Placing Ding Xiu by Zhao Jing Zhong's side was Chen Ran's secret move and a hidden pawn!
Zhao Jing Zhong, as the eunuch in charge of the East Factory and the Northern Town Garrison, naturally could not leave the capital city at will.
So, his secret collusion with the Jurchen must have someone secretly responsible for the liaison.
Before traveling through time, Chen Ran still had some understanding of the history of this era.
The Jurchen were adept at using spies, and they had secret agents all over the Ming Dynasty. Before conquering a city, they would place spies throughout the city!
The capital was the heartland of the Ming Dynasty. There were certainly many spies there, and Zhao Jing Zhong must have been using these spies to contact the Jurchen.
Zhao Jing Zhong lived in the depths of the palace and was cunning and deceitful. Finding concrete evidence of his secret dealings with the Jurchen would definitely not be easy.
However, it was still possible to find the Jurchen spies through Zhao Jing Zhong and use them to obtain clues of their collusion!
Chen Ran's connection with Han Kuang and Chongzhen's obvious distrust of him made Zhao Jing Zhong feel immense pressure.
Therefore, he would definitely accelerate his escape from the capital.
At this time, he would inevitably need to contact the Jurchen spies in the capital to secure their assistance!
Ding Xiu, by Zhao Jing Zhong's side, not only helped Chen Ran kill Zhao Jing Zhong's many trusted Jinyiwei, but also led Zhao Jing Zhong to believe that Chen Ran had been killed.
And because of this, Ding Xiu also met Zhao Jing Zhong's confidant, Zhao Mian!
When Zhao Mian left the East Factory, Ding Xiu didn't show himself, but he secretly pointed him out to Fang Cheng and the others.
Along the way, Fang Cheng, Shen Lian, Jin Yi Chuan, and Lu Jian Xing took turns following him, never letting Zhao Mian discover them, and finally, they found the location of the Jurchen spies Zhao Jing Zhong was in contact with!
After Fang Cheng gave a signal, Chen Ran, along with Shen Lian, Ding Xiu, and the others, walked out of the alley.
Behind them, there were more than ten Qi Jiajun elite swordsmen in plain clothes.
"Shen Lian and I will enter the inn to arrest them. Fang Cheng, you bring your men to surround the inn and don't let anyone escape!"
Chen Ran glanced at the signboard of the Fengxian Inn before speaking in a low voice.
"Be careful, and be sure to leave someone alive!"
"Yes!"
Shen Lian, Fang Cheng, and the others agreed.
Fang Cheng immediately signaled his men to disperse around the Fengxian Inn.
Chen Ran, with Shen Lian, Ding Xiu, and the others, turned and walked into the Fengxian Inn.
"Customer!"
A shop assistant in a green robe and cap greeted them with a smile:
"Are you here for food or lodging?"
Chen Ran smiled slightly:
"I want to stay. Do you have..."
His tone was very relaxed, and he spoke as he walked inside, looking like a guest who came to stay.
The shop assistant didn't have any suspicion at all.
But Chen Ran, in the middle of his sentence, suddenly attacked, instantly grabbing the shop assistant's throat.
His move was as swift as the wind and extremely unexpected. The shop assistant was completely unprepared and was captured in an instant.
The shop assistant's throat was instantly gripped like a vise, making it difficult to breathe:
"You..."
Chen Ran said coldly:
"Where are the people who just came in?"
The shop assistant's face was filled with fear:
"L-little one... doesn't know..."
Chen Ran snorted coldly, struck the shop assistant's neck with a hand knife, instantly knocking him unconscious, then threw him back to Fang Cheng.
There was no time to interrogate them one by one now; they had to capture all the suspicious people first!
"Tie them up!"
Before the words were out, Chen Ran, Shen Lian, Lu Jian Xing, Jin Yi Chuan, and Ding Xiu had quickly crossed the inn's lobby.
The four split into two groups. Jin Yi Chuan and Lu Jian Xing went straight upstairs to search, while Chen Ran, Shen Lian, and Ding Xiu quickly went to the backyard.
As they entered the backyard, they saw Zhao Mian coming out of a room behind them.
Upon seeing Ding Xiu and Chen Ran, Zhao Mian's face instantly changed, and he opened his mouth to shout, but Chen Ran stepped forward and struck his throat with a palm.
Zhao Mian's martial arts skills were not weak. When Chen Ran struck him with a palm, he immediately dodged his head and spun his feet, jumping back several feet.
But Chen Ran was like a shadow, and he was even faster.
Before Zhao Mian could steady himself, Chen Ran had already followed him, a tiger claw instantly grabbing his chest, his arms like a windmill, directly throwing him from the air.
Shen Lian, from behind, went forward to grab Zhao Mian's arm and throat, pressing him firmly to the ground.
At this moment, a ping-pong sound came from the room over there.
Ding Xiu quickly rushed into the room, but found it empty!
Chen Ran's face darkened.
This room couldn't be empty. Otherwise, who was Zhao Mian contacting?
The sound just now must have been the person in the room who heard the commotion outside and jumped into the secret passage.
His eyes scanned around, and he quickly noticed a crack in the door of a wooden cabinet nearby.
Chen Ran instantly jumped over and pulled open the cabinet door, and saw that there was indeed a secret passage entrance under the cabinet, only large enough for one person.
"Ding Xiu, you go after him!"
Ding Xiu agreed, then put down his large Imperial Forest Army saber, taking only a short sword as he jumped into the secret passage.
Chen Ran, however, turned and ran out of the room, leaped over a wall about a zhang, then jumped onto the roof of the inn in front.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows!
There were many houses near the Fengxian Inn, and who knows how many exits there were underneath the secret passage!
Ding Xiu went down to chase alone, and it was unlikely he could catch that spy.
But this secret passage couldn't be too long!
Knowing his cover was blown, the spy wouldn't dare to hide in one place. After leaving the secret passage, he would inevitably flee directly.
Now, standing high up, Chen Ran could monitor the entire situation around him!
Sure enough, after a while, a figure quickly walked out of a thatched hut ten or so meters behind the inn, still wearing a long robe, dressed like an innkeeper.
After leaving the thatched hut, the man looked around and quickly walked towards the distance along a small alley.
Chen Ran snorted coldly, took a longbow off his back, drew an arrow, and fired.
Swoosh!
The arrow pierced the air, emitting a sharp whistle.
From dozens of meters away, the arrow accurately hit the man's shoulder, instantly sending him stumbling, falling to the ground.
His archery skills were superb, truly capable of shooting through a hundred paces!
At this time, Ding Xiu had also followed out of the thatched hut, and upon hearing the sound of the arrow piercing the air, he turned his head and saw Chen Ran standing on the roof of the inn holding a longbow, instantly understanding.
He turned and quickly ran out of the thatched hut courtyard, grabbing the Jurchen spy who was trying to struggle to his feet after being shot and pressing him to the ground.