Xiyuan Pavilion (1)
"Xiyuan Pavilion?"
The two spoke in unison, their confusion barely concealed.
They certainly couldn't have heard of it.
Yan Qing then began to explain: "It's said to be an organization that sells information. There's no information in this world that they can't get. I heard about it while traveling south, but it's very detailed and convincing. Why don't you give it a try?"
Rong Xiao appeared deep in thought, quite skeptical of Yan Qing's words. "Knowing everything? That's far too arrogant."
“However, since there’s such a rumor, there must be some truth to it. The road ahead is uncertain, so it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.” Yan Yang frowned slightly, but still had a different opinion. After speaking, she asked Yan Qing, “Qingqing, do you know how to communicate with them?”
Rong Xiao also looked at Yan Qing, waiting for her answer, and seemed to agree with Yan Yang's approach.
But we must disappoint them.
Yan Qing shook his head and said frankly, "Fang Bi and I only overheard a few words, so we don't know if it's true or not."
Fangbi, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Perhaps we can find their people in the temple."
"temple?"
The two spoke in unison again, exchanged a glance, and Rong Xiao asked, "Does Miss Fangbi know which temple it is?"
This time, Fang Bi also gave a negative answer.
Seeing that the situation had reached a stalemate again, Yan Yang stepped in to break the gloomy atmosphere, "Alright, we'll just keep an eye on things these days. Let's just take a chance and hope we can gain something. If we don't, we won't lose anything."
"Can't find it?" Rong Xuan twirled the ring on his finger, raising an eyebrow at the subordinate who handed him the message.
“People were sent from all over the country to search, but no one could be found to actually be there or where they were staying.”
During this period, news of Xiyuan Pavilion spread like wildfire, reaching hundreds and thousands of people across the country.
First, the bandits who had long occupied the Huanghuai region were wiped out, and then the fugitives who had been in exile were captured.
These events seem to be thousands of miles apart and completely unrelated, but they all have one thing in common.
That means they all received a message from Xiyuan Pavilion.
A note nailed to the front of the government office.
The note contained information about the bandits' movements, the criminals' whereabouts, and many other things they wanted but couldn't get, which brought them considerable success.
Rong Xuan waved for him to leave, then looked at Wenwu and asked, "Such a high-profile organization, yet we can't find anyone related to them. What do you think is going on?"
The person hidden in the night hesitated for a moment before saying, "Forgive my bluntness, but she is very similar to Miss Yan Qing."
"Oh?" Rong Xuan's expression was inscrutable as she looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Miss Yan's actions were unpredictable when she was in the capital, and Xiyuan Pavilion appeared shortly after she left. It is similar to Cat Cat Tea House, so there may be some connection between the two."
Rong Xuan nodded, agreeing with his point of view, and gave the order: "Then you continue to keep an eye on her and pay attention to your movements."
It's not fair to say that Rong Xuan's subordinates were incompetent, but Yan Qing was definitely superior.
From the moment Wenwu appeared in Yunzhou, all his movements were already under Yan Qing's control.
Yan Qing was sorting out Wenwu's whereabouts. After she mentioned to Fangbi that Wenwu had come to Yunzhou, Fangbi decided to arrest him.
This was something Yan Qing hadn't expected. Her initial thought was simply to find a way to send him back to the capital. But Fang Bi gave her a reassuring look and said that it would be easier to just bring him here directly. Without the slightest hesitation, she accepted the suggestion like a chicken pecking at rice.
She marked all the places Wenwu frequented so that Fangbi could catch her former colleague.
Before she could finish, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door. She put away the papers and got up to open the door.
When she opened the door, a group of cats and insects had already followed Yan Qing. Having been there several times, Yan Yang was used to this scene. She carefully avoided the cats at her feet and followed Yan Qing into the house.
As soon as she sat down, she handed a note to Yan Qing and said excitedly, "There's news from Xiyuan Pavilion!"
Yan Qing took it and looked at it, her tone full of surprise: "There really is such an organization. I thought it was just a rumor."
Yan Yang sensed her curiosity and recounted in detail the recent events at Xiyuan Pavilion.
“But this organization is truly mysterious. Take a closer look at this paper.” Yan Yang gestured with his chin towards the note on the table.
Yan Qing was puzzled, but still picked it up and examined it carefully. Finding nothing unusual, she said bluntly, "Isn't this just ordinary paper? What's so special about it?"
Yan Yang nodded in agreement and explained, "That's their brilliance. This paper is the most common type, readily available everywhere, and its quality doesn't vary by region. As a result, it's almost impossible to find them by focusing on the paper."
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing looked enlightened and then asked, "Didn't you see anyone from Xiyuan Pavilion?"
Speaking of this, Yan Yang was also a little annoyed. She shook her head and said, "That's the strange thing. The note was delivered in the middle of the night, and just like the rumors said, it was nailed to the door. We've already had someone keep an eye on it."
"So how did you get in touch with Xiyuan Pavilion?"
"Actually, they came to us," Yan Yang continued. "Miss Fangbi mentioned that we might be able to find it in a temple, so I sent people to search all the temples in Yunzhou. This commotion must have reached the attention of Xiyuan Pavilion. And here comes the note."
She pointed to the note on the table, which read, “Write your request on the back and put it back where it was.”
"There's another matter I've come to discuss today. Tonight, Rong Xiao and I plan to personally stake out the place and find out who's delivering the message. I think you'd be interested. Would you like to come along?"
Yan Qing agreed without hesitation, and the two agreed to meet in front of the Yan residence when night fell.
After seeing Yan Yang off, Yan Qing reviewed their conversation again to make sure there were no oversights before sitting back down at his desk to finish organizing the movements of the civil and military officials.
