Forty-eight
Realizing they might be under surveillance from multiple parties, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang became increasingly cautious. They suspended their direct investigation of the fur merchant and instead used the caravan owner's business network to indirectly learn about financial and trade transactions related to the Prince of Wei's residence. At the same time, the two kept a low profile, minimizing their outings to avoid revealing their whereabouts.
However, Princess Yaoguang, Yelü Yao, seemed determined to challenge this "ungrateful" Song guard. For two consecutive days, she sent her maid to the North Wind Inn, specifically requesting to see "Han Zhao," inviting him to accompany her on a trip or to her residence for a chat. Zhan Zhao declined both times, citing illness or the need to guard a merchant caravan.
"This princess is really persistent." Bai Yutang watched the maid leave dejectedly once again, shaking his head and saying, "Cat, you're quite charming. Even disguised like this, you can still make the princess unable to forget you."
Zhan Zhao frowned, finding Yelü Yao's persistent pursuit quite troublesome. Repeatedly refusing her might arouse deeper suspicion and investigation; but if he feigned compliance, he feared it would create unnecessary complications and lead to an even more complicated situation.
"We can't go on like this," Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice. "We must get useful clues as soon as possible and then leave Youzhou."
"Easy for you to say." Bai Yutang shrugged. "The Prince of Wei's mansion is heavily guarded, and those merchants who collude with the mansion are no pushovers either; they're very tight-lipped. We don't even dare to leave the house now, so where are we supposed to find clues?"
Zhan Zhao pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the bustling street outside the window: "Perhaps... we can start with those temporary servants recruited by the Prince's mansion. They are of low status and not easily attract attention, and having served in the Prince's mansion, they know more or less about things."
"You mean... find the people who worked with us that night?" Bai Yutang's eyes lit up. "That's a good approach. Those people are all sorts of people; give them some money, and maybe we can get some information out of them."
Without delay, the two immediately decided to split up. Bai Yutang was responsible for finding the few servants they had met that night who seemed either clever or greedy. Zhan Zhao, on the other hand, stayed at the inn, partly to avoid being caught by Yelü Yao's men, and partly to facilitate rendezvous and support.
Bai Yutang changed into even more inconspicuous clothes and slipped out of the inn. He was good at dealing with people and was willing to spend money, so in just half a day, he actually managed to find out some bits and pieces of information.
"Cat, there's a chance!" As evening fell, Bai Yutang returned to the inn, his face beaming with excitement. "I found a young man who was helping out in the kitchen that night. He said he overheard two stewards from the Prince's mansion chatting, mentioning that a batch of 'special' goods would be transported from Nanjing to the capital soon, and they specifically requested that the 'old channels' escort them."
"Special goods? Old channels?" Zhan Zhao keenly grasped the key point.
"That kid didn't know exactly what it was either. He only heard the manager mention something about 'exquisite trinkets from the Southern Dynasty,' and that they should be handled with care." Bai Yutang lowered his voice. "I suspect that these 'exquisite trinkets' are probably not just ordinary goods. And that 'old channel,' I gave that kid extra money, and he secretly told me that he was referring to the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold, fifty miles outside the city!"
"Bandits?" Zhan Zhao's eyes flashed. The Prince of Wei's residence was transporting important goods using bandits? This clearly didn't make sense! Unless… the goods themselves were illicit, or the escorts had sensitive identities and needed to use bandits to cover their tracks!
"Black Wind Stronghold...do you know its exact location and situation?" Zhan Zhao pressed.
“I’ve inquired about it.” Bai Yutang nodded. “That band of bandits is based in Black Wind Mountain. It’s said that there are about a hundred of them. They’re quite skilled, and… they seem to have some unclear relationship with the Liao government. Ordinary merchant caravans don’t dare to mess with them. The Wei Prince’s Mansion probably uses their channels because they value their ability to get things done and keep things secret.”
Zhan Zhao stood up and paced around the room. His intuition told him that this batch of so-called "exquisite gadgets from the Southern Dynasties" was very likely the key they had been searching for—perhaps evidence of secret correspondence between the remnants of Prince An and Yelü Zongzhen, or perhaps other stolen goods that could be used to convict them! By using bandits to transport them, they could avoid government inspections and also exonerate themselves if anything went wrong.
