Chapter 34: Fame and Fortune as a Blade

A scent of blood drifted through the medicinal herb warehouse. Whether intentionally or not, as Si Cao used a dagger to twist and tear through Manager Yuan's heart with his right hand, his left hand gripped the manager's jaw, forcing that bloated face to turn toward Chen Ji.

Consequently, as Manager Yuan died, Chen Ji was able to see his fear and resentment with absolute clarity.

Observing Chen Ji's expression, Si Cao remarked with admiration, "I recall you had never taken a life before. Now that you are to deal with Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit, I thought I would kill someone in advance to help you 'open your hall.' I didn't expect it to be somewhat redundant."

As the words fell, Manager Yuan finally drew his last breath.

Chen Ji saw a grayish-white stream of ice emerge from the man's brow, swimming into his own. It was slightly less than the ice stream provided by Zhou Chengyi.

As expected!

He had been waiting for this ice stream to verify his hypothesis: not only officials of the Ning Dynasty could produce ice streams, but those of the Jing Dynasty could as well.

As the ice stream merged into his body, the weight in Chen Ji's heart finally lifted. He suddenly said, "Lord Si Cao, you shouldn't have killed Manager Yuan."

Si Cao replied calmly, "Once you enter my Military Intelligence Bureau, you must cast aside your feminine compassion. Your current mission is of utmost importance. He was worried that a scion of the nobility like you would compete with him for the vacant position of the Gyrfalcon left by Zhou Chengyi, and would inevitably sabotage him both openly and covertly. Someone with such selfish motives must not be allowed to remain."

Chen Ji shook his head. "Lord Si Cao, it is not out of mercy for him that I say this. I meant to say that he hadn't yet told you what time and what location to meet that 'Long Whale' tonight."

Si Cao fell silent for a long time. "...No matter."

He looked at Chen Ji. "While approaching Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit, do not forget your original mission. As long as the Prince's Mansion and the Liu family show sufficient sincerity, the Bureau Master can meet with that great figure from the Mansion to discuss the next steps of cooperation. You need to find another opportunity in the near future to approach that great figure and ask when the goods will be delivered."

Chen Ji's heart tightened.

A great figure? Which great figure?

*Can't you just give me a name? I still don't even know who this great figure is, so how am I supposed to contact her?*

Based on his observations, Chen Ji leaned toward the idea that this great figure was Consort Yun.

Firstly, on that night at the Evening Star Courtyard, Consort Yun's attitude toward him was noticeably better; Consort Jing and Nanny Chun Rong had truly intended to kill him.

Secondly, Consort Yun had sent Xibing to bring Bai Banruo to the clinic afterward. This was likely her method of using the opportunity to exchange intelligence with him.

Thinking of this, Chen Ji recalled that when Xibing last visited the clinic, he had not only failed to reveal any intelligence but had even given a fifty-year-old ginseng to a cat...

If Consort Yun truly was that great figure, she must be very confused...

Seeing that Chen Ji remained silent, Si Cao asked sternly, "What is it? Are you facing some difficulty?"

"No," Chen Ji said, cupping his hands to take his leave. "Lord Si Cao, I came today on my master's orders to purchase ginseng. It wouldn't be good to stay much longer."

Si Cao nodded, wiping the blood from his hands with a rag as he spoke, "We have ginseng in stock. Go to the main hall, pay the money, and you can take it."

Chen Ji asked, "Can I get a discount?"

Si Cao looked puzzled. "You are using the funds of the Taiping Clinic to buy ginseng; what discount do you want? You should know that many of our Jing Dynasty spies are supported by the Hundred Deer Pavilion. Do not try to take advantage of your own people on behalf of outsiders."

Chen Ji: "...That makes sense."

Leaving the Hundred Deer Pavilion, Chen Ji let out a long breath.

Every pass is difficult, but every pass must be crossed; every step is hard, but every step must be taken.

Whether it was the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau or the Secret Spy Bureau, he had no choice.

As he merged into the crowd, Si Cao stood quietly behind a window on the second floor of the Hundred Deer Pavilion, asking someone, "Are you certain no one is tailing us?"

A voice replied, "No. Perhaps Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit truly trust him now."

Si Cao pondered for a long time. "Let us see if he can truly prove his loyalty..."

***

The Imperial Capital, within the Imperial Palace.

At the highest point of the pavilion belonging exclusively to the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonies, the doors and windows were tightly shut despite it being daytime, and candles were lit inside.

A middle-aged eunuch with a fair, beardless face hurried through the palace, holding up his robes with one hand.

The middle-aged man wore a single-python robe of plain green, exuding immense nobility.

In the Ning Dynasty, python robes came in two types: single-python and seated-python. They had to be personally bestowed by the Emperor and could only be worn by those of high status and favor.

Guards in black clothing stood in rows outside the pavilion, silent and watchful.

When the man in the python robe approached, he said to a guard, "I wish to see the Grand Eunuch."

The guard had a long saber at his waist and the words "Jie Fan" (Relieving Troubles) embroidered on his cuffs. One of them signaled with hand gestures: *What is the matter?*

These guards could only listen, not speak.

The man in the python robe said, "Three pigeon messages have arrived from Luocheng."

The guard turned to go upstairs to announce the arrival, returning a moment later with a gesturing motion to invite him in.

