No. 1 Girl in the Imperial City

In the evening of the next day, Cao Jie appeared punctually at the gate of the unnamed courtyard on a mountain outside the city.

This other courtyard was built on a mountainside not far from Shangyonghuang City, and there was no plaque outside the courtyard, and the surroundings were quiet and deserted.

The peach blossoms in the middle of the mountain are quietly blooming, and the air is filled with a faint fragrance of flowers.

Cao Jie raised his head and looked at the courtyard in front of him with deep eyes. Cao Mao, who was following him, looked around vigilantly. Behind them were seven or eight people who looked like guards holding weapons.

"My lord, this other courtyard was originally the private residence of a high official in the imperial court, but a few years ago this person committed a crime and was sentenced to be executed. But I don't know why, when the imperial court ransacked the house, they didn't find this other courtyard. I don't know how it got into the hands of these people." Cao Mao whispered while standing beside Cao Jie.

Cao Jie didn't say anything, just nodded his head slightly to show that he knew.

The closed door was opened from the inside, and a pale young man opened the door and looked at the people outside and said, "Young Master Cao, please come in." His gaze fell on Cao Jie calmly, without even stopping. Cao Mao, who was next to him, seemed not at all surprised by Cao Jie's appearance.

Cao Mao stared vigilantly at the young man standing in the door, but the young man didn't seem to see Cao Mao's expression, he just glanced at the guards behind them, turned and left.

There is really no hospitality at all!

Cao Jie did not get angry, but calmly said: "Go in."

A group of people stepped into the other courtyard and followed the figure of the young man walking in front all the way inside.

The entire other courtyard was quiet, as if only the sound of people's footsteps could be heard.Cao Jie and his party were led all the way to the back garden of the other courtyard. The winding corridors stretched from the edge of the lake to the center of the lake. There was a person sitting in the gazebo in the center of the lake where the veil was blown by the evening wind.

"Master Cao, please." The young man said calmly, looking sideways at Cao Jie.

Cao Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, and fixedly looked at the pale young man in front of him.

The young man didn't explain much, but calmly accepted his probing eyes.

After a while, Cao Jie finally made a waiting gesture to Cao Mao and others, and stepped on the corridor leading to the Huxin Pavilion alone.

"Young Master Cao, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take a seat." Sitting in the gazebo was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy in white clothes, with red lips and white teeth, and a delicate and handsome appearance.

Looking at Cao Jie who came in with a smile on his face, he seemed like a naive young man who didn't know the world.

But Cao Jie, who clearly knew what this innocent young man had done, was even more vigilant.

What Cao Mao said was absolutely right, this young man was so frighteningly unreal.

"Master, do you know who I am?" Cao Jie walked up to Luo Junyao and sat down, sizing him up carefully.

Luo Junyao smiled and said: "The eldest son of Marquis Wen Ding, Cao Jie, the eldest son of the Cao family, has long admired his name."

Cao Jie said: "However, I don't know who the young master is."

Luo Jun shook his head and said, "Master Cao doesn't believe me?"

Cao Jie sneered, "I never believe in people with unknown origins. Young master claims his surname is Dongfang, so I will take your surname as Dongfang for now. Young master Dongfang... Do you really think that holding Chen Xun in your hand can turn you over?" Do you want to overthrow the Cao family?"

Luo Junyao propped his elbows on the table, and said enthusiastically, "If Mr. Cao thinks it's impossible, why did you come all the way to Shangyong?"

Cao Jie stared at him and said, "I'm just curious as to who wants to fight against the Cao family. You can scare Cao Mao, but you can't scare me. Even if Chen Xun really appeared in the court, there is no reason According to the court, what can I do? Even if I conceal the crime of the court, the Cao family can't afford it."

"Really?" Luo Junyao was noncommittal to his words, slowly playing with the exquisite folding fan in his hand.

Cao Jie said, "My lord, don't you think so?"

Luo Junyao smiled nonchalantly and said, "Young Master Cao thinks it is, so... Young Master Cao thinks this thing is not important?"

Something was thrown into the middle of the table, and the sound of falling was as clear and sweet as gold and jade.Cao Jie looked down, the smile on his lips gradually froze.

He raised his head abruptly, staring fixedly at the young man in front of him.

Luo Jun shook his smile and said: "Young Master Cao, has anyone told you that curiosity killed the cat? If you don't come, I really have nothing to do with you. Since you have come to Shangyong, it proves that this matter can still make people happy. The Cao family is injured, right?"

Cao Jie quickly came back to his senses, stretched out his hand to take the small blue jade on the table and sneered, "Master Dongfang, I advise you not to play tricks, do you think you can fool me with just a few things? A piece of jade That's all, this is indeed Cao's property, so what?"

