The pagoda stood seven stories tall, situated on the southern shore of Chaohu Lake.
Rather than a lake, it was more like a boundless expanse of wetlands.
Climbing the pagoda and gazing into the distance, one looked out over shimmering waters dotted with islets, where flocks of birds soared over the sandbars—a panorama teeming with vibrant life.
Consequently, Chaohu Pagoda bustled with streams of tourists, idlers who had come to ascend high and take in the magnificent scenery.
After ascending the pagoda, He Lingchuan silently furrowed his brows.
Not only were there throngs of visitors here, but a teahouse had even been opened on the fourth floor!
Here, tourists could sip tea, admire the landscape, listen to storytelling, and meet friends. Sitting by a table, a gentle breeze swept in from the lake, blowing away half the sweltering heat of the seventh lunar month.
Precisely because it was so comfortable, every one of the ten tables was completely occupied, leaving not a single empty seat.
No wonder Mr. Mai had chosen to conduct his transaction here. The ceaseless coming and going of tourists and tea drinkers served as the perfect cover.
He Lingchuan recalled the contents he had decrypted.
It had mentioned only the time and place, without any secret countersign.
In other words, Mr. Mai and his contact knew each other by sight, with no need for a passphrase to identify one another.
That made things troublesome; he could not impersonate him.
Moreover, if the other party waited here and saw no sign of Mr. Mai, they would know something was amiss and leave swiftly.
How was he supposed to pick out Mr. Mai's accomplice with precision from among so many tourists?
"My Lord?" Seeing that he had been staring vacantly at the view outside for quite some time, the County Magistrate of Baishaqu ventured a call.
"Is it always this crowded in the pagoda?"
"Uh, yes. This is one of the local landmarks, after all." The magistrate assumed his interest had been piqued by the sights. "The tea cakes served in this teahouse are a local specialty. Many visitors buy them to bring home as gifts."
"Have them set up a table out on the veranda. We will take some tea."
Sure enough, the proprietor set up a four-cornered table on the fourth floor's outer veranda and brought out tea, fruits, and snacks.
The tea cakes were quite good, but He Lingchuan actually preferred the dried sweet potatoes. These were baby sweet potatoes that had been peeled, steamed three times, and roasted three times. They were sweet, soft, chewy, and went wonderfully with tea and conversation.
The County Magistrate of Baishaqu had arrived with an uneasy heart, but seeing He Lingchuan pleasant and mild today, rather than difficult as he had been yesterday, he let out a long breath of relief and became doubly attentive.
Arriving yesterday, He Lingchuan had naturally needed to deliver a display of authority. Otherwise, an old bureaucrat like this would have deemed him young and easily bullied, paying lip service while acting in defiance.
Today, however, was not the time for harsh words and stern looks. A little soothing made the magistrate far more submissive, ensuring his full cooperation in the days to come.
These were the methods of managing subordinates that He Chunhua frequently employed. Having spent many years by his father's side, He Lingchuan had absorbed no small amount of that wisdom.
Serving as an official involved countless intricacies.
Sitting here with the breeze brushing his face, gazing out into the wide expanse, even his chest felt unburdened.
Yet on such fine days and amid such lovely sights, there were always people in this world who chose to spoil them.
He Lingchuan slowly sipped his tea, wondering what the odds were that Fu Songhua, captured by Zhongsun Mou, was the true culprit.
Still, there had been no news of Mr. Mai; that fellow seemed to remain at large.
If Fu Songhua was the mastermind, then the transaction on Chaohu Pagoda would naturally have been canceled and would not proceed.
If he was not, had Mr. Mai and the true mastermind already fled? In that case, the transaction on Chaohu Pagoda could not take place either.
Reasoning it through in every direction, there was no longer any necessity for this rendezvous arranged by cipher. Why should he bother racking his brains over it?
Mm, was that truly the case?
He Lingchuan occasionally looked up, noting the pagoda's imposing structure and exquisite stonework, which had clearly required immense labor to build. Yet after prolonged exposure to wind and sun, a large stone slab above had fallen away, exposing the mortar underneath.
