As Defense Commissioner Chief Clerk of Chuzhou, Wang Wenqian’s official position should theoretically mean he handled documents and such matters for the Prince of Xin Yang Yuanyan. But in recent years, Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction had fixed their eyes on Chuzhou. Zhao Mingting personally appeared to confront Wang Wenqian, his words insisting that Wang Wenqian was Chuzhou’s intelligence chief—this obviously wouldn’t be wrong.
Looking at Wang Wenqian standing with hands in sleeves, he also showed no intention of denying it.
At this moment, Han Qian noticed a window opening on the second floor of the Ningxiang Pavilion rouge shop across the way. Although the light inside the window was dim, anyone observing carefully could still see Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang hiding behind the window, looking this way.
Han Qian and Zhao Ting’er timidly moved aside several more steps, letting Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang watch Zhao Mingting and Wang Wenqian. But in his heart, he wondered—could Wang Wenqian stopping right across from the Ningxiang Pavilion rouge shop also have long since spotted flaws in those two people Yao Xishui had left outside the rouge shop?
Honestly speaking, whether it was Wang Wenqian or Yao Xishui disguised as a man, it was very difficult for them not to attract attention in the crowd, not to mention Zhao Mingting constantly had four military experts guarding him at all times.
However, whether it was Zhao Mingting or Wang Wenqian, they contacted their respective agents and spies deployed in secret through covert methods. Even if enemy parties lurked in the shadows observing, they wouldn’t see any flaws.
But Wanhong Pavilion had lurked almost completely in the shadows these years. Their experience in this area was obviously somewhat lacking. Yao Xishui really shouldn’t have let the two guards beside her directly make such obvious contact with agents lurking in the crowd. She also obviously hadn’t been sufficiently wary of Anning Palace and the Prince of Xin’s side.
Han Qian felt a secret headache. He didn’t know how to notify Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang at this moment not to come out of the Ningxiang Pavilion rouge shop. And even if they came out, they absolutely couldn’t contact those two people outside the shop.
Otherwise, once simultaneously watched by both Zhao Mingting and Wang Wenqian, Han Qian couldn’t even imagine how serious the consequences would be.
Zhao Mingting obviously also didn’t think Wang Wenqian standing across from Ningxiang Pavilion was just a coincidence. He also didn’t directly look up at the window opened on the second floor. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, observing the activity in front of the rouge shop through gaps in the crowd, asking Wang Wenqian with a smile: “Everyone says Lord Wang is best at keen judgment. Have you seen anything different about this rouge shop entrance?”
“Lord Zhao has a pair of venomous eyes that can see through others’ innards. Whether there’s anything abnormal at the rouge shop entrance—does it need me to point it out?” Wang Wenqian said with a smile. “However, Lord Zhao, during this period your eyes have been too tightly fixed on Chuzhou. So many things have happened right under your nose without you noticing. If you haven’t noticed those two people at the rouge shop entrance are somewhat different, that wouldn’t be surprising at all!”
Zhao Mingting had naturally long since seen those two people at the rouge shop entrance having contact with over ten suspicious figures hidden in the nearby crowd. But he had initially thought these people might be connected to Wang Wenqian, so he had been restraining himself without taking action. But at this moment, hearing these words from Wang Wenqian obviously containing implied meaning, he asked: “What other matters have occurred in Jinling that have fallen into Lord Wang’s eyes?”
“The Third Prince made such a huge commotion at Taowu Market, yet Lord Zhao didn’t see it. How truly regrettable!” Wang Wenqian glanced at Zhao Mingting with seeming disdain.
Zhao Mingting looked at Wang Wenqian puzzled. During this period, his attention had mainly been on Chuzhou, watching the activity on the Prince of Xin’s side. But he thought Wang Wenqian also couldn’t be stupid enough to use nonexistent matters to divert their attention. He asked: “Could the activity at Taowu Market be connected to those two people at the rouge shop entrance that Lord Wang has his eye on?”
“…” Wang Wenqian shrugged his shoulders. He intended to use matters concerning the Third Prince to divert Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s attention, but that didn’t mean he would frankly tell everything.
Hearing this exchange between Wang Wenqian and Zhao Mingting, Han Qian’s scalp went numb.
He hadn’t expected that everything happening at Taowu Market still hadn’t attracted the attention of Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction until now, but the Prince of Xin’s people from Chuzhou had spotted the flaws first.
If his father had already been externally appointed to Xuzhou, it wouldn’t matter if Taowu Market showed flaws. After all, the Dragon Sparrow Army with its establishment of seven to eight thousand people couldn’t forever remain hidden beneath the surface without showing itself. But right now was the critical juncture of his father’s external appointment to Xuzhou. Han Qian feared unexpected complications.
Whatever he feared most would come.
The consequences of Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang being watched by Zhao Mingting were very difficult to predict. And after Wang Wenqian’s reminder, if Zhao Mingting sent people to infiltrate Taowu Market to investigate the garrison military headquarters’ background, they would probably soon connect this matter with his father’s great disturbance at the court assembly at the beginning of the year remonstrating to expel refugees. This situation was even more contrary to what he wished to see.
In that case, they would very likely view his father’s appointment to serve in Xuzhou as a great conspiracy intentionally arranged by the Third Prince and Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu, and intervene.
