12 An acquaintance

"Three years ago?" Zhao Gao asked him.

Yu Jie Xing gently smiled before saying, "Yes, I heard that three years ago wang ye got to visit the Xiangli village before the occurrence happened in that village and I hope that wang ye can help me find some clues."

Three years ago the village of Xiangli was burned down to the ground, the rice field, the houses and also everything the villagers built was burned down to waste. Luckily the villagers were not there when it happened and no one was reported dead but instead their village became a waste land and no longer able to to produce anything and can't be save anymore, it was as if a curse was struck to the land of Xiangli and the villagers.

The fire spread like hell fire damaging the nearby villages and caused problem to the people. Yu Jie Xing who just appointed as the Prime Minister of the Right was send there to meet an envoy and because he was the nearest official who can handle the matter of the village, he was later ordered to investigate only, so he let his men do it while he meets the envoy and get back to Jing capital to handle some matters . Naturally, his men were able to get sufficient information but because the people of Xiangli did not give away anything of importance, the investigation was delayed.

The villagers told his men several versions of their stories before the event, saying that they were all not in the village to give thanks to the god for a bountiful harvest and when his men investigated it, it was indeed real that they had a bountiful of harvest but regarding the other statements they gave, it did not meet the other things that was left in riddles. For example, the red dress that his men found on the streams below a waterfall not far from the village and why was the village's benefactor naked and tied in an unspeakable manner?

Unfortunately, no one in the village was able to answer the crucial questions asked by his men and made the matter difficult for them.

In regards with the trip the qinwang made to the village, his men found out the the qinwang went around the villages and was seen at Xiangli a few days before the event happened. Once he got that information, Yu Jie Xing paid a visit to the qinwang fu but the qinwang was not there for more than a year to participate in the upcoming war, making him feel helpless with this one tiny but unknown event.

"Seeing that Yu Xiang already had his knowledge about that trip then, let this old one tell you that I did not only visit that small village but also the villages nearby it, so I'm not sure if I can still recollect something so insignificant such as a small village."

"It doesn't matter, for as long as wang ye were able to see or hear any peculiarity in there, then it is enough help and payment." Yu Jie Xing blandly said, "Wang ye can just try to think and remember."

"En."

Minutes passed as Zhao Gao tried to recollect any strange thing that he could remember when he visited Xiangli but he still couldn't remember anything that was strange, except... Except for one thing.

"I'm not sure if this would be any help or hint to your investigation but when I was there, I met a young little girl, who looked totally different from the rest of the villagers." Rubbing the white growing beard, zhao Gao said.

Suddenly, the youth in front of Zhao Gao stood up. With his hands clasped behind him, Yu Jie Xing said, "Many thanks, wang ye."

With that, Yu Jie Xing left the qinwang fu with people looking at his back with longing and admiration from several women and men alike.

......

The next afternoon Jiao Yu went out the city incognito, she was only wearing a plain green robe and her hair pulled up into a ponytail. This time, she was not wearing her veil nor was she wearing her usual dress or buyao, she was only dressed in all male clothing.

A perfect disguise to get out with no one who can recognize you. That is if there IS none.

And maybe a big chance to not see someone who just saw your face yesterday out here in the center of the city incognito? for instance a man in a dark blue robe with a good looking face?

"Young man! there's fresh fruits here. Come and see if it's to your liking."

"There's new jewelries here for your sweethearts!"

Tons of voices sounded behind and in front of her, there were also vendors selling their products, women, and men varying in ages walking past her. This was not the first time Jiao Yu went out incognito and it wouldn't be the last.

She had been going out disguised as a male when she was on a mission or when she just wanted to go outside to look at things and those days ended up successfully without disturbance or people who actually recognized her.

Yawning, Jiao Yu stretches her body and went inside an establishment, with words Qing Hao Luo written on a wooden board.

