After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Yun Congsheng smiled.

"I wonder if the Fang family has been able to find out the man's background through interrogation?"

Actually, he knew that there probably wasn't any; Shadow Six and the others were all tough opponents.

If they really find out...

"No, my second uncle said that person was too stubborn. Did Lord Yun send him to the authorities?" Fang Nanzhi asked, feigning curiosity.

"That person was acting suspiciously at the Yun residence. Has anything been stolen or happened at your residence?"

Definitely not, because Fang Nanzhi sent people to keep an eye on the Yun family, but they didn't find anything.

But we still have to ask.

Yun Congsheng shook his head: "Nothing was stolen, but the Yun residence is not as good as the general's residence, so someone still managed to escape."

He sighed, somewhat regretfully.

Fang Nanzhi feigned surprise, widening her eyes: "How could it have run away?"

“That man was highly skilled in martial arts. I had locked him up, but he escaped overnight.”

"The guards of the Yun family are only slightly stronger than ordinary people, so they didn't notice anything at all." Yun Congsheng's words made perfect sense.

Unfortunately, Fang Nanzhi didn't believe it. She knew all along that there was a secret room in the Yun residence. If the person really escaped, it was probably because Yun Congsheng deliberately let him go.

"These are turbulent times. Lord Yun has let a tiger return to the mountain. You should be more careful in the future."

Fang Nanzhi originally wanted to test the waters, but everyone had already left, and she couldn't find a topic to start the conversation.

The clouds nodded.

"I have already written back to my hometown and asked them to send some capable people."

Fang Nanzhi nodded without any change in expression.

But in his heart, he felt that he had to send someone to keep an eye on these people from his so-called hometown.

Yunyun stood between the two, looking at her father and then at her sister, unable to understand what they were saying, and she was very anxious.

She stretched out her two short arms and said in a babyish voice, "Hug me, I want a hug."

Fang Nanzhi lowered her head, met her round eyes, and reached out to hug her.

Then... he didn't pick her up.

She was a little confused. Was this little girl really that fat?

Fang Nanzhi scratched her head awkwardly.

In the end, it was Lord Yun who took his daughter to comfort her, and Fang Nanzhi took the opportunity to say goodbye.

As soon as she left the Yun residence, Fang Nanzhi's face turned frosty. Upon returning, she immediately sought out Bai Wu.

Have Bai Wu arrange for someone to investigate the secret room at night.

Bai Wu responded.

Just as they were about to leave, two blood-soaked people entered from outside; Langyue Qingfeng had returned.

Both of them were injured, especially Lang Yue, who had to be carried back.

Qingfeng led him to kneel down: "Thirty li outside the city, outside Donghua Gate, Dali Village..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qingfeng collapsed and fainted.

Fang Nanzhi immediately got up, asked Anmei to take the medicine box, and then asked Bai Wu to set off for Dali Village.

"Is Brother Fengyi here? Go to the East Palace to deliver a message."

She shouted into the air again.

Feng Yi emerged from the tree, bowed to her, and immediately left.

Actually, he wanted to say that he didn't need to call him brother, as he didn't deserve it, but the situation was urgent and there was no time to say it.

The clue that Langyue Qingfeng obtained at the cost of half his life must be acted upon immediately.

Fang Nanzhi had the housekeeper bring people to lift Lang Yue Qingfeng onto the bed, where she began to examine his wounds...

Dali Village.

Most people in this village are tenants, renting land from Lao Jin's family.

Old Jin was a landlord, but he had an excellent reputation. Farmers who heard of him all praised him for his benevolence and righteousness.

Because Lao Jin not only provided the tenants with seeds and farm tools every year, but also bought old yellow oxen for them to use, so that three or four households could share one ox.

The grain produced from farming was also divided 40/60 between the farmers and the tenants.

Landlords like Lao Jin are hard to find even with a lantern.

But who would have thought that Old Jin's tenants were all extraordinary? They were just ordinary farmers in the countryside during the day, but at night, they could become shadowy figures by putting on black clothes.

He carries a hoe during the day and switches to a dagger at night.

They also worked tirelessly day and night.

Langyue Qingfeng and his team tracked based on scent.

Indeed, Lang Yue remembered the scent of the people who had tried to assassinate Fang Nanzhi in the previous attempts.

They tracked all the way to Dali Village, but underestimated the villagers' vigilance. Before they could even enter the village, the two almost got trapped.

As noon approached, the number of people leaving the city suddenly increased.

The soldiers guarding the city watched the procession gallop away on their steeds, their hearts pounding.

During this period, things have been like this all the time; the capital has never been peaceful.

Who would have thought that a long-standing cold case would become so deeply involved?

If the assassin cannot be found in a day, the capital will be under martial law.

By the way, I heard that the Crown Prince was assassinated again recently. His Majesty was furious and sent all the Imperial Guards to protect the Eastern Palace.

Just then, a man in a yellow robe, protected in the middle, also came out of the city.

The servants took out the jade pendant, and all the guards had to kneel down.

