As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

Shopkeeper Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Miss Jiang, look, this price..." He stretched out three fingers and gestured tentatively.

Jiang Yue raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Manager Liu, are you sending away beggars?"

Shopkeeper Liu's face froze, and he quickly extended another finger, saying in a trembling voice, "Four...four thousand taels, how about that?"

Jiang Yue was about to speak when the gate to the yamen slammed open, breaking the tense standoff inside. Captain Wang, accompanied by several constables, stormed in.

The sudden change startled everyone in the room. Captain Wang looked around, his gaze settling on Jiang Yue. He said in a deep voice, "Jiang Yue, someone has reported you for suspected illegal trading. Come with us!"

"What?!" Jiang Yue was shocked, a chill running from her feet to her head. She immediately realized that she had been framed.

Ding Chen was also stunned. He stepped forward, stood in front of Jiang Yue, and said to Captain Wang, "Captain Wang, are you mistaken? How could Miss Jiang..."

"Are you kidding me? Let's talk about it at the yamen!" Captain Wang rudely interrupted Ding Chen and waved to the constables behind him, "Take him away!"

Two constables stepped forward and tried to arrest Jiang Yue without further ado. Seeing this, Qiu'er quickly stood in front of Jiang Yue and shouted anxiously, "What are you doing? Why are you arresting our young lady?"

"You bold and cunning slave, how dare you obstruct public affairs!" Captain Wang scolded harshly and kicked Qiu'er away. Qiu'er's petite body fell heavily to the ground, and she let out a painful groan.

Jiang Yue watched Qiu'er get hurt, her heart simmering with rage, but she knew now was not the time to act rashly. She suppressed her anger, took a deep breath, and said coldly, "Captain Wang, I'd like to ask, who reported me? Where's the evidence?"

Captain Wang sneered and said, "You'll know when we get to the yamen!" After that, he signaled the constable again to take Jiang Yue away.

Jiang Yue looked at Ding Chen, her eyes filled with helplessness and grievance. She didn't want to implicate Ding Chen, and she didn't want him to worry about her. She shook her head gently, signaling Ding Chen not to be impulsive.

At this moment, a cold voice rang out from outside the door: "Wait!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xuanyuan Che, dressed in the official uniform of the Imperial Guard Commander, striding in. His eyes swept across the room, finally landing on Captain Wang. He asked in a cold tone: "Captain Wang, what are you doing?"

Captain Wang's expression changed slightly when he saw Xuanyuan Che, but he quickly regained his previous tough demeanor. "Commander Xuanyuan, this man is suspected of illegal trading. I have been ordered to arrest him!"

Xuanyuan Che snorted coldly, "Illegal transaction? Where's the evidence?"

Captain Wang pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Xuanyuan Che, "This is an anonymous report. It's clearly written on it!"

Xuanyuan Che took the letter, unfolded it, and his expression suddenly became solemn. He handed the letter to Jiang Yue and said in a deep voice, "Miss Jiang, please take a look at it yourself."

Jiang Yue took the letter and glanced at it before her face turned pale. The letter described in detail her dealings with Shopkeeper Liu for contraband, even detailing the time, location, and quantity of the transaction.

Jiang Yue's heart sank. She knew she was in real trouble this time. She raised her head, looked at Xuanyuan Che, and said word by word, "This... this is clearly someone framing me!"

Xuanyuan Che looked at Jiang Yue with a deep gaze and said slowly, "I know." He turned to look at Captain Wang and said in a cold tone, "Captain Wang, I'm afraid this so-called evidence..." He paused, his eyes falling on the pale-faced Shopkeeper Liu, and said in a meaningful tone, "It may not be credible."

Captain Wang stiffened his neck, his demeanor businesslike, "Commander Xuanyuan, I know you and Miss Jiang have a close relationship, but this letter of accusation is of grave importance, and I must handle it with caution. Even if the evidence remains to be verified, the suspect must be brought back to the yamen for a detailed interrogation. I hope the commander will not bend the law for personal gain!"

Xuanyuan Che frowned. He knew Captain Wang was upright, but also a bit too rigid. The anonymous letter had come so strangely, and its contents were so detailed, it was clearly a carefully planned trap. But without solid evidence proving the letter was a forgery, he couldn't forcibly stop Captain Wang from enforcing the law.

