So It Was Her

Zhang Cigong was not one of the more than two hundred people from the King of Huainan's Household who came and went from the palace, but rather one of the nearly five thousand people waiting outside.

These people weren't lined up so that people could see each one's face; instead, they were constantly patrolling and checking.

If Zhang Xuezhou were to go looking for him, he might not be able to find Zhang Cigong.

Only Lei Bei and others knew the area where Zhang Cigong lived. Once the area was roughly defined, finding Zhang Cigong became much easier.

Zhang Xuezhou and Lei Bei met, and nearly half an hour later, Zhang Xuezhou finally found Zhang Cigong, who was camping outside the Prince's Mansion, warming himself by the fire and eating meat.

At this time, Zhang Cigong was still holding the minor official position of head coachman.

This temporary minor official could manage five carriages, similar to a corporal in a legion, and his salary was twice that of a coachman.

At this moment, he was obviously much more presentable, and his cultivation had smoothly entered the Meridian Circulation Realm. He was also making an attempt to break through to the Blood Penetration Realm Piercing Realm, and he was also a minor leader among the coachmen.

When Lei Bei and Zhang Xuezhou arrived, he stood up quickly, feeling both restrained and surprised.

"Grown ups!"

Zhang Cigong bowed to Lei Bei and then called out to Zhang Xuezhou.

This left Zhang Xuezhou somewhat speechless.

He preferred to be called "Brother Xuezhou" or "Zhouzi" by Zhang Cigong Zhang Cigong rather than "Sir".

Clearly, the rules of the King of Huainan's Household were firmly binding on Zhang Cigong Zhang Cigong, preventing him from overstepping the rules regarding travel.

The academic gown Zhang Xuezhou was wearing was the reason why Zhang Cigong found it difficult to directly call him by name.

"Don't be shy, keep warm by the fire and eat some meat. In this cold winter, you need to eat some good meat to keep warm," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"You fellow villagers should chat more," Lei Bei. "I'll go back and report first; I'll have Ci Gong escort you out of the camp later!"

"Good!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Lei Bei's explanation elicited knowing looks from the several people around him who were warming themselves by the fire and eating meat. They understood why Zhang Cigong had been sought out as soon as he arrived in Chang'an City.

However, this place is now the territory of the King of Huainan's Household, and even officials from Chang'an City are not allowed to enter without permission.

The many people from Huainan who were roasting meat around the bonfire kept glancing at Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou, clearly hoping he would leave soon to avoid trouble caused by an inspection by officials from the King of Huainan's Household.

"I came here to see you and see how you're doing. Since you're healthy, I'm relieved!"

Zhang Xuezhou was a shrewd person; how could he not understand the intricacies of the matter?

Lei Bei left, and then invited Zhang Cigong to see him off.

"Check the case files related to the King of Huainan's Household and Jin Chang; he's very likely connected to the disappearance case in our village!"

As Zhang Cigong approached, Zhang Xuezhou quickly whispered something in his ear.

What he said made Zhang Cigong blink several times.

After repeated investigations and inquiries, Zhang Cigong clearly hadn't expected that the clues were right under his nose.

Not only were Zhang Xuezhou and Jin Chang old acquaintances, but Zhang Cigong had also met Jin Chang quite often.

"I probably won't be able to reach the level of a first-class guest elder," Zhang Cigong said through gritted teeth in a low voice.

"We should ask Lei Bei help when the time is right," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Jin Chang appeared near our village and had the ability to take everyone away, but we need to understand his motives and find people from our village!"

"I see!"

Zhang Cigong nodded.

It was clearly impossible for an official like Zhang Xuezhou, from Chang'an City, to extend his influence into Huainan; this matter could only be handled by Zhang Cigong.

Asking Lei Bei for help directly might be simpler, but whether Lei Bei could help Zhang Xuezhou verify Jin Chang's case was uncertain.

Compared to his relationship with Zhang Xuezhou, Lei Bei's relationship with Jin Chang is likely more reliable. Perhaps a moment of carelessness on Jin Chang's part could lead to Lei Bei leaking information.

Even if Zhang Cigong Zhang Cigong asked Lei Bei help, he couldn't directly state the reason; he could only find other excuses.

This requires Zhang Cigong to find a suitable opportunity.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he longed to return to the King of Huainan's Household immediately to seek an opportunity to investigate the matter.

Compared to searching for his parents and the villagers, matters like cultivation seemed insignificant, yet cultivation was something Zhang Cigong couldn't avoid.

