Years pass by, flowers bloom year after year, and in a blink of an eye it is February of the new year.

Scholars gathered in the capital, and after several rounds of brutal "fighting" in the examination room, Du Wenlin stood out with his gorgeous literary talent, outstanding appearance, and penetrating insights, and was selected as the number one scholar by Emperor Wanli. Second place was Shi Jikai from Jiangxi.

The third flower is Lin Fengsheng.

After the three of them thanked the emperor in the palace, they prepared to report to the Ministry of Rites on another day.

Then I started a set of fixed rules of going back to my hometown to thank my parents, teachers, worshiping ancestors, etc.

After finishing these things, Du Wenlin paid a visit to Governor Cao on his way back to the capital.

Governor Cao summoned Nanjing officials, big and small, to greet Du Wenlin and hold a banquet to congratulate him.

Cao Cuizhu was overjoyed when she saw that Du Wenlin was now the number one scholar in high school and had returned with glory.

"After I have a stable job in the capital, I will come back to marry you." Du Wenlin said, holding Cuizhu's hand.

"Well, the slave family is waiting for you!"

Du Wenlin wanted to tell her about Mrs. Cao's meeting with the man in black that night, but he didn't know how to speak. After all, mother and daughter were connected, how could they accept such a fact?

However, keeping it a secret is not an option. After all, his mother has joined the sect and is planning to get Governor Cao into it.

It would be even more inappropriate to tell Governor Cao directly.

That would not only destroy the family, but might even give birth to more branches.

The most important thing is that this is what I overheard occasionally, and the other party is my mother-in-law. Considering my current identity, I have to conceal this matter for the time being.

After thinking hard for a long time, I still couldn't come up with a proper solution.

Du Wenlin briefly told Governor Cao how he got to know Yang Shangshu last year. Governor Cao was overjoyed. He already had a good relationship with Yang Shangshu, so he immediately wrote to him, asking him to help him in his work in the future.

Du Wenlin took some care.

Du Wenlin originally did not want to send this letter, but due to Governor Cao's painstaking efforts, he finally accepted it.

Back in the capital, as usual, Du Wenlin entered Hanlin with the winners of this year's first, second and third classes.

Du Wenlin temporarily assisted in the historical compilation of this dynasty.

I met Yang Shangshu again at the Qionglin Banquet given by the emperor, who congratulated and encouraged him.

What surprised Du Wenlin the most was that the person the three thieves wanted to assassinate on that snowy night was none other than Mr. Zhao Zhigao, the deputy minister of the imperial cabinet.

That night, he just told Du Wenlin that his surname was Zhao, but he didn't expect that he turned out to be a powerful official of the first rank.

Old Zhao Ge held Du Wenlin's hands, thanked him again for the rescue that night, and sighed:

"If our Ming Dynasty had more talented people like you, why would we worry about the country being in trouble and the people not being happy?"

On this day, Du Wenlin received a post from Yang Shangshu, inviting him to visit Yang Mansion.

Du Wenlin, the residence of Yang Shangshu, was very familiar with the road, and he arrived at the door before the sky darkened.

There was already a tweed sedan parked in front of the door, and it seemed that an important guest had arrived before it.

The housekeeper led Du Wenlin to the hall. In addition to Yang Shangshu, there was also a middle-aged man in his forties in casual clothes.

After everyone introduced each other, the other visitor turned out to be Mr. Zhao Jinzhao, the censor of Zuodu.

After sitting down, the two senior officials couldn't help but praise Du Wenlin's knowledge and character.

Then, the two of them talked about something that shocked Du Wenlin.

"Master Yang, last year Hu Jinsheng was intercepted and killed on the way. It has been more than a year now. Is there any news?" Zhao Yushi asked.

Yang Shangshu sighed:

"For more than a year, Jinyiwei and Dongchang have dispatched a large number of manpower to hunt down the killer, but so far they have not gained any results. The people who responded at the time reported that based on the on-site investigation, it seemed that it was the work of some kind of 'desert Zerg'."

Du Wenlin was shocked when he heard the words "Desert Zerg". He suddenly recalled the brutal killing and couldn't help but shudder.

"What kind of organization is the 'Desert Zerg'?"

