Patrol Captain

In the past few days, in order to complete the task secretly assigned by Emperor Wu, Xu Liang has been moving among some key figures in the Prince's mansion.

As a special envoy of the imperial court, he was treated with utmost respect by everyone in the Prince's residence. They would hold banquets almost every day to invite him to the table.

Drinking, listening to music, drinking, watching dance...

However, this suited him perfectly, and in just a few days, he had a lot of dealings with the officials of the Prince's mansion.

Meanwhile, the official from the Imperial Clan Court has been quite busy these past few days, frequently visiting the young master of the Prince's residence.

Of course, they didn't do anything intentionally; they were all invited there, and they didn't specifically try to contact any particular person.

They are also guarding against revealing their true intentions.

After all, this is Beiliang, and there are definitely people watching their every move.

If they continue like this, they don't know when they'll finish the investigation; they're hesitant and worried about the consequences.

His Majesty can't wait any longer either.

We have to find another way.

"What method?" Zuo Zongren asked, lowering his head.

Xu Liang initially wanted to speak, but after a moment's hesitation—since only he knew about this matter, it wasn't appropriate to say more—he said, "Let me think about it some more; it's not ready yet."

I'll let you know when I have any leads.

"Xu Shaoqing, please go ahead with your business," the man from the Left Clan said, and then left with his hands behind his back.

After the man left, Xu Liang frowned and paced around the room, his thoughts drifting with the light in his eyes.

After observing the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion and cautiously probing the people there, Xu Liang found nothing unusual.

Whether it was the King of Beiliang or his subordinates, they were all quite amiable and fulfilled all the proper etiquette.

No one in Liangzhou Prefecture revealed anything unusual.

However, news of a mission personally ordered by His Majesty must not be unfounded.

At first, in order not to alert the enemy, they went with the flow. Now, it seems that this method is not going to work, and they have to take some risks.

In such a vast palace, it is impossible for everything to be monolithic. Even if it has been managed for thousands of years, there must be pairs of eyes watching over it, otherwise the imperial court would not feel at ease.

Xu Liang's eyes flickered a few times, he paused, then walked to the desk in the room, sat down, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, placed a weight on it, and then picked up his brush and wrote one character after another of varying sizes on the paper.

“Wen, Shuo, Jin, Yong”

Strangely, these characters are not connected, as if they were written casually, whatever came to mind.

After writing about seventeen or eighteen characters, Xu Liang, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, put down his pen, rested it on the inkstone, glanced at the paper, then at the window beside him. With a flick of his sleeve, the window opened.

From the window, one can clearly see the scene at the desk.

Chen Yuan walked to the window, and at that moment, a guard outside hurried over.

"Lord Xu, what are your orders?"

Outside the room, the Imperial Guards who had followed them all the way from the capital were stationed every three steps and every five steps.

"It's nothing, I just wanted some fresh air, don't worry about me." He casually dismissed them, his gaze drifting towards the scenery outside the window.

At this moment, he was on a small building. It was dusk outside. Nearby were mountains, water, gardens, and trees providing shade. In the distance, the setting sun cast its glow.

Xu Liang scanned the scenery outside the window, and soon he sensed that someone in the distant buildings was looking in his direction.

With his half-step Dragon-Tiger cultivation, he could sense that there was more than one such gaze!
There were quite a few people secretly spying on him, this special envoy of the imperial court.

I hope to find the person I want.

He pondered in his heart, but remained outwardly calm.

Pretending nothing was wrong, he continued to observe the scenery, his expression unchanged.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, having "enough" to admire the scenery, Xu Liang closed the window.

After closing the window, he frowned, wondering if the mole lurking in the palace had seen him.

It seems this inside man is very important. When His Majesty assigned the task, he did not tell the inside man's identity, but only how to make contact with him.

It's not some secret method of transmitting messages, nor is it a long-distance telepathic communication; it's just the simplest and most unpretentious method!
Thinking about it, he looked at the pen and ink on the table, his eyes flickering slightly.

Even if others see this ink and it attracts their attention, they won't understand it; it's completely unrelated.

Because there is a separate, dedicated secret book.

Those who don't know the inside story would never think in that direction.

Hope everything goes well!

Xu Liang pondered to himself, since this spy was lurking in the Prince's mansion and did not even reveal his identity to His Majesty, only allowing him to make one-way communication, this person must have been hiding in the Prince's mansion for many years and was likely to hold an important position. However, if there were any changes in the Prince's mansion, this inside agent should be able to send news back.

In this situation, one possibility is that very few people know the news, and the vast majority of people in the Prince's residence are unaware, so the inside agent wouldn't receive the information. This situation requires vigilance. The second possibility is that the inside agent knows the news but conceals it.
Xu Liang quickly stopped thinking about it, figuring that the people His Majesty had arranged must be reliable, so he stopped speculating.

