jiangning, but Xi would have to treat Jiyun Society as a benefactor, Lin Xuan found it quite amusing. He thought that Xi Fei Hu must be feeling quite depressed after vowing to be an enemy of Qingfeng.

  Of course, rescuing Xi's family was also a great achievement within the Procuratorate, and Lin Xuan was about to officially enter the Procuratorate as a new recruit. He needed this achievement to gain recognition; Gu Wuchen had also faced significant pressure in recommending him for the position of prison officer on Jiang Island. With this achievement, there would be no more objections within the Procuratorate regarding his appointment.

  Lastly, Lin Xuan naturally hoped that Xi's enemies would increase, which would reduce the pressure that Jiyun Society might face in the future. That was why he wanted to rush past the carriage and lead the assassins into the dense forest of Cishan Mountain, avoiding a confrontation with Xi's guards.

  Lin Xie had also guessed that these assassins might have a military background, which would make things complicated. So after they rescued the person, they didn't ask any further questions even if it meant death. Thinking about it, those assassins were truly pitiful. Who knows, maybe in the future they would still be hunted down and silenced by the military. After all, the mainstream faction in the imperial court still hoped to maintain their current relationship with the Xiao family.

  Gu Wu Chen asked Zhang Yu Bo in detail about the pursuit of the assassin by the Jiangning Fu Bing Ma Si in the hall, and discussed with Jia Peng Yu to hand over the pursuit of the assassin to the Jiangning Fu Bing Ma Si. After Zhang Yu Bo left, Gu Wu Chen thought about dealing with several official matters before returning home. Yang Pu came to say that Lin Fou and others were still waiting at the yamen, so Gu Wu Chen packed up and prepared to leave the yamen. As he walked out of the hall, he saw Lin Fou holding the horse under the silver apricot tree in front of the hall, and asked: "Why didn't you go back and rest earlier?"

  "There's a commotion outside the east city, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful inside either. We have to wait until Master returns to the mansion before we can leave with peace of mind," said Lin Fu.

  "Those assassins aren't so bold in Jiangning City." Gu Wudu said with a smile.

  "Better be careful," said Lin Xie, "not that I'm randomly suspicious, but the Shi family in Shiliang County is also suspect."

  "It's better not to talk nonsense like this in front of outsiders." Although Gu Wu Chen said so, his tone was gentle, and it was clear that he also had such suspicions. After all, as a new noble of the Chu Party and a fourth-grade local official, being assassinated on his way to take office would immediately intensify the factional struggle in the court, and the more chaotic the central government was, the more beneficial it would be for the Xiao family. Of course, the assassin that Shiliang County encountered might also have been instructed by another faction behind the scenes, so Gu Wu Chen didn't want to investigate the matter of the assassin in Shiliang County because it involved too many things.

  "Lin Xie knew that he would never dare to speak recklessly in front of others," Lin Xie said.

  "By the way, have you prepared for tomorrow's interrogation at the Jiangning Ministry of Justice?" Gu Wu Chen thought that Lin Xie was going to officially take over as the warden of the Jiang Island Prison and still had to pass one last test. He thought about it and smiled, "You've achieved such great merit today, I'm sure the Jiangning Ministry of Justice won't dare to make things difficult for you tomorrow."

  Lin Xuan replied: "Recently I have been studying laws and ordinances diligently."

  ********************

  P.S: Seeking red envelopes and collection.

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