Green Mountain
Chapter 173 - 128, eradicate completely

Chapter 173: 128, eradicate completely

Under the cover of night, the alley was tightly sealed off by spies clad in black.

Hai Dongqing leaned against the eaves, peering through the gaps in the crowd, silently watching Manager Yuan encircled within.

He suddenly realized that he might not have the chance to betray the other party ever again. The Spy Department’s interest in Manager Yuan far exceeded his expectations.

This was the first Jing Dynasty Cao ever captured by the Spy Department, and using him well could inflict a severe wound on the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department.

Jin Zhu didn’t look after Manager Yuan but squeezed out of the crowd and pulled Hai Dongqing aside.

He whispered in a lowered voice, "You really have some nerve, kid! Daring to come after him alone without even stepping onto the cultivation path? What if he had the strength left to resist, a cornered beast will still struggle; if he really decided to drag you down with him, where would you go to reason it out?"

Hai Dongqing explained, "My lord, his identity is extraordinary. We still need to interrogate him for new information. How can we allow him to escape?"

Jin Zhu couldn’t help smiling and crying at the same time, "It’s also my fault, I was worried you wouldn’t act convincingly, so I didn’t share the plan with you. Tonight’s events were all staged, and we had no intention of letting him escape."

Hai Dongqing smiled, "As long as I didn’t hinder your plan, that’s good."

Jin Zhu repeated earnestly, "You cannot be so reckless again!"

Turning around, he returned to the alleyway, waved off all the spies, then crouched in front of Manager Yuan, saying gravely, "Manager Yuan, have you recovered? If it weren’t for Heavenly Horse feeding you the ’Divine Bridge’ elixir refined by the Huangshan Daoist Leader, you’d already be dead now."

"I know, I know; I recognize the ’Divine Bridge,’" Manager Yuan nodded hastily.

Jin Zhu beamed with a smile, "Then is there anything you wish to tell me now? You’ve seen the handwritten order from the Prime Minister yourself, as long as you cooperate, a bright future is waiting for you."

Manager Yuan struggled for a few seconds before looking up, "Within Luocheng, there are still quite a few of my comrades who haven’t been caught!"

Jin Zhu’s mouth curved slightly, barely hiding his smile, "Oh? Let’s hear it!"

Manager Yuan gritted his teeth, "The Mengjin County Chief Clerk, Kang Bo, is one of us!"

Jin Zhu gave the spies a knowing look, and at once someone rushed off at full speed to Mengjin County to apprehend Kang Bo.

Manager Yuan continued, "The attendants in Yingxian Building, Zhang Tong and Zhao Guang, they’re all our people."

Jin Zhu praised, "That’s indeed a pivotal location; Yingxian Building is full of nobles and dignitaries, any random conversation there might involve state secrets."

Manager Yuan shook his head, "Those lords like to boast when they drink, people we planted there hear major ’intelligence’ every day, which turns out to be false upon verification later. One young scholar once got drunk and claimed he had a relative who was the Governor of Two Rivers, disclosing quite a few secrets about Liangjiang. Our side allocated funds to get close to him, entertain him, and try to turn him, only to find out later that he had seen the Governor of Two Rivers from a distance just once!"

Jin Zhu opened his mouth but could not utter a word for a long time.

Manager Yuan pressed on, "The grain and oil shop beside the government office also belongs to us."

"Mingquan Garden in Baiyi Lane and Red Sleeves in Hongyi Lane, we own those too."

As Manager Yuan spilled more, Jin Zhu listened with increasing alarm. He had not expected Luocheng to harbor so many Jing Dynasty traitors, and with just a few words from Manager Yuan, it seemed the whole Luocheng Military Intelligence Department would be cleansed!

However, this wasn’t what Jin Zhu most wanted to know. He asked coldly, "These lesser details can be rounded up anytime. What I want to know now is whether the important figure linked with you in Prince Jing Mansion is Prince Jing himself?!"

