Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes and answered with a beaming smile, "I have little talent, sir. I just happened to remember."
Seeing the awkwardness between the two, Xiahou Xian spoke up to ease the tension. "All right, Zhongbo, there's no need for modesty. With someone like you here, Chief Clerk Jia has much less to worry about."
Jia Chong said nothing more and continued working with his head down.
Xiahou Xian could not help marveling. No wonder Sima Zhao had relied so heavily on him in history. Leaving everything else aside, the care he put into his work alone made him worth employing.
Xiahou Xian considered Jia Chong's suggestion, then said, "Master Jia, as for sending troops out of the city, I'll give it some more thought. Let's first see what happens at the gates over the next few days."
As he spoke, Xiahou Xian prepared to rise and leave the government offices. Starting that day, he intended to pursue the investigation along two separate tracks.
One was the overt investigation by the Huainan Guard under Wen Qin's command, though he held little hope for it. It was mostly for show.
The second was to secretly assemble an investigative squad similar to the Office of Investigations. It would not consist of government soldiers; he could select some skilled fighters from his household servants and recruit a few more from among the common people.
As long as their numbers stayed within reasonable limits, no one would take it as secretly harboring death sworn warriors. After all, whose household did not conceal a few unregistered people in this era?
He had even settled on a leader. Hadn't Wen Qin foisted a household guard on him just a few days ago?
With these thoughts in mind, Xiahou Xian gave Jia Chong a few instructions and was about to leave.
Suddenly, Wen Qin's voice came from outside the hall.
"Governor!"
Xiahou Xian met Wen Qin's gaze.
Wen Qin wore his trademark smile. "Governor, good news! My men caught a suspicious merchant caravan from the Wu State at the gates."
"A merchant caravan from the Wu State?" Xiahou Xian's brow creased slightly as he pondered this.
If Wu spies were swaggering into the city at a time like this, their thinking was far too simple. As Jia Chong had said, those Wu scoundrels should not be so foolish.
Xiahou Xian asked Wen Qin, "What was suspicious about this caravan?"
Wen Qin said, "Well, merchants from the Wu State have been very scarce lately, but today a group arrived claiming to be from Wu Commandery."
"I immediately had the gate officials thoroughly inspect their goods and travel documents."
"Was anything wrong?" Xiahou asked.
Wen Qin scratched his head. "Not really."
"Then you called them suspicious on what grounds?" Xiahou Xian almost laughed in exasperation.
"Governor, they came from Jiangdong!"
Seeing how righteously Wen Qin spoke, Xiahou Xian could not help rubbing his temples. "Very well. Where are they now?"
"I've detained both the people and their goods at the Huainan Guard camp."
"Fine. Since you've already detained them, bring them here for a look." Xiahou Xian waved a hand.
"Yes, sir," Wen Qin answered, then turned and left.
At that moment, Jia Chong, who had kept his head down without speaking, suddenly said, "We didn't openly spread word that we intended to seal the city, did we?"
"No. Naturally, we leaked it quietly."
After a moment's consideration, Jia Chong turned and said, "If merchants from the Wu State have noticeably declined lately, that means the spies who routinely pose as merchants already know what we're planning here in Huainan."
"Mm..." Xiahou Xian expressed his agreement.
"But genuine merchants might still know nothing about it. They may have simply blundered into our hands."
After hearing Jia Chong out, Xiahou Xian stroked his chin and replied, "That's precisely what I was thinking. Let's have the man brought here for questioning first."
Roughly half an hour later, Wen Qin entered with a gray-haired old man.
"Governor, I've brought him."
The old man looked thoroughly flustered. As soon as he approached, he prostrated himself and knocked his head against the floor. "You must be the governor. This humble commoner does not know why you've had me arrested and brought here."
Xiahou Xian told him to stand and speak. Only then did the old man shakily rise and stand respectfully where he was.
Xiahou Xian asked a few simple questions about his background.
The old man said his surname was Gu and that he came from Wu Commandery in Jiangdong. He had traveled between Guangling, Huainan, and several other places for years.
