Chapter 1232: I Want to Investigate a Case

"The wedding date has been fixed. It will be on the eighth day of next month. There are a little more than two weeks left."

Inside Song's embassy in the Jin capital, Mai Deman reported the marriage news he had learned to Jia Wuqun.

A man capable of representing an entire state abroad might lack many things, but he would not be a fool. By this point, after all Jia Wuqun's earlier arrangements and the matters he had paid attention to, Mai Deman had more or less understood his objective.

Jia Wuqun meant to force Shao Pingbo to marry Jin's Seventh Princess!

Jia Wuqun smiled after hearing the report. He reached out and traced characters across Yuan Cong's back.

Yuan Cong felt the writing and showed some surprise. He glanced back slightly before speaking for him. "Understood. Lord Mai, your timing is good. I was just preparing to take my leave. I have troubled you often these past days. Take good care of yourself. We will meet again another day in the Song capital."

Mai Deman was startled. "Sir is leaving already?"

Jia Wuqun replied through Yuan Cong, "I have other important business. We will depart after lunch."

Mai Deman hurriedly asked, "Sir is leaving so suddenly. Has this official failed in his hospitality?"

"No. When Lord Mai returns to the Song capital to report on your duties, you may come find me at the Chancellor's residence."

At those words, Mai Deman immediately broke into a broad smile. "Good, good, good. Once I return to the Song capital, I will certainly visit Sir."

Jia Wuqun had no interest in wasting more words on him and dismissed him after a few brief exchanges.

Once Mai Deman was gone, Yuan Cong looked puzzled. "We're leaving now?"

Jia Wuqun wrote on his back: Shao Pingbo will return soon. It is time for us to leave as well. That man's methods are vicious. Staying here any longer may become dangerous.

Yuan Cong asked, "What you've done isn't difficult to trace. If you simply walk away now, aren't you worried that once they uncover the truth, matters here may reverse?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: What if they uncover the truth? The greater momentum has already formed. Those people in court will not care what lies behind the affair. They will only push with the current and refuse to loosen their grip. Otherwise, after blindly biting down on this matter so fiercely, they would have to bear responsibility themselves. Shao Pingbo still has to marry her. There is no longer any possibility of changing that.

This arrangement cannot be hidden from a man like Shao Pingbo either. Once he recovers his composure, he will quickly uncover the truth. And that is exactly what I want him to do.

Yuan Cong asked, "Why?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: Once Shao Pingbo discovers that someone outside Jin manipulated the affair, whether he still holds out hope or not, he will inevitably report it to Taishu Xiong. The possibility that an outside power has interfered here will certainly shake Taishu Xiong, and he will have to question Noble Consort Lan and her daughter.

Once evidence is found, mother and daughter will find it difficult not to reveal the truth. They will have to endure Taishu Xiong's fury.

Afterward, I will make certain the two of them learn that Shao Pingbo exposed the matter because he did not want to marry Taishu Huan'er.

Yuan Cong seemed to understand. "You want mother and daughter to hate Shao Pingbo?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: Taishu Huan'er.

What use is Noble Consort Lan's hatred? The one who will actually marry Shao Pingbo and live with him afterward is Taishu Huan'er.

Before I made my move, I learned something of the girl's temperament. Judging from the reports of what happened in court that day, she is not weak at heart. It is entirely possible she may do something ruthless to Shao Pingbo in revenge.

Even if nothing happens, Shao Pingbo should not expect an easy life after marrying her.

The man who coughs blood despite having no illness, whom I asked Sir about earlier, was Shao Pingbo!

Yuan Cong froze. "You don't mean to anger Shao Pingbo to death, do you?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: Whether he can actually be angered to death, I do not know. But there is no harm in angering him. If she cannot provoke him effectively enough, I can always think of a way to teach Taishu Huan'er how.

But those are matters for later.

The true killing move against Shao Pingbo lies in Qi. You and I may as well make a trip there.

Yuan Cong asked, "We're going to Qi?"

Jia Wuqun wrote: Shao's younger sister is in the Qi capital. She once persuaded the Ghost Doctor's disciple to detoxify her husband. There are some interesting threads there that can be manipulated.

