son, don't mess around

Inside the carriage.

Lin Jiangnian and Li Piaomiao sat opposite each other, while the maids Jinxiu and An Ning followed Li Piaomiao on their left and right.

It was very quiet in the carriage and no one spoke.

Just as the carriage slowly stopped, the loud voice of Xunyang Prefect He Jinqun was heard from outside the carriage.

We’ve arrived at the prefectural government!

Hearing the voice outside the carriage, Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and looked at Li Piaomiao opposite him: "Are you going down?"

Li Piaomiao looked at Lin Jiangnian calmly and said calmly, "No need."

"Row."

Lin Jiangnian nodded: "You owe me another favor."

Li Piaomiao was silent.

Jinxiu on the side rolled her eyes. This guy was just trying to take advantage of the princess.

Lin Jiangnian smiled without saying anything, then stood up and walked out of the carriage.

Outside the carriage, Lin Jiangnian stood on it and looked forward. Not far away, there was a familiar mansion.

Xunyang Prefecture Mansion!
Lin Jiangnian is no stranger.

This is the mansion where Wang Shiquan, the prefect of Xunyang, once lived.

Although the Wang family was tragically wiped out, the mansion was preserved intact and continued to serve as the residence of the next prefect.

The gate of the mansion was changed, the signboard was changed, and even the decorations at the entrance were all changed.

But it is still the same place.

After half a year, when Lin Jiangnian returned to the familiar place, he felt that everything had changed and people had changed.

At this moment, many figures had been waiting for a long time on the open space in front of the mansion gate.

Fully armed officers and soldiers of the prefectural government were kneeling on the ground all around, and in front of the crowd, there were several figures kneeling on the ground, looking respectful.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing a green official robe. He had a square face and a serious look, and there was nothing special about him.

At this moment, he was kneeling respectfully in the open space in front of the mansion, welcoming Lin Jiangnian's arrival.

This person was the new governor of Xunyang County, He Jinqun.

"Master He, there's no need to be so polite!"

Lin Jiangnian, with the help of his guard Lin Qingqing, got off the carriage and quickly came to the open space in front of the mansion. He helped He Jinqun, who was kneeling in front of him, up and said with a smile on his face: "In terms of age and seniority, this prince should call Master He uncle. Master He, you can't do this!"

"Your Highness is a noble man, and the etiquette cannot be violated. This is what I should do."

He Jinqun also smiled: "Your Highness, you must have been exhausted from the long journey, right?"

"I learned that Your Highness would pass through this place, so I came specially to welcome Your Highness and give you a warm welcome. I hope Your Highness will not be offended!"

"No, Lord He is so thoughtful. I am so grateful for Lord He's hospitality. How can I be surprised?"

"That's good……"

Although it was the first time for the two to meet, they were like old friends who had not seen each other for a long time. They had warm and bright smiles on their faces, and they were talking happily. The atmosphere was very joyful.

The tense atmosphere around them also dissipated.

"By the way, where is Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

After the inquiry, He Jinqun seemed to remember something. He looked behind Lin Jiangnian and asked with some doubt: "I heard that Her Royal Highness the Princess returned to the Lin Palace with His Highness this time? Why didn't I see Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

Lin Jiangnian said calmly: "The princess is ill and cannot see you, my Lord."

"I see."

He Jinqun suddenly understood, and immediately said: "Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Princess have traveled a long distance, and you must be tired and exhausted. Come into the mansion and take a rest. I have made all the arrangements. Please give me a chance!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"This is what I should do!"

"..."

Under the warm greeting of the prefect, everyone was welcomed into his mansion.

Rooms had already been arranged in the mansion for everyone to rest, and food and wine were also prepared for the guests. Lin Jiangnian was not unfamiliar with the prefectural mansion, and even remembered the layout and route inside clearly.

On the other side, Li Piaomiao had no intention of showing up. She didn't like crowds or meeting strangers!

Of course, the governor had no objection.

After all, with Li Piaomiao's status and position, her willingness to come was already giving him face.

With the new emperor ascending the throne, the power in the court of the Daning Dynasty has undergone earth-shaking changes.

Everyone knew that the new emperor trusted his sister very much and gave her great power. Now Li Piaomiao even had the power to mobilize troops from all states and counties in the dynasty at will.

Such a prominent status and power are certainly beyond the reach of a small Xunyang prefect.

She was willing to come here for Lin Jiangnian's sake.

Jinxiu and An Ning also stayed beside the princess and did not show up in public.

On the other side, Xu Lan and Xiao Lu were also arranged to stay in a quiet residence in the prefectural mansion to rest for a while.