But he heard Manager Yuan say, "It’s not Prince Jing; it’s a princess."

Hai Dongqing’s heart once again hung suspended, his gaze fixated on Manager Yuan.

If the other party handed over Consort Yun, what should he do? Should he find a way to kill Consort Yun, or should he flee before Consort Yun is arrested?

In front of Manager Yuan, Jin Zhu narrowed his eyes, "Which princess? Consort Yun or Princess Consort Jing?"

Manager Yuan said, "I’m not sure."

Jin Zhu fumed, "You’re a Cao, and you say you’re not sure?"

Hai Dongqing stepped forward, "My lord, it must be Princess Consort Jing."

Jin Zhu slowly turned his head, "Because she’s Liu Mingxian’s sister?"

"Exactly."

Jin Zhu said, "But I have sources saying Princess Jing has long had a discord with Liu Mingxian. They had an argument earlier this year in the Liu Family Ancestral Hall, and surely she wouldn’t cooperate with Liu Mingxian’s plans."

Hai Dongqing pondered for a long while, "But what if the person behind the plot from the very start was Liu Gun the Official Liu? Princess Jing can refuse orders from Liu Mingxian, but she might not refuse her own father’s commands. If the Liu Family doesn’t even trust their own, how could they trust an outsider?"

Jin Zhu mused, "True, they are after all family. We’ll start by investigating Princess Jing’s suspicion, monitoring everyone around her. Anyone leaving the Prince Mansion must be shadowed to see where they go, whom they meet, what they say."

Hai Dongqing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Jin Zhu turned his head and stared at Manager Yuan irritably, "As a respected Si Cao, how do you not even know who you are connected with?"

Manager Yuan hurriedly explained, "I was only recently appointed, just took on the role of Si Cao."

Jin Zhu raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?"

Manager Yuan said, "Luocheng City was originally under the charge of Si Caogui, who was the direct protege of the former Military Strategist Envoy Lu Jin. After Lu Jin stepped down, Si Caoxin was transferred here to replace him. Later, Si Caoxin was killed with firearms, and Si Caogui vanished without a trace, which gave me the chance to become the new Si Caoxin."

Jin Zhu wondered aloud, "So you are saying you have been promoted from Hai Dongqing recently... But for such a major matter, you should have known it even if it was your first day as Si Cao."

Manager Yuan explained, "Si Caogui always kept a tight grip on the line to the Prince Mansion; now that he’s fled, I don’t even know how to make contact with the Prince Mansion."

Jin Zhu angrily said, "Then why didn’t you try to reestablish contact with Prince Jing Mansion?"

Manager Yuan replied helplessly, "My lord, before I could come up with a solution, I was caught by you! If you and Lord Prime Minister could grant me my freedom, I have ways to test out who that important person is!"

Jin Zhu casually asked, "How do you plan to test it, Manager Yuan?"

Manager Yuan thought for a moment, "Now that the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department’s influence in Luocheng has been completely uprooted, there’s no possibility for Military Intelligence agents to contact that figure in the Prince Mansion. Give me a few people to train thoroughly, teach them all the secret codes of the Military Intelligence Department, and send them to test Princess Consort Jing. Then, we will know whether she is the one or not."

Jin Zhu mulled it over, this was the same trick West Wind had used to deceive Liu Mingxian by posing as the Division Head before.

But this trick, indeed, worked well.

Manager Yuan asked, "Lord Jin Zhu, does the Spy Department have any informants who are very close to the Prince Mansion? If so, that would be the best. Train them, and they will definitely be able to deceive that important person."

Jin Zhu slowly turned to look at Chen Ji...

Wasn’t he the perfect candidate?!

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment but finally stepped forward, "My lord, for the greater good, I am willing to undertake this task."

However, Jin Zhu irritably said, "Are you out of your mind, kid? Why do you always rush into danger? You can’t go!"

