Once the matter was settled, Li Xuan greeted the Two Chief Eunuchs and returned to make preparations.
The Internal Affairs Bureau's secret agents would depart early tomorrow morning to investigate Cross Slope, and Li Xuan only needed to gather at the Internal Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning.
Watching Li Xuan's figure disappear through the window, only Zhao Feng and Chief Steward Shang remained in the study.
After the sounds outside died down, Zhao Feng asked Chief Steward Shang:
"Godfather, is it necessary to involve Li Xuan in such a small matter?"
"Speaking of which, only a few people in the capital could commit such a crime, and investigating it would just be a simple process of elimination."
"Not to mention, Godfather and I already have the answer in our hearts, don't we?"
Zhao Feng felt there was no need to trouble Li Xuan, as returning the items to Jingyang Palace would be another significant favor.
Moreover, if the Ping An Trading Company's goods were already destroyed, Li Xuan would have hoped in vain.
Chief Steward Shang chuckled, then slowly explained:
"Fenger, compared to those you have helped, those who have helped you are more trustworthy."
"Don't be too concerned with temporary gains and losses; sometimes, letting Li Xuan help us within his capabilities, I think he would be very happy to."
"Among friends, mutual help is how deeper friendships are built."
As Chief Steward Shang spoke, he extended two slender index fingers and gently touched them together.
Zhao Feng himself was getting on in years, and being lectured for no reason was naturally not very pleasant.
Even if it was his godfather lecturing him, his current Chief Steward of the Internal Affairs Bureau also had his pride, didn't he?
Zhao Feng propped his chin, pouted, and said in an annoyed tone:
"Godfather, you didn't teach me this way before."
"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests."
"To maintain a long-lasting harmonious relationship, one must always keep interests aligned and avoid direct conflicts of interest."
"Even in conflict, one must strive to seek common interests."
"If there is no longer a shred of common interest, even if no conflict has arisen yet, one must begin to prepare to eliminate the other party."
Zhao Feng shook his head, reciting a long passage as if from a book, then looked at Chief Steward Shang teasingly.
Chief Steward Shang was not angered by his godson's retort; his face still held a smiling expression.
But the next moment, Chief Steward Shang's hand suddenly moved to Zhao Feng's forehead and gently tapped it.
Zhao Feng didn't even have time to react; his forehead felt a burning sting, and then his head uncontrollably tilted back, almost rolling directly to the ground.
It must be said that Zhao Feng was indeed a Great Inner Expert; he immediately executed an Iron Bridge, relying on his powerful waist strength to swing his upper body, making a large circle before sitting steadily back in his chair.
Zhao Feng's face was stern, maintaining the demeanor of an expert, but the bright red patch on his forehead greatly affected his image at that moment.
"Sigh, Godfather."
"We're both getting on in years; can we stop being so childish?"
Zhao Feng endured the pain, his tone full of helplessness.
His protective internal energy hadn't even had time to activate, a disparity that was truly disheartening.
"Rotten wood cannot be carved!"
Chief Steward Shang shook his head, retracted his index finger, and then lectured:
"What I taught you before were the basics, and they don't conflict at all with what I'm teaching you now."
"The word 'interest' lies in 'value'."
"Value can be tangible or intangible."
"Gold, silver, treasures, power, beauty—all stem from desire."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng nodded in agreement, then recited again:
"The art of managing subordinates lies in the control and satisfaction of desires."
"Those who lose control or cannot be satisfied are no longer good pawns."
Zhao Feng could still clearly remember every word of his godfather's past teachings.
Seeing that his godson still fluently remembered his past instructions, Chief Steward Shang also showed a satisfied smile.
"Exactly."
"It's just that some people's desires are more primitive, while others' desires have evolved a step further."
"Li Xuan is a sentimental cat, so the value of'sentiment and loyalty' far surpasses any rare treasures."
Zhao Feng nodded in deep agreement after hearing this.
From Li Xuan's attitude towards Princess Ankang and Yu'er, this was not difficult to discern.
Not to mention the several stray cats that often followed Li Xuan.
When there were benefits, Li Xuan still thought of these stray cats, which showed his character.
"Godfather, can the sentiment we gain through such calculations still be valued by Li Xuan?"
Having talked about interests his entire life, it was rare to talk about sentiment, but it was still a calculation, which made Zhao Feng feel a bit uneasy.
However, Zhao Feng's demeanor also proved that he was a person who valued sentiment.
True sincerity is rare, and even harder to give.
