He had not expected Li Yunrui to react so strongly.
But on second thought, this concerned her own daughter. Such a strong reaction seemed perfectly normal.
So he changed tack:
"If Wan'er can't take the initiative, why not have Fan Xian call off the engagement himself?"
Li Yunrui steadied her heaving chest and snorted coldly:
"Call it off himself? How could that happen? Wan'er is a commandery princess, a peerless beauty. Marrying her means taking charge of the Imperial Treasury and gaining wealth that reaches the heavens. What man in this world could resist such temptation?"
"Not necessarily." Zhou Cheng tapped his fingers on the tea table. "Some people value power and wealth more than their lives, but there are always some... who don't."
Li Yunrui's expression darkened. Suspecting he was taking a veiled jab at her, she replied impatiently, "I don't believe it!"
Zhou Cheng said, "It all depends on what we do. How can you say it's impossible without even trying?"
Li Yunrui's eyes shifted as she considered this. "If the assassination fails, can you persuade Fan Xian to break off the engagement?"
To her surprise, Zhou Cheng nodded.
"I can give it a try. But I'll need people to investigate Fan Xian thoroughly. I hope you can assign some of your people to me, Aunt."
"So that's what you're really after." Li Yunrui sneered. "Still, if you can get the job done, it's not out of the question!"
She added, "I see it now. Cheng'er, you're not without ambition!
"It's just that Chengze and the Crown Prince have set their sights on the court, while you've set yours on your aunt!"
Zhou Cheng merely smiled without speaking, neither admitting nor denying it.
Convinced she had seen through him, Li Yunrui was about to mock him a little.
Just then, a female palace official's announcement rang out from outside the Bedchamber.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince requests an audience."
"The Crown Prince?"
Li Yunrui frowned, thinking that his timing could not have been worse.
She wanted to use the Crown Prince's connections to enlist the Overwatch Council in assassinating Fan Xian, but she was hardly in a fit state right now.
Letting out a long breath, she decided there was no need to rush and gave a cold command to the woman outside:
"I won't see him. Tell him I'm feeling unwell. We'll speak another day."
The female official acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Zhou Cheng wore the faintest suggestion of a smile.
"The Crown Prince really does care about you, Aunt. As heir apparent, he must have plenty of matters awaiting his attention at the Eastern Palace after the palace banquet.
"Yet he hurried straight here to visit you. Such... commendable filial devotion."
"However devoted he is, he can't compare with your brazen audacity, Cheng'er!" Li Yunrui rolled her eyes at him and held out her hand. "Come, help me get dressed first. I want a bath. I can't move."
Nearly another hour passed before Zhou Cheng tucked the list and token Li Yunrui had given him into his robes and left Guangxin Palace.
As soon as he stepped through the main gate, he saw that the Eastern Palace carriage was still waiting quietly beside the road.
The Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, had been waiting outside for who knew how long. At the sight of him, he immediately jumped out of the carriage.
He wore his usual guileless smile, looking innocent at a glance, like a harmless child.
"Third Brother, I spotted your carriage as soon as I arrived. Did you see Aunt inside? I hear she's unwell. Is it serious?"
Zhou Cheng gave a casual cupped-hand salute. Listening to the negative-emotion notifications sounding in his ears, he replied offhandedly:
"Aunt is feeling unwell, but it's nothing serious. She's resting now."
"Ah?" The Crown Prince looked surprised. "Even though Aunt was unwell, she kept you in the palace for quite some time, Third Brother. Was there something urgent? Is there anything your younger brother can help with?"
Zhou Cheng smiled and patted the Crown Prince's shoulder.
"It's nothing major. Since you're willing to help, I'll be frank.
"Aunt told me someone has been painting portraits of her lately and secretly coming here to ask for her guidance. His status is rather special, so she finds it vexing. She wants to turn him away but can't bring herself to do so. All that pent-up frustration has made her ill.
"I was just worrying about it myself. What ideas could a rough fellow like me possibly have? Since you're so willing, Your Highness, I'll leave this thorny problem to you!"
[Negative emotions from Li Chengqian +999!]
Having said his piece, Zhou Cheng suppressed his laughter and put on an air of immense relief.
Ignoring the Crown Prince's stiff expression, he climbed straight into his own carriage and rode away.
The Crown Prince was left standing there, his face alternating between green and white.
Back at Prince Cheng's Residence, Zhou Cheng immediately summoned Chen Bao.
"Look into a man named Teng Zijing at the Overwatch Council. Find his family and bring them here."
Then he added quietly, "There's no need to be too secretive about it."
Chen Bao understood at once. "As you command!"
Watching Chen Bao leave, Zhou Cheng rubbed his brow.
