Chapter 646
Donning Armor
The second watch of the night.
The night watchman's voice came from outside the Zhang residence: "Close the doors and windows to prevent theft."
On a quiet, empty winter night, the night watchman's voice is like a spark carrying a hint of warmth, fleeting in the darkness.
Chen Ji lay on the floor, quietly looking at the ceiling.
The Military Intelligence Bureau was after him.
In a sense, it was he who personally exposed Si Cao Ding Lin Chaoqing, and it was he who forced the Military Intelligence Bureau to activate Tianzhi, thus coming into the sight of the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Chen Ji suddenly remembered that Princess Li Yang had said that the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau had brought the orphan of Lu Er, the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, to Ning Dynasty more than ten years ago. So the other party should be a calm and patient person who was nearly fifty years old.
However, judging from the current situation, the person who sent New Year's greetings to the Secret Service in the morning paper and sent gunpowder to himself as a New Year's greeting is not very steady. Instead, he seems more like an arrogant young genius.
This person may not be the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau, but it is unknown which of the four positions (A, B, C, D, F) he is.
Chen Ji closed his eyes and pondered. This person seemed to have absolute confidence and wanted to play him and the Secret Service like mice.
What are the commonalities in this group of people?
An extreme sense of superiority and a contemptuous disdain that comes with a lower dimensionality.
They are addicted to control and enjoy the thrill of being in control.
They yearn to be seen and remembered.
Self-destructive tendencies caused by long-term depression.
An obsession with challenging oneself and pushing limits.
and many more.
If this clerk is truly that kind of person, then the New Year's gift he gave him should have contained enough clues, waiting for him to decipher them with amusement.
Chen Ji sat up.
He reopened the wooden box, picked up a piece of gunpowder with his fingers, and crushed it between his fingertips.
This is just ordinary gunpowder; the degree of purification is not apparent, but it is too loose, and the ratio of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur seems to be off.
He took the letter out from under his pillow again and examined it word by word by the moonlight, trying to decipher the information hidden within using various methods.
Hidden characters? No.
Reverse cutting? No, not exactly.
While she was pondering this, Zhang Xia suddenly pulled back the bed curtains.
Chen Ji subconsciously crumpled the letter again: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zhang Xia sat cross-legged on the bed and reached out: "Sneaking around, give it to me."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's just a regular New Year's greeting letter, nothing special."
Zhang Xia still held out her hand: "Give it to me."
Chen Ji reluctantly handed over the letter.
Zhang Xia unfolded the crumpled letter and looked at it for a moment: "Is this a challenge from the Military Intelligence Bureau?"
Chen Ji pondered for a moment: "Perhaps it's because I drove away Si Cao Ding Lin Chaoqing that the Military Intelligence Bureau wants to use me to establish their authority. But their ultimate goal is probably not me, a commoner, but to emulate Lu Jin and assassinate another Minister... or even more important figures, His Majesty. So I will stay by Lord Zhang's side tomorrow to prevent anyone from plotting against him."
Zhang Xia tilted his head: "Lord Zhang? You're quite polite."
Chen Ji quickly corrected himself, saying, "Father-in-law."
Zhang Xia looked down at the letter: "You were reading the letter just now, trying to see what message the other party left you?"
Chen Ji hummed in agreement: "We haven't found it yet, but there must be something hidden inside."
Zhang Xia looked down at the letter, reading it word by word in the dim moonlight.
Chen Ji stared at Zhang Xia's face.
His elaborate investigation into Zhang Xia's whereabouts today was solely due to his suspicions about Zhang Xia and Bai Long's identities.
This wasn't the first time he'd had doubts.
The first time was at the military market outside Chongli Pass. Bai Long and Zhang Xia were both well-versed in the laws of Da Ning and had photographic memories. Zhang Xia also lied that he was sending the black cat on Zhang Zhuo's orders. Furthermore, Zhang Xia knew the secrets of the Five Witches Army and could even recognize the Comet Tail Flag.
But just as the thought of doubt arose, Bai Long and Zhang Xia appeared at the same time, and another crisis followed closely behind, leaving him no time to think.
His suspicions now stemmed not from new evidence, but from the time he spent in the Censorate, when Bai Long brought him mutton buns every day as promised, fearing he would go crazy from being alone, and kept him company by playing chess from morning till night.
Besides Zhang Xia, Chen Ji couldn't think of anyone else who would do such a thing.
Also.
Mr. Feng never did anything unnecessary. The bag of oranges left on the table in Guyuan was definitely not an unintentional act. The oranges were there because the other party was determined to do it.
Just then, Zhang Xia looked up and pointed to the signature at the end of the letter: "The darkest place is under the lamp, and the answer is hidden in the most conspicuous place. The date on the signature is wrong. Today is the eleventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-second year of Jia Ning, but this New Year's gift was sent yesterday."
Chen Ji pondered: "So, he's implying that the Military Intelligence Bureau will take action on the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month."
Zhang Xia thought for a moment: "The scope is too broad, and it's impossible to be sure who they will target."
Chen Ji shook his head: "There aren't many people who are worth such a big fuss from the Military Intelligence Bureau. Grand Secretary Hu, Grand Secretary Chen, my father-in-law, and His Majesty. We can't see His Majesty, and we don't need to care whether the others live or die. Just protect my father-in-law."
Zhang Xia hummed in agreement and lay back down on the bed, lowering the bed curtains: "Then I'll leave it to you." Chen Ji also lay back down on the floor mat, ending their second nighttime conversation.
But Chen Ji still couldn't sleep.
