A seasoned double agent

Upon hearing this, Nangong Qianrou raised an eyebrow and looked at Xu Qi'an with hostility.

He, a high-ranking official, was actually asked to step down by a mere bronze gong.

Wei Yuan's expression paused slightly, then he nodded gently. "You two leave first. Yang Yan, you two keep an eye on each other and don't eavesdrop."

Nangong Qianrou gave Xu Qi'an a deep look.

This little gong had only been a Nightwatchers for a few days, but he was frequently summoned by his adoptive father. In order to talk to him, his adoptive father even sent himself and Yang Yan away.

This made Nangong Qianrou very unhappy.

I was here first.

After the two Golden Gongs left Haoqi Tower, Nangong Qianrou, whose appearance was no less than Xu Erlang's, sneered, "A Golden Gong, actually surpassed by a Bronze Gong under his command. He clearly doesn't take you seriously."

Yang Yan remained silent.

Nangong Qianrou said unhappily, "I'm trying to sow discord, so at least give me some face."

Yang Yan's sculpted face remained expressionless as he calmly said, "You know his aptitude. You also know that Duke Wei wants to cultivate him."

"But it's a fact that he doesn't respect you."

"Do you think I would care?" Yang Yan retorted.

Nangong Qianrou rolled her eyes, exuding charm and affection. She said irritably, "Yes, yes, he was still one of your soldiers; that bond remains."

Yang Yan nodded.

Nangong Qianrou turned and left, a sinister smile on her face. "Boring. Go play with my toys."

He was heading towards the dungeon.

The tea room is on the seventh floor of Haoqi Tower.

Xu Qi'an said, "I have a report on the Pingyuan Earl's case."

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice, "The Heaven and Earth Society?"

This is easy to deduce. If Xu Qi'an simply had clues about the Pingyuan Earl case, he could have reported to his subordinate Silver Gong or even Gold Gong, instead of reporting directly to him.

The two had a tacit understanding regarding the Heaven and Earth Society.

Xu Qi'an said, "The one who killed the Earl of Pingyuan was Number Six of the Heaven and Earth Society."

Wei Yuan remained silent for a moment, then asked, "What's the reason?"

"One of Six's junior brothers was kidnapped by the Ya Zi organization, and his fate is unknown. Following the clues, he tracked down the Count of Pingyuan." Xu Qi'an recounted in detail how he helped Six escape and evade the Bureau of Astronomy's detection.

The story of the great scholar gifting the booklet was omitted, and it was changed to a gift from his cousin, Xu Xinnian.

Bang!

Wei Yuan swept the teacup away with a flick of his sleeve, shattering the porcelain and scattering it all over the floor. His expression was no longer gentle; his pupils were sharp as knives.

"Xu Qi'an, you released a criminal without authorization; you shall be punished as an accomplice," Wei Yuan shouted.

Overwhelmed by immense pressure, Xu Qi'an even had the illusion of facing a storm.

"This humble servant knows his guilt!" Xu Qi'an confessed on the spot, loudly proclaiming, "This humble servant knows his sins are grave, and has been filled with fear for a day and a night. In the end, I could not escape the condemnation of my conscience, so I chose to confess to Duke Wei. Whether to kill or exile him is up to Duke Wei to decide. However, this humble servant's conscience is not directed at that damned Earl of Pingyuan, but rather at feeling ashamed of failing Duke Wei's trust and cultivation."

Wei Yuan's face remained expressionless, as if covered in ice.

"I was chatting with my colleagues today and learned that Duke Wei was reprimanded by His Majesty and that the court officials seized upon this as a pretext to attack him." Xu Qi'an True Intention, "And then I thought of the immense kindness Duke Wei has shown me."

Wei Yuan's expression softened slightly, and he casually interrupted, "To say the debt of gratitude is too much is an overstatement. Just state the reason."

"Wait, boss, why aren't you talking like a normal person? Are you even a government official?" Xu Qi'an's face stiffened.

