usatvline Chapter 462 Xu Longxiang's certainty was something Qin Mu could never discover!
Chapter 462 Xu Longxiang's certainty was something Qin Mu could never discover!
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, candlelight burned quietly within lampshades, illuminating the room with a dim, warm glow.
Li Si sat behind his desk, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold, but he didn't drink it. His gaze was fixed on the deep night outside the window, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
He received news that His Majesty had gone to Han Zhong's residence, but he still had some doubts.
Why did His Majesty go there in person?
Shouldn't he be enjoying the service of Han Zhong's wife in his bedchamber at this time?
Has something new happened?
Li Si tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, then looked up at the black-clad spy standing with his hands at his sides in front of the desk.
"Have you found out exactly where Xu Longxiang from the Northern Border went during Han Zhong's campaign against the Moon Goddess Cult?"
The scout in black shook his head, lowered his head, and spoke in a very low voice.
"The investigation is still ongoing. Xu Longxiang of the Northern Border has always been secretive about his whereabouts. We have done our best, but we still have no idea."
Li Si sighed.
He also knew that his intelligence capabilities were limited, and there were some things he simply couldn't know. Compared to His Majesty's intelligence network, his small force was like a tiny boat on a vast ocean.
The scout in black raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.
"Your Excellency, however, we have learned something else."
Li Si's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his voice became urgent.
"Quickly, what is it?"
The scout in black stepped forward, lowering his voice even further, so low it sounded like an echo coming from underground.
"We have discovered that many officials in the capital and those in the northern border are in close contact and have frequent interactions, suggesting that their relationship is not ordinary."
Li Si's brows furrowed suddenly, forming a deep knot between them.
Who are they?
The black-clad spy took out a secret letter from his sleeve, held it with both hands, and respectfully handed it to Li Si.
"The list is here; please take a look, Your Excellency."
Li Si took the secret letter, tore open the seal, and pulled out the letter inside.
His brows furrowed more and more, forming a deep knot.
Those names included high-ranking officials of the third rank in the imperial court, regional governors, and officials in key departments in charge of money, grain, and military equipment.
Each name was like a stone, hitting his heart and making his chest feel heavy.
He put down the letter, raised his head, and his gaze was like a knife.
"Is everyone on the list accounted for?"
Zhao Yin shook his head, his expression grave.
"We are still investigating. These people are very well hidden, and my subordinates suspect that there are many more who have not yet surfaced."
Li Si remained silent for a moment.
He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, keeping the sound very low.
"Continue the investigation. No matter who is involved, no matter how high their official rank, we must get to the bottom of this. Remember, don't let anyone find out."
Zhao Yin bowed deeply.
"Yes."
Li Si waved his hand.
"Step down."
Zhao Yin turned around, strode out of the study, and disappeared into the night.
Li Si leaned back in his chair, gazing at the cold, bright moon outside the window, lost in thought.
His gaze was deep, like two bottomless ancient wells.
Now Your Majesty is wise and mighty, having conquered Liyang and married the Empress. The power of the Great Qin is growing stronger every day, the people live in peace and prosperity, and the world is at peace.
He would never allow anyone to shake the Qin Dynasty, nor would he allow those treacherous officials to destroy this hard-won peaceful and prosperous era.
Xu Longxiang of the Northern Frontier has long harbored rebellious intentions.
He had been watching all along, but without concrete evidence, he couldn't take action.
Now that even a great general like Han Zhong has been dragged into this mess, he can no longer sit idly by.
He stood up, walked to the door, and pushed it open.
The night wind rushed in, ruffling his gray beard and hair.
"Someone, prepare the carriage. I need to go to the palace to meet the Emperor."
The servant outside the door quickly responded and ran to prepare the carriage.
Li Si straightened his clothes and stepped out of the study.
His steps were steady and heavy, and his back was straight, like an old pine tree that had stood firm for many years in the wind and rain.
The carriage slowly started moving in the night, its wheels making a "clattering" sound as it rolled over the bluestone slabs, heading towards the palace.
........
The Northern Frontier, the Prince Zhenbei's Mansion.
On the drill ground, bugle calls resounded and war drums thundered.
Xu Longxiang stood on the command platform, his dark black python robe fluttering in the wind.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers training below, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He's been in high spirits and in a great mood these days.
The Moon Goddess would send him a letter every two days, with neat handwriting and gentle words. He read each letter several times and could almost recite them from memory.
In her letter, she asked him if the wind and snow in the north were cold, if he was tired from training the army, and if he was eating and sleeping well.
Those words were like a spring breeze, brushing across the icy surface of his heart and blowing open cracks in his heart.
He picked up his pen and wrote back, describing the snow in the North, his longing, and things he would never tell anyone else.
He wrote each letter very slowly, carefully choosing his words and revising them again and again, afraid that he might misuse a word and cause her to misunderstand his intentions.
Fan Li stood beside him, his dark blue scholar's robe fluttering gently in the wind.
His expression was somewhat solemn, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his gaze was fixed on the drill ground, but he did not look at the soldiers who were training.
After he returned, he began to screen the intelligence system, but the more he investigated, the more suspicious he became.
During the few days he was away, very little information was transmitted from the palace—almost frighteningly little.
Letters from Jiang Qingxue and Xu Fenghua, in particular, were extremely rare.
They fell silent at the same time, as if by prior arrangement.
A sense of unease welled up in Fan Li's heart.
He hesitated for a long time, but still walked to Xu Longxiang's side, clasped his hands and bowed.
"Your Highness, I have something to report."
