[Fantasy] The Deer and the Cauldron: A Sequel (Complete) - 13-15

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Four: A Pair of Qing Dynasty Officials Deliver Their Love to Baoding

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Baoding, an ancient city in Zhili, was built hundreds of years earlier than Beijing! A vital town in northern Hebei, it sits between the three passes of

Yong, Ci, Jing, and Daoma. It forms a strategic point of attack between Beijing and Tianjin, making it a crucial battleground for any military force.

Baoding

boasts high city walls and a thriving market. Because the Qingyuan River flows through the city, it is also known as Qingyuan.

During the Qing Dynasty, Baoding was garrisoned by the Eight Banners troops.

Why was it the general of Baoding? As an ancient and important town, Baoding is incredibly prosperous, especially the New Park, Sihetao, Gulou Street, and the City God Temple, which are bustling with activity. Financial establishments, cloth shops, restaurants, and theaters are everywhere, and the entertainment is dazzling.

Xiao Bao, Er Tu Zi, and Xiao Lai Li arrived in Baoding.

Little Rascal asked, "Little Bao, we've arrived in Baoding Prefecture. Where should we start our sightseeing?"

Little Bao ignored him and instead asked Baldy, "Second Brother, are you hungry?"

"Damn it, is that even a question? I ate a bowl of soy milk and a set of sesame cakes and fried dough sticks this morning, and then I walked over a hundred li. Do you think I'm hungry?"

"Little Rascal isn't hungry. Didn't you hear him ask where we should start our sightseeing?"

Little Rascal cursed, "You're just trying to bully me! Who said I'm not hungry? When I ask where we should start our sightseeing, it means we should eat there first!"

Little Bao and Baldy both laughed! Baldy said, "Didn't Uncle Duan often say that there's a strange beef stall run by Hui Muslims in Sihetao, Baoding? Doesn't Uncle Duan often use this beef stall to make fun of Uncle Mei?"

Little Bao said, "Right! Let's go to Sihetao and see what's so strange about this beef stall!"

The three of them walked along, asking people for directions to Sihetao.

Before long, they found the Hui Muslim beef stall.

The three looked at it for a while, and Xiao Bao said, "It's been almost twenty years, just like Dad said, nothing has changed!"

"Bullshit! My dad said it was just like this back then!"

Little Rascal said, "If they've changed, you're a little dog!"

Xiao Bao said, "If they haven't changed, you're a little rabbit!"

Little Rascal said, "Alright! Er Tu will be the witness, let's ask if Bai Huihui has aged? Little dog, you can't deny it this time!"

Not only did Er Tu laugh at his words, but even the man cutting beef on the counter laughed. At the same time, he put down his cleaver and came over, cupping his fists to the three men and saying, "Gentlemen, I just heard you say that the old master ate beef at our stall twenty years ago, and he still remembers it after twenty years. It's an honor for our stall. Come, come, please sit down in the stall. Whatever you want to eat, it's on me today!"

Xiao Bao asked, "And you are...?" "

What the young master said earlier is right. Nothing at our stall has changed, only the man has aged. He is the son of the butcher who patronized our stall when your old master patronized it!"

"Oh! It's

you, young master!" "Don't be so polite, all the staff at this stall are family!"

The master was genuinely treating them well. Soon, four large platters of tripe, shank, liver, and hooves were served, each weighing over two jin (approximately 1 kg). A large pot of strong liquor was also brought out, and finally, each person received a bowl of beef soup with steamed buns. The three of them thoroughly enjoyed their meal.

When they tried to pay, the master refused to accept the bill.

They thanked him profusely before leaving.

On the way, Xiao Bao said, "Great! We got a free meal on our first trip to Baoding!"

Xiao Lai Zi said, "Right! Let's go to that brothel your mother used to work at and get another freebie!"

Xiao Bao kicked him hard in the butt!

He didn't care and instead spat at Xiao Bao, making faces.

Er Tu Zi added, "Good! After getting a freebie, we'll go to the casino and pick up some more!" What

a brilliant idea! Free food, freebies, and even winning some money at the casino.

The three of them actually went to visit a brothel near the City God Temple.

Er Tuzi said, "The three of us, like little radishes, are going to a brothel. Let's hope the manager kicks us out!"

Xiao Bao said, "You're such an amateur! Brothels don't have managers!"

"What do they have?"

"They have madams and pimps!"

"We don't understand. You're the boss, teach us!"

"Okay! Stick your ears out and listen carefully!"

Er Tuzi said, "We're not rabbits, why should we stick our ears out? Just say it! We can hear you!"

"Okay! Listen carefully!"

"Speak! Stop your damn rambling!"

"Okay! Listen carefully, the north and south are very different. The girls are also different, calling out to greet guests to come to the front, randomly choosing someone to sit and listen, clearing out a room, lifting the curtain, guarding clothes and carrying lanterns, before leaving they all say 'See you tomorrow,' turning west and then east again!"

Xiao Laizi said, "Xiao Bao, you're really something!"

"Is this enough to be your teacher?"

Er Tuzi said, "You two, stop joking. Is there anything better?"

"Yes, listen, indulging in wine and women, the drum and the music, good guests are always first, friends always give way, a meal is all it takes, lodging costs eight taels of silver, if you burn candles like a god of wealth, your friendship will be even stronger!"

The bald man asked again, "One or eight taels for lodging? Then why does Jiuquan cost a hundred taels? What does 'burning candles' mean?"

"Firstly, it's a side service, secondly, actors are naturally more expensive! Lighting candles is like deflowering a courtesan!"

the leper said, "Damn, you know so much!"

"Of course!"

the bald man asked again, "Anything else?"

"Of course, every banquet is a costly affair, squandering money on beautiful women, unable to satisfy desires, easily mending boots, occasionally getting a beating at the teahouse, often borrowing money for repairs, the waiter brings a red slip of paper, who has urged them to leave!"

the leper said, "Let's really go!"

"Of course!"

"Wouldn't it be embarrassing to be kicked out?"

"Why?"

"Too young!"

"Cough! You little brat, have you forgotten whose apprentice I am?"

"Of course, you're Uncle Mei's apprentice!"

"Where's my little master's wife?"

"Ah! Little Third Aunt passed on her makeup skills to you!"

"Of course! Little Master's wife likes me very much, would she not teach me? Come, let me do your makeup!"

He transformed Er Tuzi and Xiao Laizi into young men of twenty-two or twenty-three, while he himself became a robust man of over forty. He smiled at the two and said, "Remember, now I am your uncle!"

Xiao Laizi cursed, "Xiao Bao, you're taking advantage of us!" Er

Tuzi said, "Anyway, it's just for show, let's call him uncle!"

The three of them went to the "Si Xi Troupe" near the City God Temple!

It turned out that this was the address of the "Da Tong Shu Yu"!

As soon as they entered, Da Cha Hu shouted at the top of his lungs to lift the curtain and welcome guests!

The three of them entered the open hall and sat down.

A moment later, a flamboyant madam in her thirties entered, smiling before even speaking: "Oh! You three gentlemen! It's been a while!"

The three men thought, "Damn it, calling his mother-in-law 'sister-in-law' is nonsense!"

Then four girls came in!

Sanbao noticed the thick layer of makeup on her face.

The madam said, "Announce yourselves!"

"Spring Flower!"

"Summer Lotus!"

"Autumn Chrysanthemum!"

"Winter Plum!"

The names were quite beautiful, Four Seasons Flowers!

Xiaobao pretended quite well, but shook his head!

Four Seasons Flowers bowed and took their leave!

Then four more arrived! The madam still asked them to announce themselves!

"Winter Plum!"

"Orchid!"

"Green Bamboo!"

"Purple Chrysanthemum!"

Oh! The Four Gentlemen of Flowers! These four were much more elegant than the previous four, but Xiaobao still shook his head.

The madam said, "Sir, these four are the pillars of our Four Joys Troupe!"

Xiaobao asked, "Aren't there any more?"

The madam said, "There are two more naive young prostitutes!"

Xiaobao said, "Bring them here!"

The madam said to Big Teapot, "Tell them to come and see the guests!"

Big Teapot shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xiaocui, Xiaohong, come and see the guests!"

After a while, two young prostitutes of fifteen or sixteen years old arrived! Upon entering, they first bowed to the three men and stood timidly to the side.

Xiao Bao, seeing the two young prostitutes, was as beautiful as daffodils, from head to toe, and asked, "Have they been to school?"

The madam answered for him, "They were originally from families of officials, but their families fell on hard times, which is why they came to my troupe. They are skilled in poetry, lyrics, songs, and dances!"

"Good! Let's call them those two!"

"And you, sir?"

"Haha! Haha! I'll first enlighten my two nephews!"

Er Tu Zi and Xiao Ta Li both glared at him.

He didn't care, instead leering at the madam.

Don't let her age fool you; the madam still retained her charm.

The madam blushed slightly under his gaze; it was quite amusing.

Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui led the three gentlemen to their room, where a maidservant held up the curtain. The three entered the room and saw... Ah! They really did have a touch of scholarly air about them.

The walls were covered with calligraphy scrolls! The three of them looked closely; some had signatures, some didn't.

Looking closer, the signature scrolls were mostly flamboyant and unrestrained, like dragons and swords with silver hooks. The

unsigned ones had elegant, flowing handwriting.

Xiao Bao asked, "Who wrote all of this?"

Xiao Hong replied, "The signatures belong to a scholar, the unsigned ones to my sisters!"

Xiao Bao then noticed a seven-character quatrain: "Respectfully presented to the Fairy Cuihong at the temple," followed by: "You were originally two celestial immortals, why did you fall to the mortal world?

Now you've been misled into the world of pleasure, I wish to chase you to the deep mountains!" The signature was Yu Benren. Xiao Bao laughed, "It seems this Yu Benren is quite the romantic; he's trying to kill two birds with one stone!" He then burst into laughter.

Er Tu said, "Since he likes you so much, why doesn't he redeem you two sisters from your servitude?"

Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui both blushed and lowered their heads, but then Xiao Hong looked up and said, "Young master, you're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving man!"

"What do you mean?"

"Master Yu scraped together a few taels of tea money to come see us a few times, and we've developed a bond. From then on, the tea money was all paid for by my sister and me with our own savings. How could he possibly have the means to redeem us from our servitude?"

"Then you two can give him your savings to redeem you from your servitude!"

Hearing this, Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui laughed so hard they were shaking.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Young master! You really know how to make fun of us. We sisters have a little savings, but it's only a hundred or eighty taels. Compared to the price we'd pay to be redeemed, it's like comparing heaven and earth!"

Xiao Bao said, "Does that gentleman really want to marry you?"

Xiao Hong said, "Master Yu said he's willing to work hard with us sisters and study!"

"Doesn't he want fame and fortune?"

"He has no intention of entering officialdom!"

"If he doesn't want to be an official, why does he still take the imperial examination?"

"He said that if we enroll, we'll get a few taels of silver a month for tuition, so we can study!"

"How much are you two worth?"

"My mother didn't say, but I did set a price for lighting candles!"

"How much?"

"Fiveteen hundred taels!"

Xiao Lai Li exclaimed, "Goodness, that's enough for a poor scholar's tuition for decades!"

Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui blushed at his words and lowered their heads.

Xiao Bao said, "Call the madam!"

A maid went to call her, and soon the madam arrived.

As soon as he entered, he smiled and said, "Oh! Young master, what can I do for you?"

Xiao Bao said, "Granny, tonight I need to prepare a feast and a banquet for these two girls, and light candles. You can set

the price!" The old duck thought for a moment. These two young men would probably ask for 1,500 taels of silver. If she asked for more, she was afraid the maids would reveal their budget first, which would be bad. So she said, "The maids all know this. Haven't they told the masters?"

Xiao Bao said, "You're a straightforward person. I'll keep your asking price and add 500 taels to prepare the feast. But I have one request: please invite a guest on my behalf!"

When the two girls heard that Xiao Bao was going to prepare a feast for them, their hearts were pounding like deer. When they heard that they needed to invite a guest to the feast, their hearts pounded even more.

The madam asked, "Who are you inviting?" Xiao

Bao replied, "Scholar Yu!"

"Him?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"I heard he's in love with the two young ladies. Shouldn't you invite him for their wedding day?"

"Sir, that's not a good idea! First, Mr. Yu might not come, and second, isn't that going too far for him?"

"Hmm! Maybe I'll have my two nephews deflower the young ladies, and in their excitement, I'll redeem them and give them to him!"

"This..."

"Won't that work? Once a young lady is deflowered, her value drops. Name your price!"

"Sir, normally, deflowering and redeeming a young lady would make him a patron, but it would be a huge loss for our brothel. If you really intend to do that, you'd better let me have my way!"

"Name your price!"

The madam calculated for a long time, then gritted her teeth and said, "If you're willing to redeem them, I want ten thousand taels each!"

"That's outrageous! Even the courtesans in Beijing's hutongs don't charge that much!"

“Sir! They’ve been with me for five or six years. Leaving aside their food, drink, clothes, and possessions, the effort I put into training them is worth ten thousand taels!”

“Does this ten thousand taels include deflowering them?”

“Of course! Once you’ve redeemed them, they’re yours. You can deflower them however you like!”

Xiao Bao said, pulling out two ten-thousand-tael Xingde silver notes from his pocket. “These Xingde notes are accepted nationwide. They’re even linked to the Sanxiaoyi Money Shop. If you’re worried, you can send someone to collect the silver first!”

The madam knew that Xingde was money, and laughed, "Xingde's money is no problem, I'll go get their indentures!"

"Alright! But I'll give you another thousand taels, is that enough for their clothes and jewelry?"

What kind of jewelry and clothing did these two courtesans have? Let alone a thousand taels, even five hundred taels wouldn't be enough!

Of course, the madam agreed!

Xiao Bao gave her another two thousand taels, saying, "The other thousand is for you to arrange a banquet, and to rent this house from you for three days. After three days, we'll move out together!"

"Okay! Sir, it's a deal!"

The madam went to do the errand! The two courtesans were redeemed, but whether they were happy or sad, they had a thousand knots in their hearts.

At this moment, Er Tuzi used telepathy to say, "Xiao Bao, those two want it, you and Xiao Lai Li want it, but I don't want it!"

Xiao Bao also telepathically replied, "Fine, you fucking want it, but I won't give it to you! You're so vain!"

Xiao Lai Li also telepathically replied, "Xiao Bao, you want it, you want it, it's none of my business!"

Xiao Bao telepathically replied, "Even if you want it, I won't give it to you! You rotten egg!"

Fine! If neither of them wants it, it'll probably all go to Xiao Bao! Not long after, the madam arrived with the two girls' indentures and handed them to Xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao looked at them, showed them to the two girls to make sure they were correct, then burned them one by one and said to Xiao Cui and Xiao Hong, "You're free now!"

The two girls hurriedly came over and kowtowed to Xiao Bao!

Xiao Bao truly received a full bow! At this time, all the girls, pimps, and maids in the courtyard came to congratulate the two.

Despite being young courtesans, they were incredibly generous. They gave away all their jewelry and clothing to the other women in the brothel, and even gave away two hundred taels of their own savings to reward all the pimps and maids. Everyone left happily.

The two women, now only wearing the clothes on their backs, knelt down before Xiao Bao and said, "Master! Don't blame us for our presumption!"

Xiao Bao said, "Good! You did the right thing. Do you need any more money? I have some."

Xiao Hong said, "We came here clean, and we'll leave clean too!"

"Good! Get up!"

At this moment, the pimps came to clear the table, and the food and wine arrived.

As soon as Xiao Hong and Xiao Cui saw Yu Xiucai, tears streamed down their faces, but they didn't cry out loud.

Yu Xiucai was taken aback by the scene.

Xiao Bao clasped his hands in a fist salute to him and said, "Please take a seat, sir. On this joyous occasion for the two sisters, I would like to speak with you!"

He also clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Bao and said, "What can I do for you?"

Xiao Bao said, "Let's all sit down and talk!"

So everyone sat down.

Xiao Bao said, "Sir, please forgive my bluntness, but I want to know your background."

"Why?"

"Is it related to the future of those two girls?" "

Is it related to the future of Cui and Hong?"

"Yes!"

"Alright! I'll tell you. Today is their happy day, and I'm going all out. I'm not afraid that you're one of them anymore. I've even come to terms with life and death. My surname isn't Yu; Yu is my mother's surname. My father was implicated in the case of Grandpa Lü in the early years of the Zhengchu era and was executed. Before I was born, my parents arranged a marriage for me. Later, when my betrothed was four years old, she was kidnapped by my mother's senior brother!"

Xiao Bao asked curiously, "What? Why did the senior brother kidnap his junior sister?"

"He forced my mother-in-law to divorce her husband and remarry him!"

"That guy is inhuman!"

"That's right. I heard my mother say that my mother-in-law and this senior brother were childhood sweethearts, but later this senior brother became a lackey of the Manchus, and the two of them broke up. She married my father-in-law, and this senior brother has been harassing her ever since!"

"Wasn't anyone upholding justice?"

"Her senior brother was originally in Baoding, but later became a big boss in the underworld in Xi'an. Who could afford to offend him? Later, my father-in-law and my late father were both implicated in the Lü Liuliang case and met each other. My mother-in-law went to fight him and ended up committing suicide!"

"Aren't there any chivalrous heroes in the martial arts world who uphold justice?"

"Yes! I heard that Gan Fengchi, one of the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan, went to see him, but nothing came of it!"

"What's his name?"

"Huo Yunpeng!"

"Ah! It's him?"

"You know him?"

"Not only do I know him, but I was also deceived by him and got completely fooled!"

Even Er Tuzi and Xiao Laizi asked in unison, "What happened!"

Xiao Bao said, "His power and energy gates were probably broken by Hero Gan, but I thought that my sister-in-law and the other three sisters were really orphans he adopted. Out of compassion, I restored his energy gates, and at the same time, he regained his power!"

Yu Xiucai asked, "How did this happen?"

"Hahahaha! Marriage is preordained in a past life. The one you were betrothed to since childhood is now called Fire Phoenix, and she's become our sister-in-law. I'll give them both..."

He pointed at the two girls and said, "This is a reward for you, and we'll call it even!" Hahahaha! He then burst into laughter.

Yu Xiucai said, "This..."

"Don't you want them?"

"This..." Of course he wanted them, what could he say?

At this moment, the two girls went to Xiaobao and knelt down.

Xiao Bao said, "Brother Yu, there's no need to be so stubborn. I originally intended to help you two get married. Otherwise, what would I have invited you here for? If you don't believe me, ask my two older brothers. They both told me earlier that they don't want either of the girls!"

"Ah! They're your brothers?"

"Is that strange? We're all disguised, and the oldest isn't even eighteen yet!"

Yu Xiucai said, "Brother, you're truly a benevolent gentleman!"

"Brother Yu, don't say anymore. Tonight, you and the second young lady will go to the bridal chamber. My two brothers will sleep in another room!"

Er Tuzi asked, "What about you, Xiao Bao?"

"I have my own place to go, don't worry about it!"

Yu Xiucai and the two young ladies ran ahead of them! Xiao Bao said, "Get up quickly, let's have a good drink so you can go to the bridal chamber!"

Yu Xiucai and the two young ladies kowtowed at the same time and said, "Thank you so much!"

They got up and sat down together! Xiao Bao asked, "Brother Yu, what are your plans?"

"My maternal family still has a few acres of meager land. I intend to stay home and study!"

"Don't you plan to pursue an official career?"

"A true man cannot defend his country with weapons, nor can he become a lackey of a foreign race!"

"Good! You have ambition. But if I could introduce you to a place to overthrow the Qing and restore the Han, would you have the courage to go?"

"If such a place truly exists, we would gladly die for it!"

At this moment, the two women also said, "We are descendants of officials from the former Ming dynasty, persecuted by foreign powers and reduced to prostitution. If you truly have such a place, we sisters will follow you, Brother Yu, through fire and water, without hesitation!"

"Good! You three are truly ambitious. Now I can tell you, we come from Tianshan. The former Ming princess, the One-Armed Nun, is there leading the cause of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Han. The people on the mountain practice literature and martial arts daily, actively preparing to expel the Tartars and restore the Han dynasty. After three reigns, you should first go to Xi'an and find Grandpa Yu of Xingde Money Shop. Tell him you are introduced by the Four Treasures of Tianshan and ask him to arrange for you to enter the mountain!"

