Chapter 520: Aunt Ping |
[Translation note: Skipped website advertisement message]
The Military Intelligence Division's organization was extremely tight and strict.
In order to avoid it being captured entirely in one net by the Secret Spy Division, Lu Jin deliberately made the Military Intelligence Division divide into two lineages, parallel to each other, with absolutely no intersections.
Right when everyone believed the Military Intelligence Division ought to be uniformly under the jurisdiction and control of the Department Head by right, this lineage of Official Ding and Official Gui hadn't even seen the Department Head.
This was a matter that even the Secret Spy Division didn't know about, but Chen Ji knew.
Now Official Ding had already probed whether or not the Capital Morning Post was reliable. He sunk back into silence once again, waiting to activate this Intelligence channel next time. Chen Ji didn't know when the other party would expose their cloven hoof (show their flaws), but he didn't have that much time to wait anymore. He wanted to take the initiative to give Official Ding a reason that he'd have no choice but to appear for.
Zhang Xia lowered her head and looked at the secret code language Chen Ji wrote down, suddenly asking: "How could you understand the Military Intelligence Division so well?"
Chen Ji remained silent, unspeaking.
Besides Old Yao and Official Gui, no one knew that he was precisely the Jing Dynasty's Deputy Privy Councilor Lu Jin's nephew, and no one knew that he was also a member of the Military Intelligence Division.
Chen Ji answered: "They will."
He had carefully pondered it over. If he were Official Ding, how would he feel when Official Gui left in a rush?
Official Ding and Official Gui had known each other for many years and been partners for many years. Official Gui left hurriedly, not even having enough time to hand over and arrange the espionage agents under his command.
Official Ding would inevitably guess: Did Official Gui fall into the hands of the Secret Spy Division? Would he confess and sell him out? Would it endanger the safety of half the Military Intelligence Division?
If he were Official Ding, he would definitely figure out clearly what exactly happened; otherwise, he would also have to pack his things and prepare to flee on the road.
Zhang Xia pondered for a moment: "What if Official Ding only dispatches an insignificant minor spy to Wenchang Bookstore? We will probably still be unable to find him."
Chen Ji gently shook his head: "The Military Intelligence Division's rules are strict and stern. I am taking the identity of Official Bing to invite him over to confer and discuss. If he only dispatches a person of no importance at all, it would equal exposing Official Bing's identity. The Twelve Si Cao also have ranking orders. Official Ding does not have the authority to do this."
Zhang Xia nodded: "Then let's inform the Secret Spy Division of this matter. Hand it over to them to Wait By A Stump For A Rabbit."
"Cannot," Chen Ji gave a denial: "Back when we were in Luo City, the Military Intelligence Division even had people who could check the Secret Spy Division's interrogation files. I suspect there are Official Ding's eyes and ears (informants) within the Secret Spy Division. If we inform the Secret Spy Division, it's very possible we will Beat the Grass and Startle the Snake. The Inner Chancellor perhaps also realized this matter; only then was he so anxious to eliminate Official Ding."
Official Ding was too important. Chen Ji was unwilling to have any mistakes or mishaps.
Zhang Xia wrinkled her brows: "But for you to fight singly and battle alone, I'm afraid there will be danger."
At this time, the wind outside the Plum Blossom Pavilion blew in, blowing the Bamboo Paper on the desk until it rustled and clattered loudly. Chen Ji looked out of the pavilion. He clearly felt himself already being very close to Official Ding. Perhaps just taking one more step forward, he would be able to see the other party's appearance.
Chen Ji turned around and walked toward the stairs: "I'll go find some helpers."
...
Chen Ji exited Plum Blossom Ferry. Rounding and turning in the Eight Great Hutongs, he walked toward Zhengyang Gate Avenue. During the morning, the Eight Great Hutongs were a stretch of bleak desolation. The balustrades were hung full with bedsheets and quilts sunning/drying, as well as washed clothing.
Completely lacking the ostentatious flashiness of the night.
Chen Ji passed through Zhengyang Gate Avenue, eventually standing in hesitation outside the door of Bianyi Workshop on Checkerboard Street. Previously Aunt Ping had said: if there were matters, he could come to Bianyi Workshop to seek her...
But what was strange was that seeking Lantern Fire to handle matters had always had secret codes and secret signals. Yet Aunt Ping didn't say what the secret code for seeking her was. Don't tell me I just directly ask if Ping Zhao is here or not?
