PROOFREAD BY AFREANA

Chapter 45.2

An Ruochen thought wrongly. The next day, when Zong Zeqing led the troops away, Xie Gang returned. He brought back terrible news. The scout named Jiang Zi, whom they had sent to Fengan County to check the Pin Xiang Brothel, was intercepted and killed twenty miles out of the city.

“Someone saw his body and reported it to the local officer. The local officer then reported it to the Lord Governor. After the General entered Zhonglan City, he agreed with the Lord Governor to report all the cases of death in the county to the military. I saw the file, and they described the corpse as the person I sent. There were traces of fighting with someone on his body. The fatal attack was a sword that went straight through his heart.” Xie Gang was extremely serious. His expression was grave: “I went to identify the corpse yesterday. It was precisely him.”

An Ruochen could not say anything. She felt sad for the dead.

“He was a very experienced spy and would never cause trouble with someone on the way to the mission. Either he suddenly discovered something, or he was stopped and killed. The latter is more probable.”

An Ruochen sucked in a breath of cold air and was about to ask ‘how did the person who killed him get the information’ when she heard Big Long ask her, “Have you ever mentioned this to anyone?”

An Ruochen was startled and shook her head. She seriously thought again and shook her head again. It was true that she had not spoken to anyone about it. Even when she mentioned her worries about her mission to Zong Zeqing last night, she only raised her suspicion about Zhao Jiahua, whom she had decided not to arrest, but failed to meet. She was worried that she had missed the target. She just said this much and did not even mention the details of the case.

Was the General suspecting her? An Ruochen looked at Big Long nervously.

Big Long was whispering with Xie Gang and Jiang Song. An Ruochen vaguely heard about the scouts, secret orders, etc. She nervously twisted her fingers. After they finished talking, Big Long turned his head and said: “It’s not that I am suspicious of you, just need to understand every part where the problem probably lays. The military order of the scouts is written in coded language and sealed. The seal is intact. No one has tried to open it.”

“Why is there a written record?” An Ruochen asked timidly.

“The scouts’ activities are complicated, and there are many military orders, so the military scouts and teams are not allowed to leave the team unless they are explicitly permitted to do so. Confidential matters are recorded on paper to ensure discipline in the military and to trace responsibility when necessary.” Xie Gang explained.

“Just like the rotation of the spies. It must have rules. Outsiders should not be allowed to know it, but there is a need to record it internally, to be able to determine which shift or which people made a mistake, to bear the blame and punishment.” Jiang Song added.

“So this matter is not considered confidential, is it?”

“It needs to be kept confidential, but the paperwork was not necessary to learn about it.”

An Ruochen bit her lips. Then the matter was evident. There was a traitor in the Purple Cloud House. That traitor had not opened the secret documents but still knew Jiang Zi’s whereabouts and purposes, things like when he left and where he was passing through.

“That only leaves Jiang Zi himself. But there is no proof from the dead, and we cannot know whether he revealed anything to anyone before he left.”

Big Long spoke to Jiang Song: “Check out who Jiang Zi has been close to lately and open up the investigation with a lot of publicity. The traitor has succeeded. If we do not respond, the other side will become suspicious. Not burying the body was intentional, to let someone discover it.”

Xie Gang said: “I want to go to Fengan County. Sneaking inside the army is difficult, but they would rather expose the matter than let Jiang Zi re-investigate the Pin Xiang Brothel. There should be a major clue hidden there. After two days of delay, they should have rushed there to destroy the evidence. I have to go quickly. Otherwise, it will be too late. Jiang Song can cover for me by vigorously investigating the spies in the army. If the other side thinks that our full focus is on investigating the traitors and we are taking the Pin Xiang Brothel lightly, that would be good.”

“You are right.” Big Long nodded, “It must be something important to make them worth exposing that there is a traitor in the army. You go quickly, choose two people. Pack light and be fast. The other side has prepared themselves. You must be careful.”

They quickly discussed the matter. After that, Xie Gang and Jiang Song retired.

An Ruochen listened nervously, and when only Big Long and she were left in the room, she hurriedly said, “General, I know the importance of the matter. I really haven’t told anyone about the scouts going to Fengan County.”

“Of course, I believe you.” Big Long was serious, “There is one more thing I must instruct you on.”

An Ruochen stood upright and listened to the order.

“Although you have joined the Purple Cloud House to work for me, everyone knows you are only helping the military to investigate the spies. But no one cares about you or thinks highly of you.”

An Ruochen is puzzled. Is he belittling her?

“So this is your advantage.”

An Ruochen looked up at Big Long. Her heart jumped up from the bottom again.