The smile on Luo Junyao's face faded, and his originally smiling eyes became cold and ruthless in an instant, "Cao Jie, you have no meaning at all! I don't want to talk to you anymore, please go ahead."

Cao Jie was not in a hurry, and slowly put the jade into his sleeve, saying: "Young Master Dongfang, I think you are young, so I only advise you to take it as soon as you are happy. I will accept the 10 taels you want. I can give it to you. But... Yingzhou, you'd better not make up your mind, the Fang family's strength in Yingzhou is not something you can shake."

Luo Junyao obviously didn't listen to persuasion, and said with a smile, "Really? Let's wait and see."

She slowly pulled out a long note from her sleeve and pushed it in front of Cao Jie, "How about we make a bet?"

Cao Mao looked at the handwriting on the note, and asked slowly after a long while: "What are you betting on?"

Luo Jun shook his head and said, "Bet... it's you who save people faster, or me who kills people faster."

Cao Mao's eyelids twitched a few times quickly, and the long piece of paper was written all about the hidden stakes and strongholds of the Fang family in Yingzhou in the Central Plains.There are things on the surface and things in the dark, some things he knows, and some things he doesn't know.

Cao Jie suddenly stood up and said, "What kind of enmity does the Fang family have with Mr. Dongfang?!"

Luo Jun shook his head: "There is no enmity, I want Yingzhou."

Cao Jie snorted softly and said, "Since the young master found me, I should know that the Cao family and the Fang family are family friends, and I can't help you. What's more...the Cao family can't make a deal with a young child."

Luo Junyao said that he didn't care, "Young Master Cao, you mean to fight against me?"

Cao Jie took a deep look at her, "Master Dongfang, don't you think you overestimated your own strength?"

Luo Jun shook his head and said: "When I level up the Fang family's stronghold in the Central Plains, Mr. Cao will come and tell me this."

Cao Jie sighed and said: "It seems that we can't reach an agreement, so let's leave."

"Please." Luo Jun said lightly.

Cao Jie turned and walked out of the Huxin Pavilion, and Xie Xiao walked in after a while.

"How?" Luo Junyao asked.

Xie Xiao shook his head and said, "I just glanced at it from afar, who is really the eldest son of Wen Dinghou?"

Luo Jun smiled and said, "Obviously."

Xie Xiao was a little worried, "What exactly does the Cao family want to do? These things...Does Wen Dinghou know?"

Luo Junyao dispelled his delusions sympathetically, "Unless Cao Mian is dead, how could he not know about such a big matter."

Xie Xiao sighed. He also grew up listening to the stories of those heroes who founded the country. He still has a good impression of Cao Mian, a person with outstanding abilities who is not greedy for merit or power.Xie Xiao said regretfully: "Three years ago, when I passed by Qingzhou, I took a look at Wen Dinghou from a distance. He really has a handsome appearance and an extraordinary bearing, which is admirable."

Luo Jun shook his head and said: "Young Master Xueya also looks like a banished fairy, do you want to deal with him?"

"..." Xie Xiao glanced at her faintly, and said, "What's the purpose of the princess setting up such a place? It seems that Cao Jie rejected your proposal just now."

Luo Jun said: "If he agrees straight away, I will suspect fraud. The friendship between the Cao family and the Fang family is probably far deeper than what we know, and the Cao family will not betray the Fang family and cooperate with others unless it is absolutely necessary."

Xie Xiao raised his eyebrows, "Wouldn't you be scaring the snake by doing this?"

Luo Jun shook his smile and said: "It's just to startle the snake. There has been no movement in Yingzhou and Qingzhou for so many years. If Chen Xun hadn't bumped into my hand this time... Although there are too many reasons for the imperial court to take care of it, but It also shows how deep these people are hiding, and the pictures are not small."

Xie Xiao nodded, and couldn't help but look at Luo Junyao again.

No wonder His Royal Highness the Prince Regent rest assured to entrust such an important matter to the princess, this little princess is indeed not to be underestimated.

"What shall we do next?" Xie Xiao asked.

Luo Junyao stretched out two fingers to pick up the note on the table and said: "Just as I told Cao Jie, pull out the Fang family's hidden stake in the Central Plains, be careful not to leave traces. They refuse to move by themselves, we Make them move."

Xie Xiao took the note and glanced at it, and immediately made up his mind, "Yes, Wangfei."

under night

At the foot of the mountain where the unnamed other courtyard is located, Cao Mao looked at the people walking not far away and asked, "How, did you see those people coming down the mountain?"

The person who came cupped his hands and said, "Young Master, Young Master Mao, I have never seen anyone go down the mountain, and no one has left that courtyard at all."

