Chapter 2320: A Familiar Feeling

Chapter 2320: A Familiar Feeling

The woman furrowed her brow slightly and asked, "Someone saw your master in Qingxuan County?"

"Yes."

The woman fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said with a smile, "Alright, I understand. I'll pass on the message if he returns."

"Thank you so much, Auntie." Shu Yu handed her a bag of pastries as a token of appreciation.

She warmly accepted it, and then watched as Shu Yu and Meng Yunzheng boarded their carriage. Only after their carriage disappeared at the end of the alley did she look at the pastries in her hand, then turned and entered her house.

A man came out of the house, and the woman repeated what Shu Yu had said earlier. "How could they suddenly go to Qingxuan County when everything was fine?"

The man smiled and replied, "Most likely, Qi Lie contacted them. I knew they wouldn't come to the southwest without getting involved in the Black Market's affairs."

"So, what should we do?"

"We let them stay in Heichang County for a few days on purpose, giving them a chance to contact Qi Lie. Now that they're going, the old rat is bound to show himself. Once we find Qi Lie, we can start the plan to eliminate the two of them."

The woman nodded, and they exchanged glances, their anticipation growing.

Shu Yu and Meng Yunzheng didn't immediately head to Qingxuan County. It was already getting late, so they rested at the inn for the night. They discussed their plans for the next day, and by the early morning of the following day, they set off for Qingxuan County.

Qingxuan County was adjacent to Heichang County, not too far away. When they arrived, it was still before noon.

The county seemed to be more bustling than Heichang County, and they first found a inn to stay.

Then, they wandered aimlessly through the town, seemingly without a specific purpose.

"Do you think the county magistrate of Qingxuan County might be like the one in Chenggu County, originally part of the Black Market?" When they reached the entrance of the county office, Shu Yu raised her head to look, and a question arose in her mind.

Following her gaze, Meng Yunzheng replied, "Before leaving the capital, the Emperor gave me a list of all the officials in this area, including those from Linzhang Prefecture. The county magistrate of Qingxuan County was transferred here just two years ago."

"Transferred here just two years ago?"

"Yes, the previous county magistrate had been here for over a decade. He definitely knew about the Black Market's existence; otherwise, his tenure of more than ten years would have been in vain. However, he was already quite old, and he unexpectedly passed away two years ago. When the news reached the capital, the Ministry of Personnel sent a replacement."

"So, this new county magistrate might not be aware of the Black Market's presence?" After all, these past two years had been relatively quiet in the southwest due to the Black Market suffering heavy losses in the attack on Changjin Mansion. If the Black Market had remained dormant, it was reasonable that the new county magistrate might not know about it.

"It's not certain. Two years ago, the Second and Third Princes were working together. When the Ministry of Personnel assigns personnel, even a small county magistrate position in a place like the southwest can easily be filled with their people."

Shu Yu nodded in agreement. So, the county magistrate was most likely one of the remnants of the Second Prince's faction.

Thinking about it, their situation had become quite precarious. They were essentially surrounded by enemies.

As she contemplated their predicament, Shu Yu suddenly focused her gaze ahead and furrowed her brows. She looked at a figure in the distance and asked, "Ah Yun, do you feel a sense of familiarity about that person?"