"We must find out exactly what this shipment is, and ideally, get our hands on it!" Zhan Zhao stopped, his gaze resolute.
"Force our way into Black Wind Stronghold?" Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow. "Just the two of us? Wouldn't that be too risky?"
“Of course we can’t force our way in,” Zhan Zhao said. “We can infiltrate the cargo convoy, or we can ambush them along the way.” He looked at Bai Yutang, “Brother Bai, I’ll need you to go and investigate further. Make sure you find out the exact departure time and route of this shipment.”
"Leave it to Fifth Master!" Bai Yutang patted his chest and assured him.
Over the next two days, Bai Yutang continued his travels, using money and江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) methods to verify information through various channels. Zhan Zhao, on the other hand, stayed at the inn, keeping an eye on the outside world and planning possible course of action.
Yelü Yao seemed to have calmed down a bit and stopped sending people to harass them. But Zhan Zhao did not let his guard down; he felt that the eyes in the shadows had not disappeared, but had become even more concealed.
That afternoon, Bai Yutang brought back definite news: "I've found out! The goods will depart from a villa of the Prince Wei's Mansion in the west of the city at Chenshi (7-9 AM) three days from now, taking the western official road. They are expected to pass through Luoyan Gorge at the foot of Black Wind Mountain around noon. The escorts are ostensibly guards from the Prince's Mansion, but it is said that Black Wind Stronghold will send people to meet them."
"Luoyan Gorge..." Zhan Zhao unfolded a simple map and found the location. The terrain there was treacherous, with steep cliffs on both sides and a narrow road in the middle, making it an excellent spot for an ambush.
“Let’s make our move right here at Luoyan Gorge!” Zhan Zhao pointed to the location on the map. “While they’re making contact with the bandits and their attention is diverted, we’ll sneak in and inspect the goods. If we can get the key evidence, we’ll leave immediately.”
"What if we get discovered?" Bai Yutang asked.
"Then create chaos, seize the goods by force, and then retreat along the predetermined route." Zhan Zhao's eyes sharpened. "We absolutely cannot let this shipment reach the capital smoothly!"
With the plan finalized, the two began preparations. They needed to disguise themselves, prepare suitable weapons and concealed ammunition, and plan their escape route and rendezvous point. Everything had to be done in secrecy, without arousing any suspicion.
However, on the evening before the operation, an unexpected visitor shattered the surface calm.
The one who arrived was Yelü Yao's trusted maid. This time, she was not arrogant; instead, she looked somewhat anxious. Upon seeing Zhan Zhao, she whispered, "Guard Han, the princess requests your presence. She has important matters to discuss!"
Zhan Zhao was wary, but remained outwardly calm: "I wonder what important matter the princess has summoned me for? My status is too low, and I am afraid it is inconvenient for me to enter the palace."
The maidservant said urgently, "It's not going into the manor! The princess is in the carriage in the back alley of the inn! Guard Han, the princess truly wants to help you! If you don't go now, it might be too late!"
Help him? Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise and doubt in each other's eyes. What was Yelü Yao up to?
"Cat, be careful, it might be a trap," Bai Yutang whispered.
Zhan Zhao pondered for a moment, then said to the maid, "Please lead the way."
He decided to meet Princess Yaoguang. Whatever her purpose, her appearance at this moment must be related to the current situation. Perhaps he could obtain some unexpected information from her.
Following the maid to the back alley of the inn, they indeed saw an inconspicuous blue-canopied carriage parked there. The maid gestured for Zhan Zhao to get into the carriage.
Zhan Zhao took a deep breath, lifted the carriage curtain, and climbed inside.
The carriage was not spacious, and Yelü Yao sat alone inside, dressed in ordinary Khitan women's clothing, with a rare solemn expression on her face.
"Han Zhao, or... should I call you Zhan Zhao?" Yelü Yao's first words sent a jolt through Zhan Zhao's heart!
