Who put the yellow robe on me?

After Jiang Chen obtained all the documents and records of the Ministry of Works in Tianlu Palace, he casually checked some records of cheating in the Autumn Examination and left Tianlu Palace.

Jiang Chen has now confirmed the general target of the Western Region and the personnel of the spies.

But he didn't know who it was?

It is better to inform General Zhong of the relevant information first so that he can take precautions in the future.

The next day, he went to find the Thirteenth Princess Jiang Sirou and He Xiaowei, and the three of them came to the Zhong family together.

Zhong Xiaodan looked better than yesterday, and the toxicity had also improved under Doctor Zhang's prescription.

He was very happy to see the three of them coming.

Jiang Sirou asked about Zhong Xiaodan's recovery with concern, her tone gentle and worried.

Jiang Chen was then led into the study by General Zhong. The door of the study was gently closed and General Zhong's face became serious.

He took a deep breath and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, what important matter has brought you here today?" He could see that Jiang Chen did not come here simply to visit Zhong Xiaodan.

Jiang Chen sighed softly, "General Zhong has good eyesight!"

Then he took out a copy of the record from the Tianlu Borrowing Record Scroll, flipped it open, and said in a deep voice: "General, I found some information from the Tianlu Palace. Do you think these three people are familiar to you?"

General Zhong looked down at the records and muttered to himself, "Xu Jingzhu? Zheng Jiangcheng? Cheng Zhusheng? These three are the three highest-ranking officials in the Ministry of Works. They are simply colleagues in the court. They haven't had any in-depth interactions, nor have they had any conflicts."

"but……"

Jiang Chen continued, "But what? Did General Zhong remember anything?"

"But the content they borrowed is quite interesting."

"Suzhou, Liangzhou, and Nidu are all important fortresses between Daliang and the Western Regions. The city walls of Suzhou, Liangzhou, and Nidu provide strong protection for these three checkpoints."

Jiang Chen also thought of the clues here and said:

"In other words, if you want to capture these three cities, you must understand these three safeguards. Otherwise, these three cities will be easy to defend but difficult to attack."

General Zhong nodded slowly. "That's right, Sixteenth Prince. So the target of the Western Region must be one of these three."

"Your Highness, what should we do? Should we inform His Majesty to have the Ministry of Justice arrest these three and torture them to extract a confession?"

Jiang Chen shook his head and refused: "General Zhong, this is inappropriate. This is a very bad idea."

"If we arrest these three directly, we have no evidence that they are colluding with the Western Regions. With only the Second Young Master's testimony and the records in the Tianlu Borrowing Records, it is impossible to convict them. This is one reason."

"Secondly, they are all first- and second-rank officials. If we act rashly and fail to find any evidence, they will report to His Majesty and falsely accuse the court officials. Regardless of who is right or wrong, it will not be good for Daliang."

"Third, I have a more thorough plan."

General Zhong's eyes lit up: "Oh? I'd like to hear more about it!"

"General Zhong, we need to first determine who among these three people betrayed Daliang..." Jiang Chen then told his plan.

"Great plan! Great plan!" General Zhong was extremely excited after hearing this. "However, your plan requires all three of you to be in the court."

"But Sixteenth Prince, Xu Jingzhu has just gone to the battle front in Northern Qiang, and Cheng Zhusheng has gone to the border area between Southern Chu and Northern Chu. If we wait for all three to return, it will probably take about a month."

"A month?" Jiang Chen pondered for a moment. "A month or so is the critical period for the Autumn Examination."

Then he said, "General Zhong, let's be patient and wait for about a month. Then we won't have trouble catching him by the tail, but General Zhong, remember to be patient for a month."

Jiang Chen told General Zhong that he must be patient now and play the long game to catch the big fish.

General Zhong readily agreed, then solemnly said, "Sixteenth Prince, if you need me in the future, I will be happy to serve you!"

"Master Zhong, you are too polite. In the future, if I have any questions about military strategy, I will ask General Zhong for advice. I hope General Zhong will not refuse."

General Zhong naturally agreed readily.

After Jiang Chen walked out of the study, he saw Jiang Sirou and He Xiaowei still asking about Zhong Xiaodan's recovery, so he said goodbye to the two women and left first.

After leaving the Zhong Mansion, Jiang Chen went to the dilapidated temple to visit Han Qingsong.

In the dilapidated temple, Jiang Chen saw Dianzhang teaching Han Qingsong the basic boxing. Han Qingsong had gradually gotten into the state, and Han Qingsong's two younger brothers and one younger sister were also learning seriously.

Although these children lived in a dilapidated temple, they gradually became strong, and even Han Qingsong slowly learned martial arts.

Lunch was approaching, and Jiang Chen felt a little relieved when he saw Han Qingsong making porridge for his younger brothers and sisters, who were waiting for the meal eagerly.

"Squeak!"

At this moment, the door of the dilapidated temple was pushed open, and two young men who looked like scholars walked in.

Although their clothes are simple, they cannot hide the scholarly air in them.

The two scholars were stunned at first when they saw so many people in the dilapidated temple, then they bowed and said, "Excuse me, everyone. Could you please allow us to rest here for a while?"

"Of course, come in." Han Qingsong looked like a patriarch, as if he treated the dilapidated temple as his own home.

"Brothers, may I ask where you are from?" Jiang Chen asked.

"We are classmates and friends from Fengcheng." One of them said after putting down the luggage.

Then the two introduced themselves.

The tall scholar, named Luo Shihua, possessed a slender figure and delicate features. His brows exuded a firmness and composure, his eyes often gleaming with intelligence. Despite his stature, his movements were remarkably steady, conveying a sense of maturity and composure.

The short, plump scholar named Qin Yiliang had a rounded figure and a handsome face, though slightly round. His eyes were bright and curious, and his smile was warm and natural. He spoke with a touch of humility and enthusiasm, giving him an approachable air.

After hearing the name "Fengcheng", Jiang Chen asked the two, "What brings you all the way here?"

Luo Shihua smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice, "I came to the capital now because of the Autumn Examination."

Qin Yiliang continued, "Yes, we both hope to achieve something in this Autumn Examination, become officials in the court, and bring honor to our family."

Jiang Chen then had a brief conversation with the two and found that they were very eloquent and knowledgeable.

Luo Shihua had studied in an academy for many years, majoring in poetry and history, and had some understanding of ancient and modern affairs.

Qin Yiliang mainly studied classics and law, and also conducted research on changes in current affairs and social governance.

"It seems that the candidates in this year's Autumn Examination are not all ordinary people."