Saying this, he took out another thousand taels of silver notes and handed them to Yu Xiucai, saying, "You'll need money on the road, keep these for your travel expenses!"

Yu Xiucai accepted them generously and said, "Thank you so much for your kindness, brother! I won't thank you enough!"

"Brother Yu, we're family now, why bother with this!"

The drinking session was truly hearty and enjoyable. That

evening,

the madam came again and asked, "Sir, Yu Xiucai is here. Now there are four of you. What should we do with the two girls? Should I call two more girls to serve you?"

Xiao Bao said, "Mama, I've given Cui and Hong to Brother Yu!"

"Then what about the three of you, sir?"

"That's easy. There are two bedrooms here. One can be their bridal chamber, and the other can be used as a sleeping quarters for my two nephews. As for me..."

Xiao Bao then made a suggestive gesture towards the madam, pouting and winking, his right middle finger pointing upwards.

Upon seeing him, the madam thought, "You want to be my match?" But when she looked closely at Xiao Bao, she seemed to have discovered a treasure. It turned out that when Xiao Bao transformed, he had emphasized his nose. He was already fiery, and after transforming, his nose became a lion's nose with a hook—a physiological indication that his manhood was exceptionally large.

The madam gave him a flirtatious wink and nodded.

Xiao Bao asked softly, "Which room do you stay in?"

"The main room downstairs in the back courtyard!"

"Good! I'll definitely go. Don't close the door, wait for me!"

"Good! It's a deal!"

"A deal!"

As night fell, Yu Xiucai, Xiao Hong, and Xiao Cui went to the west bridal chamber.

Er Tuzi asked Xiao Bao, "You're not staying with us, where are you staying?"

Xiao Bao replied, "It's none of your business. If you two can't sleep, I'll have the madam call two more people for you!"

"Oh! No! Absolutely not! I'll stay with Xiao Lai Li!"

With that, he pulled Xiao Lai Li to sleep in the east room.

Xiao Bao seized the opportunity to slip away!

First, let's talk about Er Tuzi and Xiao Laizi. After entering the room, Xiao Laizi said, "Second Brother, look where Xiao Bao went all by himself!"

Er Tuzi replied, "He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve, who knows what he went to do?"

"Second Brother, Scholar Yu went to the bridal chamber with the two young ladies, this is going to be quite a show!"

"Hmm! Let's peek through the crack in the door later and learn from it!"

"Alright! Second Brother, let's listen carefully to what they're saying on their wedding night."

"Right!"

So the two of them sat up on the bed, silently channeling their inner energy, and listened carefully to the sounds.

Then they heard Xiao Hong from the west room say, "Brother Yu, those three are truly our great benefactors!"

Yu Xiucai said, "Indeed, without these three great benefactors, we would never have been able to be together. Forget about me redeeming you; even just one night of passion would cost us three years' worth of official expenses!"

Xiao Cui said, "Brother Yu, don't say that. We'll remember their great kindness forever! It's getting late; you should deflower Sister Hong first!"

"You take your clothes off too! I've deflowered Sister Hong, and then I'll deflower you!"

The three of them carefully stripped naked. At this moment, Xiao Lai said, "Second Brother, let's peek through the crack in the door!"

The two tiptoed to the door of the west room and discovered that the paper walls were actually wooden partitions, and there were pine knots on the boards. They used their fingers to channel internal energy, scratching open the paper walls, sucking out the pine knots, and then cut a hole in the cardboard inside. Now they could see clearly.

They saw three white, fleshy figures nestled together on the bed! Xiao Hong was kissing and licking Yu Xiucai's lips, while Xiao Cui was manipulating Yu Xiucai's penis.

Despite being a scholar, Yu Xiucai's penis was quite large, a full six inches.

Yu Xiucai's hands were stroking Xiao Hong's pubic hair, then his middle finger was inserted into her vagina, while his thumb rubbed her clitoris.

Xiao Hong trembled, just as described in the poem "The Great Eastern Ode of Yin and Yang": "Raising her fair feet, caressing her jade arms! The woman grasps the man's penis, and her heart is restless! The man holds the woman's tongue, and his mind is confused!" Soon, Xiao Hong's vaginal fluids flowed, which Yu Xiucai smeared on her, wiping her up and down.

Xiao Hong lay on her back on the bed, legs wide open, her vulva slightly parted, receptive to his advances.

At this moment, her penis was erect and its head held high, her vulva trembling and her lips parted! Xiao Cui then began to help, one hand supporting Yu Xiucai's hard penis,

the other parting Xiao Hong's untouched vagina.

At this moment, Scholar Yu thrust his hips forward, his penis plunging in as if cut, the flower blooming, semen leaking forth.

Her face flushed crimson, the pain causing her to gush with fragrant juices.

Trembling, she gritted her teeth, forced to endure the pain.

In the interplay of light and shadow, back and forth, they gradually reached a climax.

One's jade arm fluttered, the other's golden lotus held high.

One cried out in surprise, the other murmured sweetly.

Like Junrui and Jingniang, like Song Yu meeting a goddess.

Vows of eternal love, faintly lingered in their ears, like butterflies and bees, unwilling to be captured!

After a long battle, the first waves of red rose, a touch of fragrance permeating her soft breasts.

After much struggle, the tent hung on the silver hook, her eyebrows arching over her jade-like face.

It was truly, three kisses deepening their passion, a tingling, blissful sensation spreading through her bones.

It is said that Yu Xiucai and Xiao Hong had fought for a thousand rounds. Xiao Hong was already completely exhausted and her body was as soft as cotton, while Yu Xiucai, because another great battle was about to begin beside him, and with his innate skills, still managed to keep his penis from being broken.

He was about to immediately open the second battlefield when Xiao Cui stopped him, saying, "Brother Yu, don't pull out of Sister Hong's hole yet, and at the same time, hold her tight!"

"Why?"

"That way she can reach the most perfect state!"

"You really know a lot!"

"Of course! This is a required course for brothel girls!"

"Who do you brothel girls learn from?"

"In brothels, sometimes it's the pimps, the big teapots demonstrate for the girls, and the madam explains from the side. Sometimes the madam even performs with the big teapots herself!"

After saying that, she hugged Xiao Hong from behind.

Now it was a man and a woman, with Xiao Hong sandwiched in the middle, and at the same time, they covered her with a quilt.

Little Rascal and Er Tuzi, who had peeked at Xi outside the door, saw that the curtain had fallen on the performance and had no choice but to quietly return to their room. However, they couldn't fall asleep for a good half hour. Just then, there was movement in the west room.

Little Rascal said, "Second Brother, they've probably changed the scene. Shall we go watch the second part?"

"Okay!"

The two of them quietly went to peek again!

This time, it was Xiao Cui on stage. This girl was even more cunning than Xiao Hong. She worked with Yu Xiucai for a full hour, even adding a few fancy moves! Er Tuzi and his companion stood guard for another shift, but they didn't feel tired at all.

As for Xiao Bao, ever since he received his master's orders on the mountain, he had been preparing to befriend the lower-ranking officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners. Of course, this involved eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling.

Of course, he was already a master of eating, drinking, and gambling, but whoring...?

Although his parents were experienced, they had never heard of a master teaching his son to visit brothels.

It was his birth mother, Yan Xiaoqian, who was very open-minded and actually told him all the tricks of visiting brothels in Beijing's Eight Great Hutongs. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so skilled at visiting brothels this time.

However, although Yan Xiaoqian openly told him about the art of prostitution, she was still too ashamed to talk about flirting with girls and the various positions involved in intimate acts with her son who was almost of age. A mother would only confide a few words about it to her daughter before she got married.

But his stepmother, Hua Qing, was very open and told him everything, teaching him in great detail, from flirting with girls to the Nine Styles of Xuanyuan, the Seven Losses and Eight Benefits, plus the Thirty-One Tricks of Dong Xuanzi. She solemnly told him everything. Why? It was for the sacred goal—to overthrow the Qing and restore the Han.

After learning it, Xiao Bao always wanted to try it out, but then he thought about his father, who was known for his womanizing ways, yet was still a virgin when he married. His mother, on the other hand, had twice frequented brothels for the sake of the cause, yet on her wedding night, she was still virgin. He probably couldn't do that, but he still needed to lose his virginity on his first time! He couldn't possibly lose his virginity in a brothel! He thought again, if he used the tricks his second aunt taught him on a virgin, she definitely wouldn't be able to handle it. What to do then? A clever man has his ways.

One day, they saw a cork tree on the road. He secretly kept a two-inch square, foot-long piece of it and carried it with him. When no one was around, he secretly carved it into a dildo. He compared it to his real one. Since he mastered the 'Sound Mind Technique,' he could control the size of his penis with his qigong.

It could be as large as eight inches, with a glans shaped like an egg.

It could shrink to about an inch, like a baby's.

He sculpted the dildo to eight inches, the same size as his own at its largest. At the same time, he dug a three-inch deep hole in the back so it could be fitted over the real one.

This way, he wouldn't easily lose his virginity. So, after he finished making it, he always wanted to try it out. Today, he took a liking to the madam at this brothel, and the two hit it off immediately, agreeing to meet on the balcony that night.

After Yu Xiucai entered the bridal chamber, Xiao Bao sneaked downstairs in the backyard.

The main room door wasn't locked; it opened easily with a gentle push.

Inside, there were two bright rooms and one dark one. The bright room was the living room, and the madam was in the dark bedroom. He pushed the door open

again; it wasn't locked either. He slipped inside. Whoosh! The madam was already a horny lamb, her legs wrapped around the quilt, rubbing against him! Seeing him enter, she said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Oh! Brother, you really trust me! If you hadn't come tonight, I would have been dead!"

Xiao Bao went over and plopped down on the edge of the bed. Without a word, he kissed her on the lips. The madam then wrapped her arms around his neck like a snake.

Xiao Bao mischievously lifted his upper body.

The madam held him tightly, pulling his upper body up, but their mouths remained firmly together. And that wasn't all; he forced his tongue into Xiao Bao's mouth.

Xiao Bao used all the tricks his stepmother had taught him, sucking and licking like a child. The madam trembled as she sucked.

Xiao Bao's tongue pushed hers back, while his own tongue went over, now it was the madam's turn to suckle! Xiao Bao leaned to one side, his arms wrapped around her upper back, and his hands began to move, his five fingers gently pinching her nipples.

The madam twisted and turned from his pinching, the spot where his fingers touched trembling incessantly, but the madam was a madam, she just stubbornly didn't utter a sound.

Xiao Bao's five fingers began to advance towards her breasts, first exploring along the base of the breasts, then gently rubbing and kneading one breast at a time.

Next, he tried the other pair, but the madam stubbornly held her breath.

Seeing that this trick didn't work, Xiao Bao immediately changed tactics, grabbing and pinching lightly.

This worked, and the two peaks perked up.

Xiao Bao used one index finger to flick and flick the two nipples back and forth.

At this moment, the madam spoke up: "Brother! Hurry up and take off your clothes! It's so itchy!"

Xiao Bao cooperated and immediately took them off, leaving only his underwear. He was afraid that if he was completely naked, she would see his fake penis and it would be troublesome if she wanted to use a real one!

The madam touched it through the underwear! Ji Lingling shivered.

What a big penis! She was overjoyed, her face and heart filled with delight. She hadn't tasted such a big penis in years, and she was going to enjoy it tonight.

Xiao Bao continued to flirt, his tongue now starting from the earlobe, then his face, chest, and breasts, sucking incessantly like a baby at the base of his nipples.

His right hand was also busy, circling up and down his lower abdomen.

This action was irresistible to women.

The madam's whole body twisted and trembled, her thighs rubbing together incessantly.

Xiao Bao's fingers touched her pubic hair, following the pubic hairline straight into the Hu Liang River Valley.

The madam, Han, could no longer restrain herself and cried out, "Ah...ah...oh...oh dear...I...I...can't...take...it...anymore...come on! Please...please...quickly...put it...in...my...hole...it's...so...itchy...itchy...to death...quickly...quickly...don't...torture...me...quickly...quickly...it's...itchy...to death...quickly...quickly...put it...in...in...it...in...!"

Xiao Bao took off his underwear and just as he straddled her, the madam grabbed his large penis and rubbed it vigorously against his clitoris. Then she straightened him up to face the entrance of his vagina, her buttocks thrusting upwards.

Xiao Bao's buttocks sank, and with a 'whoosh! gurgle! gurgle!' he went all the way in.

The madam's face immediately showed a satisfied smile, as if she had entered a state of nothingness. At the same time, she let out a long breath, wrapped her legs around his buttocks, placed her heels on his buttocks, and pressed down hard, making him go in even deeper, the large glans pressing tightly against his clitoris.

Since Xiao Bao was practicing with a dildo, he wasn't afraid of ejaculating at all. So he forcefully pressed against her clitoris, grinding it incessantly. Then came a series of dramatic ups and downs: first, a left-right thrusting motion, then up-and-down jerking and swaying, followed by nine shallow thrusts and one deep one, pulling the string and pressing against her clitoris. He really had a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

At this point, the madam couldn't take it anymore! Listen! She started singing again: "Mmm...ah...oh...comfortable...so...comfortable...ah...oh...brother...you...are...so...good...ah...harder...faster...faster...faster...yes...just...just...like...ah...yes...yes...yes...harder...ah...ah...I...want...to...fly...want...to...go...to...heaven...ah...ah...I...can't...take...it...mmm...want...to...die...want...to...lose...lose..."

Hearing her moans, Xiao Bao thrust even harder, especially since he was using a dildo, which never went flat. Before long, the madam spurted out her vaginal fluids.

Xiao Bao felt his muscles tremble and contract, knowing she had climaxed, and quickly pressed his penis tightly against her clitoris, giving her the ultimate pleasure.

After a full ten minutes, the madam signaled Xiao Bao to get up.

Then she got off the floor first and washed her money-making tool with warm water.

It turns out that prostitutes are different from ordinary women. After finishing their work, they must clean their "tools of the trade." The madam was supposed to wash them for Xiao Bao after she finished.

Xiao Bao said, "Just give me a basin of clean water, I'll do it myself!" He was afraid the madam would discover he was faking it when she washed it for him, so he insisted on doing it himself. After

Xiao Bao finished washing, they went to bed and the two were entwined again.

The madam touched it with her hand: "Oh! It's still so hard, it hasn't changed at all! Good heavens, you've almost worn me out, and you still won't come!"

"With your hole like that, you think you can make him wet? Difficult!"

"Good heavens! If you were to do this all night, I'd be dead a thousand times over!"

"Tonight is our first night, so be polite. I'll only make it wet the third kind!"

"My God, from when I was a girl until now, I've seen thousands of women, long and short, thick and thin, and no one has ever made me wet the third kind. You're the first! I'll love you forever!"

"Okay! After you recover, we'll move on to the second part!"

Because the madam had made Xiaobao ejaculate three times on their first time, she needed to rest for more than half an hour to recover her energy. Then she touched Xiaobao's body.

Xiaobao's interest was rekindled. He thought about it; he'd already tried the flirting and vaginal stimulation techniques his second aunt had taught him, so it was time for a different kind of performance!

Xiaobao said, "Madam, the previous straight-up was like chewing and swallowing. How about we try something different next time?"

The madam, being a former prostitute, knew all about different styles.

Besides, she hadn't had such a good time in years. Hearing this, she quickly replied, "Okay! We know thirty-six springs and seventy-two styles. Let's try them one by one!"

So the two began their performance!

Although it was the normal man-on-top position, there was a variation. It was originally the 'Dragon Flip' from the Nine Styles of Xuanyuan, but then the madam pulled her legs back, placing her feet on his buttocks, turning it into the 'Ape Wrestling'!

The madam knelt, her buttocks raised high, while Xiao Bao inserted a dildo from behind. Because Xiao Bao's dildo was eight inches long, it immediately reached her clitoris.

The madam was ecstatic, her buttocks swaying from side to side. Soon, she began to sing!

"Mmm...oh...oh...so beautiful...so beautiful...ah! Ah...brother...you...you...are so...good at fucking...so...so good...so...pleasant...ah...oh...oh...this...is...hitting...the...heart...right...ah...ah...so...comfortable...pain...pain...so...pleasant...to...die...so...good...!"

Xiao Bao then gave her another series of vigorous thrusts! The madam couldn't take it anymore and cried out, "Dear...dear...dear...brother...dear...da...da...ah...oh...oh...dear...Daddy...Daddy...I...I...I...feel...so...good...so...good..."

After a while, Xiao Bao said, "How about changing positions?"

"Okay! What position?"

"Let's start with the Nine Positions of Xuanyuan!"

"Okay! What's the next position?"

"You lie down, and we'll play 'Cicada Attachment'!"

The madam cooperated very well, not only lying down but also sticking her buttocks up high.

Xiao Bao was completely on her back. This position is not only called Cicada Attachment but also called Flying Together. Empress Xing Guifei of the Tang Dynasty loved to have sex like this.

Not long after, Xiao Bao said again, "Change positions!"

"Change to what?"

"Turtle Soaring!"

"I don't understand these names, you tell me how to do it!"

"Lie on your back, bring your legs back to your chest!"

"Like this?"

"Yes!"

"But this position is too shallow for my flower, your thing is too big, be gentle, don't go into the uterus!"

"Okay! How about we stop here?"

The madam did as he said, but before Xiao Bao's dildo had even penetrated five inches, the madam cried out, and he immediately began to use pointing, pressing, flicking, teasing, and provoking.

The madam also reacted immediately, using yielding, tenderness, grasping, clamping, and teasing.

The two fought for dozens of rounds, neither gaining the upper hand.

Xiao Bao then came up with new tricks, one after another.

'Phoenix Soaring', only with the legs spread apart in 'Turtle Soaring'.

'Rabbit Sucking Hair', the man lies on his back, and the woman sits facing the man's feet.

The "Crane Neck Intertwined" position features two people kneeling face-to-face, their necks entwined like cranes in a fight. This posture also has another name: the "Two-Person Tug-of-War.

" After they finished performing the "Nine Forms of Xuanyuan," the madam was completely exhausted again .

Xiao Bao had no choice but to hold her and let her rest.

This time, it took a full hour for the madam to recover her energy.

Xiao Bao asked, "Mother, do you still have the courage to do it?"

The madam, rarely encountering such a good penis, gritted her teeth and said, "Even if you fuck me to death, I'll still

do it with you!" Seeing that she was really going all out, Xiao Bao laughed and said, "Let's play the Eight Benefits for the last round today, and save the rest for tomorrow and the day after, okay?"

"Okay! I'll play along with you!"

Then Xiao Bao played the "Eight Benefits" with her! Pressing the techniques of consolidating essence, calming qi, benefiting the internal organs, strengthening bones, regulating the pulse, accumulating blood, pelvic fluid, and Dao bone, they played each one until the madam not only released the third type of fluid but was practically dying of pleasure, before they finally called a truce.

The story continued on the second and third days, and this time the madam was finally satisfied! Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Scholar Yu, with his two wives who had seemingly fallen from the sky, headed towards Xi'an.

Although the madam was reluctant to part with Xiao Bao, she had no choice but to see him off with tears in her eyes.

Xiao Bao, along with Er Tu Zi and Xiao Lai Zi, went to the capital! On their way to the capital, the three men, Little Leprosy, said, "Little Bao, you redeemed those two slovenly young male prostitutes for over 20,000 taels of silver, only to give them away to that poor slacker, and then you went and had your virginity taken by some old bastard! You're such a damn sucker!"

"Who said I was deflowered?"

"You slept with that old bastard for three nights, and you still dare to call yourself a virgin?"

"Of course I'm a virgin! Don't believe me? Let's make a bet!

