Chapter 568: Ao!
Zhu Ling was taken aback for a moment. Indeed, most of them were unwilling to leave descendants. They were already trapped against their will, so how could they bear to let their descendants suffer the same fate for generations?
He was merely being selfish, wanting a bloodline of his own to carry on.
Ah, Fang'er!
Thinking of his daughter, Zhu Ling quickly asked, "My daughter Fang'er is still at the horse racing track. I wonder what the situation is there now?"
Zhu Fang? Giving a daughter such a name, which symbolizes the dawn, surely indicated someone with hopes in their heart. Hua Zhi had no regrets about her decision, and now she felt even more resolute. "The horse racing track has been taken over by General Lu of the Green Willow Battalion. Because of your involvement, Miss Zhu will likely face some hardship. I will send someone immediately to bring Miss Zhu back."
Zhu Ling initially wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but he truly couldn't bear the thought of his daughter suffering. In the end, he didn't refuse.
"Regarding the Chao Li Tribe, what else does Lord Zhu know?"
Zhu Ling thought for a moment and sighed. "They need us to gather intelligence about Daqing for them, but they never share any information about the Chao Li Tribe with us. If you ask me to speak about it now, I'm not sure what to say. I'll just share whatever comes to mind."
Hua Zhi nodded and gestured for him to continue.
"The Chao Li Tribe resides on an island in Yuyi. Back then, Emperor Taizu pursued them there before withdrawing his troops. Over a hundred years later, they discovered that the island was gradually sinking. Moreover, at that time, they had not had any new births for four years. The threat of extinction resolved their internal conflicts, and they began planning to fight their way back."
Zhu Ling took the tea offered by Bao Xia and gently blew on it. "According to the Chao Li Tribe, it was during that time that Ao descended with the will of the Wolf God. He unified the Chao Li Tribe, selecting young men with less prominent foreign features to go to Daqing. They were to marry Daqing women and have children. Those who resembled their fathers were taken back, while those like me, who took after their maternal lineage, remained in Daqing. Some women also went to Daqing to conceive children and return. Ao trained a group of elders who appeared around us in various identities."
Zhu Ling lowered his head and looked at the tea leaves floating in his cup. "The one assigned to me was an old woman. When I was six years old, she told me I was a member of the Chao Li Tribe. She brought history books and read every word about the Chao Li Tribe's records to me. There was no need for her to warn me not to reveal my identity—I was too afraid to tell anyone. That malice... I stayed awake for several nights, startling awake even from the slightest doze."
A six-year-old child having to face such immense malice made Hua Zhi's spine chill just thinking about it. "The fact that you didn't go mad shows how strong-willed you are."
Zhu Ling smiled. He had merely considered poisoning the entire Lotus River, turning Jin Yang from a gambling city into a poisoned city, from a city of life to a city of death. He wondered if that counted as madness or not.
"What I've shared are fragments I've gathered over the years from the Chao Li Tribe and summarized from correspondence with others. The timeline may not be entirely accurate, but the events are essentially correct. I've never met Ao, but we've privately estimated his age. He must be at least sixty years old."
"He's still alive?"
"Alive."
Hua Zhi nodded slightly. "So, he was quite accomplished at a young age, and currently, the Chao Li Tribe has not produced a second Wise Man.""I have not heard of such matters, so it likely does not exist. Whether a second Wise Man has emerged or their current Wise Man has died, the Chao Li Tribe would inevitably show emotional fluctuations."
That made sense. Hua Zhi asked further, "Do you know how many people the Chao Li Tribe currently has?"
Zhu Ling shook his head, "I don't know. However, they haven't had internal conflicts these years. After years of recuperation, their population should have increased significantly compared to before."
"This is truly... not a single piece of good news." Hua Zhi looked helpless. The more she asked, the more complete the image of that tribe became, but it also became increasingly clear that they hadn't wasted these years. In comparison, Da Qing had been on a decline.
How ridiculous! With such an enemy lying right beside them, how could the emperor of Da Qing so confidently propose digging a canal!
"Do you know about the Chao Li Tribe's situation in the capital? Also, is there anything special about the date June nineteenth?"
Zhu Ling thought for a moment and shook his head, "I don't recall anything special about it, at least not in Jin Yang. But if it's related to the Chao Li Tribe, that's hard to say. Since the capital is nearby, I've paid more attention to it and do know one thing that might interest you, Miss."
"What is it?"
"About six years ago, I accidentally discovered that orders were coming from the capital. I paid close attention at that time and found it was only during that period. Later, the source became unpredictable again."
Hua Zhi's expression turned grave, "Are you suggesting Ao once went to the capital?"
"That wouldn't be surprising. The differences between Chao Li people and Da Qing people are just that they're taller, stronger, and have more pronounced facial features. With slight disguise, these can be concealed. Moreover, not all Chao Li people look like that—some appear no different from Da Qing people."
It wasn't surprising indeed. What he went to the capital for was what deserved consideration. Six years ago? Hua Zhi made a mental note. Back then, she had been completely detached from worldly affairs, but those senior officials who kept their eyes and ears open must have known. It would be right to inquire with them.
Zhu Ling stood up and folded his sleeves, saying, "Miss, please have someone bring paper and brush."
Seeing her young mistress nod, Bao Xia hurried to the door and gave the order. Immediately, someone brought over ink, brush, and paper.
Zhu Ling, holding his sleeve, wrote a few lines, looked at them, and handed the paper to Bao Xia. "These are people in the capital who share the same status as me and are relatively trustworthy."
As he spoke, Zhu Ling continued writing at the table. Hua Zhi didn't disturb him, lowering her head to read the three lines.
These were three names and their apparent identities: Qu Xingzhi, teacher at Hongyan Academy; He Congjian, clerk at the Ministry of War; Tang Qingyuan, owner of Breeze Pavilion Restaurant. Individually, they seemed utterly ordinary—countless people in a place like the capital could easily crush them. But knowing they had another identity made them appear terrifying.
Hongyan Academy was one of the two major academies in the capital, where half the scions of noble families studied. It was a hub of information, where even internal news unknown to the outside world was no secret.
The Ministry of War needed no explanation. Although a clerk's rank wasn't high and they couldn't access many secrets, clerks handled documents.
As for Breeze Pavilion Restaurant, Hua Zhi hadn't known about it before, but after starting her own business, she had heard of it. It was a fairly large restaurant with low thresholds, and its owner, Tang, was famous for his generosity and brotherly relationships with people from all walks of life.Upon closer inspection, these three positions effectively cover both the righteous and underworld factions. Any movement in the capital would likely be completely transparent to the Chao Li Tribe.
To know your enemy and yourself is the key to victory in all battles, yet now the tables have turned.
PS: These chapters are establishing the Chao Li Tribe, which will have significant impact later. The content might feel a bit dry - ladies, please bear with Kongkong until we get past this setup.
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