My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 422 - 284: The Phoenix’s Mission

Like his Lord Father-in-law, he had risen two levels.

Both of them started their careers years ago, one as third in the Imperial Examination and the other as the very last. And yet, they ended up not much different in rank.

County Magistrate Pei had been promoted to Vice Governor of the Capital due to his outstanding accomplishments.

The promotion from the Chang'an County Government to the Capital Prefecture was a common career path.

Since his tenure as Chang'an County Magistrate, security in Chang'an had noticeably improved. Not only had the murder rates significantly fallen, but the case-solving rates had also notably increased. Theft cases had plummeted, and even the streets' cleanliness was unprecedented.

These accomplishments were solid, measurable changes visible to the eye, leaving no room for dispute.

The position of Chang'an County Magistrate came with both risks and opportunities.

As the capital of the country, most matters in his jurisdiction were not of great concern to this minor prefect. He barely needed to do anything; if problems arose, he bore the responsibility, but with any prosperity, he too could bask in the reflected glory.

Li Nuo heard from Housekeeper Wu that his father had already submitted a petition to the Secretariat.

Though his tenure in office hadn't been lengthy and his experience was still lacking, the merits of cracking the case in the Eastern Palace were sufficient to justify an upgrade. Even if he could not ascend to the fourth-rank, removing the "secondary" from the Secondary Fifth Rank was well within reach.

The duties at the Honglu Si were indeed dull—either repairing roofs for foreign embassies or composing eulogies for deceased officials. Perhaps the only advantage was the relative freedom of time, which allowed him to practice cultivation techniques while on duty.

Upon returning to the Li Mansion, Li Nuo found that Phoenix had returned.

She had been absent from Chang'an for some time.

Previously, with the situation in Chang'an being unclear and King You and King Han targeting the Li Mansion, Phoenix, who was closely connected to the Li Family, could have been implicated.

Since she was to select some musicians for the Jade Sound Pavilion, she and the nightingale had traveled to Jiangnan: partly for business and partly to avoid disaster.

Indeed, they could have stayed at the Li Mansion, where her Grandmaster and other Grandmasters could ensure their safety during that time.

However, at that moment, Phoenix merely sent a letter. When Li Nuo and Anning went to the Jade Sound Pavilion to receive her, she had already departed.

Throughout these days, Li Nuo had been worried about her. Seeing her return finally brought him some peace of mind.

It was hard not to be concerned about two vulnerable women being on their own out there.

Jiangnan was known for its pleasure quarters and had countless famous families. In terms of wealth, it was even more prosperous than Chang'an, with an abundance of goods. Phoenix brought back gifts for everyone upon her return.

For the ladies, she brought jewelry, silk, and embroidery items. For Li Nuo, she gifted a handcrafted sachet.

The craftsmanship of the sachet was exquisite, and its fragrance was a light and elegant scent. Handing it to Li Nuo, Phoenix said, "This is an embroidery craft I recently learned in Jiangnan. I hope the Young Master likes it…"

Li Nuo accepted the sachet and said, "Next time you leave, at least say something in advance. We've all been worried about you lately."

Like someone who had made an error, Phoenix lowered her head, her hands twisted together as she said, "I understand..."

His body tingling from the softness of her voice, Li Nuo chose not to dwell on the subject any longer. He hung the sachet on his waist and said, "Thank you."

Yiren took Phoenix to talk in their room. Today, with a rare day off, Li Nuo had more time to spend with his wife and Anning.

Ever since he gave her a few massages, Anning had become addicted to them.

Every day, after returning home from the Ministry of Justice and taking a bath, she would ask Li Nuo to help her relax.

But as it turned out, two people ended up taking turns lying down...

Now, every evening, he slept together with his wife Anning, and under Anning's influence, his wife was finally not as shy and reserved as before, often sneaking into his arms after Anning had fallen asleep.

This was indeed a rare change, and Li Nuo sensed that the day for three people to meet honestly was not far off.

After dinner, Phoenix had to return to the Jade Sound Pavilion first to handle some matters.

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

Yiren was practicing swordplay in the courtyard, and Li Nuo guided her for a while before he asked, "What did you and Phoenix talk about for so long in the room?"

Yiren and Phoenix had almost no common interests, and since she did not learn floral arrangements or embroidery, Li Nuo was curious about what they could possibly talk about for such a long time.

