Early in the morning, Chen Ji woke up alone.

The bedroom was empty; Liang Gou’er’s smell of alcohol was gone, as was She Dengke’s snoring. The warmth had also disappeared.

He put on his clothes and went out, glancing at the courtyard wall where a ladder leaned. Then, he bent down, picked up his carrying pole, and walked into Anxi Street.

The water urn in the courtyard was full, but Chen Ji still went to fetch water as usual, as if by this stubborn act, he could stop time before the war.

Anxi Street was empty of pedestrians, so he stood alone by the well curb, slowly turning the crank above the well opening. As he cranked, he fell into a daze.

It wasn’t until an apprentice from a steamed bun shop came to fetch water that he snapped out of it. He drew the water, picked up his carrying pole, and headed to Zhixing Academy.

Knock, knock, knock. Chen Ji knocked on the tightly shut wooden door of Zhixing Academy.

After a moment, Wang Daosheng opened the door and asked, puzzled, “Why are you here?”

Chen Ji smiled and stepped sideways into the courtyard. “I am your personal disciple. Living so close, it’s only right that I help you fetch water and chop firewood.”

Wang Daosheng followed him into the courtyard, scrutinized Chen Ji, and suddenly said, “You have doubts in your heart, don’t you? You have questions to ask me.”

Chen Ji paused. He hadn’t expected Mr. Wang to see through him so easily.

He put down the carrying pole and poured the water from the wooden buckets into the urn. “Sir, did the Liu family approach you when they rebelled?”

Wang Daosheng stood by and replied, “Yes, they did. Elder Liu Ge offered me high office and generous emoluments, hoping I would plan their military strategy, but I refused.”

Chen Ji asked, “The Liu family didn’t make things difficult for you?”

Wang Daosheng shook his head. “The Liu family didn’t bother me. In their eyes, I’m just a stubborn old rock, not worth wasting time on.”

Chen Ji chuckled. “Why do you describe yourself that way?” Wang Daosheng casually replied, “That’s how others describe me.” Chen Ji asked curiously, “Doesn’t that make you angry?”

Wang Daosheng thought for a moment and frankly said, “Yes, it does.”

Chen Ji asked, “Sir, do you also get angry because of other people’s opinions?”

Wang Daosheng smiled. “There are still many principles I haven’t fully understood myself.”

Chen Ji let out a sound of understanding, then bent down to pick up the other wooden bucket and pour the water. Wang Daosheng calmly said, “You didn’t come to Zhixing Academy just to ask these questions.”

Inside Zhixing Academy, only the gurgling sound of water remained, churning in the urn.

After a long pause, Chen Ji finally spoke the truth. “Sir, there’s a person now. As long as she lives, she’s a huge hidden danger to me and to many others. The simplest choice now is to kill her with one blow. If it’s done discreetly enough, no one else would know, save for heaven, earth, and myself.”

Wang Daosheng said lightly, “That’s good then. What are you hesitating about?” Chen Ji finished pouring the water, lifted the empty wooden buckets, and looked at him. “But if I strike that blow, there are some people I would never be able to face again. So, I want to ask you, Sir, should I really kill this person?”

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, “Just act according to your own conscience.”

Chen Ji lowered his head and muttered to himself, “Conscience?”

Wang Daosheng thought for a moment and said, “If you lost a bag of money on the road, would you feel bad?”

Chen Ji nodded. “A little, I suppose, since I lost property.” Wang Daosheng then asked, “What if you saw a beggar on the street about to freeze to death, and you could save him with just five coins, but you didn’t? The next day, you hear he actually froze to death. Would you feel a little bad?”

Chen Ji nodded again. “A little, yes.”

Wang Daosheng asked, “Why would you feel bad? You didn’t lose any property.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Wang Daosheng pointed to Chen Ji’s chest. “You feel bad because you lost something in your heart.”

“Hm?”

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, “Actually, this analogy isn’t entirely accurate. It’s just that most people only see the gains and losses of external things, but not the gains and losses of their true selves. Before you came to ask me, you already had the answer in your heart. Just follow your true self.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Chen Ji walked towards the medical clinic with his carrying pole. A carriage was already parked in front of the door. The coachman was squatting at the door, gnawing on a hard, dry multigrain biscuit. This was the carriage he had arranged for yesterday.

The coachman saw him approaching, quickly stuffed the remaining half of his biscuit into his pocket, and said with a smile, “Officer, you still need to fetch your own water?” Chen Ji glanced at the sky. “You’re quite early. It’s not yet the time we agreed upon.”

The coachman chuckled cheerfully. “The early bird catches the worm. For a humble person like me, who works hard to make a living, it’s natural to come early, lest the officer decides to leave earlier and has no carriage.”

