Chapter 49: The Top Three

Golden Pig looked at Chen Ji and said with a beaming smile, "The Grand Chancellor plans everything with such foresight. Knowing that Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are more likely to cause trouble than achieve success, he had me waiting on the sidelines early on, ready to step in the moment they hit a snag. At this moment, neither the Military Intelligence Bureau nor the Liu family likely expected me to be in Luocheng already. This is the perfect opportunity to ambush... to arrest them."

A profound sense of crisis surged in Chen Ji's heart; the Grand Chancellor's mind was incredibly deep and meticulous.

It turned out that Yun Yang and Jiao Tu were merely being pushed forward to distract attention. Once they failed, the enemy would relax due to their brief moment of perceived victory. That was when Golden Pig would quietly enter the fray—the enemy in the light, himself in the dark—ensuring a significant catch.

He suspected that promoting Yun Yang and Jiao Tu to the Twelve Zodiacs half a year in advance was done specifically for this very moment!

To scheme so ruthlessly even against one's own people—it was no wonder the outside world called him the "Poisonous Chancellor"!

Chen Ji cupped his hands in greeting. "Lord Golden Pig, I am not a member of the Secret Spy Bureau. I hope you will not disclose any secrets to me."

Golden Pig walked over and took Chen Ji's hand intimately, his face full of smiles. "Of course I must tell you! I'm counting on you joining the Secret Spy Bureau to help me earn merits! Oh, I haven't told you the good news yet: the Grand Chancellor has issued an edict specifically approving your entry into the Bureau. From now on, we are colleagues. With your intelligence, you will surely rise rapidly through the ranks."

As Golden Pig's fleshy hand gripped his, Chen Ji felt goosebumps rising. He hurriedly replied humbly, "You flatter me, Lord Golden Pig. I don't possess such talent."

"You certainly do!" Golden Pig praised. "I originally thought Yun Yang would fail at Zhou Chengyi's hands and be forced to leave Luocheng in disgrace within a single day. I never expected that they would not only find evidence of guilt but also pin everything on Liu Shiyu, even uncovering the truth behind Old Master Liu's faked death. I was puzzled at the time—those two are formidable killers, but since when did they possess such other skills? Later, I realized it was all because of you!"

"It wasn't me," Chen Ji shook his head. "Lord Golden Pig, I am merely an apprentice in a medical clinic."

"Don't be modest. Lin Chaoqing has already reported the details to the Grand Chancellor, and Meng Ji has reported the interrogation that took place in your dream. When the two accounts are cross-referenced, the truth naturally comes to light."

Chen Ji realized then; no wonder Golden Pig had come to find him. The Grand Chancellor already knew of his existence.

He asked curiously, "I heard Lord Yun Yang say that the selection for Secret Spies is extremely strict."

Golden Pig smiled and patted his shoulder. "That is true, but your performance in the Liu Shiyu case was so striking that it stirred the Grand Chancellor's appreciation for talent. Naturally, special measures were taken."

"Are there any benefits to joining the Secret Spy Bureau? What is the salary?" Chen Ji asked.

"Salary?" Golden Pig laughed heartily. "A Sparrow rank earns twenty-four taels of silver a year; a Pheasant rank earns twenty-six. Once you reach Dove rank, the salary is twenty-eight taels, at which point you can stand on equal footing with a magistrate of a large county. And once you reach Gyrfalcon, it is even more extraordinary—even an ordinary Prefect would have to treat you with great respect. Do you know what a Gyrfalcon is? It is a creature of fierce nature; if it is hungry, it will attack anything in the sky."

"What about the Twelve Zodiacs?" Chen Ji asked again.

"You want to be one of the Twelve Zodiacs?" Golden Pig eyed Chen Ji with interest, but his words continued unabated. "The Twelve Zodiacs are, naturally, even more powerful than the Gyrfalcons. They hold the Royal Command Flags and can execute first and report later... however, there are differences among the Zodiacs themselves."

"Ah?"

"The Twelve Zodiacs are divided into the Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding groups. The 'Ding Three' are the Rat, Rabbit, and Sheep."

Chen Ji thought to himself that Yun Yang and Jiao Tu held the lowest status among the Zodiacs.

Golden Pig continued, "Next is the 'Bing Three.' Currently, they are Golden Pig, Precious Monkey, and Dream Chicken."

"And the 'Yi Three'?"

"Corpse Dog, Mountain Ox, and Black Snake."

"And the 'Jia Three'?"

Golden Pig smiled. "The 'Jia Three' are truly formidable. As the saying goes, the 'Top Three' are made of iron, while the 'Bottom Nine' are like flowing water. Over the years, almost all other Zodiacs have been replaced, but the Top Three are like tumblers—they have never failed a mission, and they have never been replaced."

"Those three are the White Dragon, Heavenly Horse, and Sick Tiger!"

"The authority of the Top Three Zodiacs is naturally different from ours. We must still report to Lord Wu Xiu, who then conveys the message. The Top Three, however, report directly to the Grand Chancellor. What they do or what they are doing is not something we are permitted to inquire about. If there is a deployment, the Bottom Nine Zodiacs must obey the Top Three unconditionally."

The clinic fell silent. It was only now that Chen Ji had a complete concept of the Secret Spy Bureau.

Golden Pig stopped speaking. He took off his bamboo hat and placed it on the counter, allowing Chen Ji time to digest the information.

Chen Ji thought rapidly in this tranquil environment. Why was the man telling him so much? Was it because he lacked depth? No.

If he lacked depth, he wouldn't have waited so patiently until this moment to appear.

This wasn't a "Golden Pig"; this was clearly a "pig eating a tiger"—a master of disguise.

Chen Ji asked, "May I ask... where are Lord Yun Yang and Lord Jiao Tu now?"

