Chapter 445

"Li Si!"

The interrogator's voice was flat, but carried invisible pressure. "Where were you at the time of the sheep three days ago? Who were you with?"

"Back... back to the official..."

Li Si swallowed, his voice clearly trembling. "At the time of the sheep... I was in the document room transcribing military reports with my colleagues Wang Wu and Zhao Liu; they... they can testify!"

"Which military report were you transcribing?" the interrogator asked.

"It... it was an ordinary document about the adjustment of Lantian's defense, not confidential..." Li Si argued hurriedly.

"Oh?"

The interrogator picked up a file. "But there is a witness who saw that during the break in transcription, you left the document room alone for about half an incense stick of time and went to the latrine?"

Li Si was stunned, sweat breaking out on his forehead: "Yes... I went to the latrine, I was in a hurry..."

"From the document room to the latrine, it's no more than a hundred steps back and forth, why did it take half an incense stick of time?"

The interrogator pressed step by step. "Who did you meet on the way? What did you say?"

"I... I didn't meet anyone..." Li Si's eyes dodged.

"Slap!"

The interrogator slammed the table. "Li Si! Do you know that concealing and not reporting is equivalent to colluding with the enemy! It's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans!"

Li Si was so scared that he collapsed on the ground, crying: "Official, spare my life! I... I met the young master of the Fu family!

Young Master Fu was admiring flowers in the corridor, and seeing me pass by, he... he asked a few questions about whether the document room was busy...

I only answered that 'there are many military affairs recently, and the transcription is endless,' I really didn't say anything else! Young Master Fu didn't ask about any secrets! Official, please judge!"

In the dark room next door, Si Wushuang's eyes narrowed slightly. Young Master Fu? The Fu family...

Another day later, in Si Wushuang's study.

The trusted secret guard reported in a low voice: "Military Advisor, it's been cleared up.

On the day the plan was finalized, Young Master Fu did indeed enter the palace, using the excuse of sending seasonal fresh fruit to the Prince.

According to the attendant's recollection, he 'accidentally met' the on-duty eunuch Xiao Dezi in the corridor leading to the Military Affairs Department, and the two chatted for a few sentences, but the content is unknown.

The time... was just after the final draft of the plan was sent to the Military Affairs Department for filing."

Si Wushuang tapped the table with his fingers: "What about Xiao Dezi?"

"He has been secretly controlled. This person is stubborn, only saying that Young Master Fu asked if the Prince had been working hard recently, and he replied, 'The Prince and the Military Advisor discuss military affairs day and night, it is very hard,' and there was nothing else."

"Nothing else?"

Si Wushuang sneered. "He appeared where he shouldn't have, asked someone he shouldn't have... Continue to interrogate Xiao Dezi, use heavy punishment! Also, strictly monitor the Fu family to see who they have been in contact with recently!"

And Si Wushuang's actions in Luoyang also attracted Wang Hou's attention, not because of secret reports from spies, but because of the abnormalities perceived in the calm.

Wang Hou had more than one or two spies under his command in Western Liang, it was just that there were very few high-level spies, but there were quite a few among the common people.

But recently, even news from the common people was rarely sent back, which made Wang Hou realize that Western Liang was taking action to root out the eyes and ears of their Ming Army.

Thinking of this, Wang Hou reported it to Jiang Jinshi, and when Jiang Jinshi learned of this news, he immediately worried about the safety of that brother in Western Liang.

"Wang Hou, how do you think we should handle this now?"

Wang Hou responded with a heavy face: "We can't help at all right now, and even contacting them would increase the risk of the other party being exposed, so... the best choice is to do nothing!!"

Jiang Jinshi paced back and forth, thinking with a tightly furrowed brow, because he understood that doing nothing was waiting for the other party to bring about their own destruction; after all, that fox Si Wushuang wouldn't be able to be deceived for too long.

But what could be done to help without leaving a trace?

Seeing this, Wang Hou couldn't help but dissuade him: "My Lord, they were already prepared when they went! We..."

Jiang Jinshi raised his hand to interrupt what Wang Hou was about to say. "I have a way!"

Wang Hou's eyes lit up; if it weren't for the fact that there was no other choice, he wouldn't want to abandon his brother either.

"My Lord, what is the strategy?"

"You do this... then do that... and finally do this..." Jiang Jinshi lowered his voice.

After hearing this, Wang Hou showed a look of joy; he didn't expect that this matter could be operated in this way, so he quickly cupped his hands and retreated.

He had to arrange this matter as soon as possible; the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous the brother in Western Liang would be.

Two days later, Si Wushuang looked at the several different testimonies and monitoring records on the table, his brow furrowed.

The Fu family's suspicion was getting heavier and heavier; their presence in the court was very low, but they were becoming more and more active in private.

Either Young Master Fu went here to seek pleasure, or participated in activities such as poetry gatherings, basically active in gatherings of the middle and upper classes.

The key was that before every defeat, one could see the figures of the Fu family, which forced Si Wushuang to increase his suspicion.

Once suspicion was generated, the charge was established.

However, one point that Si Wushuang couldn't figure out was that except for the daughter Fu Ruyan, all the other clansmen of the Fu family had defected to Western Liang; it could be said that the lives of the entire clan were held in Wei Wenlie's hands. Why did they dare to betray Wei Wenlie?

Even if Jiang Jinshi held some handle, or there was something that could harm the Fu family, it wouldn't be as important as the lives of the entire clan in Western Liang!!

This was what Si Wushuang was most entangled about; the Fu family had the greatest suspicion, but there was no sufficient reason for them to betray.

But... this point was no longer important!

Si Wushuang stood up, preparing to order the arrest of the core figures of the Fu family.

As long as they were tortured, wouldn't the conclusion be there? There was no need to spend time thinking here!

Just as Si Wushuang was about to give the order, the trusted secret guard walked in with a panicked expression to report.

"Report to the official, the mole has been caught!"

Si Wushuang's expression was somewhat dull, clearly not understanding what the situation was now; could it be that the Fu family had revealed their flaws?

The trusted secret guard explained: "Just now, the brothers below caught Master Xuanji going out and leaving a letter in the south of the city."

While speaking, the secret guard took out a small wax ball and a crumpled note from his waist.

"We discovered that he sneaked out late at night and left this in the gap of the stone bricks in the south of the city! After he left, we took it out; inside was this wax ball and this note!"

Si Wushuang snatched it over; there was only a scribbled line on the note: "The eagle has returned to the nest, the wind is calm and the waves are still."

He crushed the wax ball, and inside was a small roll of silk as thin as a cicada's wing, on which was written: "Si suspects Fu, Tu guards Lantian, Mu reinforces."

Si Wushuang laughed out of extreme anger, murderous intent boiling in his eyes. "So it was you! Hiding so deeply! Passing messages under my nose!"

He understood instantly! He had said that the Fu family had come with their whole clan, so how could they betray the Western Liang King like this?

It turned out that the real mole was someone else, and that was Xuanji, who held an important position.

Xuanji had defected to the Western Liang King for a longer time than Si Wushuang, and even when the civil strife in Da Qian had just ended, Xuanji had defected to Wei Wenlie.

Even before Si Wushuang came, Xuanji had always been Wei Wenlie's right-hand man.

The only pity was that Xuanji had no background or backing, and his help to the Western Liang King was limited, so after the major families defected to the Western Liang King, Xuanji's presence became much weaker, only silently handling the work of information delivery.