Chapter 247: Intercept

The Tianzi Bing number room was freshly cleaned. Inside, a potted landscape of a winter evergreen firethorn was placed. The bedding was changed to silk, and on the table were melon seeds, preserved fruits, sand dates, and pastries. They even sent two charcoal basins.

Xiao Man, watching Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu busy for a long time, pointed at the charcoal basin and said, "One charcoal basin is enough in the room, we won't pay for the extra one!"

Xiao Wu quickly bent at the waist and said with a fawning smile, "Just now, several guests were startled. The shopkeeper feels extremely guilty and specially instructed the small one to prepare these to compensate you. Not only that, your future room money is also waived. You can stay as long as you like."

Zhang Zheng grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, cracking them while saying in confusion, "Your inn isn't making money? How come you're only doing this kind of losing business."

Xiao Wu's face was bitter. "The small one also doesn't want to do losing business, ah. Who knew these Jing Chao spies would go crazy."

Chen Ji's heart stirred. Leaning on the window lattice, holding his whale knife in his arms, he casually asked, "Did you all know that Hong Xiu Zhao's old procuress was a Jing Chao spy early on, or did you just discover it? Can you tell us?"

Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment.

Zhang Xia took a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the Eight Immortals table.

Xiao Wu quickly waved his hand. "No need, no need. The shopkeeper just instructed that whatever questions you have, the small one knows and will tell you. No need to give silver!"

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia looked at each other. This Xiao Wu had needed silver for information in the afternoon.

Yet they heard Xiao Wu explain, "This Hong Xiu Zhao has always been a Jing Chao thief's den. Jing Chao merchant teams from the north detour through Yinchuan, arrive at Guyuan, and then go to Hong Xiu Zhao to rest. Those merchant teams seem to visit prostitutes, but in reality, they exchange intelligence."

Chen Ji said curiously, "How do you know?"

Xiao Wu said proudly, "Look at what the guest said. When can the secrets of this Guyuan be hidden from our Longmen Inn?"

Chen Ji didn't understand. "You all just provide the place for trading messages; you didn't participate in the message trading, ah. Those people buy and sell messages, and it might not all pass through your hands."

Xiao Wu said mysteriously, "The guest doesn't know. Under our inn's floor is buried a large jar. People sit in the jar, and the voices of guests talking in the main hall, no matter how small, can be heard clearly."

Chen Ji knew about this listening jar technique, which is generally used in the military.

The city defense army would bury a large jar covered with a thin layer of cowhide under the city wall. Soldiers would sit in the jar and could hear horse hooves from twenty kilometers away.

Some people also buried a large jar next to the foreign envoys' room and found a blind person with exceptional hearing to sit in it and record the foreign envoys' conversations.

He hadn't expected that Longmen Inn would also have this thing underground, listening to all the trading messages.

However, Chen Ji looked at Xiao Wu with a complex expression, his doubts already extremely thick in his heart: This kind of secret could also be told to him? He was just a guest, ah.

Xiao Wu didn't notice Chen Ji's expression and continued talking to himself, "Which aspects of intelligence guests like to inquire about allows us to speculate on their identity. Merchants buy messages for business, but only a few people will pay attention to the border army's military situation. We secretly record all these people."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Who all inquired about the military situation?"

Xiao Wu put the white cloth on his shoulder, bending his fingers to calculate. "The apprentice of Nan Luo Fang's glass shop, the shopkeeper of Yang Ji Fur on Luo Shi Fang's Duo Hun Street, and also this Hong Xiu Zhao's old procuress... Guest, is there anything else you want to ask? If not, Xiao Liu and I will go out. The shopkeeper still has other things to instruct."

Chen Ji cupped his hands. "Many thanks. Temporarily nothing else to ask."

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu exited the Tianzi Bing number room, carefully closed the door, and then relaxed a breath.

Xiao Liu muttered at his side, "What kind of madness is the shopkeeper in? Isn't he just the bastard son of a fourth-rank official? Why are we fawning over him like this?"

Xiao Wu quickly slapped the back of his head. "Just do as you're told! Do more and ask less!"

In the room, Chen Ji silently walked to the door, pressing close to the door to confirm that Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu had gone downstairs. Then he turned back to Zhang Xia and asked, "Do you think they told the truth?"

Zhang Xia sat at the Eight Immortals table, still playing with the silver ingot he hadn't given out earlier. "They also seem to have no reason to deceive us... It's strange, how could they even tell us about the listening jar hidden underground? This is a matter concerning the inn's reputation. If we spread this out, who would still come to the inn to buy and sell messages? This is something only the shopkeeper and the owner should know."

Zhang Zheng lay carelessly on the floor mat, crossing his legs. "Earlier, they hesitated for a long time over a basin of hot water, but then they became frighteningly enthusiastic... Why are they arrogant in the front and polite in the back, ah? They might have other intentions. We must be careful, don't let this black inn kill us!"

Zhang Xia thought for a moment. "You say, maybe that Hu San Ye specially gave the inn a greeting, and the shopkeeper is showing him face."

Zhang Zheng turned to lie on his side, supporting his head with his hand. "But what's the origin of that San Ye that he would inexplicably act as a backer?"

"He's definitely coming for Chen Ji," Zhang Xia analyzed seriously. "According to the attendant, Hu Junyuan, Hu San Ye, was once General Wen Tao's subordinate general. Later, he left Guyuan and followed a big figure... A border army general is a positive fourth rank, higher than Official Chen's rank. What kind of figure is worth abandoning his official position to follow?"

