Chapter Twenty-One: Covert Spy Network
Long street.
Since Luoyang was established as a secondary capital in the seventh year of the Chunxi reign, it has gradually become more prosperous. Red plank bridges span the river, green wine flags flutter, and the Guanwa Palace basks in the warm sunlight. It is deep summer, and the wine sellers by the taverns, dressed in light robes, their fair wrists like frost, turn their heads and smiles, their beauty captivating, their breath soft and gentle—truly, the wine itself is intoxicating. A dashing young man on horseback leans against the bridge, basking in the spring breeze, full of youthful vigor, attracting the attention and cheers of the courtesans in the taverns. In the distance, a thousand gates rise atop the mountain, a tapestry of splendor, a magnificent sight.
Xu Rusheng finally met the military governor in person, and couldn't help but feel a little overjoyed. Although it was a minor post, it was a rare opportunity to show his face. After carefully recalling the military governor's words and tone, Xu Rusheng became more and more certain that he might be on a meteoric rise in the future. Thinking this, the carriage soon returned to the alley next to the government office, which was only a wall away from the office.
Xu Rusheng, having gladly lifted the carriage curtain, was about to thank the driver when a sharp, murderous aura struck him. Unable to dodge in time, the aura struck him squarely between the eyebrows. Bright red blood dripped from between Xu Rusheng's brows, flowing down his still-stunned eyes and the corner of his smiling lips. The change happened so quickly; everything came to an abrupt halt. Xu Rusheng didn't even have time to think of his beautiful wife, young children, and elderly parents at home before he fell straight off the carriage, landing in the dust, never to rise again.
The sun still blazes fiercely, the alleyway remains noisy, and human life is as insignificant as an ant's, fleeting in an instant.
After Xu Rusheng and the coachman both perished, the guards who had been lurking in the shadows quietly emerged. After searching several times, they finally found the "Chasing Cloud" embedded in the door frame outside the carriage. The "Chasing Cloud" was made of refined iron. The guards tried to remove the secret weapon several times with their swords, but could not. They had no choice but to use their swords to chop down the crossbeams, remove the attached piece of wood, and leave.
Inside the "Drunken Spring Mountain" restaurant, A Zhe had already followed the cloud bees to his target's location. If he wasn't mistaken, the private room should house Liu Zhang, the military governor of Luocheng. To avoid alerting the enemy, A Zhe inserted a hollow needle filled with cloud incense into the crack in the door. The incense from the needle dispersed, swirling towards the inner room. The incense in the hollow needle lingered longer, lasting about five days, enough for the cloud bees to track him. After securing the needle, A Zhe quietly left. He knew he was no match for the person inside, so he wouldn't act rashly.
Inside the government office, Mu Lian had already received a secret report from her informants. As the Empress's eyes and ears, the Judicial Office was responsible for monitoring all officials. Therefore, after Mu Lian became its head, she specifically formed a team of agents to act as secret agents, spreading throughout the Daxing Dynasty and weaving a tight intelligence network. Once these agents reached their destinations, they would disguise themselves as local residents, blending into the crowd, unknown to each other. They would only act upon the Judicial Office's order.
Today, Xu Rusheng had barely left Zuichun Mountain when he was spotted by spies from the Judicial Office. The beautiful wine seller at the counter and the dashing young man riding his horse down the street were both spies from the Judicial Office. In fact, similar organizations and spies existed in previous dynasties, but they were mostly ordinary-looking people, easily lost in a crowd. Over the years, this practice became the accepted norm.
However, Mu Lian took a completely different approach. In her view, the core of "spies" wasn't "secret," but "investigation." Only those with sufficient charisma could uncover more information and have more opportunities to meet all sorts of people, from royalty to common laborers. Therefore, after Mu Lian took charge of the Court of Judicial Review, she instructed the Empress to select a group of handsome and talented young men and women from the secret service and train them to become spies. These spies would work in conjunction with the existing ordinary spies, and the operation had now grown to a considerable size.
Clutching the secret report tightly, Mu Lian's fingers tightened until her fingertips turned white. She never imagined that Xu Rusheng, who had merely gone to deliver a message, would be so ruthlessly silenced. His life was truly as worthless as grass; a pity indeed.
Summer deepened outside the window, with the occasional chirping of cicadas, a serene silence mingling with the heat. Mu Lian raised her eyes indifferently, her gaze growing even colder. She knew she had never been a merciful or righteous person; killing someone was merely a matter of a head falling to the ground. However, even thieves have their code of honor, and so do murderers.
