Chapter 10

After a long morning's work in Xi City, it was already late in the morning when they arrived at the Dismounting Stele outside the Imperial College.

Xiao, who had been waiting for a long time in front of the stele, smiled and said, "How was the Little King? Did he win the heart of that silly girl? "

Xu Buling sighed, "Zhu Manzhi is a little silly. Can we change to another one?"

Xiao shook his head, "There are all the secret files of the aristocratic families. Barging in without permission will be regarded as treason. Those who are smarter will definitely not take the risk."

Xu Buring nodded his head. Without saying anything more, he walked straight into the Directorate. According to the rules, 'truancy' would be punished by ringing the bell for a day. He did not like to stay with the bunch of kids from the Literature Garden, so he went to the bell and drum tower.

There was a room under the bell and drum tower for students who were reflecting on their mistakes. There was only a bed and a desk in the room. It was clean and tidy. Xu Buling sat in front of the desk, picked up the brush and ink on the table, and began to copy the Academic Records.

After he finished writing about a hundred words, a beautiful figure floated by the window in front of him. She was looking up cautiously. Her footsteps were very light, as if she was afraid of being discovered. Her hands were folded on her waist, and after a few steps, she turned back and continued to walk up.

Xu Buling frowned slightly and put down the brush. He pondered for a moment and shook his head, pretending that he did not see anything.

Thump, thump, thump —

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs could be heard. She turned around and made a sound, "Eh? She's clearly here …" Then, she went down the bell and drum tower and came to the window.

Xu Buling frowned. He got up and took down the pole to close the window.

Song Yu Fu heard the sound and turned her head. Her beautiful hair fluttered in the wind and her eyes revealed a hint of surprise. Before she could say anything, there was a 'Peng —' sound as the window closed.

Song Yufu was stunned for a moment. She thought for a while, walked to the door, and raised her hand to knock.

Thump, thump —

"No one."

"Your Royal Highness, can … can I come in?"

"…"

"… I'll come in then …"

Creak —

The door was pushed open.

Song Yu Fu walked into the room in a dignified and courteous manner. With an embarrassed smile, she walked to the side of the desk and bowed slightly.

"Crown Prince Xu, last time …"

"Close the door."

"Huh?"

Song Yu Fu blinked her eyes. Seeing that Xu Buring was concentrating on copying the book without raising his eyes, she smiled gently and turned around to close the door.

However, when she turned around, she suddenly realized that Xu Buring was already behind her. His hand was pressed against the door, and he was very close to her, blocking her against the door.

She knocked.

"Ah …"

Song Yu Fu was badly frightened. Her hands were curled up in front of her chest, and her back was pressed against the door. She looked up at Xu Buring, who was frowning.

"Prince Xu, what are you doing?"

"What?"

Xu Buling looked down and scrutinized Song Yufu, who came uninvited. A faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, and he moved a little closer.

"You're just a girl, and you came here alone to look for a man. You want to be a princess?"

"I …"

Song Yufu pursed her lips, and there was anger in her eyes. She said softly, "Crown Prince Xu, how can you speak without thinking? I … I came here to apologize. I misunderstood you when you hit Xiao Ting last time."

When Xu Buling heard this, he frowned slightly.

"What misunderstanding?"

Song Yufu was very serious. "I thought that Crown Prince Xu has a bad temper, but I didn't expect you to be a true gentleman. Last time, you taught Xiao Ting a lesson because of his rude gaze, and the time before that, you solved the salt smuggling case …"

Xu Buling's face darkened. If his words were heard by Aunt Lu, she would probably nag at him for not even knowing how to hide his incompetence.

"I didn't do it because of that. I just hit Xiao Ting because I was drunk."

Song Yufu refused to believe it. She said seriously, "That's right. Crown Prince Xu is obviously a gentleman. Why should he be wronged? I'll go to my father later to clarify your name. I'll let the whole Imperial College know that you're not bad-tempered, but you're young and mature, and you don't care to explain … "

"…"

Xu Buling took a deep breath. "Miss Song, don't think too highly of yourself."

Song Yufu's expression was serious. "How can I sit back and do nothing when a gentleman is wronged and a villain is intoxicated?"

When Xu Buling saw that he couldn't reason with her, his expression became fierce. "You have to apologize sincerely. Copy three chapters of Academic Notes, and we'll be even."

Song Yufu frowned slightly and shook her head firmly.

"I can't help you copy anymore. I've already done it for you last time. Moreover, even if Xiao Ting is not a gentleman, you shouldn't have fought with a villain. Otherwise, you'll become a boorish person. So, it's still wrong for you to hit him. But I still thank you … "

She talked endlessly.

Xu Buling put his hand on the door and moved a little closer. His expression was arrogant. "It's useless no matter how much you say. If you don't copy today, you won't be able to leave this door."

Song Yufu leaned back slightly. She wanted to push Xu Buling away, but she felt that it was inappropriate. So, she retracted her hand and said seriously,

"I won't help you copy. At most, I won't go out."

Xu Buling nodded and stared at her coldly.

