Aoyama

A raging fire burned behind Chen Ji.

The moment Chen Ji emerged from the inferno, the shelves inside began to collapse, the beams groaned under the weight, and the flames engulfed the entire warehouse.

In the backyard, everyone stopped, with only the crackling sound of the fire raging.

Aunt Ping turned her head and saw that Chen Ji's body was covered in soot and fire marks, his clothes were burned with holes, and his messy hair was charred and curled.

He clutched the pear wood carving tightly in his arms; it was something he had risked his life to save from the inferno.

Jie Fanwei exchanged a glance, ignoring what Chen Ji had said, determined to capture him first.

Aunt Keping could no longer care about concealing her identity. With the Bagua symbols on the edges of her palms flashing, she instantly blasted away the guards surrounding her and stepped in front of Chen Ji.

Chen Ji glanced at Aunt Ping's retreating figure, then looked up at Xie Fanwei and said in a low voice, "You are merely following orders. The evidence against Lin Chaojing as a military intelligence agent is now irrefutable. Do not make a mistake."

Jie Fanwei looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

Chen Ji turned his gaze to Lin Chaojing: "I've always been curious about how the Military Intelligence Bureau in the capital transmits information and issues orders. I spent a month in Liulichang, trying to find clues in books, but something didn't seem right. Many of the Military Intelligence Bureau's spies disguise themselves as peddlers and laborers. Their identities wouldn't allow them to frequently visit bookstores, so there must be an even more sophisticated way for all the spies to obtain information discreetly."

"This method must be ingenious, hidden in life like a gentle rain, so that people cannot notice it. This method must also be precise and effective. The message you want to convey must not exceed twelve hours, otherwise it will take several days to deliver the message, and everything will be delayed."

Chen Ji changed the subject: "Just now I suddenly remembered that every day when I leave the Chen residence at dawn, I see several children selling poems from the daily literary gathering on the streets. Among them, the poems of Lord Lin Chaojing are the most sought after... It wasn't until this moment that I finally understood that the Military Intelligence Bureau relies on Lord Lin's poems."

Lin Chaojing, whose legs had been broken by two blows, slumped to the ground and sneered, "Lord Chen, have you gone mad from the fever? How come I can't understand what you're saying?"

“It’s alright, I’ll tell you slowly,” Chen Ji said calmly. “There are many literary gatherings in the capital, almost several every day. At these gatherings, scholars and writers would write poems. You are a famous scholar and writer in the capital, and poems are sure to be published at every gathering you attend. Bookstores can earn a lot of money just by publishing your poems from the previous day. As for those children, they would take the poems from the literary gatherings and sell them every morning. The news would spread by evening and by dawn, it would be all over the place. The children never cared who the buyers were.”

Chen Ji held the woodblock in one arm and picked up another with the other: "Lord Lin, do you still remember the poem you wrote at the Zhou family literary gathering on the second day after the sacrifice to the Silkworm God? 'The clouds are low over the post road and the rain is just beginning, the horse is tied to the withered flowers and the traveler is about to leave, suddenly a bluebird arrives from outside the willow, and the setting sun makes the star lonely.'"

Lin Chaojing's expression changed.

Chen Ji tossed the woodblock to Xie Fanwei: "The low clouds cut the sound, the rain begins to cut the rhyme, the horse is tied to the sound, the guest is sparse to the rhyme, the willow suddenly cuts the sound, the bird arrives to the rhyme, the willow suddenly cuts the sound, seeing the lonely to the rhyme... The four lines of poetry together form 'Return quickly when things are urgent'."

Lin Chaojing angrily retorted, "This is far-fetched. You can't prove I'm a spy for Jingchao just by piecing together the sounds of a poem?"

Chen Ji picked up another woodblock print: "I won't shed tears until I see the coffin. This is a poem I wrote at the Lin family literary gathering a few days ago: 'The tribute envoys rush to the golden palace, the wise ruler bestows a banquet upon them... staring at the meeting hall.'"

