The sound echoed under the eaves of the Imperial Supervision Office, with no response.

This enormous Imperial Supervision Office seemed truly to imprison only him.

Chen Ji shifted his gaze to the stack of Wenyuan Morning News.

He pondered for a long time, picked up the newspaper, returned to the room, lit an oil lamp the size of a soybean, and scrutinized every line of text in the dim light.

...

...

The morning of the eleventh day.

Chen Ji leaned on the door frame and yawned.

He originally got up to read the Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Warm Pathogenic Diseases but got lost in thought for a moment. When he snapped back, he was already leaning on the door frame.

Chen Ji looked down at the moss growing on the ground after the autumn rain. He crouched down, his fingers gently brushing over the surface of the moss, wet, cold, a thin layer.

Chen Ji suddenly felt as if he were like the moss in the corner, stuck in the cracks of the green bricks of the Imperial Supervision Office.

Footsteps sounded outside the door; Bai Long pushed open the courtyard door and arrived as promised.

Chen Ji looked at the other's empty hands, surprised: "Where's the mutton bun?"

Bai Long glanced at him: "What mutton bun?"

Chen Ji: "..."

Bai Long entered the room, took out a chessboard, and spread it out on the stone table: "Win a game against me, and I'll bring you mutton buns in the future."

Chen Ji didn't take the bait: "The meals at the Imperial Supervision Office are quite decent."

Bai Long pointed to the chessboard.

Chen Ji took out the stack of Wenyuan Morning News from the room and threw it on the table: "I looked at the newspaper carefully last night but found nothing."

Bai Long was somewhat surprised. He looked at the newspaper, then at Chen Ji: "Why is Lord Binghu suddenly willing to take action?"

Chen Ji chuckled: "Lord Bai Long, just consider me bored."

Bai Long brought the newspaper to his face: "So, the Military Intelligence Department has changed its method of conveying messages?"

Chen Ji sat down opposite him: "Not exactly. I want to ask, what has the Military Intelligence Department been doing recently?"

Bai Long recalled: "Five days ago, a merchant from the South hosted a banquet for the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Five Cities Military Department, Yao Dong, in the Eight Great Hutongs. During the feast, they only ate, drank, and played, without revealing anything suspicious. But Yao Dong is also sharp, noticing that the other's accent did not match the household registration, and immediately apprehended him. The merchant, seeing the matter exposed, committed suicide by poison."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, searched through the newspaper, and then pointed to the last page of the Wenyuan Morning News, saying: "There was an advertisement seven days ago on the newspaper, for a tavern in Chongnan Fang."

Bai Long followed his finger to read, the advertisement said: "Newly opened, seven kinds of seasonal fresh fish, thirty-five cents per pound, buy three pounds get one free. Also, eighteen-year-old daughter red, twenty-three jars in storage, four taels six cents per jar. From October 25 to November 25, the first ten guests each day receive a plate of osmanthus cake."

He looked up at Chen Ji, sharply: "Writing prices is normal, but writing about twenty-three jars of daughter red in the advertisement is inappropriate."

Chen Ji praised: "Lord Bai Long is indeed quick-witted."

Bai Long pondered for a moment: "What message did the Military Intelligence Department convey?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Not sure."

Bai Long sat up straight: "Since you can see the clue, you can see through the secrets. If Lord Binghu refuses to speak, is he trying to trade something with me?"

Chen Ji smiled: "This time I truly don't know. The Military Intelligence Department might have employed a method known as the password book... The so-called password book is a separate book, with each number in the advertisement corresponding to a page number, line number, and word number."

Bai Long suddenly realized: "Without this password book, you know they are conveying messages, but you can't know what is being conveyed."

Chen Ji nodded: "Exactly. The merchant's suicide by poison might have been out of fear of this secret being discovered. Among the merchant's belongings, was there a book?"

Bai Long rose to leave.

As he reached the door, he turned back to look at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji was puzzled: "What's the matter?"

Bai Long was silent for a moment: "Nothing. I'll bring you mutton buns tomorrow."

...

...

The twelfth day.

Bai Long arrived even earlier.

Chen Ji, lying on the bed, heard the door open. When he opened his eyes, Bai Long was already standing in front of the main room door, blocking the gray sky.

He rubbed the corner of his eyes: "Coming so early?"

Bai Long placed the oiled paper-wrapped mutton buns on the table: "The Spy Department previously searched the inn where the merchant stayed and did find a book inside. But when I took the newspaper back for comparison yesterday, I still found nothing."

