Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 130 Intercepting Intelligence

News of the internal strife in Xiliang spread like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind, carried by caravans traveling north and south, refugees fleeing the country, and spies from various factions, quietly reaching all directions. The tense atmosphere on the northwestern border of Xinghuo Fortress subtly escalated. Patrols increased in frequency, border checkpoints became more thorough, and even the small groups of scouts that previously patrolled the buffer zone received clearer instructions from the Military Council: expand their reconnaissance areas and focus on any unusual movements originating from Xiliang.

However, finding a strategist who deliberately conceals his tracks, or even disguises himself, among the diverse people who travel along the hundreds of miles of border every day is like finding a needle in a haystack. Chen Xing knew this well, and he did not place all his hopes on the strict border checks. The real key lay in Li Shu's increasingly sophisticated and efficient intelligence network, which had already infiltrated the major powers in the north.

Inside Starfire Fortress, a secluded courtyard in a quiet corner of the Military Affairs Bureau, guarded day and night, is the core of Li Shu's intelligence operations. There are no signs here, and entry and exit require special passwords. This seemingly ordinary building is constantly processing secret reports from various undercover agents. Encrypted silk scrolls, dictated codes, and even wax pellets hidden in cargo compartments converge here in various clandestine ways. Specially trained clerks decipher, verify, and categorize these, finally presenting the most valuable information to Li Shu.

As soon as the internal strife broke out in Xiliang, Li Shu mobilized all his spies within and around Xiliang, focusing on monitoring several major escape routes and increasing the frequency of information transmission. He knew that his lord valued the strategist named Jia Wen highly.

For several days, news about Jia Wenxing's whereabouts was chaotic and conflicting, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Some said they saw him blend into a caravan and head south, others said he disguised himself as a Qiang person and headed north into the grasslands, and still others rumored that he hadn't gone far at all and was hiding in the home of an old friend in Guzang City. Every day, Li Shu had to sift through, analyze, and judge from a large amount of redundant and even contradictory information.

That evening, an encrypted silk scroll, relayed from the southeast via three different transit points, arrived at Li Shu's desk. The transmission route indicated that it originally came from near Mianchi Pass on the southeastern border of Xiliang. Mianchi Pass was one of the important passes connecting Liangzhou to the Central Plains. Although it was on the periphery of Han Sui's power, the general guarding the pass had always maintained a distant relationship with Han Sui, resulting in relatively lax defenses and making it a possible escape route.

The coded message on the silk scroll was quickly deciphered, and its contents invigorated Li Shu. According to a report from an undercover agent lurking near a post station near Mianchi Pass: two days prior, a small caravan of about ten people had crossed the border, claiming to be from Wuwei in Liangzhou, transporting furs to Luoyang. The caravan leader was a scholar in his forties, with a fair complexion and a slight beard, who introduced himself as "Manager Jia." When questioned by the gatekeepers, he spoke clearly and answered fluently, and his official documents were complete, leaving no room for doubt. However, the observant undercover agent noticed two details: first, "Manager Jia's" hands were fair and long, with clean nails, showing no signs of years of trading or wielding weapons; they resembled the hands of someone who had held a pen. Second, the guards in the caravan, seemingly casual, were actually positioned to subtly protect the scholar, their sharp eyes and gait bearing clear signs of military discipline, unlike ordinary caravan guards.

The undercover agent became suspicious and secretly noted down the names and hometowns on the caravan's travel documents, as well as the general facial features of the scholar. After passing through the checkpoint, the caravan did not take the usual main road to Luoyang, but instead turned southeast and entered the hilly area of ​​the Xiaoshan Mountains, seemingly intentionally avoiding the official road and major towns.

"Fair face with a light beard, narrow eyes, and a faint mole on the left eyebrow..." Li Shu repeated these features in a low voice, quickly comparing them in his mind with the vague descriptions of Jia Wen's appearance that he had previously gathered: "Fair hands, like a scholar... The guards have the air of soldiers... After passing through the pass, they don't take the main road, but instead enter the hills..."

All signs point to a strategist who hastily fled, attempting to conceal his whereabouts, and may be protected by loyal former subordinates! More importantly, the direction! Southeast! Not westward back to the Qiang lands, nor northward into the Hu plains, but towards the Central Plains, towards… the southeast direction where Xinghuo Fort's sphere of influence is gradually expanding!

Although it cannot be confirmed with 100% certainty that it is Jia Wen himself, the value of this clue far exceeds that of other chaotic rumors.

