Aoyama

Chapter 408 The Inn of Lights
Hunting warrants rarely leave Beijing.

County magistrates and prefects could only issue "appointments" to a few counties, and provincial judicial commissioners could only issue "appointment warrants" to a few prefectures. Only the Emperor Ning, the Ministry of Justice, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs could issue arrest warrants for the entire country to apprehend suspects.

Typically, arrest warrants are only issued for cases of treason, the murder of officials of the third rank or above in the capital, local governors, imperial envoys, or massacres of entire families or villages.

Once issued, it would be a heinous crime that would result in the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan

Two fast horses galloped out from each of the nine gates of the capital, delivering the arrest warrants to all directions.

At Andingmen, two riders rode swiftly out of the city gate and headed north towards Changping County.

One rider was from the Jie Fan Wei (解烦卫), and the other was from the Mi Di Si (密谍司). The two dared not speak to each other, each carrying a black lacquered tube with a 400-li urgent message on their backs as they traveled.

The two arrived at the Changping County government office together, where the yamen runners came out to greet them. Xie Fanwei pulled a warrant for arrest from a lacquer tube and handed it over, saying sternly, "By order of Lin Chaoqing, Commander of Xie Fanwei, this warrant for arresting the suspect Chen Ji is hereby issued..."

After saying this, he handed over the arrest warrant and left, riding his horse out of Changping County and continuing north.

The spy glanced at Xie Fanwei's retreating figure, then took out a warrant for arrest from the lacquer tube. Instead of giving it to the yamen runner, he said in a low voice, "Tell your county magistrate to come out here!"

The constables exchanged bewildered glances: "It's just a wanted poster, my magistrate doesn't need it..."

The spy sneered, "Does your county magistrate not want his head?"

A yamen runner hurriedly ran to the county government office. A dozen or so breaths later, the county magistrate rushed over: "What instructions does the superior have?"

The spy on horseback bent down and gestured for the county magistrate to come closer: "I am Hai Dongqing from the Capital's Secret Service. Last year, you received three thousand taels of silver from Master Liang..."

The county magistrate's expression changed drastically: "Sir, just give me your orders!"

The spy slapped the arrest warrant on the county magistrate's chest and whispered in his ear, "Lord Bailong has told us that the culprit is most likely to come to your Changping County. Remember, find the best painter to come and copy Liao Zhong's work. If you catch Liao Zhong, everything will be fine; if you don't, you can go to Lingnan to boil salt next year!"

The county magistrate quickly agreed, "This humble official understands."

Without further ado, the spy turned his horse and headed north.

The county magistrate and his constables stood in front of the yamen, holding two arrest warrants and looking at each other, not knowing what had happened.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Aren't the Jie Fan Wei and the Secret Intelligence Bureau from the same government office? Why did they both issue a warrant for arrest?"

The county magistrate angrily said, "Stop making trouble! Quickly summon a painter to make a copy of the painting, and post the arrest warrant in every neighborhood..."

The county official probed, "Did both of them find the best painters to copy their works?"

The county magistrate looked at the signatures on the two arrest warrants and remained silent for a long time: "As long as Liao Zhong's copy is clearer, that's fine."

……

……

In the evening.

Wearing a straw hat, Chen Ji mingled among the crowd in front of the Changping County government office, quietly watching the yamen runners post the wanted posters.

The first arrest warrant, on slightly yellowed paper, contained a picture of Chen Ji that bore a 60% resemblance to the original, though even a direct comparison revealed it to be somewhat misidentifiable.

You could say he is, or you could say he isn't.

In front of the government office, the people looked at each other in bewilderment, none of them able to read.

The clerk in the yamen pointed to the arrest warrant and announced loudly: "The criminal Chen Ji intends to assassinate the Crown Prince. He is registered in Shuntian Prefecture, is eighteen years old, five feet nine inches tall, thin as a crane, and has a sesame-sized black mole at the corner of his left eye. An imperial edict is issued that anyone who can report the treason will be rewarded with fifty thousand coins."

“Those who conceal or fail to report such acts shall be executed as accomplices.”

Chen Ji pressed down on the brim of his straw hat and frowned.

