Aoyama

Chapter 309 Moving a Mountain

Inside the dark imperial prison, the sounds of interrogation in the Pipa Hall had long ceased. Jiaotu locked Chen Ji in the cell next to Mr. Feng and hurried off to "solve the case."

Mr. Feng stood by the iron railing and smiled across the wall, "Jiaotu deliberately brought in Black Snake and Treasure Monkey to be your enemies. She was worried that you two wouldn't be able to become enemies, so she slapped Black Snake's Saker Falcon for you. Although she wants to interrogate you, when Saker Falcon sees that you don't have any injuries from torture, he will understand everything and might even think you're Jiaotu's informant... Be careful, she's smarter than Yunyang."

Chen Ji leaned against the iron bars and said, "It's a pity that Jiaotu and Yunyang are not Mr. Feng. They can only see what's in front of them and can't think that far ahead. When no one else can solve the case, she happily solves the case to take credit, which will naturally make Xuanshe and Baohou miss her."

Mr. Feng asked with great interest, "Want to be the chess player?"

Chen Ji answered seriously: "I'm still learning."

Mr. Feng asked, "Since you've come all the way here, tell me what you want to ask me?"

Chen Ji leaned against the wall of the cell next to Mr. Feng and changed into a comfortable posture. Mr. Feng simply sat down slowly as well.

The two of them were sitting back to back, separated by a wall, with nothing around them.

Chen Ji asked in a serious tone: "How many people are there under Bai Long's mask?"

Mr. Feng smiled slightly when he heard Chen Ji's question: "You're asking me the most important secret right at the start. Don't you want to lay the groundwork?"

Chen Ji repeated his question seriously: "How many people are there under Bai Long's mask?"

Mr. Feng jokingly counted on his fingers: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."

Chen Ji was stunned. So many?

Mr. Feng seemed to see Chen Ji's expression through the wall. He laughed and said, "It's not that complicated. In the ninth year of Jianing, the name of White Dragon appeared in the Chinese zodiac for the first time. That was the first White Dragon. But this White Dragon had more important things to do later, so I took over the mask and became the second one. Now I am leaving too, so there is a third one. We have never existed at the same time. We each have our own era and our own mission."

Chen Ji quickly pondered over what Mr. Feng had said.

The first white dragon is still alive, but for some reason he has to take off his mask and do other things.

What could be the reason?

Leaving his hometown? Or gaining a higher status? Or is there something wrong with the way he practices?

Starting from the 9th year of Jianing, the mask is there, and the White Dragon is there. Other zodiac signs come and go, the Night Sheep dies and is replaced by the Cloud Sheep, the Cunning Rabbit dies and is replaced by the Bright Rabbit, but the title of the White Dragon will never change.

Chen Ji asked in confusion: "Who is Bai Long now?"

Mr. Feng asked with interest: "Why are you asking this?"

Chen Ji said solemnly: "I made a deal with 'White Dragon' before. I helped White Dragon do things, and White Dragon helped me save people. Now that the person has changed, is this promise valid?"

Mr. Feng said, "So that's what you're worried about... Don't worry, the promise is still valid, and he's more trustworthy than me. This new White Dragon is more upright than me, so I'll give you a piece of advice. If you can only trust one person in the Imperial Household Department from now on, it must be him."

Chen Ji's pupils shrank slightly.

Who is the new Bai Long, and how could he become the only person he can trust in the Secret Service? Is Mr. Feng telling the truth or a lie?
Mr. Feng did not intend to continue this topic, and casually said: "I will give you two more questions as a parting gift. Opportunities are rare, and if you already have the answer in your mind, then don't ask again."

In the long corridor of the imperial prison, Chen Ji looked up at the ceiling of the cell and swallowed the question on his lips.

He thought for a long time about the question he wanted to ask most. Mr. Feng did not rush him. He hummed an unknown tune in his nasal voice and tapped his knees with his fingers.

Chen Ji pondered for a long time, and finally asked: "What is my master going to the north for? Is it dangerous?"

Mr. Feng asked curiously, "Such a rare opportunity, why don't you ask about your own affairs? Your master has already gone to Jing Dynasty, and we may not have the chance to meet again in this life. Why do you care about him?"

Chen Ji repeated again: "What is my master doing in the north? Is it dangerous?"

Mr. Feng sighed: "Your master... went to help you kill someone."

Chen Ji was stunned: "Kill someone? Kill who?"

Mr. Feng explained, "Your master's affairs are not something I can ask about casually. Before he left, he just casually mentioned that there was a huge mountain in your cultivation that was difficult for you to climb. He was not very dedicated as your master, and he felt guilty, so he tried to find a way to help you move that mountain away."

Chen Ji sat up in shock.

A mountain in the path of spiritual practice?
Now, Old Man Yao is the only one in the world who knows that he is practicing the sword technique, so even Mr. Feng doesn’t know who Old Man Yao is going to kill.

There are only three people in the sword sect, the first is Chen Ji, the second is the person that the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department has been searching for for many years in vain, and the third is Lu Yang, who is the most towering mountain in the hearts of all the officials in the world.

Chen Ji said in a dry voice: "Is my master sure?"