"It looks like it's time to recruit some people of my own."
A distinguished Eighth Rank expert still having to handle every little task himself-it hardly did justice to his talents.
"Ordinary help is easy to recruit. The real issue is finding reliable eyes and ears..."
Without a reliable intelligence network in the Capital, he would struggle even to track Fan Xian's movements after his arrival. That would greatly diminish the advantage of his foreknowledge.
Li Yunrui's list contained plenty of names, but they were ultimately her pawns. Once he put them to use, every move he made would fall under her scrutiny.
He needed people who belonged entirely to him.
But building a network from scratch would take far too long and require considerable money and time.
And what he lacked most right now was precisely money and time.
The Capital's largest intelligence network belonged to the Overwatch Council, followed by Emperor Qing's network of secret agents and the Censorate.
He could get no foothold in any of them.
Even if he managed to plant informants, his every move would still fall under someone else's scrutiny.
Zhou Cheng thought, I need a ready-made intelligence network that won't cost me money or time...
After a little thought, his eyes lit up.
As it happened, he really did know an intelligence network that met those conditions!
Dusk deepened, and ornate lanterns began to glow.
Music and song filled both banks of the Glazed Crystal River. Pleasure boats skimmed the waves, while the sound of strings and flutes drifted on the breeze over the water.
The reflections of colorful lanterns shattered across the river into countless drifting flecks of light, as though a river of stars had fallen into the mortal world.
Restaurants and brothels stood packed along the banks like scales on a fish and teeth in a comb. Laughter, calls to drink, and the lilting songs of singing girls intertwined into a wash of decadent music.
The Drunken Immortal Residence was the most famous brothel on the Glazed Crystal River. Glazed lanterns hung from its three tiers of upturned eaves, illuminating half the street as brightly as daylight.
Carriages and horses streamed past its entrance. Young noblemen in embroidered finery came and went, and the air was thick with the fragrance of face powder and wine.
Dressed in an indigo brocade robe with a subtle woven pattern, Zhou Cheng held a gold-flecked folding fan with ivory ribs. Disguised as an ordinary wealthy young gentleman, he strolled into the Drunken Immortal Residence with only his guard Chen Quan beside him.
Chapter 8: Si Lili
Since ancient times, nowhere had gathered and circulated information quite like teahouses, restaurants, gambling houses, and brothels.
As the most renowned house of pleasure on the Glazed Crystal River, the Drunken Immortal Residence naturally saw the busiest traffic in intelligence.
Among the names on the list Li Yunrui had given him was an operative planted inside the Drunken Immortal Residence.
But that was not Zhou Cheng's objective on this visit.
The Capital's largest espionage network was, of course, the Overwatch Council.
Its most secretive network, however, belonged neither to the Overwatch Council nor to a public institution such as the Censorate.
In secrecy, caution, and meticulous organization, the Northern Qi Shadow Network ranked first among the Capital's many intelligence networks!
After all, it operated deep within enemy territory. The slightest exposed flaw could spell its destruction. Thus, the Northern Qi Shadow Network was the organization best able to shut out Qing's intelligence networks.
Zhou Cheng's target on this visit was none other than the Northern Qi Shadow Network.
With a snap,
Zhou Cheng closed his ivory-ribbed folding fan and strode straight toward the Drunken Immortal Residence.
He had only just stepped onto the stairs when the attendant greeting guests outside eagerly approached.
"You're here, young master! Please, come inside!"
Beaming, the attendant bowed and led the way.
Working in a place like this had long since honed his eye.
One look at Zhou Cheng's clothing, bearing, the attendant behind him, and even the folding fan he casually toyed with was enough to tell him that this guest was either wealthy or noble.
Such men were often generous spenders. If he served him well and pleased him with a few auspicious words, a casually bestowed tip might exceed an entire month's wages.
Zhou Cheng raised his hand slightly, and Chen Quan immediately understood, passing him a small piece of silver.
Zhou Cheng casually tossed it to the attendant. Catching it, the man lit up with delight, inwardly exclaiming that he had found a lavish spender.
"Thank you for your generosity, my lord!"
The attendant called out his thanks, bending even lower as his manner grew still more attentive.
Inside, the Drunken Immortal Residence was magnificently opulent.
The hall was spacious and brilliantly lit, with marble floors, carved beams, and painted rafters.
Sheer curtains hung throughout, stirring gently in the breeze as a subtle fragrance wafted through the air. At the center stood a carved rosewood stage, where musicians lightly plucked their strings, the notes ringing like pearls and jade.
The guests were all impeccably dressed. Amid lively laughter and conversation, cups crossed over the gaming tallies in a scene of intoxicating luxury, without any of the foul, sordid atmosphere of an ordinary brothel.
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