Shengjing Noble

And one stick of incense before.

Not long after Su Lanyin and others entered the city, Su Shengming drove the carriage alone towards the city.

As expected, he was stopped as soon as he arrived at the city gate.

Following Su Lanyin's instructions, when the officers asked him why he entered the city, he was somewhat vague and only said that he was here to visit relatives, deliberately arousing their suspicion.

The officer took a look at the customs clearance documents and said, "Wait here for a while."

After saying that, he turned around and went to find Wang Tao.

"Boss, here comes another outsider. He sounds like he's from Shengjing, and he's well-dressed. He looks like a rich man. Could he be the new county magistrate on a secret visit?"

Hearing this, Wang Tao fell into deep thought. He stroked his chin and thought about it, and finally he suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, didn't the higher-ups give us a portrait of the new county magistrate? Go get it now!"

"Yes!"

After a while, the man took out the portrait and unfolded it to examine it. The man in the portrait was as gentle as jade, handsome and elegant, and his face was exactly the same as the man standing at the city gate.

However, the man in the portrait looks more bookish and less carefree.

Su Shengming naturally knew what they were whispering about, but he didn't feel guilty at all. After all, he and Su Shengyun were twins, and apart from their relatives, few outsiders could tell them apart.

Not to mention that these people have never seen the real Su Shengyun at all. How can they possibly see any clues based on just a picture?

Sure enough, after repeated confirmation, they quickly put the portrait away. Wang Tao even changed his previous arrogant expression, and panic and tension flashed in his eyes.

"It turns out he is the new county magistrate. Why did he come here alone and pretend to be visiting relatives?"

"He must be trying to sneak into the city to find out the truth. If it weren't for the painting, he would have definitely sneaked in, and that would have been disastrous."

"Damn it! Didn't they say they would arrive in ten days? Why are they here now? No, we must not let them find any clues! Quickly, quickly notify the brothers and deploy in advance."

"Yes!"

The young official immediately ran towards the government office in the city, while Wang Tao quickly walked to the city gate and stopped Su Shengming who was looking inside.

He asked kindly, "Why did this gentleman come here alone?"

Su Shengming thought of Su Lanyin's words.

"Third brother, remember, don't be polite to them. The more arrogant you are, the better!"

So he cleared his throat with two dry coughs, his eyes full of disdain, raised his chin and shouted rudely: "Why, does the Sheng Dynasty's laws stipulate that a person cannot come to Qiu County?"

Wang Tao was a little skeptical at first, but when he saw that this man was not afraid of the officials and was very arrogant, he was immediately certain that this man was definitely the new county magistrate Su Shengyun.

Apart from him, no one within a hundred miles had the courage to challenge this official.

Thinking of this, he nodded and bowed even more, smiling and apologizing: "Ah, sir, what are you talking about? I didn't say that. I just care about you. The world is in chaos now, and there are bandits everywhere. Aren't you afraid of encountering danger when you go out alone?"

Although it was an apology, his words were full of tests.

Su Lanyin had instructed that these people must think that he had secret guards following him, otherwise it would be very dangerous.

So he snorted coldly: "Tsk, what's there to be afraid of a little bandit? How could a master of my status not have his men protecting me?"

"Then...where are they?" Wang Tao stretched his neck and looked back, looking confused.

I heard that Su Shengyun was a weak scholar, and he was dressed so elegantly, how could he not be targeted by bandits on his way to Qiu County?

Therefore, he must have guards protecting him!

"You are such an unworldly person. How can we protect ourselves from hidden arrows if we are all in the open? It is better to hide in the dark for protection!"

“So there is such a saying…”

Wang Tao scratched his head. He looked slow but a shrewd calculation flashed in his eyes. He thought that this person was really a hot potato.

If we can't get rid of all the secret guards around him, it will be difficult to attack him in a short time.

If anyone is left alive, there will be potential danger. If the truth comes out, all of them will be doomed!

Thinking of this, he temporarily suppressed his murderous intent and asked with a smile: "Sir, you seem to be from a wealthy family, why did you come to Qiu County for no reason?"

"Can't I come to visit my relatives?"

"May I ask who your relatives are..."

"Who are you? Why should I tell you?" Su Shengming was impatient with the question and glared at him angrily.

Wang Tao held back his anger and patiently explained: "I am Wang Tao, the head of Qiu County. It is just a routine matter to question you, sir. I hope you will cooperate."

"What are you asking me to cooperate with? I'm not a criminal. Why are you asking me questions like I'm being interrogated? It's not against the law for me to come visit my relatives. What's there to ask? When can I go in?"

"Ah, this..." Wang Tao was extremely anxious. The city had not been fully prepared yet, so it was definitely not possible to let him in at this time. So he immediately said, "Sir, recently the bandits in this mountain have disguised themselves as good people and sneaked into the surrounding cities to burn, kill, rob, and commit all kinds of evil. We ask a few more questions to prevent trouble. It is all for the safety of the people. Please cooperate."

Su Shengming naturally didn't believe his nonsense, but he wondered in his heart how his second brother would react if he heard this.

Thinking of this, he nodded slightly approvingly: "Well, you are a good captain who cares about the people. In this case, then this official... no, this young master will cooperate with you."

After saying this, he pretended to be guilty as if he had almost let the cat out of the bag. His acting skills had been perfected by Su Lanyin.

Wang Tao was naturally more certain of his identity, so he said, "Sir, many people in Qiu County have moved away after the disaster. I don't know the name of the relative you are looking for. Please tell me so that I can help you find where he lives now."

If Su Shengming really reported the names of his relatives, it would arouse his suspicion. After all, if an innocent person was involved, it would be easy for Wang Tao to expose the truth if he forced a confession in private.

So, he looked guilty again: "I...well...it's been many years, and I have forgotten his name. I only know that he studied with me in Shengjing and we were classmates and friends."

"How dare you come looking for him without even remembering his name?"

"So what? I heard something happened in Qiu County, and I've been worried about him for a long time. I finally managed to settle my family and then I set out to look for him."

"Young Master is indeed loyal and righteous, hehe..."

Su Shengming's words were full of loopholes, but Wang Tao did not question them at all. He just couldn't help but complain in his heart.

He didn't even remember the other person's name, yet he pretended to be so affectionate. To put it bluntly, wasn't he just making up an excuse to trick him like a fool?

Want to go into the city to look for evidence? Wishful thinking!

Wang Tao put on a smile and pulled his gloves, saying, "If that's the case, I guess you don't have a place to live, right?"

"Why not? I can stay at the inn."

"There is famine in this city, and there are no travelers anymore. How can there be an inn open?"

"How could this be? Didn't the imperial court do anything about it? Where did the disaster relief food and silver go?" Su Shengming asked anxiously.