Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 470: Isn't it just about investigating spies?

He was well aware of the Crown Prince's predicament—although the rebellion of Prince Rongyang had been quelled many years ago, his followers were mostly cunning and shrewd, and a slight misstep could alert them.

Eliminating the rebels and protecting the Shen family's rule is his responsibility, and also a lesson the Crown Prince must learn.

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the envelope and murmured, "Your Highness, don't worry, there might be a turning point."

The atmosphere in the council hall of the Chuzhou government office was completely different from that in the capital.

Shi Wanxia, ​​dressed in a moon-white ruqun, was looking down at the Chuzhou water conservancy map on the table. She circled the "Rongshui Embankment" with her pen: "Brother Cui, Shuyun, these embankments have been in disrepair for years. If there is another heavy snow this winter, they will definitely flood in the spring. We must organize the people to reinforce them in advance to ensure a good harvest next year, regardless of drought or flood."

Cui Zhihao leaned closer, looking at the blueprints and nodding: "Miss Shi is right, but the autumn harvest in Chuzhou has just ended this year, and the people are short of money. The wages for hiring workers have to be drawn from the treasury..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. Shi Qing rushed in, lifting her skirt, her face filled with anxiety: "Miss! Miss! A message from His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived by carrier pigeon from the capital!"

Shi Wanxia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly straightened up.

Shiqing handed over the letter.

She unfolded it and saw the Crown Prince's anxiety in the neat handwriting—the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang were hard to find, and there might be changes at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. He asked her if she had any good solutions.

With her delicate brows furrowed slightly, Shi Wanxia held the letter between her fingers, her thoughts racing.

She had previously watched documentaries about the Middle East wars and the Russia-Ukraine conflict while browsing videos at home, and perhaps those methods for dealing with spies could be applied here.

If rebels want to take action in the palace, they must plant spies, and spies are most easily exposed in those "unusual" places.

"Shiqing, bring me paper and pen."

Shi Wanxia looked up, her eyes no longer showing the gentleness they had before, but instead a hint of cunning.

"I've thought of a few ways to report back to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Shi Qing quickly laid out the Xuan paper, ground the ink, and picked up her brush to wait.

Cui Zhihao, Cui Yu'an, Shuyun, Qin Xin, and the others also gathered around, looking at her curiously.

Shi Wanxia cleared her throat, her voice clear and bright: "Your Highness, I have five methods to follow the clues and expose the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang."

"The first approach is to start with the palace guards."

"Since Your Highness has already investigated the Imperial Guards, why not change your perspective—focus on investigating guards who have suddenly had a 'romantic encounter' or a 'confidante' in the past year or two."

“Especially those guards of low rank and ordinary family background, if a young and beautiful woman takes the initiative to throw herself into his arms, even without asking for a title or caring that he has a family, then there must be something wrong with that person.”

Before he could finish speaking, Cui Yu'an frowned and said, "Miss Shi, isn't this a bit too hasty?"

"Perhaps that guard is just popular with women, and may not necessarily be a spy for the rebels."

Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia turned to look at him, a sly smile playing on her lips: "Young Master Cui, put yourself in his shoes—if you were penniless, talentless, and of ordinary appearance, and suddenly a woman of unparalleled beauty said she had fallen in love with you at first sight, didn't want a dowry, didn't care that you had a family, and only wanted to be with you, would you believe her?"

Cui Yu'an stroked his chin, his eyes darting around: "If that's really the case... then it must be true love, right? She doesn't want anything, she only loves me."

"puff--"

Shi Wanxia couldn't help but laugh out loud and reached out to tap his forehead.

"You're still too naive. She doesn't want your money, she doesn't want your looks, so what, does she want your meager guard's salary? Or does she want you to help her deliver messages in the palace?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the council chamber fell silent.

Cui Zhihao was taken aback at first, then slammed his hand on the table: "That's right! What ordinary woman would do that? If that's the case, then that woman's purpose is definitely not pure!"

Shuyun nodded, her eyes full of agreement: "What you say is absolutely right, Miss. We should always be wary of things that don't make sense."

Cui Yu'an blushed and scratched his head: "Miss Shi is so thoughtful. I was just being silly."

Shi Qing's pen flew across the paper as she wrote down every word of the conversation, even the way the girl raised her eyebrows.

Shi Wanxia continued, "Secondly, investigate abnormal behavior patterns."

“Those spies of the anti-Party must have telltale signs—for example, they are nocturnal and always avoid crowded places;”

"He frequently requests leave of absence, but instead of going home, he goes to remote places to meet people;"

"Or perhaps he was overly concerned with the military deployments in the palace and the movements of the court, and always lingered near the Imperial Study and the Eastern Palace."

"Thirdly, investigate suspicious identities and disguises. They might disguise themselves as students, using the pretext of 'visiting a friend' to sneak into the capital;"

"Or they could disguise themselves as merchants, using the pretext of delivering tribute to the palace to gather information;"

“They might even impersonate a distant relative of a guard, using emotional appeals to extract secrets.”

She walked to the window, looked at the rice paddies outside Chuzhou City, and her voice deepened: "Fourth, investigate contradictory words and deeds."

"If someone claims to be a merchant from Jiangnan, yet doesn't know whether Jiangnan's specialty is silk or tea;"

"If anyone is indifferent to His Majesty's birthday, the founding of the dynasty, or other such important events, and cannot even recall the specific dates;"

“Or someone who is clearly just a minor official, yet wears gold and silver and spends far more than his salary—these are the people who should be investigated.”

Fifth, investigate unusual social interactions. Some people deliberately infiltrate literary gatherings, using discussions of poetry and painting as a pretext to gather information;

"Or they spread rumors in the streets, saying that 'the Crown Prince's investigation is too strict and has harmed the innocent,' deliberately inciting the people's dissatisfaction with the government and creating chaos for the rebels."

Cui Zhihao nodded repeatedly, took the paper that Shi Qing had written, and looked at it carefully: "These five methods are interconnected. If we can really investigate them one by one, the rebels will definitely not be able to hide!"

Shi Wanxia suddenly remembered something and added, "There is one more thing—it is too slow to rely on the officials to investigate. Why don't we ask His Majesty and the Crown Prince to issue an edict to involve the people as well?"

"Anyone who discovers a suspicious person and whose report is verified will be rewarded with silver, such as fifty or one hundred taels."

"The common people have many eyes. As long as there is something to gain, they will definitely pay attention and observe. This will help us find clues more quickly."

"Wonderful!"

Cui Yu'an clapped his hands, "In this way, no matter how well the rebels hide, they can't escape the eyes of so many people!"

Shi Qing wrote down the last sentence, blew the ink dry, and handed it to Shi Wanxia with both hands: "Miss, it's all written. Please check if there are any omissions?"

Shi Wanxia took the letter, quickly scanned it, and nodded, saying, "That's right. Immediately have someone deliver the letter to the carrier pigeon and make sure it reaches the Crown Prince as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

Shiqing held the letter and walked out quickly.

Three days later, at the Eastern Palace in the capital.

Shen Yanzhou was frowning over the dossier when a guard's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Highness, a message has arrived by carrier pigeon from Chuzhou!"

He looked up abruptly and almost ran over to take the letter.

Upon unfolding the paper, Shi Wanxia's delicate handwriting leaped off the page, with each method clearly outlined, from "investigating the guard's romantic encounter" to "mobilizing the people to report."

It even included details such as "focusing on guards who joined the force in the past year" and "rewards must be paid on the spot to reassure the people."

The more Shen Yanzhou read, the brighter his eyes became. His fingers gripped the letter tightly, and his breathing quickened.