" "What are we betting on?" "Whatever you want!" "Fine! If you're still a virgin, I'll be your son; if you're not, you'll be my son!" Second Baldy got angry and cursed, "Little Leprosy, you bastard! How can you bet on your own brother like this? You're a total bastard!" Little Bao said, "Second Baldy, what do you suggest we bet on?" "I think we should do this! If you really are a virgin, Little Leprosy will be your servant for a year, and in return, you'll be his servant for a year!" Little Bao said, "Okay, I agree!" "Little Leprosy, what about you?" "I have no objection!" "Alright! Let's do it this way! Xiao Bao, what proof do you have that you're still a virgin?" Xiao Bao calmly took out the fake penis and handed it to Er Tu Zi, saying, "This is the thing that made the madam go crazy!" Er Tu Zi took it and looked at it, laughing, "Xiao Bao, you truly deserve to be our Grand Marshal, you're really something!" Suddenly, he sniffed the fake penis and laughed, "Why does it smell so fishy and pungent?" Xiao Bao said, "It slept in the madam's hole for three nights, how could it have any other smell?" Er Tu Zi laughed heartily! Xiao Bao said, "Little Rascal... that's what Er Tu Zi said! From today onwards, I'm the master, and you're the servant. Damn it, remember, when you stay at the inn, don't forget to fetch water for the master to wash his feet!" Little Rascal said, "Damn it, what bad luck ! Who knew you had this trick up your sleeve!" "You little brat, it's not like I'm getting a good deal if I don't have you as my son! " "I guess I'm just unlucky!" Er Tu Zi said, "Xiao Bao, who did you learn all this from?" "My mother and second aunt, they taught us before we went down the mountain, but this fake penis, I came up with it myself so I wouldn't lose my virginity so easily!" "Can you teach us this skill?" "Sure!" "Then you can teach us on the way to Beijing!" "Okay!" It's only three or four hundred li from Baoding to Beijing, but the three of them took five days to travel. What were they doing?

It turns out that Xiao Bao taught Er Tu and Xiao Lai Li all his tricks about visiting brothels and flirting with women.
Chapter 5 of 01-21: The People's Restraint - The Execution of Yongzheng in

Beijing! Beijing

is one of China's six ancient capitals and the capital of six dynasties!

It served as the seat of the Yan, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties!

Beijing is located at the northernmost tip of the North China Plain. Not far to the northwest lies the vast Mongolian Plateau! Two hundred li to the east is the boundless Bohai Sea.

It is bordered by the continuous Taihang Mountains to the west and the vast North China Plain to the south.

The ancients called it "Tianfu" (Heavenly Abundance) and "Shenjing" (Divine Capital) because of its majestic location, nestled between mountains and the sea. Although it was the capital of six dynasties, the current Beijing was built by Yao Guangxiao in the early Ming Dynasty. It is divided into inner and outer cities.

The

inner city is square, with a circumference of forty li, while the outer city is a "hat-shaped city," with a circumference of twenty-eight li. In the very center of the inner city stands the Forbidden City!

Although Beijing is not as large as Nanjing in area, its magnificent, luxurious, and aesthetically pleasing architecture surpasses that of the other six ancient capitals.

The inner city of Beijing has nine gates: Zhengyang Gate at the center, Chongwen Gate to the left, Yuwu Gate to the right, Chaoyang Gate and Dongzhi Gate to the east, Fucheng Gate and Xizhi Gate to the west, and Desheng Gate and Anding Gate to the north.

According to elders, when Yao Guangxiao built Beijing, the city was a sea of suffering inhabited by nine ancient sand squid. Fortunately, Yao Guangxiao subdued them with magic, locking them in chains. After the city was built, he built a well near each gate, imprisoning the sand squid in a dark abyss.

Of the nine sand squid, the one inside Chongwen Gate was the most ferocious. It questioned Yao Guangxiao, "When will you release us from this underground prison?"

Yao Guangxiao thought that in such a deep abyss, the sun would never rise, so he replied, "We'll release you at dawn!"

The sand squid retorted, "We never see the light of day, so how will we know when it's dawn?"

Yao Guangxiao blurted out, "At dawn, strike the mace!"

But as soon as he said this, he regretted it. What if the sand squid heard the sound of the mace? Fortunately, he had a flash of inspiration and ordered that the 'mace' at Chongwen Gate be changed to a 'bell,' a name that has been used to this day, which is the origin of the old Beijing saying "nine gates and eight maces."

Now, let's talk about the Forbidden City, the emperor's home, located in the very center of Beijing.

It is surrounded by layers of walls and moats on all four sides. At each of the four corners of the walls stands a towering observation platform, and there are four gates: the Meridian

Gate (Wu Gate) to the south, the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwu Gate) to the north, the East Prosperity Gate (Donghua Gate) to the east, and the West Prosperity Gate (Xihua Gate) to the west. The most magnificent of all is the Meridian Gate, with nine bays in the gate tower and a small rectangular archway at the bottom.

This archway is quite small, rather disproportionate to the towering city walls, and far removed from the massive, imposing shapes of Tiananmen and Duanmen.

Why was it designed this way by Emperor Guangxu?

Traditionally, Chinese architecture favored round-topped gates, allowing free access to the public, while private residences typically had square-topped gates. The Meridian Gate, being the emperor's residence, was therefore square.

Furthermore, those traveling by sedan chair or horseback were not permitted to enter through the Meridian Gate; if the emperor were to ride a horse within the Forbidden City, it would be a great honor. Therefore, the Meridian Gate's archway could not be too large.

Above the Meridian Gate tower is the Five Phoenix Tower, where the names and relics of meritorious officials were displayed, similar to the Lingyan Pavilion, hence the ancients' desire to "leave a good name on the Five Phoenix Tower."

Entering the Meridian Gate means entering the Forbidden City.

The city is divided into two main parts: the "Court" and the "Inner Court."

Across the Golden Water Bridge is the Gate of Supreme Harmony.

To the east is the Bone Hall, and to the west is the Hongyi Pavilion. Connecting these two pavilions is the Inner Treasury, which includes the Silver Treasury, Clothing Treasury, Armor Treasury, and Saddle Treasury.

Passing through the Taihe Gate, one can see the Hall of Supreme Harmony, adorned with the "jewels of ten thousand nations," which, along with the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, forms the main halls of the Outer Court.

Further on, one reaches the Qianqing Gate. In the Ming Dynasty, entering the Qianqing Gate meant entering the Inner Palace. However, in the present Qing Dynasty, the Qianqing Palace, one of the three inner halls and the Qianqing Palace within the Kunning Palace of the Jiaoqin Hall, was renamed the Zhengquan Guangming

Hall. At the same time, the Grand Council was located here, and anyone who mistakenly entered the Grand Council was executed, making it even more solemn. Xiao Bao and his two companions swaggered into Beijing, and their first priority was to find a grand restaurant for a hearty meal to satisfy their hunger.

They arrived at the "Houdefu" Restaurant in Dashilan!

Upon closer inspection, they found it to be a single-story building with several interconnected courtyards, including private rooms. They sat down at a table in the open hall.

The waiter stepped forward and asked, "What would you three young masters like to eat?"

Xiao Bao asked, "What do you have?"

The waiter, standing to the side, dutifully recited the names of the dishes, singing along quickly and melodiously.

Xiao Bao, wanting to tease him, laughed and said, "Your singing is not only melodious, but also fast and chattering. I didn't hear it clearly. Could you sing it slower?"

In Beiping, no matter what they sold, they didn't shout; they sang—it was the custom! He asked the waiter to sing slower, and the waiter, with the mindset that all customers were gods of wealth, slowly sang it all! It turned out to be a full feast of top-grade seafood, including pan-fried, stir-fried, cooked, deep-fried, braised, boiled, and stewed dishes. Then he recited about a hundred dishes.

Wow! All the dishes from the Manchu Han Imperial Feast! Xiao Bao, with his three pieces of meat, thought to himself that he wanted to show off his culinary skills under the emperor's nose, and ordered several dishes!

First dish—steamed turtle!

Second—stir-fried shrimp with Jordanian shrimp!

Third—braised shark fin!

The fourth dish—crispy fried chicken!

Upon hearing this, the restaurant waiter was dumbfounded and hurriedly said with a forced smile, "Young masters, we don't have the small size of the dish you ordered.

Please order something else!" At the next table, an old man with two young women, hearing Xiao Bao order these four dishes, knew he was a troublemaker and couldn't help but snort, "After we finish eating, we'll find a place to stay!"

The old man said, "A place to stay isn't a problem! The manager of Tian Tai Restaurant is my friend! Even if we don't have a house, he'll give us two rooms in the inner courtyard!"

Xiao Bao turned his head and saw the old man, then quickly turned his head back, shrinking back in fright.

Seeing his expression, Er Tu Zi asked telepathically, "Who is it?"

Xiao Bao also replied telepathically, "The bearded man from the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan!"

Er Tu Zi then asked telepathically, "Ah! The Second Hero, Qiu Ran Ke, Zhou Tao?"

"That's him! Those two are definitely Yu Niang and Lü Siniang!"

"Hmm! Their trip to the capital is no simple matter. Lü Siniang's father was ordered to be killed by the Emperor, and her grandfather, Lü Liu Liang, was executed. This trip to the capital...?" "Right

! We need to secretly lend a hand!"

After they finished their telepathic conversation, they smiled and said to the waiter waiting to order, "Give us four dishes—fried, stir-fried, boiled, and deep-fried—and three jugs of wine!"

Soon the dishes arrived, and the three of them, having other matters to attend to, quickly finished their meal, paid the bill, and left.

Little Rascal asked, "What were you two talking about for so long?"

Baldy replied, "We spotted Grandpa Zhou, the Second Hero, with Miss Yu and Miss Lü at the restaurant. Something big is bound to happen on their trip to Beijing. We need to help them secretly!"

Little Rascal said, "They'll act at night. Didn't Grandpa Zhou say he was staying at the Tian Tai Inn? Where is it? Let's ask around and stay there too!"

Little Treasure said, "No need to ask, it's in Damochang!"

Little Rascal asked, "You've never been to Beiping, how do you know?"

"My father and master were regulars there!"

Baldy said, "Alright, let's go find the inn together!"

Little Treasure said, "You two go find it! I'll go see Grandmaster Kang first. See you at the Tian Tai Inn!"

As soon as Xiao Bao entered the Sanyi Money Shop, he saw an elderly man in his fifties sitting in the counter.

He hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Senior, I am Duan Kaiyue. I came down from the mountain to pay my respects to Grandmaster Kang. Is he in?"

The old man looked him up and down for a while before saying, "You came down from the mountain?"

"Indeed!"

"Which mountain?" "

The mountains beyond the Great Wall!"

"Ah! You came from the three northeastern provinces!"

"And you are...?"

"Me? Quick-tongued Wang San!"

"Oh! So you are Grandpa San!" He bowed again as he spoke.

"You know me?"

"Didn't my master run into your accompanying carriage the day before he left Beijing?"

"Ah! So you really are from the Tianshan Mountains! These days they have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, you have to be careful. Oh! By the way, your surname is Duan, so who is Duan Fu?" "

Grandpa San, that's my father!"

"Oh! He's no stranger to us. Your Grandmaster is in the back hall! Come with me to see him!"

Xiao Bao followed him into the back hall. Wang San said, "Grandpa, Young Master Mei's disciple has come to see you!"

Kang Wu then called from inside the hall, "Come in quickly!"

Upon entering, Xiao Bao saw an elderly man, though his face was radiant, he was full of energy. Knowing this was his grandmaster, he quickly said, "Grand-disciple Duan Kaiyue greets Grandmaster!" He then bowed.

After three bows, Kang Wu said, "Get up quickly, sit down and let's talk!"

Xiao Bao bowed again and sat down.

Wang San also automatically sat down beside him. Grandpa Kang first greeted the nun, then inquired about the others on the mountain.

Xiao Bao answered them one by one.

Grandpa Kang said, "Since your master faked his death and left the capital, handing over the Xingde Money Shop in the north to me and renaming it Sanyi Money Shop, apart from the monthly surplus of 100 million taels which was transferred to Xingde in Xi'an and then to the mountain, there has been little contact with the mountain. What important matter brings you down the mountain this time?"

Xiao Bao reported his mission and what he had done to his grandmaster.

Kang Wu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, saying, "Good!"

Xiao Bao asked, "Grandmaster, you've always been in the capital. Is there any news from there?"

"Well, it's like this, ever since Yinzhen became emperor, he's been extremely strict with us. We rarely do anything except keep to ourselves!"

"Grandpa, Zhou Erxia, one of the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan, has arrived with two female disciples!"

"Ah! They've arrived? Zhou Erxia's two female disciples are Yu Ke's daughter, Yu Niang, and Lü Yizhong's daughter, Si Niang! Lü Yizhong died in Yinzhen's literary inquisition, and his father, Lü Liuliang, was already dead and had been executed. They had planned to take action this time, but Grandpa is too old to help them!"

At this point, he seemed to have a sense of a hero's decline.

"Grandmaster, this matter will be handled by your grand-disciple, Er Tu Zi, and Xiao Lai Zi!"

"Are you capable?"

"Your grand-disciple has already received Master's true teachings. These two were also trained by Master. Everyone on the mountain practices martial arts, but there's no longer the formal master-disciple relationship!"

"In that case, you must be careful in your actions!"

"Your grand-disciple respectfully accepts your instruction!"

"Good! You can handle this matter! Is there anything else?"

"No, I'm just here to pay my respects!"

"If there's nothing else, quickly go and secretly protect and support Zhou Tao and the others!"

As soon as Xiao Bao entered Tian Tai Inn, Er Tu Zi and the others had already found rooms. There were five rooms in total, with a central hall and two rooms on each side. They stayed in the two rooms on the left, and coincidentally, Zhou Tao and the others stayed in the two rooms on the right. As soon as

it got dark, the three changed into soft-soled boots and tight-fitting night clothes, each carrying a sword.

It wasn't until after midnight that Zhou Tao and the others began their robbery.

The three treasures of Tianshan kept a close watch from afar. They were still dressed in their daytime attire, except each had a black veil covering their face below the eyes. The three of them headed straight for the inner city from the rooftop.

The three treasures kept watch from about ten feet behind! Zhou Tao and his companions scaled the city wall between Zhengyang Gate and Xuanwu Gate, then leaped over the moat of the Forbidden City and entered the palace from the north side of Xihua Gate.

The three treasures maintained their watch from about ten feet away! Unexpectedly, Zhou Tao and his companions were completely unfamiliar with the palace. They wandered around and eventually found a barracks belonging to the Imperial Guards, where they were discovered.

A shout of "Assassins!" rang out, and twenty or thirty guards rushed out of the barracks, attacking fiercely.

Suddenly, Lü Siniang cried out "Ouch!" and swayed.

Xiao Bao suddenly unleashed a "Flying Stone," channeling his inner strength into it and striking with a "Rain of Flowers" technique. Many guards, noticing the projectile's swift movement, immediately dodged.

Taking advantage of that moment, Xiao Bao hoisted Lü Siniang onto his back and, with a few quick movements, reached the foot of the city wall.

Er Tu Zi and Xiao Lai Li followed! Xiao Bao said, "Er Tu Zi, quickly carry Miss Lü back to the inn, Xiao Lai Li will cover his retreat!"

Er Tu Zi asked, "What about you?"

"I'm going to rescue Er Xia, you two hurry!"

Er Tu Zi hoisted Lü Siniang onto his back, and under Xiao Lai Li's cover, slipped out of the outer city. They dodged and weaved their way to the inner city wall without being discovered, and then climbed over the wall and safely returned to the inn.

Meanwhile, Zhou Tao and Yu Niang were fighting with the guards when suddenly Lü Siniang disappeared. They were anxiously waiting when Xiao Bao appeared. He immediately unleashed two more volleys of pebbles, forcing the guards to retreat. He then quickly telepathically told Zhou Tao, "Two heroes, hurry! I've rescued Miss Lü!"

Hearing that Lü Siniang had been rescued, Zhou Tao called to Yu Niang and they all retreated. Xiao Bao covered their retreat with his pebbles.

Just then, someone from the guards said, "Don't chase! Protecting the palace is paramount. That girl has been poisoned by my 'Wasp Deadly Sting.' She won't live more than three hours. They can't escape. Tomorrow, have those battalions search the outer city for her body!"

Seeing that the guards had stopped chasing, Xiao Bao and the others returned to the inn.

Back at the inn, Er Tu Zi and the others had already carried Lü Siniang back. However, the poison from the pebbles had already taken effect; her hands and face were covered in purplish-blue spots.

Zhou Tao panicked upon seeing this. Although he had antidotes, the poison inflicted on Fourth Sister was too potent, rendering his medicine ineffective. He wrung his hands anxiously, wondering what to do.

Seeing Zhou Tao's distress, Xiao Bao quickly said, "Grandpa Zhou, don't worry! Miss Lü has been poisoned by the 'Wasp Deadly Sting' from the Tang Clan of Sichuan. I have the antidote!"

"Ah! Who are you?"

"Grandpa Zhou, let's save Miss Lü first before we talk about family history!"

He then took out a small jade bottle, poured some pills into a cup of water, dissolved them, and said to Yu Niang, "Yu Niang, Miss Lü has also fainted. You'll have to feed her!"

Yu Niang took the bottle and smelled the pungent odor, but to save her junior sister, she had no choice but to feed her with her mouth.

Not long after, Fourth Sister groaned and gradually opened her eyes.

After removing the 'Wasp Deadly Sting' from her shoulders, Xiao Bao tore open her clothes, poured in some antidote, and handed the small jade bottle to Yu Niang.

"Miss Yu, please take off all of Miss Lü's clothes and check if there are any other injuries!"

Then she said to Zhou Tao, "Grandpa Zhou, let's go to the west room to set up the family tree!"

Zhou Tao went to the west room with them so that Yu Niang could examine Fourth Sister.

Upon reaching the west room, the three men offered Zhou Tao a seat and kowtowed.

Zhou Tao quickly rose to stop them, saying, "This is too much! Young heroes, please rise. If it weren't for you saving Fourth Sister, I would have been helpless. I haven't even thanked you yet!"

Xiao Bao said, "We're family, why are you being so polite?"

"Young heroes keep calling yourselves family, but I still don't know who you are! Seeing you having fun with the waiters at the restaurant, I thought you were some dissolute young men!"

"Grandpa Zhou, we're not outsiders, we come from Tianshan!"

"Ah! You come from Tianshan, disciples of the Divine Nun, but I have an additional master!"

"Your master is...?" "

My master is my father's sworn brother, Master Mei, Tan Zonggan!"

"Ah! Chief Inspector Mei? Wasn't he...?"

"Grandpa Zhou, my master faked his death to escape, and now he's reborn on the mountain!"

"Oh! I see. Then you must be the son of Deputy Chief Inspector Duan!"

"This junior is indeed Duan Kaiyue!"

"Oh! These are indeed not outsiders. Back then, when Brother Cao and his men were on the mountain, it was only after your master returned and everyone reformed that they were able to re-enter the Central Plains and accomplish many great things. This was all thanks to your master's great insight. How is the mountain now?"

"It's completely changed. You can't see any trace of war or rebellion anymore. Several places with beautiful scenery and climate have all become villa areas with small bridges and flowing water. In other places, they are indistinguishable from the local natives, especially the Thousand-Mile Ranch, where there are countless horses and cattle!"

Then, pointing to Er Tu, he said, "Er Tu Zi Ma Zhuan is the son of Master Ma!"

Then, pointing to Xiao Lai Zi, he said, "Xiao Dysentery Xiao Cheng is a descendant of the righteous Xiao Gang!"

Zhou Tao said, "So you are all second-generation righteous men! What are you planning to do this time entering the pass?"

Xiao Bao explained his mission!

“The Banner Camp in the capital is their Upper Three Banners, close relatives of the imperial family, so it’s probably not easy to touch them. I think the banners outside are easier to corrupt!”

“Hmm! That’s the truth!”

Just then, Yu Niang came over and said, “Master, Junior Sister is better, but I dare not let her get out of bed!”

“Yu Niang, greet these three, they are all second-generation elites of Tianshan!”

Yu Niang bowed gracefully and said, “Greetings to the three young heroes!”

The three hurriedly bowed and said, “Miss Yu, we juniors dare not accept such praise!”

Zhou Tao said, “Yu Niang, go and take care of Fourth Sister!”

Yu Niang went back to the east room!

