34. Fame and fortune as a knife
The smell of blood wafted through the medicinal materials warehouse. Si Cao, whether intentionally or unintentionally, used a dagger in his right hand to crush Manager Yuan's heart while pinching his jaw with his left back and turning his fat face towards Chen Ji.
So much so that when the shopkeeper Yuan died, Chen Ji could clearly see his fear and resentment.
Si Cao observed Chen Ji's expression and praised him, "I remember you had never been involved in a murder before. Now that you are about to contact Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, you killed someone in advance to help you 'open the door'. I didn't expect this to be a bit unnecessary."
After he finished speaking, Shopkeeper Yuan finally breathed his last.
Chen Ji saw a gray-white stream of ice coming out from the other person's eyebrows and swimming into his own eyebrows. It was less than the ice stream provided by Zhou Chengyi.
really!
He had been waiting for this ice flow to verify his guess: not only the officials of Ning Dynasty could produce ice flows, but also those of Jing Dynasty.
When the ice flow merged into his body, Chen Ji felt relieved. He suddenly said, "Master Si Cao, you shouldn't have killed Manager Yuan."
Si Cao said calmly, "Joining my Military Intelligence Department means you've lost your soft touch. Your mission right now is paramount. He's worried that a noble son like you might snatch the position of Hai Dong Qing vacated by Zhou Chengyi, so he's definitely trying to hinder you, both overtly and covertly. If you have such selfish motives, you shouldn't be allowed to stay."
Chen Ji shook his head and said, "Master Si Cao, I'm not being lenient with him. What I want to say is that he hasn't told you what time and where to meet that 'Long Whale' tonight."
Si Cao was silent for a long time: "...It's okay."
He looked at Chen Ji and said, "While you're approaching Yunyang and Jiaotu, don't forget your original mission. As long as the palace and the Liu family show sufficient sincerity, the Director can meet with the important figure in the palace to discuss the next step of cooperation. You need to find another opportunity to approach that important figure in the near future and ask her when she will deliver the goods."
Chen Ji's heart tightened.
Big shot? Which big shot?
Can't you just tell me the name? I still don't know who this big shot is. How can I contact him?
Judging from the attitude, Chen Ji tends to believe that this important figure is Concubine Yun.
First of all, that night in Wanxing Garden, Concubine Yun's attitude towards her was obviously better, while Concubine Jing and Nanny Chunrong really wanted to kill her.
Secondly, Concubine Yun later sent Xibing and Bai Prajna to the clinic, which was most likely a way for Concubine Yun to exchange information with herself.
Chen Ji thought about this and recalled the last time Xibing came to the clinic. Not only did he not reveal any information, he also prescribed a fifty-year-old ginseng for the cat...
If Concubine Yun is really that important figure, she would definitely be confused...
Seeing that Chen Ji was silent, Si Cao asked in a serious tone, "What's the matter? Is there any difficulty?"
"No," Chen Ji said goodbye to Si Cao, "Master Si Cao, I came here today to buy ginseng on the orders of my master. It would not be good to stay too long."
Si Cao nodded and wiped the blood off his hands with a rag, saying, "Ginseng is in stock. Go to the main hall and pay for it and you can take it away."
Chen Ji asked, "Can I get a discount?"
Si Cao was puzzled: "You are using the money from Taiping Medical Clinic to buy ginseng, what discount do you want? You should know that many spies in Jing Dynasty are supported by Bailu Pavilion. Don't let outsiders take away your own people.
Cheap.”
Chen Ji: “…That makes sense.”
After leaving Bailu Pavilion, Chen Ji let out a long sigh.
Every hurdle is difficult, but you have to overcome it. Every step is difficult, but you have to take one step at a time.
He had no choice whether it was the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department or the Secret Service Department.
When he merged into the crowd, the Si Cao on the second floor of Bailu Pavilion stood quietly behind the window, asking someone, "Are you sure no one is following you?"
A voice replied, "No, maybe Yunyang and Jiaotu really trust him."
Si Cao pondered for a long time: "Let's see if he can really prove his loyalty..."
…
…
In the capital, inside the imperial palace.
In the highest part of the building of the Imperial Household Department, which was reserved for the eunuch in charge of the seal, although it was clearly daytime, the doors and windows were closed and candles were lit inside.
A middle-aged eunuch with a pale face and no beard was walking hurriedly in the palace, holding up the hem of his robe with one hand.
The middle-aged man was wearing a green and simple python robe, which made him look extremely noble.
There are two types of python robes in the Ning Dynasty: single python and sitting python. They must be bestowed by the emperor himself and can only be worn by people of high status and favor.
Outside the building, guards stood in black, silent and incompetent.
When the middle-aged man in the python robe came closer, he said to a guard, "I want to see the inner minister."
The guards had long swords on their waists and the words "Jie Fan" were embroidered on their cuffs. One of them made a sign language: What's the matter?
These guards could only listen but not speak.
The middle-aged man in the python robe said, "Three letters have arrived from Luocheng via carrier pigeons."
The guard turned around and went upstairs to inform the police. After a moment he came back and gestured for invitation.
The middle-aged man in the python robe climbed the wooden stairs and knocked three times at a door on the top floor. "Your Excellency, Wu Xiu has something important to report. There's news from Luocheng."
