Aoyama

Chapter 519 Fishing
At dawn, Chen Ji left through the side gate of the Chen residence. The air was still filled with the smell of ashes from the fire the previous night, and the wind swirled the ashes, covering the inner city with a layer of white ash.

Chen Ji did not go to Shijia Hutong to investigate, but instead went straight out of Xuanwu Gate and headed to Meihua Ferry, as if it were none of his business.

When he arrived at the foot of Mei Rui Building, he subconsciously looked up at the railing, but did not see Zhang Xia.

Chen Ji climbed the stairs to the top floor, where Zhang Xia was sitting behind a table, silently reciting the Cloud-Covering Sutra while reading all the articles he had received from the Beijing Morning Post.

Dual-purpose.

Zhang Xia was still alone on the top floor. When she heard Chen Ji coming upstairs, she didn't look up and silently pointed to another table.

Chen Ji turned his head and saw a bundle wrapped in palm leaves on the table. He touched it with his fingers and found it was still warm. Inside were eight mutton buns.

He remained silent for a moment, picked up a steamed bun and ate it while waiting. Only after Zhang Xia finished reciting the scripture did he ask, "What happened last night?"

Zhang Xia put down the article in his hand and looked up at him: "Last night, someone set fire to Shijia Hutong. The fire spread to several hutongs and burned down seventeen houses."

Chen Ji swallowed the steamed bun: "Whose house started the fire?"

Zhang Xia replied, "The fire started in an old house. The Zhang family's assassins inquired and found out that it was where the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel kept his concubines. However, this person was not in Shi Family Alley last night; he was having a banquet at the Yang family's house, so he was unharmed."

Chen Ji seemed to be deep in thought: "How many people died last night?"

Zhang Xia recalled: "Seven people died. Six of them were actors and maids from the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment brothel), and the other was the manager of a grain store under the Qi family. He had been staying at his concubine's house and got drunk. When the fire started, his servant and the actors ran away, only to realize he was still inside, which is why he burned to death. Could it be that the person the Military Intelligence Bureau wanted to kill was actually this manager? No, if the servant had been more loyal, he wouldn't have died."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Xia wondered, "No matter how you look at it, the Military Intelligence Bureau's arson doesn't seem like it was for murder, or perhaps there are other secrets hidden in Shijia Hutong."

Chen Ji shook his head: "No, Si Cao Ding is still testing the waters."

Zhang Xia seemed thoughtful: "The probe was quite substantial."

Chen Ji looked outside Mei Rui Lou: "Si Cao Ding is meticulous and cautious. He also suspected that someone knew he was passing on messages but did not take any action. So he used ruthless methods to tell the people who were secretly observing that waiting also has its price."

Just then, Erdao came up with a stack of papers and handed them to Chen Ji: "These are what we collected today."

He flipped through the pages one by one, his gaze finally settling on a sheet of Xuan paper. Someone had bought another advertisement this morning, written in secret: "Kill Wang Xun at midnight tonight."

Before he could ask, Zhang Xia had already answered: "Among the officials in the capital, there is only one named Wang Xun. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fifteenth year of the Jianing era. He first spent six years honing his skills in the Hanlin Academy, then was appointed as the magistrate of Fengtai County, and later as the assistant prefect of Shuozhou. When he was in Shuozhou, a small force of Jingchao cavalry bypassed Chongli Pass and infiltrated into the heart of Shuozhou. Upon hearing the news, the prefect of Shuozhou fled overnight. Wang Xun then mobilized a militia to guard the city overnight, which prevented the Jingchao cavalry from entering the city to plunder."

"After the Jing Dynasty cavalry retreated, the prefect quietly returned to Shuozhou. Wang Xun then had the prefect bound and sent to the capital. However, the prefect was a direct descendant of the Yang family, which caused the Yang family to hold a grudge. They then found a pretext to demote Wang Xun to Datong. Wang Xun stayed in Datong for eight years before being noticed by Hu Junye and transferred back to the Ministry of War as a vice minister. Now that Mr. Wang has been promoted to Minister of War, he may fill the vacancy of Mr. Wang as a vice minister."

