Chapter 247: Intercept

The newly cleaned *Tian*-character *Bing*-number room was spotless. Inside, there was a winter evergreen firethorn potted landscape, the bedding had been changed to silk-faced, and on the table were melon seeds, preserved fruits, sand dates, pastries, and even two charcoal basins.

Xiao Man looked at Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, who had been busy for half a day, and pointed to the charcoal basin saying, "One charcoal basin is enough in the room, we won't pay for the extra one!"

Xiao Wu hurriedly bent at the waist and said with a fawning smile, "Just now we let the esteemed guests suffer a fright, the shopkeeper feels extremely guilty and specially instructed this humble one to prepare these things to compensate you. Not only that, your room rate is also waived in the future, you can stay as long as you like."

Zhang Zheng grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, cracking them while saying in confusion, "Your inn doesn't make money, ah, how can you only do this kind of losing business?"

Xiao Wu said with a bitter face, "This humble one also doesn't want to do losing business, ah, who knew those Jing Dynasty spies would go crazy."

Chen Ji’s heart stirred. He leaned against the window frame, holding the whale knife in his arms, and casually asked, "Did you already know that the old madam of Hong Xiu Pavilion was a Jing Dynasty spy, or did you just discover it? Can you tell me?"

Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment.

Zhang Xia took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the Eight Immortals table.

Xiao Wu hurriedly waved his hand, "No need, no need, the shopkeeper just instructed, whatever questions you have, this humble one will answer without hiding anything, no need to give silver!"

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia exchanged glances. This Xiao Wu in the afternoon still needed silver to give information.

However, they heard Xiao Wu explain, "This Hong Xiu Pavilion has always been a thief's nest for the Jing Dynasty. The merchant teams from the northern Jing Dynasty detour through Yinchuan and arrive at Guyuan, then they go to Hong Xiu Pavilion to rest. Those merchant teams seem to visit prostitutes, but in reality, they are exchanging intelligence."

Chen Ji said curiously, "How do you know?"

Xiao Wu said proudly, "Look at what the guest officer said, when have the secrets of this Guyuan ever been hidden from our Long Men Inn?"

Chen Ji didn't understand, "You just provide a place for transactions and messages, you didn't participate in the message trading, ah. Those people who buy and sell messages, it didn't all go through your hands."

Xiao Wu said mysteriously, "Guest officer doesn't know, there's a big jar buried under the floor of our inn. People sit in the jar, and even the smallest speaking voices of the guests in the main hall can be heard clearly."

Chen Ji knew about this listening jar technique, which was generally used in the military.

The city defense army would cover a large jar with a thin layer of cowhide and bury it under the city wall. Soldiers sitting in the jar could hear the sound of horse hooves twenty kilometers away.

Some people also buried a large jar next to the rooms of foreign envoys, found a person with super hearing who was blind to sit in it, and recorded the content of the foreign envoys' conversations.

He didn't expect that there was also this thing under the Long Men Inn, and all the trading messages were listened to.

However, Chen Ji looked at Xiao Wu with a complex expression, his doubts already extremely dense in his heart: how could he tell him this kind of secret? He was just a guest, ah.

Xiao Wu didn't notice Chen Ji's expression and continued talking to himself, "Which aspects of intelligence guests like to inquire about, we can speculate on their identity from the side. Merchants buy messages for business, only a few people will pay attention to border army military affairs. We secretly record all these people."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Who has inquired about military affairs?"

Xiao Wu put the white cloth on his shoulder, counting with his fingers, "The apprentice of the glass shop in Nanluo Workshop, the shopkeeper of the Yangji Fur shop on Duohun Street in Luoshi Workshop, and also the old madam of this Hong Xiu Pavilion... Guest officer, is there anything else you want to ask? If not, Xiao Liu and I will go out, the shopkeeper still has other matters instructed."

Chen Ji cupped his hands, "Many thanks, temporarily nothing else to ask."

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu exited the *Tian*-character *Bing*-number room, carefully closed the door, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Liu muttered beside him, "What kind of madness is the shopkeeper in? Isn't he just the illegitimate son of a fourth-rank official? Do we need to be so eager to fawn?"

Xiao Wu hurriedly patted the back of his head, "Just do what you're told, do more and ask less!"

In the room, Chen Ji silently walked to the door, pressed against it to confirm that Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu had gone downstairs, then turned back to Zhang Xia and asked, "Do you think they told the truth?"

Zhang Xia sat at the Eight Immortals table, still playing with the silver ingot he hadn't given away, "They also seem to have no reason to deceive us... Strange, how could they even tell us about the listening jar hidden underground? This is a big matter concerning the inn's reputation. If we spread this out, who would still come to the inn to buy and sell messages? This is probably something only the shopkeeper and the owner can know."

Zhang Zheng lay casually on the floor mat, crossing his legs, "Earlier he hesitated for half a day over a basin of hot water, then suddenly became enthusiastic to the point of being scary... Why the arrogance at the front and humility at the back, ah? Could there be other intentions? We must be careful, don't let this black inn kill us!"

Zhang Xia thought for a moment, "You say, could it be that *Hu San Ye* specially gave the inn a greeting, and the shopkeeper is giving him face?"

Zhang Zheng turned to lie on his side, supporting his head with his hand, "But what is that *San Ye*'s background? Why would he act as a backer for no reason?"

"He is definitely coming for Chen Ji," Zhang Xia analyzed seriously, "According to the attendant, *Hu Junyuan Hu San Ye* was once a subordinate deputy general of General Wen Tao, and later left Guyuan and followed a big figure... A border army deputy general is a positive fourth rank, higher than Adult Chen's official position. What kind of figure is worth him abandoning his office and following?"

