bookrandom Chapter 71 The City of Evil
Chapter 71 The City of Evil
After Ma San was arrested, he immediately revealed the names and whereabouts of the other three people.
The Shence Army then marched straight into the inn and captured all three men.
“Your Highness, according to Ma San and others, the Third Prince Qin Zhen not only sent spies to poison us, but also collected some information about Beining City.”
"At the same time, they also tried to infiltrate the Tiangong Workshop to steal more secrets, but they were unsuccessful because the guards there were too tight."
An hour later, Zhuge Xuan reported the results of the interrogation.
Qin Xuan frowned slightly. He had long suspected that there were spies hiding in Beicheng, and he was certain that it wasn't just Qin Zhen's people.
As Beining City developed, foreign countries such as Goryeo, Liaodong, Khitan, and Jurchen naturally sent their own spies to investigate everything about Beining City.
Since no poisoning incident had occurred before, Qin Xuan turned a blind eye to avoid causing a disturbance.
After all, the most crucial thing for Beining City right now is to boost its economy, so that it can have a true foundation for its nation-building.
"Continue to strengthen patrols within the city, and conduct the search for spies in the shadows, without disrupting normal order."
Qin Xuan gave the order, then picked up the interrogation record and carefully reviewed it again.
The confession above is written very clearly, including who the six people who failed to infiltrate the Northern Wilderness were and what their respective tasks were.
But as he looked at it, Qin Xuan suddenly frowned.
The next second, his expression changed, and he suddenly stood up.
Of the four testimonies, three mentioned the same place—the Wan Hua Lou (Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion).
"No, Ma San's trip to Wan Hua Lou was definitely not accidental; it must be their base."
Qin Xuan pondered for a moment, then called over the monkey: "There's something I need you to do for me..."
Late at night, the Wanhua Tower, which was usually packed with guests, closed early due to the surprise attack by the Shence Army.
Liu Hongmei, the madam of Wanhualou, went up to the fourth floor alone and entered a secluded private room.
Inside the room, a man with a sinister face sat at the table with a cold expression. Upon seeing her enter, he stood up and berated her:
"That idiot Ma San actually got caught at the brothel, how do you guys usually carry out your missions?"
“Chief, Ma San has always been domineering. I was only responsible for using Wan Hua Lou as a rendezvous point and had no authority to command him, which is why things went wrong.”
"Fortunately, the Shence Army didn't know that Wanhualou was our base, so they left immediately after capturing the people."
Liu Hongmei was in her early forties, petite and delicate, and usually always had a charming smile, but at this moment she was pale and answered nervously.
"I received a secret letter from His Highness yesterday, urging us to find out the secret formula for honeycomb briquettes as soon as possible. How is the progress now?"
The leader snorted coldly, knowing that he couldn't be too harsh on the other party, and then asked about other matters.
The honeycomb briquette naturally refers to the coal briquettes invented by Qin Xuan, but clearly Liu Hongmei's side has made no progress and can only say dryly:
"The Tiangong Workshop is now under the tight control of the Shence Army. All the craftsmen live and eat within the workshop area, and even their families have been taken away to live separately. I am incompetent and have no way to infiltrate it."
Liu Hongmei said with a bitter expression.
"No matter how tight the guard is, there will always be loopholes. There is no room for discussion on this matter; it must be completed before the end of the month."
The leader gave a death order, and although Liu Hongmei wanted to object, she could only lower her head and obey when she saw the other party's grim expression.
“Hongmei, I know you have resentment in your heart, but you must understand that you and your family are now being taken care of by His Highness’s people. You don’t want to see anything happen to them, do you?”
"Before I came, I heard that your only son is about to take the imperial examination. If you can complete the task successfully, I believe His Highness the Third Prince will give him a chance."
The leader used both threats and inducements, and Liu Hongmei trembled with fear, immediately kneeling down and saying:
"Please rest assured, Chief, Hongmei will definitely complete the mission. I only beg you, Chief, to consider my hard work and dedication, please don't harm my Lin'er."
"Don't worry, as long as you are obedient enough, you will only be rich and powerful."
The leader smiled faintly and said, "By the way, you must have heard about the matter of the Confucian Sage. Qin Xuan is now being scorned by the Confucian Sage. Try to spread this news throughout Beining City."
"Is this also His Highness's decree?"
Liu Hongmei was puzzled and asked.
"His Highness does not want to see a single day of peace in Beining City. Do exactly as he instructs."
"Yes, Hongmei understands."
Liu Hongmei nodded, not daring to ask any more questions.
The two plotted in the side room for a long time before the leader quietly left.
But what no one noticed was that shortly after the two left, a dark shadow suddenly swept past the window and disappeared without a trace.
The next day, just as Qin Xuan arrived at the Tiangong Workshop to inspect the petri dishes and other glass equipment, Zhuge Xuan rushed over to report.
The Jurchen Grand Preceptor Gurna, who left a few days ago, has returned and brought news that the Jurchen Emperor has agreed to Qin Xuan's conditions, agreeing to exchange refined salt for warhorses.
As for cement, the Jurchen state also intends to purchase it, but the price still needs further negotiation.
Qin Xuan had anticipated this, and said calmly, "Try to exchange for their warhorses, cattle and sheep. If that's not possible, then trade with silver. Remember, only silver, not gold."
In this era, silver was a true hard currency, and national treasury revenues were calculated in silver.
Although gold is rarer and more expensive, most ordinary people may never see it in their lifetime.
"Wei Chen understands."
Zhuge Xuan nodded immediately, and then said, "Your Highness, Gulna also brought a message this time, which is about the Great Qi."
"tell me the story."
Qin Xuan said calmly.
"The Great Qi court is deliberately spreading rumors, using the story of the Confucian sage denouncing Qingshan Academy to portray my Beining City as a city of utter evil, and even targeting Your Highness..."
"Go on."
Qin Xuan remained calm.
"They said you were disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust, and that you were not qualified to go to Shanhaiguan. This led to a large number of scholars cursing you and saying that literature would die out in Beining City."
The phrase "文绝于北宁城" means that no scholars are allowed to come to Beining City.
Qin Xuan couldn't help but scoff: "The Great Qi court is far too naive. Do they think they can control scholars?"
"If they really have the ability to prevent a single scholar from entering my Beining City, then I, Qin Xuan, will have to think more highly of them."
"That being said, Beining City has been slandered in such a way that we are powerless to refute it. In the long run, this will still be detrimental to Beining City's ability to attract and retain talent."
Zhuge Xuan said with concern.
Scholars value their reputation and character above all else. If Qin Xuan, as the lord of a city, cannot rectify himself, Zhuge Xuan's worries will become a reality.
"Strategist, do not panic. I only need one plan to make all the scholars in the world obediently come to my Beining City."
As early as when the incident involving the Confucian sage occurred, Qin Xuan had already made a grand vow in his heart to bring all the scholars in the world to Beining City.
However, a series of events occurred in between, which prevented him from having the time to deal with the matter.
"Your Highness, what brilliant plan do you have?"
Zhuge Xuan knew that Qin Xuan never spoke without reason, so he couldn't help but ask.