Chen Ji said, “Please wait a moment while I put my things away.” He entered the clinic, put down his carrying pole, and retrieved the snacks from Zhengxin Zhai and a jar of Nu’er Hong wine he had bought yesterday. Only then did he get into the carriage.

The carriage rattled as it headed out of the city. The coachman sat in front and looked back, asking, “Officer, you’re sure we can leave the city, right? Yesterday, I had another client who hired me to leave the city, but we were stopped and turned back by the soldiers at the city gate. These past few days, for some reason, ships at the docks aren’t allowed to depart, and the city gates are closed. Travelers from north and south are desperate.”

Chen Ji smiled. “Don’t worry, you won’t make a wasted trip.”

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the South City Gate. Three layers of chevaux de frise were set up in the gate archway, and dozens of armored soldiers blocked the way. “Who is in the carriage?”

Chen Ji lifted the curtain and stepped out. He took out his Secret Service waist token from his sleeve. “Secret Service.”

A deputy general slowly walked up to him, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “So it’s an esteemed official from the Secret Service. Where are you headed?”

Chen Ji put away his token. “To the Liu family mansion, on official business.”

The deputy general didn’t question him further. He merely cupped his fists and bowed. “According to regulations, I must search your carriage, sir.”

Chen Ji asked, surprised, “My carriage needs to be searched too? Even the Forbidden City allows my Secret Service members to enter and exit with just a waist token. How is it that Luocheng’s South Gate is more important than the Forbidden City?”

The deputy general quickly explained, “These are not my rules, sir; I have no authority here. My general has ordered that all entering and exiting carriages must be meticulously inspected without any oversight. Those who disobey will have their families confiscated, be beheaded, and their three familial clans implicated.”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. “What if I refuse the inspection?” The deputy general was momentarily startled. Then, he slowly retreated.

He took a long halberd from one of the soldiers and said gravely, “Sir, please don’t make things difficult for me. I am only following orders.”

After saying this, dozens of soldiers at the gate slowly surrounded them. The coachman was so scared his calves were trembling.

Chen Ji smiled. “General, please don’t be so agitated. I’ll let you search.”

He stepped aside, letting the soldiers lift the carriage curtain. But it was empty inside, completely visible at a glance. The deputy general then squatted down to inspect the bottom of the carriage and only breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed there was nothing unusual.

The deputy general cupped his fists to Chen Ji. “Sir, my apologies for the offense.”

Chen Ji’s expression was grave, and he played along. “This is the first time my Secret Service’s carriage has ever been searched. General, we will meet again in the future.”

The deputy general said nothing. He turned and waved his hand at the soldiers. “Let them pass!” Watching the soldiers move the wooden chevaux de frise to the side of the road, Chen Ji lifted the curtain, got back into the carriage, and let out a long breath.

He had hired this carriage to test whether he could enter and exit using his waist token. Now, entering and exiting the city was fine, but trying to send Concubine Yun away with just a waist token was clearly a pipe dream.

If that was the case, it would be better to hide Concubine Yun in the city first and wait for a better opportunity.

Chen Ji slowly fell into thought until the carriage stopped again. The coachman called out from outside, “Sir, we’ve arrived.”

“Wait for me at the gate; you’ll need to take me back to the city afterward.” He got out of the carriage, carrying the snacks and the jar of wine. He picked up the beast-head knocker on the Liu family’s vermillion gate and knocked.

The vermillion gate was slowly pulled open from the inside. Through the crack in the door, Jin Zhu’s eyes lit up. “Why are you here?”

Chen Ji walked inside, asking perplexedly, “Lord Jin Zhu, why are you guarding the gate?”

Jin Zhu’s plump, pale face was filled with annoyance. “Damn it, that bastard Bai Long is making things difficult for me. I was enjoying a good sleep, but then he insisted that the Liu family mansion was crucial and needed an expert guard, so he dragged me here against my will.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “Can’t Lord Tian Ma help speak on your behalf?”

Jin Zhu snapped irritably, “Tian Ma has already left Luocheng. The Grand Minister has other matters for him to attend to. Now in Luocheng, Bai Long is the highest-ranking official in our Secret Service. Forget it. Once this is over, I’ll just avoid him! If I can’t provoke him, can’t I at least avoid him?”

After saying that, he muttered softly, “Strange, why does that bastard always pick on me? Did he hear me badmouthing him behind his back?”

Chen Ji’s expression was odd. “My lord, perhaps you should speak less.” At this moment, Jin Zhu looked down at the snacks and wine jar in Chen Ji’s hands and asked curiously, “Are these for me?”

