The chaos caused by the pursuit of fugitives and the fire at the rouge shop was quickly brought under control. After the wedding procession passed through the main street and entered the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion, the performing troupes invited by the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion and the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion also packed up and entered the mansion to receive their reward money.
At this point, the climactic moments of the Third Prince’s wedding that commoners could witness outside the mansion had passed, and the crowds on Fengxiang Street gradually dispersed.
Through the crack in the window, Han Qian saw Zhao Mingting return with over a dozen men. There were still quite a few suspicious-looking people along the street—they should be secret agents from the Bureau of Operations of the Privy Council.
Zhao Mingting’s eyes were grim and venomous as he stared at this side of the street. The Bureau of Operations agents who had taken to the streets today hadn’t seen anyone of similar appearance or any suspicious characters escape from the back alleys of Fengxiang Street, which meant the suspects were very likely still hiding within the houses and buildings on this side.
However, as Director of the Bureau of Operations of the Privy Council, although Zhao Mingting had the authority to search for enemy spies, today was the Third Prince’s wedding day, and the neighboring households were all either wealthy or noble. He obviously had no way to be too presumptuous and directly deploy large numbers of soldiers to search the street.
Moreover, Zhao Mingting couldn’t confirm which faction the two suspects who had gone into hiding belonged to, or what their purpose was in lurking among the crowds today.
He didn’t even know whether this was a trap set by Wang Wenqian to lure him into disrupting the Third Prince’s wedding and muddying the waters in Jinling City, thereby diverting their attention from Chuzhou.
Seeing Zhao Mingting’s grim gaze looking over, Wang Wenqian gave a sneering smile at this moment. Surrounded by two bodyguards, he led his daughter first toward the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion to present congratulations to the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu on behalf of Chuzhou.
However, Han Qian and Yao Xishui remained trapped in the pavilion. They didn’t know how many Bureau of Operations secret agents were scattered around them. Without the cover of crowds, attempting to leave rashly at this moment would certainly not escape Zhao Mingting’s grim, sharp eyes.
Chai Jian also hadn’t returned to the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion and continued leading the mansion’s guards on street patrol.
He didn’t know where Yao Xishui was hiding, so naturally he didn’t know how to cover Yao Xishui’s silent withdrawal from under Zhao Mingting’s very nose. He only knew that Zhao Mingting temporarily hadn’t succeeded yet.
However, given the disturbance that had just occurred, which was obviously someone’s deliberate doing, logically speaking, even if Chai Jian disdained seeking Zhao Mingting’s help, he should have sent someone to the Jingzhao Prefecture requesting reinforcements of additional patrol soldiers. But at this moment Chai Jian was merely entangling Zhao Mingting, wanting to create an opportunity for Yao Xishui and Han Qian to escape.
Han Qian sighed inwardly as he watched. The entire street was full of Bureau of Operations secret agents—what use was Chai Jian entangling just Zhao Mingting alone?
Chai Jian’s behavior would only strengthen Zhao Mingting’s suspicions and only stimulate Zhao Mingting to want even more to figure out exactly what the identities of these two suspects were today.
Seeing even more suspicious-looking people coming to reinforce Zhao Mingting, watching the entire Fengxiang Street all the way to the eastern district of the Imperial City with deadly vigilance, Han Qian’s head also ached enormously.
Two incense sticks’ time later, Han Qian saw Fan Dahei, Zhao Wuji and others on horseback escorting a carriage slowly pass before the building. Zhao Ting’er lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing a small face covered in dirt—clearly after meeting up with Fan Dahei and the others in haste, she hadn’t even had time to wipe off her facial makeup before rushing back directly.
Seeing the mark Han Qian had left on the window eave, Zhao Ting’er didn’t rashly make Fan Dahei and the others stop, but drove directly toward the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion.
Only then did Han Qian breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Soon he saw Li Zhigao lead a group of men out of the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion and directly occupy the Ningxiang Building rouge shop. Under the pretext of searching for assassins, he drove out all the proprietors, managers, and workers inside.
Han Qian and Yao Xishui knew that silently leaving at this moment was already impossible. If they could blend into the armored soldiers Li Zhigao had brought and leave without exposing their identities, they would already be thanking heaven and earth.
