My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 279 Zhang Wei's Secret

At the same time, in the imperial study room.

A young eunuch in charge of delivering messages came over in short steps and reported respectfully, "Your Majesty, there is news from the Imperial Prison that the traitor Zhang Wei has been taken to the interrogation room and is waiting to be interrogated by Your Majesty in person."

"Got it." Chu Lu put down the memorial in his hand, stood up and said, "Go to the prison."

The imperial carriage did not make any noise, and drove quietly to the imperial prison, escorted by only a few eunuchs and guards.

The air gradually became cold and damp, and the light became dimmer. The heavy iron door slowly closed behind me, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound. Walking down the stone steps, the dim oil lamps on both sides swayed, casting twisted and swaying shadows on the cold stone walls; the air was filled with a lingering musty smell, and faintly mixed with the old, bloody smell of rust.

Finally, Chu Lu stopped in front of a heavily guarded interrogation room.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a stronger chilly breath hit him. The interrogation room was simply furnished, with four walls made of solid bluestone. A few oil lamps flickered dimly on the wall, barely dispelling some of the darkness, but also making the vague outlines of the torture instruments in the corner look even more hideous. In the center, a heavy iron chair was firmly fixed to the ground, and Zhang Wei was shackled to this chair.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhang Wei, who had been lowering his head, suddenly raised his eyes. He still looked embarrassed, but his eyes were very calm. The last time Chu Lu tried to interrogate him, he was like this, as if he had seen through life and death, and relied on some unknown obsession to withstand the temptation of the correction value.

"Your Majesty is here again?" Zhang Wei pulled the corner of his mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice with obvious sarcasm, "Are you itching to try your hand this time, or do you want to listen to some nonsense again?"

Chu Lu waved his hand to signal the guards and eunuchs who followed him to retreat outside the door. Only he and the chained Zhang Wei were left in the interrogation room. He walked slowly to the chair opposite Zhang Wei, sat down calmly, and looked at Zhang Wei calmly.

"Zhang Wei," Chu Lu's voice was steady, and no emotion could be heard. "The last time I saw you, you looked like this. You refused to confess, you were not afraid of death, and you did not seek to live. I am very curious, what makes you so fearless? Do you think that this is the only method I have?"

Zhang Wei sneered and turned his head away, as if he didn't want to pay attention.

Chu Lu didn't care. He just tried it casually. He didn't really expect to convince Zhang Wei with just a few words. The key lies in the correction value.

Chu Lu's mind moved slightly, and the correction value of 35 points was like a silent torrent, spreading out from Chu Lu as the center in an instant, covering the entire interrogation room. This time, the power of the correction value was much stronger than the last ten points. If last time it was just throwing a stone into the lake, creating ripples, then this time, it was like a big rock falling into the lake, splashing water.

Zhang Wei felt the difference almost immediately! He turned his head abruptly, and the calmness and sarcasm on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by an incredible shock and confusion. He felt as if his mind was immersed in a sticky quagmire, becoming dull and confused; an inexplicable pressure squeezed in from all directions, causing his heartbeat to speed up and breathing to become difficult; even more terrifying was that some of the emotions and thoughts that he had deliberately suppressed began to grow and surge wildly like out-of-control weeds, impacting his reason!

"You...what did you do?!" Zhang Wei's voice was filled with real fear and trembling. He stared at Chu Lu, his eyes as if he saw some monster.

"Nothing." Chu Lu's voice was still calm, but with the correction value, every word seemed to carry a thousand pounds of force, directly hitting Zhang Wei's shaky defenses, "I just want you to be more aware of your situation."

Chu Lu spoke slowly, no longer probing, but going straight to the point: "If a person doesn't want to die, it means that he has something on his mind. What is it that makes you unwilling to die, and unwilling to confess? Is it the person? Or is it your unfulfilled wish?"

The correction value was like a magnifying glass, magnifying the guiding power in Chu Lu's words countless times. Zhang Wei only felt a bang in his mind, and those thoughts about loyalty, betrayal, mission, and hatred were instantly dispersed by a stronger emotional torrent, and a vague figure appeared in front of him uncontrollably.

