Second period of night.
Outside the Zhang Mansion, the voice of the night patrol ca: "Close doors and windows, guard against theft."
In the silent and desolate winter night, the voice of the night patrol seed like a spark of warmth, fleeting in the darkness.
Chen Ji lay on the bedding on the ground, quietly watching the ceiling.
The Military Intelligence Departnt was targeting him.
In a way, it was he who personally exposed Si Caoding Lin Chaoqing, and it was he who forced the Military Intelligence Departnt to activate Heavenly Branch, thus naturally coming into the view of the Military Intelligence Departnt Chief.
Chen Ji suddenly rembered that Princess Liyang had ntioned that more than ten years ago, the Military Intelligence Departnt Chief brought the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry's Great Commander Lu Er's orphan to the Ning Dynasty, so he should be soone nearing fifty, a person of stability and restraint.
However, the person currently wishing the Spy Departnt New Year greetings in the morning report and giving him gunpowder as a New Year gift seed not so stable, but rather like a young talent full of arrogance.
This person might not be the Military Intelligence Departnt Chief, yet which one could he be among Si Caojia, Wu, Geng, Bing, Ren, Ji?
Chen Ji closed his eyes in thought. This person seed to have absolute confidence, wanting to toy with him and the Spy Departnt like mice.
What are the common traits of this kind of personality profile?
An extre sense of superiority and a dismissive contempt for others.
An addictive desire for control and enjoynt of the thrill of maneuvering everything.
A yearning to be seen and rembered.
A tendency toward self-destruction born from long-term depression.
An obsession with challenging oneself and breaking limits.
Etc.
If this Si Cao were indeed such a person, then the gift left for him should contain enough clues, tauntingly waiting for him to decipher.
Chen Ji sat up.
He reopened the wooden box, pinched a piece of gunpowder with his fingers and crushed it between his fingertips.
This was just regular black gunpowder; the level of purification was indiscernible, but it was too loose, and the ratio of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur seed off.
He then took out the letter from under his pillow and scrutinized it word by word in the moonlight, trying various thods to decode the hidden information.
Hidden words? No.
Phonetic segntation? Also no.
Just in thought, Zhang Xia suddenly drew open the bed curtain.
Chen Ji instinctively crumpled the letter: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zhang Xia sat cross-legged on the bed and reached out: "Sneaky, hand it over."
Chen Ji chuckled: "It's just an ordinary New Year's greeting letter, nothing much."
Zhang Xia still extended his hand: "Hand it over."
Chen Ji reluctantly handed over the letter.
Zhang Xia unfolded the crumpled letter and looked at it for a while: "Is this a challenge letter from the Military Intelligence Departnt to you?"
Chen Ji pondered for a mont: "Perhaps I forced Si Caoding Lin Chaoqing away, so the Military Intelligence Departnt wants to use to establish their power. But their ultimate target should not be soone insignificant like , but to imitate Lu Jin and assassinate a Chief of Staff... or soone more important, like Your Majesty. Therefore, tomorrow I'll stick close to Lord Zhang to prevent anyone from plotting against him."
Zhang Xia tilted his head: "Lord Zhang? Quite polite."
Chen Ji hurriedly corrected: "Father-in-law."
Zhang Xia looked down at the letter: "You were checking the letter earlier to see what information the other party left you?"
Chen Ji acknowledged: "Haven't found anything yet, but there must be sothing hidden."
Zhang Xia lowered his head to scrutinize the letter, also reading it word by word in the dim moonlight.
Chen Ji gazed at Zhang Xia's face.
The reason he had gone through so much trouble to investigate Zhang Xia's whereabouts today was simply suspecting the identity of Zhang Xia and Bai Long.
This wasn't his first suspicion.
The first was at the military market outside Chongli Pass, because both Bai Long and Zhang Xia were equally specialized in Da Ning Law, possessing photographic mory, and because Zhang Xia falsely claid to deliver a black cat as instructed by Zhang Zhuo, and even knew the secrets of the Five Mad Soldiers and could recognize the Cot Tail Banner.
But at that ti, just as the suspicion arose, Bai Long and Zhang Xia appeared simultaneously, and the crisis followed closely, leaving him no ti to think further.
Now he suspected again, not because of new evidence, but because during his ti at the Imperial Supervision Office, Bai Long arrived daily with lamb buns as expected, fearing he'd go mad alone, and accompanied him playing chess from morning till night.
Besides Zhang Xia, Chen Ji couldn't think of anyone else who would do that.
Moreover.
Mr. Feng never does anything superfluous. The bag of tangerines left on the desk in Guyuan was certainly not an unintended gesture. The placent ant the other party was determined to act.
Just then, Zhang Xia raised his head, pointing to the signature at the end of the letter: "Hidden in plain sight, the riddle lies in the most obvious place. The date on the signature is incorrect. Today is the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month of the 32nd year of Jia Ning, but this New Year gift was delivered yesterday."
Chen Ji pondered: "So, he is hinting to that the Military Intelligence Departnt will make their move on the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month."
Zhang Xia thought for a mont: "The scope is too broad to be certain who they will target."
Chen Ji shook his head: "There aren't many people worth the Military Intelligence Departnt making such a big fuss over: Official Hu, Official Chen, my father-in-law, His Majesty. Since we can't reach His Majesty and the others, it doesn't matter whether they're dead or alive. Just protect my father-in-law."
Zhang Xia replied with a hum and lay back down on the bed, lowering the bed curtains: "Then I'll leave it to you."
Chen Ji lay back down on the floor mat, ending the second night talk with his wife.
But Chen Ji still couldn't sleep.
