Chapter 643
Investigation
The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
The Military Intelligence Bureau's Tianzhi wishes everyone a Happy New Year.
Inside the noodle shop, a shrill voice from beneath the monkey mask said, "A mouse paying New Year's greetings to a cat, turning against the Heavenly Generals!"
The hoarse voice said, "You're asking for death!"
The woman sneered, "They stole your firearms first, and then they wish you a Happy New Year. What can you do about it? If you're so capable, go and drag them out first. Don't just talk big here."
Chen Ji looked down at the newspaper in his hand, searching for any other information.
The Earthly Branches of the Military Intelligence Bureau, namely Si Cao Gui, Si Cao Xin, and Si Cao Ding, are all exceptionally low-key and reserved, but the Heavenly Branches of the Military Intelligence Bureau are completely different.
Bai Long looked at the traces of the past and asked, "What does Lord Sick Tiger think?"
Chen Ji calmly countered, "What does Lord Bailong think?"
A soft laugh came from beneath the white dragon mask: "It must be the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau who has come to the capital. This person is either extremely arrogant and wants to provoke our secret service, or he has ulterior motives and wants to lead us to do something... Whether it's the former or the latter, he doesn't intend to let us have a good New Year. I'm afraid we won't even have time to buy New Year's goods."
Chen Ji smiled and put down the newspaper in his hand: "Hearing Lord Bailong say that he wanted to buy New Year's goods felt a bit strange. I thought that the lord was otherworldly. But thinking that Lord Bailong also gets up early on New Year's Day to make dumplings makes it even stranger."
Beneath the monkey mask, a woman's voice exclaimed in admiration, "Yes..."
Chen Ji suddenly said casually, "Has Lord Bailong gotten married? If you're too lazy to make dumplings by yourself, I can make some and send them to your residence."
Beneath the monkey mask, a shrill voice burst into laughter: "He's getting married? He's so fierce, what woman would dare marry him, hahahaha..."
The white dragon's sharp gaze swept over them, and the monkey's laughter grew softer and softer.
Bao Hou cleared his throat twice: "My lord, this humble servant deserves to die."
Bai Long turned his gaze back and tapped his fingers on the table: "Lord Sick Tiger has not yet answered me."
Chen Ji's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "How many firearms did the Military Intelligence Bureau steal this time?"
Bai Long replied, "Stealing seventy catties of gunpowder is neither too much nor too little."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "How were they stolen? As far as I know, firearms in our dynasty are always escorted by elite Shenji Battalion soldiers, and the escorts must be the families of officials in the capital, or people whose ancestors have been clean for three generations. During the escort, there must be a Dao Seeking Realm official accompanying them, who brings his own dry food and water bag, and they do not stop at post stations."
The woman's voice behind the monkey mask explained, "There's a traitor. The Shenji Battalion had just set up camp after passing Changping while escorting firearms when many soldiers were drugged that night. There must have been a problem with the food and water. Afterwards, Zhang Qian, the centurion in charge of the food and water bags, disappeared. Only seventy catties of the three thousand catties of gunpowder were missing, which means he was the only one who committed the crime."
The hoarse voice growled, "The Divine Machine Battalion has been negligent; otherwise, how could the Jing Dynasty traitors have had an opportunity? Confiscate their property and exile them as a warning to others!"
Chen Ji frowned and asked, "Does Zhang Qian still have his father, brothers, and wife's family in the capital?"
Bai Long tucked his hands into his sleeves: "Both parents are alive and have been taken to the inner prison."
Chen Ji then looked at Bai Long's dragon-patterned mask: "Lord Bai Long is well-versed in the law. If it was truly Zhang Qian's doing, according to the laws of my Great Ning, how should his parents be punished?"
Chen Ji looked at Bai Long, and Bai Long looked at him; neither of them spoke again.
Bao Hou looked at Chen Ji and then at Bai Long, feeling that the atmosphere was a bit strange. He didn't even dare to breathe loudly, and all the voices under the masks fell silent.
After a moment, Bai Long calmly said, "According to the laws and punishments of my Great Ning, all those who plot treason, regardless of whether they are leaders or accomplices, shall be beheaded. Their wives, concubines, and children shall be given to the families of meritorious officials as slaves. Their property shall be confiscated by the government. Their parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and brothers, regardless of whether they are from the same or different places of origin, shall all be exiled three thousand miles away... Why is Lord Binghu concerned about the relatives of prisoners? Or rather, what exactly does Lord Binghu want to ask?"
Bao Hou shrank his neck, moved his chair a little further away, and waved to the restaurant owner and waiter across the street: "What are you looking at? Go about your business."
Chen Ji remained silent for a long time.
After a long while, he guessed, "This person may not be Zhang Qian. According to what the adults said, Zhang Qian is not distant from his parents. If he intended to commit the crime of treason, he would have made arrangements for his parents in advance."
Bai Long pondered for a moment: "You mean, someone disguised themselves as Zhang Qian?"
Chen Ji did not answer immediately.
The masked official from the Military Intelligence Bureau has been hiding in the capital, having changed the appearances of many people, and even helped Lin Chaoqing escape capture. With this official around, no face can be trusted.
Wait a minute. Aunt Ping once said that the Heavenly Branches and the Earthly Branches are not allowed to meet. This official helped Manager Yuan and Lin Chaoqing, and is clearly a member of the Earthly Branches, yet he is now working for the Heavenly Branches? This means that the Heavenly Branches and the Earthly Branches have long violated the rules of the Military Intelligence Bureau and maintained secret contact.
