She, though very skillful at understanding men's mentalities, was ultimately of too low a status to have access to high-level information.
So she did not know about the personal vendetta between Zhao Douan and the Zhang brothers.
She only thought that since all were colleagues at White Horse Hall, Zhao Douan might have been introduced by the former.
"This is not the case," Zhao Douan smiled, curiously saying,
"It must be fate that Brother Zhang and I are like-minded people, but it's surprising I haven't seen him stay outside overnight."
Little Ya heard his friendly address and assumed the two had a good relationship, so she smiled and said,
"Lord Zhang, after all, is a great talent and seems unwilling to show himself in public. Whenever he intends to drink, he often has someone send a message ahead, arranging the hour... or his brother will deliver the message...
If you, my lord, wish to come in the future, you may do likewise without having to join those people in the front hall, to save your good name."
Ha, as if my reputation is good... Zhao Douan had nowhere to vent his thoughts, rotating his wine cup, he smiled and asked,
"When Brother Zhang casually chats and drinks with me, he talks a lot, speaking with references and allusions. Thanks to him, I know many new things in the Capital... has he ever mentioned me to you?"
Little Ya held the wine jug in both hands, filled his cup, and shook her head slightly surprised, saying,
"Lord Zhang hardly speaks here at my place, hardly responding whenever I talk to him."
Not surprising.
That hypocrite Zhang Changshuo was indeed cautious.
Otherwise, Little Ya would have known the two did not get along.
"And what about Captain Zhang?" Zhao Douan asked carelessly.
Mentioning Zhang Changji, Little Ya seemed displeased and said,
"The second son of the Zhang family is rude and never considerate, but unlike his brother, he talks a lot, even teaching me how to speak, and he even talks in his sleep at night..."
What exactly did he teach you to say... Zhao Douan's gossiping spirit was ignited, but he forcibly suppressed it, focusing on the "talking in his sleep" detail.
Quite unexpected.
No wonder Zhang Changji, a colonel in the Capital Camp, rarely stayed overnight in the camp, even during his watch duty, he would return home by late midnight.
He had such a habit.
"Oh? Did he ever mention any matters about the court or the Capital Camp to you?" Zhao Douan asked with delight.
Little Ya was about to answer, but suddenly realized and closed her lips.
Her beautiful eyes glittered as she twirled around, leaning against him, her soft hands sliding down, breathing softly,
"The night is late, let me serve you to rest, we can talk elsewhere if you wish?"
Yet in the next second, her fair hand was clamped by Zhao Douan.
Zhao Douan, always with a smile on his face, now squinted his eyes, his tone eerie,
"What is it? Is there something inconvenient to say?"
Little Ya was startled for a moment and quickly shook her head, "No..."
Zhao Douan fixed his gaze on her, firmly stating,
"You know, but you don't want to answer me."
Little Ya suddenly panicked,
"What does my lord mean by 'know'? I don't understand."
Zhao Douan shook his head, his smile fading, he said,
"I'm asking if Zhang Changji ever told you anything important."
Little Ya hesitated, then smiled,
"So my lord is upset about this; indeed nothing important, just things you men care about, like did Your Majesty get angry today, which official had bad luck, and so on, trivial and boring..."
"No," Zhao Douan responded calmly,
"If it's just this, why hesitate? You must know something you're unwilling to let me hear."
He came with the purpose of interrogation, naturally observing closely.
Little Ya paused, then resentfully said,
"Sir's suspicions are really strong, I just thought the mouth should be tight, shouldn't casually disclose the matters of you gentlemen, like if my lord said something today, I would never breathe a word to anyone else."
This argument seemed logical.
But Zhao Douan, relying on his Middle Grade mortal martial artist's skill, could clearly hear Little Ya's heartbeat was abnormally fast at the moment.
In her wrist, the blood flow rate was also accelerating...
This was a sign of guilt and nervousness.
He stopped smiling, his face turning cold, just right with a hint of violence,
"No, you're afraid of offending the Zhang brothers by speaking carelessly."
"But," he laughed coldly, "you don't fear offending them but dare to offend me?"
He squeezed her hand harder, causing Little Ya's delicate wrist to ache suddenly.
She was terrified!
At that moment, some rumors about Zhao Douan emerged in her mind, fear surfaced in her heart.
The man before her was no gentleman, but a cruel and violent villain!
"No... don't dare..."
Little Ya was completely flustered; she was not like Yun Xi, a woman with strong will, she was already quite frightened.
"Is it that you dare not offend me or dare not speak?"
Zhao Douan's expression was vicious. With his other hand, he drew a small fruit knife from the fruit platter on the table.
Lightly he traced along Little Ya's fair neck, his voice sounding like a demon:
"Do you know why I'm here today?"
"No... don't know..."
Zhao Douan said,
"By royal order, I'm investigating the Kuangfu Society rebel case. It led me to Zhang Changji, learning he frequented the Qinglian Small House in the past six months, secretly meeting you...
Ah, and you refuse to answer, shielding him. I have grounds to suspect your true identity is of a Kuangfu Society rebel hidden in the Capital!"
Little Ya was scared pale.
A rebel, the Kuangfu Society... even if ignorant, she knew this was a capital crime that could cost heads and implicate families.
Already terrified, this great accusation made her soul scatter:
"I am not a rebel, not..."
Zhao Douan said softly,
"Whether you are or not, throw you into the Imperial Prison, and after torture, it will be clear."
"Two roads lie before you, the path of life or the path of death, choose wisely."
The Imperial Prison... a place of near-death.
Little Ya completely broke down, tears flowing, she cried,
"I'll tell, I'll tell everything! Just ask for mercy, my lord!"
Oh, how good it would be to cooperate from the start?
Must force me to play the big villain... I really don't like scaring women... Zhao Douan muttered, suddenly letting go, throwing Little Ya back onto the case.
He restored his gentle appearance, putting on a smile, warmly said,
"Speak."
This state was his true character.
Little Ya, her hair disheveled, clothes wrinkled, face full of tears, trembling knelt on the ground cloth as if returning from hell to the mortal world.
Seeing Zhao Douan switch between two states so seamlessly, she was deeply fearful, believing the rumors were indeed true.
The Empress's Gigolo was a Zhongshan Wolf in human disguise.
"Where... where does one begin?" she sobbed.
Zhao Douan gently encouraged,
"Start with what you most want to hide."
Coming tonight was originally just to test, unexpectedly yielding a delightful surprise.
What Little Ya would offend him for not wanting to speak about must be extraordinary.
However... a mere colonel like Zhang Changji, even if scum, abusing power and strong-arming the weak, shouldn't have committed anything significant.
Yet Little Ya's next words took him by surprise.
"I... once heard Zhang Changji talking in his sleep, it seems he secretly transported firearms to Prince Jing Mansion..."
Zhao Douan's face immediately changed.