Aoyama

Chapter 308 Pipa Hall

It's sunset.

The sound of drums from the bell and drum tower came from afar. The eight hundred drum beats ended during the day and when the drums stopped, it was night time.

The capital city in the twilight looked like a piece of jade soaked in blood, gradually turning dark red.

The clerk in the mutton shop was sprinkling the last handful of coarse salt on the chopping board; the passing carriages trampled over the gravel on the bluestone road with kicks and clatters; the clerk in the silk shop stepped on a stepladder and hung lanterns with his own shop name on the eaves; the copper bells hanging on the eaves of the Imperial College made a pleasant tinkling sound.

The aroma of fried glutinous rice balls was wrapped in the sound of gongs from the imperial censors patrolling the city. On the tower of Zhengyang Gate, the last ray of setting sun passed through the arrow window.

If you only look at the capital city at this moment, it is beautiful.

The beauty was so great that foreign merchants lingered there and had no desire to return.

But at dusk, thirty secret agents escorted two hundred Yulin soldiers through the inner city, and everyone was silent.

There were no shackles or pushing; the Yulin Army just walked on their own, like a group of two-legged sheep wearing shoes.

As Chen Ji walked among them, the common people cast curious glances at him. Even someone in a passing carriage lifted the curtain to look at him. The soldiers of the Yulin Army turned their heads away to avoid his gaze.

Qi Zhuozhuo woke up and said unwillingly: "Master, is there really no other way?"

Chen Ji hummed.

Qi Zhuo hesitated to speak, and finally looked at Li Xuan again: "Brother-in-law, can we get out of the imperial prison alive? I'm afraid that our family will have to banish several censors who have cursed the poisonous prime minister before we can appease the situation, right?"

Li Xuan said calmly, "Not only that. The Poison Prime Minister always likes to target the sons of officials and nobles. He will not show mercy unless he forces you to hand over a bloody letter of allegiance. This is how the eunuch party gradually gained control of the government and the country."

Qi Chenzhuo frowned: "Can't we fight back? We can also find fault with him!"

Li Xuan sighed: "Look at Bai Long's well-behaved manners, there is no flaw at all... They don't have any heirs who would ruin the family."

Eunuchs are not interested in women and have no children, so they naturally have two fewer flaws than civil servants.

An official in Beijing once said self-deprecatingly after drinking, "Instead of cultivating my virtues and my mind, I might as well take care of the flaws in my crotch first." There were countless officials in Beijing who were implicated by their children.

……

……

The escort team entered Taiye Lake and headed north, then crossed the White Jade Bridge and entered Qionghua Island. In front of a rockery, a secret agent came forward and knocked on the iron door of the imperial prison.

The small window on the first iron door opened, and a jailer inside said in a cold voice: "Waist badge."

The spy took off the Haidongqing's 'court attendance badge' from his waist and came to the small window: "By order of Lord Xuanshe, the Yulin soldiers are detained separately. Don't let them have the opportunity to collude with others. Wait for interrogation."

The jailer carefully checked the ivory plate, then opened the door and said, "As you command."

He knocked on the second door eight times, sometimes lightly, sometimes hard, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and the second iron door opened.

The wind outside rushed into the imperial prison, causing the Bagua lanterns on the wall to sway, but they never went out.

Chen Ji felt a little relieved.

really.

Eight-diagram lanterns were also hung in the imperial prison in the capital, trapping countless wronged souls in the prison all year round.

The next moment, countless ice streams rushed over.

It was as if a black tide was surging from the prison cells towards Chenji. Countless officials and nobles had died in this imperial prison in the capital, causing the ice flow to continue like a tide.

Chen Ji immersed himself in the violent ice flow, allowing it to penetrate into his dantian.

The ice flow that had been exhausted in Guyuan was replenished again. If there were enough ginseng, the accumulated ice flow here might help him grow three or four more stripes.

Chen Ji looked at the Bagua lanterns on the dark walls of the corridor and was distracted for a moment, not knowing what he was thinking.

When the spy behind him saw that he refused to leave, he immediately stepped forward and pushed him into a cell.

Deep inside the inner prison, wailing sounds were heard from the "Pipa Hall". There was even a cold wind blowing up from the ground, carrying the smell of burning flesh and blood, which made the Yulin soldiers vomit uncontrollably.

Gradually, the Yulin Army could no longer bear it. Some of them paced back and forth in the cell, while others grabbed the iron bars and shouted that they were innocent.

Qi Zhuozhuo was so frightened that he grabbed the railing next door and shouted, "Master, please think of a solution."

Chen Ji did not answer, but just sat in the corner of the cell with his eyes closed.

Two sticks of incense later, the spy dragged a bloody prisoner and deliberately passed by all the cells, saying as he walked: "This man got drunk and claimed to be a prophet. He even spread rumors that the flood in Yuzhou was caused by your majesty's misconduct, and even wanted your majesty to write a confession of guilt. The Prime Minister has ordered that the skin on his back be peeled off tomorrow."

