Nightwatcher

# 359. Spy

“Earlier, when we were drinking tea, I made an observation. The soldiers guarding the cities are especially interested in adult men travelling alone. Not only do they check permits, they also touch their faces.”

“Touched their faces?” The princess consort blinked, then lowered her voice conspiratorially. “To check for disguises?”

*Not entirely dense…* Xu Qi’an nodded. “It’s certainly not you they’re after, since anyone abducted by the barbarians wouldn’t be traveling alone.”

*No wonder he’d insisted on taking a break at the roadside tea stall...* The princess consort realised.

Furthermore, a place like Sanhuang County, near Jiangzhou, typically wouldn’t be targeted by the barbarians. Such stringent inspections seemed unwarranted.

“Furthermore, from this it’s clear that the ‘Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles’ isn’t an exaggeration. Otherwise, the Zhenbei King’s men wouldn’t be so cautious,” Xu Qi’an remarked coldly.

A guilty conscience fears the famed investigator, the illustrious Silver Gong Xu.

The two found an inn in town and requested an upper-tier room. Once the door closed, the princess consort, who had been docile until now, flared up.

“You just want to take advantage of me, like those lecherous men in storybooks, deliberately booking only one room!”

*What storybook are you reading? Let me borrow it for research...* Xu Qi’an smirked. “If you’re willing to take off that bracelet, this official would be delighted to share a night with the esteemed princess consort. As for your current appearance...”

He gestured toward the dressing table by the window and mocked, “Look in the mirror first.”

The princess consort gritted her teeth, glaring at him, before coldly retorting, “Fine. Then tonight, I’ll take the bed, and you can sleep on the floor. If you dare touch me, you’re nothing but a beast.

“Anyway. I’m taking a bath. Please leave.”

After so many days, she did in fact feel much less cautious of Xu Qi’an, knowing that he most likely would not touch herself. However, her haughty personality and habit for arguing made it difficult for her to get along with this Xu Ningyan figure.

“I’m not coming back tonight. Sleep early.” Xu Qi’an waved dismissively and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” The princess consort’s expression shifted slightly.

Though she wouldn’t admit it, this man had provided her with a sense of safety for days now. The sudden prospect of him leaving unsettled her.

“Coming to Sanhuang county, I’m going to find some Sanhuang chicken,” Xu Qi’an replied.

At this, the princess consort’s face lit up. “I’ll go too. I want some.”

“...I’m going to a brothel!” Xu Qi’an snapped.

“...”

The princess consort turned away, sitting on the bed in a huff. She showed him nothing but the back of her head.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

…

Across the street from the inn, Xu Qi’an loitered in a dark alley, keeping an eye on the inn for half an hour. He neither saw suspicious figures trailing them nor noticed the princess consort sneaking out.

*She didn’t escape? Is this princess consort out of her mind?*

Xu Qi’an found this surprising. From his perspective, this was the perfect opportunity to flee—freedom to soar the skies and swim the seas.

To escape from the identity of “princess consort”, and worry no more that she will become “medicine”.

*Hmm, from our interactions, she seems more like a naive, pampered girl—arrogant and wilful but devoid of any worldly cunning.*

*But isn’t life be more important than wealth?*

*The way she speaks of King Huai suggests no love for her so-called husband... On occasion, she even seems lost in thought, melancholy, as if despairing over her inescapable fate... A tragic woman, indeed.*

Under the cover of night, Xu Qi’an roamed the town’s winding streets before stopping at a brothel named “Yayin Building.”

As mentioned in Chapter 21, a brothel’s suffix indicates its class. First- and second-tier establishments use names like “Courtyard”, “Hall”, or “Pavilion”. Lower-tier ones opt for “Building”, “Company”, or “Shop”.

“Yayin Building” was no more than a middle-tier brothel. Yet, in a small town like Sanhuang, it was likely the best available.

