kvmb Chapter 139: It’s better to say everything
Chapter 139: It’s better to say everything
The two returned to Yangxizhai, and Zongsheng left a tray of buns for Baixiqiao.
"Is this what you're eating tonight? Do you guys from the guild want to get a beating?" Qi Xiao hadn't been home for just a few days, and who in the guild would dare to be so mean to him? Qi Xiao thought again and felt something was wrong. Who would know what was going on while he was away from Yangxizhai? His own guards would definitely not gossip about it, and Chi Yue was even less likely to do so.
Chi Yue hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, you misunderstood. I suddenly wanted to eat buns today, so I asked the kitchen to make some. Now that Your Highness is back, I will ask the kitchen to make some new dishes."
Qi Xiao nodded. Fortunately, because of Luo Yu's case recently, he often went out early and came back late, and almost never had dinner in Yangxizhai. Otherwise, his staying out all night would have been exposed long ago.
"Serve dinner on time from now on."
"Yes." Zong Sheng agreed.
Bai Xiqiao took a bite of the bun and winked at Qi Xiao: "Have you eaten yet? Let's eat together?"
Qi Xiao chuckled. Just now Bai Xiqiao was making trouble about his identity, and now he was feeding him buns.
Qi Xiao sat down next to Bai Xiqiao and glanced at the two buns left in the steamer. One was a vegetable bun and the other a meat bun. They had already gone cold. He smiled and said, "Eat them yourself. I'll wait for the kitchen to heat them up for me."
Bai Xiqiao couldn't help but roll his eyes. This kid deserves a beating.
"You brought me back just to let me watch you eat buns, right?"
"Heh," Bai Xiqiao laughed, "It's not me who has something to say, it's Chi Yue."
Chi Yue just went to the small kitchen.
Qi Xiao turned to Zong Sheng and asked, "What's the matter?"
"It seems to be related to Mr. Li, but Chi Yue didn't elaborate."
"Where's Wang Tangyi?"
"As ordered by the master, I questioned him once, but he said nothing. I didn't torture him, but just locked him up in a dark cell."
Qi Xiao nodded: "I'll ask him again tomorrow, torture him a little, take it easy, and then let him go."
Chi Yue just came back and heard Qi Xiao say that he wanted to release the people. Apart from Wang Tangyi, there should be no one else.
"Chi Yue, come with me into the study." Qi Xiao stood up and took Chi Yue away.
The study in Yangxizhai is simply furnished and Qi Xiao doesn’t use it often. When he suddenly came back, he felt a strange yet familiar feeling.
"Go ahead."
"As Your Highness expected, Mr. Li is from the Qi State's Office."
"Say I don't know."
"The Qi State Merchant Alliance is also involved in the affairs of state. Not only are they gathering intelligence throughout Dachen, they are also using the power of the Merchant Alliance to bribe and lobby court officials."
Qi Xiao tapped the table lightly with his fingers. There has always been trade between the three countries, but it is strictly controlled. It is not uncommon for there to be spies from the imperial court in the trade alliances between the countries. Everyone knows it, but compared with real money, a few spies are nothing most of the time.
However, Qi Xiao had never heard of bribery and lobbying of court officials. Such things were probably not new, but Qi Xiao had not cared about them before and had no way of knowing about them.
"The Qi Merchant Alliance has been in Yuanjing for over twenty years, right? Even if they're shielding the spies from the Office of the Occupational Secretary, Your Majesty won't do anything to them." Qi Xiao wanted to know if the Office of the Occupational Secretary's lobbying and bribery were related to Bai Liu's case, and to what extent?
Qi Xiao had not told Chi Yue about the matter of Bai Liu. Although using the Tiance Camp to investigate might yield results in a few days, His Majesty would also know about it, and the consequences were unpredictable. Qi Xiao was not prepared to take such a risk.
"The letters found in Li Sheng's room are sufficient to prove that the Zhanshi Office bribed the previous prefect of Yuanzhou Prefecture, slandering the Hanchen Sect as bandits, and even went to great lengths to facilitate the imperial court's suppression. Although their motives remain unclear, the assassination of Young Master Tang at Hukou Gorge is also related to the Zhanshi Office. It's highly likely that these Zhanshi Office assassins had obtained permission from Yuanzhou Prefecture and were lurking in Dachen."