Lin Chaojing remained silent.

Chen Ji tossed the woodblock print into Lin Chaojing's arms: "And this one, which you wrote a few days ago at Yuanjue Temple. Sweeping the bridge, one sees the emptiness; as dusk falls, the mirror begins to shine… Lord Lin is truly skilled. He can effortlessly capture the ethereal beauty of the river's surface as clear as a mirror at sunrise, and also subtly convey the meaning of 'burning Shi Family Lane.' No one else could do that. The Military Intelligence Bureau is brilliant. Lord Lin only needs to write a poem; you don't need to do anything else. Someone will naturally help you pass the message to the spies."

Lin Chaojing lowered his head, silently looking at the woodblock print in his arms.

After a long while, he finally smiled and said, "Lord Chen is quite capable. Come to think of it, quite a few people from my Military Intelligence Bureau have already fallen at your hands... I should have gotten rid of you sooner."

Chen Ji breathed a long sigh of relief; he had finally caught him.

The Jiefan Guards exchanged bewildered glances. A spy named Jing Chao had emerged from among the newly appointed top-ranking Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and probationary officials in the Hanlin Academy—this was about to cause a major upheaval. No, that wasn't all; there was also Lin Chaoqing, the commander of the Jiefan Guards!
Even the commander of the Jiefan Guard is a spy; the Jing Dynasty is practically stuffing spies into His Majesty's Renshou Palace!

The capital is about to change.

Chen Ji tossed the woodblock print in his arms to Xie Fanwei and squatted down in front of Lin Chaojing.

He first lifted Lin Chaojing's sleeve, then cut open the back of his clothes, but found nothing.

Others didn't know what he was doing, but Chen Ji remembered that Princess Li Yang had said that Lu Er, the Grand Commander of the Jing Dynasty's Tiger Army, had a plum blossom birthmark on his elbow, and the Deputy Commander's orphan had an arrow scar on his back. After being sent to the Ning Dynasty by Lu Jin's assassins, the two were adopted by the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Lin Chaojing was about the same age as the two men, but there were no abnormalities in Lin Chaojing's elbows or back.

Chen Ji then pried open Lin Chaojing's mouth: "As a junior scholar of the Hanlin Academy, you have to be searched when you pass through the Meridian Gate, so you can't hide drugs... I hope you know more so that your Military Intelligence Bureau's influence in the capital can be wiped out in one fell swoop."

Lin Chaojing laughed heartily: "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Lord Chen. The secrecy of my Military Intelligence Bureau far exceeds the imagination of you Southern Dynasty people. I'm only responsible for relaying messages; I know nothing else."

Chen Ji stood up: "Since you don't know, then you'll have to ask Lord Lin Chaoqing."

After saying that, he looked at the Jie Fanwei and said, "Now is your chance to redeem yourselves. I ask you, where is Lin Chaoqing?" One of the Jie Fanwei hesitated and said, "We have not seen Lin Da... Lin Chaoqing today."

Chen Ji's heart sank. He had been on guard against Lin Chaoqing all night, but the other party had not shown up.

He asked in a deep voice, "Who ordered you to guard this place, and who tipped you off?"

Jie Fanwei replied, "Our Jie Fanwei unit has been responsible for secretly protecting Lin Chaojing. As soon as the sentry reported this, we rushed over immediately."

Jie Fanwei was originally responsible for arresting spies, but he had been protecting Jingchao's spies, keeping them alive right under his nose. Lin Chaoqing was also highly skilled and daring, daring to have Jie Fanwei keep an eye on Lin Chaojing, without fear of giving himself away.

Lin Chaojing laughed heartily: "Lord Chen, I'm afraid you won't be able to capture my brother."

At this moment, the beams and rafters of Wenchang Bookstore finally gave way, collapsing along with the roof. Shouts came from outside from the Five Cities Garrison, and someone arrived pushing a heavy waterwheel.

