The newly assigned Room Heaven-Rank C was spotless. Inside, evergreen firethorn bonsais were arranged, the bedding had been changed to silk, and the table was set with melon seeds, candied fruits, wild dates, and pastries. They even brought two charcoal braziers.

Xiaoman watched Xiaowu and Xiaoliu busy themselves for a while, then pointed at the braziers and said, “One brazier is enough for the room. We won’t pay for the extra one!”

Xiaowu quickly bowed, chuckling awkwardly. “The manager feels extremely apologetic for the fright you all experienced earlier. He specifically instructed me to prepare these as an apology. Not only that, your future room charges are also waived. You may stay as long as you wish.”

Zhang Zheng grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, cracking them open as he wondered, “Doesn’t your inn make money? Why do you only do losing business?”

Xiaowu’s expression soured. “I don’t want to do losing business either. Who knew these Jing Dynasty spies would go crazy?”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred. Leaning against the window frame, holding the whale knife in his arms, he asked casually, “Did you know all along that the madam of Hongxiu Brothel was a Jing Dynasty spy, or did you just find out? Can you tell me?”

Xiaowu hesitated.

Zhang Xia took a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the octagonal table.

Xiaowu quickly waved his hands. “No need, no need! The manager just instructed me to tell you everything I know if you have any questions. No silver needed!”

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia exchanged a glance. Earlier that afternoon, Xiaowu had required silver to share information.

Xiaowu then explained, “This Hongxiu Brothel has always been a den for Jing Dynasty criminals. Merchant caravans from the northern Jing Dynasty would detour through Yinchuan, and when they reached Guyuan, they’d stop at Hongxiu Brothel to rest. While they appeared to be visiting prostitutes, they were actually exchanging intelligence.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “How did you know?”

Xiaowu said proudly, “Come on, guests, when have the secrets of Guyuan ever been able to hide from my Dragon Gate Inn?”

Chen Ji was puzzled. “You only provide a place for information exchange; you don’t participate in the transactions yourselves. Those people buy and sell information without it passing through your hands.”

Xiaowu said mysteriously, “Guests, you might not know this, but beneath the floor of our inn, there’s a large urn buried. Someone sitting inside the urn can clearly hear even the softest conversations in the main hall.”

Chen Ji was familiar with this listening urn technique, which was typically used in the military.

City defenders would bury a large urn, covered with a thin layer of cowhide, beneath the city wall. A soldier sitting inside could hear the sound of horses’ hooves from twenty kilometers away.

Others would bury such urns next to foreign envoys’ quarters, placing a blind person with exceptional hearing inside to record their conversations.

He hadn’t expected the Dragon Gate Inn to have such a device underground, listening in on all the exchanged information.

However, Chen Ji looked at Xiaowu with a complicated expression, his doubt reaching its peak: “Can they really tell me such a secret? I’m just a guest.”

Xiaowu didn’t notice Chen Ji’s expression and continued, “By observing what kind of intelligence guests like to inquire about, we can infer their identity. Merchants buy information for business, but only a few pay attention to border army intelligence. We discreetly keep track of those individuals.”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Who has inquired about military intelligence?”

Xiaowu draped a white cloth over his shoulder, counting on his fingers. “The young apprentice from the Glazed Tile Shop in Nanluo Lane, the manager of Yangji Fur in Duohun Street in Luoshen Lane, and the madam of Hongxiu Brothel… Sir, do you have any other questions? If not, Xiaoliu and I will leave; the manager has given us other instructions.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands. “Thank you. I have no other questions for now.”

Xiaowu and Xiaoliu exited Room Heaven-Rank C, carefully closing the door before exhaling a sigh of relief.

Xiaoliu muttered beside him, “What’s gotten into the manager? He’s just the illegitimate son of a fourth-rank official. Do we really need to fawn over him like this?”

Xiaowu quickly slapped the back of his head. “Just do as you’re told! Do more work and ask fewer questions!”

Inside the room, Chen Ji silently walked to the door, pressing his ear against it to confirm Xiaowu and Xiaoliu had gone downstairs. Only then did he turn back to Zhang Xia and ask, “Do you think they were telling the truth?”

Zhang Xia sat by the octagonal table, still toying with the silver ingot he hadn’t given away. “They don’t seem to have a reason to lie to us… It’s strange how they even told us about the listening urn buried underground. This is a big secret concerning the inn’s reputation. If we were to reveal it, who would come here to buy and sell information? Surely, only the manager and the owner should know about this?”

Zhang Zheng sprawled out on the floor mat, legs crossed. “Earlier, they dragged their feet just to get a basin of hot water, but then they became terrifyingly attentive… Why the sudden change from cold to warm? Do they have an ulterior motive? We need to be careful; let’s not get fleeced by this shady inn!”

Zhang Xia mused, “Do you think it’s possible that Mr. Hu San specifically spoke to the inn, and the manager is showing him respect?”

Zhang Zheng turned onto his side, propping his head with his hand. “But what’s the background of that Mr. San? Why would he help us out of the blue?”

Zhang Xia analyzed seriously, “According to the attendant, Mr. Hu Junyuan, also known as Mr. Hu San, was once a deputy general under General Wentao. Later, he left Guyuan and followed an important figure… A border army deputy general is a fourth-rank official, higher in rank than Officer Chen. What kind of person would be worth abandoning his office to follow?”

