Green Mountain
Chapter 308 - 248, chop him

Chapter 308: 248, chop him

Governor’s Mansion, in front of the White Tiger Festival Hall, fire basins are lit, making the place as bright as daylight.

Inside the White Tiger Festival Hall, several tables are put together, spreading out a map about a zhang long, featuring places such as Guyuan, Quwu Mountain, Ziwu Ridge, and Long Mountain, each marked on it.

At this moment, Li Xuan is pointing at the map, whispering to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, today I glanced from atop the city walls, I could only see the camps and cooking smoke of the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army from afar. Before I could take a closer look, Zhou You had people drive me away..."

The Crown Prince looked at the map and lamented, "What a grand landscape, yet we are trapped within these walls of Guyuan City, as if someone has covered our eyes, unable to see clearly or accomplish anything."

Li Xuan said guiltily, "It is my incompetence."

The Crown Prince smiled, "Lord Li, you need not blame yourself. The Yulin Army belongs to the Imperial Guard, and they are trained in royal ceremonies on ordinary days. Naturally, they are restrained on this frontier of Guyuan."

At this point, the Crown Prince pondered, "However, that Mr. Chen Ji might have new findings, I wonder if he will come to see us tonight."

Li Xuan’s expression changed, and he immediately saluted, "Your Highness, in terms of espionage and adaptability, Chen Ji is indeed far superior to me. I admit defeat readily."

The Crown Prince laughed loudly, "Lord Li, has anyone ever told you that your greatest virtue is your honesty? These days, it’s rare to find someone willing to admit they are inferior to others."

Li Xuan earnestly said, "I know my own limits. However, Chen Ji carries too much of the marketplace air and is blinded by greed. He even dares to sell information about Your Highness. If Your Highness continues to use him, there’s no telling what he may sell in the future... Though he speaks respectfully to Your Highness, he lacks reverence in his heart."

If Chen Ji were here, he certainly would have felt a chill in his heart.

The commander of the Yulin Army revealed the greatest difference between him and ordinary people: ordinary people regard their sovereign as a parent, but Chen Ji, having travelled from another world, inherently carries a critique of the feudal dynasty and lacks reverence.

A noble or a general, is he born different?

The Crown Prince’s eyes fixated on the lonely map of Guyuan City, his tone calm, "Qi family, Yang family, the Hu Family, Xu Family, Chen family, how many truly revere the imperial majesty?"

Li Xuan’s expression became serious, and he knelt on one knee, saluting, "I reside under the Qi family’s roof where I am scorned day and night. Now that I have the opportunity to follow Your Highness, I will brave any danger and refuse no task for Your Highness."

During their conversation, footsteps were heard outside the White Tiger Festival Hall. The Crown Prince quickly helped Li Xuan up, whispering, "Lord Li, I understand your loyalty, please rise quickly."

Li Xuan stood up, turned his head towards the approaching Qi Zhenzhuo, and calmly asked, "It’s your shift today, what brings you here?"

Qi Zhenzhuo saluted, "To report to Your Highness and Commander Li, my informant has sent a secret report that a brothel called Red Sleeves on Qiu Ci Street is a hideout for Jing Dynasty spies."

The Crown Prince seemed surprised, and he smiled at Li Xuan, "Vice Envoy Qi has planted informants in Guyuan Square? It seems that even without Mr. Chen Ji, our Yulin Army can locate Jing Dynasty spies on its own."

Li Xuan felt bewildered, he knew well that Qi Zhenzhuo hadn’t planted any informants...Where did this sudden informant come from?

He covertly glared at Qi Zhenzhuo, signaling him not to talk nonsense, but Qi Zhenzhuo just gave him a reassuring look.

The Crown Prince curiously asked, "Vice Envoy Qi, when did you plant these informants? You’ve never mentioned it before."

