"At this hour, it seems a bit far-fetched for me to run into Qian Zhong while I'm eating at Myriad Phenomena Tower. Do you have any good ideas?"
Ye Xingge looked at Great Beauty with a questioning look in his eyes.
Hongyu blinked, then raised her head and pondered:
"..."
That was the last time.
Ye Xingge knew that only Nai Nai was reliable for Great Yu'er, so he thought it best to come up with his own idea.
He was putting on an act simply to deceive Ruan Jinyu, who was in charge of the post-event verification.
Therefore, the best approach would be to have the Inspection Bureau lead the way, just like when going to Shangjin Ferry.
The easiest person to fool in the Inspection Bureau is Chen Xiaobao...
Moreover, Chen Xiaobao has always been with Ruan Jinyu, and he should have seen Qian Zhong a couple of days ago at Forgetful River Mouth...
But where is Chen Xiaobao...?
Laurel-Plucking Ward, the Yu'er Girl, the Skilled Flute Player...
Ye Xingge recalled the key information and suddenly had a good idea. At the same time, he glanced at Great Beauty and beautiful red lips.
Hongyu sensed something was wrong and immediately straightened up a bit:
Why are you looking at me like that?
Smack
Ye Xingge leaned in and kissed him, then went out to pack his things.
"Take your time eating. I'll go and take care of the rest of the meal first. We'll meet at MixC Myriad Phenomena Tower later."
Hongyu's face flushed red as she gritted her teeth, but she said nothing, enduring the humiliation and continuing to eat...
Not long after, Laurel-Plucking Ward.
Night had fallen, but the bustling atmosphere of the brothel remained undisturbed. Dozens of brightly lit brothels sat amidst the noisy streets, and well-dressed young men could be seen everywhere.
Meanwhile, all sorts of beautiful women, each with their own unique charm, would occasionally peek out from the window, their alluring figures and laughter drawing the attention of passersby.
"Young Master Chen, you are truly remarkable. I'd like to offer you a toast..."
"Sigh, it was just a small favor..."
Tinglan House, a private room.
Three young men of distinguished birth were seated at the table, each accompanied by a beautiful woman, while the plain-clothed attendant who was helping to gather intelligence today waited at the door.
Although Chen Xiaobao's official rank was only that of an ordinary Embroidered-Robe Gentleman, he came from the Wuxi Chen Clan, a true scion of a prominent family. Naturally, he sat in the main seat, and after a few rounds of drinks, a hint of Ruan Jinyu's arrogance shone in his eyes as he spoke:
" Non-Self received a secret report and informed Ye Xingge in advance, the assassins would have arrived tonight. With the enemy in the dark and us in the light, it's hard to say whether Ye Xingge would have been able to get through this..."
The young master beside him was skeptical:
"Brother Chen, do you mean that Ye Xingge is brave and skilled, but not adept at tracking and tracing?"
"..."
Chen Xiaobao had personally witnessed Ye Xingge's killing prowess, and even in private, he dared not speak of it, only saying:
" Ye Xingge and I are friends, we just help each other out. That's what my job is in the Inspection Bureau. We have different positions, so we can't generalize. Come on, let's drink..."
Just as the group was clinking glasses and exchanging toasts, a voice suddenly came from the doorway:
"Hiss"
The sound of gasping for air.
Chen Xiaobao frowned and turned to look at the door:
" Xiao Si?"
The two cronies accompanying them, and even several beautiful women, all turned to look at the door.
There was no response outside the door, but a shadow appeared on the door. He wore a bamboo hat on his head and had a tough figure. He looked like a man from the world. Chen Xiaobao's face changed slightly. As a son of an aristocratic family and a member of the "Snake and Diao Temple", he knew very well how many people in the world wanted to mess with him. He thought it was an unknown killer and immediately touched the Tiannu Sanhua on his waist.
He soon discovered that what came was worse than an assassin!
Squeak~
The door slowly opened, and the first thing you saw was a shivering servant in plain clothes.
Then came a greyish-white robe and a sword hanging at his waist.
Above that was a broad chest and shoulders, and a face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, regular features, and eyes as gentle as jade, looking like a bloodthirsty red wolf ready to devour its prey...
Whoosh~
When Chen Xiaobao suddenly saw that face, it was as if he had suddenly seen a ferocious tiger or leopard peeking out from the doorway. He stumbled and hurriedly stood up at attention.
"Lord Ye... Lord Ye? What brings you here?! I... I was hosting a banquet for friends, and someone has committed a crime?"
The two young masters on either side turned pale upon hearing the address, realizing who this Living Taisui at the door was.
Even the girls who were accompanying them were so frightened that they quickly stood up and lowered their heads.
Step, step...
Ye Xingge, a sword at his waist, entered the private room, casually glancing at the stunned men and women. After Chen Xiaobao nearly suffocated, he finally looked at the girls and asked, "Are these ladies also friends of Young Master Chen?"
"Ah?"
It seems I've gotten into trouble...
Knowing that public officials are strictly prohibited from taking prostitutes overnight, Chen Xiaobao responded with a deathly pale face:
"These... these are all friends I just made..."
A new friend?
Ye Xingge glanced at the woman in colorful clothes beside him:
"If I remember correctly, this is Miss Yu'er, right? She's four feet nine inches tall, with a two-and-a-half-inch bust... I saw her in the intelligence file at the Inspection Bureau Division today." "..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobao's eyes widened in astonishment:
"Lord Ye, your judgment is truly remarkable. I... I was merely drinking, engaging in social interactions, and incidentally gathering information. I absolutely did not stay overnight..." Ye Xingge raised his hand.
