Chapter 316

"Restless?" Wang Xiujin arched an eyebrow, mentally calculating whose path he might have crossed. Thinking about it, he truly had offended quite a few people. The grain shop seemed the least likely; its operations had been stable for years and it no longer drew much unwanted attention. As for the rest, it was hard to say. He employed the finest craftsmen—tailors, weavers, and cobblers—and his recently produced cowhide shoes were highly sought after.

If this were purely about money, it shouldn't have escalated to this point. Wang Xiujin was well aware of his current standing; surely no one would risk the lives of several generations just to strike at him. If someone did, they were either mindless or desperate outlaws with nothing left to lose. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the pressure of not living in a society governed by the rule of law. Then again, even in a society with the rule of law, safety was never guaranteed. The profession of the "assassin" had existed since ancient times, never once disappearing.

After this bout of useless reflection, Wang Xiujin continued to ponder who could possibly bear him such a grudge. Aside from business rivals, what could someone possibly gain by wanting him dead? He didn't dabble in politics, and he wasn't exactly... overly flashy, was he? Why would anyone bother with his life? If they managed to kill him, he would be gone, and they would be satisfied. But if they failed, he would be the one suffering the consequences.

"Travel with more people from now on. It’s not as if we lack guards at home. Do not assume that just because we are at the feet of the Emperor, there are no bold villains," Old General Li said. Wang Xiujin quickly agreed.

"It’s not just about escorts; you must also be careful with your food. If they cannot get to you from the outside, they will seek other ways," the eldest son of the Li family added, followed by the second and third uncles, who all chimed in with their own warnings. Wang Xiujin nodded and thanked them repeatedly, resolving to be vigilant and never give anyone an opening.

If this wasn't about money, then what was it about? Power? He was a man without any real authority. Killing him for power? Was there some misunderstanding? What benefits could they possibly reap? Control of the boat workshops? That had already been handed over to the imperial household. The workshops? Don't be ridiculous; that still circled back to money. All he really had was wealth. Wang Xiujin pondered every possibility, sensible or absurd, but ultimately found no answers. He decided to suppress his wild guesses and take things one step at a time. If he really encountered someone blind enough to strike, he would simply capture them. Of course, once captured, they would never be sent to a common magistrate's office.

In the following days, Li Linshan dropped him off and picked him up every day, and Wang Xiujin remained constantly alert. He was incredibly grateful for his ability to see the labels hovering over people's heads, allowing him to distinguish good from evil without having to read their faces. He was also exceptionally careful with his food; he valued his life deeply. If his time came due to old age, illness, disaster, or war, it would be unavoidable, but to be murdered? That would be far too frustrating.

Li Linshan also conducted a thorough investigation into those close to Wang Xiujin, even auditing all the servants in the Li household. They actually found some problematic individuals—spies planted by other officials, petty thieves, and those who were simply dishonest. Li Linshan dealt with them ruthlessly, either handing them over to the authorities or having them executed, all in front of the other servants to set an example.

The purge within the Li household made several officials nervous. They watched as the people they had planted were arrested for theft. They weren't concerned about the servants themselves, but rather whether these people would expose them. However, their anxiety was fleeting; they still held the servants' families hostage, so they were confident no one would dare speak. Only a few were sent to the authorities, and those who remained went silent. When the appointed days for reporting passed with no word, the officials realized something was wrong, but they brushed it off, thinking it impossible that all of them had been caught.

Little did they know, rumors soon spread that the Li mansion had executed many servants. This put the officials back on edge. Were any of their own among the dead? Had the Li family discovered them? They sent people to investigate, but the Li household was like an iron fortress; not a shred of news leaked out. For a time, these officials lived in fear. Even though Old General Li no longer attended court and the Emperor had reclaimed all military authority, it didn't mean the military families were declining. The younger generation of the Li family was rising, their eldest grandson held high prestige in the army, and the soldiers under the Old General still commanded significant influence within the barracks and had a voice in the court. If the Old General were to speak, many would suffer.

Wang Xiujin didn't comment on the events in the mansion. He hadn't seen the spies or the dishonest servants, so he hadn't seen the labels above their heads. As for the ones who embezzled money, he had noticed, but didn't care much—mostly because they hadn't spent the money recklessly. The person in charge of the investigation likely knew where the money had gone and hadn't been cheated, so those who embezzled were merely given ten strokes of the cane and no further punishment.

