Chapter 527: Infatuated Child |
The Secret Spy Division and Trouble-Resolving Guard poured out of their nests (mobilized in full force). The drum sounds of Capital City's Curfew transmitted and echoed in all four directions.
Chen Ji watched as Jin Zhu and the others whipped their horses and departed. The massive fire basins on the city walls lit up one after another, illuminating human shadows bumping and swaying on the bluestone slab roads.
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Lin Chaoqing.
This Official Ding was indeed experienced and ruthless, lying hidden in the Trouble-Resolving Guard for so many years without being discovered. Now, only slightly revealing a tiny bit of a horse's foot (showing a flaw), he immediately fled far away, not even caring about the life or death of his biological younger brother Lin Chaojing anymore.
No, wait. Whether Lin Chaojing was Lin Chaoqing's biological younger brother or not, this matter still required waiting for Meng Ji to finish interrogating before knowing.
But Chen Ji did not care about these. He only cared, if the Secret Spy Division failed to catch Lin Chaoqing, how should his and the Inner Chancellor's agreement be calculated?
Beneath the night sky, he carried Lin Chaojing and continued walking toward the north. Reaching the Meridian Gate, from far away he simply saw Bai Long standing beneath the city gate tunnel, currently exhorting something to Xuan She.
Wait until Chen Ji walked to close range, Bai Long finished handing over matters and waved a hand to Xuan She. Xuan She cast a glance at Chen Ji, heading south on his own accord leading a branch of troops and horses.
Chen Ji followed behind Bai Long, ascending the Meridian Gate city wall along the stone stairs.
This was still his first time coming here. The towering majesty of the Meridian Gate actually allowed him to take in the entire Forbidden City in a single unobstructed glance.
The Trouble-Resolving Tower's doors and windows were tightly closed, only the small window on the top floor remaining open. It seemed there was exactly a person draped in a black python robe standing by the window side, gazing far away at the fire basins on the Zhengyang Gate city walls, listening attentively to the drum sounds.
Inside Renshou Palace, palace maids came and went carrying palace lanterns, not knowing what they were busy with either.
Inside Jingyang Palace there was Lantern Fire, but distancing too far, he could not see clearly.
Bai Long turned his head back, reminding with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "Stop looking. Keep looking and your head will not be preserved."
Chen Ji hurriedly lowered his head, carrying Lin Chaojing and following behind Bai Long walking into the Swallow-Wing Tower.
The Trouble-Resolving Guards stood guard outside the Swallow-Wing Tower. Inside the deeply serene Swallow-Wing Tower it was entirely empty and desolate. There actually was even an opera tune transmitting out from the shadows: "In those years leaving home, was exactly in youth. Silver Spear and white horse, smiling at the spring breeze. And now returning to pay respects beneath the steps. Tattered armor knocking on doors, meeting not a single old person..."
Chen Ji had heard this act of opera in the Eight Great Hutongs. It was a segment from 'Pacifying the Western Mountains'.
Bai Long said calmly: "Stop engaging in Deceptive Play. Come out and do matters."
The opera tune came to an abrupt halt. Meng Ji's figure draped in a brown large lapel slowly surfaced from the black shadows. Embroidered on the large lapel were colorful feathers, just like an actor's opera costume.
Meng Ji said slowly and methodically: "Lord Bai Long, after finishing this matter, can this humble official return to Kaifeng Prefecture?"
Bai Long asked casually: "Wish to leave Capital City this much?"
Meng Ji smiled faintly: "At least be somewhat further away from this Forbidden City."
Bai Long waved his hand, signaling Chen Ji to toss Lin Chaojing onto the ground: "You still cannot leave. If Lin Chaoqing is caught, he will also have to be interrogated by you."
Meng Ji sat crossing his legs opposite Lin Chaojing: "This humble official has dealt with Lin Chaoqing before. He's not that easy to catch. Once a person of this kind disappears into a sea of people, reappearing will inevitably be Earth-Shattering and Startling."
He casually helped Lin Chaojing reattach his jaw. Lin Chaojing opened his mouth, exercising his jaw.
Meng Ji measured and examined Lin Chaojing: "In the eyes there is love, there is hate, there is resentment, there is desire. The voice is good, the appearance is also handsome. A good seedling for singing as a Male Dan. It's a pity."
Lin Chaojing knew himself to possess no path to life, nor did he possess the feigned literati scholar tone of ordinary days anymore. He conversely multiplied a bit of calm composure: "This humble one is actually still hearing for the first time that singing as a Male Dan requires having these in the eyes."
