A Tubo spy had just been caught when her second brother's collusion with the enemy came to light

Erzhuzi almost dropped the manure ladle from his hand.

How did you know?

"He smells of ghee and pine smoke, and the dirt on his shoes is wrong." Yun Shuyue squatted down and pressed her hand against the burly man's wrist through her sleeve.

"There are quite a few foreign merchants in Yi Prefecture City who deal in leather goods, but we rarely get snow here. Who would wear these non-slip boots? And hide a knife inside the boot shaft?"

Lalong stirred.

Yun Shuyue drew a short blade from his boot; the blade was narrow and long, and the edge was dark black.

Erzhuzi stared at the knife, his throat dry. "This... is this?"

"Tie him up and take him back to the Prince's mansion first."

Yun Shuyue handed him the short blade, her voice low, "Don't disturb the neighbors."

They stuffed the person under the manure cart. If anyone asked, they said someone had food poisoning last night and was taken to the Prince's Medical Clinic.

Lalong suddenly opened his eyes.

Those eyes swept over Yun Shuyue, over Erzhuzi, and then landed on the food box by the door.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he braced himself against the ground, trying to use the momentum to get up.

Yun Shuyue was already on guard against him.

He kicked away the stone he had just touched, stuffed the short whistle into his mouth, and the sharp whistle cut through the back alley.

Two veterans from Tailwind Express abandoned their mule cart and rushed into the alley.

Lalong propped himself up, using his shoulders and back to brace himself, and the rope was stretched halfway around his wrist as soon as it was wrapped around his wrist.

He raised his arm, his elbow pointing straight at Yun Shuyue's ribs.

Yun Shuyue stepped aside.

Erzhuzi swung the manure ladle.

"How dare you touch my Miss Yun!"

The wooden handle struck Lalong on the shoulder, causing Lalong to stagger.

Two veterans seized the opportunity to pounce on him, one locking his neck and the other pinning down his legs. Yun Shuyue wrapped the rope around his armpits and tied it into a tight knot.

Lalong wanted to curse, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a mouthful of sour water welled up inside him.

He lay on the ground, vomiting violently.

Erzhuzi stood to the side, carrying a manure ladle.

"You're pretty good at fighting. But you have an upset stomach, so I advise you not to push yourself."

Half an incense stick later, the manure cart drove out from the back alley.

When the back gate of the old Prince's Mansion opened, Uncle Fu first noticed the mud on Erzhuzi's trouser legs, then saw the manure cart, and his face twitched.

"What are you doing now?"

Yun Shuyue jumped out of the car and pointed to the bottom of the car.

"I picked up a Tubo."

The ledger slipped from Uncle Fu's hand into his arm.

Where did you find it?

"Public toilet, ate something unclean, I feel dizzy."

Uncle Fu was silent for a moment, then turned and called into the courtyard, "Quickly go and invite the Prince. Also, tell Madam Shen to bring her medicine chest."

Gu Moran, holding a teacup, stepped across the threshold, a bright red panel appeared before her eyes.

[Name: Lalong ]

[Identity: Spy in Silver City, Tubo ]

[Objective: To ascertain the host's exact location and the Yi Prefecture Army.]

[Traits: Superb physical strength, intelligence unknown.]

Gu Moran's hand, which was holding a teacup, froze in mid-air.

He stared at the words "Intelligence unknown" and read them twice.

Lalong's shoulders were bound by ropes; his complexion was still poor, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

He stared intently at the rumored sickly Prince Yi.

Yun Shuyue stood to the side, holding the short blade in her hand.

"Your Highness, he smells of Tubo and is carrying a poisoned blade. If he hadn't had an upset stomach last night, Erzhuzi and his men wouldn't have been able to subdue him."

Gu Moran placed the teacup on the table.

Where is Erzhuzi?

"Washing the car outside," Uncle Fu replied.

Gu Moran nodded and looked at Lalong.

"Don't let him die here. Clean him up before questioning him."

Shen Ling'er walked in carrying a medicine box. She first looked at Lalong's face, then saw the puddle of acid on the ground.

Pinch your nose.

"He had an upset stomach and was exhausted. He's pretty tough; he's still awake after all this."

Gu Moran raised his hand in greeting.

That would be even better.

" Ling'er, bring me that new bowl of fragrant soup you've been making."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling'er smiled.

Lalong was moved to the woodshed in the backyard.

The window paper was fogged up, and only a small lamp was lit inside.

The rack was nailed to the ground, Lalong's wrists were bound with iron rings, and his ankles were wrapped with hemp rope.

Lin Qingdai stood by the door, her sword still sheathed, but her hand remained on the hilt.

Shen Ling'er came in carrying a celadon bowl.

The soup in the bowl was brownish in color and had a sweet and bitter smell.

Lalong stared at the bowl, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He grew up in Silver City, where he witnessed shamans using medicine and tribal leaders judging people.

The truly terrifying thing isn't on the knife, but in the bowl.

"What's this?"

