Second Uncle Xu’s intelligence was as follows:
“Zhou Li has been behaving himself these past few days, probably warned by Zhou Shilong. He hasn’t done anything illegal, just spending his days indulging in entertainment with a group of young nobles, frequenting gambling houses, taverns, and brothels.
“Additionally, during our surveillance, we found that Zhou Li frequently visits a certain residence. The house has no nameplate and is likely a private property he bought. Inside live a maid, an old woman, an old man as a gatekeeper, and a woman.
“That woman is most likely his mistress…”
Xu Xinnian and Xu Qi An listened silently, each lost in their thoughts. Xu Qi An lowered his head, staring at the ground, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table. Xu Xinnian gazed at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle, his hands tucked in his sleeves, appearing lost in thought.
After Second Uncle Xu finished speaking, he looked at his nephew and son, asking, “What are your thoughts?”
The nephew and son tacitly ignored him, exchanging a glance before Xu Xinnian spoke: “The students from our academy and those from the Imperial College are not of the same ilk. We look down on and are hostile towards each other.
“However, graduates who passed the provincial examinations in the same year occasionally gather together. Our schools of thought may be opposed, but individuals can still maintain friendships.”
Graduates from the same year were considered half-classmates, and maintaining good relationships could be useful in the future. As for the conflict between schools of thought, it took a backseat to personal interests.
“Zhou Li is arrogant and domineering. He’s had conflicts with many of his classmates at the Imperial College. But he’s not a brainless playboy. Those he’s had conflicts with all have ordinary backgrounds.”
Xu Qi An wasn’t surprised by this. From analyzing Zhou Li’s methods of dealing with him, it was clear that this young noble’s approach wasn’t sophisticated, but it was effective and showed a certain level of cunning and shrewdness.
His arrogance and domineering attitude were only directed at those with lesser backgrounds and power than himself.
“This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of dealing with him,” Xu Qi An sighed.
Xu Xinnian glanced at him. “Don’t interrupt. Let me finish.
“Zhou Li has been infatuated with the courtesan Fuxiang for a long time. Whenever he goes to the brothel, he always looks for her. But he’s repeatedly failed to win her company during the ‘tea competitions’.”
Courtesan Fuxiang? The top courtesan of the brothel? The beauty that Captain Wang said was worth a lifetime just to sleep with once? Xu Qi An perked up.
Xu Xinnian picked up his teacup, looked at the empty vessel, and put it down with resignation before continuing:
“I originally thought we could play the ‘use a tiger to devour a wolf’ trick again. We could use Zhou Li’s conflicts with his classmates to formulate a plan, but those classmates don’t carry enough weight. Given Zhou Li’s caution, it would be too difficult, almost impossible, to make him provoke a higher-ranking young noble.
“Zhou Li frequents the brothel often. If we want to gather more intelligence, Courtesan Fuxiang would be an excellent breakthrough point.”
Tap tap… Xu Qi An knocked on the table.
When Second Uncle Xu and Xu Xinnian looked over, he said solemnly: “I must remind you of one thing: we should always simplify our plans. The more complex the plan, the more loopholes it will have.
“In dealing with Zhou Li, we can’t have an overly complex or intricate plan because the gap between us is too great. Ci’jiu, don’t fall into a thinking trap.”
Scholars were most prone to outsmarting themselves. When scheming against others, they tended to increase their difficulty by considering the intricacy of their plans and the sophistication of their methods.
This was especially true for Xu Ci’jiu, who held himself in high regard and was well-versed in the art of war.
Xu Ci’jiu frowned slightly, partly agreeing but also somewhat unconvinced. “What’s your suggestion, Elder Brother?”
“Simple. The simpler, the better,” Xu Qi An pondered. “The truly untraceable crime is a crime of passion. We should approach our plan the same way.
“How to keep it simple? First, don’t involve too many people. Second, don’t make things too complicated. Ci’jiu, if Zhou Li had a conflict with another young noble, and that noble’s father happened to be able to challenge Zhou Shilong, what would you do?”
Xu Xinnian fell into deep thought.
“Alright, your silence says it all,” Xu Qi An waved his hand, interrupting his younger brother’s thoughts. He was sure his brother’s mind was filled with a myriad of palace intrigues and scheming calculations.
“My idea is that we could disguise ourselves, then seize an opportunity to directly beat up that young noble and make a quick getaway.”
Second Uncle Xu finally found a chance to interject, slapping his thigh: “Ning Yan, I like this idea of yours.”
The brothers both rolled their eyes.
