Green Mountain-Chapter 680 - 537: Returning to Jiefan Building

7 to 9 AM.

Chen Ji walked east along Chang'an Street, feeling that today's sun was exceptionally scorching and hot, with the cicadas on the treetops incessantly chirping.

Along the way, wooden boards were set up in front of various taverns, listing the types of mooncakes they were selling. Inside the taverns, bundles of mooncakes wrapped in oil paper were stacked like small hills, with a red paper on top, adding a festive touch.

But Chen Ji couldn't care less about celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.

He went to a breakfast stall outside East Rongmi Lane and ordered a bowl of millet porridge and two shepherd's purse buns.

As he bowed his head to drink the porridge, he observed the pedestrians coming and going outside Huitong Hall with the corner of his eye, calculating the odds of assassinating the An Nan Envoy.

In this world, among all methods of solving trouble, killing is the simplest.

Assassination is the simplest among all killing methods.

Chen Ji's expression remained calm as he silently calculated that once the An Nan Envoy left the Forbidden City, he would pass through the Imperial Palace Gate, Duan Gate, Chengtian Gate, then head west on Chang'an Street, passing the Imperial Carriage House and Hanlin Academy to reach Huitong Hall.

Along the way, he would be escorted by over a hundred Yulin Army members, and who knows how many spies in disguise, leaving no chance on the road.

If there was no chance on the road, then attack Huitong Hall.

Chen Ji was already very familiar with Huitong Hall and knew that under the floors of Huitong Hall, there was a huge listening jar, with Spy Department members hidden inside to eavesdrop on activity within.

At this moment, he carefully observed Huitong Hall once again, a two-story building with a total of sixty-four windows and ten spies guarding the entrance, who would take turns guarding at Noon and midnight daily.

If there was a way to have an Executive Officer from Lamp Fire disguise him, he might be able to infiltrate and strike at the King of An Nan when he entered or exited with a single blow.

But the consequence would be his death, and Princess Bai Li would not gain freedom.

This method wouldn't work.

Chen Ji turned his thoughts to the inside of Huitong Hall, wondering if there was a possibility of disguising himself as a clerk delivering food and poisoning the meal?

While pondering, a cart arrived in front of Huitong Hall, escorted by twelve spies. On the cart were boxes of fresh beef and lamb with vegetables, with a silver label stuck on them, bearing the name of the person tasked with tasting and checking for poison.

Chen Ji frowned. Ever since the Huitong Hall secretary poisoning incident, this route was blocked. Besides multiple escorts, there were also designated poison tasters, leaving no opportunities for the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department.

This method also wouldn't work.

...Then what about asking the Yulin Army or Jin Zhu to help strike? Even less feasible.

Not to mention if they were willing or not, even if someone was willing, if found out, it would be a crime implicating nine tribes. He did not wish to involve others.

This method still wouldn't do.

Then forcefully assassinate, and at the third watch of the night, when the guards are at their most weary, kill inside and then escape with firearms?

But just as he thought of this, he suddenly noticed a mooncake vendor outside Huitong Hall who looked familiar. It was clearly a spy that Prisoner had just brought back from Wunian Mountain.

There were also a few other pedestrians, pretending to be casual, hovering outside East Rongmi Lane, loitering but reluctant to leave, all of whom Chen Ji recognized as the wolf pups from Wunian Mountain.

One of them looked towards the breakfast stall. Chen Ji quietly lowered his head to drink his porridge, and only after a moment did the person's gaze move away.

This year, too many incidents occurred at Huitong Hall. When the An Nan Envoy entered the city, the Spy Department was already on edge, placing twenty-four wolf pups from Wunian Mountain here to ensure the An Nan Envoy's safety without fail.

This was initially to guard against the Military Intelligence Department, but now it guarded against Chen Ji himself.

But aside from assassinating the An Nan Envoy, what other method could stop the diplomatic marriage?

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then tossed a piece of broken silver onto the table and got up to leave.

...

...

Chen Ji walked west along Chang'an Street, eventually reaching Taiye Pond, and proceeded along the riverbank.

First passing the Imperial Service Department, then reaching the Eagle House Office, where all carrier pigeons of the Ritual Supervision were kept. Each carrier pigeon was meticulously selected and specially trained.

Raising a single carrier pigeon required an expenditure of a thousand taels of silver each year. The fastest carrier pigeons could cover 1,400 miles in a day, quicker than the eight-hundred-mile express.

Outside the Eagle House Office, there were Spy Department guards on duty day and night. Bai Long often reviewed the Spy Department documents in a small courtyard beside the Eagle House Office, adjacent to the West Gate of the Forbidden City.

As Chen Ji approached, four spies appeared with hand crossbows from behind the artificial mountain by Taiye Pond, coldly asking, "Who goes there?"

Chen Ji got straight to the point: "I am the Marquis of Wuxiang County, Chen Ji, and I have important matters to discuss with Lord Bai Long."

The spy squinted slightly: "Marquis of Wuxiang County, please return. Lord Bai Long has gone into the palace. When he returns, we will report to him."

Chen Ji stood where he was, frowning. He turned his head to look inside the Forbidden City, but his view was blocked by the big red palace walls, and he couldn't see the mysterious Jiefan Building.

