Green Mountain
Chapter 317 - 257, Zhongcui Palace, Jingyang Palace

Chapter 317: 257, Zhongcui Palace, Jingyang Palace

People from Luocheng City bring death amidst the sulfur.

Chen Ji fell into deep thought, wondering why a group from the distant Luocheng City would come to hide in Taohuai Square to make Firearms?

Old Wu was connecting with the Jing Dynasty while passing notes to these people from Luocheng City... Could it be that these Firearms were intended to blow open the city gates? No, it couldn’t be that simple.

Chen Ji turned to look out of the window, where the shadows of the border army moved back and forth on the distant city walls.

The bustle on the walls and the silence within the city seemed to belong to two different worlds, while the secret of Guyuan seemed hidden right inside Taohuai Square.

At this moment, Xiao Man took out some white steamed buns, a dish of pickles, and a dish of cured meat from the food box and placed them on the table: "Let’s eat... young master?"

She didn’t finish her sentence when she looked up and saw Chen Ji turning to leave: "You eat first, I have to step out."

Chen Ji picked up the Whale Blade leaning by the door, pondered for a moment, then put it back down.

Zhang Xia curiously asked: "Are you going to Taohuai Square to investigate? I suspect that there are hidden agents there..."

She recalled: "When I passed by, although all goods were taken away by the border army, the owner of the Baofeng House dessert shop was still open for business, sitting at the entrance with a perfect view over everyone in East Street; the tailor’s wife at Wang Ji’s shop was wearing ill-fitting clothes... I only dared to pretend to be a passerby, you must be careful."

"Don’t worry, nothing will happen," Chen Ji smiled: "I really wish I had the brains of Second Miss Zhang."

Zhang Xia also smiled: "I rather wish I were born a man."

Chen Ji opened the door, and Xiao Man quickly wrapped two steamed buns in a clean white cloth, went to the door, and stuffed them into his chest: "Young master, you haven’t eaten all day, take these buns for the road!"

Chen Ji pocketed the buns and left. He didn’t ride a horse but instead strode briskly towards Taohuai Square, taking big bites of the buns.

Along the way, with no vendors and no stalls set up, neighbors stood in groups outside their houses, loudly complaining about the porridge made by the border army, enumerating how much grain had been conscripted from their homes.

Chen Ji moved through the crowd, hearing someone shout: "More than ten pounds of millet was taken from my home, five pounds of corn, and a jar of pickled cabbage, and for this, we’re given such watery porridge?"

"Yes, and the border army even took a string of cured sausages from my place, which I’d just made for the festival!"

"Let’s go to the border army together and have a word, will the court leave a way out for us common folk?"

"Old Li, do you still have stored grain? I smelled something delicious from your house earlier, could you lend me a pound?"

Old Li quickly waved his hands: "No, no, I’m not hiding any grain, don’t slander me!"

Chen Ji passed through the noisy crowd, finishing the bun in his hand.

As he approached Taohuai Square, he could smell sulfur from afar. Sulfur itself is odorless, but when combined with organic matter, it produces hydrogen sulfide gas, an enduring and unpleasant smell like sour rotten eggs.

As Chen Ji entered Taohuai Square, the street seemed calm, as if nothing had happened.

The owner of Baofeng House and the tailor’s wife only glanced at him before busying themselves with their own affairs as if nothing was amiss.

The next moment, as Chen Ji boldly walked up to Landlord Li’s front door.

The owner of Baofeng House, the tailor’s wife, and an elderly night patrolman sleeping by the wall all suddenly looked his way again.

Those gazes were like a net, enveloping him as he walked, their eyes shifting with each step he took.

The owner of Baofeng House slowly pulled out a short knife from his sleeve, while the tailor’s wife took out a Soft Sword from her belt.

Thump thump thump.

Chen Ji knocked on the courtyard gate, unperturbed.

The gate creaked open, revealing a gap the size of a palm.

A middle-aged man looked through the gap coldly: "Young man, you must be lost, huh?"

Chen Ji replied with a smile: "I’m here to find someone."

The middle-aged man’s expression remained impassive: "It seems you’re not here to find someone, but to find death..."

Before the sentence was finished, Chen Ji took out his Hai Dongqing domino from his sleeve and held it in front of the gap.

The middle-aged man’s eyes gradually widened: "Lord?"

Indeed, this was a man from the Spy Department!

Chen Ji put away the domino and stared at the middle-aged man: "Well, are you not letting me in?"

The middle-aged man hesitated; for a moment, he couldn’t make up his mind and could only look back at the figures behind him.

Chen Ji immediately knew with certainty that there must be a great spy of equal or even higher rank than himself in the courtyard.

