To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 289 focuses on out-of-town merchants with Jiangdong accents!

Until noon.

Zhang Fan and his two companions finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd and escape into a quiet alley.

Zhang Fan leaned against the wall, panting heavily. His once neat clothes were now disheveled, and he was forced to put a few crisp pears in his hands, given to him by the villagers.

Seeing Zhang Fan's flustered and disheveled appearance, Fu Su and Mo Feng couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

Zhang Fan took a helpless bite of the crisp pear in his hand, shook his head and sighed:

"I should have covered my face before going out; it's troublesome if someone recognizes me."

Upon hearing this, Fusu laughed and joked:

"Teacher, the people on the street are celebrating. If we go out with our faces covered, we'll probably be mistaken for assassins by the patrolling constables and dragged into the yamen to be tortured."

The group was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Mo Feng rubbed his rumbling stomach and said, "Alright, let's hurry up and find somewhere to eat! It's already noon, I'm starving."

Not long after.

The three of them arrived at a bustling inn on a street corner, ordered some fine wine and dishes, and then began to feast without covering their heads.

They were eating.

Several out-of-town merchants sitting at the next table had drunk too much and were loudly boasting and chatting, and some news from the underworld reached the ears of the three men.

"Hey, have you heard? Things' been a bit turbulent lately. A new assassination group called 'Wind and Rain Pavilion' has emerged in the martial arts world!"

"That's right! I've heard that the Wind and Rain Pavilion is extremely arrogant. No matter who the other person is, as long as you pay enough, they'll kill anyone!"

Upon hearing this...

Mo Feng, who was gnawing on a leg of lamb, paused, swallowed the meat in his mouth, chuckled disdainfully, and muttered under his breath:

"What 'Wind and Rain Pavilion'? Quite the boast, isn't it? Can it possibly be as powerful as His Majesty's Black Ice Guard?"

These words were spoken.

Fu Su's expression changed slightly, and he quickly kicked Mo Feng under the table, calling out to him in a low voice:

"Silence! Don't spread rumors!"

Mo Feng then realized he had let something slip, quickly shrank back, and continued to lower his head to eat the food on his plate.

Zhang Fan looked at the two of them, smiled, put down his chopsticks, rinsed his mouth with tea, and continued:

"Alright, hurry up and eat. Once you're full, we have some important business to attend to this afternoon."

Fu Su and Mo Feng, who were engrossed in eating, were suddenly startled and looked up at Zhang Fan with puzzled expressions.

What happened to enjoying the autumn harvest?

Why is there suddenly something important to discuss?

Zhang Fan tapped his fingers lightly on the table and calmly began to speak:

"This afternoon, let's go to the government office and meet the newly appointed prefect."

Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, Zhang Fan had his own plans.

Although he dumped the mess of stealing coal onto the Xiang family, Xiang Liang would certainly try his best to distance himself from it and divert attention.

But this is a capital offense, and I can't place all my hopes on the Xiang family!

Are we just going to let them do whatever they want?

impossible!

Always leave yourself a way out; you should always have some backup plans in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Besides, these people's goal is also themselves!

……

at the same time.

Ji Honglou, the top floor attic.

A light gauze curtain hangs down, and a gentle breeze blows.

Mi Yueyao leaned lazily against the window, toying with an exquisite white jade wine cup in her hand, her gaze looking down at the bustling streets of Changzi County below.

"What is Young Master Zhang doing now?"

Mi Yueyao parted her red lips slightly and casually asked her subordinates who were standing aside waiting for orders.

The subordinate immediately stepped forward and respectfully reported to the leader:

"Reporting to Master, Young Master Zhang and his companions just went to the Prefectural Governor's Office to meet the new Prefect."

"He not only ordered the prefect to immediately increase manpower and pay close attention to people who recently entered the city and spoke with a Jiangdong accent, but also personally ordered the local government to immediately begin investigating the theft of coal from Shangdang County."

He heard the report from his subordinates.

Mi Yueyao paused slightly in her hand as she played with the wine cup, then a faint smile curved her lips.

"Understood, you may leave."

She smiled slightly and waved gently.

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate bowed respectfully, quickly retreated, and closed the attic door behind him.

She was left alone in the room.

Mi Yueyao picked up the jade cup, a meaningful smile flickering in her eyes, and murmured softly as she gazed out the window:

"Young Master Zhang is being a bit too cautious. The government offices of Shangdang Prefecture are investigating the missing coal from Shangdang Prefecture..."

"It's quite amusing to investigate yourself!"

It was evening.

Inside Zhang Fan's room in the prefectural governor's residence.

"Comrade Zhang Fan, how are things going over there lately? Has anything major happened?" Chief Zhu Feng's voice came through the phone.

Upon hearing the question, Zhang Fan paused for a moment.

He thought quickly and hesitated for a long time, but in the end he still didn't tell anyone about his relationship with Mi Yueyao.

"Sir, nothing major has happened. It's just that Qin Shi Huang issued an order for me to come to Shangdang County to investigate a case."

Zhang Fan downplayed the seriousness of the matter in his report, saying, "A large amount of coal here has been secretly stolen by the remnants of the Chu state."

Upon hearing this news, the history expert within Bureau 749 immediately took over the communication and began analyzing the current situation:

"Zhang Fan, based on the current timeline data, the course of history has changed. As long as the First Emperor is still alive, figures like Xiang Yu and Liu Bang will not amount to anything. However, in the long run, these two are indeed capable individuals."

"There's just one thing to be aware of."

The expert's tone turned serious. "Judging from the Xiang family's attack on you last time, they are now extremely wary of you. Now that you are ordered to investigate the remnants of the Chu state, they are very likely to attack you again in order to protect themselves."

Zhang Fan nodded and spoke into the communicator:

"That is indeed possible. I have already instructed the prefectural government to pay close attention to suspicious individuals in the city who speak with a Jiangdong accent."

At this point, Zhang Fan took the opportunity to ask:

"Sir, how should I proceed with the investigation?"

Although he did not reveal the full truth about the coal mine case in Shangdang County, the current situation is complicated!

I can fully utilize the expertise of the 749 Bureau's team to predict the next moves by all parties.

After hearing Zhang Fan's request, Zhu Feng on the other end of the communicator did not hesitate and immediately gave the order:

"Strategic command, immediately formulate a solution for Zhang Fan based on the available intelligence!"

This was accompanied by the issuance of instructions.

The entire strategic command's think tank immediately sprang into action.

Shortly after, the latest simulation results came through the communicator.

"Comrade Zhang Fan, the current situation is extremely complicated."

The expert's voice was grave: "Continuing with a high-profile investigation will likely backfire. According to supercomputing simulations, there's a high probability that the other side will send assassins to eliminate you!"