BDSMST -Chapter 188 The Playboy’s Intelligence Network

The jade bowl in the maid’s hand tilted, and a purplish-red chilled grape slid down the jade chopsticks to Zhou Jue’s lips. He lazily opened his mouth to catch it and chewed twice, but the sweet, sticky juice did nothing to ease the irritation furrowing his brow.

“The banquet at Fan Lou? Who nowadays would even dare invite us?” Zhou Jue spat the grape skin onto the nearby white porcelain plate, his voice tinged with self-mockery. “The people Prince Zhao now associates with are all officials who attend court. People like us? In his eyes, we probably aren’t even stepping stones.”

Next to him, Young Lord Li Wenbo of Dingyuan Marquisate poured himself a cup of tea, blowing on it to cool it. “Tell me about it. Just the other day, my father lectured me, saying Prince Zhao is now diligent and respectful, and I should learn from him. Learn what? Learn how to smile in front of someone and stab them in the back?”

“Alright, pipe down a bit,” another young lord, Chen Qian from a general’s household, interjected. He was more level-headed. “We know who we are, and we know who they are. Different paths—no need to get involved.”

Despite these words, the expression on each of their faces betrayed some frustration. They were used to striding through the capital, unbothered. Never had they been treated with such cold disdain. Prince Zhao, once their sworn brother, now, seeing the Crown Prince’s instability, had shoved them aside as “useless,” leaving a bitter resentment festering in each of their hearts.

Zhou Jue looked over the letter again. The childish handwriting and ridiculous doodles sparked a small amusement amid his irritation. “Take a look at this,” he said, passing the letter over. “It’s from that Gu family kid. He still thinks we’re on Prince Zhao’s side.”

Li Wenbo took it and read aloud: “…I heard that recently Prince Zhao is at the peak of his success in the capital, often drinking and making merry with you all…” He chuckled mid-sentence. “This kid’s information is way off. Drinking and making merry? We can hardly even find the stone lions outside his mansion anymore.”

Chen Qian examined the letter more carefully. Besides the greetings, every line was subtly probing Prince Zhao’s recent movements, written in a tone so naive it couldn’t be criticized. “Why would Gu General’s son suddenly be interested in Prince Zhao?”

Zhou Jue leaned back, adjusting to a more comfortable position. “Why else? Gu General is part of the Crown Prince’s faction. Everyone in the capital knows that. The Gu kid must’ve caught wind of something and wants to probe for his father.”

“A little kid—what could he possibly find out?” Li Wenbo scoffed.

“Kids can probe without raising suspicion,” Chen Qian replied sharply. “If we go to spy on Prince Zhao’s mansion, that’s conspiring. But a kid asking a few curious questions? Nobody pays attention to that.”

Zhou Jue’s eyes lit up. He swung himself upright on the lounge chair and slapped his thigh. “Exactly! Aren’t we the ‘all-knowing’ lot? Prince Zhao won’t play with us, so why not have some fun ourselves?” His face glowed with mischief. “We’re going to help that Gu kid out!”

Li Wenbo perked up. “How? Stake out Prince Zhao’s mansion?”

“Fools!” Zhou Jue barked. “Do we need to go ourselves? What are our people for?” He got up and paced the courtyard, his mind racing. “You, Li Wenbo—your family has connections with the ‘Baiwei Lou’ in the west district, right? Prince Zhao recently entertained the Ministry of Revenue’s Wang Shilang there. Go have your uncle pay attention. See what’s said at the table, who gets drunk and lets something slip.”

He then pointed at Chen Qian. “You—your father’s subordinate, a deputy general, is sworn brothers with the Southern Gate commander of the Forbidden Army, right? Prince Zhao has been visiting the Forbidden Army often. Go ask who he met, what gifts he gave, what promises he made.”

Finally, he looked at himself. “As for me… hmm, we’ll start with the simplest angle.” He snapped his fingers to summon his personal servant. “Go to the largest pawnshops and antique stores in the capital. Tell them I’m short on cash and want to sell some household items. Ask them for all the big transactions over the past three months, especially anonymous buyers—what land deeds, houses, or famous calligraphy they bought.”

The three divided the work. They weren’t sending trained spies—they were using the capital’s omnipresent network. Tavern owners, army comrades, pawnbrokers—seemingly ordinary people, yet the fine capillaries through which information flowed in the capital.

Half an hour later, the three met again in the back garden of the British Duke’s estate, each with a changed expression.

Li Wenbo spoke first, his voice low. “My uncle said that at the banquet, Prince Zhao praised the newly appointed Wang Shilang of the Ministry of Revenue above all else. Wang Shilang got drunk and let slip: ‘The Jiangnan salt tax accounts? Your Highness needn’t worry.’”

Chen Qian’s face darkened further. “I got news too. Prince Zhao privately met the Southern Gate commander of the Forbidden Army three times, gave him a pair of jade discs from the previous dynasty, and promised that once things were done, the command of the Forbidden Army would be his.”

Zhou Jue slammed a stack of copied records onto the stone table, his voice cold. “Look at this. In three months, seven shops on a street in the east district, a lakeside mansion in the south—all bought by a mysterious buyer. Paid with silver notes from Jiangnan’s ‘Huitong’ Bank. The bank’s biggest owner? Wang Shilang’s brother-in-law.”

The three lines of intelligence converged, revealing the outline of a massive conspiracy: Prince Zhao was secretly using Jiangnan’s salt taxes to bribe ministers, cozy up with the Forbidden Army, and buy property—his ambition laid bare.

“This… this is treason!” Li Wenbo shook so violently he could barely hold his teacup.

Zhou Jue’s usual playful expression vanished, replaced by a solemnity he had never felt before. His family was loyal for generations and despised treacherous officials above all.

“We’ve… just uncovered a huge scandal,” Chen Qian muttered.

Zhou Jue took a deep breath and carefully folded the records containing the evidence. Looking at the crooked little ship Gu Xuan had drawn on the letter, he suddenly laughed.

“A scandal? No.” He sealed the secret report in an envelope with wax. “This is our return gift to that Gu kid. Tell him—the most fun game in the capital right now is called ‘hide and seek.’ Let’s see how long that smug Prince Zhao can hide.”