One day, Wang Xiujin was dropped off at his shop by Li Linshan as usual. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt that something was off. Li Linshan’s face darkened, and he shielded Wang Xiujin behind him. A normal person might have just thought the customers were a bit strange, but the shopkeeper sensed trouble, though he couldn't determine if these people were just passing through or targeting someone. They had acted like ordinary customers, paying for grain before browsing other items. Still, the shopkeeper instructed his assistants to stand by the door and watch for his signal, ready to run to the Censorate to report the matter if anything happened.

Wang Xiujin looked at the group of people and saw "Assassin" labels hovering over their heads. He couldn't help but tug on Li Linshan’s sleeve; he was a mix of excitement and tension, knowing that if he jumped into the fray, he would likely become a burden. Wang Xiujin gave the shopkeeper a look. The shopkeeper’s legs went weak with fear, and he glared at the assistant by the door. The assistant understood, walked outside, and spotted the Li family’s servants. Knowing the gravity of the situation, he walked up to a man with an imposing aura: "Big brother, I’m afraid there is going to be trouble inside the shop. Would you like to go in and check?" The assistant only dared to approach because he had seen this man frequently over the past few days.

The Li servant immediately led his men inside. After two steps, he turned back: "Go and report this to the authorities quickly." The assistant took off at a run, terrified that if he were too slow, his employer would suffer.

The shopkeeper and the other assistants hid away, mentally tallying the potential loss of grain. *How hateful,* he thought. *Why couldn't they go make trouble somewhere else? Like the clothing shop! If the cloth and garments got messed up, at least it wouldn't be wasted food.* Had the clothing shop owner heard this, he would have jumped up to argue.

It seemed a fight was about to break out in the shop. Wang Xiujin tucked himself into a corner. Although he had practiced martial arts, he was inconsistent and nowhere near as professional as Li Linshan or the servants. He could handle a petty thief, but an expert was definitely out of his league.

Just as everyone expected a brawl, the people with the "Assassin" labels suddenly knelt down. It startled Wang Xiujin. He didn't think they were surrendering; he immediately wondered, "Is this a trap?" As Wang Xiujin speculated, the assassins spoke up, revealing who had sent them and how much they were paid. They lived by the blade, but they knew who deserved to die and who didn't. A good man like the Royal Merchant Wang was someone they couldn't kill. They had accepted the money and the job only to prevent it from falling into the hands of someone less principled.

Wang Xiujin looked at the labels above their heads and knew they were telling the truth, but that didn't mean he would let them go. He didn't speak; this wasn't his decision to make. The shopkeeper sighed with relief—thankfully, the shop would be spared—but he didn't dare come out. He had heard clearly that these were assassins. His employer was protected by the Li family's grandson, so he would be fine, but they couldn't just step out; if it were a ruse, they would only be adding to the chaos.

The assistant who ran to the Censorate was the fastest runner in the shop. The distance wasn't great, and he arrived at a full sprint. He was stopped by the guards at the entrance, but once he explained his purpose and identified himself as working for the Royal Merchant Wang, the guards immediately reported it. Soon, a lead guard came out with a team and followed the assistant back to the shop. Upon arrival, they saw the Li family servants outside and breathed a sigh of relief, comforted by the fact that the Li family was involved. They entered the shop to find the group of men kneeling, with the young grandson of the Li family standing in the hall with his servants. There were no signs of a struggle, which struck the guards as strange.

"Take these people to the magistrate's office for questioning. They are top-tier experts with blood on their hands," Li Linshan said, glancing at the guards. They were indeed guards, but they were different; the Censorate guards had the authority to interrogate, but not to sentence. Li Linshan had already decided the assassins' fate: they would be sent to the military camp for training. Since they loved to kill so much, they could go kill on the battlefield.

Those who work as assassins aren't entirely mindless; they recognized the difference in the guards. Still, they were anxious, unsure of what Li Linshan was planning, but they offered no resistance. They were taken to the Censorate, chained together in a line. Because the Li family had blocked the shop entrance, no one could see what had happened inside, and as the prisoners were being escorted, they were covered from head to toe, hiding their faces and any signs of a struggle.