178. Murder
(Sorry this chapter took a long time to edit and was delayed) The carriage headed straight for the East Market.
Chen Ji lifted the car curtain and silently observed the deserted street. As the curtain swayed, the light and shadow in his eyes kept flickering.
Jin Zhu sat across from him, holding a copper hand warmer, and said gently, "The princess is not a good liar. People with pure hearts have never pondered human nature. Their lies cannot deceive others, but only themselves."
Chen Ji asked without turning his head, "What does Lady Jin Zhu want to say?" Jin Zhu was silent for a moment. "The princess is very clear about her situation. She said those words because she doesn't want to implicate you. You are a smart person. If I can see it, you can definitely see it too. I've seen so much intrigue and deception in Wu Nian Mountain and the Secret Service, and I can't help but sigh when I see such scenes. But I must remind you that the general trend cannot be violated."
Chen Ji asked, "Master Jinzhu, what is the general trend?"
The Golden Pig replied: "Your Majesty wants Prince Jing dead, the Prime Minister also wants Prince Jing dead, and the most powerful people in the Ning Dynasty want him dead, so he will definitely die. This is the general trend."
"Um."
Chen Ji suddenly remembered what his master had said about the hexagram: Prince Jing's Mansion was doomed, and this was God's will.
Golden Pig said seriously, "Take my advice and forget about them as soon as you turn around. Just pretend you never saw them."
He continued, "When I was first sent to Wunian Mountain, I had very good friends and a girl I liked. I thought I'd never forget them, but now when I think back, I can't even remember what they looked like."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. I understand." Jin Zhu looked at him doubtfully, and finally could only sigh, "I'm glad you understand.
Chen Ji looked out the window and changed the subject: "Sir, what are your plans after capturing Concubine Yun?"
Jin Zhu thought for a moment and said, "The next step is Bai Long's business, which has nothing to do with us. Bai Long should quickly destroy the evidence of the Jingwang Mansion and Luo Tianzong's crimes, and then..."
He looked at Chen Ji's expression and said, "Then confiscate his property and execute him." Chen Ji stopped talking.
Jin Zhu, sitting across from him, sighed, "I wonder why Concubine Yun was so alert. She actually escaped before the Liu family started the rebellion. Someone must have tipped her off."
Chen Ji calmly lowered the curtain and said, "Sir, we're here." After that, he lifted the curtain and bent down to get out of the car.
The two neighborhoods near Anle Street have been blocked by the Jiefanwei, with neither entry nor exit allowed. Secret agents are searching house to house in the alleys, and all residents are taken out of their houses and lined up in the alleys to await questioning.
In every household, all places where people could hide were turned upside down, and even the floor was carefully knocked with the handle of a knife to see if there were any hollow places.
Chen Ji looked up and saw Yun Yang, dressed in black, standing on the roof of a restaurant with his arms folded, his eyes scanning the street like an eagle.
Jiaotu was lying on the roof next to Yunyang with his legs crossed. He took a hat from some Jiefanwei and covered his face with it, swaying his toes leisurely.
The Golden Pig curled his lips and said, "Pretending!"
He waved to Xifeng and others behind the carriage and said, "Go in and search, you might find something great." At this time, Chen Ji's mood slowly sank to the bottom.
He originally thought that Bai Long's claim of finding clues about Concubine Yun was just a cover, either to lure out Han Tong, the leader of the Luotian Sect, or to lure out the traitor in the Secret Service.
But he was the only one who knew best that this was indeed Concubine Yun's hiding place. Given the meticulous search by the Secret Service, it was only a matter of time before Concubine Yun was found.
But what Chen Ji found strange was that Aunt Xitang's betrayal was very sudden, not a day earlier or later, but today.
He took a deep breath and walked deeper into the alley. "Xifeng, you lead the search on the left, and I'll lead the search on the right."
Xifeng subconsciously turned his head to look at Jinzhu. They were both pigeon-level spies, and in terms of rank, it was not Chen Ji's turn to command him.
But when the Golden Pig saw Xifeng looking at him, he nodded imperceptibly, signaling Xifeng to do as he was told.
Chen Ji led more than 20 secret agents in the alley, searching house by house. Occasionally, his eyes would cast towards a house deep in the alley, his brows furrowed.
Where are the dark clouds?