No wonder when he pretended to be a member of the Heavenly Branches to lure Lin Chaoqing, the other party wanted to escape immediately.
But then something strange happened.
The fake Zhang Qian must have been able to deceive his colleagues with whom he worked day and night, just like Manager Yuan, by altering both his voice and appearance.
According to Aunt Ping, to achieve this, one would need the blood of a beloved person... But where would this official get so many beloved people? Can a person have four or five beloved people?
Or perhaps Aunt's information is incorrect?
Chen Ji looked up at Bai Long: "Where has Zhang Qian been lately?"
Bai Long seemed to have been prepared: "This group of elite Shenji Battalion soldiers came back from Chongli Pass. After returning to the capital, they had seven days of rest. Zhang Qian did not go home immediately after his rest, but stayed overnight in the Eight Great Hutongs. He only went home to visit his parents the next day. During his time at home, he knew that he could not spend the New Year in the capital, so he visited relatives in advance and also bought his parents a set of clothes."
"On the fifth day, he lied to his parents that his leave was over, left fifteen taels of silver, and left home early. He first went to the bathhouse in the east of the city with his colleagues and stayed until late afternoon. In the evening, he went to watch a play at an opera troupe in the outer city and stayed overnight at a friend's house. On the sixth day, he attended a private performance and went to the Eight Great Hutongs in the evening. He did not go to his duty until the morning of the eighth day."
Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Wait, which of the Eight Great Hutongs did he go to?"
The high-pitched voice beneath the monkey mask replied, "My colleagues in the Divine Machine Battalion said he and the shy girl from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion in Rouge Alley are old flames. Jiao Tu and Yun Yang have already gone to the Eight Great Alleys to question them."
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside Shibei Hutong. Chen Ji looked out the window and saw Jiao Tu and Yun Yang dismounting and striding towards the noodle shop.
The two stood at the table, and Yun Yang cupped his hands and said, "Lord Bailong, Zuixianglou said they had not seen Zhang Qian. He must have gone to another place. I have already sent people out to search and see where he went."
Chen Ji frowned. Zhang Qian went to the Eight Great Hutongs on both the first and last day of his leave. Could it be that the official from Cai Mianmen was hiding in the Eight Great Hutongs?
How could Zhang Qian become the person he loves after only meeting her twice?
Chen Ji looked up and asked, "Is there any official method in this world that can make others fall in love with you?"
Intrigued, Bao Hou leaned closer, his high-pitched voice from behind his mask saying, "There are Gu masters in Xiangzhou in the south and Yunzhou in the southwest who can do this. Xiangzhou has the Crimson Heart Gu, which a female Gu master nurtures with her own blood for a year. If a man takes it, he will be devoted to the woman and never change his mind. Yunzhou has the Heart-to-Heart Gu, which lovers can connect telepathically by dripping their blood into it, but if lovers take it, they will both die suddenly. This is the second most potent poison in the world, second only to the 'Three Departments' of the Daoist Court."
Jiao Tu chuckled from the side, "This Heart-Connecting Gu should be ranked alongside the Three Departments as the most potent poison in the world. I've heard that in Yunzhou, ninety-nine out of a hundred who consume it will die. Before they eat it, they swear allegiance, but afterward, their deaths are as gruesome as can be. There are no truly loving people in this world; most are just heartless and fickle."
Chen Ji pondered, "If this official of the Colorful Face Sect obtains the method of the Gu Master to raise the Crimson Heart Gu, could he make people fall in love with him, and then kill them to obtain the blood needed by the Colorful Face Sect?"
No, even with this method, Zhang Qian could only fall in love with the other person, but she still wouldn't be considered his "beloved".
I'll have to ask Aunt Ping about this again when I have the chance.
At this moment, Bai Long spoke up: "Let's find Zhang Qian first. We need to see him alive or dead."
The Divine Rabbit, the Cloud Sheep, and the Precious Monkey clasped their hands in unison and said, "Yes."
Bai Long looked at Chen Ji: "As one of the top three, Lord Binghu should also do his best. If this person escapes with the stolen firearms, it will be fine, but if he secretly returns to the capital, the consequences will be endless."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Jiao Tu explained from the side, "With the New Year approaching, there are many banquets among officials. It's one thing if these firearms are used elsewhere, but if they kill several ministers or cabinet ministers in one go, our Secret Service will be held accountable. In addition, the grand court assembly will be held after the New Year. His Majesty will leave the palace to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the first day of the month and will pass through Zhengyangmen Street to go to the Altar of Mountains and Rivers on the fifteenth. If seventy catties of gunpowder are hidden in the market, I'm afraid there will be a great disaster."
Chen Ji thought for a moment: "Why didn't he take the firearms with him when he fled Ning Dynasty? Hasn't Jing Dynasty always wanted firearms?"
Bai Long shook his head: "What Jingchao wants is the formula, the blueprints, and the most crucial step. Even if the seventy-pound firearms fall into their hands, they won't be of much use to them."
Chen Ji lowered his head in thought.
He knew what the white dragon meant by the process: purification.
The key difference between firearms and fireworks lies in the purification of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur, especially saltpeter. Crude saltpeter can only be used to make fireworks, while purified saltpeter is necessary for firearms.
Chen Ji looked at Bai Long: "Lord Bai Long, you came here today hoping that I can help you find the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau? So many of my colleagues in the Capital Secret Service couldn't find him, so I'm afraid there's not much I can do."
Bai Long shook his head: "The Chief of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau has finally appeared. He might follow Lu Jin's example and assassinate a cabinet minister to make a name for himself. I want you to stay by Lord Zhang Zhuo's side and protect him." (End of this chapter)