In Taiping dical Hall, the commotion caused by Jin Zhu’s arrival left everyone silent and reserved.
In the apprentice bedroom, a person and a cat.
Wu Yun whispered his findings, "We followed him all the way to the south. This man is very alert. The slightest hint of trouble would make him stop imdiately to observe his surroundings, then he would set traps to lure those following him."
"After going back and forth four tis, he finally relaxed, drove a carriage out of the forest near Tuoluo Temple in the south, and waited at the temple entrance. Not long after, I saw Liu Mingxian co out of the temple and get into the carriage..."
Chen Ji was astonished, "He is actually Liu Mingxian’s coachman? The sa one who took Master from the dical Hall to see Old Master Liu..."
He reflected for a mont then said, "I guess Liu Mingxian doesn’t know that there’s soone from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Departnt hiding beside him, otherwise why would the Military Intelligence Departnt need to connect with Consort Yun?"
This coachman’s position was compromised so well that he could not only keep track of Liu Mingxian’s movents at any ti but could also eavesdrop on his conversations with others.
All of Liu’s family coachn lived together; if the other coachn were off-guard, this coachman could even find out where other mbers of the Liu family went, what they did, and whom they t.
However, such an astute and cautious coachman, why risk exposing himself by coming to Taiping dical Hall this morning...Was it to kill ?
Chen Ji recalled the dialogue between the two coachn, with Manager Yuan asking, "What are you doing here?"
The coachman responded, "What are you doing here?"
Then, Manager Yuan said, "Now I’m in charge of Luocheng, you need to understand your place."
Chen Ji muttered to himself, "’You need to understand your place,’ what could be the context for such a remark?"
Wu Yun raised a paw, "I know this, the day before yesterday, after I took in a leader cat, it still didn’t obey , so I beat it again and said, ’Understand your place!’"
Chen Ji was taken aback, a spark of realization flashed in his mind: "So that’s it, the power in the Luocheng Military Intelligence Departnt has changed hands. It used to be that coachman who was in charge of Luocheng, but now it has shifted to the newly arrived Manager Yuan, and the coachman was marginalized."
The power shift within the Military Intelligence Departnt, his uncle’s move from power to the sides.
And that coachman, who had often ntioned that his uncle asked him to look after him, must have been close to his uncle and naturally beca a target for exclusion.
Chen Ji puzzled, "But why did he co to Taiping dical Hall this morning? Was it to kill ?"
Wu Yun’s expression beca serious, "He wants to kill you?!"
"Maybe not," Chen Ji shook his head.
Previously, Wu Hongbiao said that this coachman had intended to kill them to make a statent, but Chen Ji had always been dubious:
That coachman looked extrely fierce, but...
When the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Departnt suspected him of betraying Zhou Chengyi and turning against them, no matter how the subordinates accused, the coachman never did harm him.
Indeed, he had once hung him upside down for interrogation, but after the interrogation, not even a single piece of his skin was broken.
Chen Ji didn’t care what others said, he only watched what others did. Judging by these two doubts alone, that coachman had actually never harbored a killing intent toward him.
Even if the coachman had changed his mind and wanted to kill him to make a statent, the timing was off.
Last night he and Liu Mingxian were together at East Market, the coachman must have been there too, and he would have noticed him.
If he wanted to kill him, there were plenty of opportunities last night, why wait to co to the dical Hall this early morning?
So, he wasn’t here to kill him.
Now Chen Ji was even more puzzled, "Then what was he doing at Taiping dical Hall this morning? What could make a naturally cautious person sneak into the dical Hall while his employer was away offering prayers and incense? Was there so variable?"
Wait, it was because Manager Yuan had arrived.
The coachman wasn’t here to kill him; he was here to protect him!
Chen Ji laughed at his own deduction, "Why would he protect though... But then, either Wu Hongbiao got it wrong, or he was lying, and I need to figure this out. Wu Yun, did Wu Hongbiao go out yesterday?"
Wu Yun answered, "No, you didn’t bring him food yesterday, so I went back to the dical Hall and got two pieces of grain cakes from Uncle Crow and brought them to him; don’t worry, I placed them by the door while he was sleeping, he didn’t notice ."
"Drinking makes a ss..."
Just then, Liang Mao’er’s voice ca from outside the window, "Brother, why didn’t you lend a hand just now?"
Liang Gou’er curled his lip, idly twirling a bamboo broom and muttering, "I’ve told you I have Three No Help Policy, rember? I don’t help the Eunuch Party, nor those who oppose the Eunuch Party."
"But we’re friends," Liang Mao’er, flushed with urgency, retorted, "We just went to see the sunrise at the drum tower this morning."
Liang Gou’er scoffed, "There are many who’ve watched the sunset with , should I help every single one of them? Don’t take seriously what’s said while drinking; that’s the rule of the drinking scene!"
Livid, Liang Mao’er snatched his broom away, "How have you beco like this? You weren’t like this before!"
Liang Gou’er grumbled, "That was then and this is now."
Inside, Wu Yun turned to Chen Ji, "What just happened?"
Chen Ji was silent for a mont then asked, "Wu Yun, would you be angry if your friend hid many things from you?"
Wu Yun thought for a long while, "I don’t know, you are my first and only friend, I don’t have experience in this... but I suppose I would be."
Chen Ji sighed internally; just now Princess Bai Li had stord off in a huff, possibly upset because: everyone had been through scoldings, shared drinks, seen sunrises together, and she had considered everyone friends in her heart. Why then would soone refuse to help a friend in need, and why would soone keep so many secrets?
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