But then he heard the sound of a copper bell from inside the house, and Wu Xiu pushed the door open and walked in.
When he entered the inner room, he could not see the Prime Minister himself. In the dim room, the table was blocked by a screen, on which was embroidered a sitting python, looking directly at the visitor.
If you enter this house for the first time, you will probably be frightened by this giant python.
Wu Xiu, standing behind the screen, bowed his head and said, "Sir, three letters have arrived from Luocheng. They are from Chief Criminal Lin Chaoqing, Secret Agent Yun Yang, and Secret Agent Meng Ji. Which one would you like to open first?"
No one answered from behind the screen for a long time, and Wu Xiu, who was wearing a python robe and had a high status, did not even dare to raise his head.
After an unknown amount of time, the person behind the screen calmly said, "Chief Criminal Officer," while writing a document.
Wu Xiu hurriedly took out three thin bamboo sticks sealed with wax from his sleeve. He opened the first bamboo stick and pulled out a rolled-up white paper.
He stretched out the white paper and saw densely written words on it. After a moment, Wu Xiu was a little surprised: "Sir, Yunyang and Jiaotu have found evidence of Liu Shiyu's crime."
Someone in the darkness behind the screen said, "The two of them?"
Wu Xiu hurriedly said, "I also think these two are acting recklessly. Why not send the Golden Pig?"
However, the eunuch behind the screen remained silent for a long time. Wu Xiu lowered his head in panic and said, "I am sorry for talking too much."
In the dim light, someone said, "Continue."
Wu Xiu continued to look at the white paper and looked up and said, "No
According to Lin Chaoqing, Yunyang and Jiaotu's meritorious service was secured by a masked man who found the evidence for them. The situation was urgent; if they had been a step slower, Lin Chaoqing would have taken Yunyang and Jiaotu back to the capital.
"Who is the masked man?"
"Lin Chaoqing doesn't know. He only said that this person first helped Yunyang and Jiaotu find the rice paper shop, and then helped them find evidence of Liu Shiyu's crime... That's all the words in the letter. Which one should I open next?"
"Cloud Sheep."
Wu Xiu rolled up the sleeves of his python robe, untied another bamboo stick to remove the wax, and then hesitated and said, "Yunyang and Jiaotu boasted about themselves to the skies, but didn't say a word about the masked man."
The inner minister behind the screen was silent for a moment: "These two bastards are so bold, they want to take credit for other people's achievements."
Wu Xiu looked down again and raised an eyebrow. "Sir, Yunyang and Jiaotu opened the coffin and found that there was no one inside Old Master Liu's coffin. He might not be dead. The Liu family is so bold that they dared to falsify this matter."
He raised his eyes quietly, trying to observe the inner minister's reaction through the screen, but he could only see a blurry figure.
But the eunuch behind the screen paused for the first time, writing with a brush, and let it hang over the paper: "What are Yunyang and Jiaotu planning?"
Wu Xiu said, "Yun Yang and Jiao Tu have requested that the nearby secret service, the Jiefan Guard, be dispatched to Luocheng to open the coffin and perform an autopsy in public, exposing the Liu family. My Lord, the Liu family has just reported to the Emperor, hoping to seek a reward for Old Master Liu. If this is true, it constitutes deceiving the Emperor!"
The Minister was silent and thoughtful.
Wu Xiu added, "Sir, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
The Minister of Internal Affairs said, "Yun Yang and Jiao Tu coordinated the Jie Fan Guard to go. Our Ministry of Rites was unaware of this and destroyed the note."
In other words, no matter what Yunyang and Jiaotu do, it is these two who make the decision on their own.
If it succeeds, it succeeds. If it fails, these two people will naturally be scapegoats.
The next moment, Wu Xiu crumpled the note into a ball and swallowed it skillfully in front of the internal minister.
After swallowing the note, he continued, "Sir, there's another letter from Meng Ji. Let me open it and see... Isn't he in Kaifeng Prefecture? Why did he use a carrier pigeon from Luocheng?"
After a moment, Wu Xiu held up the note and said, "Sir, Mengji said that Yunyang and Jiaotu paid him a large sum of money to go to Luocheng to test Yao Taiyi's apprentice Chen Ji through dreams to see if he was a spy for the Jing Dynasty. This seems strange. Why would they test a young apprentice? Why would Mengji make a special trip?"
Seeing that the Minister of Internal Affairs did not answer for a long time, Wu Xiu bravely raised his head and asked tentatively, "Sir?"
The Minister of Internal Affairs said calmly: "This apprentice of Imperial Physician Yao is the masked man who helped them capture the spy. Write to Yun Yang and ask him to give me this apprentice's information."
"Yes," Wu Xiu bowed again. "Sir, Bai Long has learned that the Prince of Jing's Mansion is on his way back to Luocheng from Donglin Academy. He has gathered some chivalrous men, including some high-ranking officials registered with the Imperial Household Department. Do you think we should do something to prevent him from becoming a powerful figure?"
In the dim light behind the screen, the inner minister responded calmly, "It's nothing, they are just some chivalrous men. I use fame and fortune as my sword, and I can cut through nine-tenths of the chivalrous spirit in the world."
…
The outline and details need to be adjusted. Today is the only update. This book was written slowly and carefully, so please forgive me.
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