Hu Junye?
Chen Ji remembered that Hu Junye was the eldest son of the Hu family, the one who had come to the Chen family last time hoping that Grand Secretary Chen would transfer him to Taiyuan, and the elder brother of Hu Junxian, the General of Guyuan.

This Wang Xun was a pillar of the Ning Dynasty, and Si Cao Ding was testing him little by little, trying to see if anyone would be unable to restrain themselves. Yesterday, the Shi Family Alley was burned down; today, the Ministry of War official was killed. If the Secret Intelligence Bureau was truly waiting in the shadows, then there would eventually be a time when they couldn't hold back any longer.

But Chen Ji didn't care about the lives of others; he only wanted to capture Si Cao Ding.

Zhang Xia looked at Chen Ji: "Still holding back?"

Chen Ji remained silent for a moment: "Hold your positions."

Zhang Xia pondered for a moment: "But if they really make a move tonight, perhaps we can follow the clues and catch Si Caoding."

Chen Ji said firmly, "Let's wait a little longer."

Zhang Xia hesitated: "Chen Ji, this man is favored by my father. He came to the Xu family yesterday and my father personally promised him that he would be promoted to Vice Minister of War within ten days."

Chen Ji was slightly taken aback: "Isn't he a member of the Hu family?"

Zhang Xia said softly, "My father doesn't care whose people he works for, as long as they can do their best for the court. Our dynasty needs such talents in the Ministry of War, instead of it being controlled by those who hold positions without doing their jobs. Chen Ji, he cannot die. One day, he can be sent out of the capital and perhaps become an important minister in a border town."

Chen Ji frowned.

Zhang Xia would never have spoken up if this person weren't so important. However, this was also Si Caoding's intention in testing the waters; he wouldn't stop until someone became restless.

However, at this moment, Chen Ji once again said firmly, "Let's wait a little longer."

Zhang Xia sighed softly, "Okay."

Chen Ji shook the papers in his hand and suddenly said, "It's not that I don't care about Wang Xun's life, but I'm thinking about a problem. Si Cao Ding and the Military Intelligence Bureau's spies are in single-line contact and are extremely cautious. He can freely transmit true and false information, but how can the Military Intelligence Bureau's spies determine whether the information is true or false?"

Yes, the spies couldn't verify with Si Caoding, and Si Caoding couldn't possibly tell all the spies the truth every day. If they contacted each other every day, it would inevitably increase the risk of exposure.

Therefore, there must be some kind of pattern that allows spies to immediately tell whether a message is true or false. But what is this pattern?

The first day it was an advertisement, the second day it was a political commentary, and the third day it was still an advertisement...

Chen Ji pointed to the Beijing Morning Post on the table: "I bet the news he published on the seventh page, the political commentary section, is true, and the news he published on the advertising section is false. Ah Xia, let's wait a little longer. At this point, it's a test of patience. If Si Cao Ding isn't eliminated, more important officials of the Ning Dynasty will fall into crisis in the future. Only by eliminating this person can we solve the problem once and for all."

Zhang Xia was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Okay."

……

……

That night, Chen Ji stayed up all night, listening intently to the sounds outside. If the Military Intelligence Bureau had indeed assassinated Wang Xun, there would certainly be the sound of the Five City Garrison blocking the streets, and the drums of curfew sounding on the city walls.

Chen Ji couldn't help but worry.

Although he discovered the pattern in Si Caoding's message transmission, nothing in this world is ever completely certain. He worried that if Wang Xun really died, it would ruin Zhang Zhuo's plan.

Fortunately, he waited all night and nothing happened.

Early in the morning, Chen Ji went out again to find Zhang Xia and confirm whether Wang Xun was safe and sound.

