Chapter 61: The Night Banquet

At the Left Thousand-Household Office of the Qingzhou Guard

Xing Tao, playing the role of the Thousand-Household Commander, currently stood like a security guard next to Guo Cai’er. “Madam, what do you think about Li Yan organizing a Sow Banquet?”

“Li Yan must be a player. He’s using this as a way to confirm teammates before entering the Star Gate,” Guo Cai’er replied, writing down her thoughts in delicate script.

“That makes sense,” Xing Tao praised bluntly, though without much critical thinking of his own. “If that’s the case, we should attend this banquet. If we can identify our teammates before entering, we’ll gain a significant advantage in the next stage.”

Guo Cai’er looked at him with a gaze full of resignation.

This young man was warm and straightforward, without hidden agendas. However, his glaring flaws were his lack of wit and reluctance to think deeply.

After deliberating for a moment, Guo Cai’er wrote again: “I believe the current priority isn’t identifying other players.”

“Why not?” Xing Tao asked, clearly puzzled.

Guo Cai’er shook her head and sighed softly, her brush moving swiftly across the paper: “My mother was killed, and her Identity Tag was taken by Prince Huai. This means he can bring someone into this scenario. I’m not sure if Prince Huai can turn players from the imperial faction to his side, but one thing is certain: this person now holds a Disc Command and belongs to the Court faction, acting as a spy among us. Second, the Star Gate explicitly stated that there’s another infiltrator from Prince Huai’s side among us. In other words, before the conflict even begins, there are already two enemy players hidden in our camp.”

Xing Tao, who wasn’t particularly knowledgeable, gradually understood her reasoning. His expression turned serious.

“In 229 BC, King Zhao appointed General Li Mu to confront the Qin army. Fearing Li Mu’s military prowess, Qin General Wang Jian secretly bribed Guo Kai, a favored minister in King Zhao’s court. Guo Kai slandered Li Mu, accusing him of treason. Enraged, King Zhao executed Li Mu, which ultimately led to the fall of the Zhao state,” Guo Cai’er said, her tone calm yet somber. Despite her reserved personality, her academic excellence and intellect made her stand out. “History teaches us that a single traitor can destroy an entire nation. Let alone… our small camp, which has two traitors.”

Xing Tao, though uneducated, grasped her point. “So, you’re saying that identifying the traitors takes precedence over finding our allies?”

“Exactly.” Guo Cai’er, after careful thought, decisively wrote down her plan: “We must attend tonight, but without revealing ourselves until we’ve identified the spies. Li Yan is operating openly, so we must act in the shadows. Using the cover of this Sow Banquet, we’ll create chaos and try to eliminate the two traitors before entering the Princess’s Tomb.”

The word “chaos” made Xing Tao’s blood boil with excitement. “What’s the plan?”

“Go all out—use your Death Warrior’s Order.” Once Guo Cai’er made a decision, she showed no hesitation. She wrote out the details of her plan on paper.

…

In the Princess Consort’s chambers.

Ren Ye stared at Tang Feng, who now looked like an average man, and asked seriously, “Are you sure… you really want to go?”

“Every Star Gate involves risks,” Tang Feng said casually with a shrug. “If I were afraid of dying… I wouldn’t have come in the first place. Besides, I already told Boss Yan—my main purpose here is to carry you through this.”

“Forget carrying me; just don’t bury me along the way,” Ren Ye said after some thought. “Since you’re insistent on going, let’s add another layer of protection. I’ll have Second Fool watch over you from the shadows. If anything goes wrong, immediately drop the disguise and let him get you out.”

“Good idea,” Tang Feng nodded.

Had Tang Feng failed to change his appearance, Ren Ye would have forbidden him from taking such a risk. But now that he looked like a nondescript man, blending into the crowd at the Sow Banquet seemed feasible—as long as he didn’t act out of character, the chances of exposure were minimal.

After finalizing their plans, Ren Ye summoned Second Fool and Lian’er to give them instructions before letting Tang Feng leave.

Once everything was settled, he returned to the princess’s chambers.

Before entering the princess’s tomb, Ren Ye and Tang Feng each had a specific task—one to investigate the opposing faction and the other to recruit the powerful teammate, the princess.

Upon returning to the chambers, Ren Ye didn’t waste any time, directly getting to work on the bed and entering a very satisfying state.

…

In the evening, at the beginning of the hour of the Rooster (5-7 PM).

Second Fool hid in the shadows of the royal residence and quietly instructed Tang Feng, “If you encounter life-threatening danger, you must shout… ‘Father, save me.’ I will come.”

“I suspect you’re trying to take advantage of me.” Tang Feng, now dressed in the simple armor of a low-ranking soldier, disguised himself as one of the palace guards.

“Go ahead.” Second Fool tossed out the line and vanished with a ghostly movement.

Tang Feng smiled and lightly made his way to the destination.

A moment later, he arrived at the grand and imposing Chief Historian’s residence. It was already the hour of the Rooster, and the area around the residence was bustling with those attending the “Sow Banquet,” including officials, ordinary servants, soldiers of the Qingzhou Guard, and spies from the Secret Intelligence Division…

Upon hearing that Chief Historian Li would host a feast for a sow giving birth and that there would be no class distinctions—anyone could attend as long as they were human—people in the feudal society found this somewhat unusually approachable.

In a feudal society, the distinctions between classes were blatant. If you were a lower-class person, you had no rights even to breathe; your life could be taken at any moment. In contrast, modern society is much more polite, where the upper class generally only looks down on you in private, without making it obvious or directly taking away your rights.

You see, people today are more courteous and civilized, filled with “respect” for each other.