Zhang Zheng sat up, his eyes shining with speculation. "He might have been secretly protecting General Wen Tao's orphan all these years, just like in the storyteller's books. The general entrusts the orphan, the subordinate hides their identity and protects them, with loyal liver and guts, liver and brains smeared on the ground."

Zhang Xia shook his head. "General Wen Tao didn't marry a wife, where would an orphan come from?"

Zhang Zheng said happily, "Who can say for sure? Our dad has several illegitimate children outside that we don't know about."

Zhang Xia glared at him. "You slander our dad less. He's pure."

Zhang Zheng pouted. "He's still pure."

Zhang Xia thought for a moment. "Also."

Chen Ji: "......"

Xiao Man: "......"

Zhang Xia turned back to the topic. "No matter what, the person Hu San Ye is following now is definitely related to General Wen Tao. Perhaps if we find out who the big figure behind him is, then we'll know why he helped Chen Ji."

Chen Ji hummed. "These days, I'll go and inquire about the folk rumors of General Wen Tao..."

Just at this moment, the Red Xiu Zhao next door suddenly erupted in wails, running sounds, and the sounds of tables and chairs falling, endlessly.

The people in the room looked at each other and all crowded to the window.

Chen Ji opened a crack in the window, and the four of them crowded at the crack to look out, but saw nothing.

After the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, the movements inside Red Xiu Zhao stopped. Yet, they saw Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, and other inn attendants each carrying a corpse, cursing as they walked into the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, each of the inn attendants held a kitchen knife, covered in blood.

Blood was still dripping from the tip of the kitchen knife. Xiao Wu shook the kitchen knife in his hand, then wiped it on his arm and ordered, "Xiao Liu, arrange a bowl of hot soup for everyone to drink."

Speaking, Xiao Wu turned back to look towards the third floor. Chen Ji quickly pulled the crowd back. Immediately after, Xiao Wu led the attendants carrying the corpses,钻进 the stable, and disappeared.

Zhang Zheng, surprised and uncertain, lowered his voice and asked, "Did this Longmen Inn really kill their way in and exterminate Red Xiu Zhao?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "You all rest early. I'll make a trip to the Commandery Office."

It was already late at night. Inside Guyuan city, there were no longer powerful people flying and chopping around. Chen Ji urged his horse into a gallop and only remotely saw the continuous fire basins burning on the distant city wall, and behind the battlements, teams of border army armored soldiers holding halberds patrolling back and forth.

He arrived in front of the Commandery Office and dismounted, only to find that all the Commandery Office guards had been changed to Imperial Guards. More than twenty Imperial Guards had their hands on their waist-length swords, and the border army armored soldiers were gone.

Chen Ji led the reins and walked closer, speaking loudly, "Various generals, trouble you to announce me. I have an important matter to report to His Highness the Crown Prince."

An Imperial Guard stepped out from the crowd and laughed coldly, "What have you come to do?"

Chen Ji looked, and it was impressively Qi Shen Zhe on duty.

He cupped his fists and repeated, "General Qi, trouble you to help me announce myself. I have an important matter to report to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Qi Shen Zhe raised his head arrogantly, the white pheasant tail on his helmet slightly shaking. "What, still want to come and deceive His Highness into doing things, and then take His Highness's news to sell for money? Chen Ji, I advise you one sentence, earning this kind of money once is enough. Don't think everyone is a fool."

Chen Ji calmly put down his hands. "General Qi is afraid of misunderstanding me. I really have very important things."

Qi Shen Zhe impatiently waved his hand. "Now the Jing Chao Tian Ce army has already reached ten li outside the city. We have no time to get tangled up with you. His Highness already knows you were selling his news in Longmen Inn. Official Chen ordered and commanded you not to enter the Commandery Office again from now on. Quickly go."

Qi Shen Zhe continued, "Actually, Official Chen is also doing this for your own good. This matter of you selling His Highness the Crown Prince's news, it can be big or small. Whether or not to chop off your head is entirely up to His Highness. This time, let it be. If there's a next time, be careful of your head on your neck."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, mounted his horse, and turned his horse back to leave.

At this time, Qi Shen Zhe's eyes flickered. "Wait."

Chen Ji turned back. "Does General Qi have any other instructions?"

Qi Shen Zhe used his little finger to dig his ears, pretending not to care and saying lazily, "You definitely cannot enter the Commandery Office, but if you have any important matter, you can tell me, and I will report it to His Highness for you."

Chen Ji sat on his horse and thought for a moment, finally saying, "Gui Zi Street's Hong Xiu Zhao is a Jing Chao den, a place specifically for Jing Chao to pass intelligence."

Having said that, he turned his horse and left.

Qi Shen Zhe watched Chen Ji's receding figure, his eyes bright.

He instructed the Imperial Guards to his left and right in a low voice, "You all guard here. I'll go and report the news to His Highness! Remember, this is the news I found from the spies I planted among the common people, not that Chen Ji boy sending it... Wait until I establish merit, I will definitely not treat you all badly."

The Imperial Guards looked at each other.

Qi Shen Zhe raised his eyebrows. "What, are you all willing to let that boy steal the limelight?"

The Imperial Guards quickly cupped their fists. "If His Highness asks, we will all say according to your instructions."

Qi Shen Zhe laughed heartily and hurried into the Commandery Office.