The "envoys" from the capital mixed in with the troops transporting food and fodder for the Ming Dynasty. Whether they asked the locals or attacked the soldiers guarding the city, they got nothing.
He only said that apart from them, there was only the messenger from the post station who came a few days ago to report the national mourning.
Of course, since they were on someone else's territory, they didn't dare to act recklessly and attack the soldiers guarding the city. Instead, they bribed a soldier guarding the city with a large sum of money.
But they still didn't get the result they wanted. Although they didn't want to believe it, the fact was that Tongguan really didn't seem to have the person they were looking for.
Just when they were at their wit's end, an unexpected person came to them.
When they were feeling disheartened and planning to pack up and leave Tongguan to report back, they were invited to a house halfway.
There was a person in the study with his back to them, who seemed to have been waiting for them for a long time.
"Who are you? What is your purpose in leading us here?"
The man turned around and said, "Please be patient, sirs. I have asked you to come here to tell me something important."
The two looked at each other and looked at the person who spoke with sharp eyes.
"What do you mean by that? We are just ordinary people who were conscripted to come to Tongguan to deliver food and fodder."
Qin Zao laughed, but no one knew what he meant.
"Qin has no ill intentions. You two adults don't need to panic. Please listen to what Qin has to say."
"I just happened to hear that the two gentlemen seemed to have come from the capital and were looking for a suspicious person, but they had no results. Qin happened to know some information and hoped to help the two gentlemen."
"I hope both of you will be here by then." Qin Zao stopped here, pointed his index finger upwards, and continued.
"Say a few nice words in front of me."
Qin Zao kept calling them adults, and the two men stopped pretending and admitted that they were indeed sent by that person.
"Alright, since you know we're looking for someone, tell us everything you know. If you really help us find them, it'll be a great achievement, and I'll definitely say a few good words for you in front of that person."
When the two men saw Qin Zao's flattering words, they felt a trace of contempt in their hearts and a hint of arrogance on their faces.
"Yes, yes, yes." Qin Zao responded with a smile on his face.
"The two gentlemen are looking for outsiders who have recently come to Tongguan, but there are indeed none."
The two raised their eyebrows when they heard this. He said he knew the news before, but now he says no one knows. He is trying to trick them.
Seeing this, Qin Zao smiled and waved his hands, not daring to be mysterious anymore, and told what he knew.
"But a few months ago, Cheng Yuchuan came back from the capital with a girl, saying she was his confidante. But I found out privately that he and that girl were in a proper relationship."
"Just a few days before the two adults came to Tongguan, they hurriedly arranged the marriage, and then the next day, news of the late emperor's death came. It was too deliberate."
"She and her two maids are the only three outsiders in Tongguan during this period, apart from the troops escorting the grain and grass."
Those two people were not stupid. After hearing what Qin Zao said, they became suspicious.
"Are you telling the truth? Are you deliberately trying to defraud us to exclude dissidents?"
These two people were carefully trained by the Zhou family and handed over to Xiao Tingmo to do some shameful things for him. Now that Xiao Tingmo has ascended the throne, they have also entered the emperor's exclusive confidential agency and have mastered many secrets of officials.
They just happened to know that Qin Zao was a villain, and his only son was born to a concubine. He entered the military camp and deserted, and was ordered to be beheaded by Cheng Wuan.
So he has a grudge against the Cheng family, and he is probably involved in the attack and death of Cheng Yu'an from the Cheng family.
Now that they have been found and pointed out the wife of the second son of the Cheng family, it is very likely that they will be used to deal with the Cheng family.
Qin Zao hurriedly shook his head. "My Lords, how dare I do that? To deceive you is to deceive that person. Even if I had dozens of guts, I wouldn't do such a thing."
The two of them agreed when they heard it. If there was no problem with the Cheng family, he would definitely not dare to identify it.
"I believe General Qin wouldn't lie to us. We will verify the truth of the news. If what you said is true, it will be a great achievement, and the emperor will definitely reward you handsomely. If we find out it's false, you won't want to know the consequences."
They are not upright gentlemen, and they have plenty of ways to let this old guy see how powerful they are.
"I just hope that what you said and did between us today will not be known by a fourth person."
Qin Zao sent the two people away with a humble and servile manner.
As soon as the door closed, he stood up straight with a cold expression on his face, no longer showing the fawning look he had just had.
"General, they are heading towards the general's residence."
Qin Zao squinted his eyes and played with the ring.
The subordinate beside him hesitated for a long time, looking like he wanted to say something.
"Stutter, just say whatever you want to say!"
His subordinate then spoke up, "General, why are you so sure that the new young lady of the Cheng family is the one those two are looking for?"
"Humph! Of course I know, and I'm pretty sure that Xie Jinyan is the person Emperor An is looking for."
"Because I accidentally discovered a secret before. Xie Jinyan is a man."
"What!?"
"Then why didn't you tell the two adults just now?"
"They went there with their noses in the air, which was infuriating. When they hit a wall, I came out to help them. By then, the situation wouldn't be like it is today."
…
Xie Jinze on this side didn't know that he was on the verge of being exposed, and was still dealing with the news from Jiangnan without rushing or delay.
After he and Song Sanniang got married, the huge rock hanging in his heart completely fell.
In his opinion, with the Cheng family, Cheng Yuchuan and his image as Mrs. Cheng as a cover, no one would suspect her at all.
So he had relaxed, but Song Sanniang didn't let him be happy for too long, and told him that someone outside was asking if there were any suspicious outsiders.
They were probably sent by Xiao Tingmo and the imperial concubine's family, the Zhou family.
Xie Jinze was startled, but when he thought of his current identity as Mrs. Cheng, he sat back down.
"I'm your wife now. How can they find out something's wrong?"
After hearing what he said, Song Sanniang didn't say anything, but just looked at him quietly.
Seeing her reaction, Xie Jinze frowned.
"Do they still suspect me?"
Song Sanniang sighed and nodded.
"Although I don't want to admit it, it's true."
"I just received news from the General's Mansion. This afternoon, they discovered someone trying to sneak into the General's Mansion via a supply truck. Fortunately, they discovered something was wrong in time and prevented the other party from succeeding."
"I'm the one who got you into trouble."
"I was mentally prepared before I agreed to help you conceal your identity. This is what I should do. You don't have to blame yourself."
Xie Jinze was just being polite, after all, this was an agreement between them.
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