When everyone entered the prefectural governor's mansion and made their arrangements, someone stopped outside the mansion.

Outside the mansion, Shen Lingjun, who was wearing a green shirt and a horse-faced skirt, did not follow in. She stood not far away, quietly watching the scene that had just happened in front of her.

Looking at the Xunyang prefect, the powerful and famous prefect in Xunyang City, he was kneeling in front of Lin Jiangnian with a respectful and kind attitude.

His eyes were complicated, and I didn't know what he was thinking.

And when everyone was arranged to enter the mansion, she quietly retreated behind the crowd.

"Commander Lin, please tell your Highness that I'm leaving first!"

Shen Lingjun turned his head and looked at Lin Qingqing who was not far away. He was silent for a moment and said, "I promised your Highness that I will not go back on my word."

Lin Qingqing looked at her strangely, but didn't say much. She nodded and said, "I'll tell His Highness."

His Highness did not say to keep a close eye on her, so Lin Qingqing did not stop Shen Lingjun from leaving.

More importantly... Lin Qingqing, as one of the witnesses who followed His Highness and witnessed the entanglement between His Highness and Miss Shen from beginning to end, always had a strange feeling in her heart.

Lin Qingqing always felt that His Highness had special feelings for this female assassin named Shen Lingjun.

Logically speaking, an assassin who had assassinated His Highness should not be alive in this world. But His Highness kept her... This is very wrong!
...At least in Lin Qingqing's opinion, something was a little strange.

Your Highness seems to have a different feeling towards this female assassin?

Therefore, Lin Qingqing is very cautious... everything is still unpredictable!
……

In the prefect's mansion.

He Jinqun had already prepared hot wine and food to welcome Lin Jiangnian, but Li Piaomiao did not show up due to illness, leaving Lin Jiangnian to attend the banquet alone.

This banquet was a great success for all the guests.

No matter what the other party was thinking, at least on the surface, the new Xunyang prefect was extremely warm and respectful towards Lin Jiangnian.

There was even a hint of fawning attitude.

This made Lin Jiangnian feel a little weird!

No matter what, the Xunyang prefect can be considered a high-ranking official. As the governor of Xunyang County, he holds considerable military power.

Considering Lin Jiangnian's status, it was not strange to treat him as an equal. But his respectful and even somewhat flattering attitude was a bit thought-provoking!

After thinking about it carefully, Lin Jiangnian could figure out something.

There must be many reasons, but the key reason is probably related to the Wang family being destroyed overnight!

Half a year ago, the Wang family was extremely powerful in Xunyang City. The Wang family had been building up a complex network of relationships over decades and controlled the lifeline of the entire Xunyang area.

However, such a huge family power was uprooted almost overnight...

Although this was helped by the Yanzhou governor Yuan Zhongnan, it was enough to make the new Xunyang governor wary. Of course, there was another more important reason... The Wang family was suddenly wiped out overnight!

At the beginning, although the Wang family fell, the Wang family members were still there. In addition, given the Wang family's influence in Xunyang, the Wang family might not have collapsed so quickly.

However, no one expected that the Wang family was wiped out on the same night he was imprisoned!

They died completely, without leaving a single one alive!
To this day, the murderer who wiped out the family that night has not been caught!

But in the eyes of many people, the murderer who wiped out the Wang family is actually very obvious... Who else could it be except Lin Jiangnian?
As expected, the blame fell on Lin Jiangnian.

It was also because of this, among many other reasons, that the new Xunyang governor subconsciously behaved somewhat respectfully in front of the Prince of Lin!
This is a ruthless person!

On the way to Beijing half a year ago, he wiped out the Wang family, which was at its peak!

He Jinqun thought that he did not have as much power as the Wang family did back then...How could he not be afraid?

Therefore, at this welcoming banquet, the new governor of Xunyang was very humble. After three rounds of drinks, without waiting for Lin Jiangnian to speak, He Jinqun took the initiative to bring up what happened in the town yesterday.

"I heard that Your Highness ran into some trouble yesterday?"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at him and said, "Did Lord He hear about it too?"

"Speaking of this matter, I also have some responsibility!"

He Jinqun sighed softly, "That Chen De is related to one of my trusted subordinates, so they usually collude with each other... But don't worry, Your Highness, I have already found out and will never tolerate it. Just tell me how to deal with them!"

Lin Jiangnian looked calm and said, "It's just a small matter. Since he is Lord He's man, Lord He should handle it on his own."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

The governor's simple words had already determined the fate of many people.

"Oh, Your Highness, there is one more thing!"