He was here to see the Prime Minister, but he had no reason to enter the Forbidden City. Now he wanted to ask Bai Long to take him into the palace, but Bai Long was not there either.

It should be because the An Nan Envoy entered the palace for an audience, and Bai Long had to serve by Emperor Ning's side... Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the King of An Nan has presented the chief rogue who refuses to pay tribute. The court will surely hold a banquet in their honor, and it's uncertain when Bai Long will be able to leave the palace.

But Chen Ji didn't leave; he chose to wait outside the Eagle House Office.

He must see the Prime Minister today.

While the spies held their hand crossbows, Chen Ji leaned against an artificial mountain, closing his eyes for a rest. The spies exchanged glances but didn't bother him and retreated silently behind the mountain.

At this time, gunfire sounded in the Forbidden City. Presumably, the An Nan Envoy had just entered Jianji Hall, and the Divine Machine Camp was firing guns to demonstrate military prowess to the barbarians and awe the ignorant.

The King of An Nan will take what he has seen and heard in the Imperial Capital back to the South, making all the barbarian tribes harbor respect and fear for the Ning Dynasty.

At noon, a horn sounded in the Forbidden City, and drums echoed from the Yanchi Building above the Imperial Palace Gate. Presumably, the audience had ended, and the Yulin Army escorted the An Nan Envoy to the Huitong Hall for a brief rest, preparing for the Mid-Autumn Night Banquet in the evening.

By rights, Bai Long should have left the palace by now, but Chen Ji waited until 1:00 PM and still hadn't seen Bai Long.

It wasn't until dusk, as the sun was setting, that a little eunuch's voice came from inside the West Gate: "Lord Bai Long, may you be at peace."

Chen Ji opened his eyes. Sunlight reflected off the big red palace walls, so bright it almost blinded him.

In the red palace path, a figure in white slowly approached, sizing him up: "Been waiting long?"

Chen Ji responded with a sound.

Bai Long asked again: "Is it for Princess Bai Li?"

Chen Ji nodded: "I want to know if the An Nan Envoy really proposed a marriage alliance between the two dynasties during today's audience?"

Bai Long turned and walked toward the Eagle House: "Indeed, he did. The King of An Nan offered up seventeen members of the Siamese Royal Family, asking for no gold, silver, rewards, or titles, only for a marriage alliance."

Following behind him, Chen Ji quietly asked: "Why insist on a marriage alliance?"

Bai Long explained without turning back: "After the marriage, Princess Bai Li will take our craftsmen and medical officers to An Nan, bringing our dynasty's technology there. An Nan has been weak for a long time, and this time they managed to help Yang Xun capture the Siamese king, gamling their national fate to secure our assistance... The King of An Nan is both bold and ambitious. He knows that this is the best opportunity he will ever have."

Chen Ji further inquired: "Why must it be Princess Bai Li?"

Bai Long calmly replied: "Is there anyone else in the royal family who can be married off?"

Chen Ji was silent for a long while: "But the King of An Nan is already over fifty."

Bai Long chuckled: "Fifty-eight... So what? Matters of marriage alliances between dynasties aren't about romance; they have nothing to do with age."

Entering the Eagle House, Chen Ji looked at the wall full of pigeon cages. Each cage was tagged with copper labels: Jinling, Taiyuan Prefecture, Luocheng City, Chongli Pass, Guyuan, Tongzhou, Lingnan, Shu Capital, Huangshan Mountain, Laojun Mountain...

Two of the pigeon cages were empty, likely with the pigeons out delivering messages, their destination unknown as the cages were unmarked with copper tags.

Bai Long walked past the pigeon cages, stopping at the Huangshan Mountain cage. Noticing a pigeon with a bamboo tube attached to its foot, he took it in his hand, removed the bamboo tube, read the note inside, and then ground it to dust with his fingers.

He continued, "You came to seek my help to save Princess Bai Li?"

Chen Ji, looking at Bai Long's back, said, "I have an agreement with the Prime Minister."

Bai Long's voice was calm: "If you had caught Lin Chaoqing back then, now it wouldn't matter if it were the King of An Nan or the Forty-nine Heavens themselves; the Prime Minister could help you get Princess Bai Li out of the palace. But now, you owe a life, and the Prime Minister doesn't have to help you fulfill your wish. If you want to see the Prime Minister, don't bother; without capturing Lin Chaoqing, you don't have the qualification to re-enter the Jiefan Building."

But Lin Chaoqing had already disappeared long ago.

Behind Bai Long, Chen Ji respectfully cupped his hands: "Please, Lord Bai Long, take me into the palace. I've done my best regarding Lin Chaoqing, but luck wasn't on my side. Now I just hope the Prime Minister can give me another name, and I will certainly take his life. Once that's done, I can offer the improved formula for firearms to you."

Bai Long looked back at him: "I heard there's a family banquet at the Qi household tonight, and you've promised Official Chen to make amends with Third Miss Qi. Considering the time, the banquet should be starting soon. What, you're not planning to go?"

Chen Ji spoke with determination: "I'm not going."

Bai Long pondered for a moment: "Come with me then."