Song Yufu raised her head and puffed out her chest. She was fearless. She had a look that said, "You're a gentleman, so you won't hit me."

The situation was in a stalemate.

The sun and the moon changed. In the blink of an eye, it was dusk.

Song Yufu's body was weak. After standing for a few hours, she was a little tired. She calmly shifted her center of gravity and stubbornly stared at him.

Xu Buling was not anxious at all.

Gurgle —

She was hungry. A faint sound came from her mouth.

Song Yufu's face suddenly turned red. In an instant, her eyes became misty. She turned around and wanted to open the door, but she couldn't pull it open.

Xu Buling snorted lightly. "Do you think I'm joking?"

Song Yufu stamped her embroidered shoes and was a little anxious. "Crown Prince Xu, I can't help you copy."

"Then don't go out."

"I won't go out. I won't starve to death without eating for a day."

Xu Buling snorted lightly. He raised his hand and grabbed the back of Song Yufu's collar. He opened the door and walked to the bell and drum tower.

It seemed that they were going to go bungee jumping on the bell and drum tower again.

Song Yufu panicked. She swayed in the air and struggled for a while, but it made her feel a little uncomfortable. She said anxiously, "Crown Prince Xu, how can you do this? Put me down."

"Are you going to copy or not?"

Song Yufu pursed her lips and hesitated for a long time. "… This is the last time."

"Impossible. In the future, you will be responsible for copying books."

Song Yufu was immediately unhappy. There was a little grievance in her eyes. "Why should I?"

Xu Buling carried her back into the room and said calmly, "Because you copy books for me.

"Since you copied the book for me, I will keep it a secret for you."

Song Yufu pursed her lips. After holding it in for a long time, she said in a low voice, "You're being unreasonable."

"It's good that you know. I'm not a gentleman."

"It's good that you know. I'm not a gentleman."

Xu Buling sat on the edge of the bed. He sat upright and still and stared at her seriously.

Song Yufu had no choice. She walked to the desk and picked up the brush. She reluctantly continued to write "Academic Records" on the Xuan paper …

…

The yamen of the Department of Investigation outside the Imperial City brought the Blade Wolf Guards back and forth in groups of three. They each received orders to investigate various major cases in the Dai Yue Country.

At dusk, Zhu Manzhi returned to the yamen listlessly.

The Department of Investigation was the eyes and ears of the Emperor and had great power. Ten years ago, the imperial court swept through the world and killed people in Jianghu. It was known in history as the 'Iron Eagle Hunting Deer'. The Department of Investigation also took advantage of the situation and rose to power. They could hear the ears of the heavens and shake the green fields. There was nothing that they could not manage. Even the officials in the capital had to take a detour when they saw them.

However, this special honor was only limited to the Wolf Guards. Those with the 'Earth Dog Battalion' were ranked at the bottom of the 72 Earthly Fiends. They basically had no status in the Department of Investigation. They were either new or retired.

In the courtyard of the patrol house, most of the people were old men or young people. Wang Dazhuang and Monkey Liu had already returned. They squatted in the courtyard of the patrol house and chatted with a few colleagues. When he saw Zhu Manzhi return, Monkey Liu smiled and said,

"Manzhi, why do you look so sad?"

"There's nothing to do while patrolling the streets. It's boring."

Zhu Manzhi untied the black scarf wrapped around her head and tied up her hair. She took out a thorn hairpin from her bosom and inserted it into her hair. She ran to the water tank that was filled with rainwater and used it as a mirror.

She asked softly, "Are there any big cases in the yamen recently?"

Monkey Liu thought for a moment and said, "There are many big cases. They are under the jurisdiction of the Arrest Office. We, the patrol house, can't handle them … Hmm … A few days ago, something happened in the eastern part of the city. Someone snuck into the private residence of our commander, Lord Zhang. They were discovered by the hidden sentries and a fight broke out. Out of the twelve people from the Heaven's Might Battalion, only eight returned. The thief escaped. Lord Zhang told us to pay attention and immediately send a message if there's any news."

When Zhu Manzhi heard this, she was slightly startled. The Heaven's Might Battalion was ranked eighth in the Heaven Barracks. Any one of the thirty Wolf Guards could walk unhindered in Jianghu. Four teams of twelve could destroy ordinary forces in Jianghu. Only eight returned, and they hadn't even caught the thief. How fierce was this thief?

Zhu Manzhi blinked her eyes and said, "If I catch him, can I enter the Heaven Barracks?"

Wang Dazhuang munched on melon seeds and said, "You can enter. But right now, the Heaven Barracks are facing a great enemy. Be careful not to lose your life. Just find a safe job and don't think about it."

Zhu Manzhi nodded her head lightly and asked, "Do you know who the owner of the White Horse Village outside the city is?"

Monkey Liu thought for a moment and said, "The White Horse Village seems to be a place for rich people to play. Ordinary people aren't allowed to enter. I'm afraid it's related to a certain lord. Why are you asking about it?"

Zhu Manzhi recalled the words' sell you to the brothel … 'and her brows gradually wrinkled. She sighed bitterly and said, "I'm just asking …" She wrapped the scarf around her head again and walked out in low spirits …