# 86. A Mature Double-Agent
*Dismiss your attendants* Upon hearing this, Nangong Qianrous eyebrows shot up his forehead, and that gaze he had upon Xu Qian was instantly filled with enmity.
He was a gold gong, how dare a re bronze gong order him to be dismissed?
Wei Yuans expression froze for a short while, before nodding gently, You two leave for now. Yang Yan, you two supervise each other, make sure no one eavesdrops.
Nangong Qianrous gazed deeply at Xu Qian.
This small insignificant bronze gong had only been a Nightwatcher for a few days, and yet he commonly gets Fathers reception, and for the purpose of talking with him, Father would even now send away himself and Yang Yan.
This made Nangong Qianrou very unhappy.
*Clearly I ca first.*
The two gold gongs left the Tower of Noble Spirit. Nangong Qianrou, with a face on par with Xu Xinnian laughed coldly, A great gold gong, to be surpassed by a re bronze gong under your command. Clearly he has no consideration for you.
Yang Yan remained silent.
Nangong Qianrou said unhappily, Im trying to provoke you, you gotta give so face here.
Yang Yans statue like face maintained its stoic expression, saying lightly, You know clearly what his aptitude is like. Duke Wei wants to raise him, you also know that.
But the fact that he doesnt look up to you is true.
Do you think I care? Yang Yan asked back.
Nangong Qianrou rolled his eyes, in a feminine and graceful manner, saying in annoyance, Yes yes, after all hes your soldier, theres still a relationship there.
Yang Yan nodded.
Nangong Qianrou imdiately turned and left, laughing maliciously, Youre boring. Im going to find my toys to play with.
He was headed towards the prison.
The tea room, the seventh floor of the Tower of Noble Spirit.
Xu Qian said, Your subordinate has information about the Pingyuan Earls case to report.
Wei Yuan replied solemnly, The Heaven and Earth Society?
This was very easy to deduce; if Xu Qian rely had a lead on the Earl Pingyuans case, then he would report to his silver gong, or even gold gong, but not directly to him.
Pertaining to the Heaven and Earth Society however, the two of them had an unspoken agreent.
Xu Qian said, The one who killed the Earl Pingyuan was Number Six.
Wei Yuan was silent for a mont, asking For what motive?
Sixs sect brother was kidnapped by a trafficker, his status unknown. Six followed the vine, and managed to lock onto the Earl Pingyuan Xu Qian told Wei Yuan everything, including how he helped Six escape, and hide under the gazes of the Sitianjian.
The only thing he hid was about the Confucianist book, changing it to a gift from his brother.
Smack!
Wei Yuan swept his sleeve across the tea table, as porcelain crashed to the ground. His expression was no longer kindly, his gaze was sharp as a knife.
Xu Qian, to aid a perpetrator, is to bear the sa cri. Wei Yuan barked.
A strong pressure ca down on him, as Xu Qian for a mont felt as if he was facing a hurricane.
Your subordinate knows his cri! Xu Qian imdiately admitted guilt, saying loudly, Your subordinate knows his cri is heavy, and worried for a night and day, but finally unable to overco the condemnation of his good heart, your subordinate decided to co to Duke Wei to admit everything. Whether to kill or exile , is your choice to make. However, your subordinates good heart, was not there for that damned Earl Pingyuan, but rather for my own sha in betraying your trust
Wei Yuan was expressionless, his face frozen in frost.
Your subordinate was talking to his colleagues today, and knew that His Majesty is putting bla upon Duke Wei, the many officials at court are trying to use this to push you form your position Xu Qians expression was sincere, Your subordinate thought again of how Duke Weis kindness to was like a mountain
Wei Yuans expression lted slightly, as he lightly interrupted, Kindness like a mountain is going a bit far just say your reason directly.
* No, cmon Boss, why arent you following on with the routine, are you still mingling in Court?* Xu Qians face stiffened.
