Chapter 562
Three Waist Talismans
For some reason, when Jin Zhu saw Chen Ji's resolute expression, he suddenly sighed in his heart; he had seen this kind of expression before.
The last time I saw Chen Ji like this was in Luocheng.
The Liu family was annihilated by the Grand Chancellor's seven-year scheme, utterly powerless to resist, and Prince Jing's entire family was imprisoned. That night, Chen Ji hosted a banquet for him, Jiao Tu, and Yun Yang, and then used firearms to destroy Qingyin Xiaozhu.
He still remembered Chen Ji's eyes amidst the ruins, the same resolute look as today. This resoluteness wasn't about having victory in hand, but rather the composure of accepting defeat after risking everything.
The golden pig began to look around. It saw several boxes scattered in the courtyard, containing account books. The door to the main house was tightly closed, and it was unknown what was inside.
Jie Fanwei formed a fan shape around Chen Ji. Wang Zhao looked at the situation in the courtyard with some doubt and suspicion: "Whose house is this? What is Viscount Wu Xiang doing here?"
Chen Ji, leaning on his whale-shaped sword, looked up at him and said, "Wait."
Wang Zhao asked in confusion, "Wait for what?"
Chen Ji calmly said, "A mere commander of the Jie Fan Guard is not qualified to concern himself with such matters. Let's wait for the person in charge."
Wang Zhao gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his face contorted with rage: "Viscount Wu Xiang, you brutally murdered the Imperial Inspector in the street. Now dozens of Imperial Inspectors are kneeling before the Meridian Gate. Who knows, someone might even carry a coffin and die in remonstrance before sunset. Now is not the time for you to be arrogant."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Don't rush. Wait a little longer. There are plenty of people who want to kill me. They'll come one by one."
The next moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the house. Zhou Biao led the Five Cities Garrison to the door. He cautiously looked around the courtyard, then looked at Wang Zhao: "What's going on? Why haven't you arrested the thieves yet?"
Chen Ji calmly rose slowly: "You've finally arrived. Please pay your respects."
Zhou Biao frowned: "What did you say?"
Chen Ji stared directly at him, gripping the whale-shaped knife tightly in his right hand, and said in a deep voice, "I, Chen, am a Viscount of Wuxiang personally conferred by His Majesty. Even if I am guilty, His Majesty should first strip me of my title before the Three Judicial Offices can investigate me... Why does a mere fourth-rank Right Vice Censor-in-Chief not bow to me?"
Zhou Biao's face twitched slightly, but he still bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."
Chen Ji grinned: "The title is quite useful; we should use it more often in the future. The box contains evidence of Yang Zhong and his father and brother's crimes of embezzling the military pay of Yuzhou Guard, intercepting the repair funds of the Five Cities Military Command of Jinling, seizing the Liu family's private mines, and privately minting copper coins. Thirty-seven account books and twenty-four secret letters are all here."
Zhou Biao's expression changed. He suddenly looked at Chen Ji, carefully scrutinizing the other's expression. If this was true, Chen Ji would not only be innocent, but would actually be credited.
But then he thought again that since Chen Ji had already dragged Yang Zhong to his death in public, even if he had made a great contribution, it would not outweigh the death penalty for torturing and killing an imperial censor in the street: Chen Ji was just a nobleman, and although his status was high, he did not have the real power to kill.
Moreover, the evidence was obtained suspiciously, and Yang Zhong is dead and unable to testify. Who can guarantee that this house belongs to the Yang family?
Upon realizing this, Zhou Biao immediately said, "Viscount Chen, you are mistaken. Whether Yang Zhong is guilty or not is for the Three Judicial Offices to investigate and handle according to the law. The evidence of your use of private torture to kill a court official is already irrefutable. Now you still want to use these dubious things to confuse the public and escape your responsibility? Commander Wang, why don't you arrest him? Do you want the censors to carry their coffins and smash their heads against the Meridian Gate before you will arrest the murderer?"
After pondering for a long time, Wang Zhao finally gritted his teeth and said, "Take down Viscount Wu Xiang and take him to the Meridian Gate to await His Majesty's decision."
"Wait a minute," Chen Ji said slowly, taking out a waist token from his sleeve.
Zhou Biao said in a deep voice, "I know that Viscount Wu Xiang has an imperial pass for entering the palace, but this pass only allows you to enter the palace through the Xihua Gate to report on matters, not for you to use as a weapon."
Chen Ji glanced at the waist tag: "Sorry, I took the wrong one."
Zhou Biao was surprised, then watched as Chen Ji stuffed the waist token back into his sleeve, took out another waist token to examine it, and then stuffed it back into his sleeve. Chen Ji then took out a third waist token and held it up in front of everyone.
Chen Ji calmly said, "I am Hai Dongqing of the Secret Service, acting on behalf of Heaven to inspect and decide major matters and minor matters. If I encounter a criminal, I can execute him first and report later."
Everyone was stunned. No one expected Chen Ji to have so many waist tokens, nor did they expect him to pull out a waist token from the Secret Service.
When did Chen Ji transform into a gyrfalcon for the Secret Service?
In the courtyard, only Jin Zhu had a complicated expression. He knew that once Chen Ji revealed his identity, there was no turning back. The civil officials would no longer tolerate him, and he would have no choice but to associate with the eunuch faction from now on.
Chen Ji really didn't leave himself any way out.
Zhou Biao subconsciously looked at the golden pig: "Is this true?"
