Chapter 519: Fishing |
Early morning, Chen Ji exited the Chen Estate's side door. The air was still permeated with the smell of ashes from last night's fire disaster. The wind rolled up the ashes, blanketing the inner city with a layer of white ash.
Chen Ji didn't go to Shi Family Hutong to investigate. Instead, he carried a demeanor of the matter having nothing to do with him and went straight out Xuanwu Gate, heading for Plum Blossom Ferry.
Arriving below the Plum Blossom Pavilion, he subconsciously raised his head to look at the balustrade, yet didn't see Zhang Xia's figure.
Chen Ji ascended the stairs step by step, arriving at the top floor. Zhang Xia was currently sitting behind a desk, silently reciting the Cloud Obscuring scripture texts on one hand while flipping through all the articles received by the Capital Morning Post on the other.
Using one heart for two purposes (Multitasking).
The top floor still only had Zhang Xia alone. Hearing the sound of Chen Ji ascending the stairs, she didn't even raise her head, silently pointing at another desk.
Chen Ji turned his head to look. On the table lay a Palm Leaf Wrapper impressively. He used his finger to touch it a bit; it was still hot. Wrapped inside were eight mutton steamed buns.
He fell silent for a moment, pinching up a bun to eat while waiting. Waiting until Zhang Xia finished reciting this round of scripture text, only then did he ask: "What happened last night?"
Zhang Xia put down the article in her hands, raising her head to look at him: "Last night someone set fires in Shi Family Hutong. The strength of the fire spread to several Alleys, burning down seventeen residences."
Zhang Xia answered: "The fire started burning from an old residence. The Zhang Family death warriors inquired a bit; that is the place where a Ministry of Personnel Bureau Director harbors a concubine. But this person was not in Shi Family Hutong last night; he was at a night banquet at the Yang Family, thus nothing happened to him."
Chen Ji was thoughtful: "How many people died last night?"
Zhang Xia recalled: "Seven people died. Among them, six were performers and servant girls of the Imperial Music Bureau. There was one other person who is the manager of a grain store under the Qi Family. He was dead drunk staying the night in the concubine's residence. When the fire started burning, the manservant and the performer ran away themselves, and only upon running out did they remember he was still inside. Only then did he burn to death. Could it be the person the Military Intelligence Division wanted to kill was actually this manager? Incorrect. As long as the manservant had been a bit more loyal, he wouldn't have died."
Chen Ji remained silent, unspeaking.
Zhang Xia was bewildered: "No matter how you look at it, the Military Intelligence Division setting the fire doesn't seem to be for the sake of killing people. Or perhaps Shi Family Hutong hides other secrets."
Chen Ji shook his head: "No. Official Ding is still probing."
Zhang Xia was thoughtful: "The handwriting (scale/style) of the probing is not small."
Chen Ji looked toward the outside of the Plum Blossom Pavilion: "Official Ding's mind is delicate and meticulous, and he acts cautiously. He is also suspecting that someone knows perfectly well he is transmitting messages, yet holds their troops without moving. Thus he used cruel and fierce methods to tell the person observing in the dark: waiting also has a price."
Right at this time, Er Dao came up holding a stack of paper and handed it to Chen Ji: "This is what was collected today."
Chen Ji flipped through and read piece by piece. His gaze eventually froze upon a piece of Xuan Paper. Someone had bought another advertisement this morning, writing in secret code language: "Tonight at the Zi hour, kill Wang Xun."
Without waiting for him to ask, Zhang Xia was already opening her mouth to provide an answer: "Among the capital Officials, there is only one person named Wang Xun. This person originates as an Advanced Scholar of the fifteenth year of Jianing. He first polished himself in the Hanlin Academy for six years, then was sent out to the provinces as Fengtai County Magistrate, and later appointed as Shuozhou Vice Prefect. When he was in Shuozhou, a small branch of Jing Dynasty cavalry bypassed Chongli Pass and pierced through to the hinterland Shuozhou. The Shuozhou Prefect heard the news and fled overnight. He pulled together a branch of civilian militia to defend the city overnight. Only then did it cause the Jing Dynasty cavalry to not enter the city and plunder."
"Waiting until the Jing Dynasty cavalry retreated, the Prefect quietly returned to Shuozhou. This Wang Xun then had people tie up the Prefect and send him to Capital City. It was just that the Prefect was of the Yang Family's direct line, causing the Yang Family to harbor resentment in their hearts. Afterwards, they found a pretext and demoted Wang Xun away to Datong. Wang Xun stayed in Datong for eight years, and was later taken a fancy to by Hu Junye, transferred back to the Ministry of War to serve as Ministry of War Bureau Director. Now that Mister Wang has been promoted to Ministry of War Minister, he might fill the vacancy of Mister Wang's Vice Minister position."
