103. Lu Jin
Director of the Military Intelligence Department.
These five words seemed to have some kind of magic power over the spy.
From the day they joined the Secret Service, their coaches and their superiors reminded them all the time: Find the head of the Military Intelligence Department and arrest the head of the Military Intelligence Department.
The moment Chen Ji said that, in the dark alley, there was the sound of several black-clad spies subconsciously drawing their swords!
Under the cover of night, dozens of eyes turned towards Xifeng.
Xifeng stood beside the gray-tiled and white-walled building, feeling a little flustered by the stares. He looked at Jinzhu and said, "Sir, how did I become the head of the Military Intelligence Department? I'm not a head of anything."
Jin Zhu was also startled at first, but then he understood what Chen Ji was going to do. He smiled and patted Xifeng on the shoulder: "If I say you are, then you are it."
Xifeng was even more panicked: "You are not planning to kill Liang and take credit for it, and hand me over to the court as the head of the Military Intelligence Department, are you?"
Jin Zhu's face darkened. He took off the wooden ox mask and knocked Xifeng on the head. "Look at how cowardly you are, kid. No wonder I haven't been able to promote you to Hai Dongqing's position for so many years. I don't know why I promoted you in the first place!"
Xifeng quickly said, "Of course it's because I'm loyal to you!"
Jin Zhu laughed angrily: "We want you to pretend to be the head of the Military Intelligence Department to deceive the Liu family, not to hand you over to the court."
Xifeng breathed a sigh of relief, but soon became even more panicked: "I can't pretend."
Chen Ji, wearing a tiger mask, said calmly, "Everyone, now is not the time for jokes. The head of the Military Intelligence Department is mysterious. I'm afraid even many Jing Dynasty spies have never seen what he looks like. If we pretend to be him, we can dig out more secrets of the Liu family. My lord, if you still trust me, I will arrange everything next."
Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji's true face was always hidden under that tiger mask. He thought quietly for a few seconds: "You tell me what we should do. This time I will follow your arrangements."
The spies suddenly looked at Chen Ji.
One of the secret agents was puzzled: "Sir?"
Jin Zhu raised his hand to stop him from talking: "No need to say more."
Chen Ji looked at Xifeng and said, "Xifeng, let me ask you, who is the head of the Military Intelligence Department's boss? What is his position?"
Xifeng thought for two seconds and replied, "The superior of the Chief of the Military Intelligence Department is naturally the Military Strategy Envoy of the Jing Dynasty. The previous Military Strategy Envoy was Lu Jin, and the current one is Lu Guanwu who just took office."
Chen Ji then asked, "What position did Lu Guanwu hold before he became the Military Strategy Envoy?"
Xifeng replied, "Previously... he served in the Privy Council?"
Chen Ji asked, "What about before that?"
Xifeng was stunned. "Lu Guanwu previously lurked in the Privy Council and wasn't well-known, so few people paid attention to what he did in the past. Besides, we soldiers don't need to remember all that."
As he said this, he turned around and looked at the black-clad spies wearing hats in the alley: "Do you know?"
The spies looked at each other and shook their heads silently.
Chen Ji looked at Jin Zhu and said, "This is the problem. Liu Mingxian is very cautious and will definitely test the waters when they meet in three days. If we want Xifeng to pretend to be Sizhu, we must first familiarize him with all kinds of information about Jingchao."
"That makes sense," Jin Zhu nodded. "Let's go to the Inner Prison. Every month, the capital sends new reports to the Secret Service Departments of each province to update information. The reports from Yuzhou are stored in the Inner Prison of Luocheng."
Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why have I never seen these court reports when I went to the inner prison before?"
Golden Pig glanced at him and said, "Only secret agents of Hai Dongqing rank or above can review this report, so naturally I can't show it to you. However, as this is an emergency, I'm afraid I'll have to make an exception today."
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said: "Don't go to the inner prison. The inner prison is a long way away.
It takes an hour to go back and forth each time, and one has to go in and out blindfolded, which is quite inconvenient. How about this, Lord Jinzhu sends someone to escort these court reports to Zhou Chengyi's residence, where a temporary government office is set up."
Jin Zhu agreed immediately: "Everything is up to you! Xifeng, you take the people with you!"
Xifeng agreed and asked someone to bring a carriage out from another alley. He took a footstool and placed it on the ground. "Sir, please get in the carriage."
"Wait."
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, only to see Chen Ji slowly approaching the carriage and sizing up Xifeng. "This behavior doesn't seem like that of a dignified Director of the Military Intelligence Department. How can a Director be so attentive to others?"
Xifeng was surprised and said, "Shouldn't we wait three days? I'm not there yet."
Chen Ji said, "If you don't pay attention to details, they'll find out sooner or later. From this moment on, you're the true head of the Military Intelligence Department. Come, help the head to the car."
Golden Pig came over with a smile and placed the footstool: "Master Si, please."
Xifeng said in a panic, "Sir, please get in the car first."
Jin Zhu's smile suddenly faded: "Stop talking nonsense! If you cause me great trouble in three days, I will strip you naked and hang you in front of the Jiaofang Office, so that you will never be able to hold your head up again in this life!"
Upon hearing this, Xifeng took a deep breath, held his head high and stepped onto the footstool to get into the carriage.
Just as he was about to open the curtain himself, Chen Ji stepped forward and stretched out his hand to open the curtain for him: "Master, please."
…
…
Inside the wobbly carriage, accompanied by the clattering sound of wooden wheels pressing on the bluestone road, Xifeng sat in the middle of the rear of the carriage, while Chenji sat opposite Jinzhu.
In the solemn atmosphere, Xifeng, who was fidgeting, silently took out a copper hand warmer from under his seat.