But before he could even leave the inner city, a familiar figure appeared before him: Jiao Tu.

Today, Jiao Tu wore a thin black shirt paired with a black horse-face skirt embroidered with gold, and her lips were painted with rouge, so red that it looked as if she had drunk blood.

She brushed past Chen Ji with a fragrant breeze, and said with a smile, "Lord Chen, come with me. The Grand Chancellor has something to tell you."

Chen Ji walked out quietly for more than ten steps before weaving into a small alley to catch up with Jiao Tu.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Jiao Tu turned back to Chen Ji, smiling as she spread her arms and twirled around: "Lord Chen, do I look beautiful today?"

Chen Ji casually said, "Lord Jiao Tu, Yun Yang is not here. Let's get down to business."

Jiao Tu smiled and said, "Why bring up that unlucky thing? Lord Chen helped me regain my position in the zodiac, and I haven't even properly repaid you yet. How about I treat you to drinks tonight? Just the two of us, let's find a quiet place."

Chen Ji looked at Jiao Tu calmly, without saying a word.

After a long stalemate, Jiao Tu covered her mouth and chuckled: "Alright, alright, Lord Chen is a gentleman. Let's get down to business. The Grand Chancellor sent me to ask you why there has been no news of Si Cao Ding lately. The Military Intelligence Bureau has been causing trouble lately, and the Grand Chancellor has lost patience. He has given you seven days to capture Si Cao Ding, otherwise he will not be able to give you the person you want."

Counting the days, it's already early August. Two months have passed since the time agreed upon with the Inner Minister. If we fail to catch Si Cao Ding in another month, our previous promises will also be null and void.

Chen Ji turned and left: "Please tell the Prime Minister that he will find Si Cao Ding within seven days."

He strode towards Plum Blossom Ferry. When he reached the top floor, Zhang Xia was resting with his eyes closed, silently reciting the Cloud-Covering Sutra.

Hearing footsteps, she stopped reading the scriptures, opened her eyes and asked curiously, "Why are you late today? The buns I brought for you are cold."

Chen Ji picked up the palm leaf wrapping from the table: "It's alright, it's still warm. How's Wang Xun?"

Zhang Xia stood up: "As you predicted, the Military Intelligence Division was just making a feint and did not actually take action against Wang Xun."

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you're alright."

Zhang Xia pointed to the table: "I didn't receive any political commentary or advertisements today. Si Cao Ding seems to have quieted down. He probably feels there's no need to keep testing him... But who knows how long it will be before he reappears."

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Then give him a reason why he must appear."

"I will issue an advertisement tomorrow," he said, taking a brush from his desk and carefully writing: "Wenchang Bookstore respectfully announces that our bookstore has reprinted the old Sizitang edition of the Analects, which contains the woodblock print notes from the Old Studio collection, as well as three volumes of annotations personally given by the late Master Weixuan, which contain the secret collation method of Shu'en Pavilion. It allows one to contemplate the teachings of the sages and verify them in one's own heart. Those who wish to purchase should do so as soon as possible. In addition, we have acquired a rare old edition of the Four Books with commentaries by Sibing. If anyone is willing to part with it, a generous reward will be offered."

Zhang Xia examined the words written by Chen Ji: "Sizitang, Cuolaozhai, Guweixuan, Shuenge? I've never heard of these names before, and there are no such books in this world."

Chen Ji did not answer.

Those names are not important; what matters is that Si Cao Ding will definitely be able to understand the message he hid using the fanqie method: Si Cao Gui is dead.

Upon closer examination of the entire text, it becomes clear that Chen Ji, posing as Si Cao Bing, issued this advertisement, with the secret code being to bring a copy of the Four Books Commentary to the Wenchang Bookstore.

Chen Ji was gambling that Si Cao Ding didn't know the identities of the people from the Si Zhu's faction.

(End of this chapter)