He came here in pursuit of Mr. Liao, but he never expected that before he could find Mr. Liao's whereabouts, he would be the first to receive a warrant for his arrest.

Chen Ji closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, having already reviewed all the possible explanations the Crown Prince might give. In the end, only he, the Crown Prince, and Mr. Liao remained at Fragrant Hills. Now that he and Mr. Liao were gone, the Crown Prince's explanation would be the definitive one.

The crucial point is that, right now, it seems no one can testify to clear his name... except for Mr. Liao.

Chen Ji looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, turned around to squeeze out of the crowd.

But just then, the constables posted the second arrest warrant.

He paused suddenly as his gaze swept over the area.

Chen Ji originally thought that both wanted posters were for him, but he never expected that the second wanted poster was for Mr. Liao. Moreover, Mr. Liao's photo was not only 60% similar to his own, but also 90% similar.

A clerk announced loudly, "The criminal Liao Zhong... has lost an arm... A decree is issued throughout the land: anyone who can report a plot to commit treason will be rewarded with 200,000 coins!"

The onlookers exclaimed in surprise: "That one was worth 50,000, but this old man is worth 200,000?"

"Both men were involved in the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, but this old man has a higher bounty and must be the mastermind!"

These two arrest warrants confused Chen Ji. It was reasonable for the Crown Prince to frame him, but how could the Crown Prince even frame his own people?
Mr. Liao has done too many dirty things for the Crown Prince. If he is caught and brought back, not only Mr. Liao, but the Crown Prince may not be able to keep his position as heir apparent.

strangeness.

What's the deal with these two fishing warrants?

Chen Ji pushed his way forward, wanting to see the entire document.

As he squeezed through the crowd, the bystanders only uttered a complaint and didn't think much of it; no one expected that the criminal on the wanted list would still dare to linger here.

When Chen Ji arrived at the wanted notice, he discovered that it was signed by the Jiefan Guard and read: "Respectfully inscribed by Lin Chaoqing, Commander of the Jiefan Guard, on the third day of the third month of the thirty-second year of Jia Ning."

The warrant for Liao Zhong's arrest was signed by Bai Long.

It turned out to be the case.

It was a good thing that he and Mr. Liao were both wanted; Liao Zhong's portrait was clearer and easier to recognize than his own, especially since the latter had lost an arm. Just then, he heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.

The people turned to look and saw a group of Jie Fanwei and a group of secret agents walking side by side on the rammed earth road in Changping County. The secret agent was led by Xuan She, and the Jie Fanwei was led by... Wu Xuange, the commander of the Right Xiaowei of the Yulin Army who had been captured and taken to the imperial prison by Xuan She.

Wu Xiu's cousin.

I wonder how Wu Xuange came out of here, and how he joined the Jie Fan Guard? What deal did Xuan She and Wu Xiu make?
Oh no! If it were the Jade Rabbit, the Cloud Sheep, the Golden Pig, or the White Dragon, Chen Ji could ask them for details, but it's the Black Serpent who has come.

Upon discovering the presence of guards and spies, the common people immediately scattered like birds and beasts, and Chen Ji hurriedly left, blending into the crowd.

He needed to find a place to stay before nightfall.

The inn is not the right place; the innkeeper and his staff are the people we should be most wary of right now. If any suspicious person sets foot there, they will immediately report it to the authorities.

Logically speaking, Chen Ji's birth mother, Madam Lu, left him several hundred acres of fertile land in Changping. If he had already taken over, he might have been able to hide in the estate. But now he doesn't even know where those several hundred acres of fertile land are.

Find a homeless house to hide in for the night? That's the best solution.

Chen Ji walked down the street with his head down, silently observing the houses on both sides. It was dinnertime, and whichever house didn't have smoke rising from its chimney would likely be his lodging for the night.

However, as he walked, Chen Ji suddenly saw an inn called "Fu Lai". The inn had a couplet hanging on it. The upper right line read, "Observe things and objects, observe the sky, the earth, the sun and the moon, observe above and below, observe that others always have highs and lows"; the lower left line read, "Laugh at the past and present, laugh at the east, the west, the south and the north, laugh back and forth, laugh at yourself for being ignorant and clueless."