Golden Pig smiled. "They were originally to be escorted to the capital to await judgment, but the Grand Chancellor's edict arrived. They aren't to return to the capital; they are to be exiled directly to Lingnan."

Chen Ji shook his head. "Lord Golden Pig, can I choose not to join the Secret Spy Bureau? Even powerful figures like Lord Yun Yang and Lord Jiao Tu ended up in prison; my fate surely won't be much better..."

"Don't worry, I will protect you."

Just then, a sudden commotion came from the backyard.

Chen Ji glanced toward the backyard, but when he turned back, Golden Pig had vanished!

He looked up and saw that Golden Pig's bloated figure had somehow leaped onto the roof beams, crouching there without making a single sound!

Chen Ji: "..."

This Golden Pig was certainly faster than anyone at hiding whenever there was a hint of movement!

Perched on the beam, Golden Pig narrowed his eyes slightly as if facing a great enemy. He whispered, "Kid, go check it out."

...

...

At the backyard wall, Bai Li's head popped out from behind. She peered cautiously into the yard, but when she saw Chen Ji, she felt a sudden sense of dejection.

She had thought that because she came out late, she could save on the toll by waiting until Chen Ji was asleep, but she hadn't expected this clinic apprentice to act as if he never needed sleep!

Clinging to the wall, Bai Li looked at Chen Ji and asked curiously, "Hey, what are you doing in the yard in the middle of the night?"

Chen Ji replied righteously, "Collecting tolls."

Bai Li grew even angrier. She climbed over the wall, slid down the ladder, and huffily pulled four silver peanut candies from her pouch, slamming them hard into Chen Ji's palm. "Don't call yourself Chen Ji anymore; call yourself Chen Black-Hearted!"

"Eh? Why only four?" Chen Ji asked, puzzled.

At that moment, another head popped up over the wall—an unfamiliar girl.

Bai Li beckoned to her. "Ling Yun, there's a ladder here. Come down."

The girl, dressed in navy blue with a green jade hairpin in her hair, was styled like a boy. She nimbly flipped into the yard.

The Heir and the little monk followed closely behind.

The girl named Ling Yun looked at the four silver peanuts in Chen Ji's palm and asked strangely, "What is this for?"

Bai Li explained, "This is his toll."

"Toll?" Zhu Ling Yun froze for a moment, then said instinctively, "Isn't the Imperial Academy part of our Prince's manor? He is just an apprentice kept by our manor; why should we pay him a toll?"

Chen Ji looked at Bai Li. "And this is...?"

"This is my sister, Zhu Ling Yun," Bai Li introduced with a smile. "She rarely goes out, so I brought her along for some fun. Don't mind what she says; she has some notions about social status."

Zhu Ling Yun looked shocked. "Bai Li, how can you be so polite to a servant!"

Bai Li's face darkened. "What do you mean 'servant'? Father always instructed us not to act superior. Why do you always insist on following Mother's ways?"

Zhu Ling Yun was also displeased. "You're actually getting angry with me for the sake of an outsider? What did Mother ever do to you!"

Bai Li didn't dwell on it. "Apologize. Have you forgotten everything Father taught us!"

"Why should I apologize? Isn't he just a servant!" Zhu Ling Yun argued defiantly.

Watching this scene, the Heir and the little monk hurried to mediate. "Stop fighting, stop fighting. There's nothing to fight about... Ling Yun, you shouldn't speak to Chen Ji like that."

Zhu Ling Yun glared at him with her large almond eyes, looking at the Heir in disbelief. "Brother, you're taking Bai Li's side again!?"

The Heir remained silent for a moment. "I am not taking sides; I am simply stating facts. Back at the Donglin Academy, the Prince of Fu's heir, Zhu Yu, was arrogant every single day, and in the end, wasn't he chased away by the masters? Don't let being praised by those scholars at Donglin Academy make you forget Father's teachings."

Tears welled up in Zhu Ling Yun's eyes. After a long silence, she turned around, climbed back up the ladder, and headed back to the manor. "Go play! I'm not going!"

Chen Ji remained silent throughout the entire ordeal...

The Heir sighed and turned to Chen Ji. "I'm sorry. You had to witness that spectacle. Ling Yun is actually a good person; she just has a bit of a temper."

Chen Ji responded with a smile, "It's no matter."

He returned one silver peanut to Bai Li. Bai Li was astonished. "You're giving back money that's already in your hand?"

"I don't earn what I shouldn't."

The Heir gave him a thumbs up. "Principled!"

Chen Ji returned to the communal sleeping area and gently woke Liang Mao'er. "Tell your brother to go drink with the Heir. Remember to eat more when you go to Red Clothing Alley."

Liang Gou'er suddenly sat up, his eyes gleaming. "Drinking? Where are we going to drink?"

Chen Ji: "..."

Liang Mao'er: "..."

Once they had left, the clinic returned to its tranquility.

Golden Pig floated down lightly from the roof beam and looked at Chen Ji inquisitively. "You seem to be on very good terms with the Heir and Princess Bai Li?"

"Not particularly," Chen Ji shook his head.

Golden Pig said with a beaming smile, "I heard everything Princess Bai Li said when she defended you just now."

He spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "Young man, there are many benefits to joining my Secret Spy Bureau. Working for the Grand Chancellor means you can never lose. From this day forward, you are a spy. I'll give you your first task: follow the Heir. All his movements must be reported to me. I'm off."

Standing in the dimness of the clinic, Chen Ji watched Golden Pig's departing figure and replied softly, "Understood, Lord Golden Pig."

As the clinic doors closed gently, he returned to the backyard, picked up his bamboo tube, and in the cool autumn night, rolled up his sleeves to earnestly begin scraping the frost from the walls.

(End of Chapter)