"Haha, then I'll take Lord Wang's auspicious words."
Belgrade thanked him, then tilted his head back and, with a hearty gulp, drained the fine wine in his cup.
The atmosphere at the banquet gradually grew lively, and with toasts exchanged, all four of them drank quite a bit.
Unfortunately, they didn't discuss any secrets during the banquet, only continually flattered each other.
But it was also thanks to their mutual flattery that Li Xuan was able to gain a basic understanding of the four attendees.
The middle-aged man in the main seat was Belgrade, the leader of the Great Desert Envoy Delegation.
Observing his speech, Li Xuan found him to possess some wisdom; though he hailed from the Great Desert, his demeanor showed no crudeness, but rather elegance and generosity.
Moreover, his emotional intelligence completely overshadowed that Great Xing official, Lord Wang, as he soon had the man so flattered that he could barely keep his composure.
The only Great Xing official who had visited the battlefield was now flushed from drink, gradually losing his inhibitions, and his initial etiquette was slowly forgotten as he began to babble drunkenly, appearing utterly disgraceful.
From his own boasts, Li Xuan learned that this Lord Wang was actually an official from the Ministry of War; though only an Assistant Department Director, he managed the lucrative position of military equipment.
"Can such officials casually attend banquets for foreign envoys?"
Li Xuan couldn't help but frown; even as a cat, he felt this was highly inappropriate.
"Assistant Department Director? Doesn't sound like a high-ranking official."
"Why would the Great Desert Envoy Delegation want to contact him?"
Li Xuan couldn't figure it out, so he could only continue to observe the boring banquet.
"What's there to drink for four grown men?"
"It'd be better to dance outside with the Western Region Girls from the Great Desert."
Li Xuan shook his head, muttering to himself.
Earlier, when he came from the front courtyard, he had seen many figures singing and dancing there.
Unlike the dances of the Western Region Girls at Hu Yu House, the Western Region Girls from the Great Desert moved with noticeably more vigor, full of a healthy sense of power.
Li Xuan, being very knowledgeable about dance, naturally couldn't resist his urge to explore the exotic dances of the Great Desert.
It was a pity he still had important business to attend to, otherwise, he wouldn't be lying here watching four grown men drink and brag.
In just this short while, Li Xuan was almost falling asleep from watching.
After watching for so long, Li Xuan had indeed learned a lot about the four people present.
Aside from Belgrade and Lord Wang, the two main figures, the two accompanying drinkers were: one, a giant of a man, strong as an iron tower, who spoke little, drank efficiently without much fuss, and clearly had little interest in the banquet compared to the other three, maintaining a cold expression.
The other, however, was a qualified companion.
This person was not old, looking to be in his early twenties, dressed in Great Desert attire, with an extraordinary appearance.
Yet, he showed seasoned experience in drinking and bragging, and he never stole Lord Wang's thunder, always offering timely praises and subtly delivering compliments.
Though he appeared somewhat worldly and obsequious, his good looks made him quite acceptable.
Through the conversations at the banquet, Li Xuan learned that the giant was named Bartell, and the young man was Meng En.
This boring gathering dragged on until late into the night, making Li Xuan so restless that he found himself gazing at the stars, experiencing the Seventh Princess's pastime.
And surprisingly, after hearing the Seventh Princess briefly introduce some knowledge about constellations, Li Xuan could now recognize a few stars when he looked up.
The banquet in the front courtyard had long since ended, which made Li Xuan grit his teeth.
"Meow, I must come again tomorrow."
"If there's no banquet tomorrow..."
"I'll come the day after!"
The four people in the room were all thoroughly drunk.
"Lord Wang, it's late tonight. Why don't you stay at the Great Desert Inn?"
Belgrade, with a thick tongue, invited Lord Wang.
"No, no... my home, it's not far."
"I, I won't trouble you further."
Lord Wang barely managed to convey his meaning.
He called out a few times, summoning his attendants from outside the room.
Belgrade and the others enthusiastically tried to persuade him to stay, but they only moved their lips, their outstretched hands seemingly unable to reach Lord Wang.
Thus, the guests enjoyed themselves and parted with reluctance.
Li Xuan did not follow that Lord Wang, but instead remained at the Great Desert Inn.
Lord Wang was an official of Great Xing, and it would be more efficient to have Zhao Feng investigate him later.
Li Xuan stayed on the roof, thinking that there would be no more gains tonight.
He sighed for a while, just about to climb down and go home, when he heard voices from below again.
"My lord, why should we waste time on such a drunkard?"
A muffled voice rang out, instantly invigorating Li Xuan.
The giant, who had been silent throughout the entire banquet, finally spoke after the banquet ended.
Li Xuan quickly peeked into the room and found that the three were still seated in their original positions, but each had a basin of water and a clean towel beside them.
They were all wiping their faces and hands, and aside from their still-red complexions, there was no sign of intoxication in their demeanor or actions.
"Hmph, they all have good alcohol tolerance."
Li Xuan knew that in such settings, there could be no genuine sincerity; everyone was merely playing a part.
But from tonight's outcome, it seemed that only Lord Wang had truly indulged himself.
"Good heavens, so only Lord Wang thoroughly enjoyed himself, huh?"
To his subordinate's question, Belgrade did not rush to answer, but rather slowly wiped his face before calmly replying, "Bartell, there's no need to be impatient."