Xiao Bao said, "Grandpa Zhou, your trip to the palace is probably for Miss Lü's family revenge. However, the palace is heavily guarded. I heard my master say that Dong Haichuan, who serves Yinzhen, learned the 'Thunder Sound Heart Method' from my master. His martial arts and internal strength are so high that the three of you probably can't eliminate him. If this person isn't eliminated, you can never get close to Yinzhen!"

"Fourth Sister's family and national hatred have lasted for so many years, how can I bear to stop her? Nephew, do you have any good ideas?"

"Grandpa Zhou, you're making it easier for your grand-nephew to come later!"

"In the martial world, there are no seniority, no age, and we are brothers of three generations. So I'll call her by her name! Kaiyue? Or Xiao Bao?"

Er Tu Zi said, "Grandpa Zhou, it's easier for you to call me Xiao Bao. We're used to it!"

"Alright! Xiao Bao!"

"Grandpa Zhou!"

"Do you have any good ideas to avenge Fourth Sister?"

"This..."

"Why not tell us, let's discuss it!"

"Grandpa Zhou, to be honest, with Fourth Aunt's current skill level, she's far from being able to break into the Imperial Palace! She'd need at least twice the skill level of mine to be confident. If only my master were here!"

"Your master would have a better way?"

"Firstly, my master can transfer power through bone, opening Fourth Aunt's Ren and Du meridians, doubling her power. Secondly, he can go deep into the Imperial Palace to divert Dong Haichuan!"

"Can't you help Fourth Aunt open her Ren and Du meridians?"

"Firstly, my skill level isn't enough, and secondly, men and women shouldn't be so close!"

"Oh dear! You're so stubborn! You're called Fourth Miss, and there's a ten-year age difference between you. What's there to worry about? To be honest, is your skill level enough to open Fourth Aunt's Ren and Du meridians?"

"Later on, my skill level is barely enough, and I'm not confident!"

"Hahahaha! That's easy! You should know my skill level! How about I lend you a hand?"

“There’s no need for Grandpa Zhou to lift a finger. Er Tu Zi and Xiao Lai Li are more than capable of handling this!”

“Alright! Let’s hurry!”

Zhou Tao went to the east room first, telling Lü Siniang to prepare!

Xiao Bao and the other two also arrived at the east room! Lü Siniang was already sitting facing the wall on the bed! Xiao Bao took off his shoes and sat down behind her.

Er Tu Zi and Xiao Lai Li sat to Xiao Bao’s left and right, one using his left hand to press against his right acupoint, the other using his right hand to press against his left acupoint to channel energy.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Xiao Bao’s right hand pressed against Lü Siniang’s Mingmen acupoint and began channeling energy.

Suddenly, Lü Siniang felt a surge of heat entering from her lower abdomen, traveling up her spine, passing through her cervical vertebrae, vertebrae 14, and pituitary gland, reaching her Baihui point. She quickly followed her training method, using internal energy to guide the flow. Suddenly, with a loud boom, she almost fainted. She felt the heat flow travel from Baihui to Yintang, Tiantu, Huagai, Jiuji, Huhui, Guanyuan, and Zhongji, and then again, with another boom, it opened her perineum. This heat flow then circulated continuously along the Ren and Du meridians, a total of eight times, before Xiao Bao withdrew his internal energy.

Wow! Look, it hasn't even been half an hour! Lü Siniang's power had not only increased exponentially, but was equivalent to an ordinary person's sixty years of arduous cultivation.

She finished, hurriedly got out of bed, and although she was an aunt, she bowed to her three nephews.

The three nephews hurriedly returned the bow! At this moment, Yu Niang, standing to the side, was both happy for her junior sister and filled with endless envy.

Er Tuzi, seeing this, asked, "Xiao Bao, are you tired?"

"I don't feel tired. How about you two?"

"Same as you!"

"That's good!"

Er Tuzi said, "Since everyone isn't tired, why not open up Aunt Yu's Ren and Du meridians as well? That way, Aunt Lü will have more help when she goes out!"

Yu Niang was overjoyed to hear this.

Xiao Bao said, "Okay! Aunt Yu, let's go to bed!"

Yu Niang didn't even ask her master's permission before sitting down on the bed! The three of them simultaneously circulated their energy, opening up Yu's Ren and Du meridians as well.

Everyone was so happy that they didn't sleep a wink all night, chatting until dawn.

But as soon as it was light, they heard a commotion in the shop.

Upon inquiring, they learned that the official had come to inspect the shop.

Xiao Bao's eyes darted around, and he knew the smile was about the incident at the palace last night. He quickly said to Zhou Tao, "Grandpa Zhou, they're here because of what happened last night. You three, two women and one man, are bound to be in trouble!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Don't panic!"

Saying this, he took out the fifth-rank tiger-head waist token given to him by his master—the token of the Xiao Prince's guard captain—and handed it to Zhou Tao, saying, "Grandpa Zhou, you don't need to hide your identity. Just meet them as the second of the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan. Tell them that Prince Xiao Zhenren invited you to be the captain of the expanded guard and personally bring your two female disciples to the capital. Anyway, back then, the four heroes were also invited to be captains before Yinzhen became emperor!"

"Alright! I'll impersonate the captain of the Xiao Prince's guard. What about you?"

Xiao Bao said, "You don't need to worry about us, but remember, we don't know them!"

"Alright! That's settled then, you can go back to the west room!"

The inspectors, who had come from outside, arrived at the main room and began inspecting the east room.

Zhou Tao hurriedly came out to report, "Gentlemen, the two women inside are my female apprentices. It's inconvenient for them to show their faces in public, so please be lenient!"

The inspector, who seemed to be a foreman wearing a white hat and probably a sixth-rank official, said arrogantly, "Last night, the one who broke into the palace was one man and two women. Most likely, one of your two female apprentices is already dead!"

"Sir, they're perfectly fine, why are you cursing them!"

"If they're really fine, call them out so I can see them!"

Zhou said, "You two come out, I want to examine your faces!"

The official said, "How dare you speak like that, you old rascal!"

At this moment, Lü Siniang came out with her, and the two of them simultaneously called out "Master.

" Two perfectly fine young ladies, how could they be injured? The officials who came were stunned! It turns out that Lü Siniang and Yu Niang are both incredibly beautiful! Zhou Tao coughed and asked, "Is there anyone the official is looking for?"

The sixth-rank foreman, deliberately trying to cause trouble, replied, "Hard to say, maybe he just took his medicine and is feeling better!"

Hahaha! Is this the officialdom of Beijing? If you want to frame someone, you can always find a pretext. Let me tell you the truth! I am Zhou Tao from Jiangnan. Prince Su sent someone to Jiangnan to find me and invite me to work at Prince Su's residence in the capital. I thought that since my fourth brother and the others had helped the Emperor back then, and now Prince Su was offering me a position, I brought two female apprentices to see what was going on. Who would have thought that I would be framed by the official! "

You say Prince Su invited you, what proof do you have?"

"Take a look!" He handed over the tiger-head waist token.

The official, upon seeing it, recognized it as the token of the head guard of

Prince Su's mansion and was terrified. Although he was a sixth-rank guard, he couldn't afford to offend even a fifth-rank head guard of Prince Su's mansion, let alone a mere guard of Prince Su's

household! He hurriedly bowed and said, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, this humble servant greets the head guard!" He then actually bowed before retreating and heading to the west room to unleash his power.

Upon entering the west room, the official saw that Xiao Bao and the other two had all their swords laid out on the bed, and his official air rose! He glared and said, "Oh! Three friends from the martial world, how splendid! You actually swagger into the capital with your swords! They were probably involved in what happened in the palace last night!"

Xiao Bao teased him, "That's right, it's those three in the east room, plus the three of us!"

He was telling the truth, but no one believed him.

The official said, "You're fucking making things up! They are the head guard of Prince Su's mansion!" "I find you suspicious, come with us to the camp!"

"Which camp are you from?"

"Sir, we're from the Investigation Camp!"

"The Investigation Camp, huh!"

"What's it like?"

"The office is a bit small!"

"What did you say?"

"The office is a bit small!"

"Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew!" After saying that, he reached out to grab the man.

Xiao Bao slapped him twice across the face, making the foreman spin around three times before collapsing to the ground.

The soldiers from the Investigation Camp quickly helped the foreman up.

Although the foreman had been beaten, he was still stubborn and said, "What a daring traitor! How dare you hit an official! Men, arrest him!"

"A mere foreman from the Investigation Camp, yet he's got quite the airs. Even the Emperor himself wouldn't dare speak to you like that, young master. You audacious servant, how many heads do you have?" "

A servant has his own set of rules. Hearing the other party's tone, which showed disrespect even to the Emperor, he immediately became arrogant and asked in a low voice, 'Who are you?' '

You are not worthy to ask who I am. Want to know who I am? Simple, call the Nine Gates Commander himself! Get lost!'

The official was dumbfounded and hurriedly fled.

He didn't dare go to see the Nine Gates Commander, so he reported to the head steward. The

head steward was even better; he took the crying child to his mother and reported to the captain.

The captain thought for a long time. Reporting to the Nine Gates Commander so carelessly might be wrong, and he'd surely get a scolding. He'd better go see for himself!

He led the head steward and the reporting officer to the Tian Tai Inn. The manager, seeing the captain in person, hurriedly kowtowed and greeted him.

The captain asked, 'Are the guests in the west wing of the main room still there?'

'Yes! Yes! I'll lead the way!'

As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he shouted, 'Guests in the west wing of the main room, the captain of the Investigation Battalion has come to visit!' " "

He was intentionally greeting the guests in the upper room.

But Xiao Bao and the others didn't seem to care at all, saying from inside the room, 'Let him in!'

The officer, upon hearing this, was furious. He thought, 'I'm the officer of the Investigation Battalion! I'll have to deal with him when we meet!'

He entered the room and saw only three big kids. He was so angry he practically twisted his nose, shouting, 'Who ordered the Admiral to see you?'

Xiao Bao pointed at his nose and said, 'Me!'

'What right do you have to order the Admiral to see you?'

'Who do you think you are?'

'You bastard! I'm the officer of the Investigation Battalion!' '

Hahahaha! A mere officer like you're some chicken! Even if the Nine Gates Admiral were here, the commander of the gates, I'd dare to take his head!'

'What right do you have?'" "

With a swift movement, Xiao Bao drew the sword his master had given him, the tip pointing directly at the captain's throat.

This sudden attack left the captain no chance to even draw his sword, and he trembled violently, like a leaf.

Xiao Bao said, 'Open your dog eyes and look! This sword was the one that slapped the Seventh Princess's buttocks back then, and later entered the Prince's mansion. The current Emperor personally gave it to my master back then! With this sword, chopping off a few of your heads shouldn't be a problem!'

He finished speaking and put the sword back in its sheath, but the captain was so frightened that he soiled his pants, filling the room with a stench. He hurriedly said, 'Young hero, wait for me, I'll go get the Admiral!' and slipped away.

He returned to the Nine Gates Admiral's office and reported the shop raid to the Admiral.

This Nine Gates Admiral was an old bureaucrat, familiar with the events of that year. Upon hearing this, he suddenly remembered, and broke out in a cold sweat, saying, 'Heavens! If he's well-intentioned, that's fine, but what if he's malicious…'

The captain hurriedly asked, 'Sir, who are they?'" "

According to what you said, that sword should have been given by His Majesty to 'Young Master Mei of Yangzhou' when he was still the leader. Master Mei died from poisoning by Ajinsu. If they are related to Master Mei, things might change. What should we do?"

"My lord! What should we do?"

"I'll risk my life to see him!"

Good! This captain accompanied the Nine Gates Admiral.

Although the Nine Gates Admiral was a high-ranking member of the imperial family, Xiao Bao still sat high in his chair, but he was playing with a jade pendant in his hand.

As soon as the Nine Gates Admiral saw the jade pendant in Xiao Bao's hand, he quickly straightened his robe, knelt down, and said, "Your subject Na Yuan pays respects to the late Emperor, long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Xiao Bao said, "Rise!" He really acted like he knew what he was doing.

When the Nine Gates Admiral knelt down, the three people who came with him also knelt down.

Xiao Bao said rise, and the Nine Gates Admiral got up! But no one else dared to move!

Xiao Bao said, "Admiral, the foreman of your Xiangji Battalion says I'm a wanted criminal attempting to assassinate the palace. What do you think we should do?"

"I'll handle it immediately upon my return!"

Good! Immediate execution! The

foreman who had just been inspecting the shop collapsed to the ground!

Xiao Bao's actions had an effect, but he didn't intend to kill anyone. After a pause, he said, "Considering he didn't know it was his first offense, let him go back and get forty lashes!"

At his words, the foreman was spared, quickly kowtowing and thanking the admiral.

The Nine Gates Admiral and his men arrived with great fanfare, but returned quietly, their departure swift and evasive!

No!

The Nine Gates Admiral immediately reported to the palace! Of course, the first to know was the commander of the Imperial Guard Battalion. He didn't dare suppress it and hurriedly led the Nine Gates Admiral to see the Emperor's attendant, the Mongol Beile, Qi'er Khan. Why weren't the attendants of the last two emperors chosen as Mongol Beile? It's highly likely that the Manchu Eight Banners' Eight-Hat Princes wouldn't do this job quietly. Also, there's internal disunity within the imperial court, and the Emperor is probably a bit afraid to use his own brothers! Upon hearing the report from the Nine Gates Commander, Prince Qi'erhan immediately took him to see the Emperor.

The Nine Gates Commander reported that the late Emperor's jade pendant had been found in the possession of a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world).

Yongzheng asked, "What about Yuan?"

"This servant is here!"

"Is his jade pendant truly the late Emperor's?"

"How dare this servant deceive the Emperor!"

"That's strange. The late Emperor's jade pendant wasn't scattered abroad, was it? Besides the second prince, the third prince, myself, and the fourteenth prince who were bestowed jade pendants by the late Emperor, only the highest-ranking ministers had them! The second prince's pendant was taken back when he was demoted! Because the third prince returned his jade pendant, I was spared the death penalty. Could the fourteenth prince Ortai's jade pendant have fallen into the hands of the common people?"

The Nine Gates Commander reported, "Your Majesty, that young man holding the jade pendant once pointed a sword at the commander of the inspection camp, saying that the sword was given to his late master by the Emperor!"

"Ah! So it was him! Back when Mei Zonggan was the pacification commissioner of the rebels, it was I who handed it over to him! I didn't expect him to have such a thoughtful intention in keeping this jade pendant! He didn't return it to the Emperor, and his wife has a deep misunderstanding about me... This... what should we do!"

Emperor Yongzheng was extremely anxious.

The bodyguard, Hong Yanzi, said, "This servant requests permission to go and see first!"

"Hmm! Go and see, it would be good to clarify things, and it would be best if you could explain the misunderstanding from back then. You know, I absolutely did not do that!"

"This servant obeys!"

Hong Yanzi arrived at Tian Tai Shop and found Xiao Bao.

Seeing her dressed in red and looking to be in her thirties, Xiao Bao knew it was Hong Yanzi and quickly said, "You must be Sister Hong Yanzi?"

"You are...?"

"I am Uncle Mei's apprentice, my father's son, and the ancestor's direct disciple!"

"Oh! You are Brother Xiao Bao?" Hong Yanzi was extremely surprised and delighted.

"Sister knows me?"

"Of course, Junior Uncle sent me a letter telling me everything about you!"

"Good! Sister, you've come at the right time, I'm in a dilemma right now!"

"What's troubling you?"

Xiao Bao told him about Lü Siniang's situation, adding, "The Divine Nun didn't want to use drastic measures against the Manchus, but she can't just stand by and do nothing about Lü Siniang's matter!"

"Oh! No wonder several battalions were mobilized this morning, they've already alerted the Imperial Palace!"

"Sister, I want to ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Find a way to lure Dong Haichuan away!"

"Hahahaha! You don't need me! After Uncle Mei faked his death, he became disheartened and left without saying goodbye several years ago! He's still wanted nationwide!"

"Ah! That makes things much

easier!" "What do you want to do?"

"Help Lü Siniang!"

"Hmph! You think that's easy? It's not easy at all!"

"Why?"

"What? Ever since Dong Haichuan left, he's been afraid of assassination attempts, so he doesn't trust anyone. Instead, he's transferred a high-ranking lama from the Zhangjia Lama's office. Not only is he highly skilled in martial arts, but he's also equipped with firearms. Four of them are on duty, protecting him day and night. You can forget about getting close to him!"

"Sister, what should we do?"

"Difficult! The only way to get close to him is through the eunuchs in the palace!"

"Ah! Sister, can eunuchs get close to him?" "

There are many things to do in the palace, and many eunuchs. He can't remember which eunuchs' faces. Palace eunuchs can move freely within the inner palace without restrictions.

" "Alright! I'll think of a way. Sister, you've come here on imperial orders to investigate. How should you report back?"

"I'll tell you the instructions in my junior uncle's letter: your identity is that of Madam Mei and the nameless Zen Master, who took you in as a disciple and adopted son on behalf of Madam Mei. Madam Mei and the others have already understood the truth and no longer harbor resentment towards the Emperor. Your trip to the capital is purely for sightseeing!"

"What if he summons me?"

"I'll try my best to decline. I'll only see him if absolutely necessary!"

"Alright!" "

Red Swallow has returned to the palace!" Yinzhen asked anxiously, "Did you see them?"

"Yes, I did. They are the teacher and wife of Master Mei. After Master Mei's death, they were adopted as his son and successor. They came to the capital just to broaden their horizons!"

"No other motive?"

"No. According to them, the events of that year have been clarified, especially since Your Majesty has avenged his adoptive father. They are very grateful to Your Majesty!"

"I want to see them. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I suggest we summon them in a few days. With some time, we should examine them further, just in case."

Yongzheng pulled her into his arms and kissed her, saying, "Women are indeed more perceptive. This is your decision. You can secretly examine them! When you are able to see them, tell me!"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" "

After Hong Yanzi left, Zhou Tao led the two women to the west room.

They discussed their next move.

Xiao Bao told them what Hong Yanzi had said about the palace.

Good heavens! Yongzheng was now being protected by lamas, and they even had firearms! What were they going to do? The outer guard camp was already difficult to breach, and once they reached the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they would have to get past the firearms. Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!

Zhou Tao and his disciples were completely at a loss! Xiao Bao said, 'Grandpa Zhou, I'd like to go to the Beggars' Sect later!'

'What are you going to the Beggars' Sect for?'

'When my master faked his death, the fake eunuch who delivered the imperial meals was Xiao Hanjiang. Now I'm the chief protector of the Beggars' Sect! I want to ask him if he still has his old eunuch clothes! If he does, we can ask Aunt Lü and Aunt Yu to make two sets so we can impersonate him!'

'Hmm! That's a good idea. The clothes have to be the same! Okay, go ahead! We'll wait for you at the shop!'" Xiao

Bao went alone to the Beggars' Sect headquarters near the overpass! When he was still some distance from the headquarters, a four-bag disciple emerged from behind a large tree, blocking his path. The disciple politely said, "Young Master, that's 'Beggar's Den' ahead; there's no way forward!"

Xiao Bao laughed, "Beggar, if that's Beggar's Den, then I've come to the right place!"

The four-bag disciple asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Chief Tie or Brother Han Jiang will do!"

"Please state your name, Young Master, so I can inform him!"

"Please request an audience with Chief Tie, Duan Kaiyue!"

"Young Master Duan, you come from...?"

"Tianshan!"

"Ah? Duan from Tianshan? May I ask if Elder Duan, the Honorary Protector of the Beggars' Sect, is with you...?"

"That's my father!"

"So you're the Young Elder, please come in. The Sect Leader and Chief Protector Han are both on board!"

Xiao Bao entered the headquarters with this person, but he had never seen the Iron Sect Leader and Han Jiang before. This four-bag disciple became the introducer, pointing at Xiao Bao and saying, "Sect Leader, Chief Protector, this is Young Master Duan, the son of the former Young Elder!"

"Ah! You're Junior Brother Xiao Bao?" "

This junior brother greets the Sect Leader!"

"Junior Brother, don't be so polite, quickly greet Brother Han!"