He spoke the Mandarin dialect of the Great Yan School in a stiff manner, emphasizing each word.

Shen Ling'er placed the bowl on the table, took out a silver spoon, and scooped out a little soup.

"It'll cure your stomach."

Lalong stared at her without replying.

Gu Moran sat in a grand chair, draped in a thick robe, with a half-cup of warm tea beside him.

His complexion wasn't good; he coughed once before looking up at Lalong.

"I've inquired. Last night you ate three bowls of mutton offal, two plates of fruit, and spent half the night in the public toilet. Ling'er is a doctor; if she really wanted to harm you, why wait until now?"

Lalong's eyelids twitched.

Gu Moran is right.

If he wanted to kill someone, he could kill himself with a single stab.

Shen Ling'er said gently, "Whether you drink it or not is up to you. If you don't drink it, the poison in your stomach will churn a couple more times, and you won't even be able to speak clearly later."

Lalong starts with a slight tilt.

Shen Ling'er didn't try to persuade her, and turned around to take the bowl away.

Gu Moran tapped the armrest of the chair with her fingertip.

"If he doesn't want to drink, then so be it. Uncle Fu, bring me paper and pen, and find out where he came from, what he's doing in Yi Prefecture, and who sent him."

"If you can't explain it, just throw it in the cesspool."

Lalong's face twitched.

"I'm taking my medicine."

Uncle Fu brought the bowl back and held it to his lips.

Lalong stared at the soup bowl, his nostrils flaring slightly, and took a small sip first.

The medicine slid down my throat, the sweetness followed by a bitter aftertaste, and the churning pain in my stomach eased a little.

He took another sip.

As I took my third bite, the sound of the wind outside the window drifted into my ears, becoming distant and scattered.

Lalong's shoulders slumped slightly.

Lin Qingdai raised her hand and pressed it on the hilt of the knife, watching the changes in his face.

Gu Moran was not in a hurry.

Shen Ling'er claimed last night that she had created the Datura Powder.

Let's see how it goes and give it a try.

He picked up his teacup, blew away the floating leaves, and waited a moment before speaking, " Silver City is far from Yi Prefecture. You must have suffered a lot on your journey, right?"

Lalong did not answer.

Gu Moran asked again, "On your grasslands, when the snow covers the roads, neither people nor horses can move."

Once the snow melts and the mountain pass opens, it will be easier for carriages and horses to descend the mountain, right?

Lalong's pupils dilated slightly.

His gaze fell on the window paper, and his wrist moved slightly within the iron ring.

The white mist before my eyes gradually transformed into the snow of Silver City, into prayer flags fluttering in the wind, and into the Chisang Chief standing on a high slope, holding a horsewhip in his hand.

"Snow melts..."

Lalong spoke.

"The horses will be able to cross after the snow melts."

Gu Moran put down his teacup.

Who sent you?

Lalong's throat bobbed.

"Leader... Chisang."

What does Chisang want?

"Two Tea Horse Road Cities."

Uncle Fu's pen, which was recording, stopped on the paper, and the ink smudged along the edge of the paper.

Gu Moran leaned back in his chair, his hand resting on his teacup. "He sent you to scout out the roads of Yi Prefecture, just to exchange for two tea-horse cities?"

Lalong shook his head.

We need more people.

"Who?"

Lalong looked up.

His gaze fell on Gu Moran's face, as if he were looking at a cloud of fog that wouldn't dissipate.

" Prince Yi."

Yun Shuyue stood outside the door, her fingers pressing against the door frame.

Gu Moran's expression remained unchanged; she simply raised her hand to signal Uncle Fu to continue taking notes.

Lalong said haltingly, " Chisang said that the Great Yan Emperor had many sons."

You can grab any useless one and still get to exchange cities. But grabbing a favored one is valuable.

Upon hearing this, Gu Moran coughed lightly.

"Your leader has good judgment."

Lin Qingdai turned her head to look.

Gu Moran continued, "Where is the Tubo army?"

Lalong frowned and mumbled a few indistinct place names.

Uncle Fu couldn't understand, so Xie Wanqing was called in temporarily. She took paper and pen and sat down at the table, listening and taking notes.

Gu Moran asked about the mountain pass, about supplies, and about the tribes surrounding Chisang.

Lalong's speech became increasingly incoherent, sometimes interspersed with Tubo, and sometimes repeating "after the snow melts."

Until that sentence.

We've already contacted the people in Anyang.

Gu Moran taken aback.

Anyang?

Second brother's territory.

He rephrased the question.

Why are people from Anyang looking for you?

Lalong's breath hitched for a second.

The iron ring struck the wooden frame with a crisp sound.

"They said that once we get our hands on Tea Horse City, if we can easily kill Gu Moran, they'll make things easier for us when we head north."

ヾﾉ≧∀≦)o

[Thanks to: Evening Breeze for 2 likes, Shen Die for milk tea and flowers for 5, zzz for urging updates, Spring Festival Gala for urging updates, Yun Ge for flowers, and Qingcheng for 1 like]

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