Women in colourful dresses stood at the entrance, welcoming guests with laughter and smiles.

The Nightwatchers had a spy here, who worked as a courtesan in the brothel, under the moniker Cai’er.

The Nightwatchers’ network spanned the empire, infiltrating all walks of life. This comprehensive reach ensured intelligence flowed from all corners.

Before leaving the capital, Wei Yuan had given Xu Qi’an a list of contacts, detailing their names, roles, and means of communication in various regions of Chuzhou.

“Ah, welcome, good sir, please come in!”

The moment Xu Qi’an stepped into the hall, a heavily made-up madam greeted him, her sharp eyes assessing him from head to toe. Though plainly dressed, his extraordinary handsomeness stood out.

Most importantly, his bulging coin pouch hinted at wealth—a quality that ensured he was a premium customer.

Despite her warmth, the madam remained cautious. Uncertain of his status, she refrained from overly fawning lest she offend someone important.

Then she noticed Xu Qi’an open his arm slightly.

In brothels, this was a gesture inviting the madam to link arms as a show of intimacy.

*An experienced lecher...* The madam’s painted face broke into a broad smile. As though greeting a long-lost relative, she eagerly took his arm and cooed, “Sir, come this way and have some tea while I fetch some lovely ladies for you...”

“I’m here for Cai'er,” Xu Qi’an interrupted.

“Ah, what unfortunate timing. Cai'er’s with a guest. Would you consider someone else?” the madam replied, her expression unchanging.

“I only want Cai'er,” Xu Qi’an said, tossing her his pouch of silver.

“Uh…”

The madam hesitated briefly before leading him upstairs, inwardly ecstatic. Compared to a pouch of silver, what were rules really?

Such incidents were common. Disputes over courtesans often led to brawls. In the end, the one with deeper pockets or greater influence prevailed.

They stopped outside a room from which the sounds of a man and woman echoed, accompanied by the creaking of a bed.

Xu Qi’an kicked the door open, startling the pair inside. On the bed, a plump middle-aged man loomed over a delicate, alluring woman.

The man’s face twisted in fear at first but quickly contorted with rage as he roared, “Fuck off!”

The woman, however, gazed at the handsome young man at the door, her eyes lighting up with delight.

*Don’t be angry… Alright, fine, it’s understandable for a man to be enraged by this kind of thing.* Xu Qi’an strode forward, adopting the posture of a pampered noble son fighting over a woman. He grabbed the man from the bed and delivered a round of punches.

“Brother, brother, let’s talk this out…”

The man, after taking a few punches and a kick, realized the other’s strength was terrifying and knew he was no match. He quickly begged for mercy and surrendered.

“Get dressed and get out,” Xu Qi’an barked.

The man hurriedly put on his undergarments, grabbed his outer robe and trousers, and fled in a panic.

The madam standing by the doorway cast a questioning look at Cai’er, who was still on the bed. The latter gave a slight shake of her head.

She didn’t recognise this striking young man.

The madam couldn’t be bothered to meddle further. Her face remained adorned with a practiced smile as she said, “I won’t disturb the two of you enjoying your time together. Cai’er, take good care of our guest.”

With that, she shut the door.

Xu Qi’an sat down at the round table, his hearing sharpened as he listened to the madam’s retreating footsteps, then the creaking sound of her descending the wooden stairs…

On the bed, Cai’er sat up, her fair upper body exposed, her face still tinged with a blush. Smiling coquettishly, she said, “Young master, what are you waiting for? This servant has been waiting in bed, getting impatient.”

As she spoke, she examined the handsome stranger.

To her, this was a windfall. The unattractive old man had been replaced by a stunningly handsome youth—what could be better?

After ensuring there were no anomalies in his surroundings, Xu Qi’an fixed his gaze on Cai’er and said leisurely, “Azure Cloak Attendant.”

With just these four words, the woman’s face instantly changed. She scrambled off the bed in a panic, knelt on the floor, and lowered her voice. “A hundred deaths, no regrets.”