The Yulin soldiers in the cell were in turmoil. The Dandy soldiers, who had never experienced any storms, were frightened by this kind of psychological tactics.

Hai Dongqing, a subordinate of Xuanshe, was walking in the corridor and randomly pointed to a cell: "Take him to the Pipa Hall, I will interrogate him personally."

Seeing that it was the person he brought back from Guyuan, Li Xuan immediately shouted angrily: "How dare you?"

Hai Dongqing sneered: "In this imperial prison, I have even interrogated a second-rank official. Why would I dare not? Take him away!"

Li Xuan and Qi Chenzhuo were so angry that their eyes were red with anger, but they could do nothing.

At this time, Chen Ji leaned against the wall and said casually: "This man is a meritorious official of Guyuan. He just entered the palace to see the emperor yesterday, and today he was arrested and tortured in the imperial prison. If this matter is spread out, it will be criticized. Lord Hai Dongqing, it doesn't matter who you try first or later, right? Leave some room for yourself, and the Qi family will definitely reward you generously afterwards."

Hearing this, Hai Dongqing turned around and glared at Chen Ji coldly. He thought for a moment and then said to the jailer, "Send him back and let the next person interrogate him."

Li Xuan and others breathed a sigh of relief. If their comrades who had lived and died together were put on trial, it would be more painful than killing them directly.

Next door, the Yulin Army under the command of Chen Wenren and Zhao Zhuofan suddenly collapsed like mud and was dragged by the jailers into the depths of the imperial prison.

He begged Li Xuan: "Sir, I was blinded by greed in the past and shouldn't have helped Chen Wenren to go against you. Please help me say something!"

This time, Li Xuan and Chen Ji remained silent.

In a short while, a violent wailing sound came from the darkness: "My father is the magistrate of Jinling, you..."

"Ah! I said it, I said it!"

Two incense sticks later, two jailers held his arms and dragged him back to the cell. All the Yulin soldiers stood in front of the iron bars and watched in shock. The hands of the Yulin soldier on trial were bloody and his ten fingernails were missing.

Hai Dongqing, a subordinate of Xuanshe, looked around and pointed to another Yulin soldier to take away. When he dragged him back this time, he saw two more scars on the chest of the Yulin soldier, with the skin and flesh rolled outwards.

The Yulin Army was in despair.

From the hour of You to the hour of Hai, only two hours had passed, and the imperial prison was already filled with cries.

But after repeated trials, there was no progress in the case, and Haidongqing gradually lost his patience.

He pointed at a Yulin soldier under Li Xuan and sneered, "I've read the Guyuan files and know that you two have a deep brotherly love. But now it involves foreign envoys, and Lord Xuanshe has issued a death order that the case must be solved within twelve hours, so I can't do anything. If you know anything, it's not too late to tell me now. If not, I can only try you one by one. Don't worry, Lord Li, Lord Qi, I will definitely put you two last."

Li Xuan frowned, and Qi Chenzhuo was at a loss.

Just as the secret agent was about to drag the Yulin Army away, Chen Ji, who was sitting against the wall, suddenly said, "No need to interrogate him, interrogate me instead. I'll replace him."

The soldiers of the Yulin Army were stunned when they heard this. No one expected Chen Ji to say this.

Qi Chenzhuo was furious: "Master, no!"

Chen Ji stood up and said, "It's okay."

The Yulin Army soldier who was being dragged said anxiously: "Master Chen..."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's okay."

Li Xuan said, "It's my turn. I'll go!"

Hai Dongqing laughed loudly: "Is there really a tough guy among the Yulin Army? Lord Li, your trip to Guyuan was not in vain." He pointed at Chen Ji and said, "Drag him to the Pipa Hall. I want to interrogate him thoroughly. There is an old saying in my prison: there is no real hero under the killing stick. Many men who claim to be tough can't stand it for a day after entering."

Chen Ji patted the dust off his clothes and walked out: "No need to drag me, I can walk by myself."

However, at this moment, Jiaotu's voice came from the entrance of the tunnel: "I will interrogate him personally."

Hai Dongqing's expression changed, and he turned to look at Jiaotu: "You...you are just a small spy at the level of a bird. I am Hai Dongqing under the command of Lord Xuanshe. It is not your turn to teach me how to do things."

Jiaotu came up to him with a smile and slapped him in the face, causing him to spin on the spot. "Sister will teach you a lesson. If you are not strong enough, speak more quietly. If you say another word of nonsense, I will kill you right now, and I will go to the Minister of Internal Affairs to apologize...Also, I just made a contribution in Guyuan and I am already a pigeon-level spy. Why did you demote me for no reason? Do you know how hard I worked to accumulate merits?"

