Jing Wan'er walked downstairs and slowly approached the shopkeeper, who immediately nodded and bowed: "How is it, young master? Are you satisfied with the room?"

  Jing Wan'er said: "The room is still decent, but just now I heard that the guests here mentioned that your store has a young woman named Lin with a unique voice. My young master has always been fond of music and would like to invite her to join in the fun, may I ask if it's possible to have her come out?"

  The fellow's face changed color.

  Jing Wan'er pretended to be unaware, "What's wrong? Are you afraid that our young master won't give a reward?"

  As he spoke, a gold ingot flashed before his partner's face.

  The fellow obviously couldn't bear to part with the gold, looked around a few times, and leaned in with a smile: "If the young master likes beauties, next door's Cuīyún Building has many charming courtesans that I know, skilled in music and singing, who can be invited over for you."

  Jing Wan'er frowned and said, "What do you take my family's young master for? What is this Emerald Cloud Pavilion? Can women from such places be sent to meet my family's young master?"

  The wine houses and tea houses of Chang'an, I like to buy a few singing girls back, satisfying those elegant customers who follow the wind. After all, not everyone dares to touch the women in the brothel, it's better to find this kind of clear singing girl in the wine house, and won't go to that kind of place in the brothel.

  The fellow patted the horse's leg and said with embarrassment, "It's not that I didn't want to invite you, but... Lin Niang was invited away by someone two days ago and hasn't come back yet."

  Jing Wan'er was surprised: "Please leave? Who asked you to leave?" Moreover, when inviting someone to sing an opera, who would not return after two days of singing, and the people in the inn didn't find it strange either.

  The fellow Pí Xiào Ròu didn't smile and said: "This little one doesn't know."

  Jing Wan'er's eyes narrowed, this fellow obviously had ulterior motives, and these actors' personal relationships and inns were also contractual, they spent real money to buy them, yet the people disappeared and they weren't even anxious.

  Pei Tan sat beside a table, holding his teacup and slowly took a sip.

  Jing Wan'er returned to his side and sat down pretending to be unintentional: "The people in this inn must know something."

  Indeed, everyone is an apathetic and unfeeling onlooker.

  Having read the books of saints, they pursue fame and profit, and are unmoved by the injustices that occur before their eyes. No wonder Lin Jingjing said that Fan Wenjun is the only one in the inn who still has a conscience.

  "Let's go." Pei Tan put down the silver on the table.

  Just as the two were about to get up, a faint voice came from beside them: "Are you looking for news of that Miss Lin?"

  This remark made both Pei Tan and Jing Yu'er pause for a moment.

  A person at the next table, who had been facing away, turned around.

  Jing Wan'er was slightly surprised. This person was a man, but his face was carefully painted with makeup. Looking at him again, he wore a wide robe with large sleeves, seemingly...

  "Does your excellency know Miss Lin?" Pei Tan asked first.

  Jing Wan'er had a vague guess about this person's identity in her heart, but she didn't dare say it out loud.

  The man said calmly: "Lin Jingjing will never come back."

  Pei Tan's eyes were deep and mysterious: "Why did you say that?" This person could call out Lin Jingjing's name, so he wasn't a stranger.

  That man looked at Pei Tan and said: "The person who came to ask Lin Jingjing the other day left a ransom, now her life and death have nothing to do with the inn."

  The man finished speaking indifferently and got up, leaving the table.

  Jing Wan'er remained silent, watching as the man disappeared into the back hall of the inn. Only then did she speak up: "This person is wearing a young scholar's makeup, perhaps... he was the young actor who used to be paired with Lin Niang."

  So-called Xiaosheng, Sheng Dan Jing Mo Chou. Singing opera originally doesn't just need a Qingyi.

  She had neglected both Pei and Tan before.

  "Let's go."

  Returning to the temple, her mood didn't feel relieved. The silver for ransom was abandoned, so the inn knew it was possible that she might not return, and no one reminded Lin Jingjing.

  This is not being indifferent, if Lin Jingjing dies, those people will be indirect accomplices.

  "These people want to kill Lin Nian, just because Lin Nian has a slight connection with Fan Wenjun?"

  Jing Wanner slowly looked at the man opposite her. The inn's move, truly made Jing Wanner feel how meticulous Pei Tan's thoughts were. He could think of using this unobtrusive way to investigate Fan Wenjun's case, which also showed that he didn't listen and act rashly.

  "It's more likely that Lin Jingjing knows something." On that day in the public hall, Lin Jingjing was clearly about to speak but stopped herself.

  Only a powerful family in Chang'an City can afford to raise assassins and buy lives.

  "Fan Wenjun, like other scholars in Chang'an, came from a poor background and had nothing but his talent. When did such people get to show off their noble origins? Jing Wanyi's eyes were dim and distant, lost in thought."

  Pei Tan's eyes moved: "Apart from Cai Xue, Fan Wenjun's article is enough to be called a great talent."

  The two of them exchanged a glance. Every year there were so many examinees, but those who could truly display their talents through their learning were only a handful of people.

  Lin Jingjing's injury was very serious, and the yamen bought medicine for her. The task of changing her dressing could only fall to Jing Wanyan.

  Jing Wan'er carefully lifted the clothes covering her wound, and the medicine had finally stopped Lin Jingjing's bleeding. However, looking at her pale face, she couldn't help but think of what she would have to face when she woke up.

  Especially now that Fan Wenjun's body has been destroyed like that, if she woke up and saw it... this poor woman.

  Perhaps the only consolation is that the current Daligong Temple is Pei Tan.