The sky was still bright outside but inside Qing Hao Luo, the brightness of the skies were covered by curtains, making the entire place dark and only lit with lanterns hang upon pillars and on the tables. Hushed voices burst fort as she entered, voices that sound like whispers from a lover and giggles from the high pitched voices that sounded pleased.

Every men in Jing knew exactly what kind of shop is Qing Hao Luo. It is just one of best of the best brothels in the capital and many men frequents it, they may be court officials, scholars, sons of noblemen and even members of the royal family have gone to have 'fun' in Qing Hao Luo.

Jiao Yu walked to the counter and there, a beautiful woman with thick scent of perfume and make up sat puffing a wood jade cigarette holder pipe.

The woman smiled seductively looked at Jiao Yu and asked, "The usual?"

"Is Qing Yue's card have not yet been picked?." Jiao Yu asked in reply.

"She's in the third room in the second floor, not picked yet." Puffing another round of cigarette, the woman blew it in front of Jiao Yu, "But are you sure you're still gonna pick her card, the shop has more newer and fresher beauties"

Jiao Yu nodded her head, "I think she's enough."

When she arrived at the door of the room, Jiao Yu first looked around her before entering. Once she's in, instead of blinded from the lights of the lanterns or the sky, the surrounding was replaced with complete darkness.

"Qing Yue." Jiao Yu's voice echoed as silence answered her.

A 'da' noise sounded nearby and the oil lamp was lit. There was a person sitting in front of the table. Her hand was holding a piece of paper, and places the paper down casually on the top of the table before looking towards Jiao Yu. The red and silver dress were very gorgeous under the light, and there was some familiarity to those lines.

Jiao Yu did not feel surprised at the person who was sitting down on the table. She closed the door behind her without a change of expression, and suddenly the room was isolated from the noises coming from the brothel.

Under the warm yellow glow, the person with gorgeous hair, perfumed clothes and face with make up looked extremely ambiguously. Jiao Yu walked to the front of the table, "Have the things they sent arrived?"

Qing Yue nodded.

The person who was sitting across her was one of the first recruited member of the organization, Qing Yue. She's an assassin like her but had the habit to stay inside a brothel and achieve success through it. They'd known each other since the first time Jiao Yu joined the organization and Qing Yue just happened to be her mentor.

Jiao Yu nodded towards her, picking up the paper on the table and read it. Two thousand of golds. It was the money that the organization paid for her service in that last task where she killed one of the son's target.

Jiao Yu folded the paper and put it in her breast pocket, "I have finished the mission and got the reward. I'll leave now." Jiao Yu turned around, only to be pulled backwards by a strong iron grip and almost crashing with the table.

"You always do this just like any men who came here. Come here when you needed something and leave when there's nothing more." Qing Yue said.

"I'm not a man nor did I came here to do what men commonly do here." Jiao Yu wriggled her arm from Qing Yue's hold.

"That's right, so why don't you?"

Jiao Yu stopped wriggling her arm and stared at Qing Yue confusedly, "...."

Qing Yue's lips smiled teasingly like feather tickling a person's toes. Qing Yue pulled Jiao Yu to the side and brought her body close to Qing Yue.

"What are you doing?!" Jiao Yu said, alarmed.

"What's the harm? We're both girls." Qing Yue said laughingly.

Jiao Yu felt hands snaking around her waist and upper arm, "Are you out of your mind? Does one staying here made you forget that you're man! Let go!" Jiao Yu grabbed the teapot on the table and smashed it towards him, making a sharp noise from the impact. Qing Yue naturally dodged it with ease but was injured by the shards that flew towards him.

Originally, Qing Yue was a man but has similar yet different tastes. Normally, men would always found themselves admiring and liking a woman or women liking a man but in Qing Yue's case, it was the other way around, he liked both genders and with no exceptions.

"Feisty as always, I like that." Qing Yue teased, licking the blood on his arm.

"And you, perverted as always." Jiao Yu angrily said as she hastily stormed outside.

Jiao Yu was so angry at Qing Yue's move today and just wanted to kill him, if only he was not a member of the organization.