*The codeword is correct… The likeness matches as well…* Xu Qi’an nodded and said in a stern tone, “Get dressed. I have questions for you.”

Cai’er quickly shed her coquettish demeanor, picked up her gown from the floor, and slipped it on. Then she donned her undergarments, and in moments, she was fully clothed.

This woman, who outwardly appeared to be a courtesan, was in fact a Nightwatcher informant. Once dressed, she gave a proper salute and looked at Xu Qi’an intently. “Sir, may I see your token?”

“Of course.”

Xu Qi’an retrieved the token uniquely assigned to her, placed it on the table, and revealed his silver badge. The back bore the anti-counterfeiting patterns of the Nightwatchers, while the front was engraved with the character “Xu.”

Cai’er pursed her lips and moved her gaze from the token back to Xu Qi’an. Her expression turned to one of awe as she asked, “Are you… Xu Qi’an, Silver Gong Xu?”

Xu Qi’an smiled faintly. “You know of me?”

“Of course! If I didn’t know about the prodigy of the Constabulary, then my intelligence-gathering skills would be laughable.”

Cai’er’s face lit with excitement as she continued, “I know everything about you—how you’re the Poet Laureate of the Great Feng, unmatched in solving cases. During the Year of the official evaluation, when the capital was in turmoil, it was you who stabilised the situation and brought peace.

“I also know about how you outmatched a Buddhist Arhat in the capital and how you stood alone against tens of thousands of rebels in Yunzhou. Your reputation is unmatched…”

Xu Qi’an’s smile stiffened.

*Damn it, who’s been spreading all this nonsense? It’s already reached the Northern Territories? Among those in the know, this must make me look like a complete joke!*

“Ahem!”

He cleared his throat and said, “Let’s skip the chatter. I need to ask you: how have things been in the Northern Territories recently? Any large-scale wars?”

Cai’er shook her head. “While the barbarians have raided the borders, it’s been small groups of riders looting here and there. If there were a major war, refugees would be fleeing southward, passing through Sanhuang County. I would have heard of it.”

Xu Qi’an nodded. “What about strange occurrences, such as a large-scale disappearance of people?”

Cai’er furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment before replying, “I haven’t gathered any such intelligence… However, now that you mention it, I do recall something peculiar.”

Xu Qi’an raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Some time ago, I entertained a merchant who owns a caravan and travels all over Chuzhou trading goods. He got drunk and complained that Xikou Commandery and its three subordinate counties had been sealed off by soldiers. The official roads were completely blocked.

“He said he made the trip for nothing and lost several hundred taels in feeding his men and horses.”

Xu Qi’an tapped the table with his finger. “Where is Xikou Commandery?”

Cai’er saluted and said, “Please wait a moment.”

She pulled a chest from beneath the bed, opened it, and took out a map from the bottommost layer. Spreading it on the table, she pointed to a spot. “Here is Xikou Commandery.”

Xikou Commandery was located in the far west of Chuzhou, bordering the territories of the Western Regions. Beyond Xikou Commandery lay the domain of the Western Buddhist Kingdoms, hence its name; “Western route”.

Xikou Commandery didn’t share a border with the north.

*War couldn’t have reached there unless the barbarians took a roundabout route, but the Western Buddhist Kingdoms wouldn’t allow them to pass… So why seal off Xikou Commandery?*

A bold conjecture emerged in Xu Qi’an’s mind.

He remained calm, nodding as he asked, “Anything else to add?”

Cai’er replied, “I’m unsure about other regions, but here in Sanhuang County, the defensive measures have been significantly strengthened. Previously, no travel permits were required for passage, but now inspections are extremely strict.”

Xu Qi’an chuckled. “Has this been the case only recently?”

Unexpectedly, Cai’er shook her head. “It’s been like this for a month.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi’an frowned deeply.