He calmly asked, "Who’s in charge here?"

But then, someone in the courtyard let out a light chuckle: "Enough, let him in."

As soon as these words were spoken, alongside the Baofeng House proprietor and the tailor shop’s proprietress, all retracted their hidden weapons, and the old night patrol curled back down on the ground, hugging his arms and continuing to doze off.

The man slowly opened the door, revealing the more than ten Spies behind him, their hands on axes and swords, ready to strike.

Among these ten-plus Spies stood a middle-aged scholar.

Chen Ji’s pupils slightly contracted as he bowed in greeting, "Mr. Feng, it has been a while since we last met, I trust you have been well."

"No need for formalities, Mr. Chen, we are both Hai Dongqing," the other party replied.

In the courtyard, the middle-aged scholar in a blue robe was holding a scroll in his right hand, and in his left, he pinched a freshly peeled segment of orange, looking at Chen Ji with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Mr. Feng, Bai Long!

So it was indeed Bai Long who personally came to Guyuan!

"Go on out," ’Mr. Feng’ gestured to the Spies, "I shall have a word with Mr. Chen alone."

The Spies bowed: "Understood."

Someone blew a copper whistle, emitting three crisp magpie chirps. The agents filed out through the courtyard gate, and footsteps could also be heard departing from the rooftops.

After the courtyard gate closed, Mr. Feng put down the scroll in his hand and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, jokingly saying, "I was indeed worried that you would call out ’Lord Bai Long’, then I would have regretfully needed to eliminate every Spy who heard it. It would be a pity; they are all capable subordinates after all."

Chen Ji calmly asked, "Why did Lord Bai Long return to the identity of Mr. Feng to come to Guyuan?"

Bai Long said smilingly, "Since when is it your turn to question my plans? When I met you a few days ago, I was also wondering why you came to Guyuan."

Chen Ji questioned, "Was it not you who found a way to transfer the Crown Prince’s staff, prompting the Crown Prince to summon the Chen family?"

Bai Long casually explained, "Indeed, I did transfer his staff away. I relocated two before leaving the capital, eliminated two after, and there’s one whose whereabouts I can’t find. But I arranged those moves in preparation for your return to Luocheng City. I did not expect to be able to use it earlier, which makes things easier for us."

Indeed!

Chen Ji asked quietly, "Lord Bai Long, what is your purpose in having me get close to the Crown Prince?"

Bai Long countered, "And why are you approaching the Crown Prince? I only instructed you to infiltrate the Chen family; I never told you to approach the Crown Prince."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Bai Long laughed aloud: "You don’t have to say it; I can guess. You approach the Crown Prince merely because the Jingyang Palace, where the Commandery Princess is under house arrest for her cultivation, is right next door to the Crown Prince’s Zhongcui Palace, just across the street, less than six zhang apart. You ask me why I arranged for you to get close to the Crown Prince? Merely to facilitate your wishes."

Zhongcui Palace and Jingyang Palace, one to the left and one to the right, separated only by a single door.

Chen Ji, through great efforts in catching Spies and protecting the Crown Prince, did so just to have the status to approach that door and glance into Jingyang Palace.

He was aware that he could not hide this from Bai Long, but it was definitely not as simple as the other party had said. How could the leader of the Twelve Signs, who readily kills, be so kind-hearted as to indulge him? Not a single word of truth from his mouth.

The other party wanted him to get close to the Crown Prince; there must be a bigger scheme at play.

Bai Long scrutinized Chen Ji: "How did you find this place? Old Wu didn’t know about the happenings in Taohuai Square."

Then, lowering his head in contemplation: "Could it be the accumulated sulfur scent in this square that drew you here? So, you know that sulfur is needed for the formula for Firearms... How did you find out?"

Chen Ji was startled inside, Bai Long was overly shrewd.

He hurriedly explained, "It was the Baofeng House proprietor and the tailor shop’s proprietress here that gave it away. After watching for two days, I discovered this place."

Bai Long sighed, "A bunch of fools, can’t even hide properly. After the matter in Guyuan is settled, all will be sent back to Wunian Mountain for a few more years of training. As for you, now that you have the Crown Prince’s favor, that’s very good."

Chen Ji clasped his hands and asked, "My Lord, what do I need to do next?"

Bai Long pondered for a moment: "Keep an eye on the Crown Prince. Report to me daily whoever he sees and wherever he goes."

Chen Ji cautiously probed, "My Lord, what are you planning to do?"

Bai Long said with a sly smile, "If I say I plan to eliminate the Crown Prince on behalf of Prince Fu, would you believe me?"

Chen Ji did not believe him.