Han Jiang hurriedly asked him to pay his respects! Xiao Bao then told him about his visit to Uncle Shen when he passed through Xi'an, and how Uncle Shen had also officiated at the wedding of Ge Meng and Ge Daniu.

Han Jiang said, "My master often gives instructions. I wonder how Uncle Duan and Uncle Mei are doing lately?"

"Father and Master are both well, Brother, don't worry!"

At this moment, Chief Tie also inquired about the well-being of his master, grandmaster, and the nun, among others. After

Protector Tian left, not long after, a loud, booming voice came from outside the door, "Rare indeed! Rare indeed! Little Bao has come to the capital! Hahahaha!"

As soon as he entered, Little Bao hurriedly kowtowed and called out, "Uncle Kuang!"

"Get up! Get up! How did Duan Fu's son become a kowtow worm! Hahahaha!"

Then he said, "Kuang Zhengyi greets Chief Tie!"

Chief Tie hurriedly said, "Uncle Kuang, no need for formalities, please sit down!"

Wan Jun and Qi Heng, who had come with Branch Chief Kuang, called out at the same time, "Brother!"

Little Bao said, "These two must be Sixth Brother Qi and Brother Wan!"

Branch Chief Kuang laughed and said, "Speaking of which, you really should be fellow disciples! If it weren't for your master's teachings back then, these two children wouldn't be where they are today!"

Everyone laughed heartily! Tie Gang Leader said, "Apart from Uncle Kuang, we all learned the inner cultivation method from Uncle Mei!"

"Third Brother Mei is truly magnanimous. He actually passed on such a profound inner cultivation method to our Beggars' Clan. The favor we received is truly immense!"

Everyone felt the same way! Old Beggar laughed, "Little Bao, back when Duan Lao Er and your little master's wife were in charge of the beggars' den, our black dog was their last hope. You must have a family tradition of this! Heng'er and Protector Tian, hurry up and get it. Also, bring my old jar of wine. It's been so many years since we've had such a good time. We must have a good drink!"

Han Jiang said, "Uncle Kuang, how can you bear to touch your manhood today!"

"Get lost! It's been over ten years since we've had such a good time. We'll drink until we drop!"

Good! Old Beggar was overjoyed to see Little Bao! Before long, Protector Tian had prepared most of the black dog and put it on the table! It was truly a feast of four large dishes: fried, stir-fried, steamed, and deep-fried.

Xiao Dao said, "Young hero, please enjoy your meal, Chief. We'll bring out the hot pot later!"

Just then, Wan Jun brought over Kuang Huazi's jar of old wine! It weighed thirty jin, and judging by the red wine, it was actually from the fortieth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.

Wow! This wine is over thirty years old! The moment it was opened, the entire Huazi's room was filled with its aroma! Xiao Bao had never eaten dog meat before, but after taking a bite, his chopsticks became like a chicken pecking at rice, relentlessly shoving.

Kuang Huazi laughed, "Xiao Bao, you not only have your father's style, but you're practically just like your little master's wife, Xiao Guan'er, back then—you're practically grabbing it with your hands!"

Everyone at the table had seen Duan Fu and Xiao Guan'er back then, and they all burst into laughter.

Xiao Bao said, "Like father, like son! We can't let my father's reputation be diminished!"

Saying this, his chopsticks moved

even faster. Everyone scrambled to eat and drink, having a wonderful time.

Protector Tian's dishes arrived one after another.

Beggar's chicken, charcoal-roasted chicken, roasted dog leg, braised dog meat—they all came.

Hua Yuwo was a feast of fine wine and food; they ate until the plates were empty. Now

that the meal was over, it was time to get down to business! Old Beggar Kuang asked, "Little Bao, what brought you to the capital this time...?"

"Uncle Kuang..."

Little Bao recounted his mission down the mountain and his encounter with Lü Siniang and the others.

Upon hearing this, Old Beggar Kuang laughed heartily, "Your master and your father did a tremendous service in the cause of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the nation. Now, you younger generation are taking the lead. It seems there is hope for the restoration of the nation! If we can truly drive out the Tartars and restore the Han dynasty, I, Old Beggar Kuang, am willing to shorten my lifespan by ten years!"

Although he was a beggar, his patriotism was second to none.

Little Bao said, "My nephews are young and ignorant; we still need your guidance, Uncle!"

"Hahahaha!" Old Beggar Kuang laughed heartily, seemingly very pleased.

He continued, “You want to take that eunuch’s robe and hat from before and make two more? That’s too much trouble. With your skills, why don’t you go to the eunuchs’ quarters and steal a few robes according to their measurements? That would be much easier!”

“Right! How could my nephew not think of that? He’s so stupid!”

“That’s because you’re too close to the situation to see clearly!”

Xiao Bao returned to the shop and told everyone about what had happened at the Beggars’ Sect.

Zhou Tao said, "Aren't we really blinded by our own involvement? With the current skills of the three of you and the Fourth Sister, you can easily go to the eunuchs' quarters in the inner palace. Otherwise, what's the point of assassinating them!"

Xiao Bao said, "I'll handle this. Getting a couple of eunuch clothes and hats is easy. Let's discuss how to proceed!"

Lü Siniang said, "What's there to discuss? After I get close to Yongzheng, I'll just fight him to

the death. Anyway, there's no one else left in my Lü family!" "Fourth Aunt, you can't do that. Besides, Yongzheng is from Shaolin and is no ordinary person. You might end up losing your life for nothing. I remember now, he has a Heavenly Shoulder Treasure Robe. I'll modify it into three vests and give him one. This thing is impervious to ordinary swords and spears!"

"Impervious to ordinary swords and spears? That's alright. I have twenty-four throwing knives forged by my master from copper mother!"

“Even if the copper mother can be thrown, it probably won’t be able to pierce the precious garment. How about this

, Fourth Aunt, use this sword my master gave me!” Saying this, he handed the sword to Lü Siniang and continued, “Back then, when the precious garment was changed into a vest, it was this sword that cut it. Using it to pierce it should be no problem. Fourth Aunt, give me a few of your throwing knives!”

“My throwing knives are heavier than ordinary throwing knives, and they are off-center, flying in an arc. Are you used to using them?”

“The heavier the better. Heavier knives can reach farther. As for flying in an arc? I would like to ask you to teach me the technique. After practicing for a few days, I think I can at least put them to good use!”

Lü Siniang gave him twelve throwing knives and taught him the throwing technique. He found that it was indeed different from throwing ordinary hidden weapons.

However, clever people learn everything quickly. In just two days, the technique became proficient. Not only was the technique skilled, but with his internal strength, he could hit a target thirty feet away.

With everything prepared, Xiao Bao entered the inner palace and stole a eunuch’s robe and hat that were about the same size as the two of them.

The clothes were returned to Lü Siniang and Yu Niang for testing, and they fit quite well.

Now everything was ready, only action was needed.

Two days later, Hong Yanzi arrived.

Xiao Fu invited her, Zhou Tao, and the other two to meet, and they expressed their mutual admiration.

Xiao Bao said, "Senior Sister, why have you come this time...?"

"Yinzhen wants to see you and wants you to decide on a date for your visit."

"Senior Sister, we are currently considering a 'lone gamble,' everything is ready, we just need the right opportunity, and we were just about to discuss it with you."

"Me...?"

"Yes! Success means eternal fame, failure means certain death!"

Hong Yanzi replied without hesitation, "Brother, what do you want me to do?"

Xiao Bao handed her four throwing knives, saying, "Senior Sister, these are Fourth Aunt's copper mother throwing knives. They are heavy and have an off-center edge, flying in an arc. They can pierce heavy armor. I wonder if Senior Sister can use them?"

Hong Yanzi weighed them in her hand, and suddenly, with a whoosh, she threw out two pairs, pinning them to the wall. Each knife tip had a fly embedded in it.

Zhou Tao looked at the knife and laughed loudly, "Miss Hong's skill is far superior to Fourth Aunt's!" Then he laughed even louder.

Xiao Bao said, "That's good! We'll act tonight. Senior Sister, you take the two aunts into the palace through the Donghua Gate. They'll disguise themselves as eunuchs and follow you, so they won't arouse suspicion. When we get near the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Qianqing Palace, have them find a place to hide. You go to see Yongzheng and tell him I'll pay my respects tonight!"

"And then?"

"Sister, can you command his few lamas who carry firearms?"

"The four lamas who follow him will change shifts every hour. They'll patrol the hall and the surrounding area!"

"Sister, we have to take a risk. Just before the changing of the guard, Er Tu Zi and I will break in through the Meridian Gate, making a whistling sound. Then you can falsely announce an imperial edict, first ordering two lamas to the rooftops to stand guard, then notify the other two to go up as well. They won't have time to consider the edict's authenticity. Then you can use your throwing knives to kill the latter two lamas. The two lamas on the rooftops will have to compete with me to see who's faster! If they're faster, I'll be torn to pieces; if they're not as fast, tonight will be the end of Emperor Yongzheng!"

"Alright! Brother, let's do it! Life and death hang in the balance!"

The two girls, disguised as eunuchs, followed Hong Yanzi into the palace. Everything went smoothly, and they quickly arrived near the Qianqing Palace. They saw many eunuchs constantly pacing back and forth in the corridors, which would avoid arousing suspicion.

Hong Yanzi entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony to meet the Emperor! Yongzheng asked, "Did you see him?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I saw him!"

"When will he come to see me?"

"He said he would come to the palace shortly after receiving the imperial decree!"

"Hmm!"

Just then, a whistling sound was heard from the direction of the Thousand Gates.

Hong Yanzi hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, someone has broken into the palace. I'll take the lamas to check!"

"Hmm!"

As soon as Hong Yanzi left the Hall of Supreme Harmony, she said to the two lamas patrolling on the ground, "His Majesty has decreed that you immediately go up to the roof and strengthen the defenses!"

The two lamas scrambled onto the roof, and she added, "Find out the intruder's intentions before firing. Don't accidentally kill the young hero Duan who is paying respects to the Emperor!"

With this sentence, she successfully completed tonight's "Dragon-Slaying Plan"!

Then she found two other lamas and said, "They've already gone up to the hall to stand guard. Why aren't you going up? Cowards!"

The two lamas were reprimanded and immediately scrambled up. As soon as their feet left the ground, Hong Yanzi took advantage of their momentary vulnerability and threw two pairs of copper mother-shaped throwing knives, piercing the backs of the two men. The two men fell to the ground, dead instantly.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bao, Er Tu Zi, and their companions scaled the wall from the side of the Meridian Gate. Because of their exceptional skill, the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Stables didn't notice them. Xiao Bao told Er Tu Zi to go around to the inner palace to meet Aunt Lü and the others, while he himself made a loud whistle to signal their arrival.

At this time, the second hero, Zhou Tao, stayed in the inn, drinking alone.

Why? He knew he was currently the weakest in terms of skill; going there would only cause them trouble. It was better to stay in the inn and drink. If they succeeded, they could all leave; if they failed, he could just finish his drink and end it all!

When the two lamas on the roof saw Xiao Bao, he was already on the roof of the side hall.

The two lamas had just asked, "Who's there?" before they even had time to raise their weapons.

Xiao Bao struck first, without a sound, raising both hands simultaneously, four throwing knives as fast as arrows, both piercing the lamas' throats and hearts.

The two lamas fell to the ground with a thud.

At this moment, Emperor Yongzheng, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, noticed the commotion outside and hurriedly ordered Hong Yanzi to quickly sound the alarm.

Hong Yanzi immediately went to ring the alarm bell, but two eunuchs rushed in, disregarding palace etiquette, shouting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! There's an assassin in the Kunmi Palace!"

In the instant Yongzheng was startled, Hong Yanzi and Lü Siniang simultaneously threw two daggers. Hong Yanzi struck his thighs, while Lü Siniang aimed for his throat.

Yongzheng collapsed dead!

Yu Niang quickly used a dagger to cut off the lower part of his dragon robe, while Lü Siniang severed Yongzheng's head, truly making him "the one to whom the people rest"—Yongzheng was decapitated!

Quick! Quick! Everything was in a flurry of activity! At this moment, the alarm bells rang incessantly, and the palace was thrown into chaos! Lamas arrived, the Imperial Guards arrived, and the Imperial Bodyguards arrived.

The Empress, noblewomen, eunuchs, and palace maids ran everywhere in panic.

This greatly helped Xiao Bao and Lü Siniang. Led by Hong Yanzi, no one suspected anything, and they smoothly left the Forbidden City and returned to Tian Tai Inn.

Zhou Tao was already quite drunk, but seeing them return, he sobered up and hurriedly said, "Change your clothes and let's go!"

They carried Yongzheng's head and left the city that night, heading south to pay respects at Lü Liuliang's tomb! Meanwhile, in the palace, chaos reigned! The eunuchs were the first to report to Empress Niohuru!

Upon seeing that the Emperor's head was gone, the Empress panicked.

At this time, the concubines, maids, and eunuchs were already in disarray. Fortunately, Shi Yizhi, the commander of the Imperial Guard, was the first to arrive at the Zhengda Guangming Hall. Empress Niohuru

, upon seeing Shi Yizhi, seemed to see a relative and hurriedly told him about the loss of Emperor Yongzheng's head.

Shi Yizhi also panicked. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, his crime was far beyond what he could bear; how many heads would he have to lose? But now that the deed is done, there's no other way but to make a decision first. As for holding someone accountable, even if it means losing their head, that's a matter for later!

So he reported to the Empress, "Your Majesty, this matter must be handled immediately by the regent, Ortai!"

The Empress immediately issued an edict, ordering the head eunuch to summon Ortai to an audience!

The head eunuch immediately rode a fast horse to Ortai's residence! Ortai was asleep at this time, and the head eunuch pounded on the main hall's doors with deafening force.

As soon as Ortai's family opened the door, a eunuch rushed in like a whirlwind, sweating profusely and panting, saying, "Quickly, please invite the lord! Quickly, please invite the lord!"

Ortai had been awakened by the loud knocking. He got up and saw it was the head eunuch serving the emperor. He panicked and hurriedly said, "What urgent matter is it, sir?"

The eunuch stammered, "M-M-Sir...no...no...it's terrible...the...the Emperor's...head..."

"What happened to the Emperor's head?"

"It's...it's...it's gone!"

Good heavens! The Emperor's head was gone! Upon hearing this, Ortai didn't even bother to put on his court robes. He scrambled out, stumbling and falling, without even bothering to prepare a sedan chair. He climbed onto the horse the eunuch had brought and rushed into the palace.

He rode all the way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony before dismounting.

He only nodded to Shi Yizhi before kneeling before Yongzheng's corpse, kowtowing first, then kowtowing to the Empress.

Niohuru said, "Your Excellency, rise. What do you think we should do?"

Ortai then got up and searched for Yongzheng's head for a long time, but it had already disappeared. After thinking for a while, he said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the matter of His Majesty losing his head must not be revealed for the time being! Immediately bathe and change the clothes of His Majesty's remains, and secretly summon a skilled goldsmith to make a golden head for His Majesty to be placed on overnight!"

Niohuru sighed and said with tears in her eyes, "A golden head is not as good as his fleshy body when he was alive. There is no other way but to do as you wish!"

Ortai then said, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Lord Shi Yizhi, come with me immediately to ask for the imperial edict!"

Shi Yizhi was the commander of the Imperial Guards and was naturally highly skilled in martial arts. He immediately darted to the side, took out the golden box from behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque, opened it, and took out the imperial edict. He saw that there were only a few words on it: "The fourth prince, Hongli, ascends the throne!"

Ortai hurriedly ordered the chief eunuch to rush to the Yuanmingyuan overnight and say that the emperor had issued an edict to summon Prince Bao to the palace overnight. He was told not to reveal the matter of the emperor losing his head, or he would be executed.

Empress Niohuru hurriedly asked, "Why?"

The head eunuch then mounted his horse and went to the Yuanmingyuan.

At this moment, Shi Yizhi suddenly said to Ortai, "Lord Ortai, you are still wearing your undergarments. What will become of you when the new emperor arrives?"

Only then did Ortai realize that he was not wearing his court robes and hurriedly asked Shi Yizhi to send the Imperial Guards to the Grand Eunuch's residence to have his family bring them.

Fortunately, his residence was much closer than Prince Bao's Yuanmingyuan, and his family brought the court robes, which he put on in the main hall.

As for the head eunuch who went to summon Prince Bao, Hongli, he dared not do as he had done with Grand Eunuch at the Yuanmingyuan, and had to report through multiple layers of bureaucracy.

At this time, Prince Bao had only been married for a short time and was being intimate with his wife, Lady Fucha! Hearing that the eunuch had come to deliver the imperial edict at midnight, he had no choice but to get up, straighten his clothes, and receive the edict.

The eunuch announced, "His Majesty has decreed that Prince Bao must immediately proceed to the palace!"

Prince Bao asked, "What is the matter that His Majesty

summoned me so urgently in the dead of night?" "This servant does not know, but please

, Your Highness, depart immediately!" Prince Bao had no choice but to follow him into the palace. The eunuch spurred his horse onward at breakneck speed!

Prince Bao, accompanied by a group of guards, hurried after him, repeatedly asking from horseback, "Why the rush?"

The eunuch replied, "You will find out once you enter the palace!" Prince

Bao was in a state of utter anxiety, wondering what he had done wrong to warrant such an urgent summons from the Emperor.

He was supposed to enter through the main gate, but the eunuch disregarded this and proceeded through the Xihua Gate! Moreover, the eunuch did not dismount, but charged straight towards the Zhengda Guangming Hall.

Prince Bao and his guards had no choice but to follow on horseback.

The palace floor was entirely paved with marble, and the sound of dozens of horses galloping around was deafening; normally, this would be considered disrespectful and a serious offense.

When they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, only Prince Bao entered with the head eunuch.

Upon entering, he learned that his father, the Emperor, had not only passed away but had also lost his head, and he burst into tears.

At this moment, Ortai hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him, saying, "Your Highness, please restrain your grief. This servant and Lord Shi have already reviewed the will; Your Highness has been appointed to inherit the throne. Let us first discuss the matter of enthronement!"

Prince Bao asked, "Then what about Father's head?" "

I have already ordered a skilled goldsmith to forge a golden head. Once it is finished, it will be immediately placed on the late Emperor. To maintain secrecy, this servant has prepared..." He made a beheading gesture with the goldsmith.

Prince Bao nodded; he tacitly approved!

At this moment, all the eunuchs, palace maids, and members of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Bodyguard who knew the truth broke out in a cold sweat. Who dared to leak the secret?

Before long, the golden head was finished, and dawn was approaching! Prince Bao led the entire court in kneeling to place the golden head on Emperor Yongzheng's head. Then, a coffin was prepared for his burial. The goldsmith was taken away by the head eunuch to serve the Emperor in heaven.

At this moment, Ortai suddenly said to Prince Bao, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, it's not a good thing to say that the Emperor's head has been cut off. Moreover, if this matter becomes public, all the officials will be guilty. If a nationwide search is launched, it might cause chaos. In my opinion, it would be better to keep this a secret. Firstly, it would preserve the late Emperor's face, and secondly, it would save a lot of trouble. We should change the will to sound like he was suffering from a sudden illness!"

Prince Bao thought for a long time and said, "That's the only way!"

Fortunately, it was already common knowledge in the court that Prince Bao would succeed to the throne, so there wouldn't be as many problems as when Yongzheng ascended the throne.

Ortai rewrote the will: "I am succumbing to a sudden illness and know I will not recover. My fourth son, Hongli, who closely resembles me, is hereby appointed to succeed me as Emperor! This is the imperial decree!" Shi Yizhi

then placed it in a golden box and sent it behind the plaque of "Upright and Bright. "

At this moment, no one was happier than Shi Yizhi. Originally, the Emperor's assassination attempt and dereliction of duty should have resulted in the extermination of his entire family, but now he was free of all consequences! He could still serve as the commander of the Imperial Guards. With

everything prepared, Ortai ordered the Jingyang Bell to be rung, dong, dong, dong… twenty-four times.

