dognovel Chapter 520 Shadow
Chapter 520 Shadow
"Probably."
Shen Yanzhou walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and spoke in a serious tone.
“The Prince of Rongyang has been running his business for many years and must have cultivated a lot of confidants.”
"Now that he's been arrested, his cronies certainly won't let this go. Burning the granary is just the first step; they might have even bigger moves to come."
Choi Ji-ho clenched his fists, feeling both anxious and angry: "What should we do now? We can't just stand by and watch them cause trouble, can we?"
"I have ordered the guards at all the gates of the capital to be strengthened, and to strictly prohibit the outflow of grain. At the same time, I have ordered people to transfer grain from the surrounding prefectures and counties."
Shen Yanzhou turned around and looked at them.
"But it takes time to transport grain; it will take at least ten days to arrive."
"In these ten days, we must stabilize public morale and find the person codenamed 'Shadow' and his accomplices."
Shi Wanxia thought for a moment and then suddenly spoke up: "I might be able to help. When I was in the Ministry of Works, I knew a lot of people in the city. They are well-informed and might be able to find out where 'Shadow' is."
Cui Zhihao immediately chimed in, "I'll go too! Although I'm not good at martial arts, I'm familiar with the Cui family. Maybe I can find some clues from Cui Mingyuan's relatives."
Shen Yanzhou looked at them, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Alright. Then I'll leave this matter to you."
"However, you must be careful. That 'Shadow' is definitely not easy to deal with. If you get any news, send someone to inform me immediately. Do not act on your own."
"Don't worry, Your Highness."
Shi Wanxia nodded, already having made up her mind—
I'll go to the teahouse in the south of the city first thing tomorrow morning and ask the most well-informed "know-it-all".
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the study, and a servant rushed in, kneeling on the ground: "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Someone from the Cui family has come to report that Madam Cui fainted suddenly because she was so anxious and frightened when she heard that Master Cui had been arrested!"
"what?"
Cui Zhihao suddenly stood up, the intense pain from his wound almost causing him to fall, and Shi Wanxia quickly supported him.
Shen Yanzhou frowned and immediately said, "Quickly, prepare the carriage and send Zhihao back to the Cui residence."
"The physician should also go; he must cure Madam Cui."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Cui Zhihao glanced at him gratefully, then helped Shi Wanxia and hurriedly walked outside.
As he watched their figures disappear into the night, Shen Yanzhou's gaze darkened once more.
He walked up to the map and tapped the character "Shadow" lightly with his finger—who exactly is this "Shadow"? What will he do next?
Meanwhile, the Cui family mansion was already in complete chaos.
Madam Cui lay on the bed, her face pale and her breath weak. Several maids surrounded her, crying anxiously.
Cui Yi stood by the bed, at a loss. When he saw Cui Zhihao and Shi Wanxia enter, tears welled up in his eyes: "An'er! Your mother..."
Cui Zhihao walked quickly to the bedside, took Cui Madam's hand, and felt that it was ice cold.
His heart ached with pain and anxiety, and his voice trembled as he cried out, "Mom! Wake up! I'm alright, Dad's alright too, don't scare me!"
Just then, the physician rushed over and immediately took Madam Cui's pulse.
After a while, he breathed a sigh of relief and said to them, "Madam fainted because of a sudden surge of anger and a lack of blood and energy."
"I will prescribe some medicine for her. After she takes it and rests for a few days, she should be fine."
Cui Zhihao finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately sent someone to fetch the medicine.
Standing to the side, Shi Wanxia watched the worried expressions on the faces of the Cui father and son, and secretly made up her mind—
We must find "Shadow" as soon as possible and prevent any further harm to their family.
Unbeknownst to her, in a dark corner of the capital, a person dressed in a black cloak stood by the window, looking in the direction of the Cui residence, a cold smile playing on their lips.
He held a secret letter in his hand, which read: "The granary has been burned down. The next step is to take action against the Crown Prince's people."
As dawn broke, Shi Wanxia changed into men's clothing, put on a veiled hat, and left the Crown Prince's residence.
She didn't let anyone follow her and walked alone towards the teahouse in the south of the city.
That place was the most well-informed in the capital. Whether it was a major event in the court or a minor matter in the city, as long as you asked "The All-Knowing Scholar," you could find out everything.
The teahouse was already quite full, and the storyteller was recounting tales of the martial arts world. The audience listened with great interest, occasionally bursting into cheers.
Shi Wanxia found a corner to sit down, ordered a pot of tea, and slowly sipped it, while her eyes darted around, searching for the figure of "Bai Xiaosheng".
Not long after, a middle-aged man wearing a gray long gown and holding a folding fan walked in.
He looked refined and cultured, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness. As soon as he entered, many people greeted him: "Master Bai, what's new today?"
Bai Xiaosheng smiled, said nothing, and walked straight toward Shi Wanxia's location.
He sat down opposite her and lowered his voice, saying, "Miss Shi, it's been a long time. You've come to see me this time because of the grain warehouse fire, haven't you?"
Shi Wanxia was stunned for a moment, then smiled—as expected of the all-knowing scholar, nothing could be hidden from him.
She lowered her voice and asked, "I'd like to know, have you ever heard of someone codenamed 'Shadow'?"
Bai Xiaosheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and frowned: "'Shadow'? I've heard this name a few times. It's said that he is the most mysterious subordinate of the Prince of Rongyang. No one has ever seen his true face. All that is known is that he is ruthless and good at acting in secret."
"Do you know where he is now? Or, do you know where he frequents?" Shi Wanxia pressed.
Bai Xiaosheng shook his head, his tone grave: "I don't know. This 'Shadow' is too mysterious, just like his name, he comes and goes without a trace."
"However, I heard that a few days ago someone saw a group of men in black in a dilapidated temple in the north of the city. They seemed to be discussing something. The leader had a very distinctive voice, as if he was deliberately speaking in a high-pitched voice. Nobody knows who he is."
"The dilapidated temple in the north of the city?"
Shi Wanxia's heart skipped a beat—she and Cui Zhihao had met Rongyang King's strategist in the dilapidated temple before, could the leader be "Shadow"?
"Yes."
Bai Xiaosheng nodded. "But you have to be careful. There have been a lot more spies around that dilapidated temple lately. It seems like someone is watching that place."
After thanking Bai Xiaosheng and paying for the tea, Shi Wanxia immediately got up and headed north of the city.
She didn't dare take the main roads, but deliberately chose some alleys to avoid being seen by passersby.
She knew that the "shadow" was definitely watching from the shadows. If he discovered her, not only would she be in danger, but she would also alert the enemy.
Meanwhile, at the Cui residence, Madam Cui had already woken up.
She leaned against the bed, holding Cui Yi's hand, tears still streaming down her face: "Master, yesterday really scared me to death."
"When I heard that you had been arrested, I felt like the sky was falling. Fortunately, you are alright, and An'er is alright too."
Cui Yi patted her hand and sighed, "It's all my fault for making you worry."
"However, we were able to return safely this time thanks to Miss Shi and His Highness the Crown Prince."
“Especially Miss Shi, when An’er was about to commit suicide, she desperately stopped her and confronted the man in black without being afraid at all.”