Inside the yamen, candlelight flickered over a chessboard. Chen Ji placed a black piece, making a brilliant move. Bai Long looked at the exquisite move, falling into thought. This was the first time he had thought for over ten breaths. As the piece was placed, he felt that although Chen Ji had given up a corner, he had activated the entire board. Bai Long smiled and said:

“It seems I can’t play quick chess with you. The enlightenment of life is sometimes instantaneous, sometimes a lifetime. How many people drift through old age without understanding what they truly want to do in this life? Congratulations, it seems you have already figured it out.”

Chen Ji’s expression remained unchanged:

“Senior Bai Long overpraises me; this humble one still hasn’t figured it out. Instead, you have the path of a Jinshi official to walk, why did you enter the Secret Agent Department?”

Bai Long looked up and glanced at him:

“Still daring to inquire about this seat’s background? Disrespectful. If there’s a next time, be careful this seat will hang you from a beam and beat you.”

Chen Ji didn’t take these words to heart. He had already realized that while this Bai Long’s moods were unpredictable, as long as you were still useful to him, there would be no problem. He thought for a moment and asked:

“Just now, Senior said you had a matter to entrust to me. I wonder what it is? Is it to apprehend Han Tong?”

“Apprehending Han Tong is not urgent. Now that he’s like a loach in the river, he’s hard to find and we need to wait a bit longer to discuss it.” Bai Long looked at the chessboard leisurely and asked: “How much do you know about Chen Lu Chi, the head of the Chen family?”

Chen Ji’s heart suddenly felt a jolt of alarm. Was the Secret Agent Department’s next target the Chen family? Bai Long glanced at him:

“What? Do Chen family members not even know about their own family affairs?”

Chen Ji said softly:

“The head of the family is a suspicious person, unpredictable in his moods, obstinate and willful. In the Chen family, his word is law, and the Chen family is entirely his one-man show.”

Bai Long was amused:

“What about Chen Li Zun, the legitimate eldest son of the main house?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said:

“Weak and incompetent. His ability to serve as the Main Official in the Ministry of Revenue is entirely due to the Chen family’s influence. His position at home is not high; the main house lineage is decided by his wife, Wang Shi.”

“What about Chen Li Zhi, the legitimate second son of the second house?”

“Outwardly warm and kind, but actually insidious and cunning. He manages the Chen family’s wealth, fields, and family businesses. Behind the scenes, he also operates brothels and casinos, engaging in the business of ‘sheep-lamb profit’.”

The so-called ‘sheep-lamb profit’ referred to high-interest loans. Ten taels of silver loaned out would result in twenty taels returned the following year, otherwise, families would be ruined, people scattered, wives and children separated. This kind of business could not be done openly, only behind the scenes by ‘white gloves’. Bai Long’s questioning this time was alarming but not dangerous for Chen Ji. Earlier, to conceal his outsider identity, he had carefully reviewed the relevant Chen family case files in the inner prison, which now came in handy. However, at this point, Bai Long’s words shifted:

“What about Chen Yu?”

Chen Ji hesitated inwardly… Chen Yu? He had never even heard this person’s name. Even the Secret Agent Department’s case file library had no record. How did Bai Long suddenly ask about this person? How should he answer? Should he pretend to know him, or not? According to Chen family custom, legitimate sons of the same generation had three-character names; for example, Chen Li Qin’s ‘Li’ character indicated his generation. Illegitimate sons did not have this generation character and had two-character names. Chen Yu was certainly also an illegitimate son of the Chen family, though it was unclear from which house. If Chen Ji and Chen Yu were familiar, presumably they would have exchanged letters, but he had never seen any letters from the other party during this time. Chen Ji deliberated for a moment:

“Senior Bai Long, this humble one is not familiar with this person.”

“Not familiar?” Bai Long sized up Chen Ji: “Really not familiar? This seat thought you all entered the Chen family school in the same year, so you should have had some interaction.”

Chen Ji said without changing his expression:

“Senior, who can say they truly understand anyone in this year?”

“That’s also true,” Bai Long stood up and paced within the yamen: “Regarding your father’s lineage from the third house, this seat doesn’t need to ask further. The first thing I want you to do is to return to the Chen family.”

Chen Ji was startled. Return to the Chen family? Bai Long smiled:

“This seat knows you have repeatedly said you want to cut off ties with the Chen family and have no more entanglement. However, where in this world can true blood kinship be severed? If you return to the Chen family, don’t you think Master Chen will be delighted?”

Chen Ji stood up:

“Senior Bai Long has given the order; this humble one will naturally obey and absolutely will not refuse.”

Bai Long laughed heartily:

“Father-son relationships are always complex, like monarch and minister, like friends, and also like enemies. Only when a father is on his deathbed is it purely father and son. This seat will not ask much about the matters between you and your father. It is also time to put down some past grievances, as the bigger picture is more important.”

Chen Ji lowered his head:

“This humble one understands.”

