Chapter 1 The Interrogation

"You mean you spent ten years undercover in Danyang just to send out this kind of information? Don't be ridiculous." No one expected that Nie Rui, who always preferred to hide in his office and avoided even normal business trips, would personally oversee the interrogation. Nie Rui's life was basically confined to home, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Royal Palace. He only accepted invitations from a select few. This low-key and diligent approach had allowed the Intelligence Bureau to develop rapidly in recent years, far surpassing the Internal Affairs Guard and the network of spies that Tan Xiaopei's confidantes had established. Because of Nie Rui's diligence and thoroughness, Tan Xiaopei had gradually entrusted the intelligence system, built up by the Tan family over generations, to the Intelligence Bureau. Cao Pojun had been aware of this system before, but never knew the details. However, this time, Nie Rui finally entered the special prison belonging to the Intelligence Bureau, a place he had only seen on blueprints. He was not proficient in interrogation techniques, but Cao Pojun was. These two together formed the highest-level interrogation team in Dongping's history.

"While this information isn't entirely worthless, couldn't we have just sent a few merchants to check the prices of rice, oil, salt, and sugar? Why bother infiltrating the Zou family and getting them imprisoned? As for the manuals and equipment of the light and heavy infantry, that's even more absurd. If it can't leak from Dongping, couldn't it leak from Chunnan? Why come here? And these so-called spies, even if you were after those things, they couldn't accomplish it. Tell the truth, and you might suffer less." Nie Rui didn't give Sun, the captured spy, any leeway. He began the interrogation that very night. As a bureau chief skilled in intelligence analysis, he didn't give Sun any chance to create confusion by desperately and hastily fabricating stories.

Seeing that Sun was still unwilling to speak, Nie Rui asked calmly, "Since you have Wang Fangpin calling you Mr. Sun, there must be a reason for that title. What is your name?"

"Sun Fuwei…" Mr. Sun spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva, saying. In this situation, concealing his name was pointless; his chances of survival were slim anyway. And Nie Rui's mention of "Wang Fangpin" clearly indicated that his capture had been thoroughly planned, and that their contacts with Wang Fangpin were at least partially known.

"How did you get in touch with Crown Princess Wang Fangpin? Just tell me honestly. It's more interesting to ask you. I really can't bring myself to torture a woman like Wang Fangpin." Nie Rui subtly implied that the Crown Princess was also in their grasp. This tactic had some effect on Sun Fuwei. Since they were willing to deal with the Crown Princess for the sake of national secrets, and weren't afraid of offending the future ruler, then his own life was naturally insignificant. However, Sun Fuwei was still unwilling to cooperate fully. He had originally intended to create chaos in Dongping, even if the assassination failed. But he never expected that while his assassination plot was perfectly concealed, the other side had simultaneously targeted him. The assassination had failed, and he had become a prisoner.

Sun Fuwei snorted and said, "If Wang Fangpin didn't have her own ambitions, how would I have ended up in this situation? If you want to know anything, go ask Wang Fangpin. If the Crown Prince can't wait to ascend the throne, and the Crown Princess has ambitions beyond her station, then I think Dongping is in a sorry state."

Cao Pojun frowned and used some violent methods. Sun Fuwei immediately let out a deafening scream. Nie Rui said calmly, "I'm not interested in arguing with you about what kind of people the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Dongping are. I don't want to listen to your nonsense. I just want the truth. Who ordered you? If you tell me, I might be able to spare your life, though I can't let you off easily. Lord Ye is very easy to talk to and won't hold it against me. But if you keep talking nonsense… you're overestimating my patience."

Sun Fuwei's brow furrowed, and his eyes dimmed slightly. Nie Rui continued, "Is it worth it?… The person behind you isn't someone who can be seen in the light. You're risking your life here for someone else's benefit, trying to hinder us, but they're not listening, are they? Tell me, and your name might at least be recorded in the Intelligence Bureau's interrogation records."

Although Nie Rui couldn't guess the identity of the person behind Sun Fuwei, he could infer something from Sun Fuwei's actions. He judged that the person's status might not be high enough to protect Sun Fuwei at all times, so Nie Rui finally spoke these words. And these words did move Sun Fuwei somewhat. He snorted coldly, hesitated slightly, and then said, "Actually, I don't know who the real boss is. Since I came to Dongping, there have only ever been two people responsible for contacting me and coordinating my network. That person would always appear before me at the right time to deliver instructions. Contacting Wang Fangpin wasn't difficult; that person had secretly arranged for me to enter the Zou family. That person comes to Danyang about once every two months. I've seen his face, and I just call him 'Old Li.'"