"The office's closed for the day. I'm not the King of Hell; I'm just wandering around and happened to want to ask you something."
Chen Xiaobao didn't believe it at all and simply cupped his hands in greeting:
"Lord Ye, please tell me what I've done, I'll confess everything. You've come here in the middle of the night, not to kill someone, but to visit a brothel?" Ye Xingge was indeed out to kill someone, but his target wasn't Chen Xiaobao. He pulled a small bottle from his sleeve and tossed it to Chen Xiaobao.
Do you recognize this?
Chen Xiaobao caught the small bottle and, after only a brief glance, recognized it as " Five Blessings Powder ".
At the end of the previous dynasty, it became fashionable among the people to consume Five Blessings Powder. When Emperor Taizu took over the reins of government, he issued his first decree, which explicitly prohibited this substance. Anyone who consumed it would be whipped thirty times; those who produced or sold it would be punished according to the quantity consumed.
However, this substance can induce hallucinations and enhance pleasure, and despite repeated bans by the imperial court, it remains a common sight in brothels and entertainment venues. This is why Ye Xingge could find it so easily. Chen Xiaobao paused for a moment, then quickly said:
"I swear to God! I have never sold drugs, nor have I ever used them..."
Ye Xingge's eyes showed helplessness:
"I was just patrolling the streets at night when I saw someone using this thing, so I came over to ask the Inspection Bureau if they had any leads. Don't pretend you don't know." As a well-known playboy, Chen Xiaobao certainly knew these things, and he didn't dare to pretend at this moment.
"There are many famous buildings on Changle Street, but they are all backed by families like the Cao Clan and Wang Clan. Besides, this crime doesn't warrant death; it's not our Heaven-Observing Pavilion's responsibility..." "This matter falls under the jurisdiction of Changyong County, and the county government is turning a blind eye and condoning this cover-up..."
Then, sharp explosions erupted from the prefectural government office, the Ministry of Punishments, and the Censorate; the Changyong County was exiled to Lingnan...
Snap
Chen Xiaobao slapped his thigh, walked over, and raised his hand to signal:
"Lord Ye, may I have a word with you? How about I handle this matter? I guarantee that you won't see a single bottle of this stuff in any of the famous brothels anymore. When it comes to government affairs, as long as we can control it, there's no need to make it all public..."
Ye Xingge frowned and said, "Even the imperial court can't stop it, how can you control it?"
"..."
Chen Xiaobao certainly doesn't have that kind of power; at most, he can just give a heads-up and get the entertainment venues to shut down for a few days.
Ye Xingge and nodded:
"This can't be completely stopped, but we must make an example of them to deter others and prevent them from getting too big. Which shop in the capital is the biggest? Take me to see what's going on." Seeing that he couldn't stop this Grand Duke Jupiter man, Chen Xiaobao could only think seriously:
" Zhao Ruiming of the Yong River Chamber of Commerce has a home in the city..."
"You just got into a fight with Zhao Ruiming over a woman a couple of days ago, and you used me as a tool?"
"I wouldn't dare!"
Chen Xiaobao quickly changed his tune:
"Among the grand establishments in the capital, none surpasses Jade Immortal House..."
"I've already smashed it, but the door won't open."
"That Wang Clan's Brocade Sound Tower..."
" The Wang Clan..."
Ye Xingge looked thoughtful.
"Duke Wang Jinzhong of Duke Who Protects the State is always honest and upright, and a well-liked man in court. It's inappropriate to target him. Does Chancellor Li have any property?" "Li...?!"
Chen Xiaobao was stunned when he heard this:
"Lord Ye, even Duke Zhang can't afford to offend Chancellor Li, so we probably wouldn't dare. Besides, Chancellor Li incorruptible and doesn't have many powerful subordinates. If we're talking about someone we can take action against..." At this point, Chen Xiaobao suddenly remembered something:
" Myriad Phenomena Tower belongs to the ' Imperial Estate Bureau,' is the Emperor's private property, and all profits from its operation go into the Emperor's inner treasury..."
Ye Xingge finally got to the point, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I frowned and said:
"Even sages sell this stuff in private?"
Chen Xiaobao quickly raised his hand. "I wouldn't dare say that. But Myriad Phenomena Tower does have it, and many nobles bring their own. The manager of Myriad Phenomena Tower can't afford to offend them, so he just lets them secretly consume it in the secret chamber..."
"Then let's go to the Myriad Phenomena Tower. Take me there."
Chen Xiaobao never expected that this Grand Duke Jupiter figure would actually dare to investigate the Emperor's private property. He offered a warning:
"Lord Ye, this matter weighs less than four ounces on the scale, but on the scale it's a ton..."
Ye Xingge his hand: "I know my limits. I'll go check it out first. You're familiar with the area, so give me directions and you can also perform your supervisory duties while you're at it." "How could I dare to supervise you!"
Chen Xiaobao felt this was a tough job, but if he didn't go along, who knew what this Grand Duke Jupiter might do? So he raised his hand anyway.
" Xiao Si, let's go."
The plain-clothed follower stood behind, not daring to utter a word, and hurriedly led the way.
Before leaving, Ye Xingge glanced back at the eerily quiet room one last time:
"Aren't you going to bring your new friend along?"
Chen Xiaobao quickly raised his hand. "No need, business is more important. If Lord Ye likes her, I'll send her to Peach Blossom Lane later."
Ye Xingge had a Great Beauty at home, which was inconvenient, so he took out a silver ingot from his sleeve:
"I'm sorry to have kept you from your drinks, this meal is on me."
"Oh my! You're too kind. Since you didn't kill anyone here, the madam here should stay with you for two nights. How could I dare to accept your money..."
"Um?"