Shao Pingbo does not wish to marry Taishu Huan'er. This marriage has been forced upon him. It will not be difficult to make Taishu Xiong believe that Shao Pingbo resents him for it and intends to defect to Qi.

Emperors are deeply suspicious.

For a man as ruthless and poisonous as Shao Pingbo, even if Taishu Xiong does not kill him, he will certainly place him under house arrest. He will never allow Shao Pingbo the chance to defect to another power.

Once Shao Pingbo is completely cut off from the outside world and has nowhere left to use his abilities, he will become meat on the chopping block. Killing him then will be easy.

Yuan Cong sighed and shook his head. "You really are ruthless enough."

Jia Wuqun wrote: If you want to know who is truly ruthless, ask the person behind you.

Accepting this assignment was troublesome from the beginning. Unless Shao Pingbo is dealt with thoroughly, he is no easy man to provoke. Both you and I will be in danger.

Writing like this is tiring. Have Wei Duo pack our things. We should leave. Staying any longer will be dangerous.

He lowered his hand when he finished.

Yuan Cong turned and called, "Wei Duo!"

After lunch, the group indeed departed.

Yet Shao Pingbo, recuperating in the military camp, uncovered the truth even faster than Jia Wuqun had expected.

Only a few days passed, and even that included the time consumed by messages traveling back and forth by Golden Wings.

Shao Sansheng entered the tent, looked around carefully, then drew a secret letter from his sleeve. He lowered his voice toward Shao Pingbo, who was lying on his side with his eyes closed. "Eldest Young Master, the shopkeeper has replied. They have already found some clues!"

Shao Pingbo's eyes snapped open.

His energy seemed to return in an instant. He sat up quickly, took the letter, and read it.

His brows gradually knitted.

"Not someone from the court? Tongueless Jia? Jia Wuqun? That Hidden Chancellor of Song?"

Shao Sansheng said quietly, "There should be no mistake. The letter says that, judging from the Misty Pavilion's monitoring of the various parties, they can more or less rule out the possibility that officials in Jin's court planned this beforehand. The Misty Pavilion has also found the officiant of the Fire God Temple. He was indeed bribed by people from Song's embassy."

Shao Pingbo rose and began pacing. "I have heard of this Hidden Chancellor before, but he has always kept an extremely low profile. I have never met him, and there is no grudge between us. Why would he harm me? This is not normal!"

Shao Sansheng frowned. "It is indeed strange."

Shao Pingbo lowered his head and read the letter again, muttering, "He was staying in Song's embassy... Song's embassy. Could this be Song's intention? Did information leak from our side? Do they know I planned this war and are therefore targeting me?"

He folded the secret letter and lightly tapped it against his palm. "No wonder the man understands court politics so well. If he is the Hidden Chancellor behind Song Chancellor Zi Pingxiu, then that part is no longer strange."

He turned toward Shao Sansheng and sneered. "No wonder Zi Pingxiu remained secure as Chancellor for so many years under the Mu imperial clan and still stood firm after Wu Gongling took the throne. No wonder this mute is called the Hidden Chancellor. He truly concealed himself deeply!"

"It seems I should return to the capital and meet this Hidden Chancellor. I want to see what else he intends to do. Send word to the shopkeeper. Ask him to keep Jia Wuqun under watch and, in case there is a trap, make the necessary preparations for me to meet him."

"All right!" Shao Sansheng nodded.

"It is time to take leave of Lord Gao. Let's go!" Shao Pingbo seemed to regain his fighting spirit in an instant. With a sweep of his hand, he strode out.

When Gao Pin learned that Shao Pingbo intended to return to the capital and calmly face everything there, he was greatly relieved.

He had originally wanted to hold a farewell banquet, but Shao Pingbo declined on the grounds of ill health.

Gao Pin could only let the matter go, though he still personally saw him off and watched with his own eyes as three flying mounts carried Shao Pingbo into the sky and away...

The long journey through the air offered little but wind and cloud.