Hearing this, Cao Mao couldn't help frowning, turned his head to look at Cao Jie who was sitting on the side thinking about something, and said, "My lord, the night is getting dark, those people are probably not ready to go down the mountain, why don't we go back first."

Cao Jie nodded, stood up and said, "All intersections are guarded. If anyone comes down from the mountain, follow them."

While the two were talking, they saw a figure flying towards them in the night not far away like a bird, and they came to them in a short while.

"who?!"

The man stood still, and said in a flat voice: "Young master Cao, my young master said that if you still have something to do, he will treat you to supper. There is no need to stay in this wilderness at such a late hour, and catch cold carefully."

After speaking, the man cupped his hands and flew away, and several ups and downs quickly disappeared into the night.

In the night, Cao Jie's face darkened instantly, and of course he could see that this man was the young man who led them in the afternoon.

They stayed at the foot of the mountain and wanted to wait for the rabbit, but they had already returned to the city!

The others stood aside and dared not speak, Cao Jie snorted coldly and said, "Send someone to report to the government, saying...there are bandits hunted by the court hiding on this mountain."

Cao Mao hesitated, "My lord, will this anger the boy?"

Cao Jie glanced at him coldly, and said, "If he really wanted to take advantage of this incident, Chen Xun would have appeared at the gate of the government office a long time ago. Since he wanted something, he wouldn't completely tear himself apart with the Cao family." .”

"Yes, I'll do it now." Cao Mao responded quickly.

In the early morning, as soon as Luo Junyao got up and went out, he saw Ye Feng standing at the door.

"Ye Feng, what's the matter so early?"

Ye Feng said: "Last night, the Wuming Bieyuan was broken into by the government."

Luo Junyao was not surprised, but raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked as he walked out, "What's the reason?"

Ye Feng said: "Someone reported to the government that there were bandits hidden in the other courtyard, and the other courtyard is still sealed by the government. Princess, do you need us..."

Luo Jun waved his hands and said, "It's about Jianghu, it's about Jianghu."

Ye Feng nodded and clapped his hands, and followed Luo Junyao all the way out.

Luo Junyao casually folded a flower to play with, and asked as he walked, "I asked you to check the Cao family's relationship in Shangyong before?"

Ye Feng said: "I have checked. Apart from the relationship on the surface, we have found out that Sun Ci, the left counselor of the General Administration, has been secretly communicating with Qingzhou."

"General Secretary? This is a good position." Luo Jun shook his head.

Ye Feng nodded and said: "That's right, Sun Ci's official position is only the fifth rank and is not very eye-catching, but he can get in touch with many key news of the court. This Sun Cizu is the last second-class biography of the Gaozu dynasty, and he seems to be far away in Qingzhou. The Cao family has nothing to do with it, but the most favored concubine in his backyard is from Qingzhou. Sun Ci's money is not clean, and there is a large amount of money that cannot be traced."

This unidentifiable meaning includes bribery or other methods, as if it came out of thin air.

"When was the last time Sun Ci communicated with the Cao family?" Luo Junyao asked.

Ye Fengdao: "Five days ago, we had people keep an eye on the foreigners who came in and out of Shangyong recently with suspicious appearances. Five days ago, someone came to ask to see Sun Ci. It is confirmed that the man came from Qingzhou. In addition, after Sun Ci met the man, he went to see Cao Mao the next day, and the two talked secretly for more than a quarter of an hour."

"Where's the messenger?" Luo Junyao asked.

Ye Feng said: "Let him go, do you want to catch him back?"

Luo Jun shook his head and said, "No need, find a place to lock Sun Ci in."

Ye Feng was taken aback, and couldn't help but look up at Luo Junyao.

Luo Junyao didn't hear his answer, and looked back at him, "What's the problem?"

Ye Feng said: "Princess, Sun Ci is the official of the imperial court, do you want to inform the prince?"

Luo Junyao said indifferently: "You can tell Ah Yan, but don't let Sun Ci realize that the person who arrested him has something to do with the court. Make an accident, leave a corpse for the Sun family, and let people know that the dead person is Sun Ci. "

Ye Feng was a little puzzled, "Why don't you just put him in the prison?"

Luo Jun shook his head and said: "The sky prison may not be safe, let alone... if it is a misunderstanding, how bad will it be for Mr. Sun in the future? It would be embarrassing for everyone to meet in the future. Let's find a place to lock up and interrogate first. If necessary, it can be released again, and no one will suspect us."

"..." It's hard to be a misunderstanding.

"If it is confirmed that Sun Ci and the Cao family..."

Luo Junyao said indifferently: "Then just throw it into the prison after the matter is over. By the way, remember to send some evidence to the eldest son of the Cao family. Then I only go to the other courtyard once, it's too wasteful!"

"..." That doesn't seem to be spent on your money, princess.