At midnight, in Huanjing Alley, Chen Ji and Bai Long sat opposite each other in the main hall of the Secret Intelligence Department’s office, a chessboard between them.

Following the old rules from Dragon King’s Stronghold, they played speed chess, with each move limited to ten breaths. Taking turns with black and white pieces, they quickly made their moves.

Bai Long, wearing a mask, observed the game’s progression. As he made his move, he remarked, “You’re not flustered at all. Your chess style is also very different from last time; you’ve finally grasped the meaning of ‘sacrifice and gain.’ While the strategy of isolating and capturing dragons is clever, it’s ultimately too greedy and not advisable.”

Chen Ji remained silent, concentrating on the board.

Bai Long leisurely commented, “It’s already the Haishi hour, and Yunyang and the others still haven’t brought the heir to me. It seems they’ve botched the job again.”

Without looking up, Chen Ji replied, “Since Yunyang and Jiaotu always bungle things, why don’t you replace them, Lord Bai Long?”

Bai Long chuckled, “I have my reasons. You’ll understand in due time.”

As he finished speaking, a night watchman passed by outside the alley, beating a gong and calling out, “Close your doors and windows, guard against thieves!”

The agreed-upon midnight hour had passed; it was now the Chou hour.

Chen Ji let out a slight breath of relief. “Lord Bai Long,” he said, “it seems I’ve won.”

Bai Long smiled. “A win is a win,” he said, “but I am curious, where exactly did you hide the heir?”

Chen Ji, without a change in expression, replied, “Lord Bai Long, your humble servant has proven his usefulness. From now on, I will naturally serve you with all my heart and effort, going through any hardship. As for the matter of the Princess Consort…”

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the door. Yunyang, Jiaotu, and Jinzhu entered together, brushing snowflakes from their clothes. “My lord,” Yunyang announced, “Princess Consort Baili has been confined in the secret residence and is under the personal guard of the Jiefan Guards.”

Jinzhu, upon seeing Chen Ji as he entered, was taken aback. “Why are you here?” he blurted out.

Chen Ji pointed to the chessboard. “Playing chess with Lord Bai Long,” he replied.

Jinzhu looked puzzled.

Bai Long stood up, clasping his hands behind his back. “Did you find the heir?” he asked.

Yunyang and Jiaotu exchanged glances, then lowered their heads. “Reporting to Lord Bai Long,” Yunyang began, “your humble servants were incompetent and did not find the heir. However, we are certain that Zhang Zhuo was helping them cover their tracks. We request your oral command, Lord Bai Long, to arrest Lord Zhang and bring him to the internal prison. We will surely interrogate him to uncover the heir’s whereabouts!”

Bai Long burst into laughter, pointing vaguely at the two. “You two made a mistake, and you still want me to take the blame with you? What kind of logic is that? Tell me, what other mess have you gotten into?”

Jiaotu mumbled, “We didn’t get into any mess.”

“Oh?” Bai Long turned to Jinzhu. “Jinzhu, you tell me.”

Jinzhu didn’t hold back. “Yunyang and Jiaotu, along with the Jiefan Guards, intercepted Zhang Zhuo’s grain transport team. They failed to find the heir and ended up spilling official grain all over the ground.”

Jiaotu retorted, “We didn’t disturb much grain! I stopped it in time!”

Jinzhu considered for a moment. “The Jiefan Guards were quick, piercing twenty-seven bags. The transport of official grain might seem insignificant, and a dozen bags aren’t worth much money, but it has always been a matter of military importance. It can be blown up or down, depending on whether Zhang Zhuo decides to make an issue of it.”

Bai Long tilted his head back, pondering for a moment. “One bag of official grain is 120 jin, and one jin is eleven wen. According to the laws of our Great Ning Dynasty, anyone who steals or destroys military grain worth more than twenty-five guàn receives a hundred strokes, is branded with the characters ‘Stolen Official Money, Grain, Goods,’ and is exiled three thousand li… It seems you two are going to be exiled again.”

Chen Ji instinctively turned and glanced at Bai Long, surprised that he recited the Great Ning laws with such precision.

What kind of person would know the law so thoroughly? Three kinds: the first are those with photographic memories, like Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia; the second are law enforcers; and the third are those preparing to break the law.

Bai Long was likely the third kind.

Bai Long sighed, addressing Yunyang and Jiaotu. “I told you long ago to study our dynasty’s laws more. That way, when you do things, you can avoid breaking the law and not give anyone a handle against you. How do you think I managed to reach the top three ranks? It’s precisely by not allowing anyone to catch me with something.”

