Three resounding thuds, solid and powerful.
Lady Wang smiled so much that wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes, and she personally helped him up.
"Good child, you will live in the mansion from now on. Tell your mother if you need anything."
Zhao Wuxu kept his head down.
The curve of her lips was hidden by her lowered eyelashes.
Attended by a group of maids.
Zhao Wuxu changed into a newly tailored bamboo-green brocade robe, with a white jade pendant tied around his waist, and his hair was neatly tied up.
Compared to the down-on-his-luck scholar who was squatting in the Black Wind Pass eating dry rations just half a month ago, he's a completely different person.
Lady Wang sat in the main seat of the flower hall, with a freshly brewed Longjing tea in her hand.
Zhao Wuxu knelt on the low stool to her right, holding the teacup steadily in both hands, and handed it to Lady Wang.
"Godmother, here's today's dose of Sichuan lovage tea. Let it cool down a bit before drinking, so it won't be too hot."
Lady Wang took it, sipped it, and nodded in satisfaction.
"My son, since you came, my head has never hurt again."
"That's because my godmother takes good care of me."
Lady Wang smiled and put down her teacup.
Zhao Wuxu seized the opportunity.
"Godmother, there's something I want to tell you."
"You say."
Zhao Wuxu lowered his eyes, his tone earnest.
"My son went to the west side of the city to buy fritillaria cirrhosa yesterday. He passed by a bustling street. A new shop had just opened on the street, and there were quite a few people gathered in front of it."
Lady Wang tilted her head.
What shop?
"The fruit tea shop... what's it called Mixue Ice City?" Zhao Wuxu frowned. "The shop itself is fine, but my son saw that they've hired dozens of people, all wearing matching short brown leggings, running and jumping around the city every day. There's also a group of people practicing in an open space with long sticks and round iron shields."
In reality, he saw Tuoba Mang there and wanted to use the Yun Clan to avenge him.
This time, there's finally no need to hold back.
We must give that barbarian a good slap across the face!
Lady Wang's hand, which was holding the teacup, stopped.
"Practice?"
"They look like shop assistants and security guards." Zhao Wuxu's tone was calm, but his wording was precise.
"But my son thinks... why would a tea shop need dozens of people to practice formations? Those long sticks are twice as heavy as ordinary wooden sticks, and the round shields are covered with iron plates."
Lady Wang's brows furrowed.
Zhao Wuxu lowered his head.
"My son is probably overthinking things. But if there's any disturbance to the community, he wouldn't dare not mention it to his godmother."
Lady Wang remained silent for a moment.
"Who owns that shop?"
"My son doesn't know. He only knows that the owner's surname is Zhou and the shopkeeper's surname is Ba, but their entourage is unlike that of ordinary merchants."
Lady Wang put the teacup back on the table.
"Your father has been incredibly busy lately. Prince Yi arrived in his fiefdom, and the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on him. I can't very well discuss this with him directly."
Zhao Wuxu waited.
"If you're so kind, you could help your father," Lady Wang, looking at him. "Go and find out who they are and where they come from."
"My son understands."
Lady Wang looked at him with approval.
"Good boy. You're sensible. Go now, take my badge. If you encounter any troublesome people, just mention the name of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner."
"Thank you, godmother!"
Zhao Wuxu accepted the waist token, bowed, and withdrew.
The moment he turned and stepped across the threshold, the respect on his face vanished without a trace.
Instead, there was an extremely rampant chill.
He, Zhao Wuxu, has come back to life.
So what if Yun Shuyue ran away?
So what if the counterfeit store is empty?
He is now the eldest son of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Mansion!
They hold power in their hands!
That barbarian who slapped him in the shop in the west of the city will become the first stepping stone for him to reach the pinnacle of power.
They also need to find a way to seize that shop and take possession of its property.
Zhao Wuxu straightened his expensive cuffs.
Stand tall and proud.
He strode out of the two vermilion gates of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Mansion.
The guards stood on both sides, bowing their heads in unison.
that power.
This is the taste of power.
He stood on the high stone steps, breathing in the fresh air.
Full of vigor and high spirits.
At that very moment.
A very faint whooshing sound came from above.
"Whoosh--"
Zhao Wuxu instinctively raised his head.
A thin figure wearing an extremely eye-catching yellow vest with two huge shockproof cloth bags hanging on his chest.
He was wearing a ridiculously shaped cloth hat.
It was white, round, and had a yellow crown embroidered on top.
The worst part is that there's a huge smiling snowman painted on the front of the cloth hat.
The man lightly touched the top of the three-zhang-tall blue stone lion in front of the governor's mansion with his toe.
Like a nimble bird, it traces a perfect arc in mid-air.
Without any hesitation, it flew directly across the main street, which was five zhang wide.
"Urgent delivery! Fruit tea from Boss Wang on West Street! Absolutely no spillage!"
A clear shout rang out from mid-air.
Zhao Wuxu frozen on the steps.
His gaze was fixed intently on the figure in mid-air.
The yellow vest billowed in the wind, revealing the familiar short-sleeved shirt underneath.
That face.
That face, though smeared with soot, was one he would recognize even in ashes.
Yun Shuyue.
The leader of Black Wind Stronghold.
The woman he devised countless plans for, endured beatings, and prepared to stage a self-inflicted injury to win over.
At this very moment.
He was wearing an extremely silly snowman hat.
Delivery service?!
Yun Shuyue, and a person in mid-air.
He happened to glance down at it.
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's residence was her home.
Feeling guilty, she instinctively glanced at the doorway.
Then, she saw the man in the magnificent brocade robe on the steps.
That fake scholar who was slapped and sent flying into the river a few days ago at the foot of the mountain, pretending to be pitiful.
She clearly remembered that this person was carrying a hidden weapon.
He's a dangerous person.
Their eyes met.
First semester.
one time.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
Yun Shuyue's eyes were full of vigilance: Why is this lunatic in my house?
Zhao Wuxu's eyes were filled with despair: Why am I running errands for someone else when I've painstakingly tried to get close to this powerful figure?!
"Snap."
The priceless mutton-fat jade pendant at Zhao Wuxu's waist.
His trembling fingers squeezed so hard that the object slammed onto the bluestone steps.
It broke into three pieces.
Zhao Wuxu squatted on the steps and picked up the broken jade pieces one by one.
The guard kept his head down, not daring to look at him.
He tucked the broken jade into his bosom, and when he stood up, his face had regained its gentle and refined appearance.
But his knuckles, gripping the shattered jade, throbbed with pain, so much so that his back teeth ground together.
"Prepare personnel."
The head guard was taken aback.
"Young master, where are we going?"
"West of the city." Zhao Wuxu to straighten his sleeves, his voice calm.
"The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office conducts routine inspections of shops; no reason is required."
The head guard paused for a moment.
"Young master, Madam only said that you should go and take a look."
"I heard you."
Zhao Wuxu took out the brass waist token given to him by Lady Wang from his sleeve and waved it in the sunlight.
"Twelve men, carrying swords. Hurry up."
A quarter of an hour later, the personal guards of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office marched in orderly formation through the main street.
Zhao Wuxu walked at the front, his bamboo-green brocade robe fluttering slightly in the wind, his waist badge pinned in a conspicuous place.
Passersby made way for him, and the vendor bowed his head and bent over.
The taste of power.
He hadn't tasted this flavor in so long.
My mind was filled with images: that barbarian named Tuoba Mang being pinned to the ground, his thick neck pressed under his feet;
The shop's silver and account books were all taken away; the woman wearing a snowman hat flew over his head.