"No... no..." He retorted incoherently, holding the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands, his knuckles turned white due to the force, his body trembled violently, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He tried desperately to dispel the distracting thoughts in his mind and keep the secret, but under the erosion of the correction value, his resistance seemed so pale and powerless.

"Still being stubborn?" Chu Lu's voice turned cold. "Your eyes tell me that you are afraid. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that you will die and no one will do what you want to do? Or are you afraid... of getting in trouble with the person you care about?"

The words "people you care about" were like a thunderbolt, completely splitting Zhang Wei's last line of defense. The blurred figure instantly became clear, and worry, fear, reluctance...all kinds of emotions were like a flood that broke through the dam, completely drowning him.

"Ahhh!" Zhang Wei let out a painful and desperate roar. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes were red, and tears mixed with sweat flowed down.

"Don't touch her!" He shouted almost instinctively, his voice shrill, "Please... please..."

Chu Lu's eyes fixed, and he struck while the iron was hot, his voice piercing like an ice spike: "Who is she?!"

"It's... Su... Qiao..." Under the dual effects of the strong mental pressure and the complete collapse of his heart, Zhang Wei finally uttered the name. Every word seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength. After he finished speaking, he collapsed on the chair as if his bones were taken out, his eyes were empty, and only unconscious panting and sobbing remained.

Chu Lu looked at the tough guy in front of him who had completely collapsed, and his heart was calm.

The correction value of thirty-five points did not disappoint him.

"Your Majesty, I will tell you everything I know..." Zhang Wei seemed to have grasped the last straw and begged in a hoarse voice, "About Su Qiao... her identity, her mission, us... our affairs... I will tell you everything! I only ask you to let her go! Please have mercy!"

Afterwards, he told his immediate superior, Si Shou Li Zhu, about Su Qiao's life background, how she was rescued by anti-court forces, how she entered the palace with hatred, what mission she was carrying out, how she disguised herself, and how the two of them developed feelings for each other. He even told him everything about the organization without reservation, like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.

After he finished speaking, Chu Lu tapped the table lightly with his fingers and began to think.

According to Zhang Wei's explanation, there is a hidden spy in the palace, a person who is more important than A Ling.

Su Qiao was a third-rank palace maid in the secretarial office.

On the surface, she was the daughter of a poor cloth merchant in Suzhou. She entered the palace to work because her family fell into poverty. She was dull and taciturn. Her only talent was her beautiful and neat handwriting, and she was good at regular script. She was usually responsible for copying some unimportant documents in the secretariat and was an inconspicuous person.

But in fact, Su Qiao's family fell into decline because of the cruel local officials. When her family was destroyed, she was saved by this anti-court underworld force. She had a deep hatred for the government that destroyed her family and even the emperor. Therefore, when the underworld forces needed an insider to infiltrate the palace, she took the initiative to take on this task without hesitation.

Although she looks ordinary, she actually has an amazing gift of photographic memory. She can remember the detailed layout of up to 30 pages of documents in a very short time, with an error of no more than three centimeters.

She was placed in the office, and usually acted submissive and stupid. She had to repeat what she was asked to do several times before she understood, and she spoke slowly, like a wooden man.

It was with this disguise that she gradually gained the trust of the eunuch in charge of the secretarial office. In order to access more confidential documents, she even volunteered to take on the chore of sorting out old archives. Taking advantage of her position, she came into contact with the detailed layout of the palace and some of the deployment maps of the imperial guards. After leaving her post, she drew this information bit by bit on straw paper with her amazing memory and then passed it on through secret channels.

As for how she and Zhang Wei hooked up... According to Zhang Wei's tearful account, it was probably late one night half a year ago. Zhang Wei followed the organization's instructions and sneaked into a remote warehouse near the office to retrieve a secret report hidden by Su Qiao. The process of retrieving the secret report was relatively smooth, but just as he was about to climb out the window to leave, an accident happened - the window had been in disrepair for a long time, and it made a loud noise when he stepped on it!
Almost at the same time, hurried footsteps and shouting were heard in the distance.