Hai Dongqing covered half of his face and dared not speak. Everyone in the Imperial Household Department knew that Jiaotu and Yunyang were banished by Bailong, but the strength of these two people was there, and they were once the most capable killers in front of the Prime Minister. No one dared to be sure that the Prime Minister really treated them as pawns.

The emperor's favor means power, and this statement also applies to the Imperial Household Department.

Jiaotu waved his hand impatiently: "Leave the key here, and get out of here."

Hai Dongqing sneered, threw the key on the ground and turned away.

Jiaotu pulled Chenji's arm and walked towards the depths of the imperial prison. When passing Qi Chenzhuo's cell, he said tremblingly: "What are you doing? Let go of my master. I am the third-generation grandson of the Qi family. I...whatever you want, I can find a way."

Jiaotu glanced at him and said, "You keep talking about your family background. Haven't you grown up yet?"

Li Xuan stood by the iron railing: "He has never touched the sedan chair of the Goryeo envoys!"

Jiaotu ignored him and walked through the long and dark corridor with a stern face, pulling Chenji.

Only when she was completely away from the prison cell of the Imperial Guards did she put on a smile and said, "My humble daughter Jiaotu is a little late in coming to your rescue. Lord Chen, please forgive me."

Chen Ji glanced at her and asked: "Why are you hesitating about the credit you have earned?"

"Something delayed me," Jiaotu said meaningfully, "Master Chen is quite trustworthy. Are you really willing to give up the credit?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "The Secret Service is surrounded by wolves and tigers. It is better to have one more ally than one more enemy. What do you think, Lord Jiaotu?"

Jiaotu smiled even more: "Of course, of course... It's best if Lord Chen can think this way. You have also seen the two monsters, Black Snake and Treasure Monkey, today. Compared to them, it is definitely easier for us old acquaintances to cooperate."

She turned to look at Chen Ji: "Master Chen, do you like snakes or monkeys? We will kill the people in the position you like. Don't worry, as long as there is a chance that they are alone, I will take care of it."

Chen Ji remained calm: "Master Jiaotu has probably already stepped into the realm of seeking the truth. No wonder he is valued by the Minister of Internal Affairs."

Jiaotu smiled but did not answer, and changed the subject: "Tell me, what does Lord Chen want in return this time? I can do a lot for you."

Chen Ji stood still in the corridor of the inner prison: "Since Master Jiaotu Yunyang is not here, there is no need for a show."

Jiaotu slowly stopped smiling: "Why mention that idiot? It's boring. Tell me, you are a person who will not do anything without profit, what do you want to exchange for your merits?"

Chen Ji pondered for a long time: "It's not about changing anything, I promised you this a long time ago. But there is another great merit that I need your and Yunyang's help... Can Lord Jiaotu walk around in the palace?"

Jiaotu's eyes lit up: "You really asked the right person. Even Bailong, Tianma, Baohou and Shanniu can't do this. Only a woman like me can do it! They can only enter and exit Jiefan Tower, but they can't take another step into the deep palace!"

Chen Ji asked doubtfully: "Black Snake can do it?"

Jiaotu smiled and said, "He is an eunuch who is missing something, so of course he can. But it is so tiring to cooperate with such a monster. It is safer to cooperate with silly spies like me and Yunyang, isn't it? Lord Chen, please tell me what you need me to do?"

Chen Ji stood in the long and dark corridor, looked directly at Jiaotu and said, "I need you to go to Jingyang Palace and protect Princess Baili from death."

Jiaotu was stunned: "Is it because of the old feelings or because you just can't bear it? When you betrayed Prince Jing, I thought you were a kind-hearted but cruel character. Why do you regret it now?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "It's useful for me to keep her."

Jiaotu was suspicious: "What's the use?"

Chen Ji said in a loud voice: "Han Tong. The Cao Gang helped Your Majesty to follow the emperor earlier, and they are very powerful in the martial arts world, and even in the capital, they have complicated connections. Now they are too powerful to be eliminated, and the Minister of Internal Affairs has wanted to eliminate the Cao Gang for a long time. As long as we capture Han Tong and disintegrate the Cao Gang, not to mention one person, even if the three of us are promoted together, it is possible."

Jiaotu covered her mouth and laughed, "That's right, this is the way we do things in the Secret Service. People with kind hearts and soft hearts won't last long in our Secret Service. It's just that we used the princess to lure Han Tong, but it didn't work. Han Tong ran away alone. Poor princess, on the way to the capital, she cried every day. When she arrived at Fengtai, her eyes were almost blinded by tears. Now she doesn't have a single tear."

As she spoke, she observed Chen Ji's expression, but didn't find any clues.

Chen Ji said casually: "She can cry as she pleases. She won't kill me with her tears."

Jiaotu questioned: "Can she really catch Han Tong?"