Good weather welcomed Shao Pingbo back to the Jin capital. Before his return, the many days of rain hanging over the city had finally dispersed.

Yet what awaited him was hardly good news.

After returning home, Shao Pingbo washed and changed into clean clothes. He was preparing to enter the palace and see Taishu Xiong when Shao Sansheng delivered another secret letter and whispered, "The shopkeeper has replied."

Freshly dressed in clean, orderly robes, Shao Pingbo immediately took the letter and opened it.

The moment he finished reading, he slapped it onto the table with a bang.

"Ran? He actually ran before I even sent the order to put him under surveillance. What quick reactions. Every step has been ahead of mine. It seems this was indeed planned long ago!"

Shao Sansheng asked, "Eldest Young Master, the man is gone. What do we do?"

Shao Pingbo snatched the sheet from the table and crushed it into a ball. "Can he truly run? I refuse to believe the shopkeeper cannot find him. Send word. Find Jia Wuqun. The moment they locate him, seize him immediately!"

"Heh. Planned long ago, was it? I want to see what else he intends to do. Once they find him, pry open his mouth at once!"

"This..." Shao Sansheng felt his scalp prickle. "Eldest Young Master, is it appropriate for the shopkeeper to personally have someone seized? I fear he may not dare."

Shao Pingbo said, "Tell the shopkeeper this: did that Tongueless Jia travel all this way merely to force me to marry the Seventh Princess? The affair is not that simple. We still do not know what he is truly planning against me."

"If something happens to me, the shopkeeper may be implicated as well. Does he not want to understand exactly what is happening?"

"This matter must be handled quickly. If the other side truly has another move prepared, waiting until that move erupts will only make everything more troublesome. Tell the shopkeeper he must act fast!"

"There is nothing particularly difficult about it. If Jia Wuqun traveled openly, perhaps acting would be inconvenient. But now that his movements have become secretive, that actually makes things easier."

"Have the shopkeeper directly send trusted subordinates. Let them approach using the identity of the Misty Pavilion. That alone should be enough to overawe Jia Wuqun's group into not resisting. Take them away quietly without alerting anyone. Once they are secretly under control, pry open their mouths. Afterward, to prevent information from leaking, they can simply be... killed!"

Shao Sansheng nodded. "All right!"

"Wait!" Shao Pingbo stopped him.

He seemed about to give another instruction, then suddenly looked down at the crumpled letter in his hand.

"Judging from how quickly this reply came, the shopkeeper is not inside the Sacred Realm. He should not be too far from us."

He turned back to Shao Sansheng. "Summon every Blackwater Terrace operative I am authorized to use. Have them come see me!"

Shao Sansheng looked puzzled. "You're not going to see His Majesty?"

Shao Pingbo smoothed open the crumpled letter and stared at the names of the principal figures in court who had led the attacks against him.

Killing intent appeared on his face.

"The situation has changed. I will not see His Majesty for now. Let His Majesty watch from the side first."

"That pack of treacherous dogs in court—if I do not show them a little color, they will truly think I am made of clay."

"For convenience in wartime, His Majesty granted me a certain authority over life and death. It would be a pity not to use it. Allow me to vent some of His Majesty's anger first!"

"Gather the men. I want to investigate a case. We are investigating spies who collude with foreign powers. Go!"

"Yes!" Shao Sansheng accepted the order and left.

Before long, a group of black-clad men stood in orderly silence in the courtyard of the residence.

Shao Pingbo emerged from the main hall in great strides.

A cloak billowed behind him.

Frost-white hair marked both his temples.

His face was expressionless.

A sword hung at his waist, and one hand rested on its hilt as he walked directly through the middle of the assembled black-clad men.

The entire group immediately closed ranks behind him and followed.

Outside the gates, Shao Pingbo did not use a carriage.

He caught the reins of a white horse, swung into the saddle, and drove both heels hard into its flanks.

The horse neighed and surged forward, charging straight onto the street.

His cloak snapped wildly behind him.

The black-clad men spurred their mounts after him.

Hooves thundered like a rolling storm through the streets of the Jin capital.

[End of Chapter 1232]