The greater his strength and the more wild beasts and spirited horses he tames, the higher his status in the King of Huainan's Household will be, and the easier it will be for him to do these things.

There are many ways to do this well; it all depends on how Zhang Cigong utilizes them.

The distance between the two from the campfire to the exit of the camp was only about two hundred meters. As their conversation was coming to an end, Zhang Xuezhou was already standing at the entrance of the camp.

"I live in the house of the eighteenth lion in Laoshu Hutong. Come over and join us for a get-together sometime," Zhang Xuezhou waved.

"Must!"

Zhang Cigong nodded.

He watched Zhang Xuezhou turn and leave, and couldn't help but take a deep breath. After glancing at Zhang Xuezhou several times, he turned and went back to camp.

What was the name of that horse groom?

Everything at the King of Huainan's Household's camp was under the watchful eyes of everyone, including the King of Huainan's Household's own control and the surveillance of court officials.

Some powerful cultivators from dilapidated schools of thought caused chaos in Chang'an City, not to mention the arrival of the Prince of King of Huainan with his elite troops.

Whenever the King of Huainan and his group cause trouble, Chang'an City is practically turned upside down.

Inside the King of Huainan's Household, a woman put down a bamboo tube and looked around, then turned to look at the mansion's foremost swordsman.

"Your Highness, this horse-breeding official Zhang Cigong, and that scholar is named Dongfang Bubai. He once presented the Beast Taming Manual to our King of Huainan's Household," Lei Bei replied, bowing.

"Now that you mention it, it reminds me of something!"

The woman nodded.

The King of Huainan's Household's residence was not a place accessible to ordinary people. If it weren't for Lei Bei's status, outsiders would have almost no chance of entering, and consequently, she would definitely inquire about any unusual situations.

After hearing the reason clearly, the woman indicated that she understood.

"Since this stable boy recognizes this scholar, let Zhang Cigong deliver a New Year's gift to him!"

The woman made some simple arrangements, which the clerk beside her quickly recorded.

The hundreds of carriages at the King of Huainan's Household were not empty; they were loaded with various goods.

Among these were gifts presented to the current emperor, as well as lavish gifts presented to the Anle Palace, and also gifts from various officials of the court.

Arriving in Chang'an City during the New Year is the perfect time for them to give gifts, as it will not be met with criticism or rejection.

The woman glanced at the massive and spacious King of Huainan's Household, her gaze inadvertently sweeping in another direction.

That was the imperial palace, and it also possessed the largest and most luxurious residence in Chang'an City.

She let the minor incident at the King of Huainan's Household's camp pass by, then got up and began to stroll towards the inner hall of the Prince's residence.

"It's not a complicated matter, it's just that there's a familiar face among the servants, and we asked them to ask Lei Bei bring him in for a visit!"

She stepped into the hall.

There weren't many people in the main hall, only the King of Huainan, his queen, the crown prince, and a few others, with guards stationed at the entrance.

The woman entered the hall, responded to the King of Huainan, and reported the unusual events at the King of Huainan's Household.

"Being able to contact Lei Bei and lead the way, he must be someone of great importance," said the King of Huainan. "Ling'er, have you investigated this person's identity thoroughly?"

"Lei Bei said that person's name is Dongfang Bubai," the woman said. "He once presented our royal palace with a manual on taming beasts, and now he's a scholar-in-waiting at the Golden Horse Gate!"

"So it was him!"

The King of Huainan was speechless.

If it were any other official from the capital, the King of Huainan would indeed need to investigate and find out their motives for coming to the Prince's camp.

But the King of Huainan hadn't forgotten the name "Dongfang Bubai," after all, this guy's offering of a top-tier technique was genuine, and his misfortune was also genuine.

The other party has considerable talent and exceptional luck, but not particularly good luck. The two times they offered their services, they gained little, and almost all of them benefited others.

In both instances of offering, the other party and Lei Bei had an extremely good relationship, and a fellow townsman was left at the King of Huainan's Household to practice the Beast Taming Manual as a form of verification.

This allowed the King of Huainan to understand without asking why the other party contacted Lei Bei and why they entered the camp.

The other party was clearly as unlucky as ever. With a new emperor ascending the throne in Chang'an City, the court's personnel were changing back and forth, and this guy was still just a candidate official. Obviously, he had not been given any important position, nor had he been noticed by any high-ranking official.

Without the protection of a powerful figure, the other party would never have been able to enter the imperial library, let alone the secret chamber.