Song Yiren gave him a white look and said irritably, "Girls talk about things you, a grown man, should not ask about carelessly..."

Li Nuo did not press further but silently walked away.

If she wouldn't tell, that's all right. He would find an opportunity to ask Phoenix tomorrow.

He had known Phoenix much longer than she had.

At this moment, in the Jade Sound Pavilion.

"Miss Phoenix has returned."

"Miss Phoenix, long time no see!"

"It's been many days, Miss Phoenix has become even more beautiful!"

Some guests of the Jade Sound Pavilion greeted her enthusiastically.

Today's Jade Sound Pavilion was nothing like that of the past.

With the downfall of King Han and King You, a batch of the nobles had died or fled. Happy Building and Sky Sound Courtyard, having lost all their patrons, were also without their past status, and it was unknown how much longer they could exist in Chang'an.

Because of their involvement in conspiracy, the assets of King Han and King You had been confiscated to the National Treasury, awaiting disposition by the Ministry of Revenue.

Although the scale of the Jade Sound Pavilion was not as large as theirs, its backing was far too profound.

With the fall of King Han and King You, Li Xuanjing's power had reached its peak, and no one in Chang'an dared to provoke him.

And the Pavilion Master of Jade Sound Pavilion regularly resided in Li Mansion, and though it was not public, her relationship with the young master of Li Mansion was an assumed fact.

The days when a son of a minor Marquis could act recklessly in the Jade Sound Pavilion were gone for good.

Even the Marquis himself had to be extremely courteous when meeting her.

Phoenix smiled and nodded to everyone, went up to the second floor, and entered her room, where a figure had been waiting for her.

Phoenix closed the door and asked softly, "Why did you come again?"

The old crone set up a soundproof barrier and said, "At such a critical time, why did you run off to Jiangnan?"

Phoenix explained, "Recently, a Martial Path Half-Saint of the Sixth Realm came to Li Mansion, and I feared she would detect something amiss."

The old crone said indifferently, "What's there to fear? Don't underestimate the Cultivation Technique you've learned; it was created by a Martial Saint. As long as you don't actively cultivate or gather energy, no one can see through your cultivation. It's a great opportunity to blend in covertly yet you were not in Chang'an..."

Phoenix glanced at her and said, "Though I wasn't in Chang'an, I didn't neglect the tasks to be done. Happy Building and Sky Sound Courtyard have already been seized by us opportunistically. I believe it won't be difficult to purchase them from the court. At that time, it would be easy to replace all of the girls inside with our own people..."

The old crone nodded and said, "The two people you arranged earlier worked out to be an excellent move."

Then, her tone changed as she continued, "Unfortunately, we spent so much effort over the years placing those people into the residences of important figures, hoping they would be of great use one day. I didn't expect that this time Li Xuanjing would eliminate so many of our targets. Much of our efforts over the years were almost destroyed by him..."

Phoenix poured herself a cup of tea and said, "One gains and loses. We can't have all the good things to ourselves. In the long run, the benefits of this situation far outweigh the disadvantages..."

The old crone nodded again and said, "That's true. After this event, the situation in Daxia has become clearer. With your relationship with Li Mansion, the more power Li Xuanjing gains, the more advantageous it is for us. The Xia Emperor hasn't much time left. If King Chun truly ascends, the entire court will be under the control of the Li Family. By then, obtaining intelligence or accomplishing other tasks will be a breeze..."

Her eyes rested on Phoenix, her face showing a look of satisfaction, "Sending you to Chang'an was indeed a wise decision. The achievements of others combined do not compare to yours."

Phoenix lifted the teacup and said with a curl of her lip, "All right, you didn't come here just to praise me, did you?"

The old crone shook her head, "Of course not."

She looked at Phoenix and said, "The dramatic changes in Daxia's situation have caught us off guard, necessitating changes or cancellations of previous plans. I'm here because I have an extremely important mission for you, one that probably only you can accomplish..."

Phoenix's gaze turned to her.

The old crone said earnestly, "Li Xuanjing dotes on his only son to the extreme. Li Nuo will surely hold a high position in the future and have access to Daxia's core secrets. You must find a way to become the young mistress of Li Mansion. Only in this way can you gain his absolute trust..."

Pfft!

Phoenix's eyes widened as she stared at her, and she suddenly sprayed out a mouthful of tea.