Zhou Mansion’s study room.
Jin Zhu sat behind a mahogany desk, looking askance at West Wind with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Division Head, you’re such a good actor; is the loyal appearance you show every day also an act?"
West Wind: "Ah?"
Jin Zhu’s words, like a bolt of thunder, struck West Wind who was still imrsed in his role as Division Head.
He was jolted awake.
West Wind, feeling miserable inside, hurriedly said, "My lord, my loyalty to you shines as clear as the sun and the moon, without a hint of falsehood."
Jin Zhu smiled a little, not dwelling on the topic, "What do you think about that person wearing the tiger mask just now?"
West Wind imdiately responded, "Quite powerful, definitely more so than ."
Jin Zhu said with deep aning, "What if I told you that he is just a shop assistant from so store, would you believe ?"
West Wind was taken aback, "How is that possible?!"
Jin Zhu leaned back fully in his chair, slowly closing his eyes, "Exactly, how could that be possible."
Normally, once ng Ji had interrogated soone, there shouldn’t be any further doubts.
However, Jin Zhu continued to have doubts, precisely because of this "how is that possible."
Chen Ji had first helped Jiao Tu and Yun Yang through their troubles, then helped him hold leverage over the Liu Family, managed to mingle with the Princely Heir and Commandery Princess becoming friends, and even caught the eye of Prince Jing.
Could a re apprentice achieve all this?
The crucial point is, the report in the Spy Departnt clearly stated that a Chen family bastard was dull and taciturn, yet the current Chen Ji didn’t seem dull or taciturn at all?
West Wind asked, "My lord, did you pay a great price to bring ng Ji here just to interrogate him?"
Jin Zhu casually replied, "I brought ng Ji to interrogate the Liu Family, but since we brought him from Kaifeng Prefecture, it doesn’t hurt to interrogate one more. This person cannot be diocre and unnad; I won’t feel at ease without a thorough investigation."
West Wind curiously asked, "When do you plan to interrogate him?"
After contemplating for a mont, Jin Zhu said, "After dealing with the Liu Family issue, we’ll secretly arrest him and throw him into the inner prison."
"Understood."
The study quieted down.
Suddenly, West Wind asked, "My lord, do you really have a feud with the Liu Family? I thought your enemy was the Xu Family?"
Jin Zhu leaned back in his chair, slightly narrowing his eyes, "Who told you I had a feud with the Xu Family?"
West Wind brought a cup of tea to Jin Zhu, softly saying, "Lord Xuan Snake ntioned it. This matter seems to have spread in our Spy Departnt; soone even secretly asked about it the other day."
Jin Zhu didn’t take the cup, letting West Wind hold it as he asked indifferently, "What else did Xuan Snake say?"
"Lord Xuan Snake said your family was originally involved in mariti trade, with goods reaching as far as Lusong, Zhan Cheng, and Java. Later, the Xu Family forced your entire family into corvée labor, leaving only you alive."
Jin Zhu frowned, "Did he ntion how he knew about it?"
"He didn’t ntion."
West Wind quietly observed Jin Zhu, "Lord, is this true?"
Finally, Jin Zhu took the cup, and downed the tea in one gulp, nonchalantly saying, "It’s true."
"Why don’t you seek revenge against the Xu Family then?" West Wind was puzzled.
Jin Zhu stood up, hands behind his back, looking out the window, "Our Lord Pri Minister, he won’t let you get what you want unless he squeezes out the last bit of usefulness from you. I’m also waiting for the day he allows to take my revenge."
"When that ti cos, I will fervently serve you, risking life and limb!"
Jin Zhu scoffed, "Always expressing loyalty, doesn’t it ever tire you?"
"It doesn’t, I’m used to it!"
Jin Zhu turned around, looking at West Wind, "For many years, I’ve suppressed your promotion to Hai Dongqing, do you resent for that?"
"A little bit."
Jin Zhu laughed, suddenly feeling sentintal, "You’re quite honest. Sooner or later, you’ll understand that being at the position of Hai Dongqing ans being in the eyes of the Pri Minister. What awaits you is not happiness, but suffering. Being a Pigeon-level Spy is good; the salary isn’t bad either. Just keep your head down and work, and don’t think too much."
"Lord, was that truth or a lie?"
"Get out."
"Oh..."
West Wind slipped out the door, Jin Zhu sat back down, slowly leaning against the chair back.
