Chapter 106 Chapter 106 At noon...
At noon, the temperature was so high that almost no one was outside.
Jiang Wan brought Chen Xi and knocked on the door of Liu Ming's room.
Looking at Liu Ming's pale, sweaty face, Jiang Wan asked with concern, "You didn't come to lunch, so I asked Xixi to buy some. What's wrong? You look so bad."
Liu Ming took the meal Chen Xi handed him and said, "Thank you, Lord Jiang and Miss Chen. I had a stomachache this morning and it hurt for a long time. I've already asked a Wusun witch doctor to see me. He said I couldn't get used to the food from the Western Regions and had diarrhea. I've taken some medicine and I'm feeling much better now."
Jiang Wan carefully studied his expression. Of the five, he was the most suspicious. Liu Ming had served in the military for years, had only taken a handful of leave, and possessed exceptional physique and adaptability. Yet, he chose to take leave today. It was hard not to wonder if he was afraid of being discovered by his presence.
After all, this guy is the most honest and least good at acting in the team. Even the sleep god Lin Xiangzhi is better than him.
"I remember that you adapted the best when you first arrived in Chigu City. How come you suddenly got an upset stomach and had such severe diarrhea this time? What did you eat?" Jiang Wan looked concerned, but stared at him closely, not missing a single expression.
Liu Ming also showed some doubt: "I find it strange too. I only had two beef steamed buns this morning, no spicy or sauce, so it shouldn't upset my stomach."
"That's right," Jiang Wan smiled. "I haven't figured it out either. If I didn't know your character, I would have thought you were deliberately being lazy."
Liu Ming saw these revealing words as a rebuke from Shangguan, who lowered his head in guilt, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have missed such an important occasion."
"It's okay. We failed in the divination anyway. We have to wait a few days to do it again. It will be fine if you are there then." Jiang Wan patted his shoulder.
Liu Ming's eyes widened. "Failed? Why did you fail?"
Jiang Wan: "Don't you know?"
Liu Ming: Guilt.jpg
"I just drew the word 'lucky'. There's something wrong with the lottery box." Jiang Wan sighed.
Liu Ming angrily shouted, "Who dares to tamper with the lottery? This matter needs to be thoroughly investigated as soon as possible!"
"The Wusun people have already reported this to Kunmi," Jiang Wan said, "but I don't want a thorough investigation."
Liu Ming couldn't believe it: "Why?"
“Because you can’t shake people’s hearts.”
Liu Ming was stunned: "Could it be that... there is a traitor among us?"
Jiang Wan carefully observed his reaction. After a few seconds, she lowered her eyes. "Yes. So I'd like you to help me tell Kunmi not to conduct a thorough investigation. Don't let anyone know that there's a traitor."
"It's time to test your acting skills." Jiang Wan patted his shoulder, "Have a good rest. Then go back to work as usual. I'll take care of the rest."
After leaving Liu Ming's room, Chen Xi asked quietly, "Master, is he?"
Jiang Wan shook his head.
This reaction didn't seem like it; it was too natural. Every move matched her assumptions about him. If this was an act, Liu Ming's rank would never have stopped at a fifth-rank junior general.
Excluding him for now, the remaining four, judging by their personalities, are: Qi Qi, single-mindedly focused on the project, completely oblivious to the court's intricacies; Bai Yanyun, talkative and rambling, but not shrewd; Fang Zeshi, the most intelligent and steady, but his thoughtful expression doesn't seem fake; Lin Xiangzhi, as the "God of Sleep," doesn't leave a deep impression, but the traitor wouldn't draw the lot himself...
Jiang Wan patted his head, having no idea what to do, so he put the matter aside and went back to the house.
Then I met Fang Zeshi outside the door.
Jiang Wan's eyelids twitched, and he subconsciously stopped, standing in front of Chen Xi and asking calmly, "Why is Lord Fang here?"
"I have some thoughts to share with you about what happened this morning," Fang Zeshi observed her movements and raised his hands resentfully. "It seems I've done this in vain. Lord Jiang thinks the same as I do, and he's quite suspicious of me."
Now that the truth had been revealed, Jiang Wan no longer had to pretend nothing had happened. After sending Chen Xi away, the two of them sat down in the room, and Fang Zeshi explained his thoughts in detail.
His thinking was similar to Jiang Wan's, and he concluded with a word of advice: "This person must have seen that you are doing well, so he used this method to disrupt our plans. But this also increases the risk of being exposed. As long as we pay more attention, this person will inevitably reveal his true intentions over time. Master Jiang, we are a team and must work together. You must not let this distract you from one person and disrupt the overall plan."
Jiang Wan nodded. These words made sense, consistent with her speculation. Furthermore, Fang Zeshi hadn't made a public announcement, instead meeting her privately, which certainly had a positive impact on his reputation.
Generally speaking, a true insider wouldn't want her to discover their intentions. But there are also those who defy logic and use this to gain favor.
"Who do you think is most likely to be the traitor?" she asked.
"This... I don't know." Fang Zeshi looked embarrassed, facing his boss's amused gaze, and said, "But I think that Lord Bai Yanyun is not."
Jiang Wan chuckled: "Because you two are close friends?"
They had been working together for over a month, and she had always been kind to her subordinates. Fang Zeshi had never seen his boss so pressing, and he felt a little scared and almost didn't dare to confront her.