Chen Ji sat up: "That book might be an illusion technique. If the merchant didn't carry it with him, then this password book is likely something very common, like something every bookstore has... Analects, Doctrine of the Mean, Classic of Poetry? We need to check if any bookstores have seen this person recently and what books he has read."

Bai Long shook his head: "Finding it like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack... Why don't you write a password book for me?"

Chen Ji lifted the quilt and got up to wash in the courtyard: "Our court's Spy Department can transmit messages openly and honestly. What does Lord Bai Long want to use this password book for?"

Bai Long remained silent.

Chen Ji suddenly realized: "Wait, you are not preparing it for our court's Spy Department but for those spies infiltrating the Jing Dynasty."

Bai Long calmly said: "This matter is under my jurisdiction, don't ask further."

Chen Ji took a bite of the bun: "With Lord Bai Long's intelligence, since you already understand the principle of the password book, you shouldn't need me... My lord, you are not just trying to find me something to do, are you?"

Bai Long stared at Chen Ji for a long time, then suddenly changed the topic: "What do you plan to do about the marriage contract with the Qi family?"

Chen Ji finished the mutton bun in a few bites, puzzled: "What do you mean, what to do?"

Bai Long leisurely said: "Nowadays, Mr. Qi is more unconscious than awake, and the Qi family has no more restraints. Rumors have been spreading for a few days that you'll break off the marriage contract with the Qi family on the eighth day of the twelfth month and that you'll be sentenced for it... The matter of you rescuing Princess Bai Li has become well known, damaging Third Miss Qi's reputation, so the Qi family can annul the marriage at any time. But you can't. If you annul the marriage, they will have a justified reason to exile you to Lingnan."

Chen Ji was taken aback: "That suits me just fine. If the Qi family can exile me to Lingnan, that's for the best; I'll owe them a favor for that."

Bai Long mocked: "What, are you planning to take your maid and run to a place like Lingnan?"

Chen Ji didn't speak.

Bai Long continued: "The Spy Department once sent a person called Hai Dongqing to Leizhou in the 29th year of Jianing. It took three months to get there, and they found there was no winter. The whole year was hot, and when it's hot, even the gaps in the bones sweat. Mosquitoes are so plentiful they look like a swarm of black fog, and a single slap leaves your hand covered in blood. Most outsiders don't survive a year there, as the miasma alone is deadly.

"Over there in Lingnan, dozens of local chiefs govern themselves. Once the court's documents leave the county, nobody recognizes them. Those exiled there, some are taken by the local chiefs for hard labor, some have their heads chopped off and hung at the village gates by the Miao people. Whether you live or die, nobody cares. The Executive Officers there are very strange, they can kill you without you even knowing. Even if you can handle it, Xiao Man probably cannot endure it..."

Chen Ji said softly: "I'll go by myself."

Bai Long's words halted abruptly.

He stared at Chen Ji for a long time, then turned and walked into the courtyard, sitting down beside the stone table: "Come, play chess."

From morning till dusk, Bai Long managed to win forty games, leaving Chen Ji pulling his hair in frustration.

After losing the fortieth game, Chen Ji raised his hand to stop: "Hold on, Lord Bai Long, I'll write the password book for you. No need to bother with books. All the spies hiding in the Jing Dynasty only need to memorize two poems."

Bai Long swept his sleeves and left: "No need, Lord Binghu should just think about how to survive in Lingnan."

As Bai Long was about to exit the courtyard, Chen Ji suddenly asked: "Lord Bai Long, do you have anyone you can trust?"

Bai Long turned back to look at him, firmly stating: "Yes, someone I can entrust my life to, stand back-to-back with, a life-and-death friendship, nothing less."

Chen Ji nodded: "That's nice."

Bai Long asked him in return: "Don't you have any?"

Chen Ji gave an unrelated answer: "In fact, She Dengke didn't endure torture before he confessed about me, correct? He had no bloodstains or external injuries, only slightly disheveled hair. Even though She Dengke walked with a limp, it was more like he twisted it himself... I don't mean to blame him, I just saw it and remembered it."

Bai Long stood at the door for a long time, openly revealing: "It hadn't reached the interrogation stage yet. She Dengke took a thousand taels of Silver from the Qi family and confessed about you."

Chen Ji nodded: "I guessed as much."

Bai Long calmly stated: "Since you guessed it, why did you still ask me to help protect his life?"

Chen Ji smiled: "I have no chance to return to Luocheng City, but he still does. Please, Lord Bai Long, let him go back. He was supposed to be an ordinary person with a normal life; it was I who dragged him into this."

Bai Long turned and left: "Alright."