Jiang Yue clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing, searching for a way out. She knew that if she were brought to the government office, even if she was ultimately proven innocent, it would damage her reputation and, more importantly, delay her future plans.

At this moment, Qiu'er, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly exclaimed, "I remember now! When we were trading that day, there was a waiter in the inn who was standing by! He can testify that we weren't trading any prohibited items!"

Qiu'er's words were like a flash of lightning, breaking the stalemate. Jiang Yue suddenly raised her head, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She quickly said to Captain Wang, "Captain Wang, my maid is right! There was indeed a man present that day who can prove my innocence! Please give us a moment to find him and testify!"

Captain Wang hesitated for a moment, looked at Xuanyuan Che, then at Jiang Yue, and finally nodded: "Alright, I'll give you one hour. If you can't find a witness within one hour, don't blame me for being rude!"

"Thank you, Captain Wang!" Jiang Yue thanked him quickly, then turned to Qiu'er and said, "Qiu'er, hurry to the inn and make sure you find that guy! Remember, you have to be quick!"

"Yes, Miss!" Qiu'er didn't dare to delay and immediately turned around and ran out of the yamen.

Looking at Qiu'er's receding back, Jiang Yue prayed silently in his heart, hoping that everything would go well.

The atmosphere in the government office was solemn. Xuanyuan Che walked over to Jiang Yue and whispered, "Miss Jiang, this isn't just a simple false accusation. The person behind this is definitely scheming. You must be careful and protect yourself."

Jiang Yue looked at Xuanyuan Che gratefully and nodded. She knew that in this strange world, she could only rely on herself.

Shopkeeper Liu trembled in fear. He had never imagined that a seemingly simple transaction would cause such a big uproar. He secretly glanced at Captain Wang, his heart filled with fear and regret.

Time passed, and the atmosphere in the government office became increasingly tense. Jiang Yue's heart sank as time went by. If Qiu'er couldn't find the man, how would she escape?

At this moment, Ding Chen gently held Jiang Yue's hand, his warm palm conveying silent comfort. He looked at Jiang Yue with a firm and gentle look: "Jiang Yue, don't worry, no matter what, I will be with you."

Jiang Yue felt the warmth of Ding Chen's hand, and her heart calmed down a little. She raised her head and gave Ding Chen a grateful smile. Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the government office!

The hurried footsteps outside the yamen grew closer, and Jiang Yue's heart was in her throat. She hoped that Qiu'er would return with good news, but she also felt a vague sense of unease. The footsteps stopped at the yamen gate, and a figure flashed in. But it was not Qiu'er, but the pale-faced shopkeeper Liu. He was panting, his expression terrified, pointing outside the door and stammering, "Oh no... The inn... Something happened at the inn!"

"What happened at the inn?" Captain Wang asked sternly.

Shopkeeper Liu swallowed his saliva and said tremblingly, "A group of men in black... broke into the inn... They... They..."

Before Manager Liu could finish, shouts and cries of killing erupted from outside the yamen. Immediately afterwards, several constables came tumbling in, wounded and panicked, shouting, "Sir! This is bad! A group of men in black have attacked the inn!"

Captain Wang's face changed drastically. He immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Everyone follow me!" Then he rushed out of the yamen. Xuanyuan Che followed closely behind him. Before leaving, he gave Jiang Yue a deep look, his eyes filled with worry.

Ding Chen held Jiang Yue's hand and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, no matter what, I will be with you."

Jiang Yue felt the warmth of Ding Chen's hand, and her heart calmed down a little. She raised her head and gave Ding Chen a grateful smile. She knew that now was not the time to be afraid. She had to calm down in order to deal with the crisis that was about to come.

The streets outside the yamen were in chaos. A group of men in black, armed with sharp blades, were engaged in a fierce battle with Constable Wang and his detectives. Each of the men in black was highly skilled in martial arts, and their attacks were deadly. Although the detectives fought hard, they were gradually losing ground.

Captain Wang brandished his sword, slashing left and right, barely holding off the attacks of the men in black. As he fought, he observed their movements, growing increasingly confused. These men in black were well-trained and coordinated, not like ordinary bandits at all. Their goal seemed clear: the inn. However, apart from Jiang Yue and the others, there was nothing valuable in the inn. What were these people after?