Lowering his head, a glint flashed in his eyes. Bai Long was not wrong at all; ordinary father-son relationships indeed could not be cut off, the reasons were messy. But he had come from the Forty-Nine Heavens and had no entanglement with Chen Li Qin whatsoever. However, Bai Long did not know this point. And Bai Long had always not killed him, not only because of the Sick Tiger’s face, but also because the other party had long intended to utilize his Chen family identity. Ordinary people playing chess look three steps ahead, which is considered expert. Bai Long was different; he looked ten steps, even a hundred steps ahead. At this time, Bai Long smiled and said:

“But you also need to understand, that day in Jing Wang’s mansion, Master Chen did not protect you; he only protected Chen Wen Xiao. After treating kinship lightly, you only need to serve His Majesty and the Inner Minister. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Chen Ji said humbly:

“Yes, sir. However, Senior Bai Long, what do you want this humble one to do upon returning to the Chen family?”

Bai Long stood beside the desk and tapped it with his finger:

“After the Shang Yuan Festival, Chen Wen Zong and Chen Wen Xiao will both enter the capital to take the imperial examination. Chen Li Qin’s transfer order is also on its way. Chen Lu Chi wants to transfer him back to the capital to be appointed as a Lesser Hanlin in the Hanlin Academy and enter the East Palace office to assist the Crown Prince. By returning to the Chen family, you can naturally follow them back to the capital.”

The Hanlin Academy was an institution responsible for serving the princes. A Lesser Hanlin was of the positive fourth rank. Chen Li Qin, through the Luo City incident, was not demoted but promoted, rising straight up. Bai Long looked out at the night sky outside the yamen:

“Chen Ji, the capital region is a truly dangerous place. Be cautious in all matters, be careful in all matters. Only by preserving yourself alive can you do more.”

Chen Ji was doubtful:

“But Senior, although I am the illegitimate son of the third house, even if I return to the Chen family and the capital, I probably won’t be welcomed and won’t be able to probe the core secrets of the Chen family.”

Bai Long was amused:

“This seat doesn’t expect you to probe anything out in the short term. Just go in and wait for now. Once you reach the capital, I will naturally arrange things for you to do.”

Chen Ji asked without changing his expression:

“Senior, the Chen family is a pure stream and disdains associating with people like us.”

Bai Long smiled:

“Not many people know your Hai Dong Qing identity anymore. Those who knew are either dead, captured, or have left. I think Master Chen is still in the dark for now. Relax, this seat will explain things on this side and help you cover things up a bit.”

At this time, footsteps were heard from outside the door. Secret agents escorted the remnants of the Liu family into the yamen, a total of forty-seven people. Chen Ji asked:

“Senior, are all the remnants of the Liu family to be killed?”

Bai Long didn’t know whether to laugh or cry:

“There are hundreds of thousands of branches of the Liu family. If this seat killed them all, I would have nightmares every midnight. We will capture and interrogate those outside of the five degrees of mourning. If there are no problems, they will be released.”

“Understood.”

Bai Long waved his hand at Chen Ji:

“Go back and rest. Let bygones be bygones. From now on, follow me and do things well. Regarding the County Lord’s matter, this seat will still help you mediate and will not let her suffer.”

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment:

“Senior, can I go visit the County Lord one time?”

Bai Long laughed and scolded:

“Don’t push your luck in front of this seat. Not killing you is valuing talent, and keeping you has great use. Get out.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and bid farewell:

“Yes.”

Before leaving the door, Bai Long called out to him:

“Chen Ji.”

Chen Ji turned back:

“Senior, do you have any instructions?”

Bai Long said calmly:

“To accomplish matters, you need a deep inner reserve and not let people easily see through you. There is also nothing you cannot abandon, and nothing you cannot change.”

Chen Ji was startled, and after a moment, replied:

“This humble one will remember.”

“Go now.”

When he left the yamen, Chen Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks, only because among the captured Liu family remnants, there was a familiar figure… Liu Qu Xing. The accumulated snow in the courtyard was already messy. Liu Qu Xing and his family were tied up and detained among the crowd. Liu Qu Xing timidly hid behind his mother. He unintentionally looked up and saw Chen Ji coming out of the yamen. His eyes immediately turned red, and he staggered towards him. Seeing Liu Qu Xing come before him, he spat a mouthful at Chen Ji’s face and roared angrily from his throat in a low voice:

“The framing of Jing Wang’s mansion, did you not also participate? Beast! How the County Lord and the World Son treated you, and you are not even as good as a beast!”

Liu Qu Xing cursed and cursed, then cried:

“What is this world like? What are you all like?”

Chen Ji stood in his original spot, standing in the heavy snow. He did not speak, nor did he raise his hand to wipe the spit from his face. The secret agents responsible for detaining the Liu family remnants were greatly shocked to see Liu Qu Xing spit at Chen Ji’s face and hurriedly ran over to pull Liu Qu Xing:

“Senior, this humble one deserves death!”

Chen Ji wiped the spit with his sleeve:

“This person is familiar to me. His family did not participate in the Liu family rebellion. Release them.”

The secret agents were astonished:

“Senior?”

Chen Ji looked calmly:

“Are my words not useful?”

The secret agents lowered their heads:

“Yes.”

Chen Ji did not look at Liu Qu Xing again and strode into the pouring heavy snow. Later, he no longer liked heavy snow, nor did he look forward to days and nights very much.