"My lord, Lord Yin outside invites you to a banquet to welcome the Director of the Imperial Stables..." Meng Yuan reported from behind.
Ah, no good banquet. Mu Lian put away the secret report, turned around and looked Meng Yuan's attire, and said, "The banquet is the same as before. My first priority is to have a good meeting with this military governor..."
"Yes," Meng Yuan nodded in response. Over the years, she had long since grown accustomed to it. Whenever the real head of the academy was unwilling or unable to attend, she, the imposter head, would fill in, to the point that Meng Yuan's imitation of the head's mannerisms and speech was unparalleled. It could be said that, unless the mask was removed, almost no one knew whether it was Mu Lian or Meng Yuan behind the mask.
That evening, the government office was brightly lit and decorated, and the atmosphere was lively with the clinking of glasses. To show sincerity, the banquet not only included officials of all ranks from Luoyang, but also invited gentry and wealthy families, making it a truly grand and bustling gathering. After everyone had taken their seats, Ye Yiqing, along with Mu Lian, Meng Yuan, Sun Bin, and others, slowly made their way there.
As Ye Xun entered the main hall, a guard at the door stopped him, indicating that he needed to remove his sword. Ye Xun was slightly taken aback and looked up at Ye Yiqing. As a young master's attendant, this was the first time in all his years of service that he had been asked to remove his sword outside the palace.
"Oh, this is outrageous..." Before he could finish speaking, Sun Bin threw a punch, striking the guard squarely on the nose. Having finally recovered from his serious illness, Deputy Commander Sun was once again full of energy. Seeing a mere gatekeeper dare to obstruct him, he was instantly enraged. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner; even if they were both attendants, a lowly guard like Sun Bin couldn't just stop him at will.
Seeing their comrade being beaten, the other guards from the government office, though not immediately drawing their swords, all glared with rage.
Mu Lian glanced coldly at them and gave Meng Yuan a meaningful look. Meng Yuan took a step to the side, standing tall beside Ye Yiqing with an imposing air, and said slowly, "Unsheathing the sword is not impossible, but we request that the City Magistrate come in person..." Even a seventh-rank official before the Prime Minister's gate. Even if Ye Xun was merely an attendant, he was still a dignified third-rank official, an attendant of the Director of the Imperial Stables. How could they allow him to obstruct them at will?
The moment the oppressive aura was unleashed, the previously agitated guards of the yamen were instantly stunned, and their grips on their sword hilts loosened involuntarily.
"Oh dear, it's a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding..." Behind the guards, Yin Wenbin, beaming with joy, jogged out of the hall. Perhaps due to his haste, glistening beads of sweat still clung to his forehead. Coupled with his slightly plump figure and his almost fawning smile, it evoked a sense of pity in one who saw him.
"Why aren't you all quickly apologizing to the Chief Steward?" Wiping away sweat with his sleeve, Yin Wenbin angrily shouted at the guards behind him.
"Yes, please punish us, Your Excellency, the Chief of the Cauldrons..." The numerous guards pleaded for forgiveness in unison, their loud voices piercing the eardrums.
"Lord Ye, look..." Yin Wenbin continued with a forced smile. This gesture, ostensibly an apology, was in reality a form of blackmail. It's said that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake; surely this Commissioner of the Cauldrons wouldn't dare to offend anyone so soon after arriving.
"Thank you for upholding justice, Lord Yin..." At Mu Lian's signal, Meng Yuan waved her hand, interrupting Yin Wenbin: "Although offending the Chief Steward is not a capital offense, mistakes must be punished. How about making him hop like a frog in the courtyard for half an hour?"
Everyone was taken aback by these words and looked up at the courtyard. The moonlight in the courtyard was as clear as water, bright and pure, with no darkness or concealment, making it the perfect place to act.
Yin Wenbin cursed Meng Yuan, who was impersonating the head of the academy, to death in his heart, but he showed no sign on his face. He only looked at Ye Yiqing's expression, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "In that case, it's fine..."
"Then I must thank Lord Yin for sharing the burden with the Director of the Imperial Stables..." Meng Yuan said nonchalantly, her bright eyes full of cunning. You fat bastard, you're the one I'm after.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Lord Yin..." With an elegant wave of her sleeve, Ye Yiqing seemed to have just realized what was going on and readily agreed.
Yin Wenbin's expression changed several times, but he still managed a fawning smile and said, "Don't worry, Lord Ye, I guarantee you'll be satisfied. Please take a seat..."
Nodding casually, Ye Yuqing led Mu Lian and the others into the main hall. Everyone knew that what had just happened was merely a prelude; the real banquet was only just beginning.
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