He Jinqun seemed to have thought of something and said, "Two days ago, Governor Yuan learned that Your Highness would pass through Xunyang City, so he specifically told me to keep Your Highness for a few more days. Governor Yuan will be here soon, and I hope to meet Your Highness and reminisce about the past!"

"Provincial Governor Yuan?"

Lin Jiangnian's face flushed slightly, his eyes half-closed, and he seemed a little drunk: "I'm afraid not!"

"Lord He should have heard about it, right? My father has been assassinated and is in imminent danger. I have to rush back as soon as possible. I'm afraid I can't stay here for two days!"

He Jinqun's face immediately became solemn: "Prince Lin loves the people like his own children, and his prestige is extremely high. There are still villains who dare to assassinate the prince. They deserve to die!"

"I wonder how the prince is doing now? Is he okay?"

"do not know."

Lin Jiangnian glanced at him indifferently.

He Jinqun immediately realized something and said quickly: "It was my fault that I was reckless."

"It doesn't matter!"

Lin Jiangnian waved his hand and said calmly: "Thank you, Lord He, for your hospitality today, but I will stay here for a day at most and will continue my journey tomorrow."

"If Governor Yuan can't make it back in time, I will come to visit you again when I have time."

"..."

After eating and drinking, Lin Jiangnian refused the maid's help, saying he was drunk and unwell, and staggered to the accommodation arranged for him in the backyard.

When he stepped into the backyard, Lin Jiangnian, who originally looked drunk and had unsteady steps, suddenly seemed to sober up, with clear eyes and no sign of drunkenness at all.

"Your Highness."

Lin Qingqing appeared silently behind Lin Jiangnian and said, "Yuan Zhongnan is still in a small town thirty miles away. If he rides faster, he will be able to reach Xunyang City tomorrow at the latest..."

"Let's talk about it when he comes." Lin Jiangnian looked indifferent.

"This Xunyang governor is too enthusiastic towards Your Highness. Your Highness should be careful to prevent fraud..."

Lin Qingqing could also sense the unusual enthusiasm of the Xunyang governor. Although she realized that this was not a bad thing, she still reminded His Highness to be more careful.

"By the way, there is one more thing..."

Lin Qingqing remembered something again: "Shen Lingjun is gone!"

"gone?"

Lin Jiangnian was slightly startled: "Where did she go?"

"I sent someone to follow her secretly and found that she went to a small courtyard in the east district of Xunyang City... I think that's where she's hiding."

Lin Jiangnian seemed to be thinking about something. "Okay, send someone to keep watching. Don't alert the enemy. Get ready and wait for my order!"

"Yes."

After giving the order, Lin Jiangnian turned and went to the backyard.

Under the eaves in the courtyard, Jinxiu was sitting there bored, stretching lazily, revealing her slender waist that could be held in one hand.

An Ning was standing against the eaves, with the cold posture of a girl holding a sword.

Lin Jiangnian's appearance attracted the attention of the two.

"What are you doing?"

Lin Jiangnian walked forward and greeted him with a smile.

An Ning said nothing, just stared at Lin Jiangnian without blinking.

Jinxiu snorted lightly and turned her head away, seeming to be still angry.

"Why aren't you talking?"

Lin Jiangnian looked at the two of them. They seemed to have a tacit understanding and didn't speak.

"Okay, just ignore me!"

Seeing that the twin sisters had such a tacit understanding, Lin Jiangnian sighed, then went to the door of the room, knocked, pushed the door open and walked in.

In the cold room, Li Piaomiao looked up at Lin Jiangnian who had barged in, her eyes calm.

"Do you remember what you promised me yesterday?"

Lin Jiangnian walked up to Li Piaomiao and spoke.

Li Piaomiao still looked at him and nodded lightly.

"Are you free right now?"

Li Piaomiao was silent for a moment, nodded silently, and slowly stood up.

"By the way, remember to stay close to me later... If there is any danger, remember to protect me."

Li Piaomiao glanced at him.

"My life is now in your hands."

"..."

Xunyang City, eastern suburbs.

It is located in a small courtyard in the urban area.

Shen Lingjun pushed open the gate and walked in.

"Lingjun?"

An old and hoarse voice was heard in the yard.

"Uncle Master, I'm back!"

Shen Lingjun stepped into the yard and looked at a weathered old man sitting under the eaves of the yard.

With a head full of white hair and deep eyes, when he saw Shen Lingjun appear, a rare glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.

He was wrapped in a loose grey robe, and the wide sleeve of his right hand was empty, swaying gently in the wind.

"..." (End of this chapter)