bestfiction Chapter 152 Secret Surveillance
Chapter 152 Secret Surveillance
That very night, Xia Yichen sent An Yi and his men to investigate the county government office. They found nothing of value. The next day, Wen Yunhai and Wen Yunqing began teaching the people of Wei County the new algorithm.
On the surface, Liu Zhigang was an honest official. During his two years in office in Wei County, he didn't even own a house. He and his wife lived in the backyard of the county government office with their two children.
Xia Yichen did not believe that Liu Zhigang, who was colluding with the Five Tigers Village, had such a clean background. He ordered An Yi to conduct a thorough investigation in Wei County, while An Er reported back to the capital about Liu Zhigang's illegal gold mining with the Five Tigers Village and the fact that the bandits of the Five Tigers Village were soldiers in disguise.
Upon receiving the news, Zhang Jinxuan immediately went to the palace. The Emperor received him in the Imperial Study. After kneeling and bowing, Zhang Jinxuan directly stated his purpose: "Your Majesty, this is a message from the Crown Prince in Wei County."
Eunuch Zhang stepped forward, took the note, and respectfully handed it to the Emperor. After reading the contents of the note, the Emperor said coldly, "It seems that neither my second son nor my good daughter are very well-behaved!"
Whoever is illegally mining gold in the Jiulian Mountains cannot hide it from Prince Heng of Zhuzhou and the Xie couple of Jinji Pass. The two have not informed the Emperor to this day, clearly indicating that their intentions are not pure.
Neither Zhang Jinxuan nor Eunuch Zhang dared to respond to the Emperor's words, and could only wait silently for what followed. After a moment, the Emperor calmly spoke:
"Eunuch Zhang, draft an imperial edict for me. I am old and miss my children far away. I cannot bear to see my children and grandchildren separated from me. Therefore, I hereby grant this decree..."
Using the pretext of longing for his children, the emperor ordered all his sons to return to the capital immediately. Refusing to return would be considered disobeying the imperial decree, while returning would mean being trapped in the capital. The emperor's tactic was indeed brilliant; upon receiving the decree, the princes and princesses, whether willing or not, would set off immediately.
The Emperor took out a tally and handed it to Zhang Jinxuan, sighing as he said, "While I was making the tiger tally, I also made this dragon tally. The dragon tally is superior to all tiger tallies; seeing the dragon tally is like seeing me. Jinxuan, you must personally go and deliver the dragon tally to Yichen."
The Emperor would not allow this dragon tally to appear unless absolutely necessary, as its appearance signifies his vigilance towards the generals guarding various regions.
Zhang Jinxuan took the dragon talisman and examined it carefully. The front depicted a soaring dragon, and the back bore the four large characters "As if the Emperor were personally present."
Zhang Jinxuan solemnly placed the dragon talisman into his robes, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Upon receiving the imperial edict, Prince Heng, who was thousands of miles away, felt a moment of guilt, but then led his personal guards to Jinji Pass.
Prince Heng believed he had kept this trip discreet, but little did he know that Xia Yichen had sent An Yi and An Er to Zhuzhou to monitor his movements before leaving Wei County. His every move was observed by An Yi and his men.
When Lord Xie and the eldest princess received the imperial edict, they showed no unusual reaction. The eldest princess immediately instructed her maids to pack their belongings, while Lord Xie went to the military camp that very night to arrange matters for his departure.
All four of Xia Yichen's bodyguards were sent out, while Nan Yi, Nan Er, Bei Yi, and Bei Er were left in Wei County by Wen Yuxia to monitor Liu Zhigang and the Five Tiger Stronghold of Jiulian Mountain.
The new algorithm instructor team consists of Xia Yichen, the leader, and the four Wen siblings; Wen Yunhai, Wen Yunqing, and Wen Yunhong all act as chauffeurs.
Of the five, Wen Yuxia was the least busy while traveling, while Xia Yichen was the busiest. Xia Yichen was constantly jumping on and off the three carriages, keeping himself extremely busy.
