บท 148: Code Book?
"Really?" Mo Fan smiled ambiguously. "What if they are not using words or phrases to communicate?"
Zheng Tao was taken aback. Not using words or phrases? Then how...?
Seeing Zheng Tao's bewildered expression, Mo Fan smiled faintly, "Have you ever observed what kinds of gifts this 'Zhang the Benevolent' gives?"
"Uh...no, we haven't," Zheng Tao shook his head.
"Those items must hold some clues! Perhaps not in their quality, but at least in their quantity," Mo Fan said confidently. "Wang Hua returns the gifts in full, and then Zhang the Benevolent distributes them to the common people, claiming to be doing charity. But from another perspective, isn't this a way to destroy evidence?"
Mo Fan's words seemed to open a window in Zheng Tao's mind!
Yes, Zhang the Benevolent giving out the gifts to the common people—scattering them across the streets—was effectively destroying evidence!
Zheng Tao then asked, "Next time, I'll have Fu Qing pay attention to the exact quantities of the gifts. But what significance do these numbers hold? How should we decipher them?"
Mo Fan replied, "That's for you to figure out. Once you find the codebook, you can decipher it."
"Codebook?" Zheng Tao was still puzzled.
"Yes. Keep an eye on what Wang Hua does after meeting with them. Observe which books he refers to. Also, remember the items thrown out by Wang Hua; they could be the information he is passing to Zhang the Benevolent."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Tao was shocked!
Such a method of passing information was unheard of. If Mo Fan's suspicions were correct, Wang Hua's scheming was far too deep.
If Wang Hua had been transmitting information to the Blue Flame Empire in this way for years, Tianxuan Empire would have no secrets left from them!
This realization was terrifying.
Thinking of this, Zheng Tao could not wait any longer. "Senior, the upcoming Ghost Festival is in a few days. Zhang the Benevolent will likely go to the Prime Minister's residence to deliver gifts. I must go and discuss preparations with Fu Qing and the others!"
Mo Fan nodded, "Go."
With that, Mo Fan waved his hand, and the white mist dispersed.
Zheng Tao suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the white ceiling and his wife, who was beside him.
"Was this a dream?" Zheng Tao couldn't believe it. He had dreamt of the War Emperor Mo Fan, who had provided constructive advice on the current dilemma.
Zheng Tao was anxious. "Is this real?"
After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Tao gritted his teeth. Whether it was really Mo Fan in his dream or just his own imagination, he now had a new line of thought.
Their investigation had reached a deadlock, and there was no other way. Any possible lead was worth pursuing.
Trying not to wake his sleeping wife, Zheng Tao moved quickly, appearing outside in a flash.
His clothes were already on, and he had reverted to his older, more worn-out appearance. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the night.
***
In a small courtyard of the Imperial Academy, Literary Institute.
"Why are you calling us here in the middle of the night instead of cuddling with your wife?" Hua Ge grumbled, his chest bare and holding a wine gourd with a drunken look.
He had been enjoying a solitary drink under the moon when Zheng Tao had urgently summoned him.
Next to him, Fu Qing was also bleary-eyed, yawning repeatedly, looking like he had just been dragged out of bed.
Seeing these two unruly fellows, Zheng Tao felt a sense of helplessness and gritted his teeth, "We have no leads on Wang Hua, we're being played for fools, and you still have the nerve to sleep and drink?"
As he spoke, he forgot that he himself had just woken from a dream.
"Wine helps me think clearly, allowing me to come up with leads!" Hua Ge boasted shamelessly, taking another big swig of wine.
Fu Qing also shook his head, "If I don't get enough sleep and food, how will I have the energy to deal with Wang Hua?"
"Do you have any new discoveries?" they asked in unison.
Zheng Tao nodded, "I just thought of something! That Zhang the Benevolent must be suspicious..."
Then, he detailed Mo Fan's analysis to them.
However, he didn't mention Mo Fan, perhaps because the idea of receiving guidance in a dream was too fantastical, or because he wasn't entirely sure about Mo Fan's presence. He decided to keep that part to himself for now.
Listening to Zheng Tao's analysis, the drunken look on Hua Ge's face vanished, and Fu Qing instantly became alert.
"Are you saying they communicate through the quantity of the gifts?" Hua Ge looked shocked.
He was also a top scorer in the imperial examination back in time and part of the golden generations and prided himself on being more intelligent than Wang Hua. However, being led around by Wang Hua recently had severely undermined his confidence.
Hearing that Wang Hua could come up with such an ingenious method of transmitting information made him feel deeply defeated.
With his intellect, how could he not understand how hidden this method was?
And the so-called codebook—by using special number combinations to find corresponding words in a predetermined book, one could piece together the message they wanted to convey!
"Yes, that's right." Zheng Tao nodded, seeing that Hua Ge had grasped the principle.
It had to be admitted that among the three of them, Hua Ge had the quickest adaptability and the sharpest mind.
Hua Ge immediately turned to Fu Qing and asked, "Old Fu, what was the situation that day? Can you repeat it? Do you remember the quantities?"
Fu Qing soon understood the implication and nodded. "I can roughly recall the specific numbers. That day, Zhang the Benevolent visited, bringing ten ginseng roots, a box of pearls..."
"But Wang Hua didn't accept any of them as usual. He threw everything out and drove Zhang the Benevolent away, cursing him and telling him never to come again. He even knocked over many things in his anger."
"Finally, as usual, Zhang the Benevolent distributed the items to the common people."
"Wait! What did he curse about? What did he knock over? Do you remember?" Hua Ge's eyes lit up as he urgently asked.
Given Wang Hua's martial prowess, and with the control he had, it was unlikely that throwing out some items would cause anything to fall over. There shouldn't even be a tremor. How could this happen?
Although Zhang the Benevolent was there to deliver gifts, it wasn't to ask Wang Hua for favours. Besides, he had an excellent reputation among the people.
What kind of fury would make Wang Hua, a martial king, lose control to such an extent?
Something was fishy! Hua Ge immediately sensed that there was more to it.
Fu Qing thought deeply, scratching his head. "I can't remember exactly."
Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Are you saying the message Wang Hua wanted to pass to Zhang the Benevolent was hidden in the items that were knocked over?"
***
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