She actually knew his identity!
Zhan Zhao instantly activated his internal energy, his eyes sharp as knives, locking onto Yelü Yao, ready to subdue her at any moment.
Yelü Yao seemed to be taken aback by his sudden burst of aura, but she quickly regained her composure and waved her hand: "Don't be nervous. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't be the only one coming."
She looked at Zhan Zhao with a complicated expression: "My brother... no, the people from the Wei Prince's Mansion, have already suspected your identity. Your investigation into Black Wind Stronghold and that shipment of goods has probably been leaked as well."
Zhan Zhao was even more shocked. They thought their operation was extremely secretive, yet they had still been discovered? Where had things gone wrong?
"Why are you telling me all this?" Zhan Zhao asked in a deep voice, still on guard.
Yelü Yao bit her lip, a hint of stubbornness and... perhaps resentment and anger at having her girlish feelings shattered? "The person I, Yelü Yao, have taken a liking to, even if he is a spy, can only be dealt with by me. It's not up to anyone else to do it! Besides..." She paused, her voice lowering, "I hate the dirty things they do behind my back! My brother... he's becoming less and less like the brother I used to know."
She raised her head and looked directly at Zhan Zhao: "That shipment is not some 'exquisite trinket' at all. It's a defense map of your Song Kingdom's border and secret letters between you and the remnants of the Prince of An's mansion! Your brother wants to use this to gain favor with the Emperor and suppress the Crown Prince's faction! If you make a move at Luoyan Gorge, you will fall into an ambush! A net has already been laid there, just waiting for you to walk right into it!"
As Zhan Zhao listened to Yelü Yao's words, his mind raced. Was she telling the truth? Was it a well-intentioned warning, or another trap?
"Why should I believe you?" Zhan Zhao asked calmly.
Yelü Yao took out a small wax pill from her bosom and handed it to Zhan Zhao: "This is a map of the ambush deployment at Luoyan Gorge that I stole from my brother's confidant. You can judge for yourself whether it's real or not. Believe it or not!" After she finished speaking, she suddenly pushed open the car door, "You'd better hurry! If you wait any longer, it will really be too late!"
Zhan Zhao took the wax pill, gave Yelü Yao a deep look, and without further hesitation, he vanished into the shadows at the alley entrance.
Back in his room, Zhan Zhao immediately informed Bai Yutang of the situation and crushed the wax pill. Inside was indeed a simple map, marking the location and number of people ambushed on both sides of Luoyan Gorge.
"Can we trust what this little princess says?" Bai Yutang looked at the map, still somewhat doubtful.
"It's better to believe it than not to believe it," Zhan Zhao said gravely. "If what she said is true, our original plan to go would be tantamount to suicide. But if this is false information, intended to make us abandon our mission..."
"That shipment is crucial; we absolutely cannot abandon it!" Bai Yutang said.
Zhan Zhao stared at the map, his mind racing through all the possibilities. Suddenly, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "Plan changed! We're not going to Luoyan Gorge!"
"Not going? What about the goods?"
“Since they’ve set up an ambush at Luoyan Gorge, they must assume we’ll go there.” Zhan Zhao pointed to a location on the map between the Wei Prince’s residence and Luoyan Gorge. “We’ll make our move here! After they set off, but before they enter Luoyan Gorge!”
Bai Yutang followed his finger and saw a relatively flat road, shaded by trees.
"Surprise them, strike when they're unprepared!" Bai Yutang's eyes lit up. "Great idea! They'll never expect us to make a move beforehand!"
"There's no time to lose. Let's prepare immediately, set off ahead of schedule tomorrow, and ambush at the designated location!" Zhan Zhao decided decisively.
Yelü Yao's message caused a huge stir, disrupting the original plans but also bringing new opportunities. Truth and falsehood intertwined, danger lurked everywhere; tomorrow's battle would determine the success or failure of their trip to Liao, and might even influence the future relationship between Song and Liao.
Zhan Zhao gripped the giant sword tightly, his eyes resolute. Whether it was a trap or an opportunity ahead, he would brave it.
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