As evening fell, Fangbi entered the room, went straight to Dahuang, fed it, stroked its fur, and then went to find Yanqing.
Inside the study, Yan Qing neatly arranged several papers on the table. He looked up and saw Fang Bi walking towards him. He got up, walked over to her, handed the papers to Fang Bi, and said, "Are you sure you can beat him? Maybe I should find you some help. Two hands can't beat four fists. If I find more people, we can catch him."
Fangbi was amused by her, but still refused Yan Qing's suggestion, "Don't worry, he can't beat me."
The words were full of confidence and had no hint of bravado, so Yan Qing gave up the idea.
For Yan Qing, using her brain was acceptable, but resorting to violence was really too much. What's more, the people here were fighting all over the place, making her alarm bells ring and suppressing the urge to call 110 (the police emergency number).
Their every move seemed to defy gravity, and even with wires, it would be difficult to replicate.
However, it's clear that Fang Bi is an undisputed expert when it comes to overcoming gravity. She should go and accompany Yan Yang and Rong Xiao as detectives.
Although the two people they are looking for are Fang Bi, who is going to arrest her former colleague, and Yan Qing, who is going to infiltrate their ranks.
But this event itself was still quite novel and exciting for Yan Qing, as he had never had such an experience in modern life.
The three men changed into night clothes and sat in a row on the roof, staring intently at the gate of the Yan residence. The note, with its contents already written on the back, was hung back where it had appeared, on the pillar of the Yan residence's gate.
They had been watching it for an hour, and during that time, only the wind had touched the note.
"The mung bean cakes you loved to eat when you were little, from Xianfulou." Yan Yang proudly presented a fragrant paper package, which contained neatly stacked mung bean cakes. In the dim moonlight of the night, the sense of taste was more acute than sight, and the aroma wafted straight to the mouths and noses of the three of them.
The aroma of mung beans filled the air, but the three of them fell silent.
In fact, Yan Qing's emotions were not greatly affected, but this matter was not suitable to be discussed openly at the moment. Yan Qing could neither acknowledge this sister nor directly deny her identity.
Silence became the best option.
Yan Yang realized that what she said was inappropriate, so she laughed it off and said, "We'll have to wait a long time. Let's grab a bite to eat first, and I'll treat you two to a big meal tomorrow morning."
"You've all been running around with me, so I should be the one to invite you."
Both of them were amused by Rong Xiao's serious tone, and the matter was thus dropped.
Unfortunately, the person they were waiting for did not appear until the sky began to lighten. As the streets gradually filled up, it was unlikely that anyone from Xiyuan Pavilion would show up at this hour. The three of them had no choice but to tear down the note and head back home to rest and recuperate.
For the next few days, they waited together. Yan Qing stayed with them for two days and then stopped going because Fang Bi had already brought Wen Wu back. Indeed, as she said, Wen Wu was no match for Fang Bi.
Yan Qing watched as Fang Bi carried the tall and strong Wen Wu back. She couldn't help but step forward and poke Fang Bi's muscles, marveling once again at how mysterious the physique of the people here was.
After sighing, it's time to consider how to deal with this guy.
He had been following her around the capital, monitoring her every move. Although she was unhappy, she still had to consider Rong Xuan's feelings. But this was Yunzhou! Once she was here, he wouldn't be able to leave.
The little devil in Yan Qing's heart could no longer be contained and quietly crept out.
But Wenwu didn't give her a chance to perform; he was unconscious for two days. It's hard to say whether Fangbi was too authoritative or Wenwu was too weak.
Once he woke up, Yan Qing's excitement had subsided.
He's lucky!
With no progress made by Yan Yang and Rong Xiao, they finally decided to stop their stakeout and withdraw all the men they had sent out.
Firstly, they worried that such a delay would be detrimental to the matter; secondly, they feared that Xiyuan Pavilion would refuse to cooperate because of their spying.
Sure enough, the note was taken away the next day, and a new note arrived the following day.
Yan Qing was invited to discuss the matter again, but this time she declined.
Although they all had their own reasons for wanting to spend more time with her, it was a bit strange to involve her in everything they did. Besides, she didn't have time to play house with them anymore.
"So, have you made up your mind? Do you want to switch jobs and work for me?"
Yan Qing opened the door to the woodshed, placed the food on the temporary wooden table, and stepped forward to untie Wenwu, who was bound hand and foot.
She didn't want to mistreat the prisoners of war, but Wenwu was just too unruly. As soon as he was released, he tried to run away, but Fangbi caught him again after only a few steps.
This went on until Fangbi got tired of the cat-and-mouse game and tied him up.
Yan Qing was surprised when she learned his name.
Could it be that Fang Bi is the most skilled fighter under Rong Xuan's command? Then why did he let her leave so easily?
Fortunately, Fangbi noticed her question and answered directly: "Literature is valued above all else, but martial arts are lacking."
Upon hearing this, Wenwu protested, even though his mouth was stuffed with cloth. He still made muffled noises to protest.
Then, Fang Bi delivered a flying kick to his face.
Finally, they behaved themselves.
Now he doesn't care about anything anymore. After regaining his freedom, he eats heartily, ignoring Yan Qing's questions.
She wasn't in a hurry, and after Wenwu finished his lunch, she repeated the process.
Wenwu still pretended to be deaf.
Yan Qing pursed her lips, tilted her head, and called out, "Fang Bi!"
In an instant, Wenwu changed his attitude and hurriedly explained, "It's not that I don't want to answer, it's that I don't understand!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Fangbi, who had come over, listened to Wenwu's sophistry and said succinctly, "Work for us, understand?"
Wenwu put on a pitiful expression, nodding and shaking his head, finally choking out, "Fangbi, you traitor!"
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