The Emperor had passed away, and the imperial throne was in place! At this moment, the imperial family, nobles, princes, and Manchu and Han officials gathered below the golden steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Ortai, carrying the golden box with both hands, and with Shi Yizhi by his side, escorted him up to the hall! The princes, beile, beizi, and officials from the six ministries and nine departments all knelt down in unison as Ortai read the imperial edict: "I am succumbing to a sudden illness and know I will not recover; my fourth son, Hongli, closely resembles me, and is hereby appointed to succeed me as emperor! This is the imperial decree!"

At that time, Prince Bao and the other princes were below the steps. After Ortai finished reading the edict, a group of eunuchs and guards came down to escort Prince Bao to the hall, immediately dressed him in a dragon robe and placed a crown on his head, and escorted him to the throne.

The princes and ministers below immediately shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times and crawled down to pay their respects.

The new emperor immediately issued the following decrees:

1. The reign title is changed to the first year of Qianlong!

2. A general amnesty is granted!

3. A funeral is held for the late emperor!

The ministers again shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

The new emperor, leading the way, immediately removed his dragon robe, donned the ceremonial robes, and moved the late emperor's coffin to the White Tiger Hall, immediately summoning lamas from the Yonghe Palace to chant sutras.

The Eastern Emperor's passing was a great national tragedy. The entire nation wore mourning clothes, all entertainment activities ceased, and the funeral procession lasted for forty-nine days before his burial at the Eastern Mausoleum.

Then came the new emperor and his new policies! (01-21

Chapter Six: Swallow's Success Returns to Tianshan)

It is said that after leaving the capital, Xiao Bao and Miss Lü Si parted ways in Kaifeng, Henan. Miss Lü Si and the others, carrying the head of Emperor Yongzheng, went to the ancestral home in Hunan to pay respects to their ancestors. She later married her childhood sweetheart, Zhu Rongjing, and retired to seclusion. Xiao Bao and his companions, however, went from Kaifeng to Xi'an.

Taking Hong Yanzi with them, they first visited Uncle Shen.

Upon seeing Xiao Bao, Shen Kui asked, "You've only been in the capital for a few days and you're back already? What happened? Why is Miss Hong with you too?"

Oh! It turns out they met Hong Yanzi at the Da Honglian Casino in Baoding.

Hong Yanzi said, "Old Shen, I'm free now!"

"What, you left Yongzheng?"

Xiao Bao continued, "Yongzheng's dog head has been chopped off by Lü Siniang!"

"Ah! You killed Yongzheng?"

Xiao Bao recounted how everyone helped Lü Siniang and the others kill Yongzheng.

Shen Kui said, "Good! I have to report this to the mountain immediately. You guys stay here a few more days! Wait for instructions from the mountain before taking action!"

Xiao Bao said, "That's the only way. Damn it, this trip to Beijing was a complete waste. I didn't see anything, not even a single performance at Tianqiao!"

Shen Kui said, "Haven't you heard people say that Tianqiao performers are all talk and no action?"

"Well, it would be good to hear some performances!"

This remark amused everyone!

Shen Kui said, "If the mountain doesn't give you any special instructions, then you can go to the capital again!"

Xiao Bao said, "That's the only way!" This caused another burst of laughter.

Hong Yanzi said, "I was the one who planted the secret intelligence network for Yongzheng back then. Its headquarters were in Xi'an. Now that he's dead, Bao Si will definitely succeed him. I have to destroy this network!"

Shen Kui said, "Miss Hong, how will you destroy it?"

"Kill!"

Ah! Bloody and terrifying! Shen Kui asked again, "How many would we have to kill?"

"Don't worry, Elder Shen, we won't have to kill many. When I was setting up the network for Yongzheng, I already had a plan to destroy it! We'll strictly restrict traffic, and only one person can know the information between superiors and subordinates. Anyone who leaks information will be punished severely. Therefore, only the foreman knows who the superior is. It's a completely one-way street. Even people in the same shift don't know each other. Otherwise, given the status of 'Hongfa Casino' in the underworld, who would dare to gamble here?"

Xiao Bao said, "Sister Hong Yanzi, we're related to Huo Qupeng!"

"What kind of relative?"

Xiao Bao told her about winning the Fire Phoenix gambling last time.

"Hehe, haha!" Hong Yanzi laughed so hard she bent over.

"Sister, what are you laughing at?"

"So, we're relatives too?"

"We?"

"Yes!"

"What kind of relatives?"

"Those four girls are all our apprentices!"

"Sister's apprentices?"

"That's right!"

"Oh! I understand now, no wonder Fire Phoenix dared to bet with me!"

"I really like these four kids, I bet this special skill of mine will be passed on to them! Oh, by the way, the other day, the three sisters went in to look for me, crying and saying that the eldest girl had lost everyone, and they wanted to avenge their eldest sister! I didn't know it was you, I thought you were some kind of master, so I sent the second and third sisters to Baoding 'Da Hong Lian' first, and the youngest stayed in Beijing!"

"Sister, do you know their relationship with Huo Yunpeng?"

"What? You know? Then tell me first!"

Xiao Bao then told her what he had heard from Yu Benren.

Hong Yanzi laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Sister, what are you laughing at?"

"He's not exactly talking nonsense, but it's practically the same as spouting gibberish!"

"Sister, isn't what he said right?"

"I'm in charge of the secret intelligence camp, and Huo Yunpeng is the head of that camp. He's been with me since the Da Honglian casino in Baoding. Don't I know everything about him?"

"Could it be that Yu Benren lied to us?"

"No, it's not that. He just doesn't know everything!"

"How so?"

"It's true that Da Yatou's birth mother and Huo Yunpeng were fellow disciples, and childhood sweethearts. But after reaching adulthood, Huo Yunpeng discovered he was impotent!"

"How so?"

"He's a congenital eunuch. He's over twenty, and his penis is barely two inches long. Because he couldn't get married, he was distressed and a friend led him to a 'castration camp'!"

"He's a congenital eunuch? Yu Benshan said Xiao Si, Huo Yujie, is his biological daughter?"

"Will you listen to me?"

"Okay! Tell me!"

"The eldest girl's birth mother married a scholar, but before the marriage, Huo Yunpeng made a request: regardless of whether she gave birth to a son or a daughter, out of consideration for the past bond between the two sisters, give him one. That's how Feng'er was born and taken away by them. The eldest girl's birth father was implicated in the Lü Wancun case and executed. The eldest girl's birth mother came to Huo Yunpeng, blaming him for not saving her. Actually, Huo Yunpeng knew nothing about this, and besides, the literary inquisition wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service. His junior sister couldn't forgive him and committed suicide in front of him!"

"Oh, so that's how it happened!" "

Furthermore, the second and third brothers are twins. Their whole family were loyal subjects of the previous dynasty. I once hinted to him not to be too ruthless with his men. During a certain mission, he secretly hid the twins in a civilian's house and later adopted them as his daughters. And then there's the fourth one, Huo Yujie! She's actually of mixed Manchu and Han descent!"

"What?"

"I was the one who did this! Her mother used to work at the Datong Academy in Baoding, but was later sent to the capital by Jue Luo and his men to become the mistress of Yu Beiqin, the grandson of Prince Su. However, Yu Beiqin was very jealous, and he found out about it. He had no choice but to send her back to Baoding, but she was already pregnant. That's why I stepped in and arranged for Huo Yunpeng to be her lover. Later, she died in childbirth!"

"Oh, so Huo Yunpeng isn't all that bad after all!"

"Think about it, would you use a ruthless person as the only head of the organization under my sister's command?"

"Sister, does that mean we can keep him?"

"You're the leader of this group, so the decision to kill or keep him is up to you!"

"Considering that he still has some humanity left, I've decided to keep him. If we can win him over, that's best. If we can't, I'll just cripple his martial arts!"

"Alright!" After a pause, Hong Yanzi continued, "If you run into those three girls, you might actually win them over and pair them up with you three bachelors!"

"We haven't seen them yet, we don't know what they look like?"

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful, all three of them are prettier than the eldest!"

"Okay! Sister Yanzi, let's decide first, the second and third brothers are for Er Tuzi and Er Tuzi, and I'll take the fourth one!"

His words made everyone laugh.

The operation to eliminate the secret agents from the Yongzheng era began. As

soon as Hong Yanzi entered the gate of the 'Hongfa' casino, she was stopped by the bodyguards: "What are you doing, barging in like this, do you know where this is!"

Hong Yanzi was experienced and had been in gambling dens for a long time, so she knew that every casino was like this, and was not surprised. She still smiled and said, "Isn't this a big casino? A place that eats people up without spitting out the bones?"

"You! You! What did you say? If it weren't for the fact that you're a woman, I would have beaten you to a pulp!"

Okay! He did know that Hong Yanzi was a woman, that's good.

Hong Yanzi, however, was unmoved and retorted, "Go ahead and hit me!"

Her words infuriated the bodyguard, who could no longer contain himself and slapped her across the face.

A loud 'smack' rang out! What happened? He didn't land a punch, but instead received a hard slap across the face? And when he opened his mouth, half a tooth fell out.

Good! A casino bodyguard being assaulted? This was unacceptable! Seven or eight burly men rushed out from the gatehouse, surrounded Hong Yanzi, looking like they were going to tear her apart.

Hong Yanzi was completely unfazed by the imposing manner, calmly declaring, "Send someone to fetch Huo Yunpeng to see me!"

Among the group of burly men, one of the more astute ones stepped forward and asked, "Who are you...?"

"You're not worthy to ask! Quickly fetch Huo Yunpeng to see me!"

The owner of 'Hongfa Casino,' the head of the secret service, wasn't someone who could be summoned at will, but intimidated by the newcomer's imposing presence, he said, "Wait a moment, I'll go fetch him!"

He didn't dare disturb Huo Yunpeng, but instead summoned the casino manager. This manager, also from Baoding, was ostensibly the casino's general manager, but secretly the liaison for the secret service, handling all liaison work across the region.

Upon seeing Hong Yanzi, he immediately knelt down.

"Good!" He knelt down, and none of the bodyguards dared not kneel. They all knelt on the ground.

Then the steward spoke up, "They didn't know Your Majesty was coming! They don't recognize you! They deserve death! They deserve death! Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

He then turned to the burly man behind him and said, "Hurry and invite the head steward to greet Your Majesty!"

The man who had tried to beat someone but failed and instead got beaten was paralyzed with fear.

Huo Yunpeng, who had been resting in his private small living room, rushed out upon hearing the announcement. Upon seeing Hong Yanzi, he hurriedly knelt down, saying, "I didn't know Your Majesty was coming! I failed to greet you properly! I'm so sorry!"

Hong Yanzi said, "Everyone, get up! We can talk in the back room!" Only

then did everyone dare to rise. Huo Yunpeng accompanied Hong Yanzi into the small living room. After the servants served fragrant tea, they all withdrew.

Huo Yunpeng clasped his hands in a fist salute to Hong Yanzi and said, "Your Majesty, what major event has occurred that requires your personal presence outside the capital?"

Hong Yanzi also replied solemnly, "A major event! A major event for the entire nation!"

"Ah! What? A major event for the entire nation? What mistake have we made?"

"It's not that we made a mistake, the Emperor is dead!"

"Ah! The Emperor was in the prime of his life, how could he have passed away?"

"The official announcement of the national mourning should arrive in the next day or two!"

"The Emperor?"

"Actually, this can be considered a failure on our part in protecting Your Majesty. The Emperor was beheaded. The new Emperor ascended the throne, and to avoid shocking the world, he kept it a secret. He specifically ordered our secret intelligence unit to conduct a covert investigation, secretly capture the culprit, and bring him to the capital!"

In fact, this was a story she made up herself. Firstly, the official announcement had not yet arrived, and secondly, it was a very good reason to summon the personnel stationed abroad.

"Protect the Emperor! What about us?"

"The Emperor has lost his head. You didn't send any warnings beforehand. It's a miracle you haven't lost your heads. Quickly summon all the foremen under your command to Xi'an immediately to hear me announce the new Emperor's secret decree to apprehend the murderer. If the murderer is to hide, we'll all be beheaded!" "

Okay!" Huo Yunpeng, terrified, went to issue the summons.

After sending the carrier pigeon, he returned to Hong Yanzi and reported, "The urgent summons has been issued. The furthest can return within a week!"

"Hmm! Good! Of your twenty foremen, who usually performs best? Who performs worse? I usually stay by the Emperor's side and spend time managing this. Now that such a big mess has occurred, I want those who are most proactive to put in more effort. If they solve the case, not only will they all be exonerated, but I'll guarantee their promotions!"

Huo Yunpeng said, "The foremen in the south are the most proactive. They were the ones who reported the case of Lü Liuliang in Hunan!"

Hmm! Hong Yanzi made her decision; she had to eliminate the few in the south first.

Two days later, the official announcement arrived! "The Emperor has passed away, a great loss to the nation;

the entire country mourns in accordance with rites." With Yongzheng's death, the rules were incredibly strict. The whole country wore mourning clothes. Besides forbidding shaving or haircuts, everything red had to be covered up; even red pillars had to be wrapped in yellow cloth. Even vegetable vendors were restricted; selling cucumbers and chives was allowed, but selling carrots and red peppers was forbidden. If they wanted to sell them, they had to wear blue cloth covers.

Simply put, even those with smudged noses and red faces were forbidden from going out in public.

Those performing arts—storytellers, opera singers, and martial arts practitioners—had to close down and were forbidden from performing. His death was a great sin for the people.

Upon seeing the announcement, Hongfa Casino, of course, also had to cease operations.

At this time, the foremen of the nearby secret service reported to Hongfa Casino one after another.

Huo Yunpeng said to Hong Yanzi, "Your Majesty, they've arrived one after another. What do you plan to do?"

"Summon those who aren't usually very responsible. I'll give them some instructions, then tell them to return to their posts immediately. Remember, keep the matter of the late emperor's death a secret!"

Not long after, Huo Yunpeng arrived with several foremen from the surrounding area.

Hong Yanzi praised them and ordered them to return immediately, closely monitor the situation, and not disturb the people.

After seeing Hong Yanzi, these people left happily.

After they left, Huo Yunpeng asked Hong Yanzi, "Your Majesty, why didn't you order them to apprehend the culprit?"

"You're really confused. These few are not only all incompetent, but they're all idiots. I don't know how you, as the head foreman, usually manage them!"

Fine! He'd received a free lecture in officialdom.

He quickly replied, "This humble servant is foolish, this humble servant is ignorant!"

"If this matter that would bring shame upon the late Emperor is leaked by these idiots, and the Emperor investigates, will our heads be enough to be chopped off?"

Huo Yunpeng broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

Due to the national mourning, Xiao Bao and his friends, along with Da Niu and Huo Yanfang, came to the 'Hongfa Casino' to see Huo Yunpeng.

Huo Yunpeng wanted to find a backer for his son-in-law and the others, introducing them to Hong Yanzi.

Xiao Bao and his friends pretended not to know Hong Yanzi.

Huo Yunpeng then—introduced them!

Hong Yanzi laughed, "So the four of you are Lady Mei, the adopted sons and successors of my late husband. My apologies!"

Xiao Bao said, "Miss Hong was a close associate of the late Emperor, of a very high status. You're too kind of us!"

"Not at all! Not at all! Young Master Mei was a commoner friend of the Emperor back then. How dare we, his servants, compare ourselves to our master's friend!"

"Your Majesty, you're too kind. We were adopted by our master's wife, and we haven't even met our late master yet!"

"Hahaha! Whoever's trough we're tied to, we're their donkey!"

"Good! Your Majesty, you're insulting us without using any vulgar language. We've all become donkeys!"

"You jest!"

"Of course! Of course!"

"I heard you're quite skilled at gambling. You must have been taught by your junior master's wife, right?"

"How did Your Majesty know?"

"When I was in Da Honglian, Baoding, I even played against them."

"Why haven't we heard our junior master's wife mention it? What happened?"

"The result? We'll settle things after the national mourning period, let's settle things!"

While chatting at home, several foremen from out of town arrived to report for duty.

Xiao Bao and the others got up to leave! Hong Yanzi said, "You're not outsiders, no need to leave. Let Huo Yunpeng introduce me!"

At this moment, Huo Yunpeng brought in five foremen and introduced them to Hong Yanzi!

Hong Yanzi said, "I know your names very well, but I've never seen you before!"

They introduced themselves one by one.

The first was named Wang Guoen, in charge of the Tingdong area of Hunan; he was the one who reported the case of Lü Wancun's pacification.

The second was named Wu Deyi, in charge of Chengdu. The

third was named Que Tianliang, in charge of northern Sichuan.

The fourth was named Wan Qizu, in charge of the Wuhan area of Hubei. The fifth was named

Leng Xinren, in charge of the Hefei area of Anhui.

After hearing their names announced, Hong Yanzi praised them, saying, "So it's you guys! I often see Chief Steward Huo reporting your achievements in the palace. The late Emperor often said that he would give you important positions and promote you when the opportunity arises. He originally planned to summon you for the New Year! I never expected that he would pass away!"

After she finished speaking, she walked up to the five men and very kindly patted each of them on the shoulder or patted their backs.

Her action, when they raised the flag (for thieves) at the door, involved slapping a special drug onto the target. Outsiders wouldn't notice, but insiders could smell a peculiar odor during the day, and at night the slapped area would emit a faint bluish glow. Outsiders wouldn't notice, but insiders saw it as a beacon.

Xiao Bao and his men, seeing Hong Yanzi calling out to the five foremen and touching their bodies, knew it was a signal to eliminate them on the way.

Xiao Bao said to the other three, "The Imperial Guard must have important matters to discuss with the officials; let's go back!"

The three then bid farewell to Hong Yanzi and Huo Yunpeng.

Not far from the 'Hongfa Casino,' Xiao Bao assigned tasks.

Da Niu would deal with Que Tianliang!

Er Tu Zi would deal with Wan Qi Zu! Xiao Lai Li would target Leng Xin Ren! He himself would deal with Wang Guo En and Wu De Yi! He stipulated that they should strike between twenty and fifty li from Xi'an, and that the daggers should be neutralized.

Fortunately, they all carried bone-dissolving powder!

After seeing Xiao Bao and the others leave, Hong Yanzi knew they were going to ambush them. She then said to the five leaders, "Although the young masters of the Mei family aren't outsiders, they can't know the truly important secrets. Now that we're all on our own, I'll tell you the truth about the late emperor's death!"

The room was now completely silent.

Hong Yanzi continued, "The late emperor died at the hands of Lü Siniang, with a master secretly assisting him. Lord Shi Yizhi and I were both present, but before we could even act, the emperor's head was gone!"

Wang Guoen asked, "Guards, was the person who came that skilled?" He seemed somewhat incredulous.

"You seem unconvinced, but that's understandable. Who would have thought this master in the shadows could wield a flying sword!"

"Ah! A flying sword?" Everyone exclaimed in unison.

"You should know that since I took on the role of protector, I have felt a great responsibility. I specifically requested the late Emperor to transfer the senior lamas from Yonghe Temple to serve as guards in shifts of four. At the same time, the Emperor also specially bestowed firearms upon them! Firearms, have you ever heard of them?"

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes!"

Think about it, even though they are short guns, their power is enough to cover thirty zhang (approximately 15 meters). Yet the person who attacked them was fifty zhang away, and with a flash of white light, he killed four lamas at the same time. Do you think he used a flying sword or an ordinary hidden weapon that could reach fifty zhang?

Furthermore, Lü Siniang was with that girl Yu Ke. Back when Yu Ke was serving as a fourth-rank bodyguard in the palace during the reign of the Empress Dowager Kangxi, how could his daughter not be familiar with the palace?

They somehow got hold of eunuch clothes and sneaked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. When I noticed the lamas issuing an alarm and came out to investigate, I witnessed that master in the shadows killing the lamas. When I realized something was wrong, I immediately went back into the hall.

But the Emperor's head was already gone. Then they heard them calling out their names, Lü Siniang and Yu Niang, avenging their ancestors! "I was about to give chase when Lord Shi stopped me, telling me to quickly handle the aftermath!"

she said, her story so convincing that the five foremen couldn't help but believe her.

She continued, "You all must immediately return to your posts tonight and secretly investigate Lü Siniang and her group's whereabouts. If you're confident, eliminate them immediately—that will be a great achievement. If not, monitor them and report back; that will also count as merit!"