"I heard that they are a tribe, or a nation, that live in the northern grassland desert all year round. They are accustomed to living underground, are good at crawling under the soil, and are thin in stature, so they have such a name."

"Why must it be them?" Zhao Yushi asked again.

"They are good at using daggers and are used to suddenly jumping out of the ground to assassinate people. Another characteristic is that they kill people with one knife to seal their throats. Judging from the scene of the accident, it seems that it was them."

"At that time, there were thirteen Jinyi guards who escorted Hu Jinsheng back to Beijing. They were all good fighters. I didn't expect that they would be so vulnerable to the 'Zerg'. It's really incredible."

Yang Shangshu did not answer, with deep worry in his eyes.

"It is said that the 'Red Sect' that Hu Jinsheng joined first arose in the Beijing-Tianjin area. Why did he get involved in it from a small prefect in Zhejiang?" Zhao Yushi asked.

"I'm not very clear about the details. I accidentally learned it from Dongchang last year when he was interrogating a culprit of the 'Red Fengjiao' altar leader. According to his account, Chang Tiangong, the magistrate of Taiyuan Prefecture, Xu Qinglai, the magistrate of Yanqing Prefecture, and Wenzhou

The prefect Hu Jinsheng is a follower of his religion. The most important thing is that he also confessed a shocking thing. The driving force behind this religion comes from the palace. In other words, its existence is entirely for someone in the palace or someone in the palace.

Serving a certain force."

"Does the Emperor know this?"

"Master Wang went to the palace to meet the emperor and reported the results of the interrogation. The emperor was extremely shocked after hearing this and ordered a thorough investigation of the cult. When the factory guards separately arrested the three of them, Chang Tiangong and Xu Qinglai were already hanging at home.

Committed suicide. Hu Jinsheng was shot to death on the way to Beijing."

"Two adults, I have seen the 'Desert Zerg'." Du Wenlin couldn't help but interjected.

When the two adults heard what he said, they both showed surprised expressions.

Yang Shangshu asked:

"How could you possibly have seen them?"

Du Wenlin described in detail the massacre he saw on the road last year.

When he described how the men in yellow slaughtered the officers and soldiers like a whirlwind in the rain, both of them had expressions of horror on their faces, as if they did not believe that such a method of killing could exist in the world.

Du Wenlin finished his narration, but the two adults had not yet recovered from their fright.

After a long time, Yang Shangshu said seriously:

"Now it is confirmed that the tragedy was committed by the 'Desert Zerg'. Don't exaggerate the matter for the time being to avoid causing panic. It has been more than a year since the case occurred, but so far there has been no progress in the investigation. I will go to Emperor Shu tomorrow

, Your Majesty, please order Jin Yiwei to cooperate with Dongchang to investigate the case as soon as possible." At this point, he sighed:

"Ordinarily, this matter should be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, but because some officials were involved, the emperor ordered our Ministry of Personnel to cooperate with the investigation."

"The 'Desert Zerg' are secretive and difficult to find. I'm afraid we have to start with the 'Red Sect' first." Zhao Yushi said.

Yang Shangshu turned to Du Wenlin and said:

"Master Du, judging from the night you captured the flower picker alive, you are not only young, but also have good skills. Tomorrow when I am going to speak to the emperor, I will recommend you to come to the Ministry of Personnel and participate in the investigation of the case on behalf of the Ministry of Personnel.

what do you think?"

Du Wenlin quickly stood up and saluted to express his thanks.

You must know that although those who can enter the Hanlin Academy are the best in the imperial examination, there are many people who have not yet made their mark after ten years in it.

I have just entered the Hanlin Academy and have been recognized by others and started working in a real job. This kind of opportunity is really rare!

"Two adults, I would like to ask, what kind of organization is this 'Red Sect'?"

Zhao Yushi continued:

"The 'Red Feng Sect' is a sect that has emerged in the Beijing-Tianjin area in recent years. It is said that the leader's surname is Luo. This sect has developed rapidly and is spreading, and even some officials have participated in it. Although this sect has developed rapidly, it has

It is also hidden underground and well-organized, making it difficult to detect.”

"Oh, what are the dangers of this 'Red Faction'?" Du Wenlin asked again.