Judging by the time, Lin Chaoqing should have already arrived in Jingchao and met his uncle, who should also know that he had betrayed the Military Intelligence Bureau.
The others in the Military Intelligence Bureau were unaware of his identity, and he had been deliberately avoiding thinking about these things these days, as if not thinking about them would prevent him from facing them... But what was bound to happen would eventually happen.
Chen Ji turned to look at the bed curtains that were completely covered up, and thought that perhaps the home he longed for was just a pipe dream.
Just then, Zhang Xia's voice suddenly came from inside the bed curtains: "Chen Ji".
Chen Ji was somewhat surprised: "Hmm?"
Zhang Xia calmly said, "Don't run."
Chen Ji was even more surprised: "What?"
Zhang Xia said from inside the bed curtains, "I'm saying, we can work together to solve the problem of the Military Intelligence Bureau keeping an eye on you. Don't run around on your own."
Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "Okay."
……
……
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sound of the night watchman's gong rang out outside the Zhang residence: "The rooster crows at dawn, early to bed and early to rise!"
Five watch.
This is the time when the cabinet ministers get up, wash, and eat. They must arrive at the Donghua Gate before dawn to "wait for the hour of Mao" (5-7 AM). Once the palace gates open, they will first go to the Wenhua Hall to review memorials and urgent reports from the border, and then wait for the emperor's summons.
Chen Ji got up quietly, not wanting to wake Zhang Xia.
But as soon as he got up, Zhang Xia lifted the bed curtains, took clothes from the clothes rack and draped them over him, then stood in front of him and bent down to tie the knots and belt for him.
Chen Ji looked down and could still smell the scent of hibiscus leaves in Zhang Xia's hair. It was a shampoo used in the south of Ningchao. Rubbing the hibiscus leaves to extract the sticky liquid and then washing the hair would make it clean and smooth.
He asked curiously, "Don't we need to do this between us?"
Zhang Xia said without looking up, "Didn't I always put armor on you before? Today is no different from going into battle, so just consider it as me putting armor on you. You don't get this kind of treatment on other days."
Chen Ji grinned and said, "Okay."
After Zhang Xia finished tying his belt, she straightened his collar and said, "Father is entrusting this to you."
"Don't worry," Chen Ji nodded, picked up the whale knife from the wall, and went out.
As he passed the east wing, he stopped, wanting to ask the young monk what he had seen in Zhang Xia's eyes. But after a moment's hesitation, he ultimately decided not to wake him.
Chen Ji arrived at the west wing and called out softly, "Dark Clouds."
Three breaths later, Wuyun squeezed out from the gap in the curtain, jumped into his arms, grabbed his clothes, climbed onto his shoulder, and meowed: "It's rare to see you take the whale knife out."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's better to be prepared."
Upon arriving at the main hall, Madam Zhang was having dinner with Zhang Zhuo. In the candlelight, Zhang Zhuo was drinking porridge from a small porcelain bowl, while also perusing the memorials beside him.
When Madam Zhang saw Chen Ji arrive with a knife, she stood up in surprise: "What's wrong?"
Zhang Zhuo had already realized: "It's about the Shenji Battalion losing its firearms?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment: "The Secret Service suspects that someone in the Military Intelligence Bureau is trying to emulate Lu Jin and assassinate a minister. I don't trust anyone else, so I'll be my father-in-law's coachman for the next few days to prevent such a treacherous person from doing anything wrong."
Madam Zhang said in a panic, "What should we do?"
Zhang Zhuo pulled Madam Zhang back to her chair, patted her hand, and chuckled, "Don't panic. With this son-in-law here, no one can do anything to me. You always complain that he doesn't study the classics or pursue an official career, and you envy Xu Chuanxi's son-in-law for becoming a senior official in the Ministry of Works at such a young age. But even if Xu Chuanxi offered me a hundred sons-in-law, I wouldn't trade with him. You'll see in the future."
After saying that, he drank the thin porridge in his bowl in one gulp, got up, picked up a stack of memorials, and walked out: "Let's go."
Upon leaving Zhang's residence, Chen Ji saw Jiao Tu and Yun Yang standing silently under the eaves with their arms crossed.
Madam Zhang stood on the threshold, watching Chen Ji beckon to the Divine Rabbit, who then came over with the Cloud Sheep. She asked in confusion, "How can you control the twelve zodiac animals?"
Chen Ji did not answer. He handed the wooden box and letter sent by the Military Intelligence Bureau to Jiao Tu: "Send this to Lord Bai Long. The Military Intelligence Bureau has come to provoke us. They will definitely take action today."
Jiao Tu nodded: "Understood, I will send the things to the Eagle House Division right away."
Chen Ji looked up at the rooftops across Zhangfu Street. Bao Hou was sitting on the roof ridge. He waved to Bao Hou, and Bao Hou lightly jumped down.
He pointed to the carriage: "You will sit in the carriage with Lord Zhang and protect him."
Bao Hou clasped his hands in a fist salute, and the woman's voice behind the mask said softly, "Yes."
Madam Zhang looked at Chen Ji with surprise, then at Zhang Zhuo: "This..."
Yesterday, when she saw the Divine Rabbit and the Cloud Sheep delivering New Year's gifts, she didn't have time to think much about it. But now, seeing Chen Ji casually commanding the three Zodiac signs of the Secret Service, she realized that Chen Ji's status within the eunuch faction was far higher than she had imagined.
The top three are only Bai Long, Tian Ma, and Bing Hu; Chen Ji is clearly not one of the top two...
It can only be a sick tiger. (End of Chapter)