He paused, then rearranged his words: "The Earl of Pingyuan secretly cultivated a human trafficking organization to sell people in the capital for huge profits. The traffickers abducted children and women, selling them to brothels, illegal workshops, training them to be thieves, and even cutting off their hands and feet and wrapping them in black dog skins."

He repeated the explanation given by number six, making no attempt to conceal his hatred for the Earl of Pingyuan.

Wei Yuan lowered his gaze slightly, listened patiently, and appeared deep in thought.

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, he said calmly, "Pour the tea."

This detail suggests that Wei Yuan has already "forgave" him.

Xu Qi'an immediately poured tea for him, just like he used to serve his superiors at the police station in his past life.

Wei Yuan took a sip of tea, remained silent for a few seconds, then shook his head and said, "How much do you know about the Heaven and Earth Society? How much do you know about the Golden Lotus of the Earth Sect?"

"According to the government's investigation, the Earl of Pingyuan did indeed maintain a network of brokers, but was Number Six truly only acting for his so-called junior brother, and had no other motives?"

"Perhaps the Earl of Pingyuan was involved in other matters, perhaps the Yazi organization did something that brought about his death, have you considered these possibilities?"

"During the Capital Evaluation, chaos reigned, and in four days it will be His Majesty's ancestral worship ceremony. We cannot afford to be careless in any way."

He was teaching me how to do things, analyzing things for me; he genuinely wanted to cultivate me. Xu Qi'an was slightly moved and developed a bit of goodwill towards this powerful eunuch.

He treated me like a subordinate, but I wanted to call him "Dad." I was so despicable.

"Duke Wei's reprimand is correct." Xu Qi'an lowered his head.

Wei Yuan grunted in approval, saying, "Regardless, you've done very well. Go now. I'll have someone investigate this matter. You continue to infiltrate the Heaven and Earth Society; your short-term goal is to find out who number one is."

"This subordinate will do his utmost," Xu Qi'an said loudly.

Leaving Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had made the right gamble and won Wei Yuan's trust.

To secure a stable position and climb the ranks, one must learn to choose sides and curry favor with powerful figures.

It's the same in every era, including Xu Qi'an's previous life.

For a long time to come, he had to constantly work on improving Wei Yuan's favorability and gaining his trust.

Xu Qi'an had planned this frank meeting with Wei Yuan carefully; it wasn't a rash decision.

First of all, the Nightwatchers's office despised people like Pingyuan Bo, so they were not very proactive in investigating the case and did not have a strong desire for "revenge".

Secondly, he gained considerable influence within the Heaven and Earth Society, with Number Two and Number Four showing him considerable respect.

It's highly unlikely that Wei Yuan would abandon his attention to the Heaven and Earth Society or his clever and lovable little brother over such a trivial matter.

Finally, what Wei Yuan said was also Xu Qi'an's thought.

He doesn't fully trust Number Six or the Heaven and Earth Society yet; the only one who can deal with Old Silver Coin is still Old Silver Coin.

So when you're confused, you can't go wrong by asking Wei Yuan.

Of course, a seasoned double agent must have other shady tactics up his sleeve.

Xu Qi'an found a secluded corner where no one was around, took out a small jade mirror, and entered the information:

"Sixth, I've received word that the Nightwatchers has obtained clues of dubious origin, which could be detrimental to you. You need to be prepared and evacuate immediately."

The Earth Book transmits messages without delay; it maintains an inexplicable connection with its owner, but the holder will be aware of the incoming information.

The Earth Book is a unified whole, and its biggest drawback is the inability to communicate privately with others. Xu Qi'an has lamented this more than once.

In the backyard of the health center, Number Six, who had healed the wounds of "Black Dog," sat cross-legged in meditation. Suddenly, he felt a tremor in his heart and took out a fragment of the Earth Book.

The information of number three appeared on the mirror, causing number six's square face to change color slightly.

Are the Nightwatchers that fast?

Just one day later, they uncovered clues that could potentially threaten them, forcing Number Three to step in and warn them?

Wait, how did Number Three find out about this?