His family mainly traded in sea salt, Su embroidery, and similar goods.
Xiahou Xian asked further questions about the old man's past experiences. He answered everything he knew, and his every gesture did indeed fit the image of a merchant who spent years on the road.
Xiahou Xian and Jia Chong exchanged a glance. Neither saw anything obviously suspicious about him.
Xiahou Xian turned back and looked Elder Gu squarely in the face. "All right, this was merely a routine inspection. Since nothing is amiss, you may go."
With his back bent, Elder Gu thanked him repeatedly. Just before leaving, he suddenly asked, "Governor, this humble commoner ventures to ask: is this city in Huainan going to be sealed off?"
Xiahou Xian's face immediately darkened. "Who told you that?"
Jia Chong also fixed the old man with a chilling stare.
Somewhat surprised, Elder Gu pointed at the burly, armored man standing nearby. "This officer informed me when I entered the city."
Seeing Elder Gu pointing at him and both Jia Chong and Xiahou Xian staring at him, Wen Qin had no idea what had happened.
"What? Is something wrong?" Wen Qin asked, his round eyes wide and his face blankly innocent.
Jia Chong thought, This stupid pig...
He tells everyone he meets something this confidential?
Xiahou Xian did not answer Wen Qin. Instead, he turned to Elder Gu and said helplessly, "Ah, those are all rumors!"
"Though Wei and Wu are enemies, both states have been quite tolerant toward traveling merchants all these years."
"Rest assured, sir. As long as you do nothing you shouldn't, go ahead and earn whatever money you can."
Elder Gu grew very excited at this. "That's good, that's good!"
After another round of thanks and bows, he finally left the hall.
Afterward, Wen Qin explained that he had merely let it slip while questioning him. Xiahou Xian did not reprimand him, only telling him to be careful with his words and actions in the future.
Once Wen Qin had left, Xiahou Xian asked Jia Chong, "What do you think, Master Jia?"
"Nothing seems amiss for now, but the more watertight someone is, the more it suggests he's hiding secrets." Jia Chong suddenly rose. "I'll keep an eye on him for you and see just whom he intends to contact in Shouchun."
Xiahou Xian nodded. That was exactly what he had in mind.
Shouchun, the Ji Clan Trading House.
"Not bad!" Ji Shao rubbed a small pinch of white crystals between his fingers. "This batch of salt is quite fine."
Ji Shao was the prefectural office's records clerk, as well as the eldest young master of Huainan's Ji Clan Trading House.
"You have a fine eye, Young Master Ji." Elder Gu looked at him delightedly. "I also brought quite a lot of exquisite Wu embroidery this time."
"Oh?" Ji Shao's eyes lit up. "How much?"
"Could the Ji family be planning to take it all?" Elder Gu asked with a sly smile.
"What? Do you look down on our Huainan Ji Clan?"
Ji Shao regarded Elder Gu haughtily, but Elder Gu merely smiled faintly. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Not to blow my own trumpet, but though this Wu embroidery isn't as luxurious as Shu brocade, where in Huainan could you get your hands on Shu brocade?"
"Of course I know that. As for the price, I'll certainly pay what it's worth," Ji Shao said.
Elder Gu rubbed his hands. "Doing business with the Ji family is such a pleasure! Please wait a moment, young master. I'll have my men arrange it right away."
Two hours later, Elder Gu left the Ji Clan Trading House aboard a goods wagon.
Perhaps it was the joy of "returning fully laden" that kept a smile on his face.
After passing along a main street, the wagon turned into another street, made several more turns, and stopped outside another shop.
"A Da, give me that bundle, then drive the wagon back to the posthouse in two hours."
After giving these instructions, Elder Gu led the attendant named A Da into the shop. He then left through a side gate of the residence and followed a cramped path, twisting and turning until he finally stopped before a small alley.
Knock, knock~
Elder Gu knocked softly on the door, and a questioning voice immediately came from inside.
He said softly, "Where does splendid embroidery seek its home? It wins a good man's heart."