Crimson Leaves: How Deeply They Fall Chapter Fourteen: The Surveillance

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In the lowly quarters where the servants of the Wang residence stayed, Gu Lifu was roused from sleep by a knock at the door. Glancing over at the adjacent bed where Niu Er and Li Fu were still buried under their covers, fast asleep, he muttered a curse in irritation and raised his voice, “Who is it? Don’t you know we’ve been on guard duty all night?”

Xiao Hong’s voice came from outside the door, “Brother Gu, it’s me. May I come in?”

Gu Lifu threw off the covers with a grunt, scrambling to put on his clothes in haste. “Wait just a moment!” Xiao Hong was the personal maid to the young mistress of the household, her status far above that of the security guards and gardeners. Naturally, Gu Lifu had to be careful and ingratiate himself. Turning his head, he noticed Niu Er and Li Fu still sound asleep. His anger flared, and he stomped twice on them. Only then did the two rouse themselves and begin to bustle about alongside Gu Lifu.

Once ready, Gu Lifu got out of bed and opened the door. A strong stench of sweat and foot odor wafted out, causing Xiao Hong to cover her mouth and nose with a grimace. “Everyone worked so hard guarding last night; the young mistress is deeply grateful,” she said, pulling a brocade pouch from her bosom and handing it over. “This silver is a reward for all of you. It’s not much, but it carries the household’s sincere thanks.”

Gu Lifu weighed the pouch in his hand, feeling its heavy weight. His face lit up with joy. “It was just our duty, young miss. You’re too kind.”

Xiao Hong then produced another brocade pouch from her bosom and extended it toward Gu Lifu. He looked at her in puzzlement. She explained, “Though the thief escaped last night, he was severely wounded. The young mistress fears he may harbor a grudge and seek revenge, so she has decided to move from the West Wing to the East Wing. The East Wing was formerly the residence of the eldest and second young ladies before their marriages and has been vacant since. It will be suitable for the young mistress to relocate there. The furnishings are a bit old, but I’ve prepared a list. To avoid troubling the two masters, please split up and purchase the items. The leftover silver needn’t be returned—it’s for your hard work.”

Gu Lifu’s eyes narrowed into joyful slits as he smiled broadly. “We’ll handle it swiftly so the young miss can move in as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Niu Er and Li Fu overheard the news and beamed with delight, thanking Xiao Hong profusely. The three quickly gathered their things, took the note Xiao Hong prepared, and hurried out. Xiao Hong stood on tiptoe, watching their backs as they turned the corner of the courtyard. She beckoned with a wave, and three young men appeared from behind her, chasing after the departing trio before disappearing from sight. Only then did she return to the West Wing to report to Wang Shihan.

Wang Shihan nodded and, with a pen, crossed out the names of the three men from a secret list on her desk. “All have been notified. There are six in total. Most of the informants are likely among these.”

Xiao Hong asked, “How is the young miss so sure?”

Wang Shihan replied, “I’ve already seen the flower name roster you obtained from Uncle Sixi. Those with the red contracts are ruled out first. These men signed long contracts, sharing the fortunes and misfortunes of the Wang family. Of the remaining dozen or so, excluding those I have never met and those who have not established employment with the Wang family in the past five years, these six are the only ones with the opportunity to commit the crime.” She asked with some concern, “Are the people you got from the steward reliable?” Uncle Sixi, over fifty years old, is the Wang family steward and has a close relationship with Wang Shihan.

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Xiao Hong rolled her eyes in imitation of Wang Shihan. “Uncle Sixi picked six fresh faces from among the gardeners and kitchen staff, all young and strong fellows. Each was assigned to shadow one person, with a promise of ten taels of silver if they report Tang Haiqiu’s whereabouts without having to intervene personally. A generous reward will surely find brave men; you need not worry.”

Wang Shihan pretended to pinch Xiao Hong’s waist, making her giggle and dodge away. Then Wang Shihan opened the window, feeling both nervous and somewhat hopeful.