Yang Shangshu took over the topic:

"Based on the evidence we have collected, this sect not only uses deception and coercion to force people to join, but also engages in assassinations, kidnappings and other activities. The most frightening thing is that it may have penetrated into partisanship in the court and internal strife in the harem.

Just like the Wenzhou magistrate Hu Jinsheng mentioned just now, if he is already a member of the 'Red Feng Sect', no one in the court knows how many officials have joined him."

Du Wenlin recounted what happened in Mengcun on the way to Beijing.

Yang Shangshu and Zhao Yushi were surprised by the arrogance of the "Red Feng Sect", and even more surprised that Du Wenlin, a weak scholar, could scare them away.

Both of them were extremely shrewd people, and they couldn't help but have a new understanding of the abilities of the young man in front of them.

Everyone turned back to the topic, and Du Wenlin continued:

"Since Hu Jinsheng was intercepted and killed by the 'Desert Zerg' on his way to the capital, it can be seen that he must have many secrets."

"Yes, someone paid a lot of money to invite the Zerg from the north to assassinate him. It shows that the strength of the person hiding behind cannot be underestimated!" Yang Shangshu said. He paused and stared at Liu Wenlin again:

"You may often deal with these monsters and ghosts in the future. Although it can increase your life experience, dangers are everywhere. Always pay attention to your own safety!"

"Thank you for your concern, sir!"

The boring working environment in the court was not what he originally yearned for.

Thinking of being able to walk around the world with a sword more often in the future, the sense of mystery and excitement made him excited.

And he never dreamed that his joining would cause an uproar from the imperial court to the world.

"Yesanpo" in Baoding is famous far and wide. It is famous not only for its beautiful scenery, but also for its rampant bandits.

Therefore, there is a saying that "it is better to walk a hundred miles than to walk three slopes in the wild".

But some people just don't believe in this evil, and this person is a single girl.

On the official road down the slope, a white horse galloped at full speed. Immediately behind him was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing fiery red clothes and trousers, with a green ribbon tied around her waist.

At the bend of the mountain road, a big tree lay across the road. This big tree could not stop such horses, but in front of the big tree stood four men with machetes.

Running closer, the girl reined in the horse and looked closely. In front of her were four men in their thirties, all dressed in gray clothes and wearing soap boots. At first glance, they looked like they were robbers.

"I didn't expect a beautiful woman to fall from the sky. It's not worth our brothers' waiting for so long." A tall and thin man said in an arrogant tone.

The other three laughed loudly. With this beauty, they had gained a lot today.

The girl frowned:

"I don't have time to joke with you, please get out of the way!"

The four of them looked at each other and seemed to have heard wrongly.

The tall and thin man said again:

"You can get out of the way, but I have to ask the girl to get off her horse and play with the brothers. When the brothers are happy, they will send the girl on her way. What do you think?"

Several people laughed again.

The girl turned red with anger and gritted her teeth and said:

"You are really looking for death!"

Immediately, a red cloud suddenly flew up, and the red cloud quickly swept towards the four people.

When the red cloud floated onto the road, the four warriors who had raised their eyebrows to the sky were all lying on the ground.

Since their debut, they have never met such a beautiful girl on this road, and they have never seen such a fast skill.

It's a pity that I only watched this once and paid a heavy price.

Two people had their knife-holding arms cut off, and two people had their right legs cut off.

Even if I can still live, I will no longer be able to do this business without capital for the rest of my life, and I will no longer be able to come here to see beautiful girls.

There was a sound of wailing on the ground.

The girl snorted in disdain, put the gleaming soft sword back to her waist, jumped on her horse, and was about to leave.

"May I ask your name, please, so that our brothers can always remember your great virtue!" A man with a broken arm asked through gritted teeth:

"Haha, you still want to seek revenge from me? Let me tell you, my name is 'Quick Sword Wang Ling'. If you want to take revenge from me, just come to the East Factory of Beijing and look for Mr. Wang An, and you will find me.

." The girl said with a smile.

Obviously, the nickname "Quick Sword King Ling" was a temporary idea.

When they heard the words Jingcheng Dongchang and Mr. Wang Anwang, the color on the faces of the four people was gone.

A horse bell rang, and the girl's fiery red back gradually disappeared.
Chapter completed!