"What's that sound?!" "Go and have a look!"

It was the guard on night patrol! And judging by the sound, he was very close!
Zhang Wei was horrified and broke through the window without thinking. When he landed, a sharp wooden thorn cut his right wrist and blood gushed out instantly. What was worse was that he landed in an open area with nowhere to hide. The guards' torches were approaching and they were about to find him!
Exposed! Zhang Wei's heart sank to the bottom, and he was almost ready to draw his sword and fight to the death.

At this critical moment, something strange happened!

There was a muffled "clang" sound not far away, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground, followed by a woman's panicked cry: "Ouch!"

The patrolling guards' attention was instantly drawn to the sound. They immediately changed direction and rushed towards the source of the sound.

Taking advantage of the brief confusion, Zhang Wei endured the severe pain, rushed into the shadow of the nearest rockery like lightning, and held his breath.

He saw that it was Su Qiao who had caused the chaos. She had appeared there at some point, and was now squatting on the ground in a panic, with some debris scattered around her that seemed to have been accidentally knocked over. She lowered her head, and in a timid and panicked voice, she explained to the guards who had come over that "it was dark and the road was slippery" and "I accidentally tripped."

The guards questioned her for a few questions, and seeing that she was just a clumsy little maid, and they didn't find anything else unusual, they cursed a few words and continued their patrol. Su Qiao stood up slowly after the guards walked away and confirmed that it was safe. She didn't leave immediately, but walked towards the rockery where Zhang Wei was hiding.

Zhang Wei's heart tightened at that time, he was both shocked and angry, he wanted to yell at her to leave, but he didn't dare to speak. According to the iron rule of the organization, in such a situation, the safest choice is to evacuate and pretend to be unaware. Any unnecessary contact may bring disaster.

But Su Qiao did not speak, she just used the faint moonlight to see the wound on his wrist and the blood on the ground, and her eyes flashed with a very fast fluctuation. Without any hesitation, she immediately took out a small bottle of gold wound medicine and a clean cloth from an inconspicuous small cloth bag she carried with her.

She squatted down, and cleaned his wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it with swift and gentle movements. During the whole process, neither of them said a word, only the sound of each other's rapid breathing. In the dim light, Zhang Wei could clearly see her long eyelashes on her drooping eyelids, feel the trembling cold touch from her fingertips, and the worry that went beyond the organization's discipline.

When she finally bandaged her wound and raised her head, their eyes met briefly in the darkness. At that moment, Zhang Wei saw a complex emotion in her eyes, which always seemed dull and calm - nervousness, concern, and even a hint of tenderness of sympathy.

That glance was like a flash of lightning, splitting the thick barrier of mission and vigilance in Zhang Wei's heart. For the first time, he realized that the silent palace maid in front of him was not just a code name, a colleague, but a living person, a person like him.

Su Qiao quickly lowered her head, quickly packed up her things, and whispered, "Take care, General."

Then, she disappeared into the night like a wisp of smoke, as if what had just happened had never happened.

But Zhang Wei knew that something was different. The pain in his wrist that night had long since dissipated, but the pair of eyes that flashed with complex light in the darkness, the care that was given to him at great risk, was engraved on his heart like a brand.

The reason why Zhang Wei would rather die than confess after being arrested, and even hesitated to commit suicide, was largely because he could not let go of Su Qiao.

"Your Majesty, I have told you everything I know. I only ask you to let Su Qiao live!" Zhang Wei raised his head, his eyes full of pleading, "She does not deserve to die, she..."

"If we let them both go, let them stay away from the capital, and hide their identities from then on, can their story line be completely concluded?" Chu Lu asked Qin Su in his heart.

"It is possible." Qin Su replied, "As long as Su Qiao takes the initiative to give up the spy mission and cuts off contact with the forces behind the scenes, and the two choose to retire, then their respective story lines, including the unexpected emotional line, will most likely be considered completed. After all, giving up is also an ending."

