Hearing the words “dismiss the attendants”, Nangong Qianrou raised an eyebrow, her gaze towards Xu Qi An full of hostility.
As a Gold Gong, she was being asked to leave by a mere Bronze Gong.
Wei Yuan’s expression changed slightly, and he nodded gently: “You two leave first. Yang Yan, keep an eye on each other and don’t eavesdrop.”
Nangong Qianrou gave Xu Qi An a long look.
This lowly Bronze Gong, who had only joined the night watchmen a few days ago, was already frequently summoned by her adoptive father. To talk with him, her father even dismissed her and Yang Yan.
This made Nangong Qianrou very unhappy.
After all, she was here first.
As the two Gold Gongs left Haoqi Tower, Nangong Qianrou, whose beauty rivaled Xu Erlang’s, sneered: “To think a mighty Gold Gong would be bypassed by a subordinate Bronze Gong. He doesn’t take you seriously.”
Yang Yan remained silent.
Nangong Qianrou said displeased: “I’m trying to sow discord here, at least play along.”
Yang Yan’s face remained expressionless like a sculpture as he said calmly: “You know his talent. You also know that Lord Wei wants to nurture him.”
“But it’s a fact that he doesn’t take you seriously.”
“You think I care?” Yang Yan asked in return.
Nangong Qianrou rolled her eyes, charming and flirtatious. She said irritably: “Right, right, right, after all, he’s your subordinate, you have that bond.”
Yang Yan nodded.
Nangong Qianrou turned and left, laughing sinisterly: “How boring. I’ll go play with my toys.”
She was heading towards the dungeon.
…
Seventh floor of Haoqi Tower, tea room.
Xu Qi An said: “Your subordinate has a report on the Marquis of Pingyuan case.”
Wei Yuan said in a deep voice: “The Heaven and Earth Society?”
This was easy to deduce. If Xu Qi An simply had a lead on the Marquis of Pingyuan case, he could report to his Silver Gong superior, or even a Gold Gong, rather than directly to him.
Regarding the Heaven and Earth Society, the two had an unspoken understanding.
Xu Qi An said: “The one who killed the Marquis of Pingyuan was Number Six of the Heaven and Earth Society.”
Wei Yuan was silent for a moment, then asked: “The reason?”
“One of Number Six’s junior disciples was kidnapped by a human trafficking organization, his fate unknown. Following the clues, he traced it back to the Marquis of Pingyuan…” Xu Qi An recounted in detail how he had helped Number Six escape and evade detection by the Astronomical Bureau.
He only concealed the inside story of the Great Confucian Scholar gifting the book, changing it to a gift from his cousin Xu Xinnian.
Bang!
Wei Yuan swept the teacup off the table with his sleeve, shattering the porcelain across the floor. His expression was no longer gentle, his pupils sharp as knives.
“Xu Qi An, harboring a criminal is punishable by the same crime,” Wei Yuan shouted.
A powerful pressure bore down, making Xu Qi An feel as if he were facing a storm.
“This subordinate knows his crime!” Xu Qi An immediately admitted guilt, shouting: “This subordinate knows his sin is grave, and has been fearful for a day and a night. Unable to escape the condemnation of conscience, I chose to confess to Lord Wei. Whether it’s execution or exile, I submit to Lord Wei’s decision. However, my conscience is not troubled by that damned Marquis of Pingyuan, but by feeling that I’ve betrayed Lord Wei’s trust and nurturing…”
Wei Yuan’s face was expressionless, as if frosted over.
“Today, while chatting with colleagues, this subordinate learned that Lord Wei was reprimanded by His Majesty, and the court officials seized the opportunity to attack…” Xu Qi An said sincerely: “Then this subordinate thought of how Lord Wei has treated me with such profound kindness…”
Wei Yuan’s expression eased slightly as he lightly interrupted: “Profound kindness is an exaggeration. Just state the reason directly.”
…Wait, boss, why aren’t you following the script? Aren’t you supposed to be a seasoned official? Xu Qi An’s face stiffened.
