The next day was no different.

  Pei Tan's lingering in the wind and moon places on Chang'an Street, such things naturally spread quickly, even in the Wangyue Tower, a not-so-large wine house, there were people discussing it loudly.

  "After all, he is the young master of the Pei family. Even if he becomes an official, at heart he still has the elegant and refined nature of a young master. He likes poetry, wine, and beautiful women." A table of three or four people were enthusiastically discussing the latest gossip.

  "I've heard that Lord Pei even wrote a poem for the courtesan of Drunken Love Pavilion, truly befitting his reputation as both talented and romantic."

  "I heard Wei Xiangye is also here."

  Someone was whispering. Until they discovered there was an extra person beside them, who had been standing there for who knows how long.

  Several people were shocked and turned their heads to see a young girl holding wine and smiling.

  "Your wine has arrived." The pretty girl smiled slightly and put the wine jug on the table.

  The people chatting were taken aback by his words.

  But the girl had already turned around and walked away, her slender figure leaving several gazes staring blankly for a while.

  "I heard she's the boss's wife's cousin from her hometown, didn't expect her to be so lovely."

  ……

  Upon arriving at the backyard, Jing Wanyu immediately ran into Zi Cai'er who was also holding a wine vessel.

  Zi Cui'er saw Jing Wanyu come out of the main hall and immediately changed her expression.

  She walked up quickly and asked: "What are you doing, miss?"

  Jing Wan'er looked at her, blinked once, "Just now I met Brother Chen, he had something on his hands and couldn't come over, so he asked me to help deliver a jug of wine to the guest."

  Zi'an'er's face turned pale: "How can the official arbitrarily order you to do things, I'll go back and tell him."

  Jing Wan'er looked at her, her eyes as clear as water, until Zi Cui'er felt slightly uneasy and opened her mouth to say: "Are you afraid that I will be discovered by others?"

  Zi Yan'er was slightly dazed and unexpectedly didn't dodge Jing Wanyan's gaze.

  Jing Wan'er's expression was calm and unruffled as she replied softly, "I understand your thoughts."

  Zi Yan'er was forced to take her in, but she was a poisonous dagger hanging around Zi Yan'er's neck for just one day.

  How could Zixian'er not be afraid of her?

  "But have you ever thought that if someone discovers there's suddenly an extra person here, and this person doesn't do anything, isn't that the most suspicious?"

  The best hiding is leaving no trace, and the more abnormal it is, the more likely it will be exposed.

  Zi Yan'er's expression became increasingly uneasy, and she said in a low voice: "I've already told you that I'm your mother's niece."

  Jing Wan'er smiled faintly: "Even if it's a cousin, she wouldn't just do nothing."

  Zi Yan'er stared blankly at her, apparently having no idea what Jing Wanyan meant.

  "You should be the clearest, even you can stay safe until now, it means that no one in Chang'an City recognizes you. In other words, no one will recognize me either."

  Don't mention Chang'an Street anymore, even in the palace, how many people can recognize a palace maid's face? Even if this palace maid walks past you, the next moment, you won't remember her appearance.

  The palace maid is an existence that permeates the Great Ming Palace, yet will never be particularly noticed by anyone.

  Zi Yaner seemed to be suddenly awakened, and she stared blankly for a while without speaking.

  Jing Wan'er gently took over the wine jug from Zi Yan'er's hand and said, "If you've figured it out, I'd like to ask for your help with something."

  Zi Yan'er was taken aback subconsciously and asked after a moment: "Help you with what?"

  Jing Wan'er's eyes were dim: "I want to send wine to Zui Qing Lou."

  At this time, outside Chang'an City, Pei County finally arrived at the destination with his men after a hundred-mile journey, and saw the only inn on the desolate road.

  "It should be here." Pei Xian's face sank.

  One of Pei's bodyguards said: "I heard that the tracking dark guard made a mark at the place where the corpse was buried."

  Otherwise, it's really not easy to find a buried person in this wilderness.

  Pei County immediately dismounted and ordered: "Everyone scatter and search, be careful to hide."

  In order to facilitate their journey as merchants, such a remote place would not arouse suspicion except for the occasional passing merchant caravan, and any unfamiliar face could be suspected.

  Especially this inn owner, if he can do such a thing as selling his daughter for fame, it's no wonder that he was bought by the Zhong Huo people.

  "Found it!"

  A guard keenly discovered a patch of obviously loose soil on the ground.

  Several people immediately started digging and soon discovered the girl's body.

  Because the Pei family's dark guards had to follow Zong Huo, they hastily buried the body. It is estimated that after the owner of the inn discovered his daughter's body was gone, he would not bother to look for it and might even wish it would disappear.

  Although some people were just guards, seeing such a young life being humiliated and destroyed was heart-wrenching for everyone.

  "According to your orders, young master," said Pei Xian in a low voice, "we will wrap the body with incense and bring it back to Chang'an."

  Wrapping with incense is to hide the stench of corpses, otherwise when passing through the gates of Chang'an City, even if they put on a grand appearance like the Temple of Great Wisdom, they may not be allowed to pass by the guards at the gate.

  Several well-trained guards immediately took action, dug out the body, handled it properly, and then put it into their disguised carriage.

  "Go." Pei County gave the order without a moment's delay. "Cannot let young master be alone in Chang'an."

  Three horses and a carriage galloped along the road, kicking up clouds of dust as they sped towards Chang'an.

  ——

  As for Pei Tan, he has been treated as the most honored guest at Drunken Love Pavilion for the past two days.

  A beautiful woman is playing a pipa in a silk tent, accompanied by two slender dancing girls.

  "Lord Pei, you're drinking tea." Only those who knew understood that for the past two days, Pei had been drinking tea, not wine.