"So that's how it is." Chu Lu nodded, with a look of understanding on his face.

He said to Zhang Wei: "I understand your intention."

Then, he turned to the door of the interrogation room and habitually opened his mouth to order: "Lin Xiao..."

As soon as he said this, Chu Lu paused. He seemed to suddenly remember that the once loyal commander of the Imperial Guards had now become a ghost. After a barely perceptible pause, he turned his gaze to the chief guard on duty outside the door, his tone still calm, as if the slip of the tongue had never happened: "Go, bring Su Qiao, the maid from the office. Remember, be quiet and don't alarm others."

When Zhang Wei heard that Su Qiao was going to be brought here, he immediately showed ecstasy on his face and said excitedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Your Majesty, your mercy! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Chu Lu looked at his grateful expression without any fluctuation in his eyes, and continued to say to the guard leader: "Bring them to the back and execute them both together."

"As you wish!" The leader of the guards' expression changed slightly, but then he bowed and accepted the order without hesitation, turned around and left quickly.

The ecstasy on Zhang Wei's face froze instantly, replaced by boundless shock and despair. He raised his head abruptly and stared at Chu Lu with bloodshot eyes: "You! You are untrustworthy!!"

"I have never promised you anything." Chu Lu's voice was flat and calm.

“Ahhhhh!!” Zhang Wei completely collapsed. He struggled frantically, roaring like a wounded beast, “You tyrant! You will not die a good death! You will definitely be punished! I curse you! I curse you to have no peace forever!!”

Chu Lu turned a deaf ear to his curse, stood up, straightened his robe, turned around and walked out of the interrogation room, as if the heart-wrenching curse behind him was nothing more than a noisy mosquito or fly.

Qin Su's voice sounded in Chu Lu's mind, with a hint of hesitation: "Chu Lu, do we really need to do this? Let them go, maybe..."

Chu Lu remained silent, and scenes of what happened not long ago flashed through his mind.

He replied in a low voice: "The situation is different. I no longer have the energy to pretend to be a good person."

He walked out of the imperial prison, the dazzling sunlight shining on his body, but he could not feel any warmth.

Soon after, the system prompt sound came as expected.

[Detected that the story line of the relevant characters has concluded...]

[Correction value +4]

[Correction value +6]

[Correction value: 45]

Zhang Wei and Su Qiao, two lives, brought him ten correction points. Adding the previous one, the total reached forty-five.

"Only forty-five?" Chu Lu frowned slightly, "Why is it so few?"

A Ling, a lowly maid, could provide 10 points, but Su Qiao, who was of a higher status, only had 4 points? Zhang Wei, who was even higher, only had 6 points? This was not right no matter how you looked at it.

"Chu Lu, the correction value also has a diminishing marginal effect." Qin Su explained, "The higher the correction value, the more difficult it is to improve. If it weren't for the 25 points given by Jiang Miaoyan, these two people would probably be able to give 30 points, but now they can only give 10 points."

"Is that so?" Chu Lu's eyes narrowed as he said to Qin Su, "Then we can't waste time on these small fish and shrimps anymore."

"What you mean is..." Qin Su immediately understood Chu Lu's thoughts.

"These secret agents and stewards can't give much correction value, so it's useless to arrest them." A fierce look flashed in Chu Lu's eyes, "I want to deal directly with the so-called chief of the company - Li Zhu!"

"Deal with the chief directly?" Qin Su's voice also became serious. "This is too risky. As the chief, Li Zhu's strength and the forces he can mobilize are far beyond the reach of Zhang Wei and his ilk. The current correction value cannot affect him. If we are not careful, we may cause a big commotion that is difficult to handle."

"I know." Chu Lu said in a deep voice, "But we don't have much time. We must obtain a large amount of correction value as soon as possible."

Qin Su was silent for a moment, as if she was weighing the pros and cons. In the end, she agreed with Chu Lu's decision: "Okay. Since you've decided, let's do it! But we must act carefully to ensure that we kill him with one strike!"

"Yes." Chu Lu's eyes were firm, "I understand."

(End of this chapter)