He paused, reorganizing his thoughts: “The Marquis of Pingyuan secretly cultivated a human trafficking organization, selling people in the capital for huge profits. The traffickers kidnapped children and women, selling them to brothels, black workshops, training them as thieves, even cutting off their hands and feet, wrapping them in black dog skin…”
He repeated Six’s explanation, not hiding his disgust for the Marquis of Pingyuan in his words.
Wei Yuan lowered his gaze slightly, listening patiently, appearing to be in deep thought.
After Xu Qi An finished speaking, he said calmly: “Pour the tea.”
This detail indicated that Wei Yuan had “forgiven” him.
Xu Qi An immediately poured the tea, just like serving a superior at the police station in his previous life.
Wei Yuan took a sip of tea, remained silent for a few seconds, then shook his head: “How much do you know about the Heaven and Earth Society? How much do you know about the Golden Lotus of the Earth Sect?”
“According to the yamen’s investigation, the Marquis of Pingyuan did indeed maintain a human trafficking organization, but was Number Six just avenging his so-called junior disciple, with no other motive?”
“Perhaps the Marquis of Pingyuan was involved in other matters, or perhaps the trafficking organization did something to bring about this fatal retribution. Have you considered these possibilities?”
“During the imperial examinations, chaos reigns. In four days, it will be time for His Majesty to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. We cannot be careless about anything.”
He’s teaching me how to handle matters, analyzing things for me. He wants to nurture me… Xu Qi An was slightly moved, feeling some goodwill towards this powerful eunuch.
He treats me as his subordinate, yet I want to call him father. I’m truly too base…
“Lord Wei’s admonishment is correct,” Xu Qi An lowered his head.
Wei Yuan made a sound of acknowledgment, praising: “Regardless, you’ve done well. You may go now. I’ll have someone investigate this matter. Continue to infiltrate the Heaven and Earth Society. Your short-term goal is to identify Number One.”
“This subordinate will do his utmost,” Xu Qi An said loudly.
Leaving Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi An let out a breath, knowing he had gambled correctly this time and won Wei Yuan’s trust.
To secure one’s position and climb higher, one must learn to choose sides and attach oneself to the powerful.
This was true in any era, including Xu Qi An’s previous life.
For a long time to come, he would need to continuously improve Wei Yuan’s impression of him and win his trust.
This frank conversation with Wei Yuan was something Xu Qi An had prepared for, not a rash action.
Firstly, the night watchmen’s office held great contempt for scum like the Marquis of Pingyuan, so they weren’t very active in investigating the case and didn’t have a strong desire for “revenge.”
Secondly, he had gained some influence within the Heaven and Earth Society, with Numbers Two and Four somewhat acknowledging him.
It was unlikely that Wei Yuan would abandon his focus on the Heaven and Earth Society and give up on this clever little darling over such a small matter.
Lastly, what Wei Yuan said aligned with Xu Qi An’s thoughts.
He didn’t fully trust Number Six or the Heaven and Earth Society yet. To deal with old foxes, one needed to be an old fox oneself.
So when faced with confusion, seeking Wei Yuan’s advice was the right move.
Of course, a mature double agent must have other tricks up his sleeve.
Xu Qi An went to a secluded corner and took out the small jade mirror, inputting a message:
“Number Six, I’ve received news that the night watchmen have obtained some mysterious leads that might be unfavorable to you. You should prepare and withdraw in time.”
The Earth Book’s messaging had no delay. It had a mysterious connection with its owner, but when information was transmitted, the holder would sense it.
The Earth Book was a whole, and its biggest flaw was the inability to send private messages. Xu Qi An had lamented this more than once.
In the backyard of Yangsheng Hall, Number Six, who had just healed the “black dog’s” wounds, was sitting cross-legged in meditation when he suddenly felt a twinge in his heart and took out the Earth Book fragment.
Three’s message appeared on the mirror surface, causing Number Six’s square face to change color slightly.
The night watchmen moved so quickly?
In just one day, they had tracked down clues that could potentially threaten him, forcing Three to come forward with a warning.
Wait, how did Three know about this?