"Seeds always need time to take root and sprout after being planted."
Belgrade said, full of hidden meaning.
"Master, can that fellow just now even be considered a seed?"
Young Meng En asked, wiping his hands, in surprise.
He hadn't expected that these two were master and disciple.
To his disciple's question, Belgrade laughed heartily, then replied:
"Someone like Wang Zongyu naturally can't be a seed; at most, he's just fertilizer."
Hearing this, Meng En also laughed, while Bartell remained expressionless.
"But even fertilizer has its use, and it's an indispensable component for seeds to take root and sprout."
"Remember, even the most useless person has value to be exploited; the only difference is whether you can find it."
Meng En and Bartell both showed expressions of contemplation.
"Alright, it's getting late. Get some rest."
With that, Bartell rose and left.
Meng En and Bartell immediately stood up to see him off, their attitudes respectful.
It was clear that Belgrade, as their leader, was highly respected by both of them.
"Belgrade, Bartell, Meng En..."
Li Xuan muttered the three names, committing them to memory, intending to inquire about them with the Two Chief Eunuchs upon his return.
After confirming that all three had indeed returned to their rooms to rest, Li Xuan wandered around the Great Desert Inn and Sifang Inn a few times, familiarizing himself with the terrain before leaving.
Not long after Li Xuan left, another figure appeared on the roof of the Great Desert Inn.
This figure was none other than Belgrade, who had previously returned to his room to rest.
Belgrade stood like a ghost on the highest roof of the Great Desert Inn, looking down at the Great Desert Inn and the Sifang Inn outside, standing still for a long time.
"Strange..."
A soft murmur, carried by the wind, faded into the night... "You went last night, why was there no movement?"
"I thought you had been caught red-handed."
First thing in the morning, Zhao Feng was speaking inauspicious words.
Li Xuan rolled his eyes at Zhao Feng, too lazy to bother with the old man.
"Ah, tell me."
"What was the situation yesterday?"
Zhao Feng nudged Li Xuan with his elbow, asking him curiously.
Li Xuan yawned, and then weakly swayed his tail.
"By the time I came back, it was almost dawn."
Seeing the first sentence Li Xuan wrote, Zhao Feng instead showed delight.
"So, there was something going on, right?"
Li Xuan sneered, revealing one of his small fangs, and muttered to himself, "Old man, you only care about your own intelligence. I, Little Cat, endured the cold wind all night, and you don't even care."
Zhao Feng also understood Li Xuan's meaning, and after an awkward smile, he quickly tried to make amends: "Li Xuan, you've worked hard! You truly are a rising star among the secret agents in our Great Within Imperial Palace. No wonder His Majesty trusts you so much."
"A born spy, a born spy!"
Zhao Feng lamented repeatedly against his true feelings, shaking his head.
And you know what, this old actor really is an old actor, he plays the part so well.
Li Xuan's small mouth widened, and both fangs couldn't help but fully show.
He forced down the corners of his mouth, and considering Zhao Feng was an old man who had waited eagerly all night, he decided to tell him what he had seen last night.
After Li Xuan's description, Zhao Feng immediately cursed in anger:
"Wang Zongyu, that idiot!"
Li Xuan hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Zhao Feng, so he quickly asked him what was going on.
And Zhao Feng explained the situation clearly with just one sentence.
"Wang Zongyu is Loyal and Martial General's biological younger brother."
Li Xuan was startled, not expecting such a connection.
Last night, he had thought that the Great Desert Envoy Delegation was merely developing contacts within the Ministry of War.
After all, Wang Zongyu managed military equipment; his rank wasn't high, but it was a lucrative position.
But he never expected that the Ministry of War and military equipment were nothing; this fellow was actually Loyal and Martial General's biological younger brother.
Others might not know what schemes the Great Desert Envoy Delegation was up to, but Li Xuan and Zhao Feng were well aware.
Now, for Wang Zongyu to attend the Great Desert Envoy Delegation's gathering, wasn't that like a hen clucking to pay respects to a weasel?
"Does this person not know about the feud between the Zhongwu General Residence and the Great Desert?"
Someone from the Zhongwu General Residence was active on the front lines against the Great Desert; surely his family members should be well aware of such matters?
"Wang Zongyu is just a good-for-nothing, otherwise, with his family background, how could he still be a mere Assistant Department Director at his age?"
Zhao Feng cursed bitterly.
"I will report this matter to His Majesty today, Li Xuan, you don't need to worry."
Zhao Feng saw that it was still early and wasn't too anxious; he could perfectly well report to Ganlu Hall after he finished tutoring Yu'er.
Li Xuan felt relieved that this matter was taken care of by Zhao Feng.
Anyway, he was just a Little Cat, and such a big matter was not for him to handle; he just needed to do what he could with the immediate tasks.
It was just that this operation by the Great Desert Envoy Delegation made Li Xuan somewhat confused.
Thinking about the matter they were planning, wasn't this increasing the risk of exposing themselves?
Regardless of the outcome of the poisoning plot, the Zhongwu General Residence would certainly face a thorough investigation.
At that time, if it was discovered that Wang Zongyu had contact with the Great Desert Envoy Delegation last night, this matter should actually be disadvantageous to them.
"That Belgrade doesn't look like a fool. What exactly is he calculating?"