xymnovel Chapter 56 Eyes from 7 Years Ago—Two Lines, One Chair
Chapter 56 Eyes from 7 Years Ago—Two Lines, One Chair
When Wei Yan's second urgent letter arrived, it was just dawn.
The bamboo tube is thinner than the previous one.
The sealing wax is intact.
There were no bumps or scratches.
They followed Li Hui's secret route—detouring from Hanzhong to Langzhong, changing three horses, and avoiding all official post stations.
Liu Shan pulled out the stopper. The silk strip was narrow. The characters were cramped.
Wei Yan's writing was even more illegible than before.
Written while riding a horse.
"A reply from Fufeng County. Household registration records from the nineteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD). Sun Huan. Original name Sun Du. A native of Maoling, Fufeng. His father was Sun Ke. He joined the army the year before Cao Cao's conquest of Hanzhong and was assigned to Xiahou Yuan's troops."
Liu Shan's thumb left an indentation. Decline.
Keep watching.
"In the twentieth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao withdrew from Hanzhong. The roster of Xiahou Yuan's troops left behind—Sun Du was not listed."
"In the same year, Sun Huan was appointed as the new Chief Clerk of Hanzhong Commandery."
One person. Two names. He disappeared from Xiahou Yuan's military register.
It appeared shortly afterward in the official register of Hanzhong Commandery.
Turn the silk strip over. There are three lines on the back.
"A waiter from Ruichang. We found one. He currently lives in the south of Nanzheng City. He changed his name and makes tofu."
"I sent someone to inquire. This man doesn't know who the owner is. He only knows that someone sends him money every month and tells him to watch the shop. He doesn't have to do anything."
"The man who delivers the silver—he speaks with a Guanzhong accent. He always comes masked."
The last sentence.
"I believe this is not a trading post, but an outpost."
Liu Shan placed the silk strip on the table.
Seven years.
Cao Cao withdrew from Hanzhong. He left one person behind. He changed his name.
He sat in the position of Gongcao (a minor official). He acted as guarantor for six fake shops.
The six shops don't do business. They're solely responsible for keeping watch on people for Cao Wei.
The late emperor spent seven years in Hanzhong. He also kept an eye on these six shops for seven years.
The late emperor has passed away. The shop has closed down. The clerk has fled.
But the net wasn't completely cleaned up.
From wax tubes to calming incense, and then to masked figures and jade pendant fragments.
This line traces its way up from Chaifang in Chengdu—all the way to the Cao Wei dynasty.
Liu Shan retrieved the diagram from the bottom of the hidden compartment. (A red ink brush.)
Next to Sun Huan. Cross out the original question mark. Add four words.
Wei spy. Xiahou faction.
The pen tip moves upward. A masked man. Tranquilizing incense. Zhao Heng. Jianwei.
Were these people remnants after Sun Huan's departure, or were they placed there by Cao Wei?
The silk strip was placed under the paperweight. The illustrated book was confiscated.
The curtains moved.
It was Dong Yun's voice. He came in person.
"Your Majesty. The person in the corridor has been identified."
Liu Shan looked up.
"What's your name?"
"Zhou Fu. Newly appointed to the Inner Palace Service. He entered the palace three months ago. His resume is clean. His guarantor is Liu An, the head of the Imperial Kitchen."
"What is Liu An's background?"
"He entered the palace in the first year of Jianxing. He served for two years. No problem."
Dong Yun paused for a moment.
"But before Zhou Fu entered the palace, he had lived in Jianwei."
It's Jianwei again.
"How long did you stay?"
"Six months. I worked as a shop assistant in a cloth shop. The shop owner's surname was Zhao."
Zhao.
Liu Shan's thumb sank into the dent. It reached the bottom.
"Zhao Heng?"
"It's been investigated. It's not Zhao Heng himself. It's Zhao Heng's cousin, Zhao Ping. He owns three cloth shops in Jianwei."
The line on the graph extends downwards a bit further.
From Zhao Heng to Zhao Ping's Jianwei cloth shop, passing through Zhou Fu's kitchen, the route extended all the way into the palace corridor.
"What has Zhou Fu been doing for the past three months?"
"Serving meals. Sweeping the floor. No unusual behavior. Appearing in the palace corridor at the same time every day."
"Who have you been in contact with?"
"The kitchen staff. And—" Dong Yun lowered his voice. "Xiao Shunzi."
Liu Shan did not move.
"Xiao Shunzi hasn't appeared in the corridor for three days. Was he replaced, or is he hiding on his own?"