Judging by the ti, Lin Chaoqing should have arrived at the Jing Dynasty and t with his uncle. His uncle should also know by now that he has abandoned the Military Intelligence Departnt.
The others in the Military Intelligence Departnt didn't know his identity. He had deliberately avoided thinking about these matters recently, as if not thinking about them would prevent having to face them... But what must co will co.
Chen Ji turned his head to look at the tightly sealed bed curtains. Perhaps the ho he longed for was just a luxury for him.
Just then, a voice from inside the curtains called out: "Chen Ji."
Chen Ji was a bit surprised: "Hmm?"
Zhang Xia said calmly: "Don't run."
Chen Ji was even more surprised: "What?"
Zhang Xia said from inside the curtains: "I an, we can find a way together to deal with the Military Intelligence Departnt keeping an eye on you, don't run off alone."
Chen Ji was silent for a mont: "Alright."
...
...
At the third watch, the sound of the night patrol's copper gong ca from outside the Zhang Mansion: "The morning rooster crows, early to bed, early to rise!"
It was the fifth night watch.
This is the ti when the cabinet ministers get up to wash and eat. They need to arrive outside the Eastern Hua Gate before the fifth watch, to wait for the palace gates to open, then proceed to Wenhua Palace to review petitions and urgent reports from the frontier, awaiting summons from His Majesty.
Chen Ji got up quietly, not wanting to wake Zhang Xia.
But as soon as he got up, Zhang Xia also lifted the bed curtains, took clothes from the rack, draped them over him, and stood in front of him, lowering his head to help him tie the knots and belt.
Chen Ji bowed his head, still able to sll the fragrance of mujin leaves in Zhang Xia's hair. In the Ning Dynasty's south, they used mujin leaves for hair washing, making the hair clean and smooth by rubbing the leaves into a lather.
He curiously asked: "Isn't this unnecessary between us?"
Zhang Xia didn't lift his head: "Didn't I use to help you put on armor before? Today is no different from heading into battle, let's just consider it as armoring you up. On other days, you wouldn't get such treatnt."
Chen Ji grinned: "Alright."
After fastening his belt, Zhang Xia helped straighten his collar: "Please take care of my father."
"Don't worry," Chen Ji nodded, picked up the Whale Blade leaning against the wall, and left the room.
As he passed by the East Wing Room, he stopped, wanting to ask the little monk what he saw in Zhang Xia's eyes. But after hesitating for a mont, he didn't wake him up.
Chen Ji went to the West Wing Room, calling softly: "Wu Yun."
After three breaths, Wu Yun squeezed through the gap in the door curtain, jumped into his arms, and climbed onto his shoulder, owing: "It's rare to see you take the Whale Blade when going out."
Chen Ji chuckled: "Better safe than sorry."
Arriving at the front hall door, Mrs. Zhang was accompanying Zhang Zhuo for breakfast. In the candlelight, Zhang Zhuo held a small porcelain bowl and sipped porridge while still reviewing the docunts beside him.
Seeing Chen Ji bring the sword, Mrs. Zhang stood up in surprise: "What's going on?"
Zhang Zhuo had already figured it out: "Is it about the Divine Machine Camp losing firearms?"
Chen Ji thought for a mont: "The Spy Departnt suspects soone in the Military Intelligence Departnt wants to imitate Lu Jin and assassinate a Chief of Staff. I don't trust anyone else, so I'll act as my father-in-law's driver for the next few days, to prevent any miscreants from causing trouble."
Mrs. Zhang exclaid anxiously: "What should we do?"
Zhang Zhuo pulled Mrs. Zhang back to her seat, patting her hand reassuringly with a cheerful smile: "Don't panic, with this son-in-law watching over , no one can do anything to . You always complain he doesn't study the classics or pursue officialdom, envying Xu Chuanxi's son-in-law for becoming a Deputy Director at the Ministry of Works at such a young age. Even if Xu Chuanxi offered a hundred sons-in-law in exchange, I wouldn't trade. You'll understand in the future."
He then finished the thin porridge in his bowl, stood up with a stack of docunts, and headed outside: "Let's go."
Outside Zhang Mansion, Chen Ji saw Jiao Tu and Yun Yang standing with their arms crossed under the eaves, silently waiting.
Standing within the threshold, Mrs. Zhang watched Chen Ji motion to Jiao Tu, prompting Jiao Tu and Yun Yang to walk over together. She asked curiously: "How can you command the Twelve Signs?"
Chen Ji did not reply. He handed a wooden box and letter from the Military Intelligence Departnt to Jiao Tu: "Send these to Lord Bai Long. Since the Military Intelligence Departnt is being provocative, they will certainly take action today."
Jiao Tu nodded: "Understood, I'll deliver these to the Eagle House Office right away."
Chen Ji then looked up toward the roof opposite the Zhang Mansion, where Treasure Monkey was sitting on the ridge. He beckoned to Treasure Monkey, who gracefully leapt down.
Pointing to the carriage, he instructed: "Ride with Lord Zhang in the carriage and protect him."
Treasure Monkey cupped their hands, responding softly under a mask: "Yes."
Mrs. Zhang looked at Chen Ji in astonishnt, then at Zhang Zhuo: "This..."
Yesterday, she saw Jiao Tu and Yun Yang deliver New Year's gifts but hadn't thought much of it. Yet, seeing Chen Ji casually command three mbers of the Spy Departnt's Twelve Signs, she realized Chen Ji's status in the Eunuch Party was much higher than she had imagined.
Among the Top Three are only Bai Long, Heavenly Horse, and Binghu. Chen Ji was clearly not the first two…
He could only be Binghu.
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