After finishing his lesson with Wen Yunhong, he went to Wen Yunhai's carriage to answer Wen Yunhai's questions. Finally, he helped the driver of the third carriage, Wen Yunqing, review the knowledge he had learned.
The two men, An San and An Si, were monitoring Lord Xie and his wife at Jinji Pass. They used carrier pigeons to relay their message to Xia Yichen about Lord Xie and his wife's reaction after receiving the imperial decree.
At the same time, news also came from An Yi and An Er that Prince Heng had led his personal guards towards Jinji Pass.
Xia Yichen said coldly, "My good second uncle can't sit still anymore. Mu Hua, let's go to Jinji Pass and join in the fun."
Wen Yuxia said with a faint smile, "It's good that you've decided, brother." According to the route, the next stop is Yucheng, and only after Yucheng is Jinji Pass.
Xia Yichen said apologetically, "Mu Hua, I'm sorry, I borrowed your people and now I'm making you and your sister risk your lives with me."
Wen Yuxia smiled and said, "Brother, what are you saying? It is an honor for the three brothers, Hong'er and his brother, to serve the court. We are honored by the Emperor's favor and have been granted the title of Princess. It is only right for me to risk my life for the court."
Wen Yuxia then subtly expressed her hope that Xia Yichen could help the three Wen brothers. Xia Yichen nodded slightly.
During his time with the Wen brothers, Xia Yichen discovered that Wen Yunhong was the most intelligent and insightful of the three. Under his tutelage, Wen Yunhai could easily pass the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), but that was all he could achieve.
Wen Yunqing was the most dull-witted of the three. Passing the county-level imperial examination at the lowest level would be considered incredibly lucky; becoming a provincial-level scholar was out of the question.
"Mu Hua, try to bring Hong'er with you when you go to Yunyi Tower in the future. I have high hopes for him." Those who can enter Yunyi Tower and have tea and discuss business with Xia Yichen are all Xia Yichen's right-hand men. Xia Yichen's words show that he approves of Wen Yunhong.
Wen Yuxia said with a faint smile, "Hong'er, you should thank Brother Yichen."
Wen Yunhong quickly said, "Thank you, Brother Yichen, thank you, Sister!" He wasn't stupid; Xia Yichen only allowed him to enter and leave Yunyi Tower because of Wen Yuxia's influence.
"After Wen Yunhai passes the imperial examination, I can find him a position in the capital or a lucrative post in the provinces," Xia Yichen thought for a moment and continued, "The Wen family has settled in Fancheng. How about I help Wen Yunqing find a clerical job in the Fancheng county government?"
Wen Yuxia climbed out of the carriage, took the riding crop from Wen Yunhong, and said with a smile, "Hong'er, go and tell your two cousins what the Crown Prince means, and ask them what they think."
"Alright," Wen Yunhong landed smoothly on the ground with a somersault, then jumped onto the carriage that Wen Yunhai was driving. Wen Yunhong explained his purpose, and Wen Yunhai could only express his gratitude without any other thoughts.
Wen Yunqing knew he wasn't cut out for studying, so working as a clerk in the county government was the best option for him. His parents and brothers were all in Fancheng, and working there would allow him to reunite with his family.
Wen Yunqing immediately declared, "Xiao Qi, please tell the Crown Prince that I am quitting my studies and am willing to work in Fancheng."
Xia Yichen and the others stayed overnight in Yucheng. The next morning, Wen Yuxia received a message from Nan Yi via carrier pigeon. She immediately took the pigeon and went to find Xia Yichen.
After reading the contents of the note, Xia Yichen handed it to Wen Yuxia. The note stated that Liu Zhigang had a concubine in Weixian County, who owned a house and a bookstore.
It was Nan Yi who discovered that Liu Zhigang had a concubine. Liu Zhigang would go to the bookstore every three days, and each time he would stay there for two hours.
Nan Yi discovered that both the bookstore and the house next door were registered under the name of a woman named Hongmei. Nan Yi couldn't find out Hongmei's background, but he discovered that there was a secret passage in the bookstore, through which Liu Zhigang went to the house next door to have an affair with Hongmei.