Zhang Zheng sat up, his eyes shining as he guessed, "These years, could he have been secretly protecting General Wen Tao's orphan, just like in the storyteller's storybooks, where the general entrusts the orphan, the subordinates hide their identities and protect him, with loyal liver and guts, sacrificing themselves."

Zhang Xia shook his head, "General Wen Tao did not marry a wife, how could there be an orphan?"

Zhang Zheng said happily, "Who can say for sure about this? Our dad has several illegitimate children outside that we don't know about."

Zhang Xia glared at him, "You less slander our dad's innocence."

Zhang Zheng pouted, "Does he still have innocence?"

Zhang Xia thought for a moment, "Also."

Chen Ji: "......"

Xiao Man: "......"

Zhang Xia turned back to the topic, "No matter what, the person *Hu San Ye* is following now is definitely related to General Wen Tao. Perhaps if we figure out who the big figure behind him is, then we'll know why he helps Chen Ji."

Chen Ji hummed, "These days I will go and inquire about the folk rumors of General Wen Tao..."

Just at this time, wailing sounds, running sounds, and the sound of tables and chairs falling suddenly came from the Hong Xiu Pavilion next door, endlessly.

The people in the room looked at each other and all crowded to the window.

Chen Ji opened a crack in the window, and the four crowded at the crack to look out, but they couldn't see anything.

After about two incense sticks of time, the noise inside the Hong Xiu Pavilion stopped, but they saw Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, and other inn attendants each carrying a corpse, cursing as they walked into the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the inn attendants were each holding a kitchen knife, covered in blood.

Blood was still dripping from the tip of the kitchen knife. Xiao Wu shook the kitchen knife in his hand and wiped it on his arm, ordering, "Xiao Liu, give everyone a bowl of hot soup to drink."

Speaking, Xiao Wu turned back to look at the third floor. Chen Ji hurriedly pulled the crowd back. Immediately after, Xiao Wu led the attendants carrying the corpses, drilled into the stable and disappeared.

Zhang Zheng was surprised and doubtful, lowering his voice to ask, "Did this Long Men Inn really kill their way to the door and exterminate Hong Xiu Pavilion?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "You all rest early, I will go to the Commandery Office."

Night was already deep. Inside Guyuan city, there were no longer powerful figures flying around and chopping things. Chen Ji urged his horse to gallop, only distantly seeing the continuous fire basins on the distant city wall burning fiercely, and behind the battlements, teams of border army soldiers holding halberds patrolling back and forth.

He arrived in front of the Commandery Office and dismounted, only to discover that the guards of the Commandery Office had all been changed to Imperial Guards. More than twenty Imperial Guards had their hands on the long swords at their waists, and the border army soldiers didn't know where they had gone.

Chen Ji, leading the reins, walked closer and said loudly, "Generals, trouble to announce once, I have important matters to report to the Crown Prince Highness."

An Imperial Guard stepped out from the crowd and laughed coldly, "What are you coming for?"

Chen Ji looked, and it was impressively Qi Shen Zhe on duty.

He cupped his fists and repeated, "General Qi, trouble to help announce once, this humble one has important matters to report to the Crown Prince Highness."

Qi Shen Zhe raised his head arrogantly, the white pheasant tail on his helmet shaking slightly, "What, still want to come and deceive the Highness into doing things, and then take the Highness's news to sell for money? Chen Ji, I advise you one sentence, earning this kind of money once is enough, don't think everyone is a fool."

Chen Ji put down his hands unmoved, "Perhaps General Qi misunderstands this humble one, this humble one truly has very important things."

Qi Shen Zhe impatiently waved his hand, "Now the Jing Dynasty's Tian Ce Army is already ten *li* outside the city, we have no time to entangle with you. The Highness already knows that you were selling his news at Long Men Inn. It was Adult Chen's order, commanding you not to enter the Commandery Office again from now on, quickly go."

Qi Shen Zhe continued, "Actually, Adult Chen is also doing this for your own good. This matter of you selling the Crown Prince Highness's news can be big or small. Whether to chop off your head or not is all in the Highness's one thought. This time counts for nothing, if there is a next time, be careful of your head on your neck."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, mounted his horse, turned around, and headed back.

At this time, Qi Shen Zhe's eyes flickered, "Wait."

Chen Ji turned back, "Does General Qi still have any instructions?"

Qi Shen Zhe used his little finger to dig his ears, pretending to be indifferent and lazily said, "You definitely cannot enter the Commandery Office, but if you have any important matters, you can also tell me, and I will report to the Highness on your behalf."

Chen Ji sat on his horse and thought for a moment, finally saying, "The Hong Xiu Pavilion on Guizi Street is opened by Jing Dynasty thieves and is a point specially for the Jing Dynasty to pass intelligence."

Saying that, he turned his horse and left.

Qi Shen Zhe looked at Chen Ji's receding back, his eyes bright.

He instructed the Imperial Guards to his left and right in a low voice, "You all guard here, I will go and report the news to the Highness! Remember, this is the news I found from the spies I planted in the folk, not sent by that boy Chen Ji... Wait until I establish merit, I will absolutely not treat you all badly."

The Imperial Guards looked at each other.

Qi Shen Zhe raised his eyebrows, "What, are you all willing to let that boy steal the limelight?"

The Imperial Guards hurriedly cupped their fists, "If the Highness asks, we will all say according to your instructions."

Qi Shen Zhe laughed heartily and hurried into the Commandery Office.