novelSusiti Chapter 61 The Night She Climbed Over the Wall—I Filled in the Date of the Military Deployment
Chapter 61 The Night She Climbed Over the Wall—I Filled in the Date of the Military Deployment
It's past midnight.
The moonlight was faint.
Three hundred paces outside the palace walls. A lane in the west of the city.
The man who had arrived was squatting on the roof.
Two soldiers in white uniforms. They had changed into plain clothes. They didn't have swords at their waists, but short daggers were hidden in their sleeves.
I watched for two nights. But I saw nothing.
The third night. Just past midnight.
Footsteps can be heard at the alley entrance.
Extremely light.
Almost inaudible.
He walked close to the wall. His shadow fell under the eaves, obscuring his entire figure.
The pace is off—stop for a moment after every three steps. Listen. Then continue.
The white-feathered soldier at the front held up two fingers, giving a signal.
The one behind received it. Silently, it flipped over to the other side of the roof ridge, blocking the end of the alley.
The shadow walked to the back wall of Zhou De's house.
I didn't use a VPN.
I went around to the side. A small door. I touched the latch. The door opened.
Zhou De didn't lock the door before he left. He left it for her.
The person went inside.
A very faint sound came from the courtyard. The horse's bit touched the iron ring.
The white-feathered soldiers slid down from the roof and landed on the wall.
Looking through the wall—
The woman was untying the horse's reins. The bundle on the saddle was still there.
No rush to dismantle it. First, straighten the reins. Then bend down to check the horse's hooves.
The movements are swift and efficient. A skilled worker.
The white-feathered soldier's right hand fell to his sleeve. A short dagger was drawn. Silence.
After untying the reins, Zhao straightened up.
Unpack the baggage.
Inside was a set of men's clothing and a straw hat.
A bag of dry rations. Underneath it was an oil paper package.
She opened the oil paper package.
A small porcelain bottle. As long as a finger joint. Stuffed with a cork.
He tucked the porcelain bottle into his bosom.
Changing clothes. Quickly. In less than thirty breaths.
He was dressed in men's clothing. His long hair was tucked under his straw hat.
Leading the horse.
Push open the side door.
There were two people standing outside the door.
Zhao stopped.
One on the left. One on the right. Dressed in plain clothes. Empty-handed. But their positions blocked the doorway.
Zhao took a step back. She reached for her waist with her right hand.
I didn't touch anything.
The dagger tucked into his belt—he left it on the saddle while changing clothes.
There wasn't time to turn back and get it. The person on the left had already moved.
One hand gripped her wrist. The other hand pressed down on her shoulder.
Concise. Precise. Without any unnecessary movements.
The man on the right stepped forward at the same time, took the reins, and casually retrieved the dagger from the saddle.
Zhao did not struggle.
Struggling was useless. The strength these two men used was unlike that of ordinary sentries.
"Hold it down."
Another person arrived at the alley entrance.
Chen Dao.
He wasn't wearing armor. He was dressed in a short gray cloth outfit. A ring-pommel sword hung at his waist.
He walked up to Zhao.
I glanced at it by the moonlight.
Narrow face. High cheekbones. Upward-sloping eyebrows. Just like the one Dark Sentinel drew.
Chen reached out and took the porcelain bottle from her bosom.
I pulled out the cork. I brought it close and smelled it.
He withdrew his hand. He tightened the cork. He tucked the porcelain bottle into his sleeve.
"take away."
Zhao spoke. Her voice was low. She was calm.
"Where to take it?"
Chen did not answer.
Turned around and left.
— Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Imperial Study.
Chen stood before the desk.
A porcelain vase sat on the table. Beside it lay Zhao's discarded women's clothing, a dagger, and an empty bundle.
What's in the bottle?
"It's been tested. It's aconite powder. Ten times more concentrated than Zhou Fu's pill."
Liu Shan's thumb rested on the armrest, but didn't sink into the dent.
"Did she confess?"
"No. Not a single word. They're adamant about not opening their mouths."
"Where is it closed?"
"White Feather Army camp. Cellar. Nobody knows."
Liu Shan nodded.
Take the diagram from the hidden compartment. (Vermilion brush)
Next to Zhao's house, three characters were written: "Intercepted."
The line is pulled down. It connects to Zhou Fu.
The aconite powder in the porcelain bottle was for Zhou Fu to restock.
Zhou De ran away. Zhao was in charge of bringing in the last batch of goods.
She didn't make it.
"Zhou Fu".
"This morning was normal. Serving meals. Mopping the floor. The aconite in the hidden pocket—it's still there."
Liu Shan put down his vermilion brush.
"Didn't he know the Zhao family had been intercepted?"
"I don't know. Zhao and he don't meet directly. The goods went through Liu An. Liu An hasn't received the goods yet."