Mr. Feng said lazily, "I'm not sure. But as long as I can seriously injure the other party and delay him for three years for you, it is an acceptable result."

That mean old man always says that there is no need for a master-disciple relationship, but he is still the warmest one in his heart.

Seeing Chen Ji was silent, Mr. Feng urged, "Okay, ask one last question."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and asked in one breath, "Mr. Feng will definitely not be beheaded this time, so what are you going to do after you fake your death and get away?"

Mr. Feng sneered, "You always worry about what others are doing, but never ask about your own business. Do you have the answers in your mind?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Mr. Feng lowered his head and picked up a piece of straw from the ground, tearing it apart. "The year I passed the imperial examination, I wrote an article called "Twelve Strategies for Pacificating the North" during the palace examination. The article said that six strategies were for internal peace and six strategies for external defense. It was the result of more than ten years of hard work. However, in the palace examination, it was not as good as the article praising the merits of the eldest son of the second branch of the Chen family. At that time, I knew that studying Confucian classics was useless."

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "As for what I want to do, I've already told you..."

Chen Ji recalled what Mr. Feng had said.

In Guyuan, Mr. Feng once pointed to a ray of dawn in the distance and said, "Five years later, when the Jing Dynasty marches south, I will put on armor, head north, and drink water from the North Sea."

At this time, Mr. Feng also had doubts: "No, you didn't come to me specifically to ask me something... You just found an excuse to enter this prison? What is it about this prison that attracts you?
It is certain that Mr. Feng does not know the secrets of his own tiger, so the other party does not know what is locked in the eight trigrams lamps on the walls of the imperial prison.

This is a secret that only the tiger knows.

Before he could say anything, footsteps were heard in the long corridor.

Two jailers came to Mr. Feng's cell and said calmly, "The criminal is Feng Wenzheng. The imperial edict has arrived. He will be executed immediately."

Chen Ji turned around in astonishment. Wasn't he sentenced to death with a pending execution?

Those who are awaiting execution are usually detained until the autumn when they will be executed. If they have made meritorious services or are favored by the emperor, they can survive until the amnesty on His Majesty's birthday and will not be put to death.

Why so sudden?

Mr. Feng supported himself with his hands, slowly stood up and stretched out his hands, allowing two jailers to put handcuffs on him and walk to the deepest part of the imperial prison.

When he was escorted past Chen Ji's prison cell, he smiled and said, "Boy, you will become a general or a prime minister. See you later."

Chen Ji stood up and silently watched the other person's receding back.

After this separation, I don’t know when we will meet again.

……

… Jiaotu solved the case, but the Secret Service did not immediately release the Yulin Army. The Secret Service waited for the parents of the Yulin Army to hand in their letters of surrender before they could leave.

Qi Chenzhuo and Li Xuan were the first to leave, followed by Zhou Chong, whose father was the magistrate of Jinling, and Duo Bao, whose grandfather was the secretary of the Dali Temple.

The soldiers of the Yulin Army were taken away one by one, and in the end only about 20 people from humble backgrounds and Chen Ji were left.

The Chen family seemed to be deaf and dumb and forgot about him in the imperial prison.

Chen Ji sat in the dim cell, not knowing how long he had been there.

one day?
Or was it two days? There was no sunlight in the imperial prison, and no roosters crowing or night watchmen beating gongs could be heard. Time became a kind of nothingness.

Chen Ji looked up at the stone wall above his head. There was a small spider pulling a white silk thread to form a complete spider web, waiting for its prey.

At some point, the Haidongqing who was slapped by Jiaotu stood outside the iron bars, half of his face swollen, quietly examining the traces in the cell: "Those with a little family background have been bailed out, and it's strange that you, who have a Chen family background, are the only one left in the imperial prison. "

Chen Ji looked away from the spider and slowly looked at the Saker Falcon outside the iron bars: "This gentleman is very busy, I don't think he came here just to tease me."

Hai Dongqing said nonchalantly: "Didn't Ning Xin say that he would interrogate you? How come you don't have any injuries on your body?"

Peace of mind?

Chen Ji suddenly realized that Ning Xin was Jiaotu's real name.

He asked curiously: "Yun Yang..."

Hai Dongqing's voice was slightly deep: "He is not even a Chinese zodiac sign, where does the cloud sheep come from?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "What's his name?"

Hai Dongqing asked in confusion: "You don't even know his name, what is your relationship with Jiaotu and Yunyang? Are you an informant for their subordinates?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

He, Jiaotu and Yunyang are indeed in a superior-subordinate relationship now, but he thinks differently from the other party.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Hai Dongqing, who was outside the iron bars, thought for a moment and said, "You assisted Ning Xin in solving the case this time, right? You took away the account book of Huitong Hall and helped her find the ink ingot where the Goryeo prince hid the poison?"

Chen Ji still didn't answer.

Hai Dongqing said meaningfully: "Ning Xin and Zi Jin took the credit from you, but they didn't even think about getting you out. They are really cold-hearted. None of their spies have been promoted to Hai Dongqing. These two are only concerned with grabbing the credit for themselves, and are unwilling to share the profits with their own people. How can you succeed by following them? Now I follow Lord Xuanshe, I have money and power, even if I have to hang my head on my belt to live, it is worth it."