Jin Zhu smiled insincerely: "You have your waist token, yet you ask the obvious. Lord Zhou, why don't you go to the Jie Fan Lou and ask the Grand Chancellor yourself?"
Zhou Biao's face darkened. They had called Chen Ji a member of the eunuch faction, but now that Chen Ji had actually become one, they had nowhere to attack him... Both Hai Dongqing of the Secret Service and the Imperial Inspector had the power to act first and report later.
This time, even the charge of using vigilante justice cannot be pursued.
Zhou Biao looked up at Chen Ji: "Viscount Wu Xiang, you have some good methods, but how do you know about these incriminating pieces of evidence? How do you know that someone forged them to frame the Yang family?"
Chen Ji asked in bewilderment, "How did Lord Zhou become the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief? Do I, from the Secret Service, need to teach you such a thing? The men in the courtyard are all servants of the Yang family. I deliberately left some alive so they can identify Yang Zhong." Wang Zhao quickly squatted down and placed two fingers on the neck of one of the men: "Alive."
Zhou Biao was speechless for a long time.
Just as Zhou Biao was pondering how to capture Chen Ji, Chen Ji stroked his scabbard and said casually, "Lord Zhou, Yang Zhong brought these account books to the capital, originally intending to hand them over to a certain official as a pledge of loyalty. However, they were seized before he could present them. I wonder who this important person is? Of course, if Lord Zhou doesn't believe these account books as evidence, we can go to the Emperor and ask him to investigate. I happen to have a palace pass that allows me to enter the palace through the Xihua Gate to report on matters... Do you have one, Lord Zhou?"
Zhou Biao's expression changed drastically. He naturally knew that Yang Zhong's trip to the capital was actually to curry favor with the Qi family. These account books might contain information about the Qi family. If it came to the emperor's attention, everyone would be humiliated.
Chen Ji's current statement leaves some room for maneuver for both sides.
Chen Ji had more important things to do and didn't want to make any more enemies. As he said, his goal was to cross the swamp and reach the other side, not to deal with every venomous snake in the swamp.
Zhou Biao pondered for a moment, then said with certainty, "The evidence against the Yang family of Hongnong for embezzlement and corruption is conclusive."
Chen Ji said with great interest, "Do you think it's my secret service or your Censorate that should investigate? There might be other things in these ledgers."
Zhou Biao cupped his hands and said, "Viscount Wu Xiang, Yang Zhong is the Censor-in-Chief of my Censorate. If something happens to him, my Censorate can investigate and deal with it itself."
Chen Ji asked, "Is there nothing more for me to do?"
Zhou Biao replied, "There's nothing more to do with Viscount Wu Xiang."
Chen Ji's smile faded: "Take care, and don't bother seeing me out."
Zhou Biao ordered the Five City Garrison to carry the boxes and the corpse away in a hurry.
Wang Zhao hesitated for a long time, but Jin Zhu said coldly, "Now even the position of commander is vacant. Is this something you, a mere commander, can interfere with? Get out of here."
"This humble servant takes his leave," Wang Zhao said, leading the Jie Fan Wei away as well.
The courtyard quieted down, and Jin Zhu turned to look at Chen Ji: "To kill the imperial inspector and still escape unscathed, you've made progress."
Chen Ji leaned on his whale-shaped sword and sat back down at the stone table, his gaze wandering aimlessly. "Lord Golden Pig," he said, "one must always make progress."
The golden pig asked in confusion, "How did you learn about this house?"
Chen Ji did not answer.
This was something the young monk whispered to him before he left. It's unclear how much determination the other person had to make to disobey his master's admonition and tell others what he had seen through his telepathic abilities.
Every time the young monk reveals his supernatural powers, he sinks deeper into the mire of worldly affairs. No one knows whether this is good or bad, nor when the retribution and karma that the young monk's master spoke of will come.
The golden pig sat down beside him, and Chen Ji suddenly asked with a smile, "Lord Golden Pig, aren't you going to ask me if it's worth it?"
The golden pig asked in surprise, "Why are you asking this?"
Chen Ji placed the whale knife across his lap and sighed, "Ever since I left Luo City, it seems that everyone who knows the inside story asks me if it was worth it. Some ask it verbally, some ask it with their eyes, and some ask it in their hearts. They all ask it eventually."
Jin Zhu sneered: "I originally wanted to ask that too, but after thinking about it carefully, I realized I'm not really qualified to ask you. You have things you can't see through, and I have things I can't see through either. Otherwise, why would I entrust my life to Jie Fan Lou? Sometimes I wonder if we who came out of Wu Nian Mountain are still alive? Are we really still alive, or are we just relics left behind in this world by our former selves?"
Chen Ji sighed, "Lord Jinzhu is too sentimental... Thank you for your righteous help today. I heard what you were saying outside."
Jin Zhu patted his knee: "Kid, I'll help you this time, but you have to help me with something in the future."
Chen Ji replied, "Okay."
The golden pig glanced at him sideways: "Aren't you going to ask what's wrong?"
Chen Ji shook his head: "I won't ask what it is."
The golden pig exclaimed, "That was exhilarating..."
He changed the subject: "Kid, if you want to save Princess Baili, killing Yang Zhong alone won't be enough. The capital has never been a place for fighting and killing. Those who have made it here have all climbed over dead bones. You can't scare them."
Chen Ji stood up, sword in hand, and walked straight out: "I'd like to trouble Lord Golden Pig to store the tens of thousands of taels of silver from the Yang family in the main room for me. I need it in seven days... I'm a bit busy these days; I still have quite a few people to kill." (End of Chapter)