Xu Ci’jiu frowned and asked, “Is it really that simple?”
Xu Qi An nodded: “Simple doesn’t mean ineffective. More often than not, leaving things ambiguous can be beneficial. The beaten young noble will wonder, ‘Who have I offended recently?’ Upon reflection, he’ll think, ‘Oh, it must be that bastard Zhou Li.’
“Of course, Zhou Li would never admit to it, but that’s not important. People will draw their conclusions. The conflict will escalate – you hit me, so I must retaliate.”
Xu Ci’jiu was intelligent and quick-witted. After a brief moment of consideration, he understood his elder brother’s meaning.
He nodded slightly, his expression a mix of pride and approval: “Not bad.”
He then added, “What intelligence has Elder Brother gathered?”
Xu Qi An didn’t keep them in suspense. He said, “I’ve found out who Zhou Shilong’s political enemy is.”
Xu Xinnian and Second Uncle Xu both leaned forward, their expressions suddenly serious, ready to listen intently.
Xu Qi An smirked, “The Minister of Revenue.”
The Minister of Revenue?! Xu Xinnian’s heart jolted, instantly unraveling many puzzles.
No wonder Zhou Shilong, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was plotting to embezzle tax silver. He knew he was about to be targeted by his superior and urgently needed a large sum of money to cover the deficit.
And precisely because they were in the same department, the Minister of Revenue could catch Zhou Shilong’s fox tail.
“Ning Yan, how did you come to know such things?” Second Uncle Xu was somewhat skeptical.
How could an ordinary person have access to information about the struggles between high-ranking court officials?
“Miss Caiwei from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau told me,” Xu Qi An said.
And the price was just a candied haw, a roasted goose leg, a portion of fermented rice balls, and a bowl of fish ball soup… he silently added in his heart.
The beautiful big-eyed lady was easy to win over, which was an advantage. The disadvantage was that she had no interest in court politics, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau didn’t interfere in political affairs, so her knowledge was limited.
This isn’t good. Miss Caiwei, you’re lacking a copy of “Xu Dalang’s Guide to Being a Wise Helper.” I’ll write one for you later.
Xu Qi An clapped his hands, interrupting his cousin’s contemplative state, and said:
“It seems that the information we’ve gathered isn’t enough to formulate a detailed plan yet. But that’s okay, Rome wasn’t built in a day. What’s our next step?”
Xu Xinnian thought for a moment: “I suggest we go to the brothel and gather information from Courtesan Fuxiang… I certainly can’t do this. I never visit such places.”
While it was common for Great Feng officials to frequent brothels, there was a different standard for students without official positions.
You haven’t even finished your path of imperial examinations, and you’re already thinking about women? That’s unreliable, don’t expect a good future… This was like when I was studying in my previous life, and my parents wouldn’t let students play online games. If a student spent all day in internet cafes, he was considered a future social degenerate… Xu Qi An leaned back in his chair, looking to the side, and said in a casual tone:
“I definitely can’t go either, because I haven’t reached the Qi Refining realm yet.”
So the question remained, who would be responsible for gathering information at the brothel?
The brothers tacitly turned their gaze towards Second Uncle Xu.
“Why are you looking at me? Do I look like someone who would go to a brothel? I can’t even read, what’s the point of me going there?” Second Uncle Xu indicated that he wasn’t the type to linger in such places.
Seeing his father’s unwillingness, Xu Xinnian passed the buck to Xu Qi An: “Elder Brother’s poetry is very popular in the brothels.”
Second Uncle Xu immediately rejected his son’s suggestion, frowning as he said: “Your elder brother is an honest man who doesn’t even go to regular theaters. If we send him to gather information at a brothel, he might end up trapped there. He won’t accomplish the task, and his body might be claimed by the women there.”
For a martial artist at the peak of Essence Refining, losing one’s virginity before reaching the Qi Refining realm was indeed a great loss.
Xu Qi An, who never went to theaters to listen to music, nodded, indicating that he wasn’t that kind of person.
Second Uncle Xu said: “Why don’t you go, Ci’jiu?” He still felt that places like brothels were more suitable for scholars to visit.
This was a fixed notion.
Xu Ci’jiu scoffed.
Second Uncle Xu’s refusal to go to the brothel was not only because it was the domain of scholars and he disliked crude places, but also for another reason.
Xu Ci’jiu’s refusal to go to the brothel was not only because students needed to mind their reputation, but also for another reason.
Xu Qi An’s refusal to go to the brothel was not only because he never went to theaters to listen to music, but also for another reason.
Social death!
The three men looked at each other, falling into silence.