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Chapter 105: A Series of Unfortunate Events
However, when she asked the question, Zhou Yinzhi frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “I couldn’t get it.”
Jiang Xuening was taken aback: “You didn’t?”
Zhou Yinzhi replied, “The letter wasn’t on that person. It seems there are others in the Tianjiao sect who are supposed to receive it. The person I caught today said he was just scouting the situation and would only hand over the letter at the right time. Since this matter is likely very important to you, Second Miss, I haven’t interrogated him thoroughly yet and came to report first. What should we do next?”
Jiang Xuening’s gaze fell on Zhou Yinzhi, as if she was thinking about something. After a moment, she said, “Is that person still at your residence? Take me to see him.”
It was already late at night.
Zhou Yinzhi was somewhat surprised by Jiang Xuening’s decisiveness, but then he understood that, as a member of the Jinyiwei, she probably didn’t fully trust him. It was more prudent for her to see such an important matter for herself.
So, he didn’t stop her.
The gatekeeper at the Jiang residence was startled to see the Second Miss going out so late. Jiang Xuening simply instructed him to tell the family that she was going out with Zhou Yinzhi on business and that they shouldn’t worry, then left.
Zhou Yinzhi hadn’t lied at all.
The person was indeed tied up at his residence.
However, Jiang Xuening noticed that in less than half a month, Zhou Yinzhi had already moved to a new residence in Liushu Alley. Although it wasn’t luxurious, the green bricks and black tiles were much better than the shabby courtyard he had before.
There was a Jinyiwei guard dressed in black at the door.
He seemed to be Zhou Yinzhi’s subordinate.
It wasn’t surprising that Zhou Yinzhi had changed residences. If he didn’t know how to make money, he wouldn’t be the Zhou Yinzhi Jiang Xuening knew. But it was impressive that he had already developed trusted subordinates in such a short time in the Jinyiwei.
As they entered, Jiang Xuening couldn’t help but take a closer look at the guard.
Zhou Yinzhi said, “His name is Wei Xi, and he’s quite skilled in martial arts.”
Jiang Xuening nodded.
Wei Xi, a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, appeared very reserved. However, when Zhou Yinzhi introduced him, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Jiang Xuening, clearly curious about the person who received such respect from his superior.
To his surprise, he saw an extremely beautiful young woman.
Momentarily taken aback, he almost stared.
When he came back to his senses, he found the young woman looking at him with a half-smile. Her gaze wasn’t sharp, but it inexplicably made him blush, and he quickly lowered his head.
Zhou Yinzhi noticed this and slightly frowned, then asked, “Is the person still here?”
Wei Xi immediately composed himself and replied, “He hasn’t moved an inch; he’s still inside.”
Zhou Yinzhi then led the way inside.
Jiang Xuening raised an eyebrow and deliberately gave Wei Xi another look before following Zhou Yinzhi inside. Wei Xi, feeling nervous, trailed behind Jiang Xuening.
The person was confined in the woodshed at the southwest corner of the residence.
When the door was pushed open, the inside was relatively clean. A thick hemp rope and an iron chain bound the person to a pillar. From the doorway, one could see that the person was wearing the uniform of a minor official from the Ministry of Justice.
Jiang Xuening stopped at the door and did not go further inside.
Zhou Yinzhi walked up to the man.
Before he could speak, the man started struggling violently, as if he had already suffered some hardships and was very frightened. “I really don’t know anything. The letter isn’t on me. Didn’t you say you’d let me go if I talked?”
Zhou Yinzhi looked down at him and asked, “Who are your contacts?”
The man shivered and said, “Our sect operates in secrecy. A few of us take orders from Master Gongyi in Jinling. We place the letter at Baiguo Temple at midnight every day, and someone picks it up. The next day, we go back and find a reply. But I’ve never seen those people. Judging by the handwriting on the replies, there are at least three different people. Sir, even if you arrest me, it won’t help. The letter really isn’t on me!”
Zhou Yinzhi then looked at Jiang Xuening.
Standing near the door, Jiang Xuening frowned and said coldly, “You are an official of the Ministry of Justice and can access the prison. Those people rely on you to gather information. They must also depend on you to deliver this letter to the court, right? So, if you tell them the time is right, they will give you the letter!”
Hearing this, the man broke out in goosebumps.
It was only then that the unfortunate man realized there was someone else who had come back with Zhou Yinzhi, and it was a young woman. From her words, it seemed she was the person behind Zhou Yinzhi, which made him even more fearful.
He instinctively turned his head to see who it was.
But before he could move, Zhou Yinzhi kicked him hard. “Is that someone you should be looking at?”
The man cried out in pain.