He paused, forming his words again, The Earl Pingyuan secretly ran a broker organisation, that trafficked people in the capital, gaining massive profits. The traffickers deceived and kidnapped boys and girls, to sell them to the brothels, to the black market factories, to raise into thieves, even to cut off their hands and feet, and stick on a black dogs skin
He repeated Sixs explanation. In his words, he did not hide his hatred towards the Earl Pingyuan.
Wei Yuans gaze fell slightly, as he listened patiently, thinking deeply.
After Xu Qian had finished, with a calm tone he said Pour so tea.
This little detail showed that Wei Yuan had forgiven him.
Xu Qian imdiately started pouring tea, just like in his past life when he was sent to serve the captain.
Wei Yuan drank a mouthful, and after a few seconds of silence, said with shaking head, How much do you know of the Heaven and Earth Society? How much do you understand the Earth Sects Jinlian?
From the investigations by the constabulary, the Earl Pingyuan was indeed behind a human trafficking organisation, but did that Six really just do this for his sect brother, or did he have so other motive?
Perhaps the Earl Pingyuan had intruded on other matters, perhaps the organisation did sothing, and because of it brought death upon themselves, did you think of this?
In the ti of the official evaluation, the many demons dance without order. After another four days is the day His Majesty pays respects to his ancestors, so we cannot treat anything lightly.
*Hes teaching how to do things, giving deductions, he really seems to want to develop * Xu Qian was sowhat moved, and so good feelings rose in his heart towards this great eunuch.
*Hes treating as his subordinate, whereas I want to call him daddy, Im far too lowly*
Duke Wei is right. Xu Qian lowered his head.
Wei Yuan grunted, and praised him, No matter what, you did well. Youre dismissed for now, I will send people to investigate this. You continue to lurk in the Heaven and Earth Society; your short-term objective will be to find out who One is.
Your subordinate will try his utmost. Xu Qian said loudly.
Leaving the Tower of Noble Spirit, Xu Qian let out a breath, knowing that he gambled right this ti, and gained Wei Yuans trust.
If he wanted his status to be secure, if he wanted to continue climbing upwards, then he must learn how to fall in line, to hug important legs.
No matter what era, including Xu Qians past life, this never changed.
For a long ti afterwards, he had to constantly gain Wei Yuans appreciation, and his trust.
Xu Qian had prepared and revised for this eting with Wei Yuan; he would not rashly do such a thing.
Firstly, the Nightwatcher Constabulary had a shaless distaste for Earl Pingyuan. Their investigation was half-hearted, and they did not have any imdiate desire for revenge.
Furthermore, he had gained so influence in the Heaven and Earth Society; Two and Four both accepted him sowhat.
Wei Yuan was unlikely to give up on watching the Heaven and Earth Society because of this small matter, and also was unlikely to give up on his intelligent little subordinate.
Finally, what Wei Yuan said was exactly what Xu Qian had thought.
He did not trust 100% Number Six, or the Heaven and Earth Society as a whole. The only person who could deal with a LYB, was a LYB.
So if he were to ever co across any confusion, asking after Wei Yuan was a good move.
Of course, a mature mole must have other sches.
Xu Qian ca to a corner without anyone, pulling out his jade mirror, and writing in:THREE: SIX, Ive received a ssage that the Nightwatchers have gotten grasp of a lead from unknown origins, which may be problematic for you. You should make preparations to leave before they catch up to you.
There was no delay in the ssage sending of the Earth Book. It and its owners had a mysterious connection, such that as soon as a ssage was entered, all the holders would notice.
The Earth Book was a whole, and being unable to private ssage was one of its biggest downsides. Xu Qian had sighed over this more than once.
In the back courtyard of the welfare ho, Six had finished helping treat the black dogs wounds, and was sitting cross-legged and ditating, when his heart suddenly fluttered, and he took out the Earth Book.
Threes ssage was displayed on the mirror surface, making Sixs square -shaped face change colour slightly.[^1]
*The Nightwatchers moved that quick?*
*It had only been a day, and they had already gotten a lead, and could threaten myself, forcing THREE to remind ?*
*Wait, how did THREE know about this?*
The question had just started sprouting in his mind, when he saw the lurking One suddenly break all rules and sent a ssage without being prompted.
