Nan's Identity!

Night had fallen deep.

Yet tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for Two Rivers Prefecture.

Father always handled matters with thunderous speed.

The moment the great ship docked, Governor of Fengqi Road Zeng Shilin returned to the prefectural office and gave the order:

Two Rivers Prefecture's garrison commander Lin Rong led three thousand infantry to surround Prince Jiang's Estate.

Meanwhile, Wang Deli led five hundred Red-robed Guards directly into Prince Jiang's Estate.

It did not take much effort before the entire Prince Jiang's Estate was brought under control.

At the same time, Zeng Shilin wrote with furious strokes.

He gathered all the evidence and testimony concerning Prince Jiang's rebellion, then dispatched swift horses bearing urgent messages to the capital.

All that remained was to await the Sage's decree and see how Prince Jiang would be dealt with.

For a time, every Two Rivers Prefecture official who had ever had any dealings with Prince Jiang collectively went down in flames.

The entire officialdom of Two Rivers Prefecture was gripped by fear.

Prince Jiang's Estate had been brought under control.

Naturally, some of Xuanjing Division's small fry could not escape the reckoning either.

Among them was Right Clerk Xu Yunfeng. After the Red-robed Guards arrested him, he had still tried to resist.

But after Zeng Anmin gave him a punch, he became far more obedient.

With the thorn that was Prince Jiang's Estate under control.

There was now thoroughly no second voice left in all of Fengqi Road.

The days passed peacefully.

"Phew~"

Zeng Anmin watched as granules gradually formed within the furnace before him.

A rich fragrance wafted from those granules.

Good, good, good!!

A gleam burst from his eyes. He hurriedly took a porcelain bottle from his robes and placed every granule from the furnace inside.

Today was his Day Off, and he had accepted Shen Jun's invitation to dine.

"Dachun, prepare the horses!"

"Right away!!"

Jin Taiping was the largest shipping merchant in all of Two Rivers Prefecture.

It was impossible for Zeng Anmin not to have a few thoughts about it.

But he had not expected to swallow Jin Taiping whole right away. Such an ugly appetite would tarnish his father's reputation.

His father was a man who cherished his feathers dearly.

So he would take the middle path. If he could establish a line of cooperation with Jin Taiping in his own name, he would naturally never lack silver in the future.

Of course, most importantly, he... he was short of money.

After returning from the Confucian Academy, he had thought Father would loosen his financial support somewhat.

Yet things went against his wishes. Ever since he had run into Father at the Jiaofang Division while investigating Shen Jun's case last time.

His funds had been cut off completely.

The reason was that his breakthrough on the Confucian Path was urgent, and he ought to focus on his studies.

Fine, then what about after I broke through to Sixth Grade right in front of you?

Father's answer was that he needed to stabilize his realm, and they could discuss it later.

Heh heh.

So that was it. The affection had faded.

Zeng Anmin was unwilling to accept bribes from others.

Thus, his current financial shortage had always been regarded by him as a matter of utmost urgency.

But there was a very practical problem here.

Though this world was also a feudal dynasty, its industrial development was far better than that of the feudal dynasties in his previous life.

Glass, soap, distilled liquor... the three great paths to wealth for transmigrators had already been invented.

So last night, at home, he had racked his brains and exhausted his thoughts, combing through the web novels he had read.

It had to be said, reading more web novels really was useful.

At the very least, during transmigration, he knew a few more good things than other transmigrators.

For instance... the secret weapon he had just tucked into the porcelain bottle in his robes.

Wangxian Tower.

Today, Zeng Anmin had come as the eldest young master of the Governor.

Shen Jun, the current owner of Jin Taiping, was hosting the meal.

The last time he had come here, Shen Jun had given him an important clue, and he had followed the vine to find the evidence of Prince Jiang's Estate's crimes.

Zeng Anmin did not feel much resistance toward this place.

"Lord Zeng..."

The moment they met, Shen Jun gave an incomparably proper salute.

"Let us not speak of official business today. Just call me Young Master."

Zeng Anmin smiled as he helped Shen Jun up and headed into the tower.

Even as he spoke, he had shed the bureaucratic air he wore in office, appearing entirely gentle and refined.

