Niao Ni
Chapter 92 Wang Qinian's Life
Back when he first entered the Overwatch Council, he was full of vigor, solving cases and arresting criminals. Every corrupt official under his watch had to honestly confess their crimes. Who would have thought he'd end up like a homeless dog one day? He was getting old now, and he had a wife and children to support. Alas...
He walked away listlessly, feeling the few bits of silver in his pocket. He wondered whom he had offended to fall into such a state.
Actually, he knew why he had been dismissed. The cause was simple: he heard that the master's master's master had gone to the Qing Temple incognito to relax, and for some reason, a reckless young man had barged in. It was later discovered that all the palace guards stationed along the street had been knocked unconscious. The palace was furious and launched an investigation, with the Overwatch Council assisting.
This matter originally had little to do with him, but unexpectedly, through street interviews, the Ministry of Internal Affairs discovered that the young man had visited the Overwatch Council before entering the Qing Temple. This was a big deal. With Chen (Chen Pingping) absent from the capital, the Overwatch Council was like a child without a father. Senior officials of the Overwatch Council thought that if the palace suspected the young man was connected to the Council, how could they explain it?
The investigation eventually led to Wang Qinian. Many Overwatch Council officials testified that the young man had grabbed Wang Qinian and talked to him at length after entering the Council. Wang Qinian was bewildered and recounted all his conversations with the young man, only omitting the fact that the other party was a student of Fei (Fei Jie). The Ministry of Internal Affairs found no other issues with Wang Qinian and had to let it go, but they still found a random excuse to kick him out of the Overwatch Council, using him as a scapegoat.
Wang Qinian was pitifully driven out, but he still didn't reveal the young man's identity, because he vaguely understood that the matter wasn't as simple as it seemed. The young man might lack experience and carelessly reveal his identity, but he couldn't do the same. Losing his job was terrible, but offending Fei was even worse, as all Overwatch Council officials knew very well.
"When Old Fei returns, I'll go and complain," Wang Qinian said with a mournful face, his head weakly drooping between his high, sloping shoulders as he walked away.
...
...
"Brother Wang." An official from the First Bureau emerged from a street corner with a full smile, blocking his way.
Wang Qinian looked closely and recognized Mu Tie from the First Bureau. He heard that Mu Tie was currently working on the Ox Lane assassination investigation team. They hadn't spoken much usually, so why was Mu Tie finding time to look for him now? He gave a salute with a suspicious look: "Lord Mu, what business do you have?"
Mu Tie plastered a nearly fawning smile on his face and said softly, "Congratulations, Brother Wang, congratulations."
He had originally thought he could climb onto the high branch of Fan Xian, but he hadn't expected to be making clothes for others. However, seeing that Master Fan had entrusted this matter to him for contact, there would always be a chance to get closer. He was originally a wooden person devoted to official duties, but as he grew older, he had to plan for his future. When he saw Fan Xian's waist tag and recalled a few words he had inadvertently seen when handling a certain case file, he had already recognized that Fan Xian was an extremely thick thigh, so he was so respectful to Wang Qinian, who might be Master Fan's confidant.
However, Mu Tie was always dull, and the flattering smile on his face today seemed a little stiff and not natural enough when he first did this.
Wang Qinian's heart trembled as he looked at the other party's stiff smile, wondering if he was going to be silenced.
----------------------------------------------------
Wang Qinian, still shaken, sat in a secluded room, looking at the handsome young master across from him. Even if he was turned to ashes, he would definitely recognize him, because this was the young man who had caused him to be kicked out of the Overwatch Council. After seeing that waist tag, Wang Qinian knew he had bet correctly. This young master was obviously not only a student of Master Fei, but also had an even more terrifying identity.
Fan Xian really didn't expect this waist tag to have such a powerful effect. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes and begin to recall the years he had spent with Fei Jie. The cripple of the Overwatch Council was the savior he had seen when he was reborn. It was obvious that the Overwatch Council was taking such good care of him for the sake of his mother, so he must make good use of this advantage.
