The black caravan was surrounded by scattered torches that illuminated the official road. However, the caravan was too long, and even though the Dazhou City government had mobilized its entire force, the thirteen yamen experts from the capital, led by three eunuchs from the inner court, could only intercept half of the caravan and were unable to encircle the entire group. Nevertheless, the officials kept their eyes fixed on the wanted criminal, not worrying that this blood-soaked man with his wife and children would disappear before their eyes.

Yet, no one dared to rush forward and seize Gao Da. Everyone sensed something unusual; the man holding the wanted criminal was clearly not an ordinary commoner. The official robes he wore looked familiar to many.

The most crucial aspect was the long black caravan. While the carriages appeared ordinary, a caravan of thirty-odd carriages was not a sight seen every day. Even the most foolish person could guess that some important figures were inside.

The officials from the thirteen yamen of the Ministry of Justice cursed inwardly, feeling unlucky. They hadn't expected that just when they were extremely fortunate to apprehend a wanted criminal whom the court had been secretly pursuing for a long time outside the remote Dazhou City, they would encounter such a strange caravan.

The Ministry of Justice officials weren't alarmed. Although they weren't yet clear about the caravan's identity, they were acting under the order of the Department of Ministries and were considered half-imperial envoys. Who in the world would dare to obstruct them? Even if there were royal nobles in the black caravan, they couldn't possibly object to the court's capture of a criminal.

Three eunuchs from the inner court emerged from the crowd of torchbearers. The leading old eunuch squinted at the strange caravan and the blood-soaked wanted criminal, who was lying on the ground in front of a carriage. Several people in black official robes seemed to be treating him, while the pale-faced mute woman was holding a child, watching the criminal with extreme anxiety.

The inner court expert's eyes narrowed, and his nostrils twitched slightly. He sensed a hint of surprise and unease because he easily recognized which faction the people in black official robes belonged to.

After a round of fighting, Gao Da had bravely rushed to the official road and seriously injured two inner court experts, but he himself was at the end of his strength. Because he had to protect the woman and child behind him, he had suffered many wounds that shouldn't have been there.

The inner court expert in charge of the capture also felt his blood surging and couldn't calm down for a moment. He frowned slightly at the caravan, not acting too presumptuously; he was just a little scared.

As an inner court expert carrying an imperial decree, he shouldn't be afraid even if the caravan was truly a team from the Inspection Department. The problem was that he didn't know the rank of this caravan within the Inspection Department. What was especially crucial was that today's wanted criminal was Tiger Guard Gao Da, who had been a trusted guard of Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, back then. If the people from the Inspection Department discovered this, if Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, was in this caravan...

The eunuch took a deep breath and, illuminated by the torches, slowly stepped forward and said in a hoarse voice to the pure black carriage on the official road, "He Qi Gan of the inner court is here under imperial order to capture a wanted criminal."

He didn't ask about the caravan's identity first but stated his own identity and intention. This way, if the black caravan really had any unusual movements, the inner court would have taken the lead.

The experts from the thirteen yamen of the Ministry of Justice gradually noticed something amiss and were no longer as confident as before. Instead, they cautiously spread out around the carriage. The soldiers from the Dazhou City government were greatly puzzled; these lords from the capital usually held their noses in the air. Even when facing the fierce tiger-like wanted criminal, no one would retreat half a step. Why were they so cautious when facing this black caravan?

"A wanted criminal?" The Inspection Department official who was squatting beside Gao Da, tending to his injuries, suddenly frowned. Hearing the inner court eunuch's words, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. He looked at the unconscious Gao Da and muttered, "So, you slipped away back then as well."

The inner court eunuch didn't receive a reply, but that was within his expectations. The Inspection Department always acted secretly, but once they clashed with the major pivot bureaus in the court, they were exceptionally arrogant and tyrannical. Although the inner court nominally had the function of supervising the Inspection Department, under the deliberate indulgence of Chen Pingping and Fan Xian, the two successive directors, the Inspection Department wasn't very afraid of the inner court.

"I wonder which lord from the department is in the caravan, and if there's something important?" The inner court eunuch lowered his eyelids and said coldly, "Please ask the lord to hand over this wanted criminal to the inner court for handling."

There were as many as thirty-odd carriages, carrying an unknown number of officials, spies, or important items. An operation that could cause the Inspection Department to deploy thirty-odd specially made strange carriages must either be protecting a particularly important person from the department or be responsible for an extremely important task. Although the eunuch was an inner court expert, he wasn't willing to affect the Inspection Department's affairs. Especially since he was a little afraid that he would be extremely unlucky and meet Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, outside Dazhou City.

The Inspection Department official, who had been squatting beside Gao Da, slowly stood up, squinting at the inner court expert in the glare of the torches. After a long silence, he suddenly said, "This official is the deputy head of the Second Bureau of the Inspection Department. Please show your imperial decree."