Zhou Yinzhi sternly asked, “The lady asked you, is it true or not?”
The man wailed, “Yes, yes!”
Jiang Xuening said, “Then it’s simple. Contact these people as you usually do and tell them that the time for the joint trial has come, and it’s time to hand over the letter. Write the letter and deliver it at midnight tonight. Don’t try any tricks.”
The man was terrified. “No, no, if the sect finds out…”
Jiang Xuening’s frown deepened.
Zhou Yinzhi glanced at her and said, “Would you like to step outside for a moment?”
With that, he stuffed a rag into the man’s mouth.
Seeing this, Jiang Xuening stepped out.
Standing under the eaves outside, she soon heard muffled screams and the sharp clanging of chains against the pillar. After a while, the sounds stopped.
The rag was probably removed, and the man’s painful gasps could be heard, though he seemed much weaker than before.
Zhou Yinzhi asked calmly, “Will you write it?”
The man no longer dared to resist and quickly said, “I’ll write it, I’ll write it.”
Jiang Xuening knew that Zhou Yinzhi must have used some harsh methods from the Jinyiwei to force the man to comply.
Wei Xi immediately fetched paper and ink.
The man, trembling, wrote the letter.
After it was written, Zhou Yinzhi reviewed it and then showed it to Jiang Xuening. She examined it several times and, seeing nothing amiss, handed it back to Zhou Yinzhi, instructing him to take the man to Baiguo Temple that night to place the letter and wait for the sect members to take the bait.
Zhou Yinzhi had his men lie in ambush nearby.
Jiang Xuening returned home that night.
However, to her surprise, the next evening, Zhou Yinzhi did catch someone, but the person only had half a letter!
Moreover, the person seemed to have anticipated the trap and was not at all flustered. He smiled at Zhou Yinzhi and said, “We suspected something when you took the man away yesterday. After taking the letter back, we guessed it was a trap. But since that coward must have told you everything, I won’t beat around the bush. We are secret operatives of the Tianjiao sect, and we only take orders from Master Gongyi. However, Master Gongyi has been out of contact, and we fear he has met with misfortune or fallen into the hands of the court. According to his instructions, this letter must be delivered to the Ministry of Justice, but since you have uncovered this plot, it seems it can’t be done. We are just commoners seeking fame and fortune. You can take this half of the letter back, but as for the other half, it depends on how much ‘sincerity’ you and your superiors have.”
Zhou Yinzhi was caught off guard.
And this letter…
He asked, “What do you want?”
The man replied coldly, “Fifty thousand taels of silver to buy the lives of the Yan family. Once we receive the money, we will leave the capital and never return! But if not, the other half of the letter will appear on Duke Dingguo Xiao Yuan’s desk!”
*
Today, Xie Wei was to enter the palace.
The Zhaoqin Hall had been thoroughly cleaned, with no trace of blood left. Gongyi Cheng’s body was also gone.
But Xie Wei’s mood had not improved at all. In fact, it seemed worse than before. As he put on his sky-blue robe, his brows furrowed deeply, and he asked, “Still no news?”
Dao Qin, standing behind him, shook his head.
Jian Shu, with a serious expression, carefully adjusted Xie Wei’s robe and said softly, “Some people from the Jinling headquarters were left in the capital as secret operatives, but they only take orders from Gongyi Cheng. We have already taken control of the incense hall in the capital and interrogated those who were with Gongyi Cheng recently. They only know that orders were given, but no one knows what they were.”
As he spoke, his voice grew quieter.
The anger in Xie Wei’s eyes slowly surfaced, as if he was holding something back. He asked again, “What about Dingfei?”
Jian Shu dared not look at him and lowered his head, saying, “After you gave the order that day, we searched all over the capital, but Young Master Dingfei never returned to the incense hall. Someone said he was at the Drunken Joy Pavilion. When we went there, the courtesan conveyed his message that he had gone to ‘Ten-Year Brew’ to drink, but we found no one there…”
In other words, this person had also disappeared.
Xie Wei chuckled softly, “Very good, very good.”
Jian Shu and Dao Qin both heard the dangerous undertone in his words and dared not respond.
Xie Wei adjusted his robe and said calmly, “Keep searching,” then left the residence and headed to the palace by carriage.
In the Southern Study, discussions were underway.
Shen Lang was in an exceptionally good mood. Besides the news that Consort Wen was pregnant, there was also great news from the court.
As soon as Xie Wei entered, Shen Lang laughed, “Master Xie, you have arrived just in time. The Shuntian Prefecture has reported that an important figure of the Tianjiao sect has been executed. You have made a great contribution!”
Everyone’s eyes were on Xie Wei, with some showing admiration.
Of course, some were simpler.