He pointed upward. "That is rather unsightly."
The County Magistrate of Baishaqu looked up. "Oh, I intended to dispatch men to carry out repairs, but Old General Ling said he wished to donate funds for the restoration. Yet he has delayed taking action, which is why it remains in this state."
He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "A renowned landmark frequented by countless visitors each day. Leaving it like this is neither pleasing to the eye nor safe."
"Indeed, indeed." Not knowing what he intended, the magistrate could only agree.
Wasn't this special envoy sticking his nose into far too many things? To be so young and yet so meddlesome.
He Lingchuan had only mentioned it in passing and did not pursue the matter further, turning instead to inquire about the local customs and landscape.
Just as the atmosphere was finally warming up, He Lingchuan asked offhandedly, "By the way, what has the Inspector been up to these past few days?"
"Reviewing the case, I imagine?" The magistrate thought for a moment. "I heard he has turned down numerous visits and banquets."
***
Three days later, Zhongsun Mou was preparing to set out on his return north.
When another visitor requested an audience outside, he let out an irritated sigh.
The visitor had brought documents—a thick stack of them.
Zhongsun Mou signaled his guard to take them and said, "Do not keep running over here. There are too many eyes and ears."
"This is the final batch of materials. My master wishes Your Excellency a smooth journey."
With no alternative, Zhongsun Mou piled the materials onto his desk and inspected them volume by volume.
Before returning to Lingxu City, he had to ensure these accounts were airtight, without the slightest flaw.
Fu Songhua had been captured six days ago. The safest course would have been to escort him north immediately to prevent complications arising from delay.
Yet he could not.
He had to remain here, scrutinizing every single piece of evidence word by word!
Once he was back in Lingxu City, these pieces of evidence would be reviewed over and over by countless discerning eyes, and might even be presented before the Demon Emperor. The mere thought of that weighed on him with immense pressure.
Both the prisoner and the evidence were being brought back by him, Zhongsun Mou. He had to ensure nothing went wrong, or else...
His eyes were aching from reading, and he was just about to order another cup of cassia seed tea when a guard suddenly reported:
"The Crown Prince's Special Envoy He Xiao and the County Magistrate of Baishaqu request an audience!"
Zhongsun Mou's expression shifted. That boy had finally come.
He had known all along that this so-called Crown Prince's Special Envoy had arrived in Baishaqu, but he had ignored him. It turned out the other party had plenty of patience, waiting all the way until now to come knocking.
Zhongsun Mou set aside the case dossiers and walked out into the courtyard before saying, "Let him in."
He Lingchuan strolled inside, flanked by a fierce tiger, with Magistrate Tian following behind him.
"The view here is quite nice as well. You can see the lake right from your window."
"I am very busy." Zhongsun Mou offered no pleasantries and gave him no friendly face. "What business do you have?"
"I heard Lord Zhongsun achieved a great merit, bringing the spy who murdered the eastern imperial eagle courier to justice!" He Lingchuan said with a beaming smile. "I had to rush over to see for myself."
This scoundrel had been sightseeing across Baishaqu for the past several days; what did he mean, "rushed over"? Zhongsun Mou let out a faint sneer. "Indeed. The evidence is conclusive and the culprit is in custody. You may return and report to the Crown Prince as well, Lord Envoy."
"Then I must ask: what exactly is the identity of this culprit?" Even if Fu Songhua was not the true culprit behind the courier's death, he had to be someone of notable background. Otherwise, how could Zhongsun Mou convince Lingxu City by handing him over to settle the matter?
If he dared to pick up just any random nobody as a scapegoat, he would see how the Demon Emperor dealt with him.
"Fu Songhua, a native of Tao Kingdom. Twelve years ago, he was promoted to junior commander under Hong Chenglüe, proving valiant in battle. Ten years ago, he assassinated Governor Zhang Guangyi of Hezhou in Lingxu and fled. Hezhou issued warrants for his arrest for years without success, until six days ago when he was finally captured here."