"We obey!" the five replied in unison.

"Huo Yunpeng, prepare a meal immediately. After the meal, tell them to leave tonight!"

After the meal, the five set off one after another that night.

First, let's talk about Wang Guoen. He had just arrived in the desolate outskirts of Xi'an when he bumped into Xiao Bao. He quickly went up to greet him, calling out, "Young Master Mei!"

Xiao Bao laughed, "Chief, rushing off in the dead of night, where are you going?"

"I have urgent business to attend to at my post!"

"Chief, you're stationed in Hunan, over a thousand miles away. This journey is too arduous!

" "Serving the Emperor, what's a little hardship!"

"I think you should stay here. Why risk your life for a dead man?"

"Just for saying that, you've committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor. If it weren't for the Chief's sake, I'd arrest you! Now get going!"

Hahaha! Xiao Bao didn't say anything, but he started singing. Listen! "Kind words can't wake a stupid ox or a wooden horse. Even if the King of Hell came, no matter how powerful he was, you couldn't pull him back! You couldn't...hold him...back!"

Wang Guoen glared and said, "What do you mean by that?"

"Hehehe! Do you think that old codger Yinzhen died the way Hong Yanzi said?"

"How dare you! You dare to call the late emperor by his name?" Then, startled, he said, "Ah! You know how the late emperor died?"

"Hehe, haha! Of course I know!"

"How do you know?"

"I was there at the time, how could I not know?"

"You...you...you..."

"Don't be nervous, half of Yinzhen's death was at Hong Yanzi's hands!"

"Ah...protecting the emperor?"

"What? Is that not allowed?"

"How do you know this?"

"Didn't I tell you I was there at the time?"

"Then...?"

"Then what? Half of Yinzhen's death was at my hands!"

"How so? Didn't Hong Yanzi say he died at Lü Siniang's hands?"

"Idiot, think about it, in the deep palace, without someone of high status leading the way, who can get close to the 'Zhengda Guangming' Hall guarded by the Lama Renlin?"

"This..."

"What? Of course the lama wouldn't suspect anyone associated with Red Swallow!"

"As for her saying there's another expert?"

"Want to try the flying sword?"

"Ah..."

Xiao Bao produced a throwing knife, weighed it in his hand, and laughed, "You can die the same way as the great lama, a death without grievance!"

With that, he flicked his wrist, and a flash of white light shot into Wang Guoen's heart. Wang Guoen immediately fell to the ground, kicked his legs, grinned, and died without uttering a sound.

Xiao Bao took the throwing knife from his chest, poured out bone-dissolving powder, and just then, he suddenly heard the clatter of hooves. He turned his head and saw that the knight's right shoulder was covered in a bluish-red stain, which was known in the martial arts world as 'shifting fire and leaving light.' He knew it was the phosphorus powder left by Red Swallow of the 'Hongfa Casino' when she affectionately patted his shoulder. It had a faint smell during the day, which his own people could detect, and at night, it would glow when the wind blew. Therefore, those who raised flags all used it as a weapon, indicating that this person possessed a great treasure.

So why was he lagging behind on horseback? It turned out he was Wu Deyi, in charge of the secret investigation in Chengdu. Hong Yanzi had pre-arranged with Xiao Bao that Xiao Bao would personally eliminate these two men. She feared Xiao Bao couldn't handle both alone, and even if he could, one might escape, leading to a leak of information—a terrible matter. Therefore, she used this opportunity to keep Wu Deyi behind to discuss the situation in Sichuan.

She first mentioned that the late emperor didn't trust Yue Zhongqi as the governor of Sichuan. Previously, when Zeng Jing and Zhang Zhong had tried to persuade him, the late emperor thought these two scholars wouldn't amount to much, which was why he sent them gifts. She instructed them to pay special attention to Yue Zhongqi.

Wu Deyi laughed, "Where did Your Majesty get this information?"

"His Majesty has other channels, so we must be even more careful!" "

Your Majesty, rest assured, to be honest, that secret report was submitted by me!"

"Oh, so you are His Majesty's confidant! My apologies!"

"Your Majesty, isn't His Majesty closer to you?"

The two laughed heartily at the same time!

"Should I address you as Lord Wu? What rank have you been granted? Has your official hat been raised?"

"Since you've been granted the rank of Third-Rank Admiral, I should call you Empress!"

The two laughed heartily again, the atmosphere quite harmonious. Hong Yanzi chatted with him for over an hour before instructing Huo Yunpeng to prepare his horse for the journey.

When he arrived in the suburbs, he witnessed Xiao Bao's killing of Wang Guoen. Upon arrival, he immediately drew his sword, dismounted, and executed the same clean and swift action.

When he recognized Xiao Bao standing before him, he exclaimed, "How could it be you? Why would you kill Wang Guoen, your own man?"

Xiao Bao laughed loudly, "Because he was a traitor who betrayed the Manchus and became their lackey!"

"You...aren't you a relative of the head steward?"

"None of my relatives are traitors!"

"Could it be that they...?"

"That's right, Hong Yanzi and Huo Yunpeng are both anti-Qing patriots!"

"Ah!"

"Stop 'ah'ing! Accept your fate!"

The two immediately began fighting! Wu Deyi, taking advantage of the fact that he only had a throwing knife, and relying on the advantage of the longer blade, thrust it straight at him.

Xiao Bao, utilizing the inherent danger of his short weapon, managed to win through peril.

A loud clang rang out! Wu Deyi never expected Xiao Bao's throwing knife to be made of steel; it sliced through his longsword in an instant. True to his reputation as a secret agent personally selected by Emperor Yongzheng, his skills were exceptional. Upon discovering his sword had been sliced, he immediately used the "Moon Shadow Star Shift" technique to dodge out of the circle.

Then, turning, he drew a soft sword from his waist.

Seeing that he could wield a soft sword, Xiao Bao felt a chill and discarded his throwing knife, drawing his master's bestowed sword, ready for battle.

Wu Deyi tentatively unleashed his attack with his soft sword! The two remained locked in a stalemate for a while, when suddenly both emitted a deafening roar.

The sound of dragon roars echoed continuously, and the two dodged aside, neither injuring the other. Xiao Bao felt a surge of sympathy and said, "I never imagined the Qing court would have such a skilled expert as you, yet you're relegated to the secret intelligence camp!"

"Hahaha! What's the secret intelligence camp? I'm merely hiding there, handling far more confidential matters. Your arrival exposes all your treason!"

"Fine! Just from that statement, I know you're beyond redemption. Nothing is more despairing than a broken heart. Since you're a loyal lackey of the Manchus, I have no choice but to represent Han justice and eliminate you!"

"Kid, aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew? I'll capture you alive and dig out your roots!"

"No need to dig, I'll tell you everything. Because the dead know no secrets. Our anti-Qing, Han-restoration headquarters is in Tianshan, presided over by the old sage nun. Do you think Master Mei Zonggan is really dead? Let me tell you, he's currently assisting the nun in Tianshan! I am Master Mei's direct disciple. The rebellions in Xinjiang during Emperor Xuan Ye's reign and Emperor Yin Zhen's reign were all orchestrated by my master. He's currently launching a counterattack! As long as Yue Zhongqi rises up on time!"

Xiao Bao's words shocked Wu Deyi.

Taking advantage of his momentary daze, Xiao Bao swiftly threw a flying knife into his abdomen, followed by a swift sword strike, and his head fell to the ground. Only then did Wu Deyi breathe a sigh of relief .

After fighting him, Xiao Bao realized that Wu Deyi's martial arts were extremely high. While he wouldn't be defeated in a direct confrontation, defeating him in a short time would be difficult. If Wu Deyi wanted to escape, he couldn't be stopped. Therefore, Xiao Bao tricked him into revealing the truth, surprising him, and then killed him in a moment of surprise.

After killing him, Xiao Bao retrieved his throwing knife, sprinkled bone-dissolving powder on him, and saw that Wang Guoren was completely dissolved, leaving only a clump of hair, demonstrating the powerful effect of the medicine. He then spurred his horse and returned to Green Field Manor, the residence of Shen Laozi.

When he arrived, the other three Bao also returned.

Xiao Bao asked, "How did it go?"

The three replied, "We took care of everything smoothly!"

Da Niu asked, "What about you?"

"Damn it, don't even mention it! We almost messed everything up!"

"What happened?"

"Luckily, Sister Hong Yanzi didn't let them leave with us, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to handle it alone, and I might have been completely ruined by them!"

Hearing this, Da Niu was shocked and hurriedly asked what had happened. Xiao Bao recounted Wu Deyi's extraordinary martial arts skills.

"Ah!" everyone exclaimed in surprise.

The Secret Service actually had such skilled fighters; even Xiao Bao couldn't handle them. If we ran into them, we'd definitely smash them to pieces! Good heavens! The next day, the Four Ghosts went to the 'Hongfa Casino' again.

Seeing the four of them, Hong Yanzi finally felt relieved. She took a moment to ask Xiao Bao, "Was Wu Deyi easy to deal with?"

"Ugh! Sister Yanzi, don't even mention it! I almost got ruined by him!"

"What? Is his skill higher than yours?"

"Our skills are about the same, but his wit and experience are definitely no less than mine!

" "Then what?"

"If he had arrived a moment earlier, before I even dealt

with Wang Guoen, what would have happened?" "Although I didn't expect Wu Deyi to be so skilled, I would never let you take such a risk. So I found a reason to keep him here for a while, thinking you should have dealt with Wang Guoen by now!"

"I had just laid Wang Guoen down when he arrived!"

"Ah! He's so quick! No wonder Yinzhen has his eye on him!"

"Sister Yanzi, what did you just say?"

"Isn't he from the Secret Service?"

"That's right, but he's also a pawn Yinzhen has planted in the Secret Service!"

"Ah!"

If I hadn't kept him here for a frank discussion, we wouldn't have known that our Secret Service had someone Yinzhen had placed there. He's the one guarding Yue Zhongqi! "

Ah! The Emperor still doesn't trust Governor Yue?"

"Which high-ranking official has he ever trusted?"

"Good! With him dead, those officials should be relieved!"

"Hmm, Bao Si is no simple character!"

"Is Hongli more ruthless than Yinzhen?"

"Ruthless is another matter. He's cunning, has more ideas, and is more skillful. Everything he does is unfathomable!"

"Aren't we just eliminating one wolf and adding another tiger?"

"What can we do? If the Qing Dynasty isn't overthrown, he'll be the Emperor sooner or later!"

"What to do? What to do?" Xiao Bao wrung his hands anxiously.

"Bao Si usually likes to associate with Han scholars. Perhaps we can find a way to cultivate that relationship in the future?" "

Sister Yanzi, to be honest, if it weren't for the difference in race, Kangxi and Yongzheng would really have made such achievements in politics and academia. Kangxi brought all the learned people in the country into the palace to compile the Great Chinese Dictionary, and to revise the classics, history, characters, and collections of literature, systematically organizing Han studies. On the other hand, which of our Han emperors throughout history wasn't a muddle-headed and licentious scoundrel? And Yongzheng, although ruthless, had a clean administration that no dynasty could match. Sigh! Han people! Han people! Han people should strive for self-improvement!"

"Yes! Brother, you're right. The Han people have suffered this blow and should be encouraged. The Han people really should strive for self-improvement!"

The instructions from Tianshan arrived! Shen Tiankui accepted the edict delivered by the jade pendant, which was filled with tiny characters on a white silk scroll.

Everyone huddled together, reading aloud at the same time! Look closely, there are several people's handwritings! The first paragraph is written by Mei Zaisheng (Zong Gan): "I have learned from the Four Treasures of Tianshan that you have accomplished a great feat by eliminating the Manchu officials. Everyone on the mountain is overjoyed. The nun has given special praise and hopes that you will continue to strive for this great cause. Kai is appointed as the National Inspector General, and the other three as his deputies. Continue to fulfill the mission entrusted to you. Unless there are major incidents, you do not need to return to the mountain. Your Master!"

The second paragraph is also written by Mei Zaisheng: "Little Treasure, when you were on the mountain, Junior Sister had a hard time choosing between you two brothers. She loved your brother's handsomeness and elegance, and she liked your wit and humor. But after you came down the mountain, she found that your brother's temperament was more similar, and decided to marry your brother. I don't understand, child. Now that you're going to the Central Plains, you'd better marry seven or eight women for me to vent my anger. Your Junior Sister, please!"

Good! What kind of precious master's wife is this?

Shen Kui laughed, "That girl Guan'er, she's over thirty, and still so naive!"

Looking further, he saw it was written by the old thief: "Yan Yan! Yan returns!" Below, only two hands were drawn, clearly the old thief's own handwriting.

Hong Yanzi immediately said, "My master ordered me to return to Tianshan immediately; I must go right away!"

The next day, Hong Yanzi set off immediately.

She was received by the Xingde and Tianshan systems along the way, which need not be detailed.

That day, Hong Yanzi arrived at Tianshan and was welcomed by all the patriots of the mountain.

This welcoming ceremony at Tianshan was unprecedented.

All the grievances Hong Yanzi had suffered seemed to vanish upon seeing this welcoming ceremony! Led by the nun, the abbess, and the old thief, she was actually welcomed to Hami.

At this moment, besides immediately paying homage to the former princess, the one-armed nun, and the abbess, Hong Yanzi hugged her master, the old thief, and cried.

Her tears moved everyone to tears.

The old thief, experienced and cunning, made her cry until she was thoroughly satisfied before patting her shoulder and saying, "My dear child, we all know the grievances you've suffered over the years. If you want to vent, let's go to the top and do it! Look, the old immortal has brought so many seniors to welcome you; all the suffering you've endured has been compensated!"

The old thief then laughed heartily. It was truly a touching scene! Red Swallow could only tearfully follow everyone up the mountain! For the first time in her life, she rode her Ferghana horse, following the nun and abbess, to the Tianxiang Villa on the shore of Lake Barkol.

Despite being in the barren Tianshan Mountains, this place was a hidden paradise, with a mild climate, evergreen trees, and flowers that never faded.

After seeing it, she felt as if she had returned home.

Upon entering the villa, she again paid her respects to the nun and abbess.

The nun deeply praised her for her years of following Yongzheng, navigating the Manchus without forgetting her roots, and ultimately assisting Lü Siniang and others in assassinating Yongzheng.

Hong Yanzi said tearfully, "This disciple has only fulfilled the wishes of a Han Chinese daughter!"

Although her words were in Mandarin, they carried a powerful weight in this setting.

The old thief said, "Child, everyone agrees that the reason for calling you back to the mountain is twofold: firstly, to allow you to retire gracefully after your success; secondly, you are no longer young, and the nun wants to arrange a marriage for you. Which hero have you chosen in your heart?"

Although Hong Yanzi was nearly forty, she blushed upon hearing this, but she solemnly replied, "Senior Sister! In the past, for the sake of my great cause, I lost my virginity many times, especially with Yinzhen, for sixteen or seventeen years. He treated me no less than a concubine, but ultimately..." "The great cause of the nation oppresses me, and I have no choice but to help Miss Lü get rid of him. But my heart is dead, and I no longer think about matters between men and women. I hope the old immortal will take me as a disciple and ordain me as a nun so that my mind can find peace!"

The nun laughed and said, "Child, you have already seen through the world of lust and want me to ordain you as a nun? Don't you know that my master and I are both fake nuns?"

Except for a few people who knew the inside story, everyone was stunned. The nun and the master had been called nun for so many years. How could they be fake nuns? The nun laughed and said, "Since I was rescued from the palace and brought to Yiya Nunnery on Mount Hua, although my master made me wear monk's robes, I have never taken any vows. Although I also eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, I have never taken any of the three rules and five precepts of 'obeying the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha' and 'not killing, stealing, committing adultery, lying, or drinking alcohol.' Look at my head, there is not a single ordination scar!"

Only then did everyone realize that the nun had been a nun all her life but had never taken any vows.

Looking at the nun, she hadn't received any ordination either. It turned out her master had learned Buddhist principles from an Indian monk and was well-versed in various scriptures, but their successors didn't receive the traditional ordination ceremony.

Hong Yanzi said, "That's even better! That's what a true monk is like!"

Mei Zaisheng (Zong Gan) said, "Master, I think you and the two old immortals should both accept this disciple!"

With everyone's support, Hong Yanzi became the two's disciples and was ordained on the mountain.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bao and the others, seeing Tian Shan's message, laughed, "I've decided to marry Huo Yunpeng's fourth daughter. I was worried the mountain wouldn't agree, but now with my little master's wife in charge, it's settled!"

His words were amusing, and everyone laughed!

Shen Kui asked, "Hong Gu Niang has gone to Tianshan. What are your plans now?"

Xiao Bao thought for a moment and said, "Uncle, Hong Gu Niang wanted to destroy the secret intelligence camp she established for the Qing Dynasty. It's almost destroyed now, but I want to rebuild it. What do you think?"

"What do you want to do?" "

Da Ren, any capable emperor needs to know the merits of his subordinates. It's not enough to just rely on his own abilities; he needs trusted confidants to report the officials' actions to him so he can control the overall situation. Bao Si is more astute than Yin Zhen. If we let him start from scratch, we won't even be able to get close. Why not use the existing channels?"

"Hmm! That's right! Your idea makes sense. So what should we do?"

"Anyway, we've already eliminated the major traitors. I want to take over their secret intelligence camp in Xi'an and have Hong Yanzi sacrifice herself for the Qing Dynasty!"

"How?"

“Uncle, let’s immediately pay a visit to Tianshan, inform him of this decision, and then ask Sister Hongyanzi for a personal item to send to the capital as a token of our loyalty!”

“Alright! Let’s do it this way. You write the report! I’ll send it!”

Xiaobao wrote a report, and Shen Kui gave it to Yuling to send to Tianshan.

After Tianshan received it, everyone discussed it and agreed that this method was good. Mei Zaisheng then asked Hongyanzi for the token.

Hongyanzi took off a pendant from her neck, which turned out to be the late Emperor Yongzheng’s jade pendant, which read “Yongzheng’s Jade Pendant, as if I were personally present.” This shows how important Hongyanzi was to Yongzheng as his bodyguard.

Hong Yanzi removed the jade pendant, a little saddened, and said, "Now I have to call you junior brother!"

Mei Zaisheng blushed and also called out, "Senior sister!"

Hong Yanzi said, "Every time I touch this jade pendant, I feel a little uneasy. Now that it can be put to use, it can be said that I have another worry on my mind. From now on, I can peacefully cultivate with my master!"

At the same time, she took out two pairs of small Hong Yanzi hidden weapons and handed them to him.

Mei Zaisheng didn't know how to respond to this, so he silently withdrew. Then he tied the jade pendant and other items to the jade feather-carved foot and took them to Xi'an. When

Shen Kui and the others received them, they were all shocked. Ah! Hong Yanzi was so valued by Yongzheng, and Luo Xin actually made such a ruthless decision for the great cause. It was truly admirable.

Shen Kui said to Xiao Bao, "What do you think we should do?"

"Uncle, that's easy, just make up a little story!"

"Then you go ahead and make one up!"

"This story needs to be known by everyone!"

"How so?"

"At least we all need to know it, and the Xi'an secret intelligence camp needs to know it even more!"

"Then tell me how you made up this story!"

So everyone gathered around to listen to the story.

Xiao Bao said, "It's like this, Sister Hong Yanzi came to Tian Tai Shop in Damochang that day to find us, saying 'The late emperor summoned me.' I went with her to the palace, but before we even reached the Zhengda Guangming Hall, we saw someone stabbing the lama. We rushed to the hall to protect the emperor, but his head had already been taken away by Lü Siniang. So we chased after her, all the way to Kaifeng, but we lost her. Only then did we go to Xi'an to gather people to search for her!"

Everyone thought about it, and he really could make things up; it was actually quite plausible! Shen Kui asked, "And then what?"

"We'll tell the truth about Hong Yanzi in Xi'an!"

"Good! Truth and lies intertwined, what happens next?"

"We couldn't find her, but she came looking for us. We'll tell her about the injured foremen and Hong Yanzi's death, then present the evidence, and it'll be perfect, right?"

"Alright! You're so good, let's do it this way! Let's fool Huo Yunpeng and the others first!"