Meng Ji's interest arose: "The female leads in operas are mostly women of ultimate passion and ultimate nature, yet always encounter heartless and fickle men. If the actor themself does not understand these, how can they sing out the sorrow and plaintiveness of the woman in the opera? You see, Chen Ji is completely different. In his heart there is only infatuation and stubbornness. He can only play the martial male role. When old, it's not impossible to play a white-faced powerful official, but right now it won't do."
Lin Chaojing gave a haha laugh: "Then what is Lord Bai Long suitable to play?"
Meng Ji shook his head: "I do not dare say. Who can afford to be provoked, who cannot afford to be provoked... in my heart there is still a count."
Bai Long interrupted: "Begin. A single incense stick of time later is a single fraction less of a winning chance of catching Lin Chaoqing. Have him open his mouth, I wish to hear what he says."
Meng Ji flipped a palm. A petite razor appeared in his palm's center.
He took out a sheet of yellow talisman paper from his bosom. Biting open his finger, he used fresh blood to write and draw on the talisman paper. Ultimately he used that sheet of talisman paper to wrap a strand of Lin Chaojing's hair, swallowing it into his mouth.
In a flash, Meng Ji's and Lin Chaojing's pupils simultaneously rolled upwards. In their eyes there actually only remained the whites of the eyes!
Meng Ji opened his mouth asking: "Where is Lin Chaoqing?"
Lin Chaojing: "Already fled out of Capital City."
"Where will he flee toward?"
"Yangzhou."
Chen Ji and Bai Long looked at each other for a glance. The interrogation was actually simpler than imagined. He had thought nothing at all could be asked out from here with Lin Chaojing.
Bai Long pondered for a moment: "Fake."
Chen Ji nodded, echoing in agreement.
Lin Chaoqing's acting of matters was experienced and ruthless. Selling Lin Chaojing without the slightest dragging through mud or water (hesitation), it was impossible for him to tell Lin Chaojing his true tracks and movements. The other party knew, if there was a day Lin Chaojing was caught, he definitely would experience Meng Ji's interrogation, thus he laid a hidden foreshadowing/trap here early on.
Waiting for the Secret Spy Division to chase investigations toward Yangzhou so he could easily extricate his body from other directions.
At this time, not knowing what Meng Ji saw in Lin Chaojing's dream either, he suddenly gave an 'yi' sound: "You two are entirely not biological brothers?"
Lin Chaojing answered: "I am an orphan he adopted on the road heading south. Twentieth year of Lisheng. Ning Dynasty Guyuan Border Army launched a long-distance raid on the Yan Army Zhechong Prefecture of Heishui Town in Longyou Circuit. Qing Wentao indulged the Border Army under his command to slaughter to death all male males in the entire town, solely leaving women and children. Mother took me seeking refuge with uncle who joined the army in the Western Capital Circuit, yet died of illness midway, leaving me alone sitting by the side of the official road."
Chen Ji calculated in his heart. Now was the forty-first year of Jing Dynasty Lisheng. Twenty-one years ago, Lin Chaojing was merely four years old.
Lin Chaojing's rate of speech became very slow, as if chewing over long-past times: "At that time he was riding a Thin Horse, bringing along a child about the same size as me. Travel-worn from the wind and dust. Hanging on the horse saddle was a long blade. He was heading toward Guyuan. Seeing me curled up by the side of the road, already starved to the point of being unable to speak, he merely threw me half a piece of flatbread. The flatbread was mixed with wheat bran. It scratched the throat hurtingly, but could keep one alive."
Meng Ji's voice appeared erratic and drifting in the empty Swallow-Wing Tower: "And then?"
The whites of Lin Chaojing's eyes glowed with a bizarre light beneath the candle fire: "And then he left. I followed their horse hoof prints walking for three days. On the night of the third day a heavy rain fell. I dodged into a dilapidated temple, and they were also inside roasting a fire. He asked me why I followed him. I said I didn't know where to go."
Chen Ji noticed that the corners of Lin Chaojing's mouth hooked up a sliver of an arc.
Lin Chaojing paused for a beat: "He said, following him, looking into the future the times of starving would be few, the times of dying would be many. I said I did not fear death; starving is harder to endure than dying. He killed the child by his side. Said from then on I would be called Lin Chaojing."
Chen Ji's pupils suddenly contracted.
According to what Lin Chaojing said, at that time Lu Jin ought to have already arranged the dormant identity securely for Lin Chaoqing, desiring to have Lin Chaoqing bring a child along to come to the Ning Dynasty playing the role of brothers. But Lin Chaoqing saw an even more suitable candidate on the road, actually taking the previously selected child and killing them, swapping them for this Lin Chaojing before his eyes.