He froze.

He had seen this couplet at the Longmen Inn.

As dusk gradually faded, Chen Ji stood under the eaves, pondering carefully.

As the last vestiges of twilight faded, Chen Ji finally headed towards the Fu Lai Inn.

He lifted the curtain and saw that the furnishings in this inn were almost identical to those of the Longmen Inn.

Chen Ji felt somewhat dazed, as if he had returned to Guyuan and saw the shopkeeper behind the counter dressed in a black outfit, slowly and methodically manipulating the abacus.

"Sir, would you like a meal or a room?" The waiter's voice rang out beside Chen Ji, pulling him back to reality.

This is not the Dragon Gate Inn, and the person standing behind the counter is not the innkeeper, but a young man.

Chen Ji calmly said, "I'll stay at an inn."

The young shopkeeper behind the counter asked with a smile, "Would you like silver or copper coins, sir?"

Chen Ji last asked, "What about using copper coins, or silver?"

This time, he walked to the other side of the counter and said confidently, "With copper coins."

The shopkeeper smiled and asked, "We've prepared dinner. What would you like to eat, sir?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper pointed to the menu board behind him, which was covered with the names of the dishes.

Chen Ji looked up and examined the area. He knew this was a code from the Lantern Inn, like the liquor and grape wine at the Dragon Gate Inn. If you couldn't explain the secret, the other party wouldn't continue the conversation.

He observed carefully and saw that the sign on the left listed dishes such as Crystal Pork Knuckle, Braised Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and Stir-fried Cabbage with Vinegar... Among all the meat dishes, there was a sign for vegetarian dishes.

He then turned to look to his right, where a sign displayed braised oyster mushrooms, pan-fried tofu, braised crucian carp, and other vegetarian dishes, with a sign indicating meat dishes mixed in.

Chen Ji pondered for a few moments: "Braised crucian carp."

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "A big customer from another world, coming all the way from the south? What can I do for you?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "I want to find someone in Changping."

The shopkeeper asked in confusion, "Who are you looking for?"

Chen Ji said softly, "Find someone who has lost an arm."

The shopkeeper was startled. He examined Chen Ji by the candlelight and noticed a small black mole, smaller than a sesame seed, near the corner of Chen Ji's left eye. He was startled again!
After hesitating for a long time, the shopkeeper reached out to Chen Ji and said, "Sir, please take a look at your copper coins."

Chen Ji shook his head: "No, I'll owe you for now."

The shopkeeper waved his hand and said, "Please leave, sir. We do not offer credit. I will pretend you were never here. If anyone asks, we will not know anything."

Chen Ji suddenly spoke up: "I have been to Guyuan. After the manager of the Longmen Inn in Guyuan died in battle, I was the one who collected his body."

The shopkeeper stood there, stunned.

He remained silent for a long time: "Please wait a moment, sir."

After saying that, the shopkeeper turned and went to the backyard, crossed the courtyard to the front of the stable, and then pushed open a hidden door behind the stable.

The hidden door led to a dark room. On the wooden shelves on both sides of the room were ledgers. A candle was lit on the table in the center of the room, and a woman wearing a black veil was sitting at the table, quietly taking stock of the accounts.

Uncle Hu was dozing off against a bookshelf not far away.

Upon hearing the door open, Master Hu suddenly drew his sword. Seeing that it was the shopkeeper, he immediately scolded in a low voice, "No manners! This is not a place you can just come and do as you please!"

The innkeeper looked at the woman with difficulty: "Boss, an uninvited guest has arrived at our inn, and I can't make a decision."

Master Hu frowned: "Who?"

The innkeeper explained, "In the evening, the Jiefan Guard and the Secret Service came to Changping County and posted arrest warrants for a young man named Chen Ji and an old man named Liao Zhong, saying that these two were the culprits in the assassination of the Crown Prince. The uninvited guest in the inn right now is Chen Ji. I originally wanted to kick him out, but he said that he had collected my second brother's body."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman slowly raised her head: "What is he doing at the Lantern Light Inn?"

The shopkeeper explained, "He wants to find another person on the wanted list, Liao Zhong."

(End of this chapter)