Chapter 152 Investigation
Chu Zhiyuan arrived at a restaurant next to the post station, the Ping'an Restaurant.
The restaurants here were naturally not comparable to those in Yujing City.
Ping'an Restaurant only had two floors. Chu Zhiyuan went straight through the bustling first floor and arrived at the deserted second floor.
There were only five tables of guests on the second floor, all merchants coming and going, covered in dust, discussing their experiences traveling to various places. Most of them possessed considerable cultivation. The higher ones had already reached the third level of the Innate Realm, and most were at the Houtian Realm, not yet entered the Innate Realm.
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After Chu Zhiyuan sat down, Zou Fang beckoned a waiter to wipe the uneven table again. First, they ordered two pots of the best wine, two plates of snacks, and several signature dishes.
Chu Zhiyuan and Zou Fang sat at one table.
Guo Chi and the other four sat at another table.
Chu Zhiyuan held his wine glass, looking thoughtfully at the post station across the street.
The middle-aged man in front of the post station had ordinary looks. He had already taken off his armor and put on a brocade robe, looking no different from the travelers hurrying by. With Super-Sense Insight, Chu Zhiyuan could tell that the middle-aged man was at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm, not conspicuous in the crowd.
Clearly, others didn't know his cultivation level.
Otherwise, no matter how ordinary a Grandmaster looked, the people around him wouldn't treat him normally. There would always be some respect and unintentional reverence. This was people's instinctive attitude towards power.
Chu Zhiyuan speculated about his identity.
He must be Li Haoyuan's trusted subordinate. A guard? Or a strategist? Judging by his cultivation, he was a guard, but judging by his behavior, he was more like a strategist. A strategist who kept a low profile.
Possessing the cultivation of a Grandmaster but keeping it hidden, acting as an unremarkable strategist, was he plotting something big, or did he have other difficulties? Chu Zhiyuan realized that outside Yujing City, the world became more complex.
It seemed that everyone he encountered had their own secrets.
Unlike in Yujing, where he could clearly see everything in the entire Royal Palace, there were no secrets to speak of. Chu Zhiyuan continued to think.
Chu Zhiyuan didn't notice anything unusual about the surrounding merchants. Even so, he still used Voice Transmission into the Secret: "What is the identity of that middle-aged man?"
Liang Guanjie peeked out the window, saw the middle-aged man standing outside the post station diagonally opposite, and shook his head with an embarrassed expression.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "Find out quickly."
"Yes." Liang Guanjie hurriedly agreed, lowering his voice: "A brother here has acquaintances, and we'll be able to find out soon."
"Are there any abnormalities around the government office?"
"No experts are lingering."
"Find out the details of that Li Huchen, preferably all twenty-three of them."
"Yes." Liang Guanjie grinned, agreeing.
Twenty-three people, this was no small task. He only had four subordinates. If he wanted to figure them out all at once, he would have to risk his life.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel anxious and stood up to cup his fists.
Chu Zhiyuan transmitted his voice into the secret: "Be careful, this is not Yujing, don't fall into the gutter."
"Yes." Liang Guanjie nodded solemnly.
He strode out.
This aroused the curiosity of the people at the other tables, but they only glanced at him and continued their conversation.
While chatting, those people would occasionally glance over.
Chu Zhiyuan and his group's clothes were out of place here. At a glance, one could tell that they were outsiders, and their aura was extraordinary, wealthy people.
People traveling outside often avoided such people, lest they attract trouble.
Chu Zhiyuan continued to stare at the middle-aged man.
As the signature dishes came up, Zou Fang took a few bites first.
Chu Zhiyuan wasn't in a hurry to use his chopsticks.
With Super-Sense, he knew that there was nothing wrong with the dishes, but he didn't deprive Zou Fang of his duty.
Zou Fang nodded lightly and put down his chopsticks.
Chu Zhiyuan picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
The dishes weren't as exquisite as those in Yujing's restaurants. The taste was strong and heavy. Chu Zhiyuan took a few bites and put down his chopsticks.
He felt more sensitive than ordinary people, and he was also more sensitive to tastes.
Zou Fang whispered, "Young Master, would you like to change a few dishes?"
"Forget it." Chu Zhiyuan said, "Let's just make do with it."
He picked up his cup and took a few sips of wine, numbing his mouth and tongue, and continued to eat, ordering two more plates of snacks to fill his stomach. Even a Grandmaster still had to eat.
It wasn't until the sky darkened that the middle-aged man in front of the post station left dejectedly.
He obviously knew that he was being avoided, understanding that Chu Zhiyuan wouldn't see him. Chu Zhiyuan sat on the bed in a room at the post station.
The bed had a faint fragrance, fumigated with special spices.
This was a room that only officials of the third rank or above were qualified to stay in.
Visiting officials could only stay at the post station, not in the government office or other places. This was the rule. Chu Zhiyuan didn't want to make a special case and break the custom.
He absorbed the last piece of dragon fat incense, and his meridians became stronger and more resilient, ready to break through at any time. But he didn't plan to break through.
At a critical moment, if someone disturbed him, he would go into Qi Deviation. There was no need to be so hasty.
"Young Master, Liang Guanjie is back."
"Come in."
Liang Guanjie quickly appeared, entered the room, came to the bed, and cupped his fists in salute. Chu Zhiyuan said, "Zou Fang, bring a chair for Lao Liang."
Zou Fang brought a chair and placed it in front of the bed.
Liang Guanjie chuckled twice, sat down in the chair, and immediately became solemn: "Young Master, I have already found out the identities of these people."
"Who are they?"
"They were originally all under General Li's command, some military officers and some civil officials."
"All the military officers under his command?"
"Yes."
"Heh," Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "This General Zhenyuan is not simple."
Being able to win over the hearts of all the military officers under his command was no simple matter.
This showed that the imperial court's control over the border army was very weak, and it also showed that this General Li was skilled and good at governing hearts. Liang Guanjie said, "The most loyal to him is that Li Huchen, the Deputy General of Fuyuan Town."
"Is he General Li's deputy? He's also in a high position of power. He shouldn't be a reckless and straightforward person, right?"
"Rough on the outside, meticulous on the inside, brave and resourceful, very popular."
Liang Guanjie said, "This Deputy General Li is also a good hand at managing troops."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded.
People who acted rudely were more likely to get ahead in the army, with no hidden agendas and no scheming against others. The people in the army hated scheming the most and liked to be straightforward.
If one could be rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside, then one would have a limitless future in the army. Clearly, this Li Huchen was like that.
"What about the others? Especially that one today."
"He is Zhou Chengen, the secretary under General Li's command... He doesn't have much fame, a very low-profile person, usually never showing his face."
"Where does he come from?"
"He's an old-timer by General Li's side, always following him, seemingly a distant relative of General Li, brought with him before General Li became successful."
"Hmm..." Chu Zhiyuan pondered, "Mysterious background."
Liang Guanjie grinned and smiled bitterly: "Young Master, I really couldn't find out."
Most people rarely paid attention to this secretary, and they didn't know anything when asked. He couldn't possibly know without asking.