Chen Ji smiled and handed him the wine jar. “This is for you. The snacks are not.”

Jin Zhu smacked his lips. “Fine. I knew you wouldn’t come all this way just to see me.”

He called out to Xi Feng, “You and your men guard the gate well. I’ll take Chen Ji inside.” Jin Zhu led Chen Ji through a long, narrow alley of blue bricks. The white funeral banners under the eaves had been torn down, and the corpses on the ground had also been cleaned up. Only dried blood mud remained in the brick seams, turning a deep purplish-black.

Arriving at the gate of a small courtyard, Jin Zhu waved his hand at the Secret Service agents guarding the door. “You all go take a break over there.”

The guarding Secret Service agents bowed and withdrew. Chen Ji was about to reach out and push the door when Jin Zhu grabbed his wrist and said gravely, “I know you’re very close with the Prince Jing’s residence. And I know about you and the Crown Prince and Princess… But the situation has changed now.”

Chen Ji calmly asked, “How has it changed?”

Jin Zhu lowered his voice. “Do you know what Bai Long is doing now? He’s looking for conclusive evidence to condemn Prince Jing for rebellion! This must be at the secret instruction of the Grand Minister, who wants to kill three birds with one stone.”

“Three birds?” Chen Ji was puzzled. “Besides the Liu family and Prince Jing, who else?”

Jin Zhu said, “Bai Long wants to capture Concubine Yun and pin the crime of colluding with the enemy and treason on Prince Jing’s residence. Concubine Yun’s background is not simple either. The Luotian Sect behind her has secretly controlled the grain transport along the Two Rivers and One River for years, and they have long been a thorn in the side of His Majesty and the Grand Minister. By capturing Concubine Yun, Bai Long not only aims to condemn Prince Jing but also to use her alleged crimes to eradicate the Luotian Sect.”

Chen Ji fell silent. This Grand Minister was greedy enough to swallow so many things in one go.

Jin Zhu reminded him in a low voice, “If the Grand Minister wants something done, it will be done. Today, Prince Jing is still Prince Jing, and the Princess is still the Princess, but tomorrow, they might well become prisoners. You absolutely must not associate with them again, lest you jeopardize your own future for nothing. I’ve made myself clear. Think carefully whether you still want to go in and see them.”

Chen Ji said softly, “Lord Jin Zhu, thank you for your kind reminder. But since the snacks have already been bought, they should be delivered, otherwise it would be a waste.”

Jin Zhu carefully observed Chen Ji’s expression and finally sighed. “Young man, you don’t know what’s important! Today, I’ll discreetly make an exception and let you go in to speak with the Princess and Crown Prince again. But after today, don’t come to the Liu family mansion again. Stay at the medical clinic and cultivate your skills. At your cultivation speed, you’ll eventually become a Zodiac member.”

With that, he pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped aside.

Chen Ji turned his head and was startled to see Bai Li standing at the door, having appeared at some unknown moment. She was staring fixedly at him.

He started to walk inside, but Bai Li stood in his way, unmoving. She just said coldly, “Go back.”

Chen Ji smiled, casually pushed her arm aside, and was about to walk in. “Princess, I have something to ask the Prince. These are snacks from Zhengxin Zhai. You and the Crown Prince…”

However, Bai Li snatched the snacks from his hand and threw them outside the door. The hemp string wrapped around the snacks broke, and the snacks scattered into crumbs on the ground.

Bai Li said coldly, “Chen Ji, you’re just a greedy little apprentice. If I hadn’t seen how pathetic and destitute you were, I wouldn’t have kindly paid your travel expenses, nor would I have befriended you. What is your status? What is my status? Why would I need you to deliver snacks to me? Get out!”

As she spoke, Bai Li slammed the courtyard gate shut and dropped the bolt.

Inside the door, Bai Li leaned her back against it, pursing her lips and lowering her gaze. Outside the door, Chen Ji looked down at the snacks on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

A single door separated them, yet it felt like a thousand miles.

Just then, Xi Feng rushed over, clutching a piece of paper. “My Lord, Bai Long sent someone with a written order, saying that Concubine Yun’s personal maid, Xi Tang, has been captured in Luocheng’s East Market, and her approximate hiding place has been discovered. He wants us to gather our men and search the city for her!”

Jin Zhu took the paper and, with a glance, immediately started walking out. “Quick, quick, quick! Don’t let Yun Yang and Jiao Tu snatch the credit!”

Chen Ji followed him out. When he reached the corner, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the closed door at the end of the path.

Jin Zhu turned back and urged, “What are you doing? Let’s go!” “Coming.”