Little Red had disappeared. Not only had Li Yi made arrangements for the brothel, but he had also informed the county government and even the Secret Intelligence Office. They had already acted quickly. All they could do now was wait.
There was no news, but Liu Yiyi soon came.
"There's a traitor in the Secret Intelligence Office." Liu Yiyi's face was as calm as still water. He said slowly, "When we brought people there, there were no traces left. There were only a few servants of the Qin family, but they had something on them. After all, that was the house of an important official in the court. It's a bit troublesome."
Li Yi looked at him and asked, "You didn't find any clues at all?"
Liu Yiyi shook his head. "One night is enough for them to move the people away. Other clues are not enough to be used as evidence. There are people watching the surroundings, and there are no suspicious people coming in or out. There should be a secret passage inside, but we have no reason to search it now."
"What about the traitor?" Li Yi asked.
"He committed suicide." Liu Yiyi shook his head and said, "That person has been in the Secret Intelligence Office for nearly 20 years. When we found him, he bit the poison sac and didn't say a word."
"I see." Li Yi nodded and asked again, "Do you know which family the carriages that go in and out usually belong to?"
"There are records of them." Liu Yiyi replied, then raised his head and said, "But Sir, with just these, I'm afraid it's difficult to form evidence. Moreover, those people are all nobles in the capital, and their status is extraordinary …"
Li Yi waved his hand. "These are enough."
The Secret Intelligence Office had a special status in the court, but it was still troublesome to encounter such things. Liu Yiyi would have a headache later.
Breaking into a private house was not a big deal in other places, but this was the capital, and everything had to be done according to the law. Moreover, the court had changed the law not long ago against the opposition of countless nobles. If the court protected the Secret Intelligence Office breaking into an official's house, it would undoubtedly be contradictory. It would give those people a reason, and maybe something more serious would happen.
To be honest, even Li Yi himself didn't expect that they could plant people in the Secret Intelligence Office. He had to admit that he had underestimated the Cui family.
This time, Liu Yiyi had returned without any results. They would definitely be more careful and even stop all actions. If they wanted to collect evidence through normal channels, it would be very difficult.
Crack!
In the end, Li Yi did not manage to keep the teapot.
"You didn't find him?" The sloppy old man slammed his palm on the new table, causing it to shatter. The teapot on top of it also fell to the ground and broke into several pieces.
"Are they messing with me?" The anger on the sloppy old man's face didn't last long. He quickly revealed a smile, stroked his beard, and muttered, "Interesting, interesting. How many years has it been since I've encountered something so interesting …"
The smile on his face was like that of a benevolent elder, but the servant girl who came in to clean up the mess couldn't help but shiver. She felt her body was a little cold, and her hands moved a little faster …
…
Cui Family.
Cui Qingming sighed and said, "What a pity. In the past 20 years, there was only one spy left in the Secret Intelligence Office. Now, there's no one left …"
Someone beside him comforted, "Second Brother, there's no need to sigh. As the saying goes, there's no gain without loss. Although we've lost that spy, the Secret Intelligence Office recklessly intruded into an official's residence. This is not a small crime. The Imperial Court has reformed the law, and it can't be overturned … With Liu Yiyi around, the Ministry of Justice is almost unable to interfere. If we get rid of him, it will be much more convenient to do things in the future."
Cui Qingming nodded and said, "Let them be prepared. This time, if we don't pull Liu Yiyi down completely, we won't rest!"
The Cui Clan hated Liu Yiyi to the bone. At that time, it was precisely because of Liu Yiyi's meddling that caused all their arrangements and deployments towards the Chu Clan to turn into ash. The Chu Clan had fallen, and the Cui Clan had lost an arm. If this matter were to implicate the Qin Clan and those people, then they would really arrive at the end of their rope.
At this point, they almost understood that it was unlikely for His Majesty to summon the King of Shu back. But if the status quo was maintained, it might not be a bad thing for them.
Once His Majesty passed away, who was more suitable than the King of Shu in terms of identity and status when the position of the Eastern Palace was vacant?
If it really came to that, it would be much easier for them to do things.
Cui Qingming showed a sarcastic smile and said, "I really want to see with my own eyes what expression County Marquis Li has now."
Li Yi was naturally anxious, but it was not because of the Secret Intelligence Office.
As long as he knew the facts, the evidence was not important.
What he was worried about was that if something really happened to Little Red, Old Fang's family would be ruined. However, the brothel and the government were not omnipotent. Even if they were to find clues, it would take time. Instead of searching around like a headless fly, it was better to wait here.
Some people of the Cui Family were also anxious.
"Little Duke, I've asked the front and back doors, and no strange woman came in or out. That woman must be hiding somewhere in the mansion. If you look hard, you can definitely find her!"
Qin Yu glanced at him coldly and said, "Go and look for her. Go and look for her in every room in the mansion!"
The servant was stunned and asked again, "Go and look for her in every room. Prime Minister and the masters …"
Qin Yu kicked him and said, "Except for those few, don't let anyone go!"
In a remote and messy woodshed in Qin's Mansion, a woman looked at the figure covered in a black cloak and said gratefully, "Thank you for saving me, my benefactor."
"Little Red, why are you here?" A hoarse voice came from the black cloak, and it was not difficult to tell that it was a woman's voice.
"I was caught by them," the woman replied. Then she realized something and asked in shock, "How, how do you know my name is Little Red?"
The person in the black cloak put down the hood of her cloak. It was an ordinary-looking woman, but there was a long scar on her face, which looked a little scary.
The woman looked at her and said, "I went down the mountain with Uncle Fang and saw you on the road."
Little Red's expression was a little excited. She grabbed her sleeve and asked, "You, you know Big Brother Fang?"
The woman with the long scar on her face did not answer this question. Instead, she looked at her and said, "This place is very remote. They can't find this place. You hide here first. I'll think of a way to spread the news."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sudden urgent knock on the door.
The woman's expression changed. She hurriedly let Little Red hide in a large vat and threw her black cloak inside. She carried a bundle of firewood and walked to the door. She asked, "Who is it? The firewood is not ready yet. Wait a moment …"
A rough voice came from outside the door, "Open the door. The community sends warmth."
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