Just as Captain Wang was thinking hard, a man in black suddenly rushed out from the side and slashed at his shoulder. Captain Wang was unable to dodge and a deep wound was cut on his shoulder, and blood immediately gushed out.

"Sir!" Seeing this, several constables rushed forward to protect Captain Wang.

Seeing that Captain Wang was injured, the men in black attacked even more fiercely. The detectives were outnumbered and gradually couldn't resist. They were about to be surrounded by the men in black.

Jiang Yue, hiding in the government office, observed the battle outside through the crack in the door. Seeing that Captain Wang was injured, she felt extremely anxious. She realized that these men in black might be in cahoots with her. She had to do something.

Jiang Yue took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She quietly pulled a small medicine bottle from her sleeve and opened the cap. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted out. It was a medicine she'd concocted based on a prescription from an old doctor, a temporary dizziness-inducing drug. She'd originally intended it for self-defense, but it hadn't come in handy now.

She turned to look at Ding Chen with a firm look in her eyes: "I'll go out and take a look."

Ding Chen grabbed her wrist and said worriedly, "It's too dangerous!"

Jiang Yue shook her head slightly and pulled her hand out of his, "I have to go."

Jiang Yue's eyes were firm, and her tone was unquestionable. "Mr. Ding, I won't put myself in danger, but these people are here with ill intentions. Perhaps I can help." She pulled a few small porcelain bottles from her sleeves and handed them to Ding Chen. "These are drugs. Take them and act accordingly."

Ding Chen wanted to persuade her again, but seeing Jiang Yue's determined eyes, he knew he couldn't change her decision. He took the porcelain bottle and nodded solemnly: "Be careful."

Jiang Yue said no more and rushed out of the yamen. Crouching low, she used the corner of the wall for cover as she quickly approached the battle area. The men in black were numerous, but their attention was focused on Constable Wang and the detectives, and they didn't notice Jiang Yue approaching.

The wound on Captain Wang's left shoulder was still bleeding, and his movements were beginning to slow. A man in black seized the opportunity and swung his knife at Captain Wang. In the nick of time, Jiang Yue suddenly sprinkled the powder in his hand at the man in black.

The powder filled the air, and the man in black was caught off guard and inhaled it, feeling dizzy and his knife drooping limply. Captain Wang seized the opportunity and knocked the man to the ground with a single blow.

Seeing this, the other men in black surrounded him. Jiang Yue didn't dare to fight anymore, so he sprinkled another handful of powder, then quickly retreated and hid back in the government office.

"Miss Jiang, are you okay?" Ding Chen saw Jiang Yue coming back and hurried to greet her.

Jiang Yue shook her head. "I'm fine, but the situation isn't good. Those men in black seem well prepared." She looked outside. Although briefly disoriented by the drug powder, the men in black quickly recovered and attacked with even greater ferocity. The detectives had already suffered heavy casualties, and Captain Wang was in imminent danger.

Manager Liu, who was hiding in the government office, was trembling with fear. He said with a sad face, "What...what should we do? Are we all going to die here?"

Jiang Yue ignored Shopkeeper Liu's wailing. She stared intently at the battle outside, her mind racing. These men in black were well-trained, their targets clear, and they seemed aware of their presence. These were no ordinary robbers. Could it be... Mu Yang? The thought flashed through her mind, causing her heart to tighten. If it really was Mu Yang, then things would become even more difficult.

At this moment, a man in black broke through the guards' defense and headed straight for the yamen. The long knife in his hand flashed with a cold light, and he was about to rush into the yamen.

"Be careful!" Ding Chen pulled Jiang Yue behind him and drew his sword to block the man in black.

The man in black sneered and swung his sword at Ding Chen. Although Ding Chen knew some martial arts skills, he was still inferior to the well-trained man in black. After a few rounds, Ding Chen gradually lost the upper hand.

Just as the knife in the black-clad man's hand was about to stab Ding Chen, a figure suddenly appeared at the gate of the yamen.

"Stop!" An old and majestic voice sounded.

... "Who are you?" the leader of the men in black asked sternly.