Having said that, he beckoned West Wind, "Transfer our informant planted in the Prince Mansion to Manager Yuan. Within half a month, I want the results of the test!"

West Wind saluted, "Understood."

Chen Ji looked deeply at Manager Yuan and said no more.

Manager Yuan asked, "Lord Jin Zhu, can you spread the news that I am already dead? Also, I need personal protection until my injuries are fully recovered."

Jin Zhu reassured him with a smile, "Don’t worry, someone will protect you; even a high-level practitioner from Seeking Dao Realm won’t be able to harm you. Once this matter is settled, the Lord Prime Minister will also grant you your new identity and official position."

Having said that, he affectionately helped Manager Yuan up and onto a carriage.

Chen Ji was about to leave with West Wind when Jin Zhu lifted the carriage curtain and beckoned him, "Chen Ji, get on."

As he scrambled into the carriage and wasn’t yet seated, Manager Yuan suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, my lords, I also know a secret related to Lu Jin!"

Jin Zhu perked up, leaning forward eagerly as he bombarded with questions, "Lu Jin? The Military Strategist Envoy who was ousted? What secret?"

Manager Yuan carefully chose his words, "There’s always been a legend within the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department that Military Strategist Envoy Lu Jin has a sister in the Ning Dynasty. She played a role in his successful assassination of the Minister of Revenue."

Jin Zhu raised his voice, "Lu Jin has a sister? Why has no one ever mentioned her?"

Chen Ji’s heart suddenly tightened as if someone had gripped it in their hand.

This Manager Yuan must be dealt with, otherwise, he will be an endless source of calamity. And the newly appointed Military Strategist Envoy Lu Guanwu is a fool, sending such a spineless person to Luocheng!

In the rocking carriage, Manager Yuan, weakly leaning against the carriage wall, explained, "It’s only a rumor, but I believe there’s some truth to it."

Jin Zhu grew serious, "Let’s hear it."

Manager Yuan asked, "Do you know how Lu Jin assassinated the Minister of Revenue?"

Jin Zhu recalled, "I’ve seen the file; it happened on the Laba Festival. Minister of Revenue Chen Luyi and his Chen Family members were on their way to Yuanjue Temple to ring the bell and distribute porridge. Chen Luyi had to return to the city due to sudden matters, and on his way back, he was ambushed by Lu Jin."

He continued, "According to the examination of the battlefield, Lu Jin was alone at the time. It seems nearly impossible to kill a Minister of Revenue single-handedly. However, that day Chen Luyi had most of his guards stay with the Chen family, with only four Guest Elders by his side, which gave Lu Jin the opportunity. Eventually, Lu Jin killed the four Chen family Guest Elders, cut off Chen Luyi’s head, and fled back to Shengjing City in Jing Dynasty."

Manager Yuan questioned, "Doesn’t it seem strange to you, my lord? If no one assisted him, how could he have known Chen Luyi’s whereabouts? Lu Jin lay low in the Ning Dynasty for years until finally seizing his chance, what was he doing during all those years of hiding?"

Jin Zhu expressed his doubt, "That only shows Lu Jin had accomplices, how are you so sure he has a sister? And that his sister is in the Ning Dynasty?"

Manager Yuan said, "Lu Jin always had a sister, but he always told outsiders that his sister died young from smallpox. However, seven years ago, after Lu Jin executed a young noble in military fashion, the noble’s father dug up the Lu Family ancestral grave in a fit of revenge. The grave that was supposed to contain Lu Jin’s sister was empty. After the incident, Lu Jin used a heavy hand to make the Military Intelligence assassins exterminate the noble’s entire family."

Manager Yuan scoffed, "Others only thought it was anger over the desecration of the ancestral grave, but would a man like Lu Jin be angry over such matters? I think, he just wanted to cover up the fact of the empty grave. My lord, if you investigate along the lines of that past event, you may be able to find his sister."