The inner court eunuch's temple suddenly throbbed painfully. He hadn't expected that after his group revealed their identity, the Inspection Department official would still demand to see the imperial decree they were carrying.

The Inspection Department wasn't afraid of the inner court, and the inner court naturally wasn't afraid of the Inspection Department. They were only afraid of the two successive directors of the Inspection Department because their weight in front of His Majesty the Emperor was heavier than the entire inner court combined. Therefore, in ordinary interactions, the inner court was polite to the Inspection Department, and the Inspection Department wasn't willing to offend the inner court either.

In a situation like today, the fact that the Inspection Department official said such a thing, appearing so strong and unreasonable, made the inner court eunuch's heart tremble. This was very different from the Inspection Department's usual behavior. Could it be that the little Lord Fan Xian really was in the caravan?

"Is Little Duke Fan Xian in the caravan? Please allow this old servant to come forward to pay his respects." The inner court eunuch gritted his teeth. The Inspection Department was certainly powerful, but he wasn't very afraid of it. He was just afraid that Little Lord Fan Xian really was in the caravan. Otherwise, why would this official be so cold and stubborn?

"Director Chen Pingping is handling matters in Dongyi City," the Inspection Department official said, frowning and glancing at him. He seemed surprised that the other party had started testing the waters so quickly. He then said coldly, "Since everyone is working for the court, what's the problem with me wanting to see your official seal?"

Hearing that Fan Xian wasn't in the caravan, the inner court eunuch's heart calmed down at once. Although the Inspection Department was terrifying, it was, after all, His Majesty's special agency. They certainly wouldn't have the guts to stop the inner court from doing things.

"Since when does the inner court need to report to the Inspection Department when handling matters?" The inner court eunuch's face gradually darkened, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Someone, take this wanted criminal into custody!"

After giving this order, his eyes shifted to the deputy head of the Second Bureau's face, his gaze as substantial as possible, intending to intimidate the other party. At this moment, the inner court was acting with the thirteen yamen of the Ministry of Justice. If the Inspection Department insisted on interfering, what difference would that be from rebellion?

For more than a year, he had been dispatched by His Majesty to He Zongwei to pursue Gao Da relentlessly in the mountains and fields of Qing Kingdom. He hadn't returned to the capital, so he didn't know much about the Inspection Department's information. He only knew that Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, had indeed been busy with the surrender of Dongyi City, but he didn't know who might be in this black caravan.

Several experts from the thirteen yamen of the Ministry of Justice exchanged glances, all seeing the vigilance and unease in each other's eyes. At this moment, they naturally knew that all the officials in the caravan were from the Inspection Department. Regarding the Inspection Department, the officials from the six ministries and three courts of the court all had a natural fear and resistance. If it were any other time, these Ministry of Justice officials wouldn't dare to confront the Inspection Department head-on. But today, they were acting for the court, and countless eyes were watching. The blood-soaked wanted criminal was lying among the Inspection Department officials, so they had much more confidence than usual.

The Ministry of Justice officials moved slowly and steadily, approaching the carriage. The Inspection Department officials beside the carriage didn't make any moves, as if they also felt it wasn't worth falling out with the entire inner court and Ministry of Justice for a wanted criminal.

The people surrounding them breathed a sigh of relief. Just as the Ministry of Justice officials had walked to Gao Da's side, taken out shackles, and were about to apply them, the Inspection Department official, who had been pondering silently and frowning, suddenly said, "That's still not right. You say he's a wanted criminal, and he's a wanted criminal? You're a eunuch from the inner court, not the chief justice of the Court of Judicial Review."

Then, he waved his hand.

With several "chī chī" sounds, several cold glints appeared. The Inspection Department officials surrounding Gao Da still stood with their hands behind their backs, without any movement. But from the darkness around the carriage, several swordsmen swept over like a gust of wind. In a flash of lightning, they drew their swords and placed them across the necks of the Ministry of Justice officials.

The Ministry of Justice officials' faces turned pale instantly. They had been so careful, but they never expected that the darkness surrounding the official road, illuminated by the torches, would actually conceal such powerful experts. They hadn't even managed to make a single move before being subdued!

The inner court expert slowly raised his head, his eyes narrowed, his pupils slightly constricted. Looking at the movements in front of him, looking at the swordsmen shrouded in black, he couldn't help but feel a chill. The assassins of the Sixth Bureau of the Inspection Department were indeed well-deserved.

However, he wasn't afraid at all. He looked at the deputy head of the Second Bureau and said coldly, "It seems that this lord also knows the identity of this wanted criminal, knowing that he used to be Director Fan Xian's trusted aide..."

