Seeing the lights getting closer and closer, Du Wenlin couldn't help but feel like he was walking away or not walking away.

Just leave like this, fearing that this thief will talk nonsense and confuse right and wrong.

If I don't leave, I'm afraid of causing trouble.

Before hesitating, the light had already arrived.

They saw the scene in front of them and immediately gathered around.

The leading big man ran over first and unbuttoned his pocket.

Only then did Du Wenlin discover that there was no gold or silver treasure in his pocket, but a person, and she was a girl, but she was still asleep and seemed to be drugged.

"What bold thieves, take them down!" the leading man shouted.

"Hey, you don't know the hearts of good people! I helped you catch the thief, but you have to repay kindness with revenge." Du Wenlin argued, and now he began to regret staying here.

"He is the thief. I was passing by here and saw him coming down from the wall with his pocket. I wanted to catch him, but I didn't expect that this little thief was very capable and I was harmed by him instead." The thief lying on the ground suddenly spoke.

Sophistry said.

Du Wenlin couldn't laugh or cry when he heard him bite back like this. He really didn't expect there to be such a despicable person in the world.

"Take them back and hand them over to the master for interrogation." The big man waved his hand, and everyone lifted up the young lady and pushed Du Wenlin and the thief back around the wall.

Within the wall are rockeries, flowing water, numerous courtyards, and tall and majestic buildings.

The garden is full of lanterns, and the shadows of people are swaying.

Du Wenlin and the thief were taken to the hall, where a majestic old man sat at the head.

The two were forced to kneel to the ground. Before the old man could speak, Du Wenlin first opened his mouth to cry out:

"You are mistaken. It was I who caught the thief and saved your people, but I didn't expect to be treated like this. Is there any justice?"

"He is the thief. I happened to pass by and saw him carrying a bag, so I started fighting with him. I didn't expect that this little thief looked weak, but he was so strong that he was restrained by him." The thief retorted.

.

The old man also felt a little confused for a moment and found it difficult to make any decision.

An official-looking person next to him came forward and said to the old man:

"Master, it's already the third watch. How about locking them up first and handing them over to the younger one for trial tomorrow?"

The old man hesitated:

"Since one of them is my little girl's savior, we must not wrong him for no reason. Let the other one go and take care of each other so that he can serve him well."

Du Wenlin knew that talking more would be useless, so he simply kept silent.

The thief was in a panic. He wanted to fish in troubled waters, but relied on his sharp tongue to get away with it.

If we wait until tomorrow for the trial, how can the paper contain the fire?

Thinking of this, he shouted again:

"My lord, it is clear to me that this villain is indeed unjust! I went out tonight to give my eighty-year-old mother some medicine. How could I have imagined that this would happen to me? If I don't come back and my mother is ill, how can I survive the cold night?"

"Your Majesty, please be patient. If it is found out tomorrow that you have been wronged, I will definitely not treat you two badly!" After the old man finished speaking, he waved his hand and asked his men to take the two of them down.

Du Wenlin was taken into a guest room. The bedding on the bed was thick, and he didn't feel very cold at all.

Lying in bed, thinking about tonight's experience, I burst out laughing.

Don't be afraid of tomorrow's interrogation. What's white can't be black.

I just laugh at the fact that there are so many unexpected things in the world.

Suddenly I thought of Sanniang again, wondering if she knew what happened to me tonight.

In my mind, Sanniang has long become a god-like existence, omnipotent and omniscient.

The next day, the old man personally sat in court for interrogation.

Before he even started questioning Du Wenlin, the thief couldn't stand the repeated questioning and exposed his flaws, and finally revealed all his details.

He turned out to be Zhang Sifeng, a gangster who had been hunted by the government for a long time. Over the years, countless women from good families had been ruined by him. The government tried their best to arrest him, but he escaped every time.

Last night he deserved his retribution and was captured by Du Wenlin for no reason.

This is called "It's not that I won't retaliate, but the time has not yet come."

After a while, people from Dali Temple came, put chains on him and took Zhang Sifeng away.

The old man invited Du Wenlin into the inner hall and sat down to talk.

"Your Excellency was frightened, I will apologize to you!" the old man said.

