Prologue

"My lord! Please come in, I have been waiting for you for quite some time." A man in his forties, slightly plump, opened the door and, upon seeing the man in the blue robe, hurriedly gestured for him to enter. "In the past two days, I sent a letter to the residence, did you see it, my lord?"

The man in the blue robe nodded and said, "Make it cleaner, so that the Kaifeng Prefecture does not find any incriminating evidence."

"Your Excellency, please see clearly. However, Bai Baozhen does not dare to rise. It is just that now that Bao Zheng has begun to suspect me, I am fearful, thus I have come to the capital to seek your guidance."

No, this matter is of great importance; how could a petty person dare to carry it with them

The person who emerged from the carriage was dressed in a blue robe, with an expression of indifference, and walked straight up to knock on the door

The oil-paper lantern swayed back and forth in the wind and rain, its flickering flame casting an uncertain glow at the entrance of the official post station. Through the sound of the rain, a rather inconspicuous blue cloth sedan chair turned the corner and came to a stop at the entrance of the post station

Yes

Have you brought the ledger

The weaver Bai Baozhen from Suzhou was taken aback upon seeing his cold expression, and immediately said: "I, a mere subordinate, believe that this matter is of great importance and should be discussed with you, my superior."

This is it, would you like me to bring you a pot of good tea from the small and exquisite book?

"Right in the back room, I will lead the way."

The man in the blue robe nodded in approval, inadvertently tapping his index finger lightly twice on the lacquered table— a cool breeze swept past from behind, and Bai Baozhen felt a chill on his back. He looked down in astonishment, only to see a sharp sword piercing through his chest, with blood still dripping from the tip.

There is no need; if I have matters to attend to, I will call for you. Without my instructions, you need not come over.

Seeing that there were no attendants beside this gentleman, the officials, busy with both holding umbrellas and carrying lanterns, led him to the back room

He sneered, "Bao Zhen, oh Bao Zhen, what can I say about you? Do you want to see me die under that tiger's head guillotine before you are satisfied?"

Respected Sir, we have searched thoroughly and found only some banknotes and clothing, nothing else.

Where is the esteemed Master of Suzhou Weaving?

The man in the blue robe looked at the bloodstains on his collar with disgust: "Go inside and see what he has brought, make sure to search thoroughly."

The petty person understands

The lowly one dares not! Bai Baozhen's knees went weak, and he fell to the ground, his tone tinged with a hint of weeping, "My lord, why do you say such things? Even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I would not dare to think this way!"

The official withdrew, and he raised his hand to knock on the door

Adult

I have no other choice, you should go on your way, the man in the green robe said lightly, I will take care of your family, they will not be wronged.

Before long, the official, with an impatient expression, opened the door from within. Upon seeing the visitor, he hurriedly put on a smile and immediately bent his waist, saying: "My lord."

The breath of Bai Baozhen, who lay on the ground, had ceased, yet his eyes remained wide open in shock. The man in the blue robe, growing impatient, kicked him, turning the corpse over.

You are absolutely correct

The one holding the sword is the burly man who had just carried the sedan chair. He raised his hand to sheathe the sword with fluid grace, clearly demonstrating that he is a master swordsman

"I see," the man in the green robe said impatiently, "... who allowed you to enter the capital?"

The 2nd year of the Huangyou era, the 3rd day of the 8th month, Kaifeng

Seeing him like this, the man in the blue robe softened his tone again, reached out to support him, and sighed: "I know you are not like that; you are not comparable to them, who are all weak and incompetent, only knowing how to hide and evade when something happens"

The wind howled and the rain poured, the small car quickly vanished into the darkness, as if it had never appeared at all

Bai Baozhen struggled to open his mouth, wanting to say something, but the sword suddenly withdrew violently, and blood gushed out. Before he could catch his breath, he had already lost his life