Hearing Sun Fuwei say this, Nie Rui was uncertain whether to believe it or not. After all, in this situation, admitting that he didn't know who his superior was and couldn't provide any information that would be clearly helpful to Nie Rui and the others was as good as stabbing himself. But he couldn't rule out that Sun Fuwei was trying to shirk responsibility.

"What kind of person is he? After working for so many years, you should have some idea," Nie Rui asked, taking a sip of tea.

"This… he should be from Chunnan, but not an official. I was only asked a few years ago to gradually develop the Crown Princess as a line and build a somewhat sizable liaison system. From scratch, slowly recruiting people was all done by me without anyone knowing. Don't even mention asking for people from above, even asking for money has been cut off several times… At least I've never heard of Chunnan running out of money," Sun Fuwei said confidently.

After a night of interrogation, everything that could be extracted from Sun Fuwei's mouth had been extracted. This Sun Fuwei was indeed not a state agent, but an important member of a certain influential figure's private intelligence system in Chunnan. However, in front of Wang Fangpin, Sun Fuwei had successfully played the role of a foreign spy and seasoned strategist.

A lot of noise, but little substance? Nie Rui didn't feel that way at all. Based on the information provided by Sun Fuwei, the person who contacted him was indeed from Chunnan. In Danyang, the Intelligence Bureau had once monitored that minor official who traveled between Yu Hang and Danyang, a minor official in the Chunnan Royal Palace responsible for copying documents. That person should now be a clerk in the Second Prince's residence and had also been in contact with Consort Lian, Chang Ling.

Thinking of this, Nie Rui couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. How did things end up like this? Chang Ling's name had unexpectedly surfaced at this time. Since Tan Xiaopei allowed Chang Ling to take Tan Weizai to Chunnan, Chang Ling and Tan Weizai had generally lived in Yu Hang for nine months of the year, and only spent the remaining time in Danyang. Considering that keeping Tan Weizai in Chunnan had the effect of complicating the power struggles there, Tan Xiaopei had always selectively forgotten about this son whose personality was not to his liking. And it was too easy for Chang Ling to influence Wang Fangpin. Both came from large families with internal strife, both married important people who commanded respect, both had little hope or security for the future, and both harbored hidden dissatisfaction and ambition… Chang Ling had much more experience in political infighting than Wang Fangpin. Seducing Wang Fangpin, arousing the ambition in her heart, and then introducing Sun Fuwei to Wang Fangpin was simple enough. But Nie Rui was in trouble; it was hard to say whether this was a matter of the imperial family. Chang Ling's scheming was too heavy. She had always been dedicated to making her son one of the heirs of Chunnan, while also becoming an heir of Dongping, and had always been practically promoting the so-called union of the two countries with a somewhat idealistic, but also full of compromise and intrigue to add possibilities. Although it seemed slim, it was an undeniable fact that Tan Weizai's status was getting higher and higher in both Dongping and Chunnan and was being taken more and more seriously.

Unable to figure out what was going on, Nie Rui truthfully reported the interrogation. In any case, whether it was Tan Xiaopei's family matter or the involvement of the two allied countries, Nie Rui had to handle it carefully. But on the other hand, Tan Weiming confronted his wife. Wang Fangpin learned that her original nod of approval for Sun to scare Xiao Qingyin had been understood as permission to launch an assassination attempt, and that this assassination was directed at Ye Tao. She instantly felt like her soul had left her body. She resented that Tan Weiming had ignored her actions when he knew what she was doing and had helped his father plot against her. But she also understood that Tan Weiming was indeed the kind of person who put the country's interests first. At this point, Wang Fangpin dared not hide anything and told everything she had done. But the more Tan Weiming listened, the more alarmed he became. The important documents that had flowed out through Wang Fangpin alone were a huge loss. What was especially intolerable was that some military matters were involved, involving airships… Tan Weiming's study had a set of blueprints for Dongping airship mooring points that were made after everyone had discussed them. There was an appendix with various data about the airships, such as height, speed, load, and function, to provide architectural design references for the airship mooring points, and it also had a relatively detailed three-view drawing of the airship's appearance. Wang Fangpin had even leaked this. How could Tan Weiming, who had always regarded airships as a super weapon and a trump card, tolerate this?

"I'm going to the palace now to report this to Father. As for you… stay home and take care of the children. I haven't decided how to deal with you. I hope I'll be the one to decide." After dropping this sentence, Tan Weiming sighed and left.