What is meant by attacking the heart? This was attacking the heart. At this moment, hundreds of people in the field were listening to these words. No one could kill everyone and silence them. As long as the Inspection Department prevented the inner court from capturing this wanted criminal today, then the rumors placed on Fan Xian would naturally spread to the capital.

The Inspection Department official lowered his head slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, "Old dead eunuch, I don't care what you say. You say you're acting under imperial orders, and I want to see your official seal. Even if you don't have an official seal, you have to show me the Ministry of Justice's wanted notice. Otherwise, if I say you're a mountain bandit harming the local people, what can you say?"

After saying these words, a cold smile appeared on the official's lips, appearing incomparably icy and confident.

Standing behind everyone, the governor of Dazhou, according to his rank, was the highest-ranking official. However, he knew that there was something fishy about this matter, and since it involved the Inspection Department, the Department of Ministries, the inner court, and the Ministry of Justice, how could a small governor of a state like himself dare to get involved? However, hearing the word "mountain bandit," the governor couldn't help but smile bitterly. The people from the Inspection Department were indeed shameless and ruthless. In front of so many court officials, they even dared to call an inner court eunuch a mountain bandit.

The capture of Gao Da and Wang Qinian was originally a secret matter being carried out by He Zongwei. He wanted to hide this matter until the end so that the contradictions between His Majesty and Fan Xian, once they erupted, would have no chance of turning around. Therefore, he naturally hadn't reported to His Majesty in advance, and of course, there couldn't be any official seal written by His Majesty. Furthermore, he didn't dare to let Fan Xian's powerful forces know his plan, so all actions were carried out secretly, and even the Ministry of Justice's wanted notice was not issued.

If they captured Gao Da or Wang Qinian, it would be easy to complete these procedures afterward. However, the Inspection Department official was indeed sharp-eyed and immediately saw the problem. With a single sentence, he forced the inner court and Ministry of Justice's special department officials to the bottom of the mountain.

The inner court eunuch was silent for a moment. He couldn't produce His Majesty's decree or the Ministry of Justice's wanted notice, but he couldn't possibly watch Gao Da, this wanted criminal, slip away before his eyes.

"This old servant's identity is naturally attested to by the lords of the Ministry of Justice. The lords of the Ministry of Justice all have tokens on their person." The inner court eunuch coldly turned the matter to another aspect. "At this moment, we want to arrest someone. If the Inspection Department wants to stop us, feel free to kill us all."

As soon as these words came out, the entire official road fell silent. A solemn and cold atmosphere began to permeate among the crowd. Seemingly tense, the inner court eunuch was actually feeling calm. Presumably, at this moment, the officials in the Inspection Department caravan had learned the identity of Tiger Guard Gao Da in the shortest amount of time. They certainly knew Gao Da's relationship with their director. Whether they had discovered what the court wanted to do with this matter or not, they certainly wouldn't easily let the inner court people capture Gao Da.

The problem was that the inner court and Ministry of Justice had to capture Gao Da and bring him back to the capital before the Inspection Department could send the intelligence to Fan Xian. Therefore, they had to use force because the inner court eunuch believed that no matter how strong the Inspection Department was, they wouldn't dare to kill everyone here in the mountains of Qing Kingdom.

The eunuch believed that the Inspection Department caravan of thirty-odd carriages certainly had the strength to kill everyone he had with him, but he also believed that if the Inspection Department didn't want to rebel, they naturally couldn't use such a cruel move.

So he walked towards Gao Da very coldly and slowly.

The Inspection Department official looked at him coldly out of the corner of his eye, as if he was still calculating how to handle the current situation. If it were any other time, this official would have already come up with countless insidious ideas to make the inner court and Ministry of Justice people suffer. However, tonight, he suddenly encountered Gao Da and suddenly heard that the court was arresting a wanted criminal. Especially since he sensed the hidden risks of this matter, which might implicate Director Fan Xian, the official's mood was agitated, and he couldn't come up with a decisive idea for a moment.

No one came down from the carriages. All the Inspection Department officials and spies, including the assassins of the Sixth Bureau hidden in the darkness, were waiting for him to speak.

But he didn't speak, until the inner court eunuch walked to Gao Da's side.

......

......

Just at this moment, a burst of commotion suddenly broke the tranquility and solemnity outside Dazhou City. A sound of girls' laughter and chatter suddenly resounded through the night sky, like the fox fairy stories told in novels. The quiet long night had suddenly turned into a paradise of spring outings.

Everyone's ears perked up, and their moods tensed. Where would so many girls suddenly come from in the middle of the night?

Then, everyone's eyes widened. They had never imagined that one day, no, one night, they would actually see so many beauties at the same time!

