Chapter 54: Return
Nearly two years had passed since the fake Zhao Dali entered Ningcheng. Relying on his own outstanding ability and Jiang Chenghan's intentional facilitation, the fake Zhao Dali had now been promoted from an ordinary soldier to a squad leader overseeing several soldiers.
After receiving the mission to garrison Tianming Pass, Jiang Chenghan, afraid that the fake Zhao Dali might cause trouble during his absence from Ningcheng, simply used his authority to transfer the fake Zhao Dali into his own unit and then brought him along to Tianming Pass.
Originally, because the fake Zhao Dali had shown no unusual behavior at all, Jiang Chenghan had somewhat given up on the plan to catch him, intending to wait until he received that secret mission again as in the previous life, which would naturally reveal the fake Zhao Dali's ultimate purpose.
Unexpectedly, however, because he had brought the fake Zhao Dali to Tianming Pass this time—a deviation from the previous life—he accidentally discovered something suspicious about the fake Zhao Dali.
The incident started on a certain day more than three months after they arrived at Tianming Pass. He had just finished inspecting the entire camp and was preparing to return to his own barracks when he heard two soldiers talking about the fake Zhao Dali.
Jiang Chenghan asked what had happened. From the two soldiers' account, he learned that the fake Zhao Dali had a jacket his mother had personally sewn for him when he left home to join the army. Although it was a ragged old garment, worn for many years and patched over patches, he still treasured it deeply. Now that he had become an officer and no longer lacked clothing, he had put the old jacket away, occasionally taking it out to look at it and express his longing for his mother.
However, when he returned from duty that day, he discovered that a soldier who cleaned his barracks for him had taken the old jacket to wash it. His expression changed dramatically, and he rushed off in a panic to find the soldier. Fortunately, the soldier had only just taken the jacket and was drawing water by the well, not having had time to wash it yet. The fake Zhao Dali retrieved the intact jacket and sighed with relief.
The two soldiers felt that the always steady and calm fake Zhao Dali's drastic change in expression over an old jacket, while understanding it was sewn by his mother, was still an exaggerated reaction, so they discussed it privately.
After hearing what they said, Jiang Chenghan showed no expression on his face, only told them not to casually discuss their superior officer, and sent them away. Later, he found an excuse to send the fake Zhao Dali out of the barracks, then, avoiding others, he sneaked into the fake Zhao Dali's barracks where he found that old jacket.
The jacket was very old, stained a dirty yellow color, covered in large and small patches of varying shades. It felt like it was made of the most common hemp cloth, but the stitches were very fine. It was an upper garment.
Jiang Chenghan turned the old jacket over and over for a long time but found nothing unusual on the surface, and there was no hidden lining. However, remembering what the two soldiers said about the fake Zhao Dali's expression changing drastically upon learning the jacket was taken to be washed, he looked at the old jacket again with thoughtful suspicion.
But investigating thoroughly would likely alert the fake Zhao Dali, so Jiang Chenghan temporarily put the jacket back in its place and left the barracks.
However, he did not give up. So, a few days later, a fire suddenly broke out in the military camp. Although it was discovered in time and the flames did not spread widely, the fake Zhao Dali's barracks, as the point of origin, were mostly burned down, and naturally many things inside were destroyed, including the fake Zhao Dali's old jacket, which was burned to only half remaining.
While the fake Zhao Dali was holding the old jacket, which smelled of scorching, and his other personal belongings, being comforted by everyone, Jiang Chenghan was in his own barracks, laying a piece of fabric cut from the fake Zhao Dali's old jacket flat on a table. He then carefully used a dagger to cut the cotton threads and remove the patches one by one.
Unexpectedly yet expectedly, inside those patches, there were indeed traces left by charcoal. Although the patches were messy and incomplete, preventing Jiang Chenghan from piecing together the complete pattern, the faint marks on just a few patches in his hand were enough for him to recognize that what was drawn on the patches was the entire defense layout of Tianming Pass.
He slowly let out a breath. After nearly two years of patience and covert waiting, he had finally caught him. That fake Zhao Dali's schemes were indeed significant, definitely not aimed solely at him.
However, currently stationed at Tianming Pass, he was tied down and unable to investigate further. Fortunately, he now had evidence and could fully inform Kou Shijun, letting him conduct the interrogation and investigation.
Jiang Chenghan did not delay. He immediately wrote a secret letter in a code only Kou Shijun could understand, detailing his discovery about the fake Zhao Dali's old jacket. He then ordered a trusted subordinate to deliver the secret letter to the Governor's Residence in Ningcheng and hand it directly to Kou Shijun.
As for the fake Zhao Dali himself and the old jacket as evidence, he left them untouched for the time being. It was only ten days later, when Zhang Zhao arrived once more at Tianming Pass with his men, that Jiang Chenghan handed over the portion of the old jacket he had managed to acquire.
Then, to prevent any information from leaking out, they did not directly arrest the fake Zhao Dali. Instead, under the guise of routine transfer orders, they removed both the fake Zhao Dali and several other squad leaders—a move intended to create confusion and misdirection—and brought them all back to Ningcheng.
What happened after that, Jiang Chenghan did not know. He just focused on guarding Tianming Pass. Bei Di were already at war with Danu—if they provoked Da Qi again, they would be attacked from both front and rear, which they naturally did not want. So, in the following days, Tianming Pass remained peaceful, with no warfare.
What surprised Jiang Chenghan was that before his six-month tenure was up, Kou Shijun sent a general to replace him at Tianming Pass a month early. Jiang Chenghan knew something must have happened in Ningcheng, so after handing over his duties, he rode straight for Ningcheng. After entering the city, he went directly to the Governor's Residence.
"General." As soon as Jiang Chenghan entered the Governor's Residence and saw Kou Shijun, he noticed another middle-aged man in a purple official's robe in the hall.
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