Guanshan Muyu

chapter 36

Chen Jingyin had an unexplainable trust in Xia Xun, so she said: “My father keeps a caravan of the Hu people in his estate. They often go to the west on business for him; I have seen them a few times, all from a distance, without speaking to them.”

Xia Xun asked again, “Do you know their names?”

Chen Jingyin nodded.

“They all have long names, some of which I can’t remember, but they are all from the same family, so their surnames are the same.” She paused and said, “Their surnames are all Fumeng.”

Xia Xun’s expression did not change as he thanked her.

“Thank you very much, Miss Chen, and I wish you… a smooth life.”

Chen Jingyin laughed cheerfully.

“Why are you so serious? I’m going to walk around and buy some food for Lord Qi, his tongue is probably bitter from drinking medicine every day!”

She departed with the young man who had accompanied her.

Xia Xun watched their backs, and his hand hidden in the sleeve clutched the bird whistle.

That night, when no one was around, he found a hidden corner and blew the whistle again.

As soon as Xia Xun lowered his hand, the man appeared on the wall, looking down at him from above.

“You remember what I said last time, don’t you? This is your last chance.”

Xia Xun tilted his head to look at him and replied, “I know who you are.”

Fumeng Tancha smiled contemptuously.

“Of course you know, I told you my name myself.”

Xia Xun shook his head.

“It is not just your name, I know that you are a man of Duke Chen.”

Fumeng Tancha froze for a moment, then grinned widely.

He bounced off the wall, swinging his scimitar, and slowly walked up to Xia Xun: “What are you talking about? Qi Yan has more than one enemy. You can’t say I’m one of Duke Chen’s men just because I’m going to kill him.”

Xia Xun continued: “You are Duke Chen’s man, but you want to kill Qi Yan not for Duke Chen.”

Fumeng Tancha shrugged and said indifferently, “Whatever you say.”

Xia Xun said thoughtfully: “You are a merchant hired by Duke Chen, but in reality you are his secret assassin, and over the years, you and your companions have done a lot of dirty work for him. When Qi Yan went to Lingnan, Duke Chen was worried that his jade mine would be exposed, so he sent you to follow him all the way.

“When you arrived in Douzhou, you found out that Qi Yan had met with me and investigated my identity. You found out that my surname was Dong, and you also found out that my brother and I were both ordinary merchants, which is why you said that you knew me from Lingnan.

“Since you followed Qi Yan all the time, you would know that he only stayed in Douzhou for a few days and didn’t even go to Duke Chen’s mine. Even if he was suspicious, he couldn’t have obtained any substantial evidence. The only thing he brought back to the capital was me.”

Xia Xun spoke faster and faster.

“If you had reported this information truthfully to Duke Chen, he would have never tried to kill Qi Yan, after all, assassinating a court official is a serious crime, and he would not choose to do so until he absolutely had to. So I guess you must have lied to him.