The man in the python robe ascended the wooden stairs and knocked three times on a door at the top level. "Lord Grand Eunuch, Wu Xiu has urgent matters to report. There is news from Luocheng."

A sound of bronze bells came from within, and only then did Wu Xiu push the door open and enter.

Upon entering the inner chamber, he did not see the Grand Eunuch himself. In the dim room, the desk was obscured by a screen embroidered with a seated-python, staring directly at the newcomer.

If one were entering this room for the first time, they might be startled by the giant python.

Standing outside the screen, Wu Xiu bowed his head. "My Lord, three messages have arrived from Luocheng, from Lin Chaoqing of the Main Punishment Bureau, Cloud Sheep of the Secret Spy Bureau, and Meng Ji of the Secret Spy Bureau. Which one would you like to open first?"

There was no response from behind the screen for a long time, and Wu Xiu, despite his high status and python robe, did not dare to lift his head.

After an unknown amount of time, the person behind the screen spoke calmly while writing a document, "The Main Punishment Bureau."

Wu Xiu hurriedly took three thin bamboo strips sealed with wax from his sleeve. He opened the first strip and pulled out a rolled piece of white paper.

As he unfurled the paper, he saw it was densely covered in text. After a moment, Wu Xiu said with some surprise, "My Lord, Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit have found evidence of Liu Shiyu's crimes."

A voice came from the darkness behind the screen, "The two of them?"

Wu Xiu hurriedly added, "I also think those two are reckless. It might be better to send Golden Pig instead."

However, the Grand Eunuch behind the screen remained noncommittal, offering no answer for a long time. Panicked, Wu Xiu lowered his body further. "This subordinate has spoken too much."

In the dimness, a voice said, "Continue."

Wu Xiu continued reading the white paper and looked up. "It wasn't the work of Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit. According to Lin Chaoqing, a masked person helped them find the evidence. The situation was urgent; had they been a step slower, Lin Chaoqing would have escorted Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit back to the capital."

"What is the identity of this masked person?"

"Lin Chaoqing does not know. He only said this person first helped Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit find the rice paper shop, and then helped them find Liu Shiyu's evidence... That is all the letter says. Which one shall I open next?"

"Cloud Sheep."

Wu Xiu rolled up the sleeves of his python robe, broke the wax seal on the second bamboo strip, and then said hesitantly, "Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit have boasted grandiosely about themselves, yet they haven't mentioned the masked person at all."

The Grand Eunuch behind the screen fell silent for a moment. "Those two brats have quite the nerve, trying to steal someone else's credit again."

Wu Xiu looked further down and raised an eyebrow. "My Lord, Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit opened the coffin to examine the corpse and discovered that Old Master Liu's coffin was empty; the target may not be dead. The Liu family has quite the audacity to attempt such a fraud."

He stole a glance, trying to observe the Grand Eunuch's reaction through the screen, but could only see a blurred silhouette.

He saw the Grand Eunuch behind the screen pause his brush for the first time, hovering it over the paper. "What are Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit planning?"

Wu Xiu replied, "Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit have requested the deployment of the nearby 'Jie Fan Guards' of the Secret Spy Bureau to Luocheng to perform a public coffin examination and expose the Liu family. My Lord, the Liu family has just petitioned His Majesty to grant a posthumous honor to Old Master Liu. If this is true, it is already a crime of deceiving the Emperor!"

The Grand Eunuch fell into silent thought.

Wu Xiu added, "My Lord, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The Grand Eunuch said, "Let Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit coordinate the arrival of the Jie Fan Guards. The Directorate of Ceremonies is unaware of this. Destroy the notes."

In other words, no matter what Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit did, they would be acting on their own authority.

If they succeeded, they succeeded; if they failed, they would naturally serve as scapegoats.

In the next moment, Wu Xiu directly crumpled the notes into a ball and, in front of the Grand Eunuch, swallowed them with practiced ease.

After swallowing the papers, he spoke again, "My Lord, there is also a letter from Meng Ji. I shall open it... Is he not in Kaifeng Prefecture? Why did he use a pigeon from Luocheng?"

A moment later, Wu Xiu held the strip. "My Lord, Meng Ji says that Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit spent a heavy sum to request him to go to Luocheng to conduct a Grade-C 'Dream Examination' on the apprentice of Physician Yao Tai, Chen Ji, to see if he is a Jing Dynasty spy. There is something suspicious about this; why would they examine a mere apprentice, and why would they need Meng Ji to make a special trip?"

Seeing that the Grand Eunuch did not respond for a long time, Wu Xiu gathered his courage and looked up tentatively. "My Lord?"

The Grand Eunuch said calmly, "That young apprentice of Physician Yao Tai is the masked person who helped them capture the spy. Write to Cloud Sheep and tell him to deliver this apprentice's information to me."

"Yes," Wu Xiu bowed deeply again. "My Lord, intelligence from the White Dragon side indicates that the Heir of the Prince of Jing's Mansion is currently returning to Luocheng from the Donglin Academy. This youth has gathered a group of martial artists, among whom are many registered 'Great Practitioners' of our Directorate of Ceremonies. Do you think we should take action to prevent him from gaining influence?"

In the darkness behind the screen, the Grand Eunuch responded flatly, "No matter. They are merely martial artists. Using the words 'fame' and 'profit' as blades can sever ninety percent of the world's chivalry."

(End of Chapter)