Chen Ji said casually: "I have my own way."

Seeing his confidence, Jiaotu felt relieved: "I will go to the palace after I finish the work with the Korean envoy. Lord Chen has really found the right person. This matter really needs me... You see, I said that Lord Chen would always need me."

She stretched out her hand, and her index finger slowly slid down Chen Ji's collar: "So, Mr. Chen, should you tell me who the murderer is?"

Chen Ji replied: "There is no murderer, he committed suicide."

Jiaotu raised an eyebrow: "Master Chen, you are not kidding me, right? How could he commit suicide?"

Chen Ji explained, "The Goryeo prince said that the Jing Dynasty thieves had tried to assassinate him three times... Lord Jiaotu, you and I have both dealt with the Jing Dynasty thieves. The Goryeo prince is surrounded by interpreters, secretaries, doctors, and merchants. With the means of the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department, if they were determined to kill him, how could he have survived until now?"

"Oh, really," Jiaotu was surprised. "You mean, his previous assassination was also an act?"

Chen Ji asked in return: "Are there any survivors of the Jingchao thief who assassinated him earlier?"

Jiaotu shook his head: "No."

Chen Ji nodded: "That's right, they dare not leave anyone alive."

Jiaotu folded his arms and lowered his head to think: "But what are they trying to do?"

Chen Ji pondered, "I think he wants to create a false impression that the Jing Dynasty hates him to the core, so that our Dynasty will share the same hatred for the enemy. Then he will use the death of the envoy on the territory of the Celestial Empire as an excuse to force our Dynasty to send troops to reinforce or agree to his request for marriage. If I guess correctly, someone should have spread the news that the Goryeo envoy was assassinated by the Jing Dynasty to the market, stirring up public opinion against the Jing Dynasty."

Jiaotu leaned against the iron bars of the empty cell: "You really guessed it right. Xuanshe is now tracking down the source of the news... But how can I prove that he committed suicide?"

Chen Ji changed the subject and asked, "What does the Crown Prince of Goryeo do in Huitong Hall every day after he came to our dynasty?"

Jiaotu thought for a moment and said, "According to the records of Huitong Hall, he copied Taoist scriptures every day, saying that he would present them to His Majesty as a gift. He did nothing else special."

Chen Ji turned around and continued to walk deeper into the prison, then took out a blue account book from his arms: "Korean envoys must be searched when entering the Huitong Hall, and their belongings must be registered one by one. The number of items must be recorded when they enter and when they leave. Therefore, the items used to hide drugs must be consumables, such as the medicine they brought."

Jiaotu frowned: "They wouldn't be so stupid. If we check the account book now, they will find that not a single pill is missing."

Chen Ji said calmly: "In addition to the medicine, there is another consumable item."

Jiaotu asked curiously: "What is it?"

Chen Ji stood in front of a lonely cell. He looked at the people in the cell and said without turning his head, "Ink stick. Just mix strychnine with gelatin to make it look like an ink stick. If you chew it up and swallow it, you will die on the spot. The strychnine will dissolve in the stomach and turn into a paste in just one stick of incense. After the medicine is dissolved, the color will change from black to dark blue. The prince copies Taoist scriptures every day. Who can tell how many ink sticks he uses?"

Jiaotu's eyes sparkled: "That makes sense. They are quite ingenious."

Chen Ji shook his head: "It's just a trifle. What I'm betting on is that I, Ning Chao, can't prove it."

Jiaotu was confused again: "Yes, the medicine was dissolved in the stomach sac, and the stomach must be a mess, and nothing can be distinguished. If we want to trace the ink stick, he said that he used it when copying the Taoist scriptures. How can I prove it to the inner minister?"

At this time, in the cell where Chen Ji was standing, the man who was reading put down the book in his hand and walked to the edge of the iron bars, and asked Chen Ji with a smile: "Yes, how are you going to prove it to the inner minister?"

Chen Ji replied, "Master Jiaotu, go and cut open the stomach of the corpse, take the gastric juice and mix it with strong tea. If there is white floc floating up, it is gelatin. The food he ate today was the set meal prepared by Huitong Hall, which did not contain gelatin. In addition, if the Goryeo prince still wants to kill people with poison, he may have ink sticks made of strychnine."

The scholar in the cell was surprised and asked, "Strong tea can actually have such an effect?"

Jiaotu looked at Mr. Feng in the cell, and then at Chen Ji: "You deliberately got yourself arrested and taken to the inner prison to find him? What did you come to find him for?"

Mr. Feng stood in the cell with his hands behind his back, and asked Chen Ji with a smile: "Yes, what do you want to see me for?"

Chen Ji did not answer, but turned to Jiaotu and said, "Thank you, Lord Jiaotu, for locking me up in the next cell. I have a few questions for Lord Binghu."

(End of this chapter)