"Did you understand everything I said?" Fan Xian asked, smiling at Wang Qinian. This official was a bit old and had a wife and children, which was exactly what Fan Xian wanted. He had no experience in commanding subordinates, so he had to learn everything in the process. Therefore, he wanted his first confidant to be someone he had met occasionally and who didn't have too much ambition.
"Understood, Master Fan." Wang Qinian smiled, his fingers subconsciously pressing on his belt, where, in addition to a few bits of silver, there were now several silver notes. "No, it should be Lord Fan."
"I've only been in the capital for a short time, so I don't have any capable subordinates, and my teacher isn't in the capital." Fan Xian thought for a moment and said, "I have another confidant named Teng Zijing, but he's currently injured and probably won't recover for several months. When he gets better, I'll arrange for you to meet him."
"Yes." Wang Qinian didn't have any extra words, which was much better than when Fan Xian first entered the Overwatch Council.
"Think of a way to find some manpower." Fan Xian was trying these things for the first time, so he felt a little unfamiliar and had to learn step by step. "Can people like you and me be transferred from the Council?"
Wang Qinian suddenly said uneasily, "Lord, this humble official... actually just resigned from the Council."
Fan Xian was shocked, thinking that he was so unlucky. He asked, "What's the reason for this?"
Wang Qinian mustered his courage and told him about the Overwatch Council's internal investigation and the Qing Temple incident, deliberately saying a few more words about concealing Fan Xian's identity to express his foresight and "premature loyalty."
Fan Xian frowned and asked, "My current position is Director. Can the Director's power help you with this matter?"
"Of course it can." Wang Qinian was overjoyed, realizing that he had followed a person who was destined to be extraordinary in the future. "It just requires some procedures. Lord can issue a warrant to let me first restore my identity in the Overwatch Council, and then return to the Council after a few days."
"Okay, then I'll handle these matters immediately." Fan Xian looked at this half-old man, also wondering in his heart, what use could he be finding such a person as his confidant? He asked gently, "I wonder what Lord Wang is best at?"
"Tracking and concealment." As soon as Wang Qinian mentioned his specialty, his whole spirit became invigorated, and he spoke eloquently. After listening for a long time, Fan Xian realized that he had met a rare person. This Wang Qinian was a lone thief in the northern part of Qing Yu Nian when he was young, who liked to run around between the dozen or so small principalities between Northern Wei and Qing Yu Nian, selling stolen goods from country A to country B, and then selling stolen goods from country B to country C. Because he never revealed the original source of the stolen goods, and because he was naturally good at concealing his whereabouts, he safely did several years of business without capital. It was not until the officials of these small principalities became extremely resentful and joined forces to encircle him that he was unable to use his means and was forced to enter Qing Yu Nian. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered Qing Yu Nian, he ran into Chen Pingping, the head of the Overwatch Council, who was planning the Northern Expedition with the Emperor at that time, and was captured. From then on, he turned from a thief into an official, and he remains so today.
Fan Xian looked into his eyes and said softly, "Si Lili is being escorted back to the capital. Perhaps someone wants to intercept her, or perhaps someone wants to kill her, but no matter which it is, don't worry about it. Just keep an eye on those people and see who they finally contact." He paused, feeling a little embarrassed, and said, "Because you just said that you are best at tracking and concealment, but your martial skills are very poor, so I had to think of such a stupid method."
Wang Qinian replied with a smile, "When I was young, the courtyard wasn't as big as it is now. Zong Zhui and I were the two strongest trackers in the courtyard, but he later followed the Director, and I became a bit lazy and switched to clerical work... But don't worry, Lord, even though I'm old and weak, keeping an eye on a few people shouldn't be a problem."
"I have lawsuits on my hands and can't leave the capital, otherwise I would definitely go and see your skills." Fan Xian laughed. "Old Wang, let's not talk about anything else. Take care of your old life first, that's the most important thing."
