In the inner hall of the Situ Mansion, Zha Jie was asking guidance from his new chess-skill master Wang Xuanshu, while Ren Juns Situ Furong and Tongtong were talking intimately on the side. The latters manner was obviously more relaxed than last night, although her eyelids were still slightly red and swollen, she was able to talk and laugh with Ren Jun.

When she saw the two boys came back, Tongtong showed suspicious expression.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud, took off his mask, and said, Without pretending to be a ghost, disguising as a horse, how could we stroll along the Vermillion Boulevard boldly?

Tongtong hurriedly stood up to salute.

Kou Zhong laughed and said, You guys were chatting very amiably.

Ren Jun replied respectfully, This kid and Tongtong Guniang have met twice. The first time was Liu Dashuai [great commander] coming to gather news from Da Xiaojie, and the other time it was this kid went to see Liu Dashuai on Da Xiaojies order. At that time Tongtong Guniang even sent me off for a moment.

Hearing Liu Dashuai being mentioned, Tongtong hung her head low in sorrow again.

Xu Ziling said, Tongtong, come with me, I have something to talk to you.

Tongtong obediently followed Xu Ziling to the study room.

Kou Zhong asked Ren Jun, Where are Song Er Ye and Ba Ye?

Ren Jun replied, They are both in Song Er Yes room. foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Kou Zhong laughed and said, Tongtong cant possibly be inferior to Hu Xiaoxian, right? Now, that is a virtuous good tender wife. Xiao Jun, you need to do your best!

Hanging his head, Ren Jun said, Thank you, Kou Ye for your guidance, this kid also feels this way.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and went to the inner courtyard, thinking that this kid Ren Jun really portrayed Situ Furong with living spirit, living image [idiom: vivid and realistic]. Therefore, every time he admonished Situ Furong as his subordinate, there was some kind of indescribably strange feeling.

Ba Fenghan and Song Shidao were in the small outer hall of the latters bedroom, spreading out the Changan map presented by Li Shimin, studying it. Seeing him back, Ba Fenghan spoke cheerfully, We are studying the East Palaces situation, to see how we could make our move.

Kou Zhong came in and sat down by the table. Exhausting his essence and gathering his spirit, he looked over and studied the section on the Taiji Palace on the map; he said, Found it! Xiuning Gongzhu is in here.

Stretching out his finger, he pointed down to a courtyard of the Taiji Palace next to the East Palaces perimeter wall on the map, and spoke happily, This is the best place to watch the fireworks. If we could climb this small building called Wang You [lit. forgetting worry], we could see it more clearly.

Ba Fenghan and Song Shidao understood. They looked at each other in dismay.

Knitting his brows, Song Shidao said, Is this risk worth taking?

Kou Zhong said, No matter how strict the guards in the imperial palace are, it would be impossible to put every place under surveillance; moreover, massive military force is concentrated in the Palace City and various outposts, the secret tunnel will allow us to avoid this most difficult to cross over defensive perimeter. Last time, the reason why we were discovered was because we were being harmed by Lao Shi; tonight, let us conduct a little experiment by trying to sneak into Ju Bao Dian, relying on Ling Shaos much more advance spirited sense and amazing reaction. The secret tunnel plus Ziling, if we still fail, we might as well smuggle Li Shimin and the family of his subordinates from the treasure-house, and then advise Li Shimin to rely on Luoyang to proclaim his independence, before fighting his way back to Guanzhong. It beats staying here without being able to find a solution waiting for others to sort it out.

Song Shidao nodded and said, Xiao Zhongs remark is not without any reason. Even if you are discovered, relying on your skill, you ought to be able to get away safely.

Ba Fenghan smiled and said, Xiaodi wants to try it myself.

Kou Zhong cast his gaze on the East Palace on the map, he spoke cheerfully, We are better at knowing the terrain. I hope that the East Palaces current situation is not much different from the ones listed on the map!

Xu Ziling entered the hall and sat down, he said, Tongtong said that she will leave everything in our hands to make decision for her, her only hope is that she will be able to put a blade on Zhuge Dewei with her own hands.

Delighted, Kou Zhong asked, Do you want Xiao Jie to take her to Feng Ya Ge?

Xu Ziling replied, She wants to stay here. foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Kou Zhong said. In that case, let her do it.

Ba Fenghan said, We decided to see the situation of the entrance of the firearms storehouse in Ju Bao Dian tonight, let Shaoshuai demonstrates his consummate skill in opening the lock. The success and failure are all tied to Ziling.

Xu Ziling already accepted his misfortune as decreed by fate [i.e. resigned to his fate]; smiling wryly, he said, I have no choice but to exhaust my strength to do it. The only thing I have the least confidence is in how to cross over the high wall separating Taiji Palace and the East Palace, no matter from which point you cross the wall, as long as anybody on the sentry building built along the wall caught a glance of us, our tracks will be immediately exposed.