Moreover, he also didn't know if the injuries Aunt Ping suffered last time had healed yet or not?
At this time Bianyi Workshop hadn't opened for business yet. The manservants in the main hall held rag cloths wiping the tables and chairs, talking and laughing.
Chen Ji stepped across the door sill. A manservant said with a smile: "Honored guest, it's only the Chen hour (7 AM - 9 AM) right now. Our little shop won't do business until three quarters past the Si hour. It isn't that we're unwilling to earn your money, it's truly that the cooks haven't even woken up yet. They can't make meals and dishes."
Chen Ji said calmly: "I have come to seek Ping Zhao."
The manservants were startled. One among them tossed his rag cloth to a companion: "You guys continue sprinkling and sweeping. I'll go invite Thirteenth Master over."
A moment later, Shisan lazily and bleary-eyed followed the manservant walking down the stairs, cursing and swearing in his mouth: "Daring to wake me up noisily early in the morning? I see your skin has gotten itchy!"
The manservant hurriedly explained: "Previously you handed down instructions: if someone comes to look for Ping Zhao, hurridly shout loudly to wake you up."
Shisan was startled: "Ping Zhao?"
He looked down from the stairs. Waiting until he saw Chen Ji clearly, his spirits were immediately roused.
Shisan rushed before Chen Ji: "It's you! ...Let's go, let's go, let's go. I'll take you to seek Aunt Ping."
He pulled Chen Ji's wrist walking outward, drilling from Checkerboard Street into Roller Hutong in the west. Stopping before a single-door small courtyard, he knocked lightly three times, then knocked heavily three times.
The room door was opened from the inside. Madam Lu, wearing a black curtain-hat, stood just inside the door.
Shisan smiled faintly: "You guys chat. I'll guard at the doorway."
Chen Ji walked into the Courtyard, examining the furnishings, yet suddenly felt them to be familiar. It wasn't until he saw that pair of couplets before the main room—the upper couplet written with "Only blessing the Qilin child's peace", the lower couplet written with "Eternally praying for the thoroughbred son's health", and the horizontal scroll reading "Fortune and longevity stretching long".
Only then did he recall: this small courtyard's layout was actually exactly identical to Aunt Ping's residence in Changping, merely lacking the Eight Trigrams Taiji Diagram ground out from practicing martial arts on the floor.
The courtyard door folded closed behind Chen Ji. Madam Lu asked with a smile: "What tea would you like to drink?"
Chen Ji was startled: "No drinking tea. Aunt Ping, I came today to speak of proper matters."
But Madam Lu still walked into the side room: "Even if the sky collapses, the days must still be lived exactly the same. The time it takes to drink a cup of tea won't delay major matters. Sit first. If you have matters, speak slowly."
Chen Ji sat down beside the stone table, yet caught a glimpse of today's Capital Morning Post actually also being placed on the table.
He picked up the Morning Newspaper, asking curiously: "Aunt Ping also reads the Morning Newspaper?"
Madam Lu responded across the empty space from inside the side room: "Nowadays, who in Capital City doesn't read the Morning Newspaper? Official appointments and dismissals, folk strange tales... What the commoner populace wishes to know is all on the Morning Newspaper. If I didn't read the Morning Newspaper, I also wouldn't have known you nearly died outside Baidadan City... Were the injuries heavy at that time?"
Chen Ji fell silent. Initially, this Aunt Ping kept people a thousand miles away, refusing to let them near. Yet now, she actually cared about him even more than the Chen Family did. Not knowing why, he always felt the other party was like an elder. Just sitting in the other party's courtyard made him feel his heart settle down much more.
At this time, Madam Lu emerged carrying a wooden tray. Not only was there tea water in the tray, there was actually even sliced watermelon. This was still Chen Ji's first time eating watermelon in the Ning Dynasty.
Madam Lu pointed at the watermelon: "This thing is named watermelon. It was brought to me from Guyuan by an acquaintance. It can't be seen much in Capital City. Wishing to transport this thing, one must fill a cart with fine sand, then bury it into the sand. Even like so, when transported to Capital City, thirty percent still spoils... I'm afraid you haven't eaten it before, right? Quickly taste."
Chen Ji seemingly could feel the earnest and eager gaze behind Aunt Ping's curtain-hat's black veil. But he didn't go grab the watermelon, instead saying solemnly: "Aunt Ping, Official Ding is about to show himself. I need you to come kill him."
(End of this chapter)