Qi Xiao looked at Chi Yue and asked, "Your Majesty, what is your purpose in telling me these things? The court needs to give an explanation to the Zhou Kingdom regarding Tang Ling's assassination, but it seems there's nothing I can do to help?"
Chi Yue replied with a harmless smile on his face, "Your Highness inherited your martial arts from Hanchen Sect's leader, Gu Shanmo. Since this is related to Hanchen Sect, I think Your Highness would like to know."
"you think?"
Chi Yue's smile did not diminish. "Your Majesty means that since you have given Your Highness the "No Matter What Happens to You" card, the Tian Ce Camp should truthfully inform Your Highness of everything it has found out. If Your Highness has any instructions, the Tian Ce Camp should obey them."
"Tell the truth? Then what did you tell His Majesty? My mentorship, and what else?"
"Your Highness seems to be familiar with General Lu Fangjin regarding Bai Xiqiao's background. Moreover, Your Highness wants to investigate the matter of Bai Liu."
Qi Xiao was slightly startled, and looked at Chi Yue with an unchanging expression: "You know it clearly, and you are really honest."
"Your Highness is too kind." Chi Yue said with a smile, "This is the duty of the Tiance and Xuanji camps."
Qi Xiao looked at Chi Yue and still couldn't completely trust him. What he said just now could be regarded as surrender, or it could be a test. Chi Yue was from the Tiance Camp. His Majesty said that he would hand over the Tiance Camp to Qi Xiao to save his life, but what Chi Yue did and said had already exceeded the scope of "saving his life". He was sandwiched between His Majesty and Qi Xiao, guarding and monitoring, and perhaps also a shackle to restrain Qi Xiao.
"How did you know that I wanted to investigate Bai Liu?"
"I guessed it." Chi Yue said calmly, "Bai Xiqiao met Lu Xiulin in Baiyan Mountain."
Qi Xiao looked at Chi Yue with a stern look in his eyes. Although he did not show any shock, Chi Yue immediately noticed that the way Qi Xiao looked at him had changed, and there was a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.
Do the Tiance and Xuanji Battalions truly possess omnipotent abilities? At that time, Bai Xiqiao saw how secretive Lu Xiulin's affairs were, and Qi Xiao repeatedly urged Bai Xiqiao to be cautious. It was impossible for him to be followed or eavesdropped on without even knowing. How many people in the world could possess Chi Yue's ethereal skill, as powerful as a ghost? Back at Baiyan Mountain, His Majesty probably wouldn't have sent Chi Yue to closely follow Bai Xiqiao. Thinking about it this way, Chi Yue knew about this either through Bai Xiqiao's suggestion or through Lu Xiulin's.
"Is it Lu Xiulin?"
Chi Yue nodded. "Your Majesty, I will tell you everything I know."
"Your Highness, there's no need to be too surprised. It was His Majesty's idea that Lu Xiulin serve in the Five City Guards. After Bai Xiqiao met Lu Xiulin, he began to investigate Bai Liu's past affairs."
Qi Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, almost imperceptibly. This made sense. Why had Lu Xiulin spent a year in the Dali Temple, yet there was no mention of him in the files? How had he later joined the Five City Guards? But why had His Majesty made this arrangement? What other use did Lu Xiulin have?
Qi Xiao's gaze remained fixed on Chi Yue's face, his unchanging smile growing on his nerves. His patience was almost worn thin. Chi Yue went on to discuss the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, Li Sheng, the Hanchen Sect, and Lu Xiulin. He answered every question Qi Xiao asked, truly honest. But what was his intention? Was His Majesty trying to tell him, through Chi Yue, that he knew everything?
"Chi Yue, tell me everything you know. It's best to say it without reservation."
"Chi Yue dare not hide anything."
Qi Xiao chuckled. Chi Yue was in the Tiance Camp and had nothing to hide from His Majesty.
"Did His Majesty say anything?" Qi Xiao was asking about Bai Liu and Li Sheng. His question was ambiguous, leaving it to Chi Yue to answer.
"Your Majesty said nothing."
"Not a word? Not even a word that you knew?"
Chi Yue shook his head: "Not a single word. His Majesty let me leave after reading the report."
"Okay, if you have nothing else, go out."
"Chi Yue is leaving."