Hearing Li Zhigao call out in the neighboring rear courtyard, Han Qian wiped the makeup from his face and then pulled Yao Xishui to climb over the wall.
With a single wipe across his face, as if peeling off a layer of skin, Han Qian’s entire appearance transformed back to his previous self. Yao Xishui stared at Han Qian for several moments, unable to figure out what that clump of something Han Qian had casually tossed into this household’s drinking water vat was—it could actually make Han Qian appear like two completely different people before and after, with only his eyes and brows faintly recognizable.
Seeing Han Qian and Yao Xishui climb over the wall, Li Zhigao also breathed a long sigh of relief and asked, “Today was truly dangerous. You were hiding right next door—how did you divert Zhao Mingting’s attention?”
He also knew how severe the consequences would be if Yao Xishui was targeted by Zhao Mingting. He signaled his subordinate guards to bring two sets of armor for Han Qian and Yao Xishui to change into.
“Lucky, so lucky,” Han Qian said. “If it weren’t for a dead dog performing meritorious service, today we could only have hoped for Miss Yao to display her divine might and fight her way out of the encirclement.”
“…” Li Zhigao didn’t understand what Han Qian was saying and looked questioningly at Yao Xishui.
“I was careless today. If it weren’t for Han Qian’s help, escaping would have been difficult.” Yao Xishui still felt lingering fear and said sullenly.
Although she had been prepared to fight her way out, besides the four bodyguards beside Zhao Mingting, who knew how many Bureau of Operations secret agents were lurking in the shadows today? If truly targeted, escaping would be far from easy.
Han Qian was secretly pleased with himself, but then realized—wasn’t Yao Xishui’s saying this actually calling him that dead dog who performed meritorious service?
At this moment, Yao Xishui truly had no mind for obliquely cursing Han Qian. Seeing a woodshed in the corner of the rear courtyard, she took a set of armor and went in to change. Han Qian directly put on his armor in the courtyard.
At this moment, they heard clamoring from the front shop—it seemed Zhao Mingting wanted to bring people in to force entry, but was firmly blocked by Chai Jian.
Li Zhigao also didn’t hesitate. He signaled people to break open the rear courtyard gate’s lock and had several trusted subordinates escort Han Qian and Yao Xishui to leave through the back alley, not fearing that the Bureau of Operations secret agents stationed on the main street would dare forcibly intercept and search the mansion guards.
After passing through three alleys and confirming no Bureau of Operations secret agents had followed, Han Qian and Yao Xishui climbed into a carriage that Fan Dahei and Zhao Wuji had personally driven around to wait in the back alley of Mingshui Ward. Then they circled to the back gate of the Marquis of Linjiang’s guard garrison camp, passed through the archery grounds and corridors, and entered the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion.
For the Third Prince’s wedding, the Marquis of Linjiang’s mansion set up forty tables in the front courtyard to feast guests, and ten tables in the rear courtyard to feast the female relatives from various mansions. Today Yao Xishui should originally have been invited into the mansion together with Su Hongyu and others to perform.
Han Qian and Yao Xishui first entered a side courtyard provided for Evening Red Building musicians and dancers to prepare before performances. They saw that Chun Shisanniang had also changed into a different dress by this time, and she was here together with Su Hongyu, Chai Jian, Li Chong and others.
“How did you two attract that old dog Zhao Mingting’s attention?”
Li Chong, normally so skilled and bold, was also nervously unable to sit still.
The Palace of Tranquility and the Crown Prince’s faction had many civil and military officials who had pledged allegiance, and had cultivated quite a few direct subordinates—some governed localities, some controlled military power, some coordinated remotely in the court and transmitted information—but Zhao Mingting was absolutely one of the most core and formidable figures.
Li Chong found it difficult to imagine how severe the consequences would be if Yao Xishui was targeted by Zhao Mingting.
Han Qian shrugged his shoulders. As for what exactly happened, he believed that after Li Chong and Li Zhigao reflected on it, they would understand more clearly than he did.
In the past, the Evening Red Building had lurked completely in the shadows, secretly cultivating power and strength, with a set of methods for concealing traces and hiding. But from now on, the majority of secret agents cultivated by the Evening Red Building and the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion would all be formally incorporated into the Right Division of the Secret Bureau, which inevitably meant a considerable portion would surface, and their methods of handling matters would necessarily differ from the past.
