99. Fame and wealth, love and hate
In the quiet inner prison chamber, the Golden Pig crushed the wine glass in his hand, allowing the blue and white glaze to pierce his palm and drip blood.
He slowly loosened his grip, letting the porcelain shards, mixed with blood, fall to the table. "Doctor Chen, my Secret Service has never been a kind place. When outsiders say we're arrogant, domineering, and vicious, I never defend myself, because that's just who we are. Whether it's me, Yunyang, or Jiaotu, we must first climb up by stepping on the corpses of our colleagues before we can take revenge on the bones of others."
Jin Zhu wiped the blood from his hands with the white cloth on the Eight Immortals Table and said slowly, "So whether you blame me or hate me, you have to wait until you reach my position. Don't worry, I won't hinder your advancement. As long as you can help me wipe out the entire Liu family, our promise will stand forever."
Chen Ji said seriously: "Master Jinzhu, I can understand you."
The Golden Pig said calmly, "You can't understand."
However, Chen Ji really understood.
He knew what it felt like to avenge his parents. You first had to turn yourself into a madman, and then sink into an endless world of paranoia with no way out.
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Master Jinzhu, I can help you get revenge."
The next second, the golden pig changed his expression and said with a kind smile, "That's good, that's good."
He stood on a chair to untie Chen Ji's chains, then helped Chen Ji sit down and handed him chopsticks and a wine glass: "As long as you are willing to help me, you are my brother."
In the Secret Service, everyone changes their faces as quickly as crazy people. As long as there are common interests, any past conflicts can be temporarily put aside.
Chen Ji sat at the table in silence.
Seeing that he didn't move his chopsticks, Jin Zhu took the initiative to pick up a chopstick of braised pork and put it in his bowl. "I know you are also a vengeful person. It doesn't matter. As long as the entire Liu family is killed, you can seek revenge on me in any way you want. You want to clear the suspicion of the prince and the princess, right? We all get what we want. I just want the Liu family to die, and everyone else can turn a blind eye."
Chen Ji still didn't answer.
Jin Zhu laughed and said, "You already consider the prince and the princess as your friends, right?"
Chen Ji shook his head: "No, we just used each other."
The Golden Pig laughed: "Don't deny it, I feel the same as Ming Jing'er."
Chen Ji picked up the wine glass and drank the yellow wine in it:
Then I don't need to say more. I am here to help the prince and the princess clear their suspicions, and I also wish you revenge."
The Golden Pig smiled broadly: "Okay, okay, that's right. Let's be honest with each other. Why hide things?"
Chen Ji put down his wine glass, looked at Jin Zhu, and suddenly asked, "Master Jin Zhu, how long after your sister's death did the Minister of Internal Affairs appear?"
Golden Pig took a bite of food and said, "You actually want to ask, did the Minister know from the beginning that the Liu family was trying to seize the land by trickery and plunder, but he just turned a blind eye and watched my entire family die tragically? And then, when I hated them the most, he took me under his wing?"
Chen Ji did not answer.
The Golden Pig sneered, "The Minister of Internal Affairs is exactly this kind of sinister and vicious person. Otherwise, why do people call him 'Poison Minister'? The Minister of Internal Affairs will do anything to achieve his goals. He once told me that there are only two things in the world that are most sharp: fame and fortune. He also told me that there are only two emotions in the world that are easiest to exploit, and one of them is hatred."
"And the second one?"
"like."
Chen Ji was stunned.
Jin Zhu poured Chen Ji a glass of wine and then filled his own new glass. He raised his hand across the table and said, "The Minister of Internal Affairs is ruthless. He transferred me to Luocheng, knowing that I would be at war with the Liu family. Is this a conspiracy? No, it's an open conspiracy. Love and hate are the bait. Even if you know he is using you, you can't give up."
He laughed and said, "The Secret Service raises spies like a poisonous insect. Everyone carries a grudge, like everyone is poisonous. Colleagues are fighting against each other. It's okay for the new spies, but spies above the rank of Haidongqing have absolutely no trust in each other. Do you think I don't want to escape from this exhausting life? But how can I leave before my great revenge is avenged?"
Chen Ji was surprised: "Master Jinzhu doesn't care?"
Golden Pig laughed and said, "It's not that I don't care, but the Minister of Internal Affairs doesn't care whether I care or not. This is his brilliance. Even if I hate him too, I have to do what he says."
Chen Ji suddenly realized that Jin Zhu admired Nei Xiang, revering him like a father. But he also hated Nei Xiang in his heart, and the hatred and admiration intertwined, becoming a gray emotion that he couldn't even distinguish.
He put down his wine glass and said, "Master Jinzhu, I will help you find evidence of the Liu family's crimes. Can we go now?"
Jin Zhu also put down his wine glass and gradually stopped smiling: "Are you still in a hurry to go to Yingxian Tower for the banquet? Don't be anxious.
You can't go back until the situation progresses. If you truly want to clear the Crown Prince and the Princess of suspicion, then quickly find a way to catch the true traitors. Those who are innocent will be cleared. If they have no fault, they naturally won't be afraid of an investigation."
The inner prison secret room became quiet again, and Chen Ji and Jin Zhu looked at each other.
After a moment, Chen Ji asked slowly, "What clues do you have now? Can you share them with me?"
Jin Zhu sat back across the table, thought for a moment, and then said, "I'm ashamed to say this. Following the lead of the Artisan Supervisor, I busted a few thieves from the Cao Gang. After interrogation, I learned that there was a deal going on at the Hongyi Lane Gold Shop, but the news leaked out. I set up numerous ambushes along the Yuzhou border, hoping to catch that Jing Chao thief who used firearms, but he also escaped. Now I want to hold the Liu family accountable, but they've cowered like turtles, refusing to move, leaving me with nowhere to start."
Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji and said, "To be honest, repeated setbacks have caused me to be questioned in the Imperial Household Department, and even I am a little unsure of myself. I firmly believe in doing successful things with successful people. If you were able to get hold of the Liu family's handle before, you will definitely be able to do it this time."
"Do you have all the documents related to the recent clues?"
"Yes." Jinzhu went out and came back with a thick stack of files.
After quickly flipping through the pages, Chen Ji looked up and asked, "Master Jinzhu only wants the Liu family?"
"Only the Liu family."
Chen Ji asked again: "What time is it now?"
"At the hour of You, the sky just gets dark."
"Where is Liu Mingxian, the magistrate of Luocheng, right now?"
"Yingxian Tower."
Chen Ji was stunned. Why was Liu Mingxian also in Yingxian Tower?
Golden Pig explained, "Tonight, one of Liu Mingxian's old subordinates has been promoted to the position of magistrate of Yanshi County. He is hosting a banquet at Yingxian Tower to thank Liu Mingxian for his promotion."
Chen Ji stood up and walked out: "Prepare the horses, let's go to Yingxian Tower to find him."
Golden Pig followed him out, slightly puzzled, and asked, "Go straight to him? Are you trying to catch rabbits by shoving straw? First, force him into a corner, then see what he does. That's a good way to catch him, but it's too radical."
Chen Ji said: "No, I am a conservative person."
"Are you conservative?"
Chen Ji walked in the long and dark corridor of the inner prison and said softly, "I think raking grass to catch rabbits is still too conservative."
(End of this chapter)
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