He involuntarily straightened his back and said with a stiff face, "Not entirely. My Lord, Yanyun and I passed the imperial examination in the same year and have known each other for ten years. I believe I know him fairly well. Although he is nagging and fussy, his heart is pure and kind. Since entering the government, he has neither attached himself to any faction nor accepted bribes. He has devoted himself solely to translation. He has no ambition to be a noble or a prime minister, nor is he concerned with his clan. I believe he would not betray the diplomatic mission."
Without ambition, one is unlikely to be tempted by profit; without ties to one's clan, one will not be compelled by sentiment. Such a person is indeed unlikely to become a traitor.
Jiang Wan silently took note of his words. "Well, that makes sense. What about you? I remember your parents are here, and your wife is by your side. Besides, with your abilities and knowledge, being a deputy envoy is a real understatement."
Fang Zeshi's expression was obviously choked, and he glared at her quietly, as if to say, I'm being honest with you, but you're playing tricks on me.
Then he spread his hands and said, "Yes, my goal is to become the Minister of Personnel. Otherwise, why would I come to the Western Regions to suffer?"
He leaned back, sulking with a hint of resentment, "I can't prove myself. I sincerely hope that you will find out the truth as soon as possible and clear my name."
Jiang Wan couldn't help laughing and grabbed two grapes and threw them at him.
After Fang Zeshi left, she opened the door with a plate of chilled grapes and leaned over the railing to peel them.
A bronze claw reached out, trying to pluck two grapes, but Jiang Wan slapped it away: "You just had diarrhea, you can't eat ice."
Liu Ming's attempt to pluck the grapes failed, and he leaned against the stone pillar awkwardly: "So, is it him?"
"I'm not sure. If he's a traitor, he should lead us to suspect others and clear himself of suspicion. I just asked Fang Zeshi who he suspected the most, and he wanted to protect Bai Yanyun instead. From this point of view, it doesn't seem likely." Jiang Wan stuffed a grape in his mouth, his voice a little unclear. "But his intelligence, character, and ambition are all first-class. It's not surprising that he can handle my temptation perfectly."
Liu Ming: "Then our next key target of investigation is..."
"Lin Xiangzhi, right?" Jiang Wan slowly took out a handkerchief and spat the grape seeds onto it. "After a month, I barely have any impression of him. The unknown is the scariest thing."
"But there's no need to pay too much attention to it. Fang Zeshi was right when he said, 'Don't let one person distract you and ruin your overall plan.'"
"Yes." Liu Ming agreed, "Hey, Master Jiang, your handkerchief looks a little familiar."
Jiang Wan looked down at the snow-white handkerchief. It was square and had no patterns at all.
It looked like a hand towel from a dinner party. She realized it belatedly and felt a little guilty.
Well, it’s not her fault. People from Lin’an have to bring a silk handkerchief when they go out, and Wusun doesn’t sell any, so they can only use one as a handkerchief.
Liu Ming laughed heartily: "Sir, please make one for me next time."
The priest responsible for the fortune-telling that day was disciplined, and the second divination ceremony went smoothly. On the tenth day of the eighth month, the Qingjiangju Wusun branch officially opened, and the porcelain factory and textile mill also began operations.
The store was unexpectedly popular, with hundreds of pieces of porcelain and dozens of pieces of silk sold every day. All the Wusun people who used them gave them a thumbs-up and praised them.
With their fame growing, the delegation became busy and the atmosphere became peaceful. Jiang Wan almost forgot about the existence of the traitor. Half of the Wusun nobles in the city had signed purchase agreements with Qingjiangju. Half a month later, Jiang Wan received a system notification:
"Congratulations to the host for spreading celadon and silk to Wusun. The mission [Silk Road Flower Rain] is 20% complete."
Jiang Wan closed his eyes, waiting for the bonus points announcement.
One second, two seconds... The system was silent as if it was asleep, and the points on the panel remained at 2800.
Could it be a malfunction? Jiang Wan poked the customer service representative suspiciously.
"This isn't a glitch, host. [Silk Road Flower Rain] is the final and ultimate mission of your journey. Completing all missions will increase your points by 3,000, and you'll be rewarded with a large gift package. This mission requires you to spread porcelain and silk throughout the Western Regions. Each time you reach a small country in the Western Regions, the progress bar will increase. After spreading to all thirty-six countries in the Western Regions, the progress bar will reach 100%."
There is a bug here: how could the Xiongnu accept the porcelain of the Great Zhou? According to the progress bar, even if you visit all the other 35 countries, you still can't complete the task.
Jiang Wan asked tentatively, "Can the points be calculated based on the progress bar? I'm only 200 points away."
Customer Service: "No, dear, points can only be calculated after all tasks are completed."
Jiang Wan roared: System, you are such a wicked customer service!
In reality, Qi Qi cautiously poked Jiang Wan's shoulder: "Sir, what do you mean by immoral? What is customer service?"
Jiang Wan: Customer service is like a eunuch delivering imperial decrees, specifically forcing you to take jobs you don’t want to take.
Qi Qi hissed.
The colorful, flickering avatar of the customer service representative in the system turned gray in a second, and when I clicked on it again, only one line of text appeared: Sorry, your dedicated customer service representative is busy, please try again later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