Qi Zhenzhuo hurriedly explained, "Since arriving in Guyuan, I have been quietly exploring the marketplace and planting informants. I had no significant findings before, so I dared not report to Your Highness. Now that we have located the Jing Dynasty spies, I immediately came to report."

The Crown Prince smiled broadly, "Now that the border army won’t let us manage defense, capturing some Jing Dynasty spies would relieve some pressure off General Hu and General Zhou... Vice Envoy Qi, if you can capture the Jing Dynasty spies, the major credit is yours!"

Qi Zhenzhuo’s face brightened.

Li Xuan saluted, "Your Highness, I will gather our men now and head to Qiu Ci Street to capture the Jing Dynasty spies."

The Crown Prince shook his head, "I will go with you."

Li Xuan hesitantly said, "Your Highness, it is getting late; you should rest early."

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder, "Let’s go."

Li Xuan draped a pristine Fox Muff over the Crown Prince. After a moment of thought, the Crown Prince took off the Fox Muff and threw it on the map, "Let’s blend into the marketplace like Chen Ji. All Yulin Army soldiers, remove your armor, change into civilian clothes, and head out separately without drawing attention."

"Yes."

At midnight, hundreds of Imperial Army riders streamed out of the Governor’s Mansion in three groups, speeding towards Qiu Ci Street. They were without armor and did not bear obvious arms.

When they reached the outskirts of Qiu Ci Street, Li Xuan silently gestured; one team approached from the main street, one team converged from the back alley, and one team climbed onto rooftops swiftly moving across the gray tiled roofs.

Li Xuan closely guarded the Crown Prince, not leaving his side, waiting for his subordinates to completely capture the Jing Dynasty spies inside Red Sleeves.

In the chilly wind, the Crown Prince, clad in white robes and a silver crown, looked spirited and commanding.

He held the reins softly saying, "Lord Li, have there been any movements from the border army nearby?"

Li Xuan responded in a low voice, "To report back to Your Highness, I paid special attention on my way here, there were none."

The Crown Prince nodded, "This time we need to capture them alive if possible, to see if we can interrogate them about the mastermind behind them."

Just then, a Yulin Army soldier ran towards them, kneeling before the Crown Prince’s horse and saluting, "Your Highness, Red Sleeves is completely empty!"

Qi Zhenzhuo exclaimed, "What?!"

The Crown Prince spurred his horse forward and dismounted at the entrance of Red Sleeves, walking into the building.

Inside, candles at Red Sleeves were still burning, thick wax drippings had formed on the candle holders, but the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, with no one in sight.

The Crown Prince and Li Xuan turned to look at the following Qi Zhenzhuo, and Li Xuan angrily asked, "What’s going on?"

Qi Zhenzhuo muttered for a long while but didn’t speak up.

Li Xuan raised the whip in his hand, intending to lash out, but his hand suddenly froze midair. This nephew was his wife’s treasure, and he truly couldn’t bring himself to hit him.

A moment later, he said impatiently, "I’m asking you something, speak up!"

Qi Zhenzhuo still refused to speak.

The Crown Prince lowered Li Xuan’s raised hand, reassuringly saying, "Vice Envoy Qi, perhaps something went wrong along the way. Why not call your informant here and ask him? He might know something."

Qi Zhenzhuo bowed his head, remaining silent.

Li Xuan was furious and roared, "Speak up, where is your informant? There’s no room for jokes in the military, if you dare fabricate military intelligence, be careful of the military law!"

Qi Zhenhuo suddenly looked up and said, "Chen Ji!"

The Crown Prince was slightly startled, "Chen Ji?"

Qi Zhenzhuo rushed to explain, "It must be Chen Ji who tipped them off, that’s why the Jing Dynasty spies got the news in advance and vacated the place!"

Li Xuan puzzledly said, "How does this relate to Chen Ji again? What does he have to do with this?"

Qi Zhenzhuo had no choice but to admit, "Tonight at 9 to 11 PM, Chen Ji had come to the Governor’s Mansion, but Mr. Chen had earlier ordered that he should no longer enter the Governor’s Mansion, so I took the liberty to stop him."