At first, the lower-class people here were skeptical about the authenticity of the Sow Banquet. Most of them stood by to observe, hiding in the shadows near the Chief Historian’s residence. They didn’t dare to enter, afraid of being looked down upon and, even worse, caught up in some hidden scheme, losing their lives in the process.

Only after some bold servants attended the feast and were given seats did others believe, and they began scrambling to enter.

Ah, and it was said that Chief Historian had even prepared small gifts for the servants.

Tang Feng arrived at the entrance of Chief Historian’s residence and was greeted by the butler and servants. He clasped his hands in front of him and stepped forward, saying, “Congratulations to the Chief Historian’s family for the sow’s successful delivery.”

You see, such polite words.

The old butler, seeing that he was dressed in the simple armor of a soldier, didn’t even raise his eyelids, just nodding slightly, “Chief Historian has left word that anyone wishing to discuss the princess’s tomb matter with the master may first report to me. I will escort them to the master’s study.”

“Thank you, butler. I understand.” Tang Feng clasped his hands.

“Show him to a seat.” The old butler gave a casual order.

As the words were spoken, Tang Feng was led into the yard by a servant and was arranged in a side room to dine.

Sitting in the chair, he observed his surroundings, noticing that quite a number of people had come today, with at least two or three hundred both inside and outside.

…

As the sun set and the moon rose, the Rooster hour passed by. The night gradually descended, and Chief Historian’s residence remained brightly lit and noisy.

Inside the Hall of Washing Flowers, Chief Historian Li Yan sat on a wooden chair, his expression very serious.

From the beginning until now, no one had come to speak with him privately.

What did this mean? It meant that the players from the imperial faction were still very cautious. Even though Li Yan had set up the situation, no one was willing to reveal their identity first.

Time passed second by second, and as midnight approached, the time to enter the princess’s tomb grew shorter.

On a reclining chair, Imperial Inspector Liu leisurely sipped tea and quietly asked, “What do you think… How many players do you think are in the Chief Historian’s residence right now?”

“I think, except for Prince Huai, everyone else has come,” Li Yan replied simply, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

“What does it matter if they’ve come? No one dares to show their face,” Imperial Inspector Liu said, setting down his tea cup. Inadvertently, he knocked over the teapot, spilling tea all over the table.

But he wasn’t the type to be particular, so he ignored it and continued to speak, “If I were them, I wouldn’t show my face either. Otherwise, one wrong move, and they’d be targeted.”

“I think the time hasn’t come yet,” Li Yan slowly walked over to Imperial Inspector Liu, even taking the cloth from the table to wipe away the spilled tea, cleaning the surface. “Someone will definitely cause trouble tonight.”

“Heh, I hope you can successfully find your teammate,” Imperial Inspector Liu said. “Otherwise, should I go out and help you, initiate contact with someone?”

“No, you can’t go out,” Li Yan stared at him and refused without hesitation. “You stay here.”

“Fine, then I’ll sleep,” Imperial Inspector Liu said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. “Rest up and prepare to enter the tomb.”

After he spoke, Li Yan, almost like a person with obsessive cleanliness, wiped the table again before throwing away the soiled cloth.

Standing by the window of the study, Li Yan gazed at the comings and goings outside the residence, and suddenly felt a sense of calm.

In terms of planning, Li Yan was indeed very patient.

…

Inside the Chief Historian’s residence, a woman seated at the women’s table appeared ordinary in appearance, but her eyes were full of vitality.

She wore a pink dress, with thin lips and a slightly gaunt face, which gave her a sharp, somewhat malicious look.

This woman, whose face bore a harsh expression, didn’t join the feast but kept scanning the surroundings, seemingly searching for someone like herself.

…

In a remote corner of the Chief Historian’s residence, Tang Feng glanced around before quietly asking a maid, “Are you on duty near the study?”

“Yes,” the maid looked at him with stars in her eyes, her legs tightly crossed, looking utterly smitten.

“Since the feast started, has anyone gone to the study?” Tang Feng asked again.

“No one has gone, and Master Li hasn’t come out either,” the maid replied.

Tang Feng thought for a moment, then said, “Go back and continue observing. If anyone goes to the study, make sure to notify me. If you do well… I’ll quench your thirst.”

“Thirst? What do you mean?” the maid didn’t understand.

“I mean I’ll have a giant python come water you,” Tang Feng winked at her.

The maid blushed and shyly left.

Tang Feng watched her go before turning back to the feast courtyard, participating in various games, such as throwing pots and kicking shuttlecocks.

Yes, he had used his charm skill on the maid, and the intention was simple: to observe who visited the study tonight to determine who in the courtyard might be players.

“Make way!”

At that moment, a shout came from outside the residence. Tang Feng looked and saw a group of soldiers dressed in white armor rushing in.

“My master has given orders, there’s a traitor from the South in the Chief Historian’s residence. Now, everyone must stop moving while we conduct a search,” the leading officer, a Hundred Household Officer, shouted loudly, his sword hanging at his waist.

Tang Feng froze, “What the hell? They’re going to surround the Chief Historian’s residence with NPCs?!”

The woman at the women’s table with the harsh appearance also froze for a moment.

Not far away, a man dressed as a groom became somber.

…

Outside the courtyard.

Guo Cai’er sat gracefully and wrote another note for Xing Tao.

“Don’t worry about Li Yan’s attitude. No guests should be allowed to leave, especially female guests. Force them to display their abilities, especially those with the identity of a musician or Songstress. They should be thoroughly investigated.”

Xing Tao grinned when he read the note: “I’m very good at forcing women.”