Song Shidao said, This matter indeed gives us headache. The sentry buildings are illuminated by wind lanterns, and the palace walls are brightly lit even more. If we also take the patrolling vicious dogs into consideration, slight grass stirring in the wind [idiom: the slightest whiff of trouble] might arouse alertness.

Kou Zhong pointed to the northeast corner of Taiji Palace and said, This will be the best position to climb over stealthily, since the garden trees will provide us cover. If we soar into the air from one of the trees, with Lao Ba releasing his power first, and then when we reach the high elevation above the sentry building Xiaodi takes over, to take us ten more zhang across the sky, and finally Ling Shao takes the tail, we could land safely in the East Palace; wont we be able to solve this biggest problem? I hope the guards in the outpost do not have the habit of looking up to watch the sky.

Song Shidao said, Such a method of crossing over the wall is indeed beyond anybodys expectation, we will have a great chance of success.

Kou Zhong said decisively, Well do it this way then.

This moment, a subordinate came to report, Qiao Gongshan was coming to look for them.

Kou Zhong laughed and said, Whether we are going to eat porridge or eat rice, this time it will be entirely up to Ling Shao. Lao Qiao is going to take Xiaodi to appease him. From now on Ling Shao is going to sit in meditation and rest, not thinking about Qingxuan Meiren, not thinking about Shi Xianzi [fairy] even more.

Amidst Xu Ziling laughing and cursing, Kou Zhong left without saying anything.

In the main hall, Qiao Gongshan asked with concern, Was last night all right?

Kou Zhong sat down and said with a laugh, Little thief like Cao San, Xiaodi do not consider him worthy in my eyes. Hey! Isnt Er Daren usually inseparable from you?

Lowering his voice, Qiao Gongshan said, That guy often boasted about how outstanding his skill in bed is, finally the ship capsized in the gutter [idiom: meeting with unexpected failure]. Last night, during the punitive expedition against Chunxiang, he went too far, so this morning he had a splitting headache and was compelled to go home to rest. I even had to cover up for him in front of Taizi [Crown Prince]. foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Kou Zhong was amused inwardly, he said, We are not made of iron after all, Wenjiang does not have the same endurance as much as I do, he went to bed immediately after returning from the palace to continue seeking for good dreams.

As if he was complaining bitterly, Qiao Gongshan said, After Taizi came back, our work doubled, we are terribly busy.

Kou Zhong asked in surprise, In that case, how could Qiao Xiong find the time to come and chat with me?

A crafty look flashed through Qiao Gongshans face, lowering his voice, he said, I wonder if Cai Daren is interested in resolving the Guanzhong Jian Pai disaster? Once the main problem is solved, all troubles are solved.

Here it comes! Kou Zhong cried inwardly; pretending to have his spirit aroused, he said, What exquisite, good plan does Qiao Daren have?

Qiao Gongshan said, As long as you are willing to nod, we will make the arrangements. In this matter, we have Taizi behind us, I guarantee that all the guilt will be borne by Qiu Wensheng, that old fart [again: old but still alive], Duan Zhixuan will not escape disaster either. Taizi has already seen that Qiu Wensheng is not pleasant to the eye, if Cai Laoxiong could exert yourself in this matter, henceforth you will become Taizis man, your future prospect will be unlimited.

Kou Zhong groaned inwardly, but on the surface he had no choice but to agree, pretending to be happy, he said, Qiao Daren is looking after us, brothers this much, we cant thank you enough, how could we possibly oppose it? When will the plan be carried out?

Qiao Gongshan said, Currently Duan Zhixuan is still outside; when he comes back, we will have our foolproof [orig. ten thousand without one failure] arrangements.

And then he asked, When will that fifty thousand taels of gold arrive in Changan? Chi Ye wants to set a big day for raising funds and casting the gold, so that he can open for business as soon as possible.

Kou Zhong replied without thinking, At least eight or ten days; as for the exact day, we still need Furong Yes nod.

After Qiao Gongshan pulled a few words to the east and dragged it to the west some more, he bade farewell and left.

After sending off this pestilence away, Kou Zhong returned to the inner courtyard; on his way, he met Song Shidao. The latter spoke in low voice, Wanwan is here!

After Kou Zhong took his seat, Wanwan swept her gaze over Ba Fenghan and Xu Ziling who were sitting around the table. Her face full of smile, she said, I really want to help you with all my heart, but I still cant resolve their suspicions toward me, Kou Zhong, you come and be the judge. If I really want to ruin your good deeds, as far as Im concerned, it would merely be the exertion of lifting my hand. However, did I do that? foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Protesting his innocence, Xu Ziling said, Its not that we suspect that Wan Dajie is going to harm us, rather, we are unable to figure out why you are willing to help us? By doing this, whats in it for you?

Ba Fenghan smiled and said, Dont tell us that you are walking the way on behalf of Heaven for the benefit of ten thousand people.

Wanwan rolled her eyes at him, and then she covered her mouth in tender laughter and said, Thats actually not too far from the truth.

Kou Zhong said, You are coming to see us, is it because you have good news?