Li Xuan raised an eyebrow, "And then?"

Qi Zhenzhuo explained, "Then he left after dropping the information that ’Red Sleeves on Qiu Ci Street is a Jing Dynasty spy stronghold’. I think it must be because I stopped him that he harbored resentment and secretly tipped off the Jing Dynasty spies."

Li Xuan, disappointed, said, "Since it was information provided by Chen Ji, why did you deceive His Highness?"

Qi Zhenzhuo shrank his neck, "I just didn’t want to see that youngster so arrogant, acting every day like a lone wolf, as if only he has the capability."

The Crown Prince didn’t dwell on the issue but instead looked to Li Xuan, "Lord Li, what do you think, did Chen Ji really let the Jing Dynasty spies go in advance?"

Li Xuan didn’t answer; he paced about in Red Sleeves, occasionally bending down to inspect the minutiae.

After a long while, Li Xuan suddenly crouched on the ground and said, "The Jing Dynasty spies didn’t run away; they were killed."

"Killed?" The Imperial Guards all turned to look.

But they saw Li Xuan pointing at a gap in the wooden floorboards, "Although the murderer cleaned up this area, the bloodstains in the crevice haven’t dried yet. Your Highness, look here, there’s also a new knife mark on the table."

With this reminder, the Imperial Guards looked around, "There’s also a slit in the curtain here!"

"And on the roof beam!"

"There’s also a severed finger here."

This spacious Red Sleeves appeared unharmed on the surface but was actually a bloody slaughterhouse reeking of blood, every cut deadly and extremely vicious.

Li Xuan furrowed his brows, "The fight covered the entire Red Sleeves; probably quite a few people died."

Qi Zhenzhuo cautiously asked, "All done by Chen Ji?"

Li Xuan shook his head, "Probably not, unless he has many helpers in Guyuan City... Could it be that the border army took a step ahead to kill and eliminate evidence?"

The Crown Prince looked around with his hands behind his back, then smiled, "Let’s go."

Qi Zhenzhuo asked in a panic, "Where is Your Highness going?"

The Crown Prince glanced at him, "To ask your informant Chen Ji; perhaps we’ll find out what happened."

Qi Zhenzhuo looked embarrassed, "Your Highness..."

The Crown Prince raised his hand to stop him, "Lord Li, Vice Envoy Qi, this brother Chen Ji indeed has extraordinary capabilities. If we want to achieve something in Guyuan City, it’s best that you two set aside past grievances and collaborate."

Qi Zhenzhuo hurriedly agreed, "Yes."

The Crown Prince asked, "Did you say he lives at Dragon Gate Inn?"

"Yes, just next door."

The Crown Prince laughed, "Let’s go, I also want to see this Dragon Gate Inn, famous throughout Guyuan City."

Li Xuan gave Qi Zhenzhuo a stern look and quickly followed.

The group left the building and turned right; within a few dozen steps, they reached the entrance of the inn. The Crown Prince quietly instructed, "Lord Li, select two Executive Officers to accompany me inside, the rest should stay nearby and not make a fuss to alarm the shopkeeper."

Li Xuan nodded, "Yes."

Qi Zhenzhuo courteously lifted the cotton curtain for the Crown Prince, who ducked his head as he crossed the threshold.

Inside the inn, the Shopkeeper was standing behind the counter, busy with accounts, while Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, having changed into clean clothes, shrunk their necks and rubbed their hands as they entered from the backyard, their bodies reeking of cold.

At that moment, the Crown Prince kindly asked, "Excuse me, innkeeper, is Chen Ji, the Third Young Master of the Chen family, staying here?"

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance and burst out in uncontrollable anger, pulling out kitchen knives from behind, "That room with the ’A’ marker still hasn’t been fixed yet, another one comes? Chop him!"