Chapter 445:1 Don’t Want To Wait Anymore
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
In the Capital City of the Chu State.
The chief in charge of the espionage activities in the Jin State was astounded when he received the news from Zhou Qing.
He read it repeatedly several times to confirm that he was not mistaken. After hesitating again and again, he finally entered the palace and went to the Imperial study.
“Your Majesty, this is the news from the Jin State. They said that they saw the Empress at the border of the Chu and Jin States.”
Xiao Jin’s eyes widened in shock instantly. He sprang up and took the message from the spy chief’s hand to take a look.
The handwriting on it was indeed from his spies in the Jin State, but the authenticity of this information was unknown. After all, the Aquarius River and the borders of the Chu and Jin States were in two completely different directions. How could Su Ying appear in that place?
“Immediately send a letter over to ask what exactly is going on?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After the spy chief left, Xiao Jin’s eyes gradually turned chilly.
Zhang Shuming felt that this was definitely a scam, just like the last time.
“Your Majesty, please don’t panic.”
Xiao Jin picked up the tea on the table to calm himself down, but the uneasy beating heart in his chest betrayed his emotions. For some reason, he actually felt that this matter was very likely true.
“Go. Bring me the biggest map.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Zhang Shuming walked to the bookshelf and took the largest map from the top shelf. He unfolded it in front of the dragon desk.
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes quickly scanned the map, and his slender fingertips drew a curved arc on the map.
“They haven’t been able to find any trace of the Empress around Aquarius River. Later on, Jiang Yang said that she might have been washed out to the mouth of the river. If she was really washed into the sea, there would be an ocean current in this sea area at this time of the year. The current would wash her away and it was possible that she got washed to the river mouth of the Jin State.”
When Zhang Shuming heard Xiao Jin’s words, he sighed in his heart. He felt that the Emperor was really possessed. Even if the Empress was really washed to the mouth of the river, would she still be alive? Who could survive from the beginning to the end of the Aquarius River?
Zhang Shuming felt that this was Xiao Jin’s inner demon, but no one could wake him up. He could only think it through himself.
Not surprisingly, Xiao Jin didn’t care what others thought. He only knew that he wouldn’t give up on searching as long as there was even the slightest possibility.
“Immediately send a message to Wang Su. Tell him to rush to the border of the Chu and Jin States in the shortest time possible to see what on earth is going
Previously, he had sent Wang Su to search for Su Ying’s whereabouts near the mouth of the river. It was the shortest distance if he were to set off from that place.
Zhang Shuming didn’t dare to raise any objections and obediently acknowledged the order before excusing himself.
Su Ying and the others received the reply on the third night.
The content of the letter was very brief. It asked Zhou Qing how she knew about this matter.
Zhou Qing looked at the reply and then at Su Ying as if asking how she should answer.
To her surprise, Su Ying said, “Tell him the news is fake. Someone deliberately released fake news, and you have already seen through it.”
Zhou Qing was very astonished. She really could not understand Su Ying’s intentions.
Of course, Zhou Qing wouldn’t understand. If there were no moles among them, Su Ying would definitely have personally replied to Xiao Jin and told him that she was still alive.
However, now that there was a mole among them, the news that Zhou Qing sent back was likely to be known by others. If those people made use of her whereabouts to scheme and plot, then those people who really cared about her well-being might get manipulated. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she planned to wait until she returned to the capital before revealing the truth.
Zhou Qing was not in a hurry to start writing. Instead, she looked at Su Ying with a baffled expression and asked, “Have you truly located the Empress’s whereabouts?”
Su Ying replied with a straight face, “I have found her.”
Zhou Qing was even more puzzled. Why would he lie when he had already found her?
“Do as I say. You won’t go wrong. Go ahead and write.”
Zhou Qing was still skeptical.
Su Ying could only muster her patience and explain, “The Deputy Manager is a spy here. After he sends his news back, someone will definitely receive his news. Can you be sure that the person who received his news is not hiding among the people you trust?”
Only then did Zhou Qing understand what the Young Master meant. He was worried that someone would harm the Emperor and Empress.
After writing, Zhou Qing sent the message out.
“You… have really found the Empress?” Actually, what she wanted to ask was how was it possible that the Empress survived when she had fallen into the floodwaters at the base of the dam.
However, Su Ying replied with absolute certainty, “I have found her.”
Zhou Qing was tactful enough not to ask where she was. That was not something she should know.
On the night Zhou Qing’s reply was sent back to the capital, a person crept into an inconspicuous private dwelling in the dark.
There was only one side room in the house with a single lamp. The figure pushed open the door of the side room in the dark and walked in.
The moment he entered, the dim candlelight in the room was instantly extinguished, and the room fell into a chilly, sinister darkness.
“Master, there’s news from the Jin State again. They said that there was a mistake and that the person they found was not the Empress at all.” The person in the room gave a scornful laugh upon hearing that. “How could she survive if she fell from that place? It is also Xiao Jin’s wishful thinking Nonetheless, you’d better send someone to investigate what is going on. Let’s see who can’t wait.”
“Yes, Sir.”
By the fifth day, the border pass of the Jin State was still not opened, and it seemed that the Jin State did not have any intention of opening the border pass before catching the spy. Therefore, the border pass was unlikely to be opened until the spy was apprehended.
After waiting for a few days, Su Ying’s patience was running out, but she didn’t plan to force her way out.
When Zhou Qing entered the room, she saw Su Ying looking at her somewhat intently.
“What are you looking at, Young Master?”
“I’m looking at your face.”
Su Ying simply called Zhou Qing to come to her. Zhou Qing walked toward her in bafflement, but before she could say anything, everything turned black before her eyes and she lost consciousness.
Su Ying brought the woman into the interspatial store, and after tinkering around for a while, she brought the woman out with satisfaction.
When Zhou Qing woke up, the sky was already dark. She looked around in confusion before noticing Su Ying sitting on a chair. Her back profile was illuminated by the flickering light from the bulbous lantern.
Zhou Qing asked with a baffled expression, “Young Master…”
Su Ying’s expression twitched a little upon hearing her, and she slowly turned her head.
Zhou Qing let out a soft cry suddenly. She was so shocked that she couldn’t speak as she looked at the face that looked exactly like hers under the dim light.
Su Ying spoke up faintly, “Do I look like you?”
Zhou Qing nodded in astonishment. She recognized Su Ying’s voice. So Su Ying had disguised herself as Zhou Qing.
Zhou Qing got up and walked over to take a closer look. This went beyond looking like her. In fact, just by looking at her face, she was almost identical to Zhou Qing!
Even when she was so close, there was no flaw to be seen. This face seemed to belong to Su Ying and no trace of disguise could be found at all.
“Young Master, your craftsmanship is really good.”
SU Ying didn’t deny it. This mask was a one-to-one reconstruction made from animal protein. Even under the hot sun, it would be difficult to distinguish by the naked eye whether the face was real or fake.
“I don’t want to wait any longer..”