Xie Wei smiled flawlessly and said, “It was just a coincidence that my men stumbled upon their incense hall gathering and acted quickly to contact the Shuntian Prefecture, who then surrounded and killed Gongyi Cheng with arrows. I heard the news later than His Majesty and dare not take credit.”
If Lu Xian were here, he would be shocked—
Wasn’t Gongyi Cheng killed by Xie Wei himself?
How did it become the Shuntian Prefecture’s doing?!
But no one in the Southern Study knew the truth. They all thought that Xie Wei, already trusted by Shen Lang, would rise even higher after this, which made them envious.
Shen Lang was indescribably pleased.
He paced with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat spirited, and said, “The Tianjiao sect’s ambition to overthrow our dynasty is relentless. They spread rumors and caused chaos during the Yongyi Marquis’s affair. This time, we wiped out their base in the capital and killed their chief strategist! It seems heaven is destroying this sect. Soon, we will eradicate these rebels completely!”
Everyone echoed, praising the emperor’s wisdom.
But the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Gu Chunfang, with a stern face, frowned and said, “It’s a pity that the Shuntian Prefecture didn’t know this person’s identity during the raid and killed him with arrows. This person had been by the rebel leader’s side for twenty or thirty years, strategizing. He must have known many secrets of the Tianjiao sect and was extremely important. If we could have captured him alive and interrogated him, who knows how much useful information we could have obtained…”
Everyone became awkwardly silent.
Xie Wei’s eyes flickered slightly, as if he had thought of something, and he said, “Capturing him alive would indeed have been best, but now that he’s dead, he may still be useful.”
Gu Chunfang, with his frosty eyebrows, raised his head and looked at Xie Wei, “Do you have a suggestion, Master Xie?”
“Not at all.” Xie Wei was very polite, bowing slightly to Gu Chunfang as he spoke, then said, “I hadn’t thought deeply about it until you mentioned it, but now an idea has come to mind, though it might be risky.”
Shen Lang was curious, “What idea?”
Xie Wei’s lips curved slightly, “The court has eradicated the Tianjiao rebels and killed many of them, including the important figure Gongyi Cheng. But only the government and the court know this. The Tianjiao sect does not know that Gongyi Cheng is dead. If we spread the news that Gongyi Cheng is not dead but captured by the court and being severely interrogated, as Master Gu said, he must know many secrets. The Tianjiao sect, fearing these secrets will be revealed, will surely send people to rescue him. We can then ambush them, or take it a step further…”
He paused.
Everyone nodded.
Even Gu Chunfang stroked his beard in thought and asked, “What do you mean by taking it a step further?”
Xie Wei lowered his eyes slightly and said, “We have captured many Tianjiao rebels recently and interrogated them. Most of them have seen Gongyi Cheng and know what he looks like. However, there is another strategist for the Tianjiao sect, known as ‘Dujun Shanren,’ who is very secretive and has never shown his face. Even some incense hall leaders have never seen him, only a few at the Jinling headquarters know his identity. If we use Gongyi Cheng as bait to lure the enemy, we can send another person to infiltrate the prison with the Tianjiao members, pretending to be this ‘Dujun Shanren.’ By following the rescuers back, we can gather many secrets and information about their other bases, then retreat at the right time, gaining significant intelligence!”
Hearing this, the others almost shivered and couldn’t help but admire the boldness of the plan.
It was indeed a daring plan!
But the potential gains were tempting.
Shen Lang asked, “Who should we send?”
Yes.
Who should go?
Using Gongyi Cheng as bait was one thing; but the latter part, if the person’s identity was exposed, they might die among the rebels, which was extremely dangerous.
Everyone frowned in thought.
Xie Wei glanced around, waited for a moment, and seeing no one speak, he leaned forward slightly, ready to speak.
But at that moment, Gu Chunfang, standing not far away, spoke, “In terms of wisdom, Master Xie is well-known, and he would be the best candidate for such a situation. But Master Xie’s reputation is too prominent. If he pretends to be the Tianjiao ‘Dujun Shanren,’ it would be too complicated and arouse suspicion. I have a candidate who has studied the Tianjiao sect’s records extensively and might be suitable.”
Xie Wei’s pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Gu Chunfang.
Shen Lang asked, “Who is suitable?”
Gu Chunfang looked behind him and said, “My former subordinate, now one of the thirteen principal officers of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Zhe.”
Zhang Zhe stood at the end, and everyone’s eyes instantly focused on him.
He lowered his eyes, showing little reaction.
Xie Wei quietly observed this person, his fingers tightening slightly in his sleeves: since Gu Chunfang had spoken, it was no longer appropriate for him to volunteer…
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