Just as this doubt arose in his mind, he saw that Number One, who always lurked, had unexpectedly taken the initiative to speak:
[One: Three, how did you know about the internal information of the night watchmen?]
One cared a lot about this. Indeed, whenever it involved matters of the capital’s upper echelons, he (she) was particularly concerned.
Xu Qi An didn’t answer immediately, but instead thought and chose his words carefully before inputting the message:
[Three: What do you think?]
He knew that the other Earth Book fragment holders were all lurking, silently absorbing information. Xu Qi An had to give a reasonable yet sufficiently explosive explanation to flesh out his persona and elevate his image.
[Three: The orthodox Confucian struggle has continued for over two hundred years. Our academy cannot simply sit back and wait for destruction.]
What does this mean… Cloud Deer Academy has planted a spy in the night watchmen’s office? That seems to be what Three is implying. This was already a very clear hint.
For a moment, the Earth Book fragment holders became excited.
This was big news.
One didn’t speak, maintaining an eerie silence that made it impossible to guess his (her) true thoughts.
Xu Qi An decided to probe: [Number One, you can try to find out.]
This was both a provocation and a test.
If One responded or did so secretly, then Xu Qi An could use this to reversely lock onto his (her) identity.
The night watchmen were directly under the royal family and were Wei Yuan’s domain.
Ordinary forces couldn’t infiltrate at all, and even if there were spies planted, they definitely wouldn’t be in middle or high positions.
And low-level individuals simply didn’t have the resources or ability to investigate spies.
One was a smart person and didn’t rise to Xu Qi An’s provocation.
Seeing that no one had spoken for a while, Six input a message: [Six: I’ll be extra careful these next few days. Three, I owe you another favor.]
[Three: You act with chivalry and righteousness, clear as the wind and bright as the moon. You are a model for people like us to emulate.]
[Six: Benefactor, you are most kind.]
Six answered this in the identity of a monk, showing that his sense of identification with Xu Qi An had skyrocketed.
Xu Qi An put away the mirror with satisfaction, thinking, don’t be too grateful too soon, you’ll have to repay these favors sooner or later.
“Not only did I deepen Wei Yuan’s trust in me, but I also gave Six an enormous favor, as well as leaving an image of being helpful in the hearts of the Heaven and Earth Society members. This was a huge win.”
“Hmm, One seems to be increasingly interested in me. If he’s a high-ranking court official, he’ll investigate within Cloud Deer Academy… He (she) won’t be able to find anything, hehe. Even if he somehow narrows it down to ‘Three might be Xu Qi An’, I can still push Erlang out to take the fall.”
“Erlang and I are different. After all, I’m part of the government system. If One discovers my true identity, I’ll be in a very passive position. Erlang is Cloud Deer Academy’s son, with a stronger foundation than me. Moreover, he currently has no grudges with One, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
“Cixiu, ah, your big brother loves you so much, it’s only right that you give something back to him.”
Returning to the side hall of Chunfeng Hall, the squinty-eyed Song Tingfeng teasingly called Xu Qi An a freeloader.
Zhu Guangxiao nodded in agreement.
Xu Qi An thought for a moment, then said seriously: “Today, I went to the archives and discovered a huge secret. I’m still terrified about it.”
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were shocked: “What secret?”
Xu Qi An said: “Call me daddy once, and I’ll tell you.”
Song Tingfeng hesitated for a moment, then said: “Daddy.”
Xu Qi An stared at him, his expression serious: “The secret is, you’re not my biological child.”
“Damn it, let’s beat him up!”
As the three were horsing around, a Silver Gong and two Bronze Gongs, unfamiliar faces, entered through the door.
“Xu Qi An, come with us for a moment,” the Silver Gong said with a smile, beckoning.
Xu Qi An and his two colleagues exchanged confused glances before following them out.
The unfamiliar Silver Gong led him into Chunfeng Hall, towards Li Yuchun who was reviewing case files at his desk. He coughed once:
“Magistrate Li, I’m taking this Bronze Gong of yours. From now on, he’ll be working under me. Let’s do the handover.”
Hearing this, Li Yuchun exploded.