He picked up an official gazette and covered his face with it.
After telling too many lies, sotis even he couldn’t distinguish whether what he said was the truth or a lie.
...
...
Amid bustling traffic, two spies quietly followed behind Chen Ji. Between them seed a connection invisible yet unbreakable.
Suddenly, the crowd grew lively as a fast horse sped through the street, and a man with a red sash loudly announced, "From the Chen family of Chen Mansion, Chen Wenzong, top scorer!"
Following him, another young man on a fast horse similarly shouted, "From the Chen family of Luocheng City Prefect, Chen Wenzong, high scorer of the top scorers!"
"Lin family’s young master, Lin Chaojing, placed second highest!"
"In Chen family of Luocheng City Prefect, Chen Wenxiao, ranked top in his category!"
One after another, the couriers, vying with each other, rushed to report the top five scorers.
The so-called reporting of the top five ans that couriers would wait early in the morning in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, and once the results were announced, they would rush to convey the good news to the top five, with the first to reach the families rewarded handsoly.
The reward ranged from as little as five taels to as much as fifty taels, like with the prestigious houses such as the Chen Family, where the reward would definitely be the maximum fifty taels. Thus, the couriers competed fervently; it was possible that they would even fight on the road.
Chen Ji silently watched, suddenly feeling a bit dazed, as if just the day before he was still in the kiln factory surrounded by cent dust, and now the Autumn Imperial Examinations had already published their results.
At one mont, he also wished to sit in a bright and tidy academy, carefreely studying... but forget it, classics were not sothing he could grasp.
Chen Ji smiled, "I’m still better suited for staking my life against others."
At that mont, the townspeople made way one after another, even the ox carts were pulled aside, as if no other matter in this world was as important as making way for the ssenger delivering the good news of the imperial examination.
Two spies did not look at the ssenger but stared intently at the figure of Chen Ji in the crowd. However, when the swift horse galloped past, in just a brief mont, Chen Ji disappeared from sight, as if he had vanished into thin air.
The racing horse was like a swift blade that severed the thread between them.
An hour later, Chen Ji stood at the entrance of Taiping dical Hall, holding two roast chickens, letting the early morning crowd pass by in front of and behind him.
He took several deep breaths and rubbed his slightly weary face with his hands.
Once his expression softened, he smiled and stepped over the threshold, "Master, I’m back."
Next to the rosewood counter,
Old Yao was playing chess with soone across the counter. Hearing Chen Ji’s voice, he looked up, "You still know to co back, huh? Co and go as you like, you might as well rena Taiping dical Hall to Taiping Inn."
At that ti, the person playing chess with Old Yao turned around, "Doctor Chen is back, I was worried I wouldn’t catch you!"
Chen Ji was startled.
The visitor turned out to be the Luocheng City Prefect, Zhang Zhuo!
Zhang Zhuo was unusually dressed in casual Confucian robes today, wearing a fashionable tasseled official’s hat and new soap boots.
He looked less like an official and more like a dashing character heading to a banquet.
Chen Ji handed the roast chickens to She Dengke and asked in confusion, "Lord Zhang, what brings you here?"
Zhang Zhuo affectionately patted his shoulder, "You invented sothing known as ’cent’ which solved an urgent need for , I must personally express my gratitude."
Chen Ji smiled, "Lord Zhang, you needn’t thank , I was also doing it for business."
Zhang Zhuo’s expression turned serious, "How can I not thank you? Do you know how many people die of cold in our Henan Province every year?"
"How many?"
Zhang Zhuo said, "In the 19th year of Jianing, thirty-one charity organizations in Henan Province gathered a total of 33,421 frozen corpses. In the 20th year of Jianing, they collected..."
Listening to Lord Zhang recount the number of people who froze to death each year, Chen Ji felt more and more alard. Was it possible that so many people died of cold in Henan Province each year?
Then Zhang Zhuo said, "If we could build another batch of houses before the second snowfall this year, perhaps many lives could be saved in Luocheng. As the parental official of Luocheng, I ought to thank you in person."
Chen Ji said with a smile, "I’m honored to be able to do sothing for the people of Luocheng."
He had thought that after a few courteous exchanges, Zhang Zhuo would take his leave, yet he didn’t go. Instead, he grabbed Chen Ji’s arm and dragged him in front of the chessboard, "Co, co, co, I’ve heard from the Prince that you’re unmatched in chess. Let’s play a few rounds."
