"Old Zhao, do you know anything about this Belgrade person?" Li Xuan asked.
Zhao Feng shook his head, then said, "This is the first time I've heard of the leader of this Envoy Delegation."
"Logically speaking, such a task wouldn't be given to an ordinary person, yet I've never seen this person's name in any intelligence related to the Great Desert, as if he just popped out of a rock."
"Ever since the Envoy Delegation departed from the Great Desert, I've used our intelligence network there to investigate this person, but the information received has been scarce and difficult to verify."
"The most likely speculation now is that Belgrade might come from the jianghu, and somehow gained the trust of the Great Desert Wolf Lord, which is why he became the leader of this mission."
Zhao Feng's words reminded Li Xuan of Meng En's address for Belgrade, and he immediately brought up the matter.
"In that case, he really might be from the jianghu."
"However, the Great Desert isn't like us, where martial arts are passed down primarily through sects; instead, it's mainly through master-apprentice relationships, so it's probably impossible to find any useful information."
"But according to what Li Xuan said, this Belgrade is indeed a troublesome existence."
Zhao Feng's expression appeared somewhat solemn.
The continuous emergence of talents from the Great Desert made him feel an unconscious pressure.
While Great Xing was still consumed by internal strife, the Great Desert was steadily growing stronger.
One day, it would surely become a major threat.
Zhao Feng sighed silently, but he had no better solution for the current situation.
"Li Xuan, for the next few days, continue to pay attention to their movements. If there's anything unusual, come find me at the Internal Affairs Bureau at any time."
"I want to see what methods this Belgrade has."
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Feng's eyes, making it impossible for people to look directly at him.
But Li Xuan, being a Little Cat, was not afraid.
Watching Zhao Feng exude the aura of the Chief of the Internal Affairs Bureau, Li Xuan also felt full of confidence.
"Chief Steward, rest assured, I already had this intention. From now on, I will keep a vigilant watch over the Great Desert Inn day and night."
Zhao Feng was greatly moved to see Li Xuan bravely step up at a critical moment and take on this arduous surveillance task.
Zhao Feng himself had risen step by step from a powerless young eunuch, so he knew best how tedious and difficult such surveillance tasks were, and that they didn't necessarily lead to merit.
Although the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs of the Internal Affairs Bureau didn't say it aloud, none of them were willing to do such hard work.
But Li Xuan, in the face of national righteousness, tirelessly took on this difficult and tiresome task himself.
"Li Xuan usually seems mischievous and unruly, but at critical moments, he always steps forward."
"If Great Xing had more talents like Li Xuan, why would we worry about the prosperity of our nation?"
"No, after this matter is over, I must request a reward for Li Xuan."
"I absolutely cannot let down Li Xuan's pure and loyal heart!"
Zhao Feng was deeply moved and filled with emotion.
Li Xuan, at some point, had turned his back, a wide grin stretching almost to his ears.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
...
Just two days after Li Xuan's "arduous and extraordinary" service to Great Xing.
Internal Affairs Bureau.
One cat and two old men sat facing each other, staring intently.
"Tomorrow is Wang Jieyu's night of service, and there's still no movement?"
Zhao Feng asked Li Xuan, puzzled.
Li Xuan honestly shook his head.
For the past two days, inside the Great Desert Inn where the Great Desert Envoy Delegation was staying, banquets had been held from morning till night, with several waves of dancing Great Desert songstresses rotating through, so much so that Li Xuan was familiar enough to call out their names.
But even so, Belgrade had not personally entertained any other private guests.
Either they were enjoying the banquet together, or they were handling official documents within the Great Desert Inn, never even leaving the Sifang Pavilion.
And Zhao Feng had also sent people to monitor the movements on the Sifang Pavilion side, and similarly, no intelligence had been received.
Li Xuan was responsible for keeping an eye on Belgrade, the leader of the Envoy Delegation, while all others were monitored by the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs under Zhao Feng.
But when the two of them compared notes, they found that apart from the first night, Belgrade had made no further suspicious movements.
It seemed Belgrade's preparation was merely to entertain Wang Zongqing once.
Zhao Feng was also a bit confused about Belgrade's plan, and couldn't help but look at Chief Steward Shang beside him.
Since the beginning of this task, Chief Steward Shang had not interfered with Zhao Feng's decisions, allowing him to make his own judgments.
At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.
"Godfather, what do you think?"
Zhao Feng asked Chief Steward Shang directly for his advice.
"I'm afraid he's already grown suspicious of Zhao Bugao."
Chief Steward Shang sipped his tea and said faintly.
"No way, I've kept the news tightly sealed. Even now, the palace still believes he was sent by me to monitor Wei Chengji," Zhao Feng said with a hint of guilt.
If it weren't for his personal motives, Zhao Bugao would absolutely not have been dealt with in such a manner.
But if Zhao Bugao now became a weak link, Zhao Feng would feel ashamed before Chief Steward Shang.
Chief Steward Shang glanced at his godson's reaction, merely letting out a cold snort with a smile:
"You still know how to be embarrassed?"
Chief Steward Shang shook his head and continued:
"Whether it's news or not, it actually doesn't matter."
"What matters is the outcome."
"After Zhao Bugao was exposed, how many fewer disturbances were there in the palace?"
"It can't all be because their attention was diverted by the Imperial Garden competition, can it?"
Zhao Feng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately understood Chief Steward Shang's meaning.
"If that's the case, they are merely suspicious, but cannot be certain."
As he spoke, Zhao Feng's posture slowly relaxed.
"They invested so much effort before; it's impossible for them to give up just because of suspicion. If they could do that, I would have to think highly of that Belgrade."
