Chapter 875 Spy

Chapter 875: Spy Chapter 875: Spy Editor: Atlas Studios When Qi Haoran left the court, he stopped the commander of the Capital Patrol Division and asked him how the investigation was going.

In his opinion, this was merely a trivial matter caused by a subordinate wanting to climb up the ranks.

If that manager was really wronged, they could just release him.

If it was the worker who was at fault, they could just punish him with dozens of strokes of the cane before chasing him out.

Why was the investigation taking so long?

Unexpectedly, the commander said with a serious expression, “Your Highness, I’m afraid that there’s something unusual about Second Brother Bai’s identity.” Second Brother Bai was that worker from their publishing house.

Qi Haoran’s expression turned cold as he asked, “What is unusual about that?” “Second Brother Bai is over 30 years old, but he has no wife, no children, and no parents.

He sold himself to the publishing house in the first year of Taikang.

As you’re aware, Her Highness is kind-hearted and rarely makes her workers sign an irrevocable contract.

Besides the manager, he’s the only one in the publishing house who signed an irrevocable contract with the Prince’s estate.

Logically speaking, he should be placed in an important position, but he has only been doing odd jobs in the publishing house for the past five to six years.

I’m afraid he’s reporting the bribery case with the intention of climbing up the ranks.” Qi Haoran looked at him indifferently.

Hadn’t everyone already guessed his motive?

The commander said indifferently, “At that time, I asked your manager, since that worker has signed an irrevocable contract, why didn’t you put him in an important position?” This was considered an unwritten rule.

The servants who signed an irrevocable contract tended to be trusted and valued more than those who signed a revocable contract.

Even if their abilities were not up to par, they would still be prioritized.

Therefore, the commander was a little curious about why Second Brother Bai held the lowest of positions despite having been working there for five to six years.

“Your manager said that Her Highness had set a rule early on that all workers in the publishing house would be treated the same regardless of whether they’d signed an irrevocable contract.

Everyone is to be promoted according to their ability and attendance.

While Second Brother Bai’s attendance was fine, he really had no talent for printing.

The manager has also spoken to him about that in private.

That was why the worker had been relegated to odd jobs in the publishing house for the past five to six years.” The commander said, “But when he applied for the job back then, he claimed that he had worked in a publishing house before, and he was the one who requested to sign an irrevocable contract.

Coincidentally, because I had to investigate him, I found out that his financial situation is actually not bad.

Although he lives in a modest house and dresses like a poor man, he spends more on food and drinking than families that are considered well-off.

Moreover, it has been like this for the past five to six years.

From this, it can be seen that he isn’t actually poor.

But with his salary, he definitely wouldn’t be able to pay for those expenses.” Moreover, shouldn’t men think of ways to save money to marry and have a child to carry on the family line, instead of spending all that money on food and wine?

He was already over 30 years old, but he was not anxious at all even though he had no wife or children.

Furthermore, although he appeared to be as poor as his peers on the surface, he was living extravagantly in private.

The commander was willing to bet his life that this Second Brother Bai was definitely not simple.

Even after the guy was tortured and questioned for three days straight, there wasn’t a single flaw in his confession.

That was why the commander said that his identity was unusual.

Qi Haoran’s expression was cold.

“Then increase the severity.” “Don’t worry, Your Highness.

I’ll give you an answer.” This was also his chance to show his face in front of the Emperor.

The commander increased the intensity of the interrogation when he returned, but he still didn’t get anything out of the worker.

He didn’t expect the other party to be so stubborn, and was so anxious that he was foaming at the mouth.

Qi Haoran was also thinking hard.

He did not have the habit of sending spies to other families, but that did not mean that other families did not have this habit, especially those aristocratic families.

Some of their spies were even planted in the palace.

However, most of the servants in the Prince’s Residence were servants who had served the two brothers in the north in the past.

It wasn’t convenient for Qi Xiuyuan to bring these servants into the palace, so they basically all worked for Qi Haoran after the former ascended the throne.

Meanwhile, the guards were all his trusted aides in the army, all trustworthy men holding official ranks and official positions.

