Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

That night.

Before the city gates closed, Yuan Shu led a troop of soldiers back into Luoyang from the Tiger Warrior camp outside the city.

"General, if the Grand Tutor finds out that we've returned like this, it might not be good for you."

Ji Ling, who was riding alongside Yuan Shu, whispered a reminder.

Yuan Shu turned around and glared at Ji Ling, saying, "What are you afraid of? I'm not in the city all day. I'm just coming back to stay for one night. What's there to be afraid of?"

"They spend all day in the military camp, without even a bowl of honey water or a decent maid."

“Yuan Ji is doing well, enjoying himself in the city all day long. What’s wrong with me coming back to stay for one night?”

Ji Ling lowered her head sheepishly, not daring to reply.

Before long, Yuan Shu, who had quietly returned to the city, went back to his residence.

Upon returning to his residence, Yuan Shu immediately ordered the cooks to prepare a feast.

inside the hall.

Yuan Shu groaned contentedly after downing a mouthful of fine wine.

"Ah, that feels good..." Yuan Shu leaned back against the maid behind him.

Two young maids reached out and gently massaged Yuan Shu's shoulders.

On the other side, Hongchan knelt beside Yuan Shu and used the wooden spoon in her hand to scoop a spoonful of wine into the wine cup in front of Yuan Shu.

Wearing a red robe and a white gauze over it, Hong Chan placed the wooden spoon aside, then picked up a wine cup and handed it to Yuan Shu.

"If Lord Yuan finds out that the general has returned at night, he will probably blame the general."

"Humph."

Yuan Shu snorted disdainfully, "So what if I came back to enjoy myself?"

Hongchan covered her red lips and chuckled softly, saying, "This servant does wish the General could stay in the manor at all times, but this servant has heard that the Governor of Liangzhou has entered Luoyang..."

Yuan Shu waved his hand, interrupting Hong Chan, and said, "So what if Duan Yu is back? Don't mention him, it annoys me."

"And that illegitimate son..."

Yuan Shu picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, then smashed the cup on the table.

“I am the legitimate son of the Yuan family, and now that illegitimate son is actually riding on my head.”

Yuan Ji is now the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, one of the Nine Ministers, and also the future head of the Yuan family.

Yuan Shao is now the governor of Ji Province.

Only Yuan Shu is now merely a Tiger-like General.

Ironically, he became the one who fared the worst.

"With your talent, General, you will surely be highly valued by Lord Yuan sooner or later. As long as you are willing to work hard, you will definitely become the most outstanding," Hong Chan encouraged softly.

"Hmph, I was the most capable one to begin with. If it weren't for me, how could my uncle have become the Grand Tutor, and how could he have returned to the court?"

Hong Chan, who was pouring wine for Yuan Shu, paused slightly, and her eyes changed subtly.

"I've never heard the general mention this before."

Following Yuan Shu's words, Hong Chan poured him wine while simultaneously leading into the following discussion.

Yuan Shu picked up his wine cup with a smug look on his face and gently swirled it around.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. This is a dispute within the imperial court.”

Hongchan smiled charmingly: "That's for sure. This servant only knows how to serve the general. Of course, I don't understand these important matters of state. But just from hearing about them, I feel that the general is very capable."

“That’s right.” Yuan Shu said with a smug look on his face. “You just need to know that the current state of the world is inextricably linked to me.”

Hongchan silently memorized this sentence.

............

Early the next morning.

Hongchan got up early, changed into the clothes of an ordinary maid, and then went out through the side gate of the back of Yuan Shu's mansion, heading towards the East Market.

After entering a shop selling fabrics and ready-made clothes in the East Market, Hong Chan, who came out again through the back door, had changed into a different outfit.

After wandering around the East Market twice, Hongchan arrived at a paper mill called Pinxuan Pavilion.

This place sells all kinds of stationery, including brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any Liangzhou-grade paper here?"

Hongchan asked after entering the room.

The shopkeeper looked up at Hongchan, who was wearing a black cloak, and then nodded silently.

"Here we have the best white paper from Liangzhou. If you'd like, young lady, you can take a look or try it out."

Hongchan nodded and then asked for a writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

He then began writing on the white paper.

In no time, the paper was covered with strange symbols.

"This one is quite good, shopkeeper," Hongchan said, handing the paper covered with symbols to the shopkeeper.

The middle-aged shopkeeper, who had a scholarly air about him, glanced at the paper, then put it away and placed it on the counter.

"Okay, welcome back, young lady."

After speaking, Hong Chan stopped and turned to leave Pinxuan Pavilion.

The middle-aged man, who had a scholarly air about him, folded the paper covered with symbols and handed it to the cleaning staff to be taken out of Pinxuan Pavilion.

...........

The residence of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei.

In the study, Yuan Ji knelt before Yuan Wei's desk.

In my hand is a roster.