Logically, Wu Yun should be responsible for taking care of Concubine Yun at this time, so why is there no trace of Wu Yun yet?
Wait, since the dark clouds are not here, it means that Concubine Yun is not here either.
Chen Ji glanced at the other spies and walked straight to the house deep in the alley. He just pushed the door lightly with his palm, and the door creaked open.
There was no bolt on the inside.
He walked in and saw the basket Yun Fei had brought yesterday sitting on the Eight Immortals table. Inside the basket, a piece of paper lay diagonally. Jiaotu snorted and pulled his hat back over his face. Yunyang whispered, "I'll go take a look."
After saying that, he jumped down, and his body landed on the ground as lightly as a piece of paper in the air.
Yunyang quietly came to the door of that house and suddenly pushed it open: "What are you doing?!"
Inside the house, Chen Ji was tapping the wall with his knuckles. Seeing Yun Yang push the door open, he asked in surprise, "I'm searching this household. Why is Lord Yun Yang here?"
Yun Yang walked around Chen Ji suspiciously. "What took you so long?"
Chen Ji said helplessly, "Master Yunyang, all my colleagues have conducted such a thorough search, so what's wrong with me doing this?"
The next moment, Yun Yang sneered, "Stand still, or I'll kill you."
He searched Chen Ji's clothes up and down, trying to see if Chen Ji had hidden anything, but after searching for a long time, he found nothing.
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Master Yunyang, there was a misunderstanding between us earlier.
But now that we are colleagues, let's put aside our suspicions for now and work hard for the Minister."
Yunyang also laughed: "That's great. You continue searching, and I'll look elsewhere."
He turned and walked out the door.
The traces in the house and the cloud sheep outside the house all put away their smiles.
It gets dark especially early in winter, and pedestrians go home in a hurry with their heads down.
Jin Zhu led Chen Ji into a noodle stall cursing. He sat down and Chen Ji walked quickly forward to unfold the piece of paper. His pupils suddenly contracted. The paper clearly stated when and where Prince Jing had instructed Concubine Yun to contact the Military Intelligence Department of Jing Dynasty. Prince Jing was the main messenger, and Concubine Yun was just following orders!
What's going on?
Was this letter left behind intentionally by Concubine Qu? If so, then was it also Concubine Yun's instruction that Nanny Xitang suddenly reported the matter to the Secret Service?
But why would Concubine Yun do this? If this letter fell into the hands of the Secret Service, Prince Jing would lose everything, with no chance of recovery.
Chen Ji stood in the room like a sculpture, letting the dust in the air slowly fall on his shoulders.
A moment of kindness almost led to a big mistake.
At this moment, Yun Yang suddenly said from the high roof, "Hey, Chen Ji suddenly went into a house alone for a long time. Is there something wrong?"
Jiaotu's face was hidden under his bamboo hat as he spoke slowly, "What could be the problem? Mengji has already tried him twice. If there really was a problem, how could Mengji not tell me? Besides, Jinzhu is such a cautious old man, how could he keep such a big trouble around him?"
Yunyang frowned: "I always feel something is wrong."
Jiaotu took off her hat and lay flat on her back, squinting at him. "If you ask me, we should just honestly admit our mistakes. We're good fighters, and he's smart. If we can work together, wouldn't the Minister of Internal Affairs reward us generously with cultivation resources?"
Yunyang glanced at her and said, "We've become enemies."
Jiaotu smiled and said, "It's just a few stabs. How can it be considered a grudge? In this world, there are only eternal interests, not eternal hatred. At most, I can sacrifice my looks. How can a young and strong man like him resist such temptation?"
Yunyang said firmly, "No!" Jiaotu snorted and put his hat back on his face. Yunyang whispered, "I'll go take a look."
After saying that, he jumped down, and his body landed on the ground as lightly as a piece of paper in the air.
Yunyang quietly came to the door of that house and suddenly pushed it open: "What are you doing?!"
Inside the house, Chen Ji was tapping the wall with his knuckles. Seeing Yun Yang push the door open, he asked in surprise, "I'm searching this household. Why is Lord Yun Yang here?"
Yun Yang walked around Chen Ji suspiciously. "What took you so long?"
Chen Ji said helplessly, "Master Yunyang, all my colleagues have conducted such a thorough search, so what's wrong with me doing this?"
