PROOFREAD BY AFREANA

Chapter 43.1

As the conversation reached this point, Liu Ze already approached them. Zhao Jiahua rose to greet him with a concerned face, asking how the Governor examined the case and whether there was a clue about her child’s whereabouts.

An Ruochen watched Zhao Jiahua switching smoothly between a cunning spy and a virtuous wife and loving mother with admiration.

Liu Ze and his wife were discussing the case in a low voice when Xie Gang walked into the hall. He looked at the couple, then asked An Ruochen with his eyes.

An Ruochen stood up and took a deep breath.

[If the result of putting her in prison for trial is more valuable than leaving her outside to lure the enemy, it is the right time to arrest her.] Big Long words are ringing in her ears. An Ruochen walked towards Xie Gang, feeling her palms sweating, nervous. She made a decision and shook her head slightly at Xie Gang.

Xie Gang said as if nothing had happened: “The Governor has finished the interrogation. There are no definite clues for now.”

An Ruochen whispered: “I wonder if Lord Xie has any more orders?”

Xie Gang was silent for a moment. An Ruochen guessed that he was considering whether to accept her judgment. “Let’s go back first.” Xie Gang answered so.

An Ruochen could not say whether she was relieved or more nervous in her heart. She walked out with Xie Gang and looked back when she stepped over the threshold. Zhao Jiahua, who was staring at Liu Ze, and Liu Ze, who seemed to feel the gaze, also turned their heads and looked at An Ruochen.

An Ruochen gave him a salute, and Liu Ze responded.

She turned around and left the Liu couple behind.

In the Purple Cloud House, An Ruochen carefully reported her conversation with Zhao Jiahua. Xie Gang and Big Long were pondering over the words they just heard.

“She asked us to check on Liu Ze and her origin?” Xie Gang frowned.

“Indeed, that’s what she said.” An Ruochen was a little uneasy. It seemed to be accusing the General and the lords of not checking thoroughly in the first place. She had asked and checked earlier about the investigation’s process. It was tiresome. Xu Matchmaker did not go out often but had brought back a girl while on a rare trip, which many people know. No one suspected anything about Zhao Jiahua’s identity as Xu Matchmaker’s distant relative. After Xie Gang traced Xu Matchmaker’s family line, he confirmed that the identity was fake. The traces led to the coachman, who had gone outside the county to make a living in Fengan County’s Pin Xiang Brothel.

Xie Gang immediately went out and called the scout responsible for checking Zhao Jiahua to come in.

The scout once again carefully reported the investigation process, contact with the relevant people, and so on.

“Zhao Jiahua is indeed Tian Yin from the Pin Xiang Brothel. She was the star of the Pin Xiang Brothel. Many gentlemen threw a thousand gold taels for her. Although she left three years ago, the grannies still remembered her. Her appearance and temperament were all matched. The grannies were so impressed that they didn’t forget even the coachman’s appearance. They said that Xu Matchmaker was also tight-lipped, only saying that she was from Pingnan County without disclosing the details of the place. Only after they listened to the coachman mentioning Lan-something City did they know.”

Xie Gang joined the scout and said, “At that time, I felt that as a star, Tian Yin easily earned thousands of gold. Why’d she agree to let Xu Matchmaker redeem her? Changing her name and marrying far away to a man she did not know. This is very questionable.”

The spy nodded: “The grannies said that Tian Yin was an orphan, sold into the Pin Xiang Brothel when she was ten. Since then, like other girls, she has practiced qin, selling their art and bodies, nothing special. The most special thing was that an old lady came and said she wanted to redeem her. After confirming the news, I rushed back to report it.”

Big Long said, “Check again. Bring Liu Ze’s portrait and ask if Liu Ze was one of those patrons. Also, what are the identities of the other patrons? What was Tian Yin’s relationship with these people? Among them, was there anyone she particularly liked or disliked? What happened after Tian Yin left with Mrs. Xu? And the background of Pin Xiang Brothel, those grannies’ origin, etc.”

The scout respectfully took the order.

Xie Gang added: “Pay attention to special decorations, such as bells ……”

Suddenly, the scout was surprised: “There is a room in the Pin Xiang Brothel that uses bells as decoration. Sounds tinkling, very nice to hear.”

Xie Gang and Big Long looked at each other.

An Ruochen could not resist asking, “What is so special about that room? Who owns it?”

The spout said, “It’s a girl from the Pin Xiang Brothel. I didn’t think she was related to this case, so I didn’t pay much attention to her at that time.”

“We must investigate this.” Xie Gang said.

The scout received orders and withdrew. An Ruochen was a bit cheered up. Could it be that there was a breakthrough in the matter?

Big Long looked at her expression and said, “Do not rejoice too early.”

“I know, I know, but it’s better to start acting than to guess-guess-and-guess.”

Big Long raised his eyebrows at the words, then converged it and quickly returned to a calm state.

An Ruochen looked into his eyes, wondering what was wrong with her words.

“Have you seen her handwriting?” Big Long asked.

An Ruochen nodded her head. She knew that Big Long was talking about the note ‘there is a spy in the city’ received by Big Long back when he just led the army into the city. She kept this handwriting in mind and checked each girl from this angle but so far could not find the matching handwriting.

“Is it her?”

An Ruochen shook her head. When Zhao Jiahua signed the papers at the government office, she looked at her handwriting. It was different from the note. Zhao Jiahua’s handwriting was poor, and she also said she didn’t know how to read, so it wasn’t her.

“General, she said she could only risk her life, is something big going to happen?” An Ruochen was uneasy, “Should we capture her for a detailed interrogation?”

“Haven’t you already made a decision?”