Chapter 461: Chapter 425: Impersonation
On the day of the Winter Solstice, every household in Shengjing City was preparing the ingredients for dumplings, while children chased and played in the alleys, singing rhymes.
"Winter Solstice is here, Winter Solstice is here, every household makes dumplings, if you don’t eat dumplings on Winter Solstice, no one cares if you freeze your ears off."
Near the Prime Minister’s Mansion, an old man selling vegetables in the morning set up his stall, displaying fresh radishes and cabbages.
"Old Zhang, two radishes please."
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the old man looked up to see a middle-aged man wearing a simple cotton coat and carrying a vegetable basket, and quickly picked out two good-looking radishes.
"Oh, Prime Minister, why did you personally come to buy vegetables?"
Zuo Jinye smiled and said, "Winter Solstice season, just getting some radishes and lamb to make dumplings."
After taking the radishes, he fished out a few Copper Coins from his waistband and handed them over. The old man bowed and accepted them with both hands, and once Zuo Jinye walked away, the old man joyfully took out a piece of cloth to carefully wrap the Copper Coins, intending to make them lucky money for his children.
These are coins from the Prime Minister!
Unbeknownst to him, this Prime Minister was Hua Qianmian in disguise.
Hua Qianmian carried the identity of Zuo Jinye, strolling the streets with a vegetable basket, and following Zuo Jinye’s usual habits, she even stopped by the roadside to eat a bowl of wonton soup.
Zuo Jinye often walked the streets in such a manner, blending in with the people, so the citizens didn’t show much surprise, and upon seeing him from a distance, they greeted him respectfully with smiles and nods.
The times when he would make people bow all around him happened many years ago, and had since been corrected by Zuo Jinye.
As long as Zuo Jinye didn’t wear official robes outside, no one would bow to him. Everyone would tacitly treat him as an ordinary man in the city.
"You don’t look well, are you ill?" The woman selling wonton asked with concern when collecting the bowl.
Hua Qianmian gave a peaceful smile, coughed a few times and replied, "Caught a slight cold, it’s nothing."
After paying, Hua Qianmian continued her stroll on the street, buying onions, ginger, garlic, lamb, red paper, pen and ink, as usual.
Imperial Guards hurriedly ran past, paused upon seeing Hua Qianmian, gave a polite greeting, and then rushed off again.
Due to the recent lockdown in Shengjing City, many merchants were stranded inside, causing congestion and incidents as they were unfamiliar with local rules, keeping the Imperial Guards busy around the clock.
Zuo Jinye never shied away from his past as an opera performer, often visiting tea houses for storytelling and opera houses to watch performances.
When Hua Qianmian arrived at a tea house, seeing it crowded, she entered to listen to storytelling for a while, allowing more people to see her and mistake her for the genuine Zuo Jinye.
News of the Prime Minister suddenly appearing on the streets quickly reached the Evil Suppression Bureau.
Qiu Wanjun knew Zuo Jinye had traveled to Tibet and was puzzled, thus sent Qiu Siming to investigate.
Unfortunately, before Qiu Siming could find Zuo Jinye, news arrived from the Inspection Bureau about an infiltrator’s presence.
Seeing this, Qiu Wanjun had no choice but to send Qiu Siming to capture the infiltrator first.
After all, under normal circumstances, no one would be crazy enough to impersonate Zuo Jinye, a Prime Minister and the most powerful figure in Da Xuan.
Thus, Hua Qianmian wandered around the city for half a day, passing several crowded spots, and even hired a carriage to take her to the bustling West Market to buy tea bricks.
Timing cleverly, Hua Qianmian winked at Cheng Ge, disguised as a Meng Family servant waiting by the roadside, and Cheng Ge released a small snake, causing an outbreak of screams in the tea shop.
Elsewhere, Sang Que noticed the commotion and understood it as the signal to act. Leveraging the dismemberment ability of the Yin Child, he tore off the skin of Nanny Li he wore, revealing his true appearance, exposing himself to the gaze of the Evil Suppression Bureau.