Chief Steward Shang's words immediately dispelled the impatience and unease in Zhao Feng's heart.
The Great Desert Envoy Delegation outside the palace and the movements inside the palace were all being closely monitored by the Internal Affairs Bureau. From the current situation, it was not they who should be anxious, but the Great Desert Envoy Delegation.
As for Wang Suyue, Zhao Feng had already reported to Emperor Yongyuan, and arrangements had been made together.
As for the other people in the palace, they were under the strict surveillance of the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, as usual.
After all, there were still Great Desert rats in the palace that needed to be caught.
Zhao Feng was not so foolish as to have all his attention focused on Wang Suyue alone just because of a secret letter from the other side.
Within his duties, Zhao Feng had made ample preparations, just waiting for the other party to act.
"Li Xuan, you will continue to stake out today, and then don't return until tomorrow, after they receive the news."
"You just watch Belgrade and tell us his every move when you come back."
"What do you think?"
Chief Steward Shang asked Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded. This matter posed no difficulty for him at all.
As long as the banquet at Great Desert Inn continued, Li Xuan could easily pass two days in the blink of an eye.
"What about Deng Weixian?"
Li Xuan couldn't help but ask.
What Deng Weixian had to do was not simple. If the Great Desert Envoy Delegation did not abandon their plan, he would have to act according to the original plan, putting on a show for the Great Desert spies lurking in the palace.
To achieve a truly realistic effect, Deng Weixian would have to genuinely carry out an action that could implicate nine generations.
He wondered if that guy's psychological resilience could handle it.
"Don't worry, Li Xuan."
"We already have arrangements for Deng Weixian."
"At the very least, there will be no danger to his life."
"As for whether he can perform the act well, that's up to him."
Zhao Feng explained with a smile.
Since that was the case, Li Xuan had no further questions.
After confirming that the Two Chief Eunuchs had no other instructions, Li Xuan went back to greet the two maids, and then went to the Great Desert Inn to stake out.
Li Xuan, with the help of Yin Yang True Qi, could now completely merge his aura with the heavens and earth.
Even high-grade martial artists would find it difficult to discover Li Xuan's whereabouts.
Upon arriving at the Great Desert Inn, Li Xuan quickly found Belgrade and resumed the routine of the past two days.
Aside from being a bit bored when Belgrade was handling official documents, Li Xuan wasn't too idle.
After all, the Great Desert was a foreign land, and its customs were even more open than Great Xing, which greatly entertained Li Xuan.
But at the same time, it also left him somewhat confused. The Great Desert Envoy Delegation was holding banquets, and all the money spent was their own, and the songstresses were also their own people brought from the Great Desert.
He wondered what they were trying to achieve with such a continuous series of extravagant banquets.
High-ranking officials from the Great Xing Imperial Court naturally wouldn't attend the banquets at Great Desert Inn.
In fact, no clear-headed official in the capital would take such a risk.
Even though this time the Great Desert Envoy Delegation came in the name of peace talks and presented gifts full of sincerity when meeting Emperor Yongyuan, these seasoned officials still did not lower their guard.
Instead, it was the merchants who became frequent guests at the Great Desert Inn banquets.
These people were mostly involved in trade between the two countries, so they naturally wanted to get close to the Great Desert Envoy Delegation.
The daily banquets at Great Desert Inn had virtually no entry requirements, so they naturally attracted many people who wanted to get close to the Great Desert.
But to be honest, after observing for these past few days, there wasn't a single person who caught Li Xuan's eye; they were all genuine small fry from the capital.
This was also why Li Xuan found it strange.
The Great Desert Envoy Delegation wasn't foolish, so why would they spend money on these small fry, holding such grand banquets every day?
After a day and a night, when it was Wang Suyue's night of service, Belgrade finally made a move.
Li Xuan had been staying awake since yesterday, just to be safe.
When the sky was at its darkest, at the intersection of the Yin and Mao hours, Meng En, Belgrade's disciple, quietly came to Belgrade's door.
Belgrade, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes, then walked to the door, pulled a letter from his embrace, and without opening the door, directly slid it through the crack to the outside.
Then, without any confirmation, Belgrade immediately lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
Outside the door, Meng En, after receiving the letter, hurried away into the night, his destination unknown.
Perceiving that Meng En had moved beyond his sensory range, Li Xuan couldn't help but feel a little annoyed and surprised.
"Where did that kid run off to?"
"I wonder who he's meeting with?"
Li Xuan hadn't expected Belgrade to be so patient, only making a move today.
Although he didn't know the content of the letter, Li Xuan hoped they had begun their operation.
Otherwise, wouldn't he have been staking out here for nothing all these days?
The next morning.
Belgrade acted as if nothing had happened, continuing his usual routine.
Li Xuan continued to closely monitor Belgrade's movements, only occasionally looking in the direction of the Imperial Palace, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
Although the Two Chief Eunuchs had vouched for him, Li Xuan was still a little worried about Deng Weixian.
Although Deng Weixian had a resilient character, he was still only a thirteen-year-old boy.
Making him poison the emperor seemed a bit too stimulating to imagine.
"Little Deng, you must live up to expectations."
"Your grand future begins today!"
At the banquet that day, Belgrade drank a few more cups of wine.
It wasn't until the Hai hour, when the banquet was drawing to a close and guests and songstresses were sprawled drunk on the floor, that Belgrade continued to calmly pour and drink for himself.
Accompanying him in drinking was the silent giant, Bartell.
Both of them drank in silence, without conversation.
At this moment, Meng En rushed in from outside, stepping over the drunken bodies on the ground, and whispered two words into Belgrade's ear:
"It's done!"