He took out a stick of fire from his bosom and wanted to light the silver charcoal powder inside.
However, Chen Ji said calmly, "This is not what the Master should do."
Xifeng sneered, "It's cold, warm Master Jinzhu's hands."
Chen Ji's expression remained unchanged as he said solemnly, "I'm not kidding you two. This is the closest my Secret Service has ever been to the Liu family. As long as we gain their trust, tremendous achievements will be within our grasp."
He changed the subject, "Liu Mingxian is shrewd and cunning. Even a simple trick wouldn't be enough to fool him. If he discovers something when we meet again in three days, he'll probably retreat completely. So, you two must act seriously. Only when you believe it yourself can you convince Liu Mingxian."
Xifeng was startled, then looked at Jinzhu and said in a trembling voice, "Xiao...Xiaojin, can you light the hand warmer for me?"
Golden Pig: “…”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he took the fire stick and copper hand warmer without hesitation, and said to Xifeng with a flattering smile: "Master, I deserve to die for such a small matter.
Xifeng shuddered: "Sir, please don't do this. I'm scared."
Jin Zhu held his shoulders and said coldly, "You know how much I want to kill the entire Liu family. I want all the men in the Liu family to be slaves and the women to be prostitutes, and they will never be able to turn over a new leaf. In this matter, official position, face, and dignity are not important. Sit up straight and act well!"
Xifeng gradually calmed down: "Yes, I understand!"
The Golden Pig sneered, "Say it again!"
"I understand."
Chen Ji watched this scene silently, and he suddenly began to believe the story told by Jin Zhu.
As Jin Zhu lit the carbon powder, he looked at Chen Ji and asked in a serious tone, "What should we do with the deputy supervisor?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "We need to make this a complete show. Let the secret agent pretend to be a spy from the Jing Dynasty and secretly send the deputy supervisor to the north. Don't come back until the task is completed."
"Okay," Jinzhu subconsciously put the copper hand warmer that had just been lit in his hand.
Xifeng suddenly stretched out his hand and said, "Xiao...Xiao Jin, a copper hand warmer."
Jinzhu was startled and quickly stuffed the hand warmer into Xifeng's arms.
The carriage slowly stopped.
The Golden Pig was the first to get out of the carriage, and like a servant, he set a footstool for Xifeng and opened the curtain.
Xifeng was a little uneasy, and Chen Ji said calmly: "Recall the most imposing figures you have ever met. What were their demeanors?"
Xifeng asked tentatively, "Master Wu Xiu?"
"I have never met Master Wu Xiu, so just learn from him."
Xifeng closed his eyes and recalled the past, and when he opened his eyes again, his expression had completely changed.
He got out of the car with an arrogant look on his face, straightened his back, didn't even glance at the golden pig, and walked into Zhou's house as if no one was around.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, Xifeng immediately turned around in surprise: "Sir, is this the feeling you want?"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "That's right, Master Si."
Xifeng spread his hands and looked at himself, feeling pretty good. He turned around and put on his arrogant expression again, striding into the backyard.
An hour later, the secret agent brought four wooden boxes from the inner prison, each of which was sealed with a yellow paper talisman.
In Zhou Chengyi's study, Jin Zhu took out a dagger and cut his forehead. He dipped his finger in the blood and smeared it on the talisman seals. Then he peeled off the four seals one by one: "Everything from the past three years is here."
Chen Ji took out a book and handed it to Xifeng. "You have three days to read all these reports. After three days, you must understand the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department better than anyone else in the Secret Service Department. You must answer every question Liu Mingxian has."
After saying that, he picked up a court newspaper and started reading it while sitting at Zhou Chengyi's desk.
Jin Zhu reached out and held Chen Ji's hand as he flipped through the pages of a book. He looked at the tiger-faced man with a half-smile and said, "The court reports are for secret agent drivers, not for pigeon-level secret agents to see. Xifeng can make an exception because of the mission, but you... why do I feel like you're here for these court reports?"
Chen Ji moved Jin Zhu's hand away and interrupted, "Master Jin Zhu, not only do I want to see it, you too should see it again. The people who follow the Chief of Staff know nothing about the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department. Do you think this is appropriate? Master, is there anything more important than bringing down the Liu family?"
He sat at the table and looked up at the golden pig, his eyes under the tiger face not avoiding or giving in.
After a moment, Jin Zhu suddenly laughed: "For some reason, I always have the illusion that I am working on a case with Lord Sick Tiger, as if you have really become the Lord Sick Tiger in the upper three levels."
"Thank you for your good wishes."
Jin Zhu pulled a chair over and sat down opposite Chen Ji: "Then let's watch it together."
Chen Ji lowered his head and continued to flip through the court reports. However, the first report made his pupils shrink slightly: In the summer of the 31st year of Jianing, Si Cao Ren went to Beijing via Tianjin, dismissed his entourage, and disappeared without a trace. It is suspected that he was in contact with an important person. This incident was probably related to Lu Jin's resignation.
This short sentence contains so much information. The Ning Dynasty's Secret Service has long known that there is more than one Si Cao, and it is also clear that the ten Si Caos use the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches as code names.
Moreover, the Ning Dynasty's Secret Intelligence Department was also well aware that the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Department was undergoing a power transition.
As he was watching, Chen Ji looked up inadvertently, but found that Jin Zhu was not looking at the report in the other's hand at all, but was glancing at him.
Seeing him looking at him, Jin Zhu smiled and said, "Are you interested in this Lord Lu Jinlu? He's a real big shot. Our Secret Service has fought him for many years and suffered a lot."
Chen Ji's heart trembled, and then he said nonchalantly: "I'm not interested. I was just thinking, the previous killing of the Jing Dynasty villains, could it be because of Lu Jin's resignation?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
