Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 319 - 29: Midnight Operation (Part 2)

The central street of Hami remains bustling. The days are getting hotter, and night falls later and later. During the day, there are almost no people on the central street, but by dusk, a night market starts to appear.

Having been away from home for a month, Hong Sheng finally returned and took Susu for a stroll. They disguised themselves, left the servants behind, and wandered the street like a young couple in love, from one end to the other, savoring the food along the way.

Though Susu appeared frail, she was actually growing and eating quite a bit.

However, even if Susu was a big eater, it was impossible to try everything from every stall. Thankfully, Hong Sheng was there to help; Susu would just taste a few bites, and the rest was left to Hong Sheng.

Even so, Susu still ended up quite full.

At the Song Family, Susu was used to eating just enough to be 80% full to maintain good health, so she’d never indulged like this before. It was simply a binge.

After wandering through the night market, neither of them wanted to return home. Hong Sheng simply took Susu on horseback to a small hill outside the county.

Letting the horse graze freely, Hong Sheng took Susu to a sheltered spot, laid his fur cloak on the grass, hugged Susu, and lay down, covering themselves with Susu’s thick mantle.

Susu sensed the sadness, frustration, and anger in Hong Sheng’s heart. Words of comfort came to her lips but remained unspoken. She just clutched Hong Sheng’s waist tightly and rested her head against his heart, listening to its rhythmic "thump, thump, thump..."

"Susu, do you think I’m ridiculous? Am I a fool?"

Hong Sheng mumbled, asking Susu, yet it sounded more like he was questioning himself.

Sure enough, before Susu could respond, he self-answered, "I really am quite foolish. In a place where might makes right, I still wanted to talk about chivalry. In the end, I not only put you in harm’s way but nearly got myself stuck too. Truly, I was utterly foolish."

The remorse in Hong Sheng’s heart almost overwhelmed him. "To get this far, aside from risking my life, it was all due to fate. Without you, I might not have escaped death a thousand times over."

Susu said nothing, waiting for his emotions to settle. Then she patted his chest, "My ideal husband is a peerless hero."

Hearing those words, although Hong Sheng didn’t fully revive, there was a hint of amusement in his voice as he clasped Susu’s hand.

"I swear to Heaven and Earth, I, Hong Sheng, will be only Susu’s peerless hero in this lifetime. If I break this oath, Heaven won’t tolerate it."

Susu wanted to cover his mouth. Though she believed in Hong Sheng’s feelings for her and was confident no one would snatch away her already-cooked duck, it was best not to make such oaths lightly.

After all, with the miraculous event of time travel occurring, who knows if some bored deity might exclaim, "Damn, missed it!"

Realizing her own feelings more clearly and thinking she might like Hong Sheng more than just a little, Susu certainly didn’t want to become a widow!

But her hand was held firmly by Hong Sheng, and she couldn’t break free.

Hong Sheng brushed his newly emerged stubble against his wife’s smooth face. They both looked at the starry sky, avoiding further unsettling topics. Susu recalled a song from her past life, and with altered lyrics, it perfectly matched the mood.

On the hill with the one I love, let the stars adorn the most romantic night.

They rushed home before the city gates closed. Hong Sheng had already received loving hugs and kisses from his wife, banishing all gloom from his heart.

Then, as objectively as possible, he recounted the events of recent times to Susu.

For others, these matters would certainly be confidential. Even if someone were as close as a spouse, they wouldn’t be told.

But Susu was an auxiliary member of the "Ghost Night Operation," entitled to know the specifics.

After nearly half a month of investigation, it was confirmed that the Old Niu Lamb and Beef Restaurant was a Tartar espionage base in Hami.

Qin Dusi laid an inescapable net; all these "hidden-in-plain-sight" Tartar spies were captured.

The interrogation details were unnecessary. Susu wasn’t curious and didn’t want to hear them; she only needed to know the outcome.

It turned out these people were all Tartars, but each had half Han blood. They looked more like Han people and came to be spies.

The mastermind behind this secret line was the leader of the Gray Wolf Tribe—the Sixth Prince of Tartar’s maternal grandfather.

When the Sixth Prince turned twelve, the Gray Wolf leader handed the spies over to him, specifically to collect information on Central Plains customs and culture, revealing the Gray Wolf leader’s ambition.

However, the Sixth Prince didn’t value them much at the time and left them to his Dark Guard Leader to manage.

Those who became Dark Guard Leaders were not fools, and the orders issued were to continue lurking and to find "promising candidates."

Yue Baiyou was one of those "promising candidates." After her brother joined the army to feed them, she, at the mere age of seven, joined them for a pretty dress she couldn’t afford.

By thirteen, Yue Baiyou had learned means from those spies, using them to interact with men and gain information in exchange for Silver.

There were about a dozen of such girls in the Hami Guard, all selected from the lowest ranks.

These girls didn’t even know who they worked for or the importance of the information they obtained, nor did they care, as long as they got paid.

Yue Baiyou stood out among them due to her beauty, wit, ambition, and her soldier brother. Yue Baiyou became the least suspected hidden asset.

Those Tartar spies were willing to invest in her and eventually reaped the rewards. Before her brother died, he secured a guardian and protector for her, and that person was Hong Sheng, whom the Tartar spies had gradually come to notice.

Thus, Yue Baiyou gained some voice in the higher echelons of this base.

However, even knowing the identities of these people and harboring a vengeance for her brother’s death by Tartar hands, she still didn’t turn back.

Whatever Yue Baiyou’s thoughts were, outsiders didn’t know for now.

It’s said that the Old Niu Lamb and Beef Restaurant base was established purely by accident, so the Sixth Prince had no significant expectations from it. The girls they controlled had access only to limited officials, with limited information to gather.

Their real duty was to collaborate from within if one day the Sixth Prince capitalized on military achievements upon reaching Hami.

They had stayed in Hami for ten years. If it weren’t for the substantial funds coming through secret channels each year, they would truly have thought of themselves as ordinary shopkeepers (head chefs, waiters).

But soon, their perspective would shift!

First, the Tartar siege failed, and the Sixth Prince—their master—was captured alive. Before they could even devise a countermeasure, peace talks began between the two nations. To successfully ransom the Sixth Prince, they had to avoid stirring trouble in Hami and angering Great Chu, leaving them no choice but to continue lying low.

Yet, their luck was soon unfavorable. They first learned through covert channels that the Sixth Prince was assassinated and his fate uncertain. Before they could recover from the shock, the Sixth Prince’s direct Dark Guard Leader sent them a message.

The Great Khan had passed away, the Eldest Prince ascended the throne, and there was a traitor among the Sixth Prince’s Dark Guards. They had to relocate and quietly wait for the day the Sixth Prince needed them.

Damn, I just want some peace! The world changes so fast, how do you keep up!