The Sui Dynasty's chess game

Chapter 797 The Biggest Weakness

Shi Xiaozhen was genuinely shocked. He had no idea that the Turks had established such a vast intelligence network, involving almost all Turkic merchants.

But he soon realized why he didn't know: the target of this Turkic intelligence network was not intelligence, but various contraband goods, mainly pig iron and salt.

"Reporting to the general, they can't smuggle pig iron through the checkpoint, but they will bribe some local farmers to transport it for them. The checkpoint is less strict with locals, so the locals will put the iron bars in the lining of carts or in furniture to smuggle it over. Smuggling salt is easier; they will put it in wine jars or oil cans, or even dissolve it in cloth. There are all sorts of methods."

Shi Xiaozhen nodded, "Compile all their testimonies and write a report for the imperial court later."

After a pause, Shi Xiaozhen asked again, "Has anyone confessed where Shi Shuhu is?"

Shi Xiaozhen now knows that the leader of this Turkic intelligence network is Shi Shuhuxi, a high-ranking Turkic official, who is actually in Taiyuan.

"Reporting to the Commander, their contact point is the Eagle Restaurant, which has been sealed off. One merchant said that Shi Shuhu is a Sogdian, so he is not easy to be discovered. Another merchant said that he may be hiding in a small county under Taiyuan Prefecture, most likely in Jiaocheng County. He once reported to Jiaocheng County that Shi Shuhu has a point in Jiaocheng County."

"Find out the exact location; I need the specific address!"

"I will go and interrogate them immediately."

An internal guard commander hurriedly left.

At this moment, another guard commander entered, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, there's some progress on Mu'atu!"

Shi Xiaozhen was overjoyed and urged, "Tell me quickly, what's the clue?"

“One of his subordinates confessed that Muatu has a small house in Taiyuan City. It is only known that it is located near the south of the city, but no one knows the exact location. Muatu also has a lover, a widow from Taiyuan, who lives with her son and daughter. I believe that it was this widow who came out to gather information for him.”

Shi Xiaozhen pondered for a moment and said, "This woman will definitely come to the Eagle Restaurant often to check the situation. We can take advantage of this."

One of his subordinates suggested, "Why don't we set up a scheme to get the Eagle Restaurant open and attract Mu'atu here? What do you think, Commander-in-Chief?"

Shi Xiaozhen shook her head. "The key is that we haven't captured Shi Shuhuxi, so we don't know how they contact each other. This could backfire, so this method won't work!"

Everyone was at a loss for what to do. Shi Xiaozhen took two steps with his hands behind his back and said, "A great reward will surely bring forth brave men, especially that widow. She has a son and a daughter, so her children are her weakness. We should call out to her!"

That morning, a woman in her thirties came to the Eagle Restaurant carrying a basket. She was Mu'atu's old flame, surnamed Zhu, named Zhu E'niang. Her husband had passed away eight years ago, and she had been raising her two young children by doing laundry for others to make a living.

Later, she met Muatu, but Muatu had a wife and children at home. He only sought her out to satisfy his physical needs. Zhu Eniang knew this, and she was also after Muatu's money, which could support her two children. The two got what they needed and got along quite well.

Overall, Mu'atu treated her quite well, giving her a considerable amount of money, and later giving her another two hundred strings of cash to open a shop.

However, after Mu'atu went to Luoyang, the two lost contact. Five years passed in a flash, and Zhu E'niang gradually forgot about Mu'atu.

However, when Muatu suddenly found her this time, Zhu Eniang was not too happy, but rather uneasy. She was not a fool; she could tell that the Eagle Restaurant had been shut down and another of Muatu's houses had been sealed off. All these signs indicated that Muatu was a wanted criminal.

Zhu Eniang lived in constant fear, worried that the authorities would find her, especially since her two children were grown up and she was even more afraid that something would happen to them.

Today, Mu'atu sent her out again, sending her to the Eagle Restaurant to gather information.

The restaurant was still under closure. Just as Zhu E'niang was about to leave, she suddenly noticed a notice posted on the restaurant's door, with several people gathered around, and someone reading it aloud. Zhu E'niang suddenly heard the three words "Mu'atu," and she quickly went forward to listen carefully.

