Huangxiu

Chapter 153 Investigation
Chu Zhiyuan came to a restaurant next to the post station, Ping'an Restaurant.

The restaurants here certainly cannot be compared with those in Yujing City.

Ping'an Restaurant only has two floors. Chu Zhiyuan went straight through the bustling first floor and came to the deserted second floor.

There were only five tables of guests on the second floor. They were merchants coming and going. They all looked worldly and talked about what they had seen and heard from their travels to various places.

Most of them have impressive cultivation, some have reached the third level of the innate realm, and most have entered the innate realm from the acquired realm.

After Chu Zhiyuan sat down, Zou Fang called the waiter to wipe the bumpy table again.

First, two pots of the best wine and two plates of dim sum were served, and a few signature dishes were ordered.

Chu Zhiyuan and Zou Fang sat at the same table.

Guo Chi and the other three sat at another table.

Chu Zhiyuan held the wine glass and looked at the post station opposite thoughtfully.

The middle-aged man in front of the post station had an ordinary appearance. He had changed out of his armor and put on a brocade robe. He looked no different from the other travelers hurrying around him.

With super-sensory insight, this middle-aged man is at the first level of Grandmaster realm, and is not conspicuous standing in the crowd.

It was obvious that others were unaware of his level of cultivation.

Otherwise, no matter how ordinary a master's appearance is, people around him will not treat him normally. There will always be a certain amount of respect and unconscious deference shown to him.

This is people's instinctive attitude towards power.

Chu Zhiyuan speculated about his identity.

He must be Li Haoyuan's trusted subordinate, a bodyguard, or an advisor?

Judging from his cultivation, he is a bodyguard, but judging from the way he acts, he is more like a strategist.

A hidden strategist.

He possesses the skills of a master but keeps it a secret, being an ordinary strategist. Does he have great ambitions, or does he have other reasons?

Chu Zhiyuan discovered that outside Yujing City, the world became more complicated.

It seems like everyone I meet has a secret.

Unlike in Yujing, the entire palace was clearly visible to him and there were no secrets at all.

Chu Zhiyuan continued to think.

This middle-aged man came to me to tell me the secret?

Do you know your identity?
He whispered, "Let Liang Guanjie come over."

"Yes." Zou Fang nodded slightly.

He went out very quietly, without showing off his master's skills.

Liang Guanjie, who was hiding nearby, soon appeared in front of Chu Zhiyuan and saluted solemnly with his fists clasped.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, motioning him to sit down and talk.

Liang Guanjie didn't say anything polite and sat directly opposite Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan didn't notice anything unusual about the merchants around him. Even so, he still used his voice transmission to send secret messages: "What is the identity of that middle-aged man?"

Liang Guanjie glanced out the window and saw the middle-aged man standing outside the post station diagonally opposite. He shook his head in embarrassment.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Quickly figure it out."

"Yes." Liang Guanjie agreed quickly and lowered his voice: "A brother has an acquaintance here and will be able to figure it out soon."

"Is there anything unusual around the government office?"

"There are no experts lingering around."

"Find out the details of Li Huchen, and it would be best if we could find out all the twenty-three of them."

"...Yes." Liang Guanjie grinned and agreed.

Twenty-three people, this is not a small workload. He only has four subordinates. If he wants to figure them out at once, he will have to risk his life.

When he thought of this, he couldn't help but get anxious and stood up and clasped his fists.

Chu Zhiyuan whispered, "Be careful, this is not Yujing, don't get stuck in the gutter."

"Yes." Liang Guanjie nodded solemnly.

He strode out.

This aroused the curiosity of the people at those tables, but they just glanced at it and continued their conversation.

While chatting, those people would glance over from time to time.

Chu Zhiyuan and his friends' attire was out of place here. One could tell at a glance that they were outsiders. They also had an extraordinary aura and were wealthy people.

People who travel outside often try to avoid such people to avoid getting into trouble.

Chu Zhiyuan continued to stare at the middle-aged man.

As the signature dish came up, Zou Fang took a few bites first.

Chu Zhiyuan didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. With his super sense, he knew there was nothing wrong with the dish, but he didn't deprive Zou Fang of her duties.

Zou Fang nodded slightly and put down her chopsticks.

Chu Zhiyuan picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

The dishes were not as exquisite as those in Yujing Restaurant, and the flavor was strong and powerful. Chu Zhiyuan put down his chopsticks after taking a few bites.

His senses are sharper than those of ordinary people and he is more sensitive to smells.

Zou Fang said softly, "My Lord, how about changing a few dishes?"

"Forget it." Chu Zhiyuan said, "Just make do with what you have."

He took a few sips of wine to numb his mouth and tongue, then continued eating and ordered two more plates of snacks to fill his stomach.

Even if you are a master, you still need to eat.

It was not until it got dark that the middle-aged man in front of the post station left reluctantly.

He obviously knew that he was being avoided and understood that Chu Zhiyuan would not see him.

-

Chu Zhiyuan sat on the bed in a room of the post station.

The bed had a faint fragrance, as if it had been infused with special spices.

This is a room that only officials of the third rank and above are qualified to stay in.

The rule was that officials traveling back and forth could only stay at post stations, not at government offices or other places.

Chu Zhiyuan didn't want to make any special arrangements and disrupt the convention.

He absorbed the last piece of dragon fat incense, and his meridians became stronger and stronger, ready to break through at any time.

But I didn't plan to break through.

If someone disturbs you at a critical moment, it would be like going astray.

There's no need to be so anxious.

"My Lord, Liang Guanjie is back."

"come in."

Liang Guanjie appeared soon, walked into the room, came to the bed, and saluted with his fists clasped.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Zou Fang, move a chair for Lao Liang."

Zou Fang moved a chair and placed it in front of the bed.

Liang Guanjie chuckled twice, sat down in the chair, and immediately became serious: "My Lord, I have figured out the identities of these people."

"Who are they?"

"They were originally under General Li's command, including military officers and civilian officials."

"All the officers under your command?"

"Yes."

"Hey," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "This Zhenyuan General is no ordinary man."

It is not an easy task to win the hearts and minds of all the officers under your command.

This shows that the imperial court had very weak control over the border troops, and it also shows that General Li was very capable and good at controlling people's minds.

Liang Guanjie said: "The one who is most loyal to him is Li Huchen, the deputy general of Fuyuan Town."

"Is he General Li's deputy? He is also in a high position of power. He shouldn't be a reckless and straightforward person, right?"

"He is rough on the outside but careful on the inside. He is brave and resourceful, and very popular." Liang Guanjie said, "This Lieutenant General Li is also a good commander of the troops."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

People who behave rudely can get along well in the army. They are simple-minded and will not plot against others.

What people in the army hate most is conspiracy and scheming, and they all prefer to be straightforward.

If one can be both rough and meticulous, then he will have a bright future in the army. Apparently, this is the case with Li Huchen.

"What about the others? Especially the one today."

"He is Zhou Chengen, the secretary under General Li. He is not very famous and has a low sense of presence. He usually keeps a low profile."

"From where?"

"This is an old man who has always been with General Li. He seems to be a distant relative of General Li. General Li has been keeping him by his side since before he became rich."

"Hmm..." Chu Zhiyuan murmured: "Its origin is mysterious."

Liang Guanjie grinned and said with a wry smile: "My Lord, I really couldn't find out."

Most people rarely pay attention to this clerk, and know nothing about anything when asked, but there is no way for me not to know about it.

(End of this chapter)