This is the Crown Prince's token. His Highness the Crown Prince is personally leaving the capital. The person who is half a horse's head behind His Highness looks familiar; he seems to be the newly appointed leader of the Imperial Guards.

The soldiers all knelt, and the civilians had to kneel even more. They only stood up after the long procession had gone out, and then another group of people arrived.

"drive!"

Fang Yin cracked his whip, and the horse's speed increased even further.

Those assassins are very cunning; he's afraid Bai Wu won't be able to handle them.

Fang Yin had barely stepped out of the city gate when Zhu Guanfeng arrived.

His expression was cold and he looked at the dust swirling on the official road outside the city gate. He said in a deep voice, "The prefect has ordered that all city gates in the capital be sealed off for two hours."

"Yes!"

The guards responded in unison, immediately stood up, and began to close the city gate.

Those people queuing outside who want to enter the city, step back and wait.

Those who wanted to leave, please disperse.

The city gates were sealed off, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

The people were filled with inexplicable fear; what had happened?

How could they, living in the capital city, right under the emperor's nose, possibly encounter a situation where the city gates were closed?

I've heard older people mention that in the past, when the gates of the capital were sealed off, it was because... the heavens were about to change!

Oh my god, I don't even want to think about it. I'd better go home right away.

In short, out of inexplicable fear, the sudden closure of the city gates did not cause any trouble.

Zhu Guanfeng delivered the message and left, the carriage heading towards Anli Lane.

Even before him, the yamen runners of the Jingzhao Prefecture had already surrounded the entire alley.

The assassins acted twice in the street. Did they really think the Jingzhao Prefecture was doing nothing? Bah! We've known about you for a long time, but we haven't made a move yet because we have a long-term plan.

Today is the day to prove the worth of our Jingzhao Prefecture.

In order to regain his pride, the prefect even refused the Minister of Justice's "kind" suggestion to lend him a man.

No need, their Jingzhao Prefecture has enough manpower, and the prefect also has military power.

This army was specifically tasked with protecting the capital. The capital was always the last line of defense for the imperial court.

The fact that this line of defense was in the hands of the prefect shows how much the emperor trusted him.

The prefect thought to himself, "I've been holding back for so long. Everyone thinks he has a good temper. Today, I'll let the outside world see that he is still the mighty and domineering Yue people!"

Fang Nanzhi was unaware that the assassins had more than one stronghold. Dali Village was one, and Anli Lane was already under the control of the Jingzhao Prefecture.

The reason they didn't take action was because the Yue people had also discovered that the master behind those assassins was not simple.

Assassins are easy to catch, but what to do with their masters is a matter for the emperor to decide.

The emperor had been secretly ordering them to keep an eye on things and gather evidence, but not to take any action. The Yue people could only cooperate.

Pretending not to have found anything, they would occasionally launch large-scale searches for the assassin, reassuring the person behind the scenes that they hadn't been exposed.

But now, another stronghold, Da Li Village, has been exposed, and the Crown Prince has taken action without hesitation.

This means that the person behind the assassin must now confront him.

Then we need to be assertive, take over Anli Lane as well, and ideally inflict heavy losses on those hiding behind the scenes.

The emperor tacitly agreed to take action.

At the same time, at the Jin residence, Jin Ke held a scalding hot teacup, his hands burning red, still not having reacted.

He glared at his son angrily: "What did you say?"

“Father, Da Li Village is doomed. If you go to the palace to confess your crimes now, you can at least stop the damage to the clan in time.” Jin Yunting knelt down, his head bowed low, but his tone was very steady.

You could tell from his voice that he wasn't flustered at all; he was completely confident and knew exactly what was going to happen.

Nonsense, Langyue Qingfeng is his man. He sent people to investigate the assassin's whereabouts. How could he not know?

But he didn't tell his father to be on guard beforehand.

The capital prefecture has already sealed the city gates, so even if his father knew the news, he couldn't send anyone to deliver it.

"You! You..." Jin Ke stood up angrily, slammed the teacup on the table, his eyes bloodshot.

If this weren't his own son, whom he had doted on for so many years, Jin Ke would have really punished him according to family rules.

"Father, the truth has already been revealed. You should hurry to the palace to beg for forgiveness."

Jin Yunting seemed oblivious to his father's anger and even tried to persuade him.

Jin Ke was so angry that she stretched out her leg, wanting to kick her son, but she held back and finally staggered away.

His voice was filled with anger: "Boy, prepare the carriage, let's go to the palace!"

He had been persuaded by his son to consider not going down the same path as the Ying family and was preparing to withdraw.

But Jin Ke's idea was to slowly withdraw, clean up his mess, and retreat unhurriedly.

But now, his son is pressuring him; Da Li Village has been exposed, and his son's men have found him.

Forced into a corner, he had to immediately enter the palace and find a way to protect himself.

By withdrawing in this way, it's inevitable that one won't emerge unscathed; the losses will certainly be greater.

But they still had to go. If they didn't take the initiative to confess now, and the emperor found out about their secret dealings after Dali Village was taken over, the Jin family would be truly crippled.