"I checked the duty log. Xiao Shunzi was transferred to water the flowers in the Imperial Garden three days ago. The approval slip was signed by Liu An, the head of the kitchen."
Liu An.
The guarantor was Liu An. It was also Liu An who transferred Xiao Shunzi away.
"Liu An—"
"I have already set my sights on it."
Liu Shan pulled a strip of silk from his sleeve and wrote three lines.
First line: Zhou Fu didn't move. Continue to have him serve the food.
Second line: Xiao Shunzi is being transferred back. Tomorrow.
Third line: Liu An. Investigate his dealings with Jianwei. Focus on his finances.
Fold it neatly. Hand it to Dong Yun.
"Handmade. Without the curtains."
Dong Yun accepted it. He didn't leave.
"There's one more thing. Qiao Zhou sent a reply this morning. The Imperial Instructor has received it. He will take office tomorrow."
Liu Shan nodded. He didn't say anything more.
Dong Yun left.
The hall was empty. Liu Shan looked down at the diagrams.
Two lines.
One path leads upwards from Hanzhong—Sun Huan came from Xiahou Yuan's troops, and was connected to Cao Wei's military intelligence department; this connection had been laid seven years earlier.
Another route leads inward from Jianwei—Zhao Heng instructed Zhao Ping to open a cloth shop, from which Zhou Fu emerged. Zhou Fu, through Liu An, entered the kitchen, which connected to the palace corridor.
The two lines haven't intersected yet.
But they're all heading in the same direction. They're all coming for him.
The atlas was retracted into the hidden compartment. The cover was pressed firmly.
Stand up. Push open the door.
In the corridor, Zhou Fu stood in his usual spot, holding a food box.
Liu Shan walked over. This time he didn't bow his head. He glanced at him.
Zhou Fu bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, breakfast is ready."
"Place it in the kitchen. I'll eat in the Imperial Study."
"Yes."
Zhou Fu turned around, carrying the food box. His steps were neither fast nor slow. He walked out of the corridor around the corner and disappeared.
Liu Shan stood still, looking around the corner.
Three months. Appeared every day. Didn't say much. Didn't look much. Didn't get close.
He was heavier than Xiao Shunzi. He was so heavy that it didn't seem like someone who had only been in the palace for three months.
-
Afternoon. A messenger arrives from the Prime Minister's residence. A bamboo tube. Zhuge Liang's calligraphy.
"The third draft of the strategy for the Northern Expedition is complete. It will be presented to Your Majesty for review tomorrow."
Turn it over. One line on the back.
"I have heard that Qiao Zhou has taken office. That is excellent. The hearts of the people of Yizhou can now be at ease."
Liu Shan picked up his brush and wrote a line.
"Prime Minister, there is a matter that must be discussed in person. It concerns the cleanup before the Northern Expedition."
Folded it neatly. Sent it away.
into the night.
The curtains moved. The sound of a hidden scout.
"Your Majesty. One item."
"Qian Dafu didn't leave the inn today. But someone came to the inn."
"Who is it?"
"He spoke with a Guanzhong accent. He dressed like a businessman. He lived next door to Qian Dafu."
Guanzhong accent.
Just like what the waiter at Ruichang Ship Company said after drinking. Just like that masked man who delivers silver to Nanzheng every month.
"What name should I register?"
"Li Shun. He claims to be a horse trader."
Liu Shan pulled a strip of silk from his sleeve. A line of text.
Keep a close eye on him. The moment he meets Qian Dafu is the moment the two paths intersect.
Fold it neatly. Tuck it into the gap in the curtain.
"Give it to Dong Yun."
The curtain was taken away.
Only one bean lamp remained in the hall.
The sound of chiseling stones outside the window has stopped. The road construction site has closed.
Liu Shan sat at his desk. Before him lay the second draft of the Northern Expedition strategy. The fourth route, whose commander's position was left blank, was marked with a circle.
But Liu Shan's attention was not on strategy.
It landed on the strip of silk under the paperweight.
Wei Yan's courtesy name. The last line.
"I believe this is not a trading post, but an outpost."
The outpost was withdrawn. But the personnel weren't completely removed.
Before the Northern Expedition, we must first eliminate the spies hidden around us.
The wick of the bean lamp was shorter than usual.
Liu Shan did not dial the number.
Footsteps passed by outside the threshold. Heavy. Each step was firm.
White Feather Soldiers change shifts.
Chen Dao's people.
Liu Shan lifted his thumb out of the dent.
The wall next door. It's very thin.
Qian Dafu could hear someone with a Guanzhong accent turn over.
Between the two lines—there's just a wall between them.
[End of Chapter]