  The charming and alluring courtesan of the Drunken Love Pavilion handed a cup to Pei Tan with both hands, presenting it in front of him.

  Pei Tan slowly got up and said faintly: "Excuse me for a moment."

  He was seen walking towards the door of the private room, lifting the curtain with his hand and then pacing down the stairs by the door.

  People come and go in the Drunken Love Building.

  Someone bumped into Pei and talked to him for a bit.

  "Lord Pei?" The person who bumped into him just smiled.

  Pei Tan saw that the other person was a middle-aged man with a mustache, and he had an air of dignity. His eyes moved slightly, and he seemed to be hesitant: "...... Lord Wei?"

  The other party burst out laughing, surprisingly carefree, and the passersby around them couldn't help but show a terrified expression.

  This is Wei Xuanzhen, the Grand Chancellor of the Great Tang Dynasty.

  Wei Xuanzhen slowly turned around, "I heard earlier that Lord Pei handled the case of Shangshu's relatives, indeed Lord Pei is young and promising, with a decisive attitude towards doing things."

  Zong Huo's case made Pei Tong famous in Chang'an, and it is said that some common people are already secretly calling him a clean and honest official like Di Gong.

  Comparing Pei Du and Di Gong, who are both famous in history, is already an exaggeration.

  Pei Tan looked at Wei Xuanzhen and said after a long while: "I didn't expect to meet Master Xiang here, I'm being rude."

  Unexpectedly, Wei Xuanzhen, with his identity, would personally come to Zuiqing Building. And his appearance has obviously caused extreme fear among the people of Zuiqing Building, including the madam.

  Pei Tan is now an official of the third rank, in front of Wei Xuanzhen, a first-rank prime minister, he can be called a lower official without any problem.

  Wei Xuanzhen smiled as she looked at him, although he was a member of the Wei family and held the esteemed position of Chancellor, but as the legitimate heir of the noble Pei family, which had been renowned for its purity for generations, Pei Tan did not stand inferior to him.

  "Lord Pei, since you're here, why don't we have a drink together?" Wei Xuanzhen invited.

  Pei Tan stood still on the stairs, looking at Wei Xuanzhen: "The Lord invites, I dare not decline."

  Wei Xuanzhen burst out laughing again and beckoned his attendants: "Send wine up to the building."

  He made a "please" gesture to Pei Tan, and Pei Tan had no choice but to turn back and follow him up the stairs again.

  He didn't even know if Wei Xuanzhen had been in the private room upstairs all along, but when he lifted the curtain and entered, it was just next to the private room where Pei Tan had been before.

  "Does Lord Pei often come to this Drunken Love Building?" Wei Xuanzhen seemed to ask casually.

  "Just recently had some free time."

  Wei Xuanzhen smiled and gazed at Pei Tan, saying: "The affairs of the Grand Court are complex, even experienced officials find it difficult to accept. Lord Pei should take a break at the right time."

  Sincere expression, looks like true words.

  Pei Tan smiled faintly and nodded: "Thank you, Wei Xiang."

  At this time, the attendant had already brought the wine, and Wei Xuanzhen was already seated. Pei Tan slowly walked over.

  A place with a lot of people and prying eyes, it's hard to keep any secrets. Of course, if someone were an assassin, they wouldn't be foolish enough to come here to commit murder.

  So those who like the romantic atmosphere of Chang'an Street are not only Wei Xuanzhen, a nobleman with such an identity, but also many aristocratic families on the imperial court who appear to be dignified and elegant.

  A cup of wine was poured in front of Pei Tan.

  "Come on, let's have a drink with Master Pei." Wei Xuanzhen took the lead and raised his cup.

  Pei Tan stretched out his hand and touched the edge of the cup, slowly picking it up.

  After clinking glasses, both of them downed their drinks in one gulp. The young master of Chang'an may not be skilled at riding horses and wielding swords, but he must be well-versed in poetry, wine, and beautiful women.

  A cup of wine downed, Pei's face didn't change color.

  Wei Xuanzhen raised the corner of his mouth, "Lord Pei is still so young. To be honest, when His Majesty appointed Lord Pei as the Minister of Justice at the time, there were many surprised voices both inside and outside the court."

  After all, a place like the Grand Temple had once been visited by Emperor Taizong and countless other officials of the Tang Dynasty, so it was already shrouded in mystery.

  While Zhong Huo's case was at a critical juncture, it seemed as if heaven had deliberately allowed Pei Tan to take office and shock the capital of Chang'an.

  As for this, Wei Xuanzhen, as the head of all officials in the Tang Dynasty, naturally had a clearer mind than anyone else.

  He looked at Pei Tan with a slightly narrowed gaze, as if it contained deep meaning.

  But Pei Tan's expression remained as calm as still water, as if the person sitting across from him was not the head of the Tang Dynasty officials, but just an ordinary person.

  Such demeanor cannot be cultivated in a family like Pei's, which is at the height of its prosperity.

  Zong Huo's case is even more illustrative of this point. If the person currently holding the position of Dalisi Temple was anyone without a noble family background, Zong Huo's death would absolutely not have become today's hottest topic in Chang'an City.

  These two days, the old procuress of Drunken Love Pavilion can be said to have a radiant face, with both Pei Gongzi and Wei Xiangye, and as soon as this news gets out, the reputation of Drunken Love Pavilion will surely soar.

  Chang'an City has countless brothels and music houses, every family has a hidden sign, wanting to compete for fame, it's nothing more than seeing which one the officials and nobles visit most often.

  The old procuress even felt that after this event, her Drunken Love Pavilion could leap to the top of Chang'an's pleasure quarters.