Meng Ji suddenly asked: "Did he treat you well?"
Lin Chaojing's laughing sound was dry and grating. This time he actually gave an irrelevant answer: "He often said I was his best student. Having the fewest flaws, and also resembling him the most."
Meng Ji probed into investigating: "Resemble him? In what way resembling?"
Lin Chaojing's eyeballs slightly rotated beneath the whites of his eyes, seeming to have signs of waking up: "He said it was the gaze. He said when we look at people, inside the eyes is empty. He said people of our kind are most suitable to live in dark places. But wanting to live on, one must first learn to deceive people. Wanting to deceive people, one must first learn to deceive oneself."
In Bai Long's voice there was not a single sliver of rippling waves: "Press him a bit. Ask Lin Chaoqing's tracks and movements once more."
Meng Ji suddenly said in a concentrated voice: "Did you know he would abandon you and leave?"
This time Lin Chaojing answered very quickly, fast as if not in a dream: "I knew. The first lesson he taught me precisely was: sentiments and Righteousness are the bait, life is the hook. The bait can be discarded; the hook cannot come off."
Meng Ji's voice lowered and sank: "Hate him?"
Within the whites of Lin Chaojing's eyes, it seemed there were some emotions tumbling and surging, yet ultimately were covered by a stretch of empty boundlessness: "Do not hate. He has to live ah. I have not dared to rest for a single moment these twenty-one years, precisely in order to repay him this life."
Meng Ji said in a severe voice: "You hate him! It is merely that you yourself cannot distinguish clearly anymore! Tell me his tracks and movements! Where will he flee toward? Speak!"
In the next moment, two lines of blood tears actually flowed out from the corners of Lin Chaojing's eyes: "Exit the Dongzhi Gate. Walk toward Miyun. His knees possess old injuries; on rainy days he walks slowly..."
Meng Ji's pupils flipped down anew, turning his head to look toward Bai Long: "Cannot interrogate anymore. Interrogate again and he'll be ruined. Now not a single drop of rain has fallen. The latest nine-tenths of this last sentence is also covering up Lin Chaoqing... This brat risked his life discarding it, also wanting to speak false words in the dream."
Bai Long stood within the Swallow-Wing Tower not speaking for a long time.
The two dynasties separating and establishing for a thousand years. The grievances and resentments mutually between each other had long since become a rotten account (messy affair). Hateful people all possess pitiable places. Pitiable people also possess hateful places.
This account could not be calculated clearly.
Bai Long turned around and outward departing: "Come people. Escort Lin Chaojing into the Imperial Prison."
Two secret spies entered from outside the door, dragging Lin Chaojing and simply walking.
Chen Ji followed behind Bai Long, hesitating to say: "Lord, this humble official pulled out Official Ding. Although Lin Chaoqing still hasn't been caught, but..."
Bai Long cast a sidelong glance at him: "This seat knows what you are worrying about. There is no need for wild thoughts and random thinking. For one who is able to resolve troubles for the Inner Chancellor, the Trouble-Resolving Tower will certainly not treat unfairly. The Inner Chancellor has given instructions. Today your Burning Boats to seek out Official Ding was already not easy. It can be considered removing a sickness of the heart for him. Although Official Ding still wasn't caught, it is enough to make up for one life."
Chen Ji instantly let out a sigh of relief.
The Trouble-Resolving Tower resolved troubles for people. Wishing to save a life required using one's own life to make up for it. If using bystanders' lives, one had to use two lives.
Now having made up for one life, he still lacked one life.
Chen Ji asked: "Who else does the Inner Chancellor want to kill?"
"Truly an impatient personality." Bai Long walked down the city tower along the stairs. Outside the Meridian Gate, the edge of his words changed direction: "If you can catch Lin Chaoqing, the second life can also be considered patched up. Commandery Princess Baili will definitively be able to depart toward Yellow Mountain for the Universal Salvation Ritual next year in April as per the agreement."
Chen Ji abruptly spun his body and walked southward without the slightest dragging through mud or water (hesitation).
From the Swallow-Wing Tower behind him faintly transmitted Meng Ji's singing opera voice: "Always has grace and Righteousness both being difficult to complete altogether. Beneath the bottom of the sword, swallowing down unspoken words. Infatuated Child ah... only realizing upon arriving at death. What is sung in the opera scripts, are all entirely the reunions of bystanders..."
(End of this chapter)