Chen Ji said sincerely: "Master Xuanshe is indeed far superior to those two."

Hai Dongqing smiled with satisfaction: "In this case, are you willing to follow Lord Xuanshe? When he is promoted to the third zodiac sign, he will naturally train his own team. If you are capable enough, there will naturally be a place for you in the Silijian. Why do you have to follow Ning Xin and Zi Jin as a small informant?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, I am not an informant of Jiaotu and Yunyang. I just do the work for money."

Hai Dongqing was suspicious: "For money? How much did they give?"

Chen Ji said seriously: "Five hundred taels of silver. If Lord Xuanshe needs anything, you can also spend the money to ask me to do something. I will definitely go through fire and water for Lord Xuanshe."

Hai Dongqing sneered: "If you don't want to work with Lord Xuanshe, you can just say it directly. There is no need to make up such a lame excuse. Come, take him to the Pipa Hall. I have my own way to make him tell the truth."

The cell door opened, and two secret agents grabbed Chen Ji's arms and dragged him out of the iron bars.

However, at this moment, hurried footsteps were heard at the entrance of the long corridor. Haidongqing's heart sank, and when he turned around, he saw Jinzhu rushing towards him in a hurry.

The Golden Pig walked through the cells and came to the people. He asked calmly, "What are you doing?"

Hai Dongqing quickly clasped his fists and replied, "Master Jinzhu, this man has something fishy but refuses to confess. I am about to take him to the Pipa Hall for a trial."

Snapped.

The Golden Pig slapped Hai Dong Qing on the other side and said, "Fuck you, let him go. I want to take him away."

Hai Dongqing was slapped so hard that he saw stars and his mouth was bleeding: "Master Jinzhu, what do you mean? Without the order from the Prime Minister..."

Jin Zhu sneered, "Do you think I'm a fool? I've tried more people in the imperial prison than you have. The case of the Korean envoy has been closed. What crime are you holding him on? Let go!"

Hai Dongqing almost bit his back teeth to pieces, but he could only swallow his anger and told his secret agent: "Release him!"

The Golden Pig looked at the Saker Falcon with a smile: "Why, are you angry?"

Hai Dongqing clasped his fists and said, "I dare not."

The Golden Pig laughed, "It's good that you don't dare. Huang Yunbo, I know you want to compete for the position of the Sheep, so you are eager to make achievements. But your Taoism is not good enough, even the Black Snake doesn't think highly of you, and instead praises Gao Yi... You should work hard for a few more years. If you barely become a zodiac sign, your life may be in danger."

Huang Yunbo lowered his head and said through his teeth: "Yes."

Jin Zhu took Chen Ji away. Chen Ji thought for a while and added: "Master Jin Zhu, what do you want from me? You have to pay me first."

Jin Zhu was slightly startled, and then followed Chen Ji's words and acted: "Don't worry, the money will be yours."

……

……

When they were a little further away, Chen Ji asked curiously, "Who is Gao Yi?"

The Golden Pig said cheerfully, "Another Saker Falcon under the Black Snake."

Chen Ji asked tentatively: "Does he have a hope of winning the zodiac?"

Golden Pig sneered, "No, I just casually provoked the two Saker Falcons under Black Snake. I had nothing to do. As time goes by, you will understand that there are no real friends among our colleagues in the Secret Service... No, you, me, and Tianma are real friends!"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Didn't we agree that we would be enemies in the Secret Service from now on? Why did you change the plan?"

Golden Pig sighed, "Things are different now. Black Snake is the most vicious person. He is desperate to become one of the top three zodiac signs. He is so eager to make achievements that he is bloodthirsty. If you don't have anyone to back you up, something might go wrong... Black Snake is usually very smart and works behind White Dragon. Now that he sees that the top three are vacant, he is getting impatient."

Chen Ji asked casually, "Master Jinzhu, aren't you jealous? You have a chance too."

The Golden Pig sneered and said, "Do you know why there are three people in the top three, and not two or one? Our Minister of Internal Affairs wants a three-way balance within the Secret Service. My relationship with Tianma is well known to everyone. We are so close that we wish we were in the same boat. If I compete for the top three, I will be courting death."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "I see."

Jin Zhu walked out with big strides. He said carelessly, "Don't think about these things for now. Practicing diligently is better than anything else. Since you have joined the Yulin Army, take this opportunity to practice well. That place is the most suitable for keeping a low profile."

Chen Ji hummed.

Jin Zhu was a little confused: "Strange, aren't you Bai Long's man? Why didn't he come to rescue you? Also, are all the Chen family members a bunch of beasts? They didn't even save their own family members. I have been waiting outside for a day and a night. I couldn't wait any longer, so I had to come and rescue them myself."

Chen Ji stopped when he passed a prison cell. He looked at the Yulin soldiers slumped on the bed inside, turned to Jin Zhu and said, "Sir, let me take the rest of the Yulin soldiers away as well."

The Yulin soldiers in the cell suddenly looked up.

(End of this chapter)