Jin Ke felt dizzy and lightheaded, and was angry, but he had to force himself to stay alert, as there was still a tough battle to fight before he entered the palace.

After he left the mansion, Jin Yunting slowly got up from the ground.

He went outside, looked up at the clouds in the sky, and remained silent for a long time.

He did this not just for the little girl.

Yes, he was angry. Fang Nanzhi was innocent, pure and beautiful, but she was implicated and assassinated because of those old stories. He wanted to catch the assassin.

At the same time, Jin Yunting was also acting for his family.

The current emperor is quite wise, and the world is at peace. He has too many servants on his own, far exceeding the prescribed number.

In other words, although they are called guards, they are actually the same as detachments.

In times of peace, maintaining a retinue of retainers will not serve as a means of self-protection; on the contrary, it will arouse suspicion and hasten one's demise.

Therefore, the vassal corps can no longer be raised.

The atmosphere in the capital suddenly became inexplicably tense. The steward keenly sensed this and went to report to his masters.

Fang Nanzhi was still busy tending to Langyue Qingfeng's injuries, while Qin Yan was at the Imperial Academy.

Only Qian Fengping could make the decision, and she ordered martial law to be imposed on the mansion.

Originally, it was a good thing that Bai Wu and his team caught the assassin; after so long, there was finally hope.

But the closure of the capital's city gates caused a vague sense of unease.

"Won't this cause a huge uproar?" Qian Fengping murmured.

The truth hasn't been revealed, but it's close enough.

The reason why the emperor knew the location of the assassins for a long time but did not take action was because he found out that the assassins were not from the same group.

Several prominent families are involved, and we need to follow the clues step by step to find them.

By now, the emperor had a complete list.

There were thirteen prominent families, each renowned and none of them had declined.

Even the emperor was shocked. What had Chen Zijun done to offend so many powerful families in one fell swoop?

When he first ascended the throne, all he remembered was Chen Zijun's overstepping of boundaries and domineering behavior.

Most of the court officials would agree to any policy he wanted to implement, but as soon as Chen Zijun vetoed it, things would stall.

At that time, his conflict with Chen Zijun was the only one that was out in the open; I had never heard of Chen Zijun's relationship with the various aristocratic families.

Thinking back further, even before he ascended the throne, his father had already highly valued Chen Zijun, firstly because of his outstanding talent, and secondly because of his clean background and the absence of any external influences...

Yes, he was given important positions because of his respectable background and his lack of connections with powerful families.

The emperor tried hard to recall, and he did remember the "Equal Field Edict" implemented during the reign of the previous emperor.

It seems that Chen Zijun was in charge of implementing this method at the time, but it was abandoned halfway and did not last long.

Shortly after taking office, he felt that the "equal land distribution order" could curb land annexation and implemented it again.

It was he and a few trusted confidants who forcefully pushed it forward. Chen Zijun did not participate, but the success of this decree gave him, the new emperor, merit and won the loyalty of some court officials.

During the reign of the late emperor, the imperial examination system was not yet perfect. Among those who passed the imperial examination, eight out of ten came from official families or prominent families, and the remaining two were sons of well-known local gentry.

It seems that it was only after Chen Zijun served as the chief examiner for the imperial examinations for two terms that the prevailing atmosphere was corrected.

After that, although the imperial examinations continued intermittently and were not held every year, they were never again monopolized.

However, after he came to power, he wanted to hold the imperial examination to open up more opportunities for students from poor families, which Chen Zijun strongly opposed.

Can a person change so much as their power and influence shift?

For the first time since Chen Zijun's death, the emperor has seriously considered and weighed his thorn in the side.

Time has passed, and he has become a mature emperor. He no longer focuses on the immediate situation and has begun to speculate.

The emperor was lost in thought in his study when a eunuch cautiously entered.

"Your Majesty, Lord Jin has been kneeling in front of the Imperial Study for a long time, saying that he has come to beg for forgiveness."

The emperor lowered his eyes and looked at the list on the dragon table. The name "Jin Shi" was quite conspicuous.

"Let him in."

The emperor said sternly.

The eunuch received the order and hurriedly backed out.

A short while later, Jin Ke was led in and immediately knelt down.

"This humble subject greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

The emperor didn't even look at him, feigning surprise: "Oh? What crime has Lord Jin committed?"

Jin Ke kowtowed heavily: "This guilty subject failed to manage his household properly, and I never expected that my seventh brother would go astray and cause such a disaster. I am guilty, and I am willing to accept my fate..."

Before he could continue with his self-inflicted injury ruse, the emperor interrupted him, raising an eyebrow.

"Your seventh son? I remember him. He was only locked up for a few days for fighting. It was a minor offense and not worth Lord Jin's concern."

The emperor appeared magnanimous, but Jin Ke felt a bitter taste on his tongue.

If it's not a big mistake to say this now, then during this period, he invited Zhu Guanfeng to drink and made connections to try to get his seventh brother out, but he kept making excuses, saying that the case was unclear and that the investigation needed to continue.