Chapter 136: Ingenious Ideas

"No, just take a look and you'll see."

He looked over to see a clump of twisted, distorted noodles. Even after having tasted countless delicacies and rare treats in his life, he had never seen noodles that looked like this. He was immediately intrigued.

"Are you sure these are edible?"

"Of course, and they're incredibly convenient. You don't even need to light a fire; you can eat them dry."

Young Master Zhu was skeptical, but after taking a bite, he was absolutely shocked. The rich, savory broth paired with the noodles made his taste buds feel as if they were exploding.

"If this recipe were brought to the market, it would surely fetch hundreds of taels of silver. Do you have any plans to open a noodle shop here in Luojing?" Young Master Zhu asked, his face full of excitement. They stood to make a lot of money from this.

"That is feasible, but given my current status, it’s best I don't get too involved with the shop. It should be opened in your name."

"Agreed." He was actually quite looking forward to it. They had been in Luojing for several months, yet they hadn't developed any businesses of their own. Instead, they had been busy solving cases for various officials, and while they had gained some favors, the actual profit had been minimal.

"I’ll go scout some locations in Luojing over the next few days to see which lot would be most suitable." Young Master Zhu left in high spirits, feeling that his purse might soon be bulging once again.

However, what Han Qing did not expect was the arrival of an unexpected guest. An old beggar? He hadn't seen the old man since they parted ways in Lancheng. Why would he have come all the way to Luojing? It was truly strange.

"Have you taken on another job in the industry?"

"You brat, you’ve actually retained a bit of my true teachings. It seems you didn't just throw away those books after all," the old beggar said with a smug look. "I was living quite freely wandering the world, but then someone came knocking and ordered me to kill someone."

Oh?

"The strange thing is, the person I was hired to kill is you." The old beggar stroked his beard, speaking without hesitation. "I didn't expect you, you brat, to have offended someone so powerful that they even know my name and would arrange for me to take the job."

It seemed the person he had offended was quite formidable.

"I don't have any enemies in Luojing, and everything I do follows the law. How could anyone hold such a grudge against me?" Han Qing shook his head. It wasn't just him who found it unbelievable; the old man also felt it was highly suspicious.

"Judging by that person's tone, the master behind it should be someone from the Imperial family. You haven't provoked any of those princes, have you?"

That was indeed a possibility. He had never met the Third Prince. Could it be him?

"I'll stay in Luojing for a few days to see who dares to make a move," the old beggar said calmly. He had finally taken on a disciple; he couldn't let anyone get the better of him.

Han Qing was genuinely shocked. He hadn't realized that someone considered him an easy target, going so far as to hire a top-tier expert to assassinate him. It was truly absurd. He had been living quietly in his residence, minding his own business, but it seemed his low profile had given others the opportunity to deliberately stir up trouble.

"What's going on?"

"I heard the director of the post house has been murdered. He was a fifth-rank official, and the imperial court is taking this matter very seriously." Young Master Zhu hurried over. He had originally gone out to scout locations for the noodle shop when he heard the news. He found it hard to believe. The post house was only meant for hosting foreign envoys, and the director usually didn't deal with anyone. To have him die so inexplicably was truly strange.

"Others will handle that matter. Did you find a location for the noodle shop?"

"Brother Han, don't worry about that. I found a few good spots, just over two hundred meters from the residence."

Han Qing nodded. They could put that on the agenda. But just as they were about to step out of the gates, they saw a group of sneaky-looking people approaching. That description wasn't quite right, though, because even though they were servants, they were dressed in high-quality silks and satins. They were likely from the palace.

Young Master Zhu recognized them immediately—it was the Third Prince. Why would he suddenly appear before them? It was very strange.

"What brings you here?"

"Young Master Han, I have heard of your name while living in the palace and have come specifically to pay you a visit."

Oh? This was truly rare. He had never heard of this Third Prince having any outstanding talents, nor did he usually associate with many officials. Yet, Prince Huai had always been wary of him, primarily because the Third Prince held real military power—nearly a hundred thousand troops.

"You flatter me. Those are just exaggerated rumors. I am merely a minor official with a leisure post and no great skills." He shook his head, maintaining his composure. Given that he had no prior dealings with this man, his sudden visit likely meant there was something he wanted them to handle.

"Your reputation as the 'Poet Immortal' has spread throughout Luojing, and I remember your verses vividly. Had it not been for a bout of cold recently, I would have come to visit sooner," the Third Prince said with apparent sincerity. But was it genuine, or just a facade?

"Does Young Master Han have urgent matters to attend to? Seeing you in such a rush to leave, have I interrupted you?" the prince asked calmly.

"It is an honor to have Your Highness visit in person. May I ask what brings you here?" Han Qing asked, neither servile nor overbearing. He had no patience for people playing games, especially when he was still in the dark about the situation.

"There have been some small troubles in the court recently, and I heard my elder brother seems to have some prejudice against you. I wanted to come see for myself if you were truly as he described."

With these words, the prince pushed all the blame onto Prince Huai. He must have come regarding the case of the Chu envoy's corpse. It was Han Qing’s deduction that had made Magistrate Gao realize the complexity of the situation, leading him to stop the investigation. Was this prince here to warn him? Han Qing couldn't yet discern the other's true intentions.

"Your Highness, I am but a common man. I do not possess the power to attract the attention of two princes in succession."