Chapter 1364: Grand Mentor

Although Fang Zhiyong was deeply favored by the emperor, he never took it for granted, grew a big head, or overstepped his line. On the contrary, he became even more cautious, humble, polite, and rule-abiding than before.

In conclusion, Fang Zhiyong was the undisputed pillar of Chu, the valued minister who was loyal to his emperor and loved his country, and the model example that the entire realm respected and looked up to.

Right now, the so-called pillar and valued minister of the empire was standing on a wooden ladder and carefully wiping the sign board with a priceless sunset hue handkerchief gently. His expression was respectful, serious and meticulous.

“Spirit has a report for you, master!”

Underneath the ladder, an old man carrying a basin of clean water suddenly spoke up.

“Spirit?” Fang Zhiyong said indifferently, “Speak. What do you have for me?”

As soon as Fang Zhiyong finished, the old servant’s aura and voice slowly changed into something else entirely. His murky eyes also turned empty and unfocused to reflect a person’s image.

At first glance, the person looked ordinary and average. However, his appearance was changing constantly. Tall or short, fat or thin, old or young, male or female. It was impossible to grasp who or what he was.

“So? What did he do yesterday?”

“Master. After coming to an agreement with you yesterday, Ye Qing met up with Papersmith, Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai and conversed with them in a small house at Rainflower Street. After that, Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai left and took up residence in Rainflower Inn. Not long after, Papersmith exited the house as well, though he did not reveal himself and protected the four men in secret.”

“Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai did not leave Rainflower Inn or contact anyone after that. They only ate, drank, and spoke. It is the same for Papersmith. They did not leave Rainflower Inn a step or contact anyone.”

“What about Ye Qing?” Fang Zhiyong asked. He did not care about the four Pacification Bureau members. They were just a bunch of clowns who could not affect the situation in any way. The one he was really concerned for was Ye Qing.

“After Fang Xiaoman and the others left, Ye Qing secured the house with restrictions and spent about half a teatime doing something. I did not approach because I did not want to alert him to my presence, so I do not know what he was doing during this time.” Spirit bowed and apologized, “Please forgive me for my failure, master.”

“You did well. Your job is to keep an eye on Ye Qing’s every move and report them to me. It would be counterproductive if you try to approach him and alert him to your presence instead.”

Fang Zhiyong spoke slowly as he was still focusing on the sign board in front of him. “Besides, what can he do in half a teatime?”

“Continue.”

“You are wise, master.” Spirit continued his report, “Half a teatime later, Ye Qing removed the restrictions and left the house. He began loitering around the city.”

“He first did a tour around Rainflower Street and bought a tanghulu[1], sesame biscuits, Tianxi meatballs, the Wu Family’s signature roujiamo[2], and the Gong family’s rice wine. He made contact with ninety-seven people, spoke with thirty-six people, and made prolonged contact with twelve of them...”

Where Ye Qing went, what he did, what he said, who he had made contact with, who he had spoken with and more, Spirit reported it all to Fang Zhiyong.

If not for the fact that Ye Qing no longer needed to go to the toilet at his current level, Spirit would probably tell Fang Zhiyong how many times he shat and pissed as well.

“Is that all?” Fang Zhiyong asked after Spirit was finally done with his report. “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

Spirit answered, “There is none.”

“Mm. Got it. You may take your leave and resume your duty,” Fang Zhiyong replied indifferently.

“Yes, master. This subordinate will take his leave now.”

The reflection in the old servant’s eyes gradually disappeared. Life and focus returned to his eyes once more.

Suddenly, Fang Zhiyong asked, “What do you think, Ruliu?”

He was speaking to the old servant, of course.

The old servant looked like nothing out of the ordinary, but he was Fang Zhiyong’s one and only personal servant.

In other words, Fang Zhiyong was the only one in the entire Fang residence who possessed the right to command him. Even Fang Zhiyong’s wife and concubines must treat him with respect and address him as Elder Liu if they ran into him.

That was because his name was Fang Ruliu, and he was Fang Zhiyong’s student. He had grown up with Fang Zhiyong and served him his whole life.

That was why Fang Ruliu’s status in the Fang residence was unmatched even though he was old and no longer responsible for most duties.

Fang Ruliu answered, “Spirit’s report is more or less identical to Demon, Sprite, and Fairy’s[3]. This suggests that Ye Qing hasn’t made a move yet. Or rather, he is at his wit’s end.”

“Mm. Still, carelessness is folly. Command Spirit, Demon, Sprite and Fairy to continue keeping a close eye on Ye Qing. If there is any news, they are to report everything to me in a timely fashion.”

After Fang Zhiyong was done washing his hands, he accepted a handkerchief from Fang Ruliu and wiped away the water beads carefully.

Fang Zhiyong had always been a cautious man, and this mission was entrusted to him by Emperor Jing Run himself. Naturally, he did not dare to slack off even a little. That was why he sent not one, but four intelligencers to keep an eye on Ye Qing.

Their numbers were few, but they were elite intelligencers he had raised from a young age. All four of them were Great Truemen who excelled at concealment, tracking, collecting intelligence, information gathering, and theft.

Each intelligencer had their own expertise as well.

Spirit was a master of concealment and disguise. He was most proficient at following and assassinating a target.

Demon excelled at charming and baiting. He could pry out one’s thought and knowledge effortlessly. He was most proficient at gathering intel.

Sprite possesses a pair of extraordinary eyes and ears. He could see something down to the finest detail from over a hundred kilometers away, and distinguish sounds no matter how mixed up they were. He was most proficient at spying and stalking.

Finally, Fairy was formless and shadowless. His movement art was sublime, and his secret art was unrivaled. He was most proficient at stealing.

Besides that, the four Great Truemen were supported by countless elites and extraordinary warriors. They were all strong and skilled in their own right.

Even before the Yin Horse Carriage incident took place, he had already ordered them to install their men not just in Luo Shui, but the entire Tian Yong. So long as Ye Qing was still in Tian Yong, he would be able to keep track of his every move. To give a crude example, he could let out a fart on the street, and his men would find out if it was big or small, fragrant or smelly.

Even if Ye Qing noticed some of them, it did not matter. He could remove one or two people, but could he remove ten? Twenty? A hundred? All of them?

In summary, Ye Qing was a bird trapped in a cage; a turtle caught in a jar right now. There was nothing he could do that was beyond Fang Zhiyong’s expectations.

1. Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack consisting of several malt sugar coated fruits of Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) on a bamboo skewer. ☜

2. I’ve mentioned this before but it’s basically a Chinese style burger. ☜

3. If you remember from Chapter 476 there’s a lore drop about the four ranks of intelligencers of the Intelligence Department: Spirit, Demon, Sprite and Fairy. This seems to be a continuation of that. ☜