Wanwan regained her usual calm and unhurried, cold and detached demeanor; she spoke indifferently, Quite the opposite. This time I am here to warn you that Yin Zuwen, Yang Xuyan and the others are deploying their troops to deal with Dongming Gongzhu [Princess] in order to cut off Li Shimins supply of weapons. In fact, they have been discontented over Shan Wanjings support for Li Shimin. It was just that there was Zhu Shi on their way that they were extremely restrained in this regard. Now that Zhu Shi had become an immortal [i.e. to die], they no longer have any scruples.

Xu Ziling and the others, none was not shocked.

Ba Fenghan asked in heavy voice, Where did this information come from?

Wanwan said, All I can disclose to you is that I have a spy among Yang WenGans subordinates and trusted aides; other things, I have no comment. Each of Li Yuans three sons has the privilege to purchase weapons, most of Shimins weapons are supplied by the Dongming Pai. A new batch of weapons is in the process of being shipped, Shan Wanjing will personally escort the shipment, which is scheduled to arrive in Changan within ten days. You have to figure out your own way on this, I am just your good friend!

Kou Zhong, three men you looked at me I gazed at you, they were all baffled and had headache. This was called before the first wave subsides, a new wave rises [idiom: a new problem arises before the old is solved]; how could they spare the time to deal with it?

One thing went wrong, it might beat the grass to scare the snake, and spoiled their mission in a big way. However, they could not possibly watch with folded arm even more.

Pfft! Wanwan giggled and said, Looking at your miserable look, how could my heart bear it? Let me give you a hint then! In the operation against Shan Wanjing, Yang WenGan is in charge. These days he is hiding in He Chang Long in the West Market; as soon as he hears a rumor, he will pack his bag and leave before he finishes eating. As for other things, no need for me to teach you!

Xiang Gui and Xiang Yushan, one old, one young, two big muddled-eggs, are they hiding there? Kou Zhong asked in heavy voice. foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Wanwan replied, Xiang Gui, father and son should be in Changan city, but they are not hiding there. If Changan falls into your hands, you can turn Changan over and search it cun by cun, you will be able to find them.

Rising up to her full height, she said, Thats all I have to report, I am leaving!

After Wanwan left, Kou Zhong asked, Wanjings problem, how are we going to deal with?

Xu Ziling said, We only need to inform Li Shimin, he should have a way to solve it easily.

Ba Feng said, Supposing the place Yang WenGan makes his move is outside of Li Shimins sphere of influence, Li Shimin will have the heart but not the strength; why dont we deal with it a bit more thoroughly and take this opportunity to defeat Yang WenGan? It would be best if we could get rid of him first, if we could also destroy the firearms, Li Shimin could then move into the Hong Yi Palace with peace of mind.

Kou Zhongs spirit was greatly aroused, he said, Xuanshu will not want to miss this counterattack operation more than anyone else.

Ba Fenghan said, Leave this matter to me. You guys are in charge of monitoring Yang WenGans activities. Xuanshu and I will immediately rush back to Liangdu, If Shan Gongzhu [Princess] wants to enter Guanzhong, she must take the waterway shortcut from the canal into the Great River, her journey would be completely inside our Shao Shuai Armys territory. Relying on our fleet of flywheel boats, we could make Yang WenGan able to come, unable to leave. If my expectation is not incorrect, the place Yang WenGan is going to make his move should be on the waterway between Kaifeng and Chenliu. That is the section of waterway that is under nobodys control.

Kou Zhong slapped the table and shouted with praise, The most wonderful thing is that Yin Zuwen and the others would suffer in silence and would not dare to make it public, they would have no choice but to obediently swallow this cup of bitter wine. We decide it that way then.

Darkness fell.

Kou Zhong was the first to arrive at the old tree outside the backyard of the Yin Mansion, he waited patiently. A moment later, Xu Ziling arrived and came to his side.

Kou Zhong asked, Hows the situation? Was Shen Meiren willing to let you go?

Stop talking nonsense, Xu Ziling said in displeasure, Meirener Junshi said that she will make appointment with Wei Zheng to come to her house tomorrow afternoon to meet us. Whether it is a blessing or a curse, we will find out tomorrow.

Did Feng Deyi have any good news? Kou Zhong asked.

He is still in the middle of investigation, Xu Ziling replied, He may have an answer tomorrow. foxswuxia.wordpress.com

Kou Zhong said, If we find out who the person who betrayed Shi Zhixuan, that will be akin to finding out the identity of the important person from the demonic school in the Tang Palace besides Yin Zuwen and Yang Xuyan. His grannys! We are coming to Changan this time, it seems like there is new development every day.

Hows the arrangement on Yang WenGans side? Xu Ziling asked.

Kou Zhong replied, Xiao Jie is in charge of this matter. The men who are coming with us this time are all the elites within the elites within the Flying Cloud Guards who have been undergone strict training. With them monitoring the entire group of people, nothing will go wrong. Come! Success or failure will depend on tonight.

The two boys threw themselves out from the old tree and flew towards the small building where the secret tunnel was located.