Chapter 740 Beiling Spy
In the cold winter, the wind was biting and the snowflakes outside fell on the collar, covering it with a layer of white in just a moment.
Jinyun hurried in from outside the palace, his cloak covered in snowflakes, but he didn't have time to brush them off before he said to Xiao Yan and the others:
"Your Majesty previously ordered me to investigate the Beiling spies. Every time the Xiaowei found any clues, it was as if someone had foreseen them and cut off their leads before they could make any move."
"During this period, Beiling has been invading frequently, and the border town of Zhaozhou has been massacred. Your Majesty was extremely furious and announced the intention of sending a large-scale military force to lure out Beiling's spies. However, he didn't expect those people to be hiding in the dark and making no move. I thought they had already withdrawn from the capital."
"It wasn't until today when Lord Cao and Liang Guangyi had an argument, and the girl, in order to appease Liang Guangyi, deliberately mentioned that General Yin had gone to Munan Pass, that they could no longer bear it."
Beiling was raided several times, and each time they avoided the patrol areas of the Zhen'an Army and the Longting Guards. Several times, they even happened when the war in the south was at its most stalemate and it was difficult to support the north. However, after His Majesty ascended the throne, the entire capital was almost under the surveillance of the Black Armor Guards and the Owl Guards. Despite this defense, news from the court still continued to be sent to Beiling.
They had searched almost the entire capital but still couldn't find the whereabouts of the spy. Now that they had finally caught him, even Jinyun, who was usually calm, couldn't help but show a bit of excitement on his face.
"After Liang Guangyi finished talking to the girl and left the palace, he summoned the court officials from the aristocratic families, as well as some people who were attached to the Liang family. I followed your majesty's instructions and sent people to guard the place. After those people dispersed, I sent someone to monitor them."
"After they returned to the mansion, there was no movement at all. I thought today's plan would be in vain again. I never imagined that the Fan family would use an old vegetable vendor to pass on information. Moreover, the spy left in the mansion turned out to be the second wife of the Fan family's second son who had been married for five years."
"How could it be her?" Tang Ning frowned slightly when he heard that.
Xiao Yan turned his head: "What's wrong?"
Cao Dejiang and the others also looked over.
Tang Ning sat beside Xiao Yan and said hesitantly, "I've seen Madam Fan II at several banquets in the capital before. She's a high-profile and flamboyant person, and she doesn't always act with her brains."
To say nothing of it is a simple matter of fact. She is simply a lunatic who doesn't give anyone any face.
Tang Ning had seen her arguing with others more than once or twice. Once, she almost got into a fight with someone at a banquet because of a disagreement. However, the Fan family had a great family background, and the second wife of Fan was from a prominent family. Others could not do anything to her, and were even more afraid of provoking such a lunatic, so most of them would give in.
Tang Ning frowned and said, "I've dealt with her twice before. From what she said, she didn't seem like someone who was scheming. And I remember that she didn't seem to get along with the Fan family or her own family. She usually fought with others without caring about her dignity. She even slapped a member of the Fan family in the face in public."
Qian Qiyue was well-versed in all kinds of gossip in the capital. Tang Ning had heard about the Second Madam Fan from her. She heard that she was the second daughter in the family and had a good marriage arranged after she came of age. However, she was later caught having an affair with her elder sister's husband, which angered her already frail sister to death.
This incident was extremely embarrassing at the time. Her parents were so angry that they wanted to beat her to death. However, her sister was magnanimous and begged her parents and husband to save her life before she died. Later, in order to maintain the friendship between the two families, after her death, her sister married her brother-in-law and became his second wife, who is now the second master of the Fan family.
But according to Qian Qiyue, the truth of this matter may be different from the rumors.
When Mrs. Fan II first married into the Fan family, she was a gentle person, but not long after, she suddenly seemed like a different person. She slapped people from her husband's family and had a very bad relationship with her parents' family. Later, she became even more violent and caused trouble everywhere, but her husband's family and her parents' family tolerated it and never asked about it.
Like I owe her something.
Tang Ning had dealt with Mrs. Fan II before. She was rude and domineering, and was full of gossip.
A spy who can hide for many years needs to disguise himself, but being so "high-profile" seems a bit incongruous.
Moreover, if one wants to know the news in the court, it is still relatively secretive and not publicized. As a woman in the harem, Madam Fan Er can only rely on the men around her and other people in the Fan family. However, considering the relationship between Madam Fan Er and the Fan family, it doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it.
Tang Ning looked at Jin Yun: "Maybe you found the wrong person? Are you sure it's her?"
Jinyun's joy faded. "But after following His Majesty's orders, we found that she was indeed the most suspicious. Moreover, the spies saw her maid hand over the secret letter with their own eyes, and followed the messenger to find the Beiling secret agent who had been hiding for a long time..."
Tang Ning frowned.
Qian Baokun said, "Perhaps what she did before was just a disguise, and she was arguing and quarreling with others on purpose."
Tang Ning still felt something was wrong after hearing this.
Xiao Yan sat at the side with a calm expression. He tapped the table with his fingertips for a moment before asking, "Have those hidden agents moved?"
"No, it took a lot of effort to find them. I didn't dare let anyone move without permission. After I found out everything, I returned to the palace to report to His Majesty."
Jinyun quickly said, "I haven't confiscated the secret letter sent by the Fan family. I just followed your majesty's instructions and sent those secret agents to pass the message out of the capital, and ordered people to secretly monitor that place." He paused and said, "Your majesty, do you want them to be captured and interrogated?"
“No need.”
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes, his gaze slightly shimmering. "Regardless of whether this Second Madam Fan is the spy we've been pursuing for so long, the secret letter sent to Beiling can't be fake. Regardless of whether someone is hiding behind her or she's being used by someone, as long as the information we want can be delivered to the right person in a timely manner, that's all that matters."
Tang Ning and the others were stunned for a moment, and then they looked enlightened.
Yes, no matter who this spy is, his greatest use in the capital is to gather information for Beiling. The reason they have always wanted to find him is that they are worried that he will send out something that should not be sent out, affecting the safety of Wei. But now that they have found the secret agent, they have caught the channel for them to send letters out of the capital.
What did it matter who the spy was?
All they wanted was to spread the news they wanted Beiling to know, and it didn't matter who spread it.
Xiao Yan said, "There should be more than one source of information in Beiling. Let's keep this one as a secret agent for now. As for the Fan family, we need to screen everyone around Madam Fan II and find out who has had contact with her recently, regardless of gender, age, or even children."
"Also, screen the maid who delivered the letter. Everyone who had contact with her should be screened. Also, find a way to send someone to the Fan family to keep a close eye on them. Don't alert them."
Jinyun nodded quickly: "Yes."
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