As the hour of You approached, the drum tower of Liangzhou Prefecture struck the third drum of the day. The sun in the west seemed to be shattered by the wind blowing from the vast sea, gradually spreading into a vast expanse of crimson-gold clouds, gently tracing a circle along the outline of the Qilian Mountains, and dyeing the snow-capped peaks in the distance into golden summits.

As dusk fell, lanterns lit up inside and outside the palace, their glow illuminating the extraordinary scene.

Just then, a report came from outside the door from the Imperial Guards.

"Lord Xu, someone from the Prince's residence has come to invite you to a banquet."

As the sound faded, the door opened, and Xu Liang, dressed in casual clothes, stepped out.

His eyes swept across the room and he saw a person standing behind a guard who was bowing and clasping his hands.

He was of medium build, but his shoulders and back were straight, exuding a sense of competence. His skin tone was not the typical tan of Liangzhou, which is tanned by the Gobi Desert sun year-round. His eyebrows and eyes were not particularly sharp, with two shallow lines etched at the corners of his eyes. At this moment, he was smiling gently, and the lines spread out, revealing a touch of warmth.

Her hair was tied into a bun with a plain white jade hairpin, with a few stray strands hanging down her forehead, adding a touch of the casualness of a frontier scholar. She wore a light scarlet double-breasted shirt with a three-inch-wide black cloth strip sewn at the hem, a black leather belt around her waist, and a pair of black leather boots.

One glance reveals a man with the composure and competence of someone who has lived on the frontier for a long time, as well as the refinement of a civil official, gentle yet possessing a certain integrity.

Xu Liang recognized the man at a glance. This man was the Right Chief Secretary of the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion, surnamed Yan. Although his rank was not high, he had followed the Northern Liang Prince in his early years and was a capable person by the prince's side. At least his cultivation level was no weaker than Xu Liang's.

At this moment, when Chief Clerk Yan saw Xu Liang come out, he greeted him with a slight smile and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Lord Xu, my master is hosting a banquet in the main hall and invites you to attend."

"Oh? Why is Your Highness suddenly hosting a banquet today?" Xu Liang raised his eyebrows.

Aside from hosting a simple banquet for them on the day of the memorial ceremony, the King of Beiliang made no further gestures in the following days.

Yan Changshi smiled and apologized, "Lord Xu, please don't be offended. His Highness is usually busy with official duties and needs to inspect the border troops. In addition, he just held a memorial service for the Crown Prince and is heartbroken. It is not appropriate to hold a large banquet. I hope you can understand, Lord Xu."

This made perfect sense, and Xu Liang naturally couldn't find fault with it. He didn't intend to dwell on it; he was just asking a question.

After all, there must be some reason behind this prince's actions.

He nodded. "I understand. How could I blame Your Highness? It's only human nature to ask a question."

Yan Changshi's smile widened, and he released his hand.
"The gentlemen were invited away by others."

"Lord Xu, please!"

As he said this, he made a gesture of invitation.

Xu Liang remained silent and followed the others to the banquet, accompanied by several imperial guards. The group then went downstairs, out of the villa, and through the gardens, where the pavilions and towers were unique, displaying both the style of the Central Plains and elements of the frontier.

They walked for two or three miles before arriving at the main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

Dusk had already fallen over the palace. The copper bells under the eaves swayed gently and crisply in the evening breeze. On both sides of the corridor, maids dressed in bright yellow ribbons carried gilded palace lanterns to and fro. The lantern shadows flowed like fine golden rivers on the blue bricks, making the lotus patterns on the corridor pillars even brighter.

The main hall was adorned with a profusion of flowers, and a long sandalwood table lined the wall, on which celadon plates held finely sliced ​​meat and amber cups were filled with grape wine. Three glass lamps hung in the hall, their wicks burning brightly, illuminating the hall as if it were daytime, making even the painted flying apsaras on the beams and pillars, with the gold threads in their sashes clearly visible.

Many people had already arrived, and the hall was very lively. The young masters and princesses of the manor, civil and military officials, as well as many martial arts retainers kept by the manor, greeted each other and took their seats under the guidance of the maids.

"I've met the Third Young Master."

"General Cheng!"

"Lord Hu"

"Yanagi Musashi".

"Let me introduce you. This is Lord Wang from the imperial court."

"."

Inside the hall, laughter and conversation filled the air, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

When Xu Liang arrived, a servant in the mansion shouted,
"Lord Xu has arrived!"

Immediately, the noise in the hall stopped for a moment, and everyone looked towards the door, their eyes filled with many meanings, before the noise resumed.

Soon, Xu Liang entered, accompanied by Chief Secretary Yan.

The people at the tables on both sides showed great respect to this special envoy from the imperial court, rising to their feet and offering him a helping hand.

Some of the officials in the government office, whom I've been dealing with recently, have been smiling at me.
"Master Xu."

"Lord Xu, please take a seat!"

"."

Xu Liang nodded as he was respectfully led to the seat below the main seat, sitting down in the superior position on the left.