Xu Longxiang turned his head and looked at him, in a good mood, the smile on his lips undiminished.
"Mr. Fan, what is it?"
Fan Li straightened up, his gaze falling on Xu Longxiang's face, his voice low.
"Your Highness, after returning, I reviewed the intelligence system and found that very little information was being transmitted from the palace. Letters from Miss Jiang and the young lady, in particular, were extremely rare. I'm worried... has something happened?"
Xu Longxiang waved his hand casually, as if shooing away a flying mosquito.
"It's probably because Qin Mu hasn't done anything recently, so there's no need for them to pass messages. This is a wise move on their part; if they were to pass messages and expose themselves, it would be counterproductive."
His tone was soft, yet carried a certainty that he was "overthinking it."
Fan Li frowned, the unease in his heart still lingering, but after thinking about it, he realized that His Highness's words made some sense.
He nodded thoughtfully, just about to say something.
A messenger soldier ran quickly up the platform, knelt on one knee, held a secret letter in both hands, and touched his forehead to the ground.
"Your Highness, urgent military intelligence!"
Xu Longxiang frowned, took the secret letter, tore open the seal, and pulled out the letter.
His gaze swept over the words on the paper, and his expression suddenly changed. The smile that had been on his face instantly turned somber.
He turned his head sharply, looked at Fan Li, and said in a hoarse voice.
"Han Zhong was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death."
Fan Li's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had been pricked by a needle.
His heart skipped a beat.
If Han Zhong is arrested, then their connection with the Moon Goddess Cult, their agreement with Han Zhong, their conspiracies, their conversations, and all the evidence sufficient to punish their entire families will be exposed.
Will everything be exposed?
His back was drenched in cold sweat, his undershirt was instantly soaked, sticking stickily to his skin, and felt icy cold.
"Your Highness, what else did the letter say?"
Xu Longxiang took a deep breath and gradually suppressed the surging, turbulent waves.
He unfolded the letter again, his gaze moving from the first line to the last, and then back to the first.
"The letter said that Han Zhong was sentenced to death and executed three days later. Qin Mu went to the Han residence in person, and the Golden Armor Guards surrounded the residence, placing the entire Han family under house arrest. It also said..."
His voice deepened, becoming as deep as an echo from the earth. "Qin Mu also brought Consort Hua with him."
Fan Li's eyes flickered.
His Majesty brought Consort Hua with him? What does this have to do with Consort Hua? Or is His Majesty trying to reprimand Consort Hua, and also to put pressure on the Northern Border?
His mind raced, each thought flashing by like a shooting star before quickly fading away.
"Your Highness, Han Zhong cannot die."
Xu Longxiang clenched the letter tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
"I know. But we're thousands of miles away, how can we help?"
Fan Li stood on the command platform, his gaze fixed on the secret letter, his brows furrowed, almost forming a knot.
"Your Highness, I don't understand. Han Zhong only failed in his attempt to suppress the Moon Goddess Sect, so why did Qin Mu sentence him to death?"
Xu Longxiang paused slightly in his grip on the letter.
A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.
"The Qin Dynasty has existed for hundreds of years, and countless generals have suffered defeats, yet few have been executed. Although Han Zhong has lost a considerable number of troops this time, it shouldn't be necessary..."
He paused, his voice growing deeper. "Unless, Qin Mu has discovered something."
Fan Li's pupils contracted slightly, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner clothes on his back.
"Your Highness, do you mean... His Majesty knows about our affair with Han Zhong?"
Xu Longxiang shook his head forcefully, as if denying a possibility he wouldn't even dare to consider.
His voice was soft, yet it carried a certainty that even he himself didn't quite believe.
"Impossible. When I met Han Zhong, there were absolutely no eyes or ears within several miles. Those conversations were known only to heaven, earth, you, me, and Han Zhong. There was absolutely no way a fourth person could know them."
Fan Li remained silent for a moment.
Your Highness is right. He had repeatedly surveyed the terrain during that private conversation and confirmed that there were no spies, no ambushes, and not even a single bird was disturbed.
Yet, he still felt an inexplicable unease, like a thorn stuck in his heart—not deep, but impossible to remove.
"What if it wasn't a failed encirclement and suppression? What if Han Zhong himself slipped up and His Majesty discovered something else..."
Xu Longxiang's brows furrowed even more.
He thought of Han Zhong, a man who was calm, cautious, and had cultivated his influence in the court for many years. He never offended anyone easily, nor did he leave any handle for others to use against him.
He will have something on him that Qin Mu can use against him.
"Han Zhong isn't the kind of person who's careless," Xu Longxiang said in a low voice, almost as if talking to himself. "Unless..."
He didn't continue, because that "unless" was too terrifying.
Unless Qin Mu had already set his sights on Han Zhong, laid a trap, and was waiting for Han Zhong to walk right into it.
"Could it be... that tyrannical emperor discovered something?"
Fan Li's voice was very low, so low it sounded like an echo coming from underground.
Xu Longxiang shook his head, his expression solemn, but there was a hint of determination in his eyes.
"Impossible. If that tyrannical ruler had discovered our plan, he wouldn't have only arrested Han Zhong, much less just executed him. He would have followed the trail and arrested everyone connected to Han Zhong. The fact that we are still standing here unharmed means that the tyrannical ruler knows nothing."
Fan Li thought about it and felt that what His Highness said made sense.
Given Qin Mu's methods, if he truly discovered the collusion between the Northern Border and Han Zhong, he would not let it go so easily.
He will definitely uproot this connection and expose everyone involved.