After confirming this matter, Fan Xian returned to the Fan residence without stopping. He frowned and had his sister realign his injured shoulder. He prepared some motherwort powder to stop the bleeding and regenerate the muscles, which proved to be very effective. He wouldn't let those doctors touch his wound, partly because he didn't trust their ability to treat poison injuries, and partly because Ruo Ruo's slender, cool, and soft fingers were always more comfortable and lovely than those rough men's bear paws.
Entering the study, looking at the graying Sinan Earl, Fan Xian saluted with some difficulty and said directly, "Father, I need some manpower."
Fan Jian glanced at him and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Where do you want to keep an eye on?"
"The Eldest Princess's villa, the servants' quarters of the Prime Minister's house, the brothels the Crown Prince frequents, the polo field the Second Prince likes to go to... the grape arbor of Prince Jing's mansion?" Fan Xian shrugged. "You know I'm not very professional in these matters, so I need you to support me with some more professional manpower, and then let them make a judgment on how to find the person behind the scenes."
Fan Jian raised his index finger and shook it. "We don't need to be professional. You're right about that. But we need overall planning. A group of professional people, arranged by an inexperienced person, still won't do these things well."
"Please give me some guidance, Father," Fan Xian said sincerely.
Fan Jian glanced at him, then lowered his head and continued reading. "Actually, someone is already keeping an eye on the places you mentioned. I'm just very curious, you haven't been in the capital for long, how do you know about these places?"
Fan Xian smiled, knowing that his father was superficially advising him to be patient, but actually, he had already begun a covert investigation. "It's easy to know some things by chatting with the servants more."
Fan Jian didn't even lift his head, his gaze still fixed on the book. "But you should be prepared, the investigation in the capital probably won't have any results."
Fan Xian frowned.
Fan Jian continued, "It still depends on Si Lili." He paused and said again, "The two female assassins you killed... seem to be disciples and grand-disciples of Sigu Jian of Dongyi City, and I heard that Sigu Jian hasn't been seen in Dongyi City for a long time. Be careful." Fan Xian replied with a distressed expression, "If a Great Grandmaster wholeheartedly dedicates everything to killing someone, who can escape?" Fan Jian nodded. "But you shouldn't be qualified to make him take action, so relax a little. This is just a useful piece of information."
...
...
More than ten days later, outside Cangzhou City, about five hundred miles north of the capital, a group of people was heading south against the morning cold. This group was from the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. After chasing for thousands of miles, they finally captured Si Lili before she could escape Qing Yu Nian. They were going to escort her back to the capital to be tried. The team had been heading south for a long time, and it looked like they would be able to return to the capital in a few more days.
The leading Overwatch Council official passed a bun into the prison car and said, "Eat it."
Si Lili was now haggard, with her long hair scattered and unkempt, and some dirt on her cheeks. If Fan Xian saw her at this moment, he would never have imagined that this was the top courtesan of the capital with whom he had "shared a bed" for a night. Si Lili chewed a few bites of the hard bun, then suddenly raised her face and said with gritted teeth, "Even if you escort me back to the capital, I won't tell you anything."
The official glanced at her, his eyes full of mockery. "Do you think we're escorting you back to the capital to find out something from your mouth? I really don't understand if those colleagues in Northern Qi have nothing to do. They actually let a fool like you stay in the capital."
Si Lili was indeed a spy from Northern Qi, but she usually appeared as a courtesan. She heard mostly flattery or praise. No man would ever coldly scold her for being a fool like this. She said in a trembling voice, "Of course I know you don't want to find out anything from my mouth, because if I say it, the Qing Yu Nian court will probably be in chaos for a while."
The official said sarcastically, "Actually, you had the best option at the beginning. You should have surrendered on the day of the assassination instead of fleeing. That way, you could have accused any official colluding with Northern Qi, which would have been enough to achieve your Northern Qi's goals. But you ran away, which shows that you value your life more than this mission."
Si Lili lowered her head, admitting the fact, her fingers forcefully pinching the hard bun, leaving deep finger marks on it.