Chief Steward Shang smiled slightly, patted his godson's shoulder, and simply said calmly:
"Judge by actions, not by intentions."
With that, Chief Steward Shang left with his hands behind his back, not forgetting to instruct as he walked out the door:
"Remember to arrange tomorrow's matters well and choose a suitable person to accompany Li Xuan."
...Early the next morning.
Li Xuan arrived at the Internal Affairs Bureau early to report.
Zhao Feng had already arranged the team of secret agents to accompany Li Xuan.
Actually, this time Li Xuan was merely assisting; the main players were these secret agents from the Internal Affairs Bureau.
And among them, Li Xuan saw a familiar face.
"Meow. (Xu Lang.)"
Li Xuan called out to the leader of the team, and Xu Lang also noticed Li Xuan's arrival.
"My Lord."
Xu Lang immediately bowed, his attitude extremely respectful.
The other Flower-Clothed Eunuchs who were preparing saw this scene and quickly followed suit, bowing in unison.
"My Lord!"
Li Xuan looked at the circle of Flower-Clothed Eunuchs bowing to him and immediately felt a surge of exhilaration.
"Is this how important people are treated?"
"This is too cool."
Li Xuan couldn't help but chuckle foolishly, but immediately managed his expression, imitating Cat Overlord's usual cool expression, he nodded and meowed, signaling them to stand up straight.
Unfortunately, they didn't understand Li Xuan's meaning and remained in their respectful bowing posture.
Just then, a hearty laugh came from the Internal Affairs Bureau.
"Haha, Li Xuan, you've got quite the presence now."
Zhao Feng walked out, laughing.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, led by Xu Lang, immediately maintained their original positions, lining up on both sides to make way for Zhao Feng.
Li Xuan proudly lifted his head, full of spirit.
Seeing his appearance, Zhao Feng couldn't help but smile even more brightly.
Zhao Feng extended a hand to Li Xuan, who immediately jumped onto it and stood steadily on Zhao Feng's shoulder.
"Alright, no need to be so polite, everyone get acquainted."
Zhao Feng announced.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs immediately straightened up and formed a neat line in front of Zhao Feng.
On previous occasions, Li Xuan had left a deep impression on many Flower-Clothed Eunuchs when entering and exiting the Internal Affairs Bureau.
They had also witnessed the Two Chief Eunuchs' attitude towards Li Xuan several times, so smart individuals like Xu Lang had long understood their place and treated Li Xuan with utmost respect.
Those who could become Flower-Clothed Eunuchs were the elites among elites; they weren't just outstanding in cultivation talent.
Seeing Xu Lang, the leader of this mission, bow so exaggeratedly to Li Xuan, although they had some murmurs in their hearts, they still obediently followed suit and bowed without hesitation.
Originally, a few people secretly thought, "Is it really necessary?"
But now, seeing Li Xuan standing proudly on Zhao Feng's shoulder, no one dared to think that way anymore.
"Listen carefully, this is Li Xuan, the spirit beast assisting in this investigation."
"Remember, the highest priority of this mission is Li Xuan's safety."
As soon as Zhao Feng spoke, all the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs were startled, but no one dared to question the order.
Those present were the elites of the Internal Affairs Bureau, all trusted by Zhao Feng, so he specifically emphasized Li Xuan's importance.
This time, the investigation was taking place outside the palace, and unexpected situations might occur.
Therefore, Zhao Feng had to explain Li Xuan's importance to avoid unnecessary incidents.
"Yes, Chief Steward!"
Led by Xu Lang, the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs roared their affirmation.
Seeing his orders conveyed, Zhao Feng nodded and then commanded:
"The time has come; let's depart."
Zhao Feng then turned to Li Xuan and whispered a few instructions:
"You heard what I just said; during the investigation, you must first protect yourself."
"The case can go uninvestigated, but you must not have any problems."
Upon hearing these words, Li Xuan felt a warmth in his heart.
To be valued so highly by someone was always very touching.
He immediately nodded, indicating that he had taken Zhao Feng's words to heart.
Zhao Feng didn't waste any more time, directly summoned Xu Lang, and had Li Xuan change his standing place.
This time, the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs leaving the palace followed the usual routine, using the pretext of purchasing supplies.
It was just past dawn, and the sky was only faintly lit.
But Li Xuan had already joined Xu Lang and the others on the convoy leaving the palace for procurement.
The route was similar to before, exiting the West Palace through Tongming Gate and arriving outside the imperial city.