Hu Junye?
Chen Ji remembered. Hu Junye was that Hu Family direct line eldest son who came to the Chen Family last time, hoping Elder Chen would transfer him to serve in Taiyuan; the eldest brother of Guyuan Regional Commander Hu Junxian.
And this Wang Xun was a mainstay pillar of the Ning Dynasty. Official Ding was probing bit by bit, wishing to see if there was someone who would be unable to restrain themselves. Burning Shi Family Hutong yesterday, killing a Ministry of War Bureau Director today... If the Secret Spy Division is truly waiting in the dark, then there will always be a time they cannot bear it anymore.
But unfortunately, Chen Ji did not care about the lives and deaths of others. He only wished to capture Official Ding.
Zhang Xia looked toward Chen Ji: "Still holding your troops tight and not moving?"
Chen Ji fell silent for a moment: "Hold troops without moving."
Zhang Xia pondered for a moment: "But if they truly make a move tonight, perhaps you could follow the vine to catch the melon and capture Official Ding."
Chen Ji said with absolute certainty: "Wait a bit longer."
Zhang Xia hesitated: "Chen Ji, this person was taken a liking to by my father. Yesterday he even came to the Xu Family. My father personally promised him the matter of being promoted to Ministry of War Vice Minister within ten days."
Chen Ji was slightly startled: "Isn't he a person of the Hu Family?"
Zhang Xia said softly: "My father does not care whose person he is. As long as he can expend effort for the court, it is thus acceptable. Our dynasty needs this kind of talent within the Ministry of War, rather than being controlled by those people who hold sinecures and eat the bread of idleness. Chen Ji, he cannot die. There will be a day he is sent out the capital to the provinces, perhaps as an important minister of a frontier stronghold."
Chen Ji wrinkled his brows.
If this person was not too important, Zhang Xia would absolutely not open this mouth. However, this was also Official Ding's intention with probing. He definitely had to probe until someone could not sit still anymore, and only then would he stay his hand.
However, right at this time, Chen Ji said with absolute certainty once again: "Wait a bit longer."
Zhang Xia let out a light sigh: "Alright."
Chen Ji shook the paper in his hands, suddenly opening his mouth to speak: "It is not that I do not care about Wang Xun's life, but rather I am thinking of a problem. Official Ding and the Military Intelligence Division spies are all in single-line contact, and are furthermore exceedingly cautious. He can transmit true and fake messages recklessly, but how should the Military Intelligence Division spies determine whether this message is true or fake?"
Indeed. A spy has no way to go seek verification from Official Ding. And it's also impossible for Official Ding to inform all spies of the truth or falsity of the news every day. Once he contacts them every day, it will definitely increase the risk of exposure.
Therefore, there must be a certain kind of rule, allowing the spies to know upon a single glance whether it is a true message or a fake message.
But what is the rule?
The first day posted an advertisement. The second day posted an essay on politics. The third day posted an advertisement again...
Chen Ji tapped the Capital Morning Post on the table: "I bet that what he posts in the seventh page political essays are precisely the true messages, and what he posts in the advertisement page are the fake messages. Ah-Xia, let's wait a bit longer. What is being competed over at this moment is precisely patience. If Official Ding is not eliminated, in the future there will still be even more Ning Dynasty important ministers sinking into crisis. Only by eliminating this person can we accomplish the deed once and for all."
Zhang Xia was startled, then agreed to it: "Alright."
...
On the night of that day, Chen Ji did not sleep the entire night, listening to the movements outside from beginning to end. If the Military Intelligence Division truly assassinated Wang Xun, there would definitely be the sounds of the Five Wards Military and Police Department sealing off streets, as well as the sound of Curfew drums on the city walls.
Chen Ji couldn't avoid worrying.
Although he had discovered the rule Official Ding used for transmitting messages, there fundamentally were no absolutely ten thousand percent certain matters in this world. He worried Wang Xun would truly die, ruining Zhang Zhuo's schemes.
Fortunately, he waited a whole night, and no matters occurred.
Early morning, Chen Ji exited the door once again. He was going to seek Zhang Xia to confirm whether Wang Xun was safe and sound.
But before waiting for him to walk out of the inner city, he instead saw a familiar figure coming head-on—Jiao Tu.