"Sir, you don't have to be polite. It was a coincidence that Wan Sheng intervened in this matter last night."

"Your Excellency doesn't have a capital accent, but rather sounds like he's from the south of the Yangtze River."

"Replying to Mr. Wang, I am from Wujiang, Suzhou. In order to prepare for the Spring Examination next year, I came to Beijing a few months in advance to review the books of sages with peace of mind."

"Oh, what's your surname? What's your surname?" the old man asked again.

"I was born late, my surname is Du, and my given name is Wenlin. I will be eighteen years old this year."

"Oh! Are you Du Wenlin, the top ranked high school student in Nanzhili this year?" The old man looked a little surprised.

"Yes, she is a late-born child."

"Well done, young talents have great potential and their future is limitless!" the old man praised.

Then he turned to the official standing next to him and said:

"Go and call Yin Ping to thank your benefactor!"

Du Wenlin quickly stood up, bowed and said:

"Sir, don't get me wrong. Wan Sheng just happened to rescue the young lady. Moreover, it was just a simple effort and he had no intention of repaying any kindness."

While he was talking, Miss Yinping had already come out from behind and came in all directions.

She is seventeen or eighteen years old, with a graceful figure and bright eyes.

Walking closer, he received the blessing gift and lightly opened his lips:

"My little girl Yinping thanks the young master for saving his life!"

Du Wenlin hurriedly returned the gift without even daring to say a word.

After Miss Yinping turned back, the old man handed over a message:

"If you need my help with anything in the future, you can use this post here or go to the staff department to find me."

Du Wenlin took it and took a look and was shocked. The name of Yang Cheng, the Minister of Civil Affairs, was printed on the post.

This old man turned out to be Yang Cheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was famous in both the government and the public!

Du Wenlin quickly knelt down and asked for forgiveness for his rudeness.

Yang Shangshu laughed loudly and helped him up with his own hands:

"Although you are young, you are heroic and have a loving heart. If you become an official in the court in the future, you will be a blessing to the court and all people!"

Du Wenlin saw that it was getting late and insisted on leaving.

Yang Shangshu saw that he could not stay, so he took care of the housekeeper and prepared some belongings to send to him.

Du Wenlin thanked him again before saying goodbye and returning.

Baoding Prefecture covers three continents and seventeen counties, and is a large northern prefecture close to the capital.

Although Zheng Chengen, the prefect of Baoding, was only a fourth-rank local official, no one from the court to the local government dared to underestimate him because he was Concubine Zheng's maternal uncle and a relative of the emperor.

Concubine Zheng's prestige in the palace was at its peak, so even the first-rank officials in the court had to try their best to curry favor with her.

At this time, in the back hall of the magistrate, a middle-aged man wearing a hooded red robe was standing there cautiously, listening to the reprimand of Magistrate Zheng who was sitting at the top:

"Since the day you became the leader of the profession, you have been boasting that you have networked with countless people in the world, and that you have many masters under you. Unexpectedly, you fell into the hands of a small Yanqing, how can you save your face?"

The man in red robe timidly said:

"The Song Banner Master and his men are not weaklings, so it would not be a problem to deal with Bi Zhengchuan. However, a stupid young man suddenly appeared on the way. According to the Song Banner Master's report, the boy spoke with a Jiangnan accent, and his movements and techniques were very unique and unheard of, so he was defeated.

It was an accident in his hands."

"Hmph! Don't use these as excuses for failure! How can a child with a yellow mouth grow three heads and six arms? Since the founding of the Red Feng Sect, I have been invincible at every point of my sword. Who dares to go against my lead? I can't do anything about Yan Qingmen.

Leave it at this, either be used by me, or be destroyed. How can you turn back the arrow you fired?"

"My subordinates will send people there again in the near future to resolve this matter. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"

Magistrate Zheng didn't want to talk to him anymore and picked up the tea bowl.

The man in red bowed his head and exited.

The first snowfall in Beijing was quite intense. Snowflakes had been floating for three days, and there were already feet of snow on the ground.

It is indeed a good choice to hide in the house and read in front of the stove during this season.

Just after dusk, it became dark.
To be continued...