Just as his doubts began to arise, he saw that Number One, who was always spying on the screen, surprisingly took the initiative to speak:

[One: Number Three, how did you know the inside information about the Nightwatchers?]

Number One cares a lot about this. Sure enough, whenever it involves matters concerning the top echelons of the capital, he (or she) is particularly concerned.

Xu Qi'an did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment, then used his finger as a pen to input the information:

[Three: What do you think?]

He knew that the other holders of the Earth Book fragments were all spying on him, silently absorbing information. Xu Qi'an had to provide a reasonable and explosive explanation to flesh out his character.

To elevate one's own image.

[Part Three: The debate over Confucian School orthodoxy has lasted for over two hundred years; our academy cannot sit idly by and wait for its demise.]

What does this sentence mean? Did Cloud Deer Academy plant a spy in the Nightwatchers's office? Is that what number three means? This is already a very obvious hint.

The holders of the Earth Book fragments were immediately excited.

What a huge melon!

Number One remained silent, an eerie stillness that made it impossible to discern his/her true thoughts.

Xu Qi'an decided to test the waters. "[Number One, you can try to find him.]"

This is both a provocation and a test.

If Number One responds, or secretly does so, then Xu Qi'an can use this to pinpoint his (or her) identity.

The Nightwatchers were a government office directly under the imperial family, and also the domain of Wei Yuan's absolute authority.

Ordinary forces simply cannot infiltrate this area; even if there were agents planted, they would definitely not be mid- to high-level personnel.

Those at the bottom simply lack the resources and ability to inspect the discs.

Number One was a smart man and ignored Xu Qi'an's provocation.

After a while of silence, Number Six typed: [Six: I'll be extra careful these next few days. Number Three, I owe you another favor.]

[Thirdly: Your chivalrous and righteous conduct is exemplary, and you are a role model for us all.]

[Six: The benefactor is extremely kind.]

The fact that Number Six answered this question as a monk shows that he has an overwhelming sense of identification with Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an put the mirror away with satisfaction, thinking to himself, "Don't be too grateful yet; you'll have to repay the favor sooner or later."

"This not only deepened Wei Yuan's trust in me, but also did Number Six a huge favor, and left me with a helpful image in the hearts of the Heaven and Earth Society members. This is a huge win."

"Hmm, Number One seems to be getting more and more interested in me. If he's really a high-ranking official in the court, he'll definitely find something he (or she) can't find in the Cloud Deer Academy. Hehe, even if we really confirm that Number Three might be Xu Qi'an, I can still push Erlang out to take the blame."

"Erlang and I are different. I am, after all, a member of the imperial court. If Number One discovers my true identity, I will be at a great disadvantage. Erlang is the favored son of the Cloud Deer Academy, and he has more confidence than me. Moreover, he currently has no grudge against Number One, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Cijiu, your elder brother loves you so much, it's only right that you reciprocate in kind."

Back in the side hall of Chunfeng Hall, Song Tingfeng, with his squinty eyes, jokingly called Xu Qi'an a freeloader.

Zhu Guangxiao nodded in agreement.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Today I went to the archives and discovered a huge secret, so much so that I'm still trembling with fear."

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were taken aback. "What secret?"

Xu Qi'an said, "Call me 'Dad' once, and I'll tell you."

Song Tingfeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Dad."

Xu Qi'an stared at him, his expression serious. "The secret is, you're not my biological son."

"Damn it, beat him up!"

As the three were playfully fighting, a silver gong player and two bronze gong players entered through the door. They were unfamiliar faces and did not recognize them.

"Xu Qi'an, come out with us." The silver-gong-wielding man smiled and beckoned.

Xu Qi'an and his two colleagues exchanged glances and followed him out in a daze.

The unfamiliar silver-clad man led him into Chunfeng Hall and coughed at Li Yuchun, who was reviewing files at his desk:

"Lord Li, I'm taking this gong under your command with me. From now on, he'll work for me. We'll settle the matter here."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuchun was furious.

PS: That's all?