Chen Ji glanced at Old Yao instinctively. He felt sothing was off. Lord Zhang had suddenly co to the dical hall claiming to express thanks, yet he didn’t bring any gift.
After a hasty thanks, he didn’t leave but wanted to play chess.
If they delayed any longer, it would be lunchti soon, and it seed he might also be invited to stay for lunch.
What kind of peculiar, unpredictable character was this?
Seeing him look her way, Old Yao scoffed, "If Lord Zhang asks you to play chess, just play. Why are you looking at ? It’s a good thing. Others wish they had the chance to play chess with the Lord Prefect. If you make Lord Zhang happy, he might even summon you to his mansion to play chess every day."
This statent confused Chen Ji.
Hearing his master’s implication, could it be that Zhang Zhuo had co to invite him to serve as a staff mber in the governnt office?
Standing inside the counter, Chen Ji picked up chess pieces while figuring out how to tactfully refuse.
However, Zhang Zhuo did not make any recruitnt offer, but instead slowly said, "It is good for a young man to be proud, others may think you are unconventional, but I think you are spirited. However, a person who has no family has no foundation, like rootless duckweed that can only drift... One must have a family."
Chen Ji frowned. "Is Lord Zhang here to speak on behalf of Mr. Chen?"
Zhang Zhuo laughed. "Of course not. I think your decision not to return to the Chen family is the right one. The Chen family are all pedantic Confucians; everyone says they are gentlen, but I think they are rigid and inflexible. Take the dike repair, for instance, Mr. Chen insists on overseeing everything personally, resulting in no room for profit at any level, causing delays and a lack of willingness to work!"
Zhang Zhuo continued, "And about your family matters, could a servant dare to embezzle two taels of silver every month without soone higher up instructing him? He wouldn’t dare to death! You definitely shouldn’t go back; you’d be mistreated just the sa. Besides, you now make 2,500 taels of silver profit from the Prince Mansion each year. Living separately outside would be more comfortable than staying in the Chen Mansion, wouldn’t it? If you go back, you would be the real fool!"
Chen Ji was completely baffled by Zhang Zhuo.
What exactly was Lord Zhang here for?
Chen Ji puzzled, "Then what brings you to the dical hall today?"
Zhang Zhuo burst into laughter, evasively answering, "Playing chess, playing chess."
Zhang Zhuo skipped ’deciding who goes first’ and directly placed down a piece.
Chen Ji was stunned, "How did you directly make a move without deciding who goes first?"
Zhang Zhuo chuckled joyfully, "No need to decide first. My ga strategy is easier to win if I start with black."
Chen Ji: "..."
The first ga.
Chen Ji had assud Zhang Zhuo was a terrible player, but just as he began revealing his intention of Healing Solitary Swallowing Dragon, Zhang Zhuo trapped him in the corner.
Originally, it had taken Prince Jing three matches to figure out Chen Ji’s tactics, but Zhang Zhuo grasped them in just half a ga.
Chen Ji grew solemn; he played aggressively like AlphaGo, aggressively challenging whenever Zhang Zhuo placed more than two stones.
Zhang Zhuo’s eyes lit up—he followed suit, playing tenaciously and doggedly.
In the eyes of literati, Go was supposed to embody the art of heavenly principles, yet in the hands of these two, it suddenly turned into a street scuffle-like brawling technique, disregarding all just to win.
Zhang Zhuo looked up at Chen Ji, admiringly saying, "Also a person who will do anything to win, very good, very good!"
Chen Ji puzzled, "Previously, Lord Zhang praised the Prince’s chess skills, almost claiming him to be the best in the Central Plains, but I didn’t expect Lord Zhang to be even more formidable."
"Shush," Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "What’s there to fear from losing a few gas? How much is face worth? If the Prince is happy from winning and agrees to my request, it’s tens of thousands of Luocheng’s common folk who will benefit."
Chen Ji reflected pensively.
Just then, noise from soone scaling the wall ca from the backyard; Zhang Zhuo peeked down the corridor, only to see Princess Bai Li just stepping over the grey tile roof.
He turned back to Chen Ji with a smile, "I have another banquet to attend today. Let’s chat another day!"
With that, Zhang Zhuo, without looking back, got into the official sedan parked outside.
Chen Ji looked blankly at Old Yao, "What was he really here for?"
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