They hadn’t considered this aspect carefully and thoroughly enough, and hadn’t expected that Wang Wenqian and Zhao Mingting, two such significant figures, would both appear today simultaneously, leading to exposing such a large flaw.
More importantly, Yao Xishui’s identity was special—she wasn’t suitable for presiding over the Right Division of the Secret Bureau on behalf of Chai Jian.
The Right Division of the Secret Bureau, as a formal espionage organization, had many elite scouts and secret agents who maintained single-line contact. Usually they could lurk in the shadows waiting for opportunities to act. Even internally, only an extremely small number of people knew of their existence. But those who truly stepped forward to preside over the Left and Right Divisions of the Secret Bureau couldn’t completely conceal their identities—at least not internally.
Not to mention the ordinary scouts of the Secret Bureau’s Left and Right Divisions, and the clerks who would be used in the future to handle documents and analyze intelligence—these people had limited loyalty, and there couldn’t possibly be very strict control methods. They could easily be bought by Zhao Mingting’s side or turn traitor. They couldn’t even guarantee that in the future some secret agent or clerk might be an infiltrator from enemy forces.
This also destined that at least one of the actual leaders of the Secret Bureau’s Left and Right Divisions would fall within the enemy’s field of vision.
Just like how Zhao Mingting was completely clear about the role Wang Wenqian played beside Prince Xin.
With Yao Xishui’s current identity, participating in certain key aspects of the Right Division of the Secret Bureau was appropriate—like Chun Shisanniang. If their identities were carelessly exposed or they were targeted, they could completely say they were recruited through enticement or coercion by the Secret Bureau’s Left and Right Divisions. But if they were used to preside over the Secret Bureau’s Left and Right Divisions, it would be very difficult to explain.
Of course, on one hand it might be that the Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu and the others hadn’t considered things thoroughly. On the other hand, it was more likely that the Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu and the others currently had a severe shortage of key personnel they could use who knew the core secrets.
However, Han Qian didn’t want to waste words explaining this to Li Chong at this moment.
“After receiving Wang Wenqian’s reminder, Zhao Mingting will very likely send people to Taowu Market to investigate the situation at the garrison military headquarters. Of course, Zhao Mingting might also disregard Wang Wenqian’s words, but we can’t take that risk,” Han Qian said to Li Zhigao, who had hurried over. He told Li Zhigao about what he had overheard while lurking near Wang Wenqian and Zhao Mingting. “Once the Palace of Tranquility’s side investigates the true situation at the garrison military headquarters, they will inevitably connect it with my father taking office in Xuzhou and obstruct it at every turn.”
“Wang Wenqian is sabotaging our affairs—does he want to shift the Palace of Tranquility’s attention onto us?” Li Chong said with an angry frown.
Everyone served their own masters. Wang Wenqian had absolutely no obligation to keep secrets for their side. Han Qian brought this up not to hear Li Chong vent his indignation for a few sentences, but to quickly discuss countermeasures.
Li Zhigao pondered for a moment, then said to Chai Jian:
“The Personnel Ministry’s memorial has already received His Majesty’s vermilion approval. It only awaits the seal of the Secretariat, then it can be promulgated—it’s just a matter of these two days. Chai Jian, you should immediately leave the city. For the next two days, destroy all evidence of any suspicious persons attempting to infiltrate the garrison military headquarters. This should buy us a few more days!”
The situation at the garrison military headquarters couldn’t possibly be concealed forever, but no one wanted any mishaps to occur in these few days.
Although Han Qian also had people, without the permission of the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and Chief Clerk Shen Yang, he had no way to have Lin Haizheng, Fan Dahei and the others lead people to blockade the access routes in and out of Taowu Market.
However, if Han Qian truly told Shen Yang frankly that those investigating the news might be secret agents sent by the Bureau of Operations of the Privy Council, he shouldn’t expect Shen Yang to tacitly permit them to kill and silence witnesses.
Currently, only Chai Jian or Li Zhigao could personally go there. Without needing Shen Yang’s permission, they could directly order a group of people to blockade the passages and ambush and kill the Bureau of Operations secret agents as enemy spies.