“You are only operating in Zhonglan City, your trips out and actions are currently not confidential, all without rules and regulations, so there is absolutely no record of them in the books.” That is to say, if it is the documents that are the source of the traitor’s information, the other side will not know the content she had obtained.

“You just need to beware of the spies here and be on your guard. Hide from the spies in the residence prying into your case. Zhao Jiahua’s case, you still have a chance.” Big Long said, “Think carefully about what she said to you. She has been planning for a long time to find you, and she said she was the clue. Then she must have left a clue. Besides the Pin Xiang Brothel, what else is there?”

An Ruochen’s mind spun. Li Xiu’er, Liu Ze, Liu Yin. What else?

“Jiang Song will strictly investigate the matter of the traitor so that the traitor will not dare to make a big move in the near future. It is a good opportunity for you to act.”

An Ruochen nodded her head.

“I received a military report two days ago and have to leave for a few days. There are military situations at the forefront that I need to deal with. I wanted to talk to you yesterday, but it took me longer than I anticipated to handle the official business, so I forgot about it for a while. I will leave this afternoon. After I’m gone, the spies will think there is no one to decide for you. It is a good opportunity for you to act.”

An Ruochen was stunned. Her head stopped nodding. Is the General going to leave? The General will not be here. There will be no one to make decisions for her. An Ruochen panicked.

Big Long looked at her and smiled. “No need to panic.” He said. “Before you met me, you were a girl with a great mind. You knew what you had to do.”

Did she? But now she listened to the General and did what he told her.

“I’m not worried about you, but I am worried that you are sometimes too bold. There are no limits to your boldness.”

An Ruochen frowned in denial. That’s not true, okay? She has always followed the rules.

“Anyway, I will not be here. You should act carefully. Remember, there is a traitor in the residence. Do not act recklessly. If you find anything, wait for Xie Gang to bring back the clues from Fengan County and proceed with it. If you need anything, ask Jiang Song for advice.”

An Ruochen nodded.

“Also, don’t trust anyone.” Big Long said with a straight face.

An Ruochen was surprised.

“What I’m saying is, if you have some things that are extremely confidential, the fewer people who know about them, the better. It’s not that you can’t trust them, but everyone is a target, and secrets put in many places increase the risk of being discovered. Distrust does not refer only to the other person, but also his situation.” Big Long paused before saying, “For example, Jiang Zi was a very reliable spy, but it is possible that he leaked the military order from Xie Gang, and he himself may not have realized it until his death. It’s a possibility as well as a warning. You must take it into consideration.”

Jiang Zi was indeed a very reliable scout. Xie Gang respected him like a brother. At this time, Xie Gang, filled with anger and grief, set off from the South City Gate, speeding towards Fengan County. He will complete the task that Jiang Zi failed at.

Five miles to the west from the south gate of Zhonglan City, there was a small mountain called Mount Xiu. Xie Gang passed under that mountain without knowing that a temple called Jingxin was built on it. The Jingxin Temple was small and clean, with only one nun living in it, named Jing Yuan.

Young Master Min walked around the Jingxin Temple and entered the vegetable garden behind. Stone slabs paved the vegetable garden borders. One of the slabs was loose, with the edges bulking, making it easy to trip. Young Master Min walked on without looking down and took a big step over it, obviously familiar with the place.

Priestess Jing Yuan was busy in the vegetable garden. She had just watered the plants and was squatting there to remove the weeds. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she looked up. Seeing the visitor, she did not say anything, lowered her head, and continued to work with her hands.

“Not many dates have been produced this year.” Young Master Min didn’t care about Jing Yuan’s attitude and muttered. He stood under a large date tree at the edge of the vegetable garden, looked up at the branches, took a bamboo pole from the side of the tree, and took down the red lantern hanging on the highest branch. The lantern was hung high, and with the candle lit inside it at night, one could see the red light from the bottom of the hill. Young Master Min silently lifted his feet and stamped the rotten dates into the mud.

“I’m done.” Jing Yuan stood up and said words that did not match Young Master Min’s words. She was about thirty or forty years old, with an ordinary appearance, neither beautiful nor ugly, the kind that people won’t notice at a glance when thrown in the crowd. At this time, her face was expressionless and solemn.

Young Master Min nodded: “Hmm, the official received the report, and there is also a response from the Purple Cloud House.” It means that he confirmed that she had completed her mission.

Priestess Jing Yuan stretched her hand and spread her palm to Young Master Min. Her fingers were long and strong with calloused knots, the hands of a martial arts practitioner.

Young Master Min took a money bag from his pocket and threw it in her direction. Priestess Jing Yuan caught it, weighed it, and put the money bag into her bosom.

“Who else do you want to kill?” She asked.

Young Master Min lost his smile and said, “Priestess, you’re really the most murderous person I’ve ever met.”