Liu Shan stood up. He took two steps and stopped at the window.
In the corridor, Xiao Shunzi carried a copper basin and walked past.
A few breaths later, Zhou Fu came over from the other end, carrying a broom.
I crouched down. I started sweeping the steps.
Liu Shan looked at him for three breaths.
"Over with Liu An."
"The official document for the tax review of the Imperial Kitchen arrived yesterday. This morning, three clerks entered the Imperial Kitchen to check the accounts. Liu An accompanied them. They haven't come out all morning."
Liu Shan returned to the table.
He pulled a strip of silk from his sleeve. A line of text.
"Liu An. Arrest him within three days. Charge him with embezzlement. Don't mention espionage. Don't pursue accomplices. Make him think he's only involved in financial matters."
Hand it to Chen Dao.
"Zhou Fu. Keep it. That aconite on his cuff—let him keep it."
Chen accepted the silk ribbon. He didn't leave.
"Your Majesty, the concentration of aconite in that porcelain bottle from the Zhao family is much higher than usual. It's not poisonous."
Liu Shan looked up.
"It's for painting weapons."
The hall was silent for two breaths.
"dagger?"
"I have measured it. The blade of that dagger has old marks, signs of being repeatedly coated with poison."
Liu Shan's thumb finally sank into the dent.
Zhao came to kill someone.
He carried a dagger coated with concentrated aconite. He rode a horse to run. He killed, then ran.
"Your Majesty. She's quite skilled. She landed silently after vaulting over the wall. When my men apprehended her—the angle of her backhand block was clearly practiced."
Chen paused for a moment.
"Not the hands of an embroiderer."
Liu Shan leaned back in his chair.
"Four months in the needle workshop."
Chen didn't ask any more questions.
Four months. Not learning needlework. Learning how to navigate. Which corridor leads to the kitchen. Which door has a shift change. Which corner is unattended.
She left the palace for three years. When she returned, she was no longer the one handling needles.
—In the afternoon. Zhuge Liang arrived.
The third draft of the Northern Expedition strategy. Six pages. The commander of the fourth route has been decided.
Zhuge Liang first looked at the diagram.
Starting from the end of the Zhao family's line, we see that three characters have been intercepted.
The feather fan was put down.
"Several links in the chain have broken."
"Chen San. It's over. Zhao Shi. It's over. Zhou De ran away. Liu An will be removed within three days."
Liu Shan pushed the porcelain vase over.
"Only Zhou Fu remains. One aconite. One person."
Zhuge Liang looked at the porcelain bottle.
"What's the use of keeping him around?"
"He was the last card. The Cao Wei side didn't know that the Zhao family had been intercepted. They didn't know that Zhou De was being watched by Chen Dao's men halfway there."
Liu Shan tapped his finger on the armrest.
"Zhou Fu is still in the palace. The people above think that this connection is still open."
"On the way to the Northern Expedition, they will contact Zhou Fu again. The way they will contact him is through a new lead."
Zhuge Liang picked up his feather fan and fanned himself once.
"His Majesty intends to take an assassin with him on the journey."
"Not leading, but holding hands."
Zhuge Liang's feather fan paused for a moment. Then it moved again.
"I have no objection. But Chen Dao's men must stay close to him and check on him three times a day."
"nature."
Liu Shan closed the diagram. He put it into the hidden compartment. He pressed the cover shut.
I pulled over the third draft of the Northern Expedition strategy. I turned to the last page.
The field for the date of troop deployment is empty.
"Prime Minister."
Zhuge Liang, look over here.
"The thorns around us have been mostly removed. Jiang Wan is keeping an eye on things in Jianwei. Qiao Zhou is keeping the gentry in check in the court."
Liu Shan picked up his pen.
"It's time to fight."
The pen tip landed on the date of the troop deployment.
The seventh year of Jianxing. Spring.
Zhuge Liang stood up.
"I shall return to muster my troops."
Reaching the door. Turning back.
"His Majesty."
"Um."
"If the late emperor were alive, he would be gratified to see this day."
Liu Shan did not respond.
The finger was lifted out of the dent.
The sun was high in the sky outside the window. From the direction of the drill ground in the north of the city, a faint bugle call could be heard.
The new army is training.
Zhuge Liang is gone.
The curtains moved.
The courtesy name of Dong Yun.
"Liu An was summoned for questioning by officials after lunch today. It was discovered that the kitchen had a deficit of 70,000 coins in procurement. Liu An turned ashen-faced and did not utter a single word in defense."
Liu Shan placed the silk strip under the paperweight.
Pick up the third draft of the strategy. Page one.
Five armies. Qishan. Chencang. Xiegu. Jigu.
There are four characters written at the top.
To pacify the Central Plains.
Footsteps passed by the threshold. Light. Zhou Fu.
They're still sweeping the steps.
[End of Chapter]