Li Shu dared not delay and immediately took the translated intelligence and preliminary analysis to Chen Xing's study in the main fortress.

The study was brightly lit, and Chen Xing was reviewing the latest summary from the Minzhi Prefecture regarding the progress of spring plowing and irrigation. Seeing Li Shu arrive late at night, his expression grave yet tinged with urgency, he knew something important must be on his mind.

"My lord, there may be a lead on Jia Wen from Xiliang." Li Shu presented the translated report and analysis, concisely reporting the discovery of the spy at Mianchi Pass and his own judgment.

Chen Xing quickly scanned the contents of the paper, his gaze lingering briefly on keywords such as "Manager Jia," "fair hands," "guardian's aura," and "turning towards the southeast hills," his eyes gleaming.

"The hilly area southeast of Mianchi Pass..." Chen Xing stood up and walked to the huge map of northern China hanging in the sky. His finger traced the map southeast from the location of Mianchi Pass, passing through an area marked with hilly terrain. "This area is characterized by crisscrossing mountains, sparse villages, and difficult roads, but it is indeed possible to bypass many passes and detour southeast. Further southeast... lies the upper reaches of the Luo River. Beyond the Luo River is the territory of Hongnong Commandery, which is close to Sili. If he really is Jia Wen, why would he risk turning in this direction instead of going to Guanzhong or returning to the Central Plains..."

His finger finally stopped at the northwest corner of Hongnong County, an area that was only about two hundred miles away from the southwestern edge of Xinghuo Fort's current actual control area.

"He's evading Han Sui's pursuit, while also observing and making his choice," Chen Xing said slowly, his gaze becoming profound. "The Central Plains are in chaos, and the various factions in Guanzhong are fiercely fighting. He's a fugitive from Xiliang, without roots or foundation. If he rashly joins us, he might not be valued and could even be drawn into a more complex vortex. To the south, Jingzhou and Jiangdong are far away, and the xenophobic atmosphere is even stronger. As for the northeast... our Xinghuo Fort has just broken through Heishan, and our prestige has shaken the north. It's a time when we are eager to make progress and thirst for talent. More importantly, we have no direct conflict with Xiliang. In fact, it could be said that the internal strife in Xiliang is to our advantage. If he comes to join us, he won't have to bear the name of 'betraying his master'. On the contrary, he might be valued for 'abandoning darkness for light'."

Li Shu nodded: "My lord's analysis is correct. In this light, this 'Manager Jia' is most likely Jia Wen. The roundabout route he chose, which seems to be a detour, is actually to avoid being seen by all parties. His ultimate goal is likely to defect to my Starfire Fortress, or at least to observe and test it up close."

"He still has guards around him and acts cautiously, which shows that he is not at his wit's end and still has options and resources," Chen Xing pondered. "The difference between someone who comes willingly and someone who is invited passively is huge. Moreover, it is unknown whether he is truly coming. Perhaps he is just temporarily laying low and observing the situation."

He turned to Li Shu and decisively gave two orders: "First, immediately deploy all our informants and spies in the northwest of Hongnong County and the hilly areas upstream of the Luo River, and cast a wide net to search for this caravan! Pay special attention to remote villages, hunters' huts in the mountains, abandoned temples, and other possible hiding places. But remember, only observe and investigate from a distance; do not alert them! I need to know their exact location, number of people, condition, and... whether Jia Wen himself is among them."

"Second," Chen Xing paused, a sharp glint in his eyes, "notify Chen Wei to secretly dispatch a team of his most elite scouts, skilled in mountain tracking and infiltration, led by him or an absolutely reliable officer, to that area immediately and await orders. Once our people confirm the target, and the caravan shows signs of continuing to move towards our border, have these scouts 'accidentally' discover them, and then..."

He lowered his voice and explained a detailed plan.

Li Shu's eyes lit up as he listened, secretly praising his lord for his thorough planning. He not only ensured that he had a grasp of the target's movements but also laid a reasonable groundwork for the next step of contact, while minimizing the risk of alerting the enemy or causing them to feel resentful.

"Understood! I'll make the arrangements right away!" Li Shu accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew.

The study returned to silence. Chen Xing looked at the hilly area on the map again, as if he could see the slender figure cautiously walking along the mountain path under the moonlight through the map.

"Jia Wen, Jia Wenhe..." he murmured to himself, "If you are truly willing to come and join me, I will certainly welcome you with open arms. If you are just hesitating and observing... then I don't mind helping you make a decision."