The next moment, Yun Yang sneered, "Stand still, or I'll kill you."
He searched Chen Ji's clothes up and down, trying to see if Chen Ji had hidden anything, but after searching for a long time, he found nothing.
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Lord Yunyang, there was a misunderstanding between us before, but now we are colleagues. Let's put aside our suspicions for now and work hard for the Lord Internal Minister."
Yunyang also laughed: "That's great. You continue searching, and I'll look elsewhere."
He turned and walked out the door.
The traces inside the house and the cloud sheep outside the house all put away their smiles. .....
It gets dark especially early in winter, and pedestrians go home in a hurry with their heads down.
Jin Zhu cursed as he led Chen Ji into a noodle stall. He sat at the eight-person table, rubbing his cold hands. "Is Bai Long really reliable? It's so cold, and so many people have been searching all day, but they haven't even seen a trace of Yun Fei. This is clearly a false clue."
Chen Ji took out his chopsticks and asked the shopkeeper to rinse them with hot water. "Sir, please be patient. Finding Concubine Yun is our top priority now. Even if it's a false clue, we must verify it."
When the shopkeeper brought the steaming hot beef noodles, Jin Zhu put all the beef into Chen Ji's bowl. "Hurry up and eat. Then go home and rest. Who knows what trouble that white dragon will cause tomorrow."
Chen Ji hummed.
At this moment, the Golden Pig paused in his eating, glanced up at him, and abruptly warned him, "Don't have any bad thoughts. Remember what I said. Forget what you should forget. This is fate."
"life"
The Golden Pig smiled and said, "Everything is determined by fate. We have no control over it."
Chen Ji looked at the beef in the bowl in front of him and said, "Master Jinzhu, if you could live your life again, would you choose to be a good person or a bad person?"
Jin Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Evil man." Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why?"
The Golden Pig smiled and said, "The thing I want to do most is something that nice people can't do. Come on and eat."
Chen Ji hummed, lowered his head and finished his beef noodles in a few mouthfuls: "My lord, I'm leaving now. You should also go back and rest early."
"Ah? Eat so fast!" Jinzhu looked up in surprise and saw Chen Ji had already stood up and walked into the night alone.
Outside, a chilly wind blew, and Chen Ji felt as if even the breath he exhaled would instantly freeze into ice. His stomach felt bloated, unable to digest the page he had swallowed earlier. He tightened his collar, lowered his head, and walked into the distance, braving the chill.
After an unknown amount of time, he arrived at a dark alley and whispered, "Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Lei Sheng Pu Hua Tian Zun?"
The next moment, Wuyun meowed from the shadows in the alley, signaling him to follow.
Chen Ji stood at the entrance of the alley, hesitant and entangled, but he finally followed and walked towards the old
Stopped in front of the wooden door.
He raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door with his knuckles: "Madam, open the door."
The wooden door suddenly opened. Concubine Yun, dressed in the simple attire of a neighbor's wife, had a cold look in her eyes. "How did you find this place? Why are you haunting me?! If your Military Intelligence Department is so powerful, why was it wiped out by the eunuchs?"
Chen Ji looked up and stared at Concubine Yun. "Madam, there's no one in Luo City I can't find now. There's no point in you hiding. I came here tonight because I have many questions for you... Let's go in and talk."
Concubine Yun silently moved aside and closed the door tightly.
Chen Ji stood in the small courtyard, his back to Concubine Yun, and slowly spoke, "Madam, do you hate the prince?"
Concubine Yun's expression was calm: "Why do you hate him?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "I hate that he has ignored you for so many years. I secretly hid the letter of denunciation you left in Minzhong Lane."
Concubine Yun's expression changed. "You hid it? What does this have to do with you? Why are you meddling in other people's business?"
Chen Ji said softly, "Do you know that if your letter is found by the Secret Service, Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess will surely die. In fact, the Prince knows that the Princess is not his biological daughter. When he saw Han Tong that day, his expression must have shown that he knew all this. You don't have to harm his life for this." Concubine Yun was silent for a long time, then sneered, "He knows, of course he knows! Because he has never touched me once since he married me into the palace!" Chen Ji was stunned. He had deceived Concubine Yun, but he never expected that the truth he deceived would be like this.