Hua Qianmian, impersonating Zuo Jinye, secretly used the Instant Body Talisman given by Yao Zhen, disappearing in front of everyone in the bustling streets of West Market.
Soon, Imperial Guards and Day Traveling Envoys from the Evil Suppression Bureau arrived in West Market, searching for Sang Que.
Qiu Siming personally led a team, guided by the mirror’s position to find Sang Que, only to see Zuo Jinye sitting at a roadside tea stall, with a basket full of vegetables and meat beside him, leisurely drinking tea.
The tea stall owner shrank in a corner, watching Zuo Jinye nervously, across from him a black-clad girl.
The girl sat expressionless, bound by black chains, glaring at Zuo Jinye.
Qiu Siming instantly recognized the chains as the Soul Hook wielded by Prime Minister Zuo, an inescapable binding for anyone ensnared.
"Forgive us, Prime Minister, for personally capturing the infiltrator. It’s our negligence!"
Qiu Siming didn’t doubt the identity of the Zuo Jinye in front of him, immediately bowed and apologized.
Sang Que and Hua Qianmian watched Qiu Siming’s reactions from the shadows, observing he knew nothing of the relation between Zuo Jinye and Sang Que.
"Cough, cough cough."
Zuo Jinye’s face was shrouded in a faint bloody aura, unnoticed by regular people who only saw him looking unwell, but members of the Evil Suppression Bureau clearly spotted this aura, just as they had previously seen with Prime Minister Zuo.
"Prepare the carriage, return to the Evil Suppression Bureau."
Zuo Jinye lightly instructed, prompting Qiu Siming to quickly call for a carriage.
When Qiu Siming attempted to take Sang Que from Zuo Jinye, he was stopped as Zuo Jinye indicated Sang Que should ride in the same carriage with him.
Qiu Siming sensed a subtle relation between Zuo Jinye and Sang Que. Though it didn’t make him suspicious of Zuo Jinye, it reminded him of his grandfather Qiu Wanjun’s advice.
If they found a girl about eighteen among the infiltrators, they must handle her cautiously, not immediately eliminate.
Upon asking why, Qiu Wanjun simply said the girl had a close connection with the Prime Minister.
Now it seemed so indeed.
The carriage swiftly reached the front gate of the Evil Suppression Bureau. As Qiu Siming was about to assist Zuo Jinye in escorting Sang Que inside, two hurried Day Traveling Captains approached and whispered in Qiu Siming’s ear.
Zuo Jinye glanced at Sang Que and instructed, "Go on with your tasks, they have accomplices in the city, don’t let them disrupt the citizens."
"Understood!"
Zuo Jinye’s expression remained serene yet icy, standing there exuding a palpable pressure.
Qiu Siming dared not delay, immediately mobilizing most of his forces to capture accomplices in the city.
For in Qiu Siming’s perspective, with his grandfather Qiu Wanjun overseeing the Evil Suppression Bureau and the Prime Minister back within its walls, Shengjing City was safest here – no trouble would occur.
After his team departed, only Hua Qianmian disguised as Zuo Jinye, and the bound Sang Que remained at the entrance of the Evil Suppression Bureau, exchanging subtle glances.
With a wave of Hua Qianmian’s hand, the shadow of Black Impermanence flashed behind Sang Que, the Soul Hook emitting sounds, its invisible power pulling Sang Que along as they ascended the steps of the Evil Suppression Bureau.
Beneath the ornate Eight Diagrams Mirror at the main gate, it reflected the images of the two ascending figures. The image of Zuo Jinye appeared subtly distorted in the mirror, making Hua Qianmian feel its pressure, agitating her Painted Skin Ghost.
Fortunately, the agitation was manageable, and no one outside observed the mirror’s anomaly as Hua Qianmian quickened her pace.
Successfully crossing the threshold of the Evil Suppression Bureau, Hua Qianmian barely had a moment to relax before spotting Qiu Wanjun standing like a tower at the entrance of the conference hall. The aura of war and battles from years on the field enveloped him, his eyes squinting as he scrutinized them.
Hua Qianmian’s heart involuntarily tensed, knowing only by deceiving Qiu Wanjun can they truly pass the test.