Liulichang is mostly filled with bookstores; if a fire were to break out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Chen Ji whispered to Aunt Ping and the Pao Ge, "I'll distract everyone later. Your identities don't allow you to stay here any longer. Leave as soon as possible. I can handle the rest on my own."

After saying this, he said to Xie Fanwei, "Send six men back to Taiye Pond immediately to inform Bai Long that the evidence is conclusive and to immediately launch a naval operation to arrest Lin Chaoqing. The rest of Xie Fanwei will accompany me to escort Lin Chaojing into the inner city. Anyone who dares to approach will be killed without exception."

Jie Fanwei's expression was hidden by the shadow in his pocket; his hand gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, and he remained silent for a long time.

It's one thing for someone with no official position to give orders to them, but to actually order the Jiefan Guard to issue arrest warrants to capture the Jiefan Guard commander.
Jie Fanwei hesitated for a moment.

Chen Ji suddenly shouted in a low voice, "What are you waiting for!"

The guards exchanged a silent glance, and one of them suddenly said, "Yes. Wang Zhong, you come with me. The rest of you, escort the baron of Wuxiang County."

Chen Ji carried Lin Chaojing out, but they were blocked in the alley by scholars from Wen Yuan Bookstore who had come to help.

The man in the lead, seeing Chen Ji carrying Lin Chaojing like a tattered sack, was instantly enraged: "You treacherous villain, how dare you use torture on a Hanlin Academy scholar? Release Lord Lin at once!"

Chen Ji looked up, his gaze chilling: "Lin Chaojing is a spy for the Jing Dynasty, the evidence is conclusive, get out of the way!"

Lin Chaojing, though held captive by Chen Ji, suddenly cried out, "The men of Wuxiang County, driven by jealousy, have harmed loyal and virtuous men. They have broken my legs and snapped my fingers. I beg you all to seek justice for me!"

Chen Ji frowned. The Military Intelligence Bureau's spies were indeed troublesome, still trying to muddy the waters even now. Lin Chaojing wasn't trying to escape; he knew he couldn't. He simply wanted to leave Chen Ji with an indelible stain on his reputation in the city.

Those scholars and literati were at the most impulsive age, and they were already convinced that Chen Ji was trying to frame Lin Chaojing, so they were unwilling to believe what Chen Ji said. Upon hearing Lin Chaojing's wailing, their blood boiled.

Qi Zhaoning stepped forward and stood before Chen Ji: "Chen Ji, I only teased you with him earlier, I wasn't really close to him. Now that you've beaten him like this, you've vented your anger, so release him immediately. I'll go to my father and ask him to plead for you in the palace..."

Chen Ji coldly stared at Qi Zhaoning, then took a step back, retreating into the crowd of Jie Fanwei: "What are you waiting for? Clear the way. Anyone who dares to snatch people will be killed without mercy."

With a clang, the Jie Fanwei drew their swords in unison, startling Qi Zhaoning and the scholars who retreated in fear.

Jie Fanwei didn't actually use his weapon. Instead, he used his shoulder to knock the scholars off balance, protecting Chen Ji in the middle, and rushed out of Liulichang.

Qi Zhaoning was pushed and fell to the ground by the crowd. When Chen Ji passed by her, she sat on the ground and looked up at Chen Ji's chin, but Chen Ji didn't look at her once.

The group escorted Chen Ji away from Liulichang and entered the inner city through Zhengyang Gate.

Before they even reached Chang'an Avenue, they saw dozens of Jiefan Guards rushing towards them. Not only Jiefan Guards, but also a contingent of secret agents led by Jin Zhu followed closely behind, and drums were being beaten on the city walls.

Chen Ji asked loudly, "What's wrong?"

Golden Pig rode past him on horseback, shouting, "Lin Chaoqing is missing! His Majesty is furious! If we don't catch him today, many people will suffer tomorrow!"

Lin Chaojing burst into laughter: "You can't catch him!"

Chen Ji, expressionless, reached out and gently stroked Lin Chaojing's chin, dislocating it. (End of Chapter)