Concubine Yun walked into the room and sat down, staring coldly at Chen Ji. "I gave birth to Baili to piss him off, but he wasn't the least bit angry. Instead, he treated Baili like his own child. The most terrifying look in this world isn't someone looking down on you, but someone who never even looks at you."
Chen Ji remained silent.
Concubine Yun said coldly, "For years, the people have praised Prince Jing as a good prince. Little did they know that the good prince they were talking about was nothing more than Emperor Ning's loyal henchman. He married me back then because of the Luo Tian Sect behind me. Now that he's dying, he wants to take the Liu family and the Luo Tian Sect with him to the grave. Why?"
Chen Ji asked softly, "Is the prince going to die?"
Concubine Yun covered her mouth and laughed, "It seems you only know the basics. Three years ago, Feng Daban brought the Shengyu Pill from the capital. It was the one that Huangshan Dao Court gave to Emperor Ning. Now the three-year period is up, and he will die soon."
Chen Ji suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Prince Jing didn't even look at the Shengyu Pill that Concubine Jing brought back. It was because the other party had already eaten one, and it would be useless to eat another one.
It turns out that Prince Jing is really going to die...but what about the Crown Prince and Baili?
Concubine Yun said slowly, "For so many years, my only wish was to give birth to a boy. I did so much for him, mobilizing the Luotian Sect for him, collecting food and fodder for him, and raising military funds for him, but even when he was dying, he refused to give me this opportunity."
Chen Ji asked, "So you deliberately didn't tell the Crown Prince and the Princess about the ambush at the Red Lane Gold Shop, tricking them into going there to their deaths and thus wiping out Prince Jing's heir?" Concubine Yun looked at him in surprise. "No wonder Zhu Yunxi and Bai Li are safe and sound. It turns out you were the one who was behind this."
Chen Ji was puzzled: "But Baili is your daughter."
Concubine Yun chuckled. "The prince only had eyes for Baili, and now even Han Tong only had eyes for Baili. But their retribution has come. The prince believed that Emperor Ning would let his offspring go, but he didn't expect that Emperor Ning would want to eliminate the entire family from the very beginning."
"What's wrong with Baili?"
Concubine Yun stood up and said hysterically, "What have I done wrong?" Chen Ji looked at Concubine Yun and whispered, "Madam, I have been hesitating about what kind of person I want to be. I asked my master, and he said that the heart can be warm, but the blood must be cold. I asked Mr. Wang, and he said that we must act according to our conscience, otherwise there will be a piece missing in our heart."
Chen Ji said, "Today I've been thinking about what they said. Both teachers have their reasons. But what Master Jinzhu said makes more sense. What he wants to do cannot be done by good people. He can only be a villain. The same is true for me."
He continued, "Prince Jing is not a good man. He sacrificed so many people for their plan. But the princess shouldn't be buried with you. The moment she closed the door today, I thought, I must let her live."
Concubine Yun frowned. "You want to kill me? I've already written down your identity as a traitor from the Jing Dynasty. If you kill me, someone will naturally send that page to the Secret Service."
"I'm afraid I can't deliver it."
As he spoke, the dark cloud jumped onto Chen Ji's shoulder with a piece of paper in its mouth. As soon as it let go, the piece of paper fell into Chen Ji's hand.
Chen Ji walked into the room and placed the page of paper on the candlelight in front of Concubine Yun: "Is this the page you are talking about, Madam?"
Concubine Yun watched the piece of paper burn up little by little, the flames lighting up her face and then gradually dimming.
She suddenly looked up at Chen Ji and said, "I am Bai Li's biological mother. If you kill me, how will you face her in the future? Even if she doesn't know, every day after that, whenever you see her face, you will remember that you killed her mother with your own hands!
Chen Ji loosened his grip, letting the paper burn to ash and scatter. The fire in his eyes gradually died down. "I know, as long as she's alive, that's all that matters." He then pulled a dagger from his sleeve. "I'm sorry, ma'am."
After a moment, Chen Ji pushed the door open and walked out of the dim alley step by step.
Wuyun jumped into his arms and looked up at him: "Are you okay?"
Chen Ji walked towards Anxi Street. He stopped and looked back at the
The East Market, which should have been brightly lit, was now drenched in darkness. The long blue brick street stretched to the end of the world, like a road of no return stretching into the abyss.
"Dark clouds." Hmm?"
"I can't be a good person anymore."
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