Once Jingrong said these words.

Muruo inexplicably felt that these words were deliberately thrown at him.

So he stood up abruptly, bristling with anger, and said, “But clever Prince, people like the Crown Prince who think themselves so clever—we didn’t see him living a century either!”

The corner of Jingrong’s mouth twitched!

Little rascal, trying to spar with me.

Muruo had already turned and walked away.

Leaving him with an attitude of “I’m clever” and “I’m happy about it.”

Jingrong shook his head, ignoring him, and instead glanced meaningfully at Wei Yi’s room.

Finally, he also left.

On another front!

After leaving the market, Yun Tongyang hastened back to the Longyang Escort Agency!

The entire Longyang Escort Agency was imposingly grand. Upon entering, both sides of the courtyard were lined with weapons, and the people inside were each tall and burly—clearly not people to be trifled with.

But as soon as Yun Tongyang returned, everyone in the escort agency dared not speak, respectfully welcoming him in.

“Chief Escort, trouble with the goods this time was truly an unexpected matter.” Yang Yu, the agency’s top-ranking escort master, hurriedly reported.

Yun Tongyang’s face was dark. He didn’t respond to his words but strode into the hall, lifted his robe, and sat down in the main seat.

On both sides were the various leaders of the escort agency!

This time, the tribute goods being transported by the Longyang Escort Agency had encountered trouble on the road. If investigated, not only would the entire Longyang Escort Agency suffer disaster, but if word got out, their reputation would be ruined too.

Everyone knew that Yun Tongyang was courteous and polite in front of outsiders, but behind the closed doors of the escort agency, in private, he was an extremely sinister and ruthless person.

Everyone sat trembling with fear, exchanging glances for a long while before the agency’s Second-in-Command spoke up. “Chief Escort, this matter truly has nothing to do with our agency. No one knew it would rain so heavily halfway, making the roads muddy. And it was nighttime, plus these were urgent tribute goods, which is why we didn’t travel through the night in the rain. Who knew the large boxes contained flour?”

He finished these words carefully!

Sweat beaded on the Second-in-Command’s forehead.

Then someone else continued, “Even if we bear responsibility this time, Liu Daren on his end must also bear responsibility. In previous years when transporting tribute goods to the capital, Liu Daren would always explain what was inside. But this time he said nothing, only that they were ordinary items that the palace needed urgently. How were we to know it would be flour? If we’d known earlier, we would have made other preparations.”

Liu Daren was the official specifically responsible for tribute goods in the Yuzhou area.

Generally, tribute goods transported to the Yuzhou courier station would be entirely entrusted to the Longyang Escort Agency for continued transport. Usually, he would inform them what the tribute goods were, but this time he didn’t specify. Out of trust, and with the urgent order, the Longyang Escort Agency hadn’t asked too many questions and directly accepted this job, rushing to transport it to the capital.

Who knew it would actually be flour? Along the way, encountering heavy rain at night—even though those boxes were covered with rain cloths, the moisture seeped back in, and the flour inside the boxes had all clumped together.

At this moment, Yun Tongyang had just returned from dealing with this matter. Fortunately, that flour had been transported from Liangcheng. Spending some silver to purchase more from Liangcheng and rushing it to the capital—they could still make it in time.

It was just that once this matter blew up, the imperial court’s specially designated official agency status would probably be lost!

Yun Tongyang’s dark expression was understandable.

His face grew increasingly somber, stern-faced, his body seemingly surrounded by flames.

After a long moment, he clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the armrest of the pear wood chair.

The sound was muffled and heavy!

Frightening everyone into silence.

Each person’s body trembled.

“I said before—whether tribute goods or private cargo, we must clearly ask what’s being transported. What is Liu Daren to us? My Longyang Escort Agency didn’t even ask what goods were being transported and just trusted him? Those are tribute goods! If anything goes wrong, people will die. All of you present are veterans of the agency. Young people below making mistakes can be forgiven, but even you commit such errors—when did my Longyang Escort Agency become like this?”

His tone was deep and heavy!

Although he wasn’t shouting, it was precisely this nearly grave tone that made people’s hearts panic even more.

No one around dared to speak.

All kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet his gaze.

Yun Tongyang restrained the anger in his heart and continued, “Listen well, all of you. My Longyang Escort Agency is Yuzhou City’s official agency. Even if we have to pull someone out to take the blame, we must protect this plaque. I’ll handle Liu Daren’s side. The flour from Liangcheng has already been re-transported to the capital. The court can be temporarily stabilized, but if Liangcheng’s side leaks information and the Ministry of Rites ultimately discovers it and investigates, someone will eventually have to take the blame.”

Upon hearing this!

Everyone shrank back.

Fearing being pulled out to take the blame—after all, these were tribute goods!

Yun Tongyang took in everyone’s expressions, silent for a long moment.

“All of you, get out.”

No one hesitated, filing out one after another.

After all, sitting there was like sitting on pins and needles!

Shortly after, the agency’s steward, Uncle Liang, walked in and bent down beside him.

Yun Tongyang’s gaze fixed on the doorway, those eyes suddenly growing more sinister.

He instructed Uncle Liang, “If the Ministry of Rites discovers this, push out the Second-in-Command. That fellow should have died long ago anyway.”

“Understood.”

“While I’ve been away from Yuzhou City, has anything happened?”

“Another person died.”

“Who?”

“Chang Shiliang. The second day after you left the city to handle the tribute goods, he died.”

Uncle Liang answered each question.

Yun Tongyang’s expression didn’t change much, but those strong hands secretly clenched into fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

He stood up and said, “Don’t follow me. I’m going out.”

“Alright.”

Half an hour after Yun Tongyang left the Longyang Escort Agency, he appeared at Li Mingzhou’s residence.

After being released from the yamen last night, Li Mingzhou, who had originally planned to leave this morning, still hadn’t departed.

When he saw Yun Tongyang appear, he was quite surprised.

He immediately dismissed the servants and led Yun Tongyang to the rear courtyard.

“Why did you come?”

“Three people are already dead—how could I not come?”

“What are you trying to say?” Li Mingzhou was clearly wary of him.

Yun Tongyang’s expression was grave as he said, “Fifth Brother, does this matter have anything to do with you?”

Calling him Fifth Brother?

Actually, Li Mingzhou hadn’t heard this form of address in a very long time.

He laughed coldly, glanced around, then pulled him into a room and closed the door.

At this very moment, on the rooftop of the Li residence’s rear courtyard, two figures waited quietly for a moment before flashing away.

At the yamen!

Those two figures flashed all the way from the Li residence’s rooftop to the yamen’s rooftop, finally landing steadily beside Jingrong.

“Did you find anything?” Jingrong sat in the courtyard.

“Reporting to Your Highness, neither the Chang residence nor the Li residence had any inkstone with duckweed grass added to the ink.”

“You checked everything thoroughly?”

“Checked thoroughly.”

“Then you may withdraw.”

The two didn’t withdraw immediately.

Jingrong looked at them. “Speak.”

The two exchanged glances before answering, “Your Highness, at Li Mingzhou’s residence, we saw Yun Tongyang from the Longyang Escort Agency.”

What?

The teacup in Jingrong’s hand trembled, and he set it down heavily.

“Are you certain you didn’t see wrong?”

“No mistake. Moreover, he called Li Mingzhou Fifth Brother.”

Uh!

That meant—five of the seven brothers had now appeared?