Jiao Tu today was entirely in a sheer black shirt, paired with a black gold-embroidered horse-face skirt. Her lips were painted with rouge, deep red like she had drank blood.
Carrying a gust of fragrant wind, she brushed shoulders and passed by Chen Ji, saying with a smile: "Lord Chen, follow me. Lord Inner Chancellor has words to bring to you."
Chen Ji walked out outward a dozen steps without batting an eyelid. Only then did he thread through a small Alley to detour and follow up with Jiao Tu.
Waiting until reaching a reclusive place, Jiao Tu turned her body back to look at Chen Ji, opening her arms and spinning a circle with a beaming smile: "Lord Chen, does this slave girl look pretty today?"
Chen Ji casually said: "Lord Jiao Tu, Yun Yang is not at this place. Best we speak of proper matters."
Jiao Tu laughed: "Why mention that unluckily tainted thing. Lord Chen helped this slave girl heavily return to a zodiac position, yet this slave girl hasn't even properly repaid you yet! Why not this slave girl treat you to drinks tonight? Just you and me, the two of us, looking for a quiet and secluded place."
Chen Ji looked at Jiao Tu with a calm complexion, saying not a single word.
After a stalemate of a long while, Jiao Tu covered her mouth and chuckled lightly: "Let it be, let it be. Lord Chen is a gentleman of proper standing. Speaking of proper matters, Lord Inner Chancellor had me come ask milord: why has there been absolutely no news of Official Ding recently? The Military Intelligence Division has produced many incidents of trouble recently. The Inner Chancellor has run out of patience. You are limited to capturing Official Ding within seven days; otherwise, the person you want, he also has no method of giving her to you."
Calculating the days, it was already early in the eighth lunar month. Two months of the time agreed upon with the Inner Chancellor had already passed. If Official Ding couldn't be caught in another month, the prior promises would also have to be scrapped altogether.
Chen Ji turned around and left immediately: "Trouble you to tell the Inner Chancellor: within seven days, we will definitely find Official Ding."
He took large strides toward Plum Blossom Ferry. When ascending to the top floor, Zhang Xia was currently resting with her eyes closed in meditation, silently reciting the Cloud Obscuring scripture texts.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, she severed the scripture recitations. Opening her eyes, she asked curiously: "Why did you come late today? The buns brought for you went cold."
Chen Ji picked up the Palm Leaf Wrapper from the table: "No matter, still somewhat warm. How is Wang Xun?"
Zhang Xia rose: "As you predicted, the Military Intelligence Division merely made a feint with a spear. They didn't make a move against Wang Xun."
Chen Ji let out a sigh of relief: "It's good that there was nothing."
Zhang Xia pointed toward the table: "No political essays received today, and no advertisements received either. Official Ding seems to have stopped resting. He ought to have felt there is no need to continue probing... But waiting for him to appear again next time, who knows how long we will have to wait."
Chen Ji took a deep breath of air: "Then give him a reason that he MUST definitely appear."
"Issue an advertisement tomorrow." He arrived before the desk and raised his pen, carefully deliberating as he wrote down: "Wenchang Bookstore respectfully announces: This workshop has recarved blocks for printing based on the old edition of The Analects' classics and annotations from the Hall of Four Masters. Enclosed is the collection stamp of the Preserving Immortality Studio. Additionally obtained three scrolls of Cinnabar Rescripts personally gifted by the late Master of the Osmunda Pavilion, which contains the secretly transmitted textual collation method of the Storing Grace Cabinet. One can reflect upon the legacy instructions of past sages to verify one's own heart. Those desiring to purchase, be quick. Furthermore, collecting a lone surviving copy of the old edition of the Chapters and Verses of the Four Books with Collected Commentaries by Si Bing. Should broadly there be someone willing to part with their beloved treasure, we will reward with heavy gold."
Zhang Xia examined the text written down by Chen Ji: "Hall of Four Masters... Preserving Immortality Studio... late Osmunda Pavilion... Storing Grace Cabinet? Never heard of these names before. These books also don't exist in this world."
Chen Ji gave no answer.
Those names were not important. What was important was that Official Ding would definitely be able to read and understand the message he hid using the Fanqie Phonetic Method: Official Gui is dead.
Examining the entire text again, Chen Ji issued this advertisement with the identity of Official Bing. The connecting secret signal was to bring a copy of the Chapters and Verses of the Four Books with Collected Commentaries to Wenchang Bookstore.
Chen Ji was betting—betting that Official Ding also didn't know the identities of the Department Head's lineage's men and horses.
(End of this chapter)