However, this time they did not go to the Ping An Trading Company but separated from the procurement convoy, turning instead towards the Jingang Gate on the west side of the capital, and then directly exited the capital.
Along the way, Li Xuan passed through the West Market, where many people were rushing to set up their stalls, which made him think of Xiao Cui and her grandfather.
"I wonder how this pair of grandparents has been doing recently?"
Although it had only been a few days since he returned to the palace, Li Xuan was genuinely concerned about Xiao Cui and her grandfather, and he wondered if the Money Gang had caused them any more trouble later on.
Li Xuan thought that if the investigation concluded smoothly this time, he could stop by the West Market on his way back to see how Xiao Cui and her grandfather were doing.
After arriving outside the city by carriage, Li Xuan looked at the scene before him with curiosity.
Speaking of which, this was Li Xuan's first time leaving the capital.
Early in the morning, many commoners were queuing to enter the city, while fewer were leaving.
Therefore, Li Xuan and his companions did not wait long before successfully leaving the city.
After reaching outside the city and traveling about three to five li, the carriage slowly stopped.
There were people waiting to meet them here, bringing thirty swift horses.
This time, Zhao Feng had dispatched a total of fifteen Flower-Clothed Eunuchs for the investigation, with Xu Lang leading them.
After handing over the carriage to the people who met them, they all switched to swift horses and then headed straight for Cross Slope.
Li Xuan and Xu Lang rode on the same horse, Li Xuan standing steadily on the saddle.
Xu Lang looked at Li Xuan sitting in front of him, feeling a sense of wonder.
"My Lord, we are about fifty li from our destination. At our current speed, we should arrive before noon."
Xu Lang reported to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan turned to look; with one person per two horses, galloping at full speed, it was indeed not slow at all.
Speaking of which, Li Xuan used to travel by carriage; this was his first time riding a swift horse.
The bumping of the horse was not an issue for Li Xuan, but looking at the constantly receding scenery, he still couldn't help but complain:
"So slow."
Li Xuan certainly had the right to say that.
If he ran at full speed now, it would probably only take a few breaths to shake off these swift horses, which would be effortless.
But now Li Xuan was already at the Middle Three Ranks of cultivation, and comparing himself to these ordinary swift horses was indeed a bit demeaning.
They galloped along the official road, leaving a trail of dust, causing those traveling alongside them to eat quite a bit of dirt.
This was unavoidable; even the official roads of Great Xing were still dirt roads, just built to be flatter and wider.
Only the roads within the city were paved with bluestone, so running on them wouldn't kick up so much dust.
They rode for a long time, and when the sun was almost directly overhead, they saw a large crossroads appear at the end of the official road.
Next to the crossroads was a tea stall, and a little further away stood a two-story inn.
At this time, many people were resting at the tea stall.
Some were also heading to the inn for a meal or lodging, making it quite lively.
"My Lord, that's Cross Slope ahead."
Xu Lang said to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan meowed, then carefully observed Cross Slope.
Many merchant caravans and people passed through here; although surrounded by deep mountains and old forests, looking like a wilderness, it was still very lively.
Li Xuan found it hard to imagine that bandits would choose such a place to act.
Cross Slope rapidly approached their view, and Xu Lang quickly signaled to his left and right.
Their team instantly split into three.
Xu Lang, with Li Xuan and four others, headed straight for the inn.
The remaining ten Flower-Clothed Eunuchs also split into two teams of five, taking the extra swift horses, and rode directly along the two intersections of Cross Slope, without stopping.
Li Xuan naturally wouldn't interfere with the actions of the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs.
Yesterday, Zhao Feng had said that the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs would do the heavy lifting, and Li Xuan only needed to assist from the side.
Approaching Cross Slope, Xu Lang and his men slowed their horses.
Many people were resting here; if they galloped wildly, it would likely incur public anger.
Li Xuan turned to look at the people resting at the tea stall and noticed quite a few Jianghu guests carrying weapons among them.
Seeing these people, Li Xuan finally became interested.
"Ho ho, finally some taste of wandering the Jianghu."
These Jianghu guests, each looking like not-so-good people, made Li Xuan feel very curious.
But Xu Lang had no intention of stopping at the tea stall and rode directly into the inn's courtyard.
As soon as they entered, a welcoming waiter quickly came up to greet them.
"Gentlemen, are you stopping for a meal or staying the night?"
The waiter looked to be in his early twenties, and as he spoke, he skillfully took hold of the horses' reins.
Li Xuan looked up and saw that the inn's signboard read:
[Shi Zi Po Inn]