After Gongshu Lan broke the jade bracelet in half, she poured out a roll of paper from the hollow part on one side and took out a thin, special pen and ink from the other side.
The smell of the ink was extremely pungent and unpleasant. She frowned and disgustedly picked up a corner of her sleeve to cover her nose.
After a short while, I held my breath and took the pen and ink to write on the narrow piece of paper.
"Investigate immediately: what are Sang Xuanqing's connections with the Mo family, what have been his recent whereabouts, and whether he has come into contact with any suspicious individuals?"
After finishing writing, she rolled it up again, placed it on a cedar branch, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then walked away.
But just to be safe, she didn't go far, but hid in a corner and waited quietly.
A short while later, a black crow with full plumage flew to the top of the tree with a "caw-caw" sound. It tilted its head, followed the scent that attracted it, found the note that Gongshu Lan had placed, put it in its beak, and then flapped its wings and flew away.
The ink hidden in Gongshu Lan's jade bracelet was actually specially mixed with a putrid scent that attracted crows, and this dark crow was a "messenger" specially trained by the Gongshu family.
Yuwen Sheng's military camp was heavily guarded, and she could not bring strangers in; she could only rely on this roundabout method.
Several days later, the Gongshu family's spies relayed the information they had gathered to Gongshu Lan in the same manner.
Due to the short timeframe and the fact that Yuwen Sheng had been suppressing Sang Xuanqing's relationship with the Mo family, the information gathered by the Gongshu family's spies was limited.
The only thing that could be considered a coincidence was that while they were closely tracking Sang Xuanqing's recent movements, they inadvertently discovered that someone had broken into Sang Xuanqing's residence (this person was Ya, who came to take away the map of the garrison camp drawn by Zheng Quchi).
At first, they thought this person might have ulterior motives, but when Sang Xuanqing met him, she was not frightened or threatened. Instead, the two talked privately behind closed doors for a long time.
Afterwards, they guessed that this person might be the focus and direction of the investigation, so they dispersed their manpower to track down the person's whereabouts. After several twists and turns, they finally confirmed that the person was a member of the Mohist school.
In this way, it can be indirectly confirmed that Sang Xuanqing definitely has a close relationship with the Mo family, and can even be said to be a spy sent by the Mo family to Fuxian County and to lie in wait around Yuwen Sheng.
When Gongshu Lan learned of this, she crushed the paper in her hand, and her usually gentle and calm eyes were now filled with excitement and joy.
Ever since she learned of Yuwen Sheng's marriage, she has been consumed by a deep-seated jealousy.
She had always thought of herself as not being petty or narrow-minded, unlike ordinary women who only knew how to revolve around men. She had status, position, and ability, and she was confident that she could preserve her true self.
But she now realizes that she can't stay calm when it comes to Yuwen Sheng.
This time, it was a golden opportunity.
Since Yuwen Sheng's current wife, a country girl, is Sang Xuanqing's sister, if Sang Xuanqing is indeed convicted of treason, then her entire family will naturally be implicated and executed.
Even if Yuwen Sheng were to actually protect his countrywoman and spare her life, Gongshu Lan did not believe that he would continue to trust her without question, nor that Sang Xuanqing's sister would harbor no resentment towards the person who killed her brother.
As long as there is a rift between them, she has a way to make them drift further and further apart, eventually falling apart and becoming strangers.
Gongshu Lan murmured softly, "Sang Xuanqing, if you want to blame someone, blame your sister. Why did she have to marry Yuwen Sheng of all people?"
She raised her eyes, gazing calmly at a point in the void, yet a gentle smile curved her lips.
"No, this doesn't seem safe enough."
Immediately afterwards, she wrote another secret letter, which Dark Raven smuggled out of the military camp.
"Take a message to my brother, saying that five days from now, on the seventeenth, I will see the nomadic barbarians coming to Ghost Ridge to launch a sneak attack."
"Furthermore, send someone to affix the Mo family's emblem to the letters smuggled in there, and deliver them to the border of Julu Kingdom in the name of Sang Xuanqing. Under no circumstances should any information about us be revealed."
Gongshu Lan soon received a reply.
"The chieftain's words are approved."
"Furthermore, the letter has been sent to the border of Julu Kingdom as requested by the young lady."
Gongshu Lan slowly placed these letters on a tinderbox and lit them little by little until they turned to ashes.
Sang Xuanqing's previous letter had been altered and rewritten using copying techniques before being sent to Julu Kingdom.
The handwriting and most of the content were similar in wording to Sang Xuanqing's previous letter, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and fake.
She gathered her embroidered gauze sleeves, tilted her head back, and revealed a gentle, pure, and flawless face, like a rare orchid in a secluded valley.
Gongshu Lan clasped her hands together and said, "I pray to Heaven that my only wish in this life is to be in love with Yuwen Sheng. If my wish is granted, I will refrain from all evil, do all good, and purify my mind."
——
Rewind a few days, when Zheng Quchi learned that Mu Ke had handed the letter over to someone else, he rushed to Changxunpo in a great hurry.
Unfortunately, despite her risky journey, she did not manage to meet Wei Yao in person.
According to the guard, he has been very busy with official duties these days, often leaving early and returning late to arrange his patrols in the nomadic barbarian territories of the western border.
Therefore, Zheng Quchi thought it would be easier to go to Feng Qing first and ask him directly.
The guards at the camp gate were quite familiar with Zheng Quchi, after all, she had visited the camp several times and had been warmly received by Wei Jinwei.
Although they didn't have the authority to let people in freely because Wei Yao wasn't there, it wasn't difficult to call someone out for her.
Before long, Zheng Quchi, who was waiting outside, saw the guards leading a young general wearing scale armor as they walked over.
This person has regular features and an upright gaze. Looking at his face, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who is cunning and treacherous.
Feng Qing looked Zheng Quchi up and down with suspicion and asked, "Did you come to see me?"
“Yes.” Zheng Quchi stepped forward, her words sincere, wanting to find a more private space with him to discuss some important matters.
Feng Qing recognized Sang Xuanqing. Although the two had never interacted privately, he still agreed.
After avoiding being seen by others, Zheng Quchi first explained about Mu Ke delivering the letter, and then she asked, "Did you personally deliver that letter to Brother Wei?"
She didn't tell Feng Qing that the letter was actually hers; she only said it was to inquire about the result on behalf of Mu Ke.
Feng Qing was stunned for a moment before he understood Sang Xuanqing's purpose in coming.
"The letter... has been sent."
He was certain of Gongshu Lan's character and believed he had delivered the letter to Wei Jinwei. His slight hesitation stemmed from the fact that he had not done it "personally."
Seeing that he didn't get straight to the point, Zheng Quchi couldn't help but ask again, "Really?"
Feng Qingnian was appointed as the garrison commander of a battalion at a young age, so he naturally had his arrogant side. He was unhappy about being questioned and frowned, saying, "Of course."
Seeing that the other party did not seem to be lying, Zheng Quchi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little.
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