"Wanted: Turkic merchant Muatu. He is nominally a merchant, but in reality a Turkic spy who gathered intelligence on the Sui Dynasty's Hedong region, allowing the Turkic army to invade, burning, killing, looting, and causing immense suffering. Muatu is approximately forty years old and has a large black mole on his forehead. He is currently hiding in Taiyuan City. A reward of three thousand strings of cash will be given to anyone who reports him to the authorities. Anyone who harbors him will be a traitor to the Sui Dynasty, publicly executed, and his sons and daughters will be enslaved and forced into prostitution for generations."

Zhu Eniang nearly fainted when she heard the phrase "sons and daughters will be slaves and prostitutes generation after generation." Wasn't that referring to her own sons and daughters?

Zhu Eniang didn't hesitate any longer. She stepped forward and tore down the notice. Soldiers immediately surrounded her. Zhu Eniang pointed at the notice and said, "I know where this person is hiding."

Muatu waited anxiously for news of Zhu Eniang. He had been hiding for half a month, but this was not a solution; he would be caught sooner or later. It would be best to get away from Taiyuan and go to a remote county.

Just then, there was a knock on the door in the courtyard. Muatu was startled and quickly drew a dagger, hiding behind the door.

The knocking was three long knocks followed by one short one, and Mu'atu immediately breathed a sigh of relief; Zhu'e Niang had returned.

He rushed to the courtyard to open the door, but as soon as the door opened, four or five soldiers rushed in and tackled Muatu to the ground. At that moment, Muatu knew he had been betrayed and screamed in despair.

When Shi Xiaozhen entered the courtyard, Mu'atu's small house had been ransacked. A soldier handed her a leather bag, which Shi Xiaozhen opened and took out two scrolls. One scroll was titled "Secret Manual of Gunpowder Making," and the other scroll was titled "Secret Manual of Paper Firecracker Making," exactly the same as the one found in Wang Mengze's house. Two soldiers also carried out a box, and when they opened the lid, there were forty catties of black powder inside.

Shi Xiaozhen breathed a long sigh of relief; she had finally found it.

At this moment, Zhu E'niang was brought in by the soldiers, and she knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness.

Shi Xiaozhen smiled and said, "You just didn't know about his crimes before. The key is that your report led us to arrest him and solve the biggest case in the Sui Dynasty. So the Inner Guard will not go back on its word and has decided to reward you with three thousand strings of cash. If you are afraid of retaliation from the Turks, we can send you and your two children to Jiangnan to change your names and hide. What do you think?"

Zhu E'niang quickly kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, General. We are willing to follow the Imperial Guard's arrangements and go to Jiangnan to live in seclusion!"

She was indeed afraid that her children would be retaliated against by the Turks.

That night, the Inner Guard interrogated Muatu overnight. According to his confession, Shi Shuhuxi was indeed very likely hiding in Jiaocheng County. Muatu had gone to Jiaocheng County to report to Shi Shuhuxi, which was consistent with the information the Inner Guard had previously received.

Which house was it exactly? Neither Mu'atu nor the previous Turkic merchant could remember, but it was definitely next to the north gate of Jiaocheng County, with a large tree at the entrance.

Shi Xiaozhen pointed to the map and said, "Shi Shuhuxi lives as a Sogdian. There is a Persian inn north of Jiaocheng County. There is a three-hundred-year-old willow tree in front of the gate. This should be the place. All three thousand guards are mobilized. We must capture Shi Shuhuxi tonight no matter what!"

The three thousand imperial guards set off in the afternoon and arrived in Jiaocheng County at midnight. The city gates opened, and the three thousand guards rushed into the north gate of the county town and surrounded a Persian residence.

The guards rushed in, and after a fierce fight, they dragged out more than a dozen Sogdians. The leader was a thin, middle-aged man with a goatee. He struggled desperately and shouted excitedly, "I am Shi Antai, a merchant from the Kingdom of Shi. I have identification. You can't treat me like this!"

Shi Xiaozhen pulled open his collar and saw a lifelike wolf head carved on his chest.

Below the wolf's head is a line of Turkic script: 'Ashina Huxi,' which is the Turkic name of Shi Shu Huxi.

Shi Xiaozhen smiled sarcastically and said, "Should I call you Ashina Huxi, or Shi Shu Huxi?"

(End of this chapter)