It was not easy for the culprit to sneak a spy into his house, so they planted a spy in the publishing house instead?

But why the publishing house?

It had to be known that the publishing house was a business, and Ah Ling had left almost all of it to the manager to manage.

There were very few people coming and going between the publishing house and the Prince’s Residence.

Logically speaking, the farm would be their best choice.

That was because Ah Ling valued farming the most.

Not only did she often go to the farm, but she also chose playmates for her kids from the farmstead children sometimes.

If their aim was to get close to the Prince’s estate, it would be much easier to do so via the farmstead.

Or could it be that there were also spies in the farmstead?

Perhaps Second Brother Bai from the publishing house was just unlucky to be discovered.

At the thought that his wife and children might be in danger, Qi Haoran could not sit still in the Forbidden Troops camp.

He immediately put away the documents and stuffed them into Fei Bai’s hands.

“Bring these documents back to the residence.

I’ll deal with them when I get back.” When he ran to the cell like a wisp of smoke, the people from the Capital Patrol Division were still interrogating Second Brother Bai.

Despite having been beaten up badly, he still refused to say who sent him.

After a moment of silence, Qi Haoran asked with a scowl, “Are they threatening you using your family’s safety?” Second Brother Bai lowered his eyes and did not speak.

Qi Haoran walked around him twice and stared into his eyes, then suddenly asked, “Were you sent here by Qin Fang?” Second Brother Bai’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyelashes fluttered.

Although it was a slight flutter, Qi Haoran still caught the other party’s momentary nervousness.

Qi Haoran laughed out of exasperation.

“Qin Fang thinks highly of me.

What a coincidence.

Your young master happens to be in my hands.

Do you want to reunite with him and do some catching up?” Second Brother Bai couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Qi Haoran turned around and said as he was leaving, “Send this person to the government office of the Forbidden Troops.

They will take over this case.

Give that manager 20 strokes of the paddle and let him go.” The commander rushed over and heard this order.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw his trusted aide shake his head slightly at him.

He immediately swallowed his words and sent Qi Haoran away before turning around and asking, “What’s going on?

Aren’t we in the midst of investigating this case?

Why is Prince Rong suddenly interfering?” Previously, although Prince Rong had also asked about it, he did not interfere in the investigation.

Why did he change his mind after just half a day?

“This person was a spy left behind by the traitorous Prime Minister Qin of the previous dynasty.” His trusted aide said in a low voice, “His Highness told him that the son of the traitorous Prime Minister Qin is in his hands and even suggested Second Brother Bai meet his master.” The commander immediately stopped talking.

Since it involved the previous dynasty, it was no different from plotting a rebellion.

It was indeed not his place to interfere.

Why would the treacherous Prime Minister Qin plant a spy in Prince Rong’s estate?

“That’s not right.

Second Brother Bai entered the publishing house in the first year of Taikang.

At that time, the traitorous Minister Qin was already dead.” The commander pondered.

“Did he make arrangements before he died?

How many spies did he leave behind?

Even though he’s been dead for so many years, these people still obey the orders he left behind.” This was also what Qi Haoran wanted to know.

How many spies did Qin Fang leave behind and how did he control them?

Despite being dead for five to six years, and after the previous dynasty was long gone, he still had the ability to make these people obey his wishes.

Qi Haoran went to interrogate Qin Er, but Qin Er didn’t know anything about it.

Qi Haoran, who had always believed him, did not believe this.

He asked, “You have no idea?

Could it be that these people were dispatched by Qin San?

Your father can’t possibly leave them for the servants to dispatch, right?

Then what is he after?” Second Master Qin also wanted to know what his father was after.

His father had a year to tell them the location of the treasures, but he never said it.

But even now, everyone felt that the two brothers definitely knew the location of the treasures.

That was all the stolen silver from the treasury and savings accumulated by their father over half a lifetime.

Wealth was indeed tempting, but despite having taken the risk for nothing, the two brothers really had no clue about the location of the treasures.

If Qi Haoran didn’t know for sure that Qin Er and Qin San were Minister Qin’s two remaining sons alive, he would have suspected that the fellow had an illegitimate child outside.

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