Xiao Hong stood behind her. “Are we still moving?”

Wang Shihan thought for a moment. “We’ll play it all out—tell Uncle Sixi to have people move the belongings after lunch.”

Xiao Hong pursed her lips. “Should we tell him?” she asked, referring to Guyu, who had fallen silent ever since he returned to his room. Wang Shihan snorted and said nothing.

At the Wang residence’s gate, Gu Lifu and Niu Er waved their hands and went their separate ways. Across the street in a teahouse, Dong Xinwu, Zhou Wei, and Fang Wei watched the backs of the departing men. Fang Wei made a gesture behind his back, and several young men put down their teacups and gave chase.

Zhou Wei counted on his fingers. “Eight people left the residence early this morning. Most of the brothers who weren’t at the Wang residence yesterday have dispersed. If anyone else leaves now, that would be troublesome.” Last night, Dong Xinwu instructed Zhou Wei to set up covert sentries near the Wang family, but no catches were made. Dong Xinwu knew Tang Haiqiu was narrow-minded and vengeful, so he wasn’t overly anxious.

They suspected a spy inside the residence last night and spread the news that Tang Haiqiu was badly wounded, deliberately sowing panic among his accomplices. The thief would be unsettled, and Tang Haiqiu himself would need to know the household’s situation to act, so as long as the authorities remained calm, he wouldn’t slip away unnoticed.

Fang Wei rested his chin on his hand, his face full of suspicion. “Normally, after such an incident, the residence would be tightened up. We prepared for a long wait, but so many people left early this morning. Could something else have happened?”

Dong Xinwu listened with an expressionless face, murmured a “hmm,” though whether he absorbed it was unclear. Suddenly his gaze sharpened, and he tapped Fang Wei’s arm. Fang Wei looked toward the gate and saw three young men exiting the side gate, scanning the surroundings before quickly confirming their tasks by pointing with their fingers, then hurrying off in the same direction as Gu Lifu’s group.

“What’s going on?” Zhou Wei and Fang Wei exchanged glances, both puzzled. Zhou Wei was the first to react, “Could Wang Chengjian have identified the informants?”

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Dong Xinwu turned and instructed the two, “Go and swap your men. You two will personally shadow—one man each—and see what’s going on.” He pointed to Wu Haichao sitting behind them. “Old Six, you go too.” Wu Haichao was the sixth-ranked apprentice.

“Ah?” Wu Haichao struggled to stand. Since the tea was free, he had drunk several pots to his fill, making the tea as pale as the shopkeeper’s complexion. He thought Dong Xinwu wouldn’t notice him and was pleased to enjoy some leisure in the teahouse, but fate had singled him out.

Dong Xinwu looked at him helplessly. “Aren’t you going now?!”

Wu Haichao hurriedly agreed and rushed out. Zhou Wei gave a gentle tap on the back of his head. “You’re to follow that direction.” Wu Haichao remembered the man was called Li Fu. His figure had disappeared on the main street, and the tailing party was nowhere in sight. Zhou Wei tapped him again. “Turn right at the next intersection.” Wu Haichao winced but dared not resist and scrambled after them.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wei and Fang Wei appeared much more relaxed. Both were skilled at tailing. After a brief discussion, they divided their targets and each set off. Tailing requires a delicate balance—too close, and the target becomes alert; too far, and you lose control. This time was somewhat different, as Fang Wei had two targets. He chewed on a thin bread while watching the two men ahead.

Niu Er walked in front, lazily wandering, curiously inspecting street snacks and trinkets as if aimless. About ten yards behind him, a young man watched from a distance through the crowd, his facial muscles tense, clearly nervous. When Niu Er stopped, the young man immediately halted as well. Fang Wei shook his head repeatedly; if the target had been more cautious, he would have been spotted long ago.

But Niu Er remained oblivious, strolling on. Suddenly, he quickened his pace. The young man hurried to keep up, weaving roughly through the crowd. Someone with a short temper cursed loudly, “Damn it, who kicked me?!”