Countless colorful skirts, beautiful as the wind, graceful figures, and uniquely dressed beautiful girls flocked to the solemn scene from the rear of the caravan, chattering. They didn't seem to know that there was a tense atmosphere of impending conflict ahead. They were still talking animatedly about the boredom of the journey and whose rouge had gotten dusty.

The road back home seems quite far. After sitting in the carriage for so long, I have some personal needs and want to squat in the bushes. But none of these rough men in the courtyard are as sensible as Little Lord Fan Xian and don't say anything about stopping the car. It's not easy for the caravan to stop, but no one comes to help my little hand, this carriage… is quite tall.

Everyone looked at this scene in astonishment, feeling as if they were in an unreal environment, especially the Ministry of Justice officials in the front, who looked at this scene of莺莺翠翠 as if they had seen a ghost.

The old inner court eunuch, who had been walking calmly to Gao Da's side, suddenly felt his eyelids twitch violently. He stood up abruptly, looked at these beautiful girls, and suddenly thought of the garden that everyone in the capital knew about.

Then, he saw a pure black wheelchair being carried down from a pure black carriage.

An old cripple was sitting in the wheelchair. The old cripple had a wool blanket covering his knees. The old cripple looked at the eunuch leader and said in a hoarse, high-pitched voice, "Why have we stopped for so long? It seems that not being this damn director anymore, my words are not as effective as that kid's."

The inner court expert looked at Chen Pingping as if he were looking at a ghost, unable to understand how this old lord would suddenly appear outside Dazhou City. His knees trembled subconsciously, and his whole body and mind were occupied by fear.

He knew he had made the biggest mistake. He had only thought that since Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, was not in the caravan, no one in the entire Inspection Department would dare to directly challenge the authority represented by the inner court. However, he hadn't expected that Little Fan, Lord Fan Xian, wasn't there, but the old director Chen Pingping was...in the caravan.

With a "pū" sound, he knelt down, lowered his head deeply, and said with utmost respect, "This old servant greets Director Chen Pingping."

The astonished officials, yamen runners, and soldiers immediately guessed the identity of the old cripple. The阴威 of Qing Kingdom for decades had suppressed them so much that they didn't dare to make any movements, kneeling straight on the ground, including the governor of Dazhou, without a single exception.

On both sides of the official road, the dense crowd of officials knelt on the ground towards the old cripple beside the carriage. Chen Pingping looked around, his expression calm, and suddenly coughed lightly, clenching his fist. A trace of inexplicable emotion flashed in his eyes, and he muttered to himself, "Ye Zi was right. Qiao Qiao's mother indeed gave birth to Qiao Qiao."

——————————————————

Four days earlier, the Imperial Palace of the capital was shrouded in the light and diffuse sunlight of late summer and early autumn. The entire palace was clear and peaceful. The Qing Kingdom was in a day of great joy. From the Emperor to the peddlers, everyone exuded a fresh and charming upward atmosphere from the inside out. The normally森凉 Imperial Palace seemed to have changed its flavor, and the spots of light that moved slowly on the Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed so playful.

The only place where the taste hadn't changed was the Imperial Study. It had warm stoves in winter and ice basins in summer, like spring all year round, lacking change, which was annoying. The master of the Imperial Study, His Majesty the Great Emperor of Qing Kingdom, was such a terrifying figure who had been the same for decades, without the slightest change.

"The people from the Ministry of Justice should have arrived in Dazhou. Find time to handle this matter." His Majesty the Emperor coldly put down his teacup. At this moment, the First Prince had arrived in Dongyi City and started to deal with the rebellion of the Little Liang Kingdom. The secret report had just been sent back to the capital by Fan Xian, and the Emperor only glanced at it before ignoring it. His two sons should have no difficulty dealing with the small matter of Dongyi City.

"Grand Academician He Zongwei has put in a lot of effort," Eunuch Yao said, looking at his nose with his eyes and at his heart with his nose, saying a very ordinary sentence.

Although the words were ordinary, they were actually not ordinary. Although He Zongwei had always wanted to improve his relationship with the palace eunuch leaders and had invested a lot of enthusiasm and money in it, for some reason, all the eunuchs and palace maids in the entire palace respected and loved Fan Xian from the bottom of their hearts, and it had never changed.

Eunuch Yao's words undoubtedly stabbed Grand Academician He Zongwei in secret. However, Emperor Qing didn't react, but smiled slightly and said, "He Zongwei is also afraid of death, but the person named Gao Da has lived for so long. I have given enough face to An Zhi, although… he doesn't seem to know that the rebel is still alive."

Eunuch Yao suddenly said in a trembling voice, "The old director will pass by Dazhou in three days. Please, Your Majesty, make a holy decision."

"Let me think about it again." A trace of weariness and absentmindedness suddenly flashed in Emperor Qing's eyes, and he said slowly.