Yan Changli, who was accompanying him, sat down beside him.

Across from him, the Left Clan Head of the Imperial Clan Court nodded to him. The other five or six officials who had come with him had also arrived. Their seating arrangements were very particular, with even some of the young masters and princesses being seated further back.

Clearly, all the necessary courtesy has been shown.

Xu Liang discreetly observed the people attending the banquet, looking for anyone who might be of interest.

Not long after, a loud, high-pitched voice rang out from outside the door.

"The prince is here!"

As the sound began, the noise in the hall stopped, and everyone stood up. The people in the Prince's mansion bowed deeply and performed the full ceremony, while the servants either knelt or bowed submissively.

As a special envoy of the imperial court, Xu Liang did not need to perform any formalities; he simply rose to greet him.

Soon, Xiao Zhongtian, the King of Northern Liang, strode in, dressed in a black python robe, his imposing figure exuding authority.

"Your Majesty, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"

Everyone shouted a slogan, and Xiao Zhongtian strode over to the head seat and sat down.

After sitting down, the prince's gaze fell on Xu Liang, who was standing to the side.
"These past few days, my mind has been in turmoil, and I haven't been able to properly entertain you all. I'll make up for it today, so please don't take it to heart, Minister Xu."

Xu Liang straightened his expression, turned slightly to the side, and looked up at the armrest.

"Don't dare!"

Xiao Zhongtian didn't say anything, but raised his hand to the crowd, "Sit down!"

"let's start!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" the crowd in the hall exclaimed in unison, then sat down, and the banquet was announced to have begun.

Soon, musicians filed in and arrived at the corner of the hall. A moment later, the sounds of guzheng and pipa filled the air. Then, dancers entered to the rhythm. Dressed in colorful gowns, they resembled the flying apsaras of Dunhuang. Their skirts were embroidered with silver cloud patterns, and as they twirled, they seemed to flutter like clouds. Their beauty and dancing skills were first-rate, and they had a distinct Western Region flavor.

Some people clapped and cheered, some guests toasted each other, and the maids carried wine jugs through the room. The spouts of the jugs were as thin as willow branches, and when the wine was poured into the cups, it splashed up tiny bubbles.

Gradually, the atmosphere of the banquet was created.

In the past few days, the officials of the Prince's Palace and the court officials had interacted quite a bit at private banquets, so there was not much awkwardness between them, and they frequently toasted each other.

The early part of the banquet was very peaceful and harmonious; people simply drank, listened to music, and enjoyed dancing.

The King of Beiliang sat high in the main seat, saying little, simply enjoying the dance in silence.

The people in the Prince's residence seemed to know that the Prince was not in the mood, so they were all tactful and few people disturbed him.

After all, the imperial court had just sent people to offer sacrifices to the crown prince.

But Xu Liang was different. He still had to make a gesture. He held up a glass cup filled with fine wine with both hands and faced Xiao Zhongtian.

"This humble official offers a toast to Your Highness, thank you for your hospitality today!"

Xiao Zhongtian raised his glass.

Xu Liang finished his drink, and the King of Beiliang also put down his cup, his gaze calm.
"Young Master Xu, there's no need for such formalities. Have you settled in well at the Prince's residence these past few days?"

"The scenery at the Prince's residence is delightful, and the people under the Prince's command have treated us with great hospitality. There's nothing to be uncomfortable about," Xu Liang replied with a slight smile.

"That's good!" Xiao Zhongtian nodded, then suddenly raised his eyelids, his voice not loud,

"How many more days do you all intend to stay in Liangzhou?"

"I will make the arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Xu Liang felt a sudden unease; this was a difficult question to answer.

Since the matter His Majesty instructed us to investigate has not yet been found, we naturally cannot leave the Prince's residence.

Just as Xu Liang was about to answer, his eyebrows suddenly twitched, and he couldn't help but glance at one side of the main hall, where a group of musicians were softly singing a Qingping folk song.

"Lord Xu!" Chief Secretary Yan called out from the side.

Xu Liang's expression shifted, and he looked away.

"The prince is asking you a question," the other party reminded him.

Xu Liang's expression quickly returned to normal.

"Your Highness, please forgive me, but I am not comfortable answering your question."

At this point, a thought struck him.
"After all, His Majesty's decree instructed me to ask the Prince to return when I return to the capital. His Majesty is considerate, so the answer lies with the Prince."

As soon as he said this, the previously lively and cheerful hall suddenly froze, and the atmosphere became eerily quiet.

The musicians playing the music were startled by the sudden silence and made a mistake in their playing.

"pa"

A string on a guzheng broke. When it was struck on the stand, the sound of the broken string was like a fingertip crushing a thin piece of porcelain. The sound was sharp and crisp, with a short "whoosh" at the end.

The dancers, interrupted by the abrupt change of sound, let out a series of delicate cries. (End of Chapter)