Truly not a single matter that would let one rest easy. Han Qian cursed secretly, then with his hand hidden in Zhao Ting’er’s embrace, wrote stroke by stroke:
“Go directly back to Lanting Lane. Find Dahei and your brother. Have them bring people to this side to provide support for me. If you come and can’t find me, then go to Wanhong Pavilion to wait for my message.”
Seeing Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang close the second-floor window at this moment, they could come downstairs at any time. Han Qian worried they hadn’t realized the seriousness of the situation and might directly walk out. He urged Zhao Ting’er to get up and turn into the side alley. He picked up the broken clay bowl and timidly pushed it toward Zhao Mingting.
“What filthy trash—get lost!” Two of Zhao Mingting’s robust men stood out sideways, making as if to strike down upon Han Qian’s head and face, preventing Han Qian from approaching their lord.
Han Qian was “frightened” into dodging. Taking advantage of the momentum, he squeezed into the crowd and walked toward the rouge shop across the way.
At this moment, Chun Shisanniang and Yao Xishui had already come downstairs and were about to exit the rouge shop. Seeing the beggar Han Qian was disguised as walking straight toward them, his walking posture and the expression he revealed no longer like a vagrant begging for food, they remained in the shop uncertain and alarmed, not going out.
Seeing the two guards Wanhong Pavilion had stationed outside about to come block him, Han Qian said in a low voice: “You two blockheads, your identities have already been seen through by people from the Bureau of Military Affairs Military Strategy Office. Flee immediately. Don’t implicate Sister Chun and Miss Yao’s identities being exposed!”
The two guards were uncertain and alarmed. At this moment, they also noticed Zhao Mingting, Wang Wenqian, and others looking over from across the crowd in surprise.
“Don’t come out!” Han Qian said again in a suppressed voice to Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang who stood uncertainly alarmed in the shop.
Only then did Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang recognize from the voice that this beggar with sunken cheeks before them was Han Qian. Only then did they know their movements had long been exposed.
“Get out! Blind fool—don’t you see what kind of place this is? Is it somewhere you begging trash can enter to beg for food?”
At this moment, two shop assistants ran over, trying to prevent Han Qian disguised as a beggar from barging in.
Han Qian lifted his foot and directly kicked one person over. Turning his hand, he flashed a copper waist token, shouting: “Bureau of Military Affairs Military Strategy Office conducting an investigation. You’re fucking asking for death!” He gave Chun Shisanniang a meaningful look, telling her to walk alone to the other side of the shop. He grabbed Yao Xishui’s hand and rushed toward the back courtyard.
Chun Shisanniang wore a dress and skirt—fleeing would be inconvenient.
Moreover, she and the agents outside had originally been enrolled in the Secret Bureau’s Left and Right Divisions. Even if intercepted by Zhao Mingting’s people, revealing her public identity didn’t matter. At worst, they could find Chai Jian to intercept the people.
The Third Prince secretly cultivating secret forces with the help of the Marquis of Xinchang’s estate, even recruiting Chun Shisanniang who was quite famous in Jinling and had no obvious relationship with Wanhong Pavilion on the surface—even if this matter became public, Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction would only be more wary of this side. At least for now, they wouldn’t directly tear off all pretense.
But if Yao Xishui’s identity were simultaneously exposed, the problem would be much more serious.
Fortunately, both Chun Shisanniang and Yao Xishui were people with quick wits.
Chun Shisanniang and Yao Xishui, whose hand was grabbed by Han Qian and dragged toward the back courtyard, exchanged a glance. Without much hesitation, she signaled the two guards to immediately disperse into the crowd while she walked toward the rouge shop’s side hall, mixing in with the dozen or so female relatives looking at rouge and face powder in the side hall.
The light in the shop was dim. To facilitate female relatives visiting the shop to carefully examine the color of rouge, face powder, and such items, even in broad daylight, the shop kept lamps lit.
Chun Shisanniang didn’t care at all how serious the consequences would be. Pretending it was unintentional, she raised her hand and knocked a candlestick from the table. It rolled onto a bolt of silk and immediately ignited a blaze, frightening the many women in the shop into screaming and dodging outside.
Zhao Mingting didn’t bother with those two robust men fleeing into the crowd at the shop entrance.
Although he hadn’t clearly seen Chun Shisanniang and Yao Xishui’s faces, that beggar had overheard his conversation with Wang Wenqian and then disregarded exposing his identity to go tip off people across the street—obviously those in the shop were the key figures.
He brought four guards to part the crowded throng and charged directly into the rouge shop. Seeing a group of women fleeing in terror, regardless that these women might be noble relatives of no low status, he punched and kicked, roughly pushing these people aside, not letting them charge over and throw the scene into chaos.
Zhao Mingting again grabbed the assistant who had been kicked over by Han Qian and still had a footprint on his lower abdomen, asking: “Have any suspicious people fled?”
“It’s an agent from the Bureau of Military Affairs Military Strategy Office. He just took someone to the back courtyard!” the assistant said in terror.
“Chase!” Zhao Mingting ordered his subordinate agents to pursue toward the back courtyard, but he stood there without moving, his eyes fixed on the side hall in fiery chaos. With suspects fleeing to the back courtyard, the side hall happening to catch fire at this moment—obviously someone was deliberately creating chaos to cover others’ escape.
At this moment, three or four more women had their dress skirts ignited by fire. They screamed and fled from the side hall, stumbling and igniting curtains and other items in the main hall. Seeing the rouge shop fall into complete chaos, Zhao Mingting didn’t want to be trapped in the fire scene, so he could only follow in pursuit toward the back courtyard.