That day, Xiao Bao and the others, carrying a jade pendant, two pairs of small Hong Yanzi hidden weapons, a copper throwing knife, and a woman's long hair, arrived at the 'Hongfa Casino'.

Huo Yunpeng was currently as anxious as an ant on a hot pan! Upon seeing the item in Xiao Fu's hand, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Nephew, is that the 'Frost Blade' you're holding?"

"That's a type of hidden weapon forged from copper, an indestructible weapon specially crafted by Zhou Tao, one of the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan, for Lü Siniang!"

"I've never heard of it!"

"Where did you get it?" "

During the national mourning period, entertainment is forbidden. Feeling bored, I went for a walk in the mountains. Near the Huaqing Hot Springs at the foot of the mountain, I saw this knife stuck in the ground. I picked it up and saw it still had bone-dissolving powder on it—it's a murder weapon! I searched carefully around the area, and look, Uncle!"

He then pulled out two pairs of red swallow-shaped hairpins and handed them to Huo Yunpeng, saying, "Uncle! Isn't this the hidden weapon of that... that Red Guardian?"

Huo Yunpeng took them and looked at them, saying, "It is indeed the Guardian's hidden weapon. So, the Red Guardian..."

"He's probably finished. Take a look at this!"

He then handed Huo Yunpeng a comb and a Yongzheng jade pendant! "That's right, the hair is a woman's hair. Besides the Red Guard, what other woman has the honor of receiving this imperial jade pendant? The one who died must be the Red Guard. No wonder we've been missing for so many days. It turns out she was killed by Lü Siniang again. At the same time, those foremen from the southern provinces haven't returned to their posts yet. It looks like things are probably not good for them either!"

"What? The foremen from the south haven't returned to their posts?"

"Yes!"

"Didn't you send a message to inquire?"

"The head of the secret service, who is also the casino manager!"

"Invite him here and talk to him!"

When the manager arrived, Huo Yunpeng told him about the death of the Red Swallow. The young man was stunned: "Goodness! With the Red Guard dead, haven't we lost contact with our superiors?"

Huo Yunpeng said: "Don't worry about the higher-ups for now. What about our subordinates? If a foreman dies or goes missing, is there any way to contact them?"

The manager pondered for a long time before saying: "I have arranged a contact person in each shift. They are not used unless necessary, in preparation for dealing with emergencies!"

Xiao Bao and Huo Yunpeng understood at the same time. He was also a confidant of Yinzhen.

Xiao Bao laughed, "Since you were the late emperor's man, and he's dead, who are you contacting? It wouldn't happen to be Shi Yizhi, would it?"

"It is indeed Lord Shi!"

"That's good! Quickly report what's happening here to him!"

"Young Master Mei, what are you planning to do..."

"I'll go to the capital to find Shi Yizhi right now!"

For convenience, he went to the capital alone this time. Xiao Yinli and Er Tuzi stayed in Xi'an with Da Niu. He chose a fast horse from the gambling den and headed

to the capital. Alone, he spurred his horse onward.

As the sun began to set and the city gates were about to close, he whipped his horse and galloped towards the outer city's main gate, Yongding Gate.

Not far from Yongding Gate, he saw a young woman in black, accompanied by two guards, riding slowly. The three horses formed a triangular formation, blocking the entire road.

Xiao Bao, on his horse, saw they were about to collide, and quickly pulled on the reins.

*Screech!* His horse reared up and froze in place.

Passersby exclaimed in admiration, "What superb horsemanship!"

This gave the three riders in front a real scare!

Startled, the three riders also reared up, and the three, who had been leisurely riding at a leisurely pace, were

all thrown from their horses. The girl in black, in particular, was badly injured and couldn't get up for a while. At this moment

, one of the two guards rushed forward to help her up, while the other went to find Xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao remained seated on his horse, not moving an inch.

The guard who had approached him shouted, "You audacious slave! During the national mourning period, how dare you gallop across the main road, startling Princess Yu! What is your punishment?"

Xiao Bao nonchalantly replied, "I have urgent business. Who told you three horses to block the road? I didn't knock you down. Falling off your horses is your fault for poor riding skills, it has nothing to do with me!"

"How dare you! You dare to speak disrespectfully to royalty! If you had dismounted and kowtowed in apology, Princess Yu might have let you off the hook, considering the national mourning period! And now you dare to disrespect royalty? Brother, this is going to be fun for you!"

With that, he launched a 'Grand Grab'! Wow! A true expert's move is immediately apparent! This Grand Grab covered half of Xiao Bao's body.

Not bad! His guard post was beneath him, but was this a good move for Xiao Bao? But he'd become a peddler of ancient texts before a sage's gate, choosing the wrong target.

Xiao Bao's horsewhip suddenly transformed into a bronze rod, striking his palm directly.

The guard trembled, realizing he'd encountered a formidable opponent, and quickly drew his sword, bracing himself for battle. At this moment, Yu Gege, having been helped up by another guard, saw this and hurriedly said, "Zhang Yong! During the national mourning period, bloodshed is forbidden. Ask him where he lives; I'll have someone speak to him!"

Zhang Yong replied, "Kid, did you hear that?" "I

heard it! No bloodshed during the national mourning period? That's a good thing! If you guys kept making a fuss about a national mourning, the world would be in turmoil!"

This remark amused the onlookers, who burst into laughter, but upon seeing Yu Gege and her two companions, they immediately fell silent and quietly slipped away.

"How dare you!"

the guard shouted, then said, "Your words are treason and deceit! From this moment on, there is no place for you under heaven!"

Xiao Bao, still seated on his horse, laughed, "I'm telling you, I'll be staying at the Tian Tai Inn in Damochang tonight. Go and send troops!"

With that, he rode off.

Princess Yu was stunned for a long time, saying, "He...he...how dare he be so bold?"

Then she said to the two guards, "Let's go! Let's go into the city and find the Nine Gates Commander!"

The Commander's office, due to the national mourning, appeared even more solemn and imposing.

The three arrived at the Commander's office gate. The gatekeeper immediately knew something was wrong; this young lady rarely came to the palace without reason, and her arrival was sure to bring trouble.

He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Princess, what brings you here?"

"Is the Commander here? I need to see him!"

Why was she so polite to the Commander of the Nine Gates? It turned out that this official was also a member of the Yellow Belt, a descendant of one of the Eight Iron-Cap Princes, a member of the imperial family. Because his clan was large, he hadn't been granted a title, but Emperor Yongzheng had bestowed upon him the position of Commander of the Nine Gates. Although it wasn't as high a rank as a prince or princess, it wielded considerable power. "

Go in and report!

" The official personally came out to greet her, smiling as he said, "Oh! Little Rong, what brings you to my humble office today?"

At this moment, two guards quickly bowed and called out, "My lord!"

Princess Yu Rong said, "Grandpa! I've been bullied! You must avenge me!"

"Alright! Who dares to bully our Nanjian? This is outrageous! Let's talk in the living room! I'll have the police arrest someone for you later!"

Princess Yu Rong followed him into the living room, while the two guards remained in the gatehouse.

After understanding what had happened, Na Yuan and the others were dumbfounded! Arrest someone? Did he dare?

After a long pause, Yu Rong asked, "Grandpa, why don't you send someone to arrest him? Don't let him escape if you wait too long!"

Na Yuan forced a smile and said, "If the person who angered you is really the one I'm thinking of, let alone escape, even if you carried him in a sedan chair, he probably wouldn't leave!"

"Uncle, who is he?"

"Who is he?"

"Isn't he a bit unremarkable at first glance, like a simpleton, but the longer you look at him, the more you want to get close to him?"

"I think he is a bit of a simpleton, like a fool!"

"Hmm! Most likely it's him!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Although he's Han Chinese, he has quite a connection with us! Your mother knew his godfather when she was a princess!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Does your mother know any Han Chinese friends?"

"Are you perhaps referring to that young hero Mei from Yangzhou...?"

"Yes! The one who angered you is probably his adopted son and disciple!"

"Grandpa, that's not right! That young hero Mei from Yangzhou didn't take on any disciples..."

“That’s right, I received news that he is the adopted son and successor of Young Master Mei, who was taken in by the two Madam Meis after his death. Moreover, I personally saw him carrying the Holy Ancestor’s jade pendant. If it really is him, you can forget about getting your revenge!”

“I don’t care, I just can’t get rid of this anger. One day, I will make him kneel at my feet!”

Before leaving, she said, “Uncle, you should send a few people to check. If it’s not him, you must arrest him and let me know so I can vent my anger myself!”

“Alright! I will personally lead the men to go. If it’s not him, I will arrest him for you, okay?”

“Xixi! Uncle, you are so kind!”

Yu Rong returned to the Prince Yu’s Mansion with her guards! Meanwhile, after Princess Yu Rong left, the old bureaucrat Yuan thought more and more about it and felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly sent someone to find the commander of the investigation camp.

After exchanging greetings, the battalion commander asked, "What orders does Your Excellency have for me?"

"I want to discuss a matter with you!"

"Please instruct me, Your Excellency!"

"Do you know how the late Emperor passed away?" "

Didn't the official report say it was a sudden illness?"

"No!"

"No?" "

Hmm! Very few people know the truth. Besides the concubines and eunuchs in the inner palace, only a very small number of officials know that the Emperor's head was removed!"

"Ah!" The commander was nearly paralyzed with fear, then asked, "Your Excellency, why did the official report say it was a sudden illness...?"

"That's because the Emperor was afraid that if everyone knew, it would cause unrest and affect the overall situation, so he kept it a secret, falsely claiming a sudden illness, and ordered Lord Shi and me to investigate secretly!" "Your

Excellency, have you and Lord Shi found anything?"

"Lord Shi discovered that the bodyguard, Hong Yanzi, disappeared after the late Emperor was assassinated!"

"Ah! Lord Shi suspects it was Hong Yanzi?"

"Yes! That's his idea, and he has secretly issued an order to arrest Hong Yanzi!"

"Oh? And you?"

"I initially thought it couldn't be her. Think about it, before the late Emperor ascended the throne, Hong Yanzi rose from the position of female commander of the secret service to a high-ranking official. She's been with the Emperor for many years and has always been extremely concerned about his safety. Even the idea of appointing lamas as guards was hers! How could she assassinate the Emperor? But now I have a different opinion!"

"My lord, what have you discovered?" "

Didn't we discover last time that there were three young men staying at the Tian Tai Inn, possessing the Holy Ancestor's jade pendant?" "

My lord, are you referring to the adopted son and successor of Young Master Mei?"

"Yes! That's them. Now I suddenly think, what if they colluded with Hong Yanzi to avenge Young Master Mei's poisoning after the Emperor's ascension...?"

"Hmm! Possibly. Many people witnessed the Emperor poisoning Young Master Mei immediately after his ascension, and for many years everyone lived in fear, especially those who had rendered meritorious service to the Yongzheng Emperor!"

"He bullied Princess Yu Rong again in front of Yongding Gate today. I want to go with you to the Tian Tiao Inn again to sound him out, and then discuss it with Lord Shi!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"Very well! We'll go in plain clothes!"

After changing their clothes, the two arrived at Tian Tai Inn and went straight to Xiao Bao.

Seeing them arrive in plain clothes, Xiao Bao grinned and said, "Oh! The Admiral and the Commander, why are you in plain clothes! It must be about the Yongding Gate incident, right? Considering I have the jade pendants of the two deceased emperors on my person, I can't perform the proper courtesies! But I also can't very well bring them out and make you feel inferior! I think... let's waive the formalities!"

The Admiral, knowing this was true, didn't offer any further formalities, but instead bowed to him and said, "Your humble servant obeys!"

After entering the room, they sat down as host and guest.

Xiao Bao personally poured them both a cup of tea before saying, "Sir, you're probably here because of Princess Yu, right?"

The governor said, "Princess Yu is nothing, thankfully no one suffered any loss. I've come to inquire about someone's whereabouts, young hero."

"Who?"

"The late Emperor's bodyguard, Miss Hong Yanzi!"

"Who's looking for her?"

"In the palace! After the late Emperor Baotian, Bodyguard Hong disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead. But someone saw her with you, young hero, on the day the Emperor died, which is why I dared to come and inquire today!"

It turned out he was lying!

Xiao Bao laughed, "That's right, not only was she with me on the day the Emperor died, but we haven't separated even now. She's in this house. Look for her! Once you find her, I'll hand her over to you and take her back to the palace!"

This house was just one room; how could a living person hide there?

The Nine Gates Admiral laughed, "Young hero, you jest. How could a living person be hidden in this house?"

"Who said she's still alive?"

"Ah! Miss Hong...?"

"Dead! I came to the capital again for her! Otherwise, I wouldn't have rushed here during the national mourning period, startling your precious princess!"

"Young Master Mei, what happened?"

"Then, sir, tell the truth, did the late emperor die suddenly?"

The two exclaimed in surprise at the same time, "Ah!" "How do you know?"

Xiao Bao paused for a moment, then said with a "hmm," "On the night the late emperor died, Hong Yanzi came to find me..." He paused here.

The two people's ears stood up like rabbits'.

Xiao Bao slowly continued, "She said the Emperor summoned me to the palace!"

"The Emperor summoned you?" "

Is that not allowed? Given my late master's friendship with the Emperor, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to come out of the city to meet me if the Emperor summoned me. Hong and I had just arrived at the palace gate when we spotted a night traveler on the roof. She was the Emperor's bodyguard, and she panicked when she saw this. She pulled me along, and we chased after him from the roof. Unexpectedly, this person was as fast as the wind. With a flick of his wrist, he threw four knives at two lamas. Then, with another flick, he threw four more knives, injuring two more lamas. The bodyguard Hong couldn't bother dealing with this person anymore and called me to rush into the 'Zhengda Guangming' Hall. We saw Lü Siniang and Yu Niang carrying a yellow cloth bundle, escaping through a side door. The Emperor was lying on the ground, headless. She called me to chase after Lü Siniang, but we were too late. Lü Siniang hasn't caught up yet, and instead, she's lost her life!"

"Ah..." The two were stunned.

Xiao Bao continued, "We chased them all the way to Kaifeng, lost them, and then rushed to Xi'an, mobilizing all the leaders of the secret intelligence battalions. They're currently searching for Lü Siniang and the others! Who knew that the Red Guard was hit by a flying knife in Xi'an, and the knife was infused with a strong bone-dissolving powder. Only a lock of her hair, the jade pendant bestowed by the late Emperor, and two pairs of Red Swallow hidden weapons remained!"

As he spoke, he took all these items out and placed them on the table.

Because of the Yongzheng jade pendant, the two men knelt down and bowed their heads, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times.

Xiao Bao said, "You two gentlemen are here, which saves me a lot of trouble! What do you think we should do?"

The Nine Gates Admiral said, "Lord Shi has even issued an arrest warrant and is leading a nationwide manhunt for the corrupt official protecting the emperor! I'll report this to Lord Shi immediately!"

"Good! Leave the things here with me for now, and have Lord Shi personally take them back! The late emperor's jade pendant can't be left out in the open. It's best if he comes immediately, so I don't have to worry about it getting lost!"

It was indeed fast; less than an hour later, Shi Yizhi arrived.

Xiao Bao told him everything about the Xi'an secret intelligence operation.

Only then did he realize that it was Lü Siniang who killed Yongzheng, and the mastermind behind the cover was the second of the Eight Heroes of Jiangnan, Qiu Ran Ke Tong Tao!

Hong Yanzi died trying to catch the murderer, so he took Hong Yanzi's belongings back to the palace and reported everything to the new Emperor Qianlong! Qianlong issued a secret edict:

First, commend Hong Yanzi's merits!

Second, a secret order was issued to all governors and military commanders, as well as all intelligence units, to arrest Lü Siniang and her associates!

Third, the secret intelligence unit was placed under the full control of Shi Yizhi!

Fourth, a meeting was arranged with Xiaobao!

Now, after Xiaobao handed over Hong Yanzi's belongings to Shi Yizhi, he was very happy, firstly because it made Hong Yanzi appear as a martyr in the eyes of the court, and secondly because he had built a bridge with the inner court. Having nothing to do that day, he went to the Sanyi Money Shop to visit his grandmaster.

Kang Wu was delighted to see him and asked with a smile, "What have you been doing all this time? Was Yinzhen's sudden death your doing?"

"It was under my protection, and Aunt Lü Siniang herself carried out the deed!"

"Then how dare you still wander around the capital?"

Xiaobao told him the whole story.

Kang Wu said, "Excellent! You've truly surpassed your master! Your methods are brilliant; you not only got the job done but also built a bridge, making Hong Yanzi a living martyr!"

"Grandmaster, I'd like to try and establish connections with the Eight Banners in the capital. What do you think?"

"That's fine, but you must be extremely careful. The Bannermen in the capital belong to the Upper Three Banners, the Emperor's close relatives. Their power and status are higher than the other five banners, and they are full of talented people. If you want to establish connections with them, you'll need to raise your profile. It would be best to start by knowing a few imperial relatives!"

"Yes! I'll try to use my master's past connections to establish connections!"

"If you intend to establish connections with them, our Sanyi Money House has a way. It's the successor to Sanyi Jiede, and our clients haven't changed!"

"Hmm! Then Grandmaster, let's find an excuse to treat them to a meal, and you can introduce me to them!"

"By the way, the national mourning will be over in half a month. Xingde opened on the ninth day of the tenth lunar month back then. Let's have a grand ceremony on that day, and I'll introduce you to everyone!" "

Okay! Let's do it!"

Xiao Bao took his leave, and in a flash, he disappeared back into the Beggars' Sect.

During the national mourning period, even beggars suffered. All weddings and funerals were suspended, and they had nowhere to beg for even a little bit of oily food and water. Fortunately, over the years, the various branches of the Beggars' Sect had accumulated some silver and grain, otherwise, who knows how many beggars would have starved to death during this national mourning period.

As soon as the Iron Sect Leader saw Xiao Bao, he hurriedly exclaimed, "Hey!" "He cried out, immediately standing up and saying, 'Brother! Come in and sit down!'

He entered the room and saw all the prominent beggars there, seemingly in a meeting. He hurriedly asked, 'Are you all having a meeting?'

Tie Chenggang said, 'Even if we are having a meeting, you're not an outsider! Besides, we've received word that you've been appointed National Inspector General, making you the top leader of the Beggars' Gang!'

'Inspector General, that's true, but I dare not accept the title of top leader of the Beggars' Gang!'

Everyone burst into laughter!

Amidst the laughter, Xiao Bao greeted everyone and then asked, 'What are you discussing?'

The gang leader Tie said, 'Casual chat and spreading rumors!'

'What rumors?'

'Rumors about Emperor Yongzheng!'

'How are you going to spread them?'

'We heard that Emperor Yongzheng died suddenly, killed by Lü Siniang?'

'That's right! Lü Siniang took Emperor Yongzheng's head!'

The group of beggars all exclaimed in shock! " Tie Chenggang hurriedly asked, "Brother, how did you know?"

"It was because Er Tuzi and I helped you! How could I not know?"

The beggars said, "This is a great occasion, let's celebrate!"

Protector Tian said, "I'll go and cut up the heads of Lao Hei and Lao Huang, just like Lü Siniang killed Yongzheng, and cook them!"

Xiao Bao said, "Protector Tian, isn't killing forbidden during the national mourning period?"

Protector Tian said, "Ban my ass! Who would know if we killed dogs in the beggar's den!"

Alright! He went to kill the dogs and cook them!

Tie Chenggang asked, "Brother! How did you kill Yongzheng?"

Xiao Bao recounted how he opened Lü Siniang's Ren and Du meridians, all the way up to Hong Yanzi going to Tianshan, his subsequent trip to the capital, and his meeting with Shi Yizhi.

It took a long time before they finally cheered like they were listening to a crosstalk performance.

At this time, Protector Tian's dog meat was also ready.

Everyone hadn't tasted meat for three months, and these various kinds of dog meat were really delicious.

Old beggar Kuang Zhengyi brought out his vintage wine, which he had kept hidden for many years, and everyone ate, drank, and chatted.

While eating, Xiao Bao asked, "Brother Tie, how do you know that Yongzheng was killed by Lü Sigu?"

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