Chapter 261: Night Exploration

Chapter 261: Night Reconnaissance

News that the Imperial Inspector was coming to Yuanzhou had been spread long ago, but Cheng Ge had been sitting around in the inspection office for days doing nothing.

He hadn't seen a single commoner at the gate, crying out for justice or handing in a petition—not even a ghost. It nearly bored the hell out of him.

Still, this outcome didn't entirely catch him off guard.

Ling Feng and the others had spent the past few days investigating openly and covertly within Yuanzhou City, yet they couldn't even find a single beggar. It was eerily "clean" to the point of being frightening.

To be honest, even under the emperor's own nose in the capital, there would still be beggars.

But when things become too perfect, that itself becomes the biggest flaw.

Just then, Ling Feng strode in quickly, holding a compiled booklet.

"Your Excellency, this is a list of the main officials in Yuanzhou that we've been able to gather so far—their names, native places, backgrounds, and some publicly known connections."

Cheng Ge took the booklet and flipped through it carefully, his eyes scanning several names.

Finally, his finger stopped on one name: Yuanzhou Prefecture Vice Prefect, Zhao Yuanliang.

This man was not a top local official like Zhou Wenyuan, but a deputy in charge of specific affairs such as grain transport, water conservancy, and litigation—a crucial position.

Based on the limited information available, Zhao Yuanliang came from a humble background.

Yet he had managed to secure the second-in-command seat in Yuanzhou, which suggested considerable backing behind him.

Moreover, unlike Zhou Wenyuan's slippery and seasoned demeanor, Zhao Yuanliang seemed... a more vulnerable entry point.

...

That night, it was a dark, windy night.

Cheng Ge looked up at the sky and decided it was a perfect night for some burglary.

On top of the high wall around the Zhao residence, a pair of hands crept up to the top.

Then, a head wrapped in black cloth cautiously poked out.

Cheng Ge squinted, peering into the courtyard through the hazy moonlight.

He lowered his voice and said to Wufeng, who was supporting him from below, "Lift me a bit higher; I can't see clearly."

Hearing this, Wufeng silently rose on tiptoe, pushing Cheng Ge up nearly half a foot more.

Beside them, Jifeng and Ling Feng nervously reached out to support him, afraid he might fall and get himself killed.

Cheng Ge cursed inwardly—Zhao Yuanliang must be hiding something. What kind of upright official would build his courtyard wall as thick as a city wall?

After much effort, Cheng Ge climbed onto the wall and steadied himself.

He quickly untied a coil of rope from his waist, placing one end outside the wall while letting the other drop silently into the courtyard.

He turned back and whispered to the three anxious heads below, "You guys wait here for me. Don't run off, okay?"

Too many people would draw attention and increase the risk of exposure. Cheng Ge planned to go in alone.

With that, without waiting for a reply, he grabbed the rope, pressed his boots against the wall,

and slid down swiftly, landing with only the faintest soft tap.

Cheng Ge crouched low, quickly steadied himself, and adjusted the black cloth over his face, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes exposed.

He swept his gaze around—rockeries, trees, pavilion outlines... All silent, no one in sight.

Crouching low, he crept forward, hugging the shadows at the base of the wall.

Lanterns under the eaves swayed gently in the night breeze, casting shifting patches of light.

A patrol of guards marched past in neat steps. Cheng Ge shrank into the corner shadow, only emerging once their footsteps faded.

Using the layout he had observed from above, he navigated stealthily until he reached the outer perimeter of the study courtyard.

The study's doors and windows were tightly shut, fastened with a heavy brass lock.

Cheng Ge glanced left and right, and after confirming no one was around, he pulled a custom lock-pick from his bosom.

Since his last lock-picking mishap at the Liu residence, he had learned from his mistake and practiced hard.

Now his skills were top-notch—not only could he crack the small lock on the Zhao study, but even if the Southern Heavenly Gate were locked, he'd be able to pick it open.

He moved his fingertips lightly, jiggled it a bit in the keyhole. After a couple of quick twists, a soft click sounded as the lock tongue sprang open.

Cheng Ge swiftly retrieved the pick, gently removed the brass lock, and slipped sideways into the study.

Moonlight filtered faintly through the paper window lattice, barely illuminating the room's interior.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled mostly with books just for show, like *The Analects* and *Zizhi Tongjian*.

Cheng Ge wasted no time and began rummaging through the shelves, but everything he touched was ordinary—nothing unusual.

He then turned to inspect the walls, floor, and antique display stands, tapping them lightly,

listening for any hollow echoes, searching for hidden compartments or secret chamber mechanisms.

Finally, near the lower inside of an unremarkable pear wood bookcase, he discovered an extremely concealed compartment.

His fingertips detected an almost imperceptible give. Elated, he carefully felt for the mechanism and pressed gently.

A panel slid open silently, revealing a blue-covered ledger hidden inside.

Cheng Ge's heart tightened. He immediately retrieved the ledger and crouched low under the wide desk.

He pulled out a tinder stick, lit a faint flame, and eagerly began flipping through the pages.

As the ledger's contents met his eyes, his pupils contracted.

His fingers pinched the edges of the pages, tightening with each line. The further he read, the deeper his frown became.

Just as he turned to a certain page, a folded piece of paper slipped out from between the leaves.

Cheng Ge picked it up and opened it. In the faint light, it appeared to be a simple map,

marked with several locations and strange symbols. Beside one symbol, a big X was drawn.

But before he could study the drawing further, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly approached outside the study door.

His heart skipped a beat. He glanced toward the door and blew out the flame in an instant.

At lightning speed, he stuffed the drawing back into the account book, then precisely slid the account book back into the hidden compartment, and reset the mechanism.

The whole process took no more than two or three breaths, swift and silent.

Just as he slid and crouched into the corner behind the desk, the study door silently opened from the outside.

A figure, appearing exceptionally tall and slender in the moonlight, was silently projected onto the wall, moving slowly.

The newcomer was also extremely cautious; he gently closed the door behind him, without lighting a lamp.

Instead, he stood quietly in the darkness for a moment, as if observing and searching for something.

Cheng Ge, hiding in the dark, didn't even dare to breathe; his muscles were tense, his senses hyper-aware, and he could barely hear his own heartbeat.

The tall dark figure began to move slowly within the study, his footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.

He did not blindly search as Cheng Ge had, but instead directly checked several hiding spots.

Just as he approached the area of the large desk, his steps halted almost unnoticeably, and his head tilted slightly.

It was as if a beast prowling in the darkness had detected another unfamiliar scent.

His gaze locked onto the dark corner beside the desk, and he slowly stepped forward, his huge shadow covering the entire corner.

Cheng Ge listened to the approaching footsteps, like oppressive clouds pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

His fingers curled into fists, his breath almost nonexistent, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

The dark figure suddenly lunged at him. Cheng Ge's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced, delivering a knife-hand chop straight at the opponent's neck.

The dark figure reacted surprisingly fast, as if anticipating Cheng Ge's counterattack, sidestepping and turning his head to quickly avoid the fatal blow.

At the same time, he clenched his right fist and threw a simple, brutal, yet fierce straight punch, tearing through the air with a roar, ruthlessly aiming at Cheng Ge's face!

The force of the punch hit his face, making Cheng Ge gasp for air. Not daring to take it head-on, he quickly ducked and slid back and to the side.

The fierce punch whistled past his ear, the draft stinging his cheek painfully, and a few strands of loose hair ruffled by the sharp force.

"Bang! Slap! Thump!" In the dark study, the two instantly became entangled in a fight.

The sound of fists and feet colliding was dull and rapid, especially startling in the silent night.

"Help support me with the power of love, aw..."