  The lamp in Pei's study was on all night, and people passing by could always see the shadow cast on the window.

  Pei Tan sat in front of his desk, looking at the article in his hand. The article was written with great care and had a beautiful style.

  From this article, it can be seen that Fan Wenjun's background is only truly experienced in poverty and humility, and can write such a bone-cutting hatred of official corruption.

  The paper was crumpled into a ball and thrown by Fan Wenjun into a hidden corner of his bed, where it would have remained if not for the arrogant servant from Wenyi Inn who looked down on people and didn't even bother to sweep Fan's room, or else this article might never have fallen into Pei Tan's hands.

  It was just a casual scribble by the writer, and he didn't even think about making it public. However, Pei Tan read it for a long time, and this article touched on the subtle strategy of governing the country, and it was not superficial. Regarding the issue of taxation and land rent, many sharp realities were written.

  Pei Tan pulled out a book from the bookshelf and inserted that article into it.

  Why was it Fan Wenjun who died, rather than someone else?

  Nothing in this world happens easily, it's just a matter of finding that hidden connection.

  ——

  A swift horse stopped in front of the gate of the Shangshu Mansion. The person on the horse dismounted and said, "I have an urgent matter to report to Prime Minister Zong."

  The person at the gate frowned: "It's almost curfew, and Secretary Ye has already gone to sleep."

  That man's face turned cold, and he sneered: "You've delayed the Prime Minister's important matter, can you afford to take responsibility?"

  The person at the door was furious, glared for a while, and finally didn't dare to take responsibility, opened the door and let the visitor in.

  Zong Chuke wore a middle garment and looked at the kneeling person on the ground with no emotion, "If you were caught by the patrolling Qian Niuwei, do you know what the price would be?"

  The Thousand Bull Guards are directly under the command of the Imperial Guard and apart from a few high-ranking officials within the palace, they will not give anyone face.

  The person who was just arrogant is now nodding his head: "Yes... sir, today someone on the street found the woman who appeared beside Lord Huo."

  Zong Chuke suddenly clenched his fist. "What did you say?"

  His subordinate finally dared to raise his head: "That woman not only returned to Chang'an, the person by her side... seems to be Pei Tan."

  The mysterious girl who appeared beside Zong Huo, leading him step by step into a dead end. The people who escaped from Wuzhou told Zong Chuke about the final appearance of Zong Huo's death, with his eyes wide open. But in the end, no one found that woman again.

  A faint bloody hue appeared at the bottom of his eyes.

  "Find her, kill her."

  Since he was with Pei Tan, it must have been at the Temple of Great Wisdom. His son ultimately died because of Pei Tan's harm, even though that girl had a deep relationship with him.

  His subordinates trembled with fear and said: "Pei Tan has the strong men of the Pei family guarding him, plus the ambush troops from the Dalisi Temple."

  "Are you saying that I've fed and supported all of you, yet none of you are capable of doing anything or even killing someone?"

  His subordinate kept kowtowing: "I'll think of a way, there's our insider in the Temple of Justice, we'll definitely find an opportunity to take that girl's life."

  "Get out." There were blood vessels in Zong Chuke's eyes. "This official wants to see the woman's corpse as soon as possible."

  A blood feud with one's own son cannot be tolerated.

  Jing Wan'er was startled awake and found that she had unknowingly fallen asleep while taking care of Lin Jingjing the night before.

  She slowly got up and saw the clothes draped over her shoulders, a pale blue shirt with Bai Tang's scent still on it.

  The girl pursed her lips slightly, and a hint of strangeness flashed through her mind.

  Just then there was a loud knock at the door, and a strange official voice: "Is Miss Jing in?"

  The door was pushed open, and Jing Yuanyu was surprised: "What's going on?"

  That stranger's face was pale and clean, half-bowing his head to Jing Wanyu, "Temple Master ordered a bucket of hot water for washing, Miss."

  There was a faint smell of blood on Jing Wan's body, as well as a subtle overnight scent.

  The girl's heart was even more unusual, she looked at the official, her eyes slightly moving, "Thank you for me, sir."

  The yamen runner turned around and beckoned with his hand, and two men outside carried a bucket of hot water into the house. After putting down the hot water, the two men withdrew.

  "The little one won't disturb the young lady anymore." The pale bailiff went out of the house and closed the door.

  Jing Wanner walked to the edge of the water bucket, and surprisingly, there were still flower petals floating on the surface. Jing Wanner hesitated for a moment, then stretched out her hand and stirred the water slightly.

  She slowly untied her belt, and at this moment, she saw something faintly moving in the water below.

  Looked carefully again and it was gone.

  Jing Wan'er composed herself, having already taken off her outer robe. At this moment, she walked towards the water bucket, but a warm voice came from the doorway: "Wan'er, are you up?"

  Jing Wan'er's face suddenly turned red, she hugged her chest and stared at the closed door in surprise: "Sir?"

  "What's wrong?"

  He deliberately came at dawn, and Jing Yuanner should have gotten up already.

  Jing Wan'er was at a loss for what to do, turned around and grabbed the clothes she had just taken off, "Sir, you're not..."

  Just then, Jing Wanyu saw the water surface and suddenly shook violently. She was startled.

  A green snake head poked out, its evil green eyes staring at Jing Yuanyu as it bit down on her.

  Jing Wanner's eyes widened, and she subconsciously raised her hand. The venomous snake's fangs left a long bloody gash on her palm.

  Pei Tan suddenly raised his hand and shook open Jing Yuanner's door.