Hearing the name of an old acquaintance, He Lingchuan asked in surprise, "From his past, he sounds like nothing more than an assassin. How did he suddenly become a spy?"
Considering that the youth still held the title of the Crown Prince's Special Envoy, and that he himself was standing on the soil of Chiyan Kingdom, Zhongsun Mou suppressed his impatience and explained, "He was originally a spy for Tao Kingdom; assassinating Governor Zhang back then was an assignment. You know nothing of court affairs in Lingxu City. Zhang Guangyi's death carried immense fallout at the time, directly altering the Demon Emperor's decisions. This time, Fu Songhua lay low for years before striking again, precisely to disrupt our army's war on the eastern front."
"And he is Mr. Mai's superior?"
"Precisely."
"How was that verified?"
Zhongsun Mou could not help but laugh. "I have gathered a complete body of ironclad evidence here. Do I need to read it out to you page by page, entry by entry?"
"That would work." He Lingchuan's gaze drifted straight toward the study. "Nothing could be better."
Zhongsun Mou's smile vanished. "Enough. Do not joke, Lord Envoy. The criminal has confessed and the dossiers have been sealed; they cannot be casually opened. Lingering here is pointless for you. Return to Fu Shanyue to deliver the good news and claim your reward."
He Lingchuan adopted a serious tone as well. "If this man Fu killed the courier merely to delay intelligence, then what was his purpose in dispatching his subordinate Mr. Mai to slaughter monsters across Chiyan to harvest beads?"
"To sow discord between the monster clans and the government, stirring up trouble—a spy's usual trade. What else would they do with their spare time? If you spend more time in Beijia, you will learn that these fellows are pervasive, seizing every chance to make waves," Zhongsun Mou said indifferently. "Those beads are materials for refining Red Jade Pills. They will also be submitted as evidence to Lingxu City."
Red Jade Pills? Weren't pulp beads used to refine the elixir of immortality? He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Lord Zhongsun resolves a monumental case with a casual wave of his hand. Impressive. However, the Crown Prince ordered me to interrogate the primary culprit in person. Where is Fu Songhua?"
"Fu Songhua is to be escorted back to Lingxu City for trial. From this point forward, it has nothing to do with you."
Footsteps sounded outside—many of them. Zhongsun Mou instantly sensed something was wrong and stepped back. The guards beside him immediately surged forward, their hands resting on the hilts of their blades.
"If talks fail, then we lay our cards on the table." He Lingchuan gave Jiao Yu a glance, and the fierce tiger let out a sudden, deafening roar!
The roar echoed ten li. Over a hundred men burst into the courtyard instantly, surrounding Zhongsun Mou and his entourage.
Outside, the heavy thud of stout boots striking the ground continued—a clear sign that many more men were standing by.
A military commander strode inside and bowed to He Lingchuan. "Lord Special Envoy!"
This was the Chiyan Kingdom garrison stationed thirty li outside Baishaqu. When Jiao Yu had gone out on his errand, he had brought them along by requisitioning them with the special envoy medallion.
Not many—he had borrowed a mere five hundred men.
Back then, Fu Shanyue had said that the medallion could mobilize troops.
Those words had certainly been no joke.
Swords were suddenly drawn on both sides. Caught right in the middle, the County Magistrate of Baishaqu broke into a cold sweat. "My Lords, please, talk this out peacefully!"
He could not afford to offend either side. Why had it come to this?
What terrible misfortune had he brought upon himself to have such rotten luck lately?
The door of an adjacent side room opened, and two guards poked their heads out, startled by the commotion. Seeing the standoff, both were stunned.
Zhongsun Mou barked in anger, "Get back inside!"
The guards obeyed and tried to shut the door, but they were a step too late. The fierce tiger leaped forward and swiped with its claws, tearing the wooden door panel apart.
This was an inn, not a fortified city wall; how could a wooden door boast formidable defenses?
Before a monster tiger's three-thousand-jin slap, the fact that it hadn't shattered into splinters on the spot was already showing immense courtesy.
Chapter 477