“Uncle, as you previously requested, all the servants who have entered the manor in the past two years have been thoroughly investigated, but…”

Yuan Ji shook his head and said, "Nothing unusual was found, and the interrogation revealed no one connected to Liangzhou."

"but......."

"However, I feel it shouldn't be like this."

Yuan Ji looked down at the crossed-out names on the list.

Within two years.

The reason for choosing within two years is that Duan Yu rose to prominence within those two years.

If Duan Yu had informants within the Yuan family, they must have been those who recently joined the Yuan family.

However, all the servants who entered the Yuan family in the past two years have been screened, and no abnormalities have been found.

"Since we haven't found it, let's leave it at that for now."

Yuan Wei asked, "How is the investigation into the matter of Marquis Shi going? Are there any leads?"

Yuan Ji shook his head again.

"No, but there is something strange, and I don't know if it has anything to do with Marquis Shi."

Yuan Ji said, "On the night that Shi Hou was sent out of the palace, something happened outside Baima Temple. It wasn't a big deal, but it was quite unusual."

"Near the White Horse Temple lived a chivalrous man named Li Hu. On the night that Shi Hou was sent out of the palace, Li Hu and more than a hundred of his men were killed at Li Hu's residence."

"Then Li Hu's mansion was also burned down."

"According to the investigation, this Li Hu was a subordinate of Jian Shuo's uncle, Jian Li, the son of Jian Tu who was killed by Cao Cao."

"I don't know if there's any connection between these things."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them.

"What if."

Yuan Wei said, "Suppose that Marquis Shi was sent out of the palace and then to that man named Li Hu, who do you think kidnapped Marquis Shi?"

Yuan Wei's words were not unfounded.

The morning after Shi Hou Liu Bian was sent out of the palace, while he was giving a lesson to Crown Prince Liu Xie in the Jiade Hall, Jian Shuo rushed into the hall in a panic, saying he had something important to discuss.

Now that I think about it, it's very likely related to this matter.

And coincidentally, it happened on the very night that Duan Yu and He entered the city.

“I think…it is very likely that it is General He Jin.”

Is it He Jin?

Yuan Wei remained silent.

But in my heart, I rejected it.

Although He Jin had been in Luoyang for quite some time, past events have shown that he had no foresight in making any arrangements.

But it was Duan Yu.

The events that occurred outside the West Garden last time gave Yuan Wei a clearer understanding of Duan Yu's methods.

Duan Yu was in Liangzhou, but he made this arrangement in Luoyang.

If it weren't for the fact that the Yuan family had been operating in Luoyang for many years, with a large number of assassins and informants, they wouldn't have even been able to intercept He Lingman's whereabouts that night.

Keep in mind that Duan Yu has only been rising to prominence for two years.

Duan Yu had already begun to implement so many measures in Luoyang within just two years.

This is sufficient proof of Duan Yu's foresight and planning.

He's far superior to someone like He Jin.

Did He Jin have such foresight?

If I had, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state now.

It couldn't be He Jin.

However, Yuan Wei was not sure if it was Duan Yu.

However, one thing is certain: if Liu Bian truly fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, then... I'm afraid Empress Dowager Dong will...

The water in Luoyang... is getting deeper and deeper now.

"Alright, you can go ahead and get busy." Yuan Wei waved his hand.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ji nodded, then stood up, bowed, and left Yuan Wei's study, heading out of the mansion.

As Yuan Ji was walking towards the outside of the mansion, he suddenly encountered the steward who was walking towards Yuan Wei's study.

"Eldest son."

Upon seeing Yuan Ji, the steward bowed respectfully.

Yuan Ji nodded politely and prepared to walk past.

But the steward called out to Yuan Ji.

"Young Master, I suddenly remembered something I wanted to tell you," the steward called out to Yuan Ji.

Ok?

Yuan Ji frowned, turned to the steward, and asked, "What is it?"

"Is that so, young master? Didn't you want a list of servants and maids who would enter the mansion within the next two years?"

Yuan Ji nodded.

"It's like this, I suddenly remembered something. There used to be a maid in the manor, but she later went elsewhere because of some things."

"This maid is named Hongchan. She entered the manor last year and was later taken by Young Master Gonglu," the steward said.

Yuan Ji suddenly raised an eyebrow: "You mean Yuan Shu?"

"Why did he take that maid with him?" Yuan Ji asked.

"Yes...it's probably because that maid...is rather pretty."

The butler lowered his head.

If Yuan Shu hadn't suddenly taken away that maid named Hongchan last year, he definitely would have tried her out first.

He suddenly remembered this last night.

Yuan Ji frowned and nodded: "Okay, I understand. You can go ahead and get busy."

With a casual wave of his sleeve, Yuan Ji walked out of the mansion again.

As Yuan Ji boarded the carriage parked outside, he said to the guard standing beside the carriage, "Go to Gong Lu's residence and bring back a maid named Hong Chan. Go now."

"only."

The guard bowed and nodded in agreement.