Zhang Zheng sat up, his eyes shining with speculation. “Could he have been secretly protecting General Wentao’s orphaned child all these years? Like in storytellers’ tales, where a general entrusts his orphan to a subordinate, who then hides his identity to protect them, displaying unwavering loyalty and devotion?”

Zhang Xia shook his head. “General Wentao never married, so where would an orphan come from?”

Zhang Zheng chuckled, “Who can say for sure? We don’t even know how many illegitimate children our own father might have out there.”

Zhang Xia glared at him. “Don’t tarnish our father’s reputation.”

Zhang Zheng pouted. “Does he even have a reputation to tarnish?”

Zhang Xia thought for a moment. “You’re right.”

Chen Ji: “…”

Xiaoman: “…”

Zhang Xia brought the conversation back. “Regardless, the person Mr. Hu San follows now must be connected to General Wentao. Perhaps if we figure out who this important figure behind him is, we’ll understand why he’s helping Chen Ji.”

Chen Ji hummed in agreement. “In the next few days, I’ll inquire about the local rumors concerning General Wentao…”

Just then, wails, hurried footsteps, and the crash of falling tables and chairs suddenly erupted from the neighboring Hongxiu Brothel, an incessant clamor.

Everyone in the room exchanged glances and gathered by the window.

Chen Ji opened a crack in the window, and the four of them peered out, but they couldn’t see anything.

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the commotion inside Hongxiu Brothel ceased. Xiaowu, Xiaoliu, and other inn attendants then appeared, each carrying a corpse, grumbling as they entered the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, every inn attendant carried a cleaver, covered in blood.

Blood still dripped from the tip of the cleavers. Xiaowu shook the cleaver in his hand, wiped it on his arm, and then instructed, “Xiaoliu, get everyone a bowl of hot soup.”

As he spoke, Xiaowu looked back towards the third floor. Chen Ji quickly pulled everyone back. Immediately afterward, Xiaowu led the attendants, carrying the corpses, and disappeared into the stable.

Zhang Zheng was filled with doubt and alarm, lowering his voice to ask, “Did the Dragon Gate Inn really raid them and wipe out the entire Hongxiu Brothel?”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment. “You all get some rest. I’m going to the Commandery Office.”

It was late night. Inside Guyuan city, no powerful figures were seen coming and going, fighting. Chen Ji galloped on horseback, only dimly seeing continuous braziers burning fiercely on the distant city walls and lines of halberd-wielding border guards patrolling back and forth behind the battlements.

He dismounted in front of the Commandery Office, only to find that the guards had been replaced by the Imperial Forest Army. More than twenty Imperial Forest guards stood with their hands on their long swords, while the border guards were nowhere to be seen.

Chen Ji led his horse closer and called out loudly, “Generals, please convey a message. I have important matters to report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

An Imperial Forest guard stepped forward from the ranks, sneering, “What are you doing here?”

Chen Ji looked, and it was indeed Qi Zhenzhuo on duty.

He cupped his hands and repeated, “General Qi, please help me convey a message. I have important matters to report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

Qi Zhenzhuo arrogantly tilted his head back, the white pheasant tail on his helmet swaying slightly. “What, do you want to trick His Highness into doing things again, then sell His Highness’s information for money? Chen Ji, I advise you: earning this kind of money once is enough. Don’t take everyone for fools.”

Chen Ji calmly lowered his hands. “General Qi, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood me. I truly have a very urgent matter.”

Qi Zhenzhuo impatiently waved his hand. “The Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army is now ten li outside the city. We don’t have time to deal with you. His Highness has already learned that you’ve been selling his information at the Dragon Gate Inn. Officer Chen has ordered that you are not to enter the Commandery Office again. Leave quickly.”

Qi Zhenzhuo continued, “Actually, Officer Chen is also doing this for your own good. The matter of you selling His Royal Highness’s information can be considered serious or minor; whether your head gets chopped off is entirely at His Highness’s discretion. This time, it’s forgiven. If there’s a next time, be careful of your head.”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then swung onto his horse and turned it back.

At this moment, Qi Zhenzhuo’s gaze flickered. “Wait.”

Chen Ji looked back. “Does General Qi have any further instructions?”

Qi Zhenzhuo idly picked his ear with his pinky finger, feigning indifference. “You certainly can’t enter the Commandery Office, but if you have anything urgent, you can tell me, and I’ll report it to His Highness on your behalf.”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment on horseback, then finally said, “The Hongxiu Brothel on Kuqa Street was established by Jing Dynasty villains. It’s a stronghold specifically for relaying intelligence to the Jing Dynasty.”

With that, he turned his horse and left.

Qi Zhenzhuo watched Chen Ji’s receding figure, his eyes bright.

He whispered to the Imperial Forest guards beside him, “You two stay here on duty. I’ll go report this information to His Highness! Remember, this is information I obtained from informants I placed in the markets, not from that Chen Ji kid… Once I’ve earned credit, I will certainly not mistreat any of you.”

The Imperial Forest guards exchanged glances.

Qi Zhenzhuo raised an eyebrow. “What, are you willing to let that kid steal your thunder?”

The Imperial Forest guards quickly cupped their fists. “If His Highness asks, we will definitely say what you’ve instructed.”

Qi Zhenzhuo chuckled and hurried into the Commandery Office.