Chapter 79: Interrogation
Diloxi straightened up as well. Feng He was specially responsible for intelligence gathering in Shangguan Wei’s army; whatever he had to say in person must be significant.
Feng He smiled and said, “You must have noticed, during our last night raid, we made a point of attacking the western gate. We also knew the city’s internal defenses.”
Diloxi, impatient by nature, immediately barked, “Who gave you the information? Speak!”
Feng He didn’t answer. Instead, he stated his own condition: “I’ll tell you, if you let me go.”
Bang!
Diloxi leapt to her feet and cursed, “You won’t talk? I have ways to make you open your mouth!”
But Feng He sneered, “Torture and forced confessions? I’m an expert at that myself. It’s useless.”
As head of intelligence, he naturally oversaw interrogations and torture as well. As a spymaster, he truly had no fear of such things.
Diloxi wanted to strike him, but Long Chen stopped her. “Let me handle this.”
Fuming, Diloxi sat back down, leaving the questioning to Long Chen.
“You want to return to Southern Liang?”
Long Chen’s tone was calm, but carried a hint of mockery.
“That’s my business,” Feng He replied, unwilling to explain.
Long Chen smirked. “Li Chengdao appears generous, but in truth, he’s narrow-minded—can’t tolerate even a grain of sand. What could you possibly do if you go back? Resume your post as a general? Or retire to a farm? Not just you—even Shangguan Wei would be doomed if he returned.”
Feng He’s expression remained unchanged, though impatience flickered across his face. “My terms are clear. Will you agree or not?”
Long Chen nodded. “Agreed. You may go. Now speak.”
Feng He was stunned. He’d expected Long Chen to haggle, but hadn’t imagined he’d agree so readily.
Diloxi shot Long Chen a displeased glance. Such military spies were the most detestable; letting him go now would surely bring endless trouble.
“The one who delivered us the message was Shui Han—she’s Jing Heng’s subordinate, acting on her orders.”
As Feng He finished speaking, Diloxi’s heart tightened. She shot to her feet, seized Feng He by the hair, and demanded, “Where is your proof?”
Shui Han was Li Xiannan’s deputy, only recently appointed as commander of Linjiang City. Someone Diloxi trusted so deeply was actually a traitor?
No wonder, after a thorough investigation, the culprit had remained hidden—it was the deputy herself.
Yet Diloxi would not believe it so easily.
What if Feng He was lying, deliberately framing Shui Han to have her executed by Diloxi’s hand as soon as he left? Such things had happened before.
Diloxi, tall and imposing, towered over Feng He, who was slightly shorter. Dangling from her grip, Feng He rose up on his toes and said coldly, “There’s no proof. At the time, she sent a female soldier to deliver me a map of the defenses. I followed that woman to the east gate.”
“Later, I had spies in the city investigate and learned that woman served under Shui Han, and Shui Han herself answers to Jing Heng.”
Long Chen asked, “What did that female soldier look like?”
Feng He replied, “Average height, a high hairline, a red nose, name’s Shen Hong.”
To give both name and distinguishing features meant the claim could be verified.
Diloxi released her grip, and Feng He’s feet touched the ground. “Your Highness can bring her here for a face-to-face confrontation.”
Diloxi glanced at Long Chen. He left the secret chamber and ran straight into Shui Han.
“Did you learn anything?” Shui Han asked anxiously.
Long Chen, face dark, grabbed Shui Han’s hand and steered her into a nearby room. Zhang Qian was standing guard outside the secret chamber and did not follow.
Inside, Long Chen shut door and window, then said quietly, “Send a trusted subordinate of Li Xiannan’s to Quarry City and have her return at once—tell her the princess has urgent matters to discuss.”
Shui Han was startled. “What’s going on? Did Feng He reveal a critical military matter?”
Long Chen watched her warily, his face full of regret. “It’s nothing. Go attend to it.”
He turned to leave, but Shui Han grabbed his hand. “Lord Long, do you not trust me?”
Long Chen looked at her for a long moment before replying, “Feng He claims... Li Xiannan is compromised.”
Shui Han’s body trembled. “Impossible—General Li has always been loyal to the nation. How could she be compromised?”
Long Chen answered softly, “Maybe, maybe not. We need to confront her in person.”
Shui Han nodded slowly. “I believe General Li is innocent. I’ll send for her at once.”
Long Chen nodded. “I’ll have Xuan Yi and Qing Yue accompany you. This matter must not fail. If Li Xiannan gets wind of it, Quarry City will be lost.”
Shui Han nodded heavily. “I understand the gravity, my lord. Rest assured.”
The two of them left for Xuan Yi and Qing Yue’s quarters. Inside, the two women were packing, preparing to return to the capital.
“What’s going on, Little Dragon?” Xuan Yi and Qing Yue saw Long Chen’s serious face.
Shui Han closed the door. “Lord Long has orders.”
Both women looked to Long Chen.
Suddenly, Long Chen seized Shui Han’s hand, gripped her by the nape, and barked, “Seize her!”
Xuan Yi and Qing Yue hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward and restrained Shui Han.
Shui Han struggled, shouting, “What is the meaning of this?”
Long Chen replied coldly, “You don’t know?”
Shui Han’s face turned ashen. “I have no idea what you mean!”
Xuan Yi and Qing Yue were equally bewildered. “What’s happening?”
Long Chen said, “Tie her up and keep an eye on her!”
With that, he left the room and found another officer, Zhang Ke.
A veteran, Zhang Ke ranked third in the army, just after Shui Han.
“General Zhang, I’m looking for a female soldier—high hairline, red nose, named Shen Hong.”
Zhang Ke scratched his head. “Never heard of her, but I’ll ask around.”
He quickly dispatched someone to investigate.
After a while, he returned. “Lord Long, she does exist—but she died in battle.”
Dead?
Long Chen’s head throbbed. Now there was no way to confront her, and dying on the battlefield meant even the cause of death couldn’t be traced.
Long Chen returned to the secret chamber. Diloxi asked, “Well?”
Long Chen shook his head. “Dead. Killed in action.”
Tsk...
Diloxi felt her head ache as if it might split.
“Your words can’t be verified. I can’t let you go,” Long Chen said coldly.
Feng He looked at him in astonishment, as if he were staring at some street thug.
“I’ve told you already—if you can’t verify it, that’s your problem. Why won’t you let me go? You’re reneging on your word!”
Long Chen replied indifferently, “Yes, I am. If you want out, bring me real proof.”
Feng He felt as if he’d run out of luck, unable to believe he’d run into such a slippery, shameless eunuch.
“If you’re so faithless, I will say nothing more.”
He fell silent, no fool himself—if Long Chen wouldn’t release him, he wouldn’t speak. Feng He wanted to leave alive, and Long Chen wanted to root out the traitor. Both had needs; Feng He still held some cards.
“Refuse to talk and I’ll kill you!” Diloxi slammed the table, cursing.
Unmoved, Feng He raised his head, exposing his neck, signaling for Diloxi to kill him if she dared.
Looking so reckless and defiant, Feng He only infuriated Diloxi further.
Long Chen suddenly said, “I won’t kill you. Instead, I’ll spread word that you’ve surrendered and defected. What do you think Li Chengdao will do to your family then? Especially to your widowed mother, whom you’ve raised with your own hands?”