ONE: THREE, how do you know whats going on inside the Nightwatchers?
*ONE really cares about this. As expected, anything that intrudes on high levels within the capital, he (or she) would pay exceptional attention.*
Xu Qian did not imdiately respond, rather gathering his words, thinking for a mont, and then writing with his finger:
THREE: How do you think?
He know that the other holders of the Earth Book fragnts were also lurking in the chat, silently reading their conversation. Xu Qian had to give a reasonable, but also explosive reason, to further fulfil his persona.
To prop up his persona.
THREE: The fight for Confucian orthodoxy has gone on for over two centuries, our Academy cannot just sit and wait to be executed.
*What did this an the Cloud Deer Academy had put their own spies inside the Nightwatchers? This is what THREE ans, this is a more than clear hint.*
In that mont, all the Earth Book fragnt holders beca excited.
What a large lon.
One did not respond, falling into a strange silence, such that no one could get any inkling into his (or her) thoughts.
Xu Qian decided to test them a bit, ONE, you can try to find them.
This was both a provocation, and also a test.
If One replied, or really did as he said covertly, then Xu Qian could use this to lock down his (or her) identity.
The Nightwatchers were an office that answered only to the crown, and was also the place Wei Yuan had absolute authority.
Any average power bloc couldnt stick their noses in here. Even if there existed spies from other powers, they would only be at a low level.
And as for those at the low levels, they had no power nor influence to be able to search for other agents.
One was a clever person, and did not care for Xu Qians provocation.
Seeing that no one had spoke after a long while, Six finally entered: SIX: I will pay extra mind these few days. THREE, I owe you again.
THREE: My dear sir does good deeds and upholds justice, and like the bright moon, is an idol that our generation must strive to follow.
SIX: My Benefactor is too kind.
Six replied with the tone of a monk, implying that he his acceptance of Xu Qian had grown far more.
Xu Qian put back his mirror, satisfied, thinking, *Dont be glad too early, this debt will be repaid sooner or later.*
*Ive both gained more trust from Wei Yuan, and also done Six a huge favour, as well as leaving a helpful image within the other mbers of the Heaven and Earth Society, Ive made it big today.*
*Mm, ONE is getting more and more interested about . If they really are one of the higher ups at court, they would definitely start investigating the Cloud Deer Academy But he (or she) wont find anything, hehe, if I were to be more generous, even if he was to find out that Number Three may be Xu Qian, then I could always push Erlang out to carry the pot.*
*Erlang and I are different; Im a person in the civil service, if ONE found out who I am, Id be very passive and timid. Erlang is a teachers pet at the Cloud Deer academy, he has way more confidence than . Furthermore, I dont have any enmity with ONE, so theres not really an issue.*
*Oh Cijiu, your brother really loves you. Returning so of that is only polite.*
Returning to the front hall of Spring Breeze Hall, the squinty-eyed Song Tingfeng, laughing, poked fun at Xu Qian being a freeloading bastard.
Zhu Guangxiao nodded with earnest agreent.
Xu Qian thought for a mont, saying seriously, Today, when I went to the case archives, I found a great secret, that makes tremble even now.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao both were surprised, What secret?
Xu Qian said, Call dad, and Ill tell you.
Song Tingfeng hesitated, Dad.
Xu Qian stared at him, a face full of sincerity, This secret is: Son, youre adopted.
Your nan- beat him up!
As the three were fighting, a silver gong and two bronze gongs crossed the doorway. They were unfamiliar.
Xu Qian, co out with for a mont. That silver gong waved, smiling.
Xu Qian and his two colleagues exchanged looks, going outside with confusion.
That unfamiliar silver gong took him into Spring Breeze Hall, and cleared his throat towards Li Yuchun, who was just reading a dossier,
Mr Li, Im taking this bronze gong you have. From today, hell work under , Ill make a transaction with you.
Hearing this, Li Yuchun exploded.
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[^1]: One of the funnest parts of Chinese is straight up using character shape to describe sothing.
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