"Yes."

Shen Jun was not a rigid man. His slightly thick brows relaxed, and he rose with a smile, extending a hand. "Please."

"Mm."

Following Shen Jun into a private room in the tower.

The moment he sat down, Shen Jun raised his cup toward him with a face full of respect.

"Thank you, Young Master Zeng, for saving my life and clearing my foolish younger brother of suspicion. Though my uncle has yet to be found, Jin Taiping's crisis has been resolved. Such great kindness cannot be repaid. Shen Jun will drink first."

With that, he tipped his head back and drained the wine in his cup.

"Heh heh, it was merely my duty." Zeng Anmin did not care much about it.

He had also noticed a detail in Shen Jun's words and raised a brow slightly.

"Your uncle has not been found?"

After gathering all of Prince Jiang's evidence of guilt from within the small island yesterday, he had boarded the ship with Father and had not paid much attention to Shen Liu.

"No." Shen Jun's expression was somewhat bitter, yet he did not seem overly burdened by it. Instead, he said with a chuckle:

"Once Prince Jiang is executed and gives up the evidence of his crimes, we will naturally know where my uncle is."

"Mm." Zeng Anmin nodded slowly.

That was true enough. Before the Imperial Decree arrived, not even the Governor of Two Rivers could rashly arrest Prince Jiang as a criminal. They could only send troops to keep him under control for now.

After all, it concerned the Imperial Family's face.

"Actually, I came today to discuss a cooperation with you."

Zeng Anmin cleared his throat, his gaze turning serious.

Here it came!

The moment those words were spoken, Shen Jun's expression grew solemn.

As a merchant, he had long been prepared for Zeng Anmin to squeeze him dry.

Moreover, after Young Lord Zeng had cleared him of suspicion and helped him find clues to his uncle's whereabouts, he had even considered offering thirty percent of Jin Taiping's profits as a token of gratitude.

But he felt that if he rashly brought it up, Young Lord Zeng might disdain him and mistake him for a sycophant.

"Please speak freely, Young Lord Zeng."

Shen Jun drew a deep breath.

"No need to be nervous. It is only a small matter."

Seeing Shen Jun's gravity, Zeng Anmin gave a light laugh to ease the atmosphere.

But before he could speak, a huge cry of astonishment from outside the private room interrupted him.

The voice was hurried and brief.

"Is that truly so??!!" The voice outside the room rumbled like muffled thunder.

Zeng Anmin frowned and looked toward the door.

Shen Jun immediately understood and summoned a waiter.

"Tell the people next door to keep their voices down."

"Yes."

As the waiter opened the door, the voices outside the private room became even clearer.

"Why would I deceive you? Jiang Kingdom even claims that this one poem alone can crush every Great Scholar in our entire Great Sage Dynasty!"

"Princess Wencheng truly possesses such poetic talent?!!"

"Do not bolster another's prestige. Princess Wencheng is the Jiang State Empress's only full-blooded younger sister; naturally everyone kisses her boots. Recite the poem she wrote. I want to see just how much substance she has!"

"Listen closely." The man cleared his throat and began:

"When the sea reaches its end, the heavens become its shore; when mountains are climbed to their peak, I become the summit!"

At that one line, it seemed as if all of Wangxian Tower had fallen silent.

The atmosphere became so still that a falling needle could be heard.

"If the eastern mountain sun can rise again, then when the roc spreads its wings, it hates the heavens for being too low!" The man's voice rang out again.

Silence.

A dead silence.

"Hiss~"

Other than the sharp intakes of breath, everyone remained silent.

Throughout all of Wangxian Tower.

Only Zeng Anmin wore a strange expression.

Jiang Kingdom's Princess Wencheng??

Utter nonsense!

Wasn't this the poem he had given Nan?

Wait!!

The Phoenix Strategy Diagram?!

The Jiang State Imperial Family?!

Princess Wencheng?

Nan's identity was...

A light flickered in Zeng Anmin's eyes.

A strange curve slowly formed at the corner of his lips.

Before I had even become a literary plagiarist, you had already become one first??

Good, good, good!

Just watch me swindle you out of ten thousand or eight thousand!!