Yunyang and Jiaotu, feeling guilty, dared not lift their heads.

Bai Long pondered for a moment. “Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll guarantee you two won’t be exiled. However, I’ll have to reclaim your Zodiac positions on behalf of the Grand Counselor, to give an explanation to the Xu family. From now on, you two will be demoted to Pigeon-level secret agents and work under Chen Ji.”

“What?” Yunyang exclaimed, his face showing surprise. “Why should we work under him?”

Bai Long feigned confusion. “You are Pigeon-level secret agents, and he is a Sea East Eagle, a rank higher than you. Are you saying you can’t work under him?”

Yunyang looked utterly devastated. “But… but…”

Jiaotu quickly tugged his sleeve, his voice squeezed through clenched teeth. “Do you want to die? Just agree, agree, agree…”

Yunyang, his face ashen, cast a glance at Chen Ji, then cupped his fists and bowed. “As you command,” he said.

As he finished speaking, Chen Ji interjected, “Lord Bai Long, your humble servant lacks sufficient experience and probably doesn’t have the ability to lead others. Perhaps Yunyang and Jiaotu shouldn’t work under me after all.”

It wasn’t that Chen Ji didn’t want to seize the opportunity to humiliate them. Rather, these two held grudges fiercely and were extremely skilled in assassination. He worried that if he pushed them too far, they would resort to desperate measures.

Bai Long turned and cast a glance at him. “All of you are becoming incredibly bold,” he said. “You dare to talk back about something I’ve arranged?”

Chen Ji, Yunyang, and Jiaotu simultaneously cupped their fists and lowered their heads. “Your humble servants would not dare!” they chorused.

Bai Long gently patted Chen Ji’s shoulder. “Do your work well, and I will naturally go to the Grand Counselor to commend your service.”

Jinzhu’s expression changed. How had Chen Ji switched allegiance and begun taking orders from Bai Long?

The next moment, Bai Long waved his hand. “Alright, everyone disperse,” he ordered. “Go and guard all the major transportation routes in Luocheng. Conduct house-to-house checks. Don’t let the heir escape.”

“Yes,” Jinzhu and the others replied, bowing before retreating outside. Chen Ji, however, remained still.

Jinzhu reached the threshold, then turned and waved to Chen Ji. “Come on,” he urged.

Chen Ji said softly, “I still need to play chess with Lord Bai Long. Lord Jinzhu, please go on ahead.”

Jinzhu’s expression darkened. After a long hesitation, he finally couldn’t help but say, “You want to switch allegiances? Have you forgotten how I treated you? If not for Pegasus and me saving you, you would likely have died by the blade long ago!”

Chen Ji remained silent for a long moment. “Lord Jinzhu,” he finally said, “I still believe that working under Lord Bai Long offers a more promising future.”

Bai Long burst into loud laughter. “Oh, Piggy, Piggy,” he said, “a melon twisted from its vine isn’t sweet.”

Jinzhu scoffed three times. “Fine, fine, fine,” he said. “Lord Bai Long certainly has his ways. I’ll congratulate Lord Chen in advance on achieving a Zodiac position soon!”

With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

Bai Long paced a few steps forward, then, with hands clasped behind his back, looked at the snow in the courtyard. “Tonight’s round can be considered your win,” he said. “I’ve racked my brain but still can’t figure out where you hid the heir… Are you truly not going to reveal the answer to me?”

Chen Ji came to his side. “Since Lord Bai Long intended to let the heir live,” he said, “why bother investigating further?”

Bai Long smiled. “It’s not that I intended to let him live. Someone threatened me, saying that if I didn’t give you a way out this time, he would kill me. There aren’t many people in this Ning Dynasty who can kill me, but he is one of them.”

Chen Ji was slightly startled. He instinctively looked back at the teacup on the table; someone had just been drinking tea there, holding Bai Long for an hour.

Chen Ji looked towards the courtyard. When he had just entered, there had been a faint scent of traditional Chinese medicine in the air—clearly the familiar aroma of a medical clinic, fragrant yet with a hint of bitterness.

When Chen Ji turned back, his eyes flickered with an unreadable light. “My lord,” he asked, “are you referring to Lord Sick Tiger?”

Bai Long sneered, “Loose-lipped, aren’t you? That just proves how clever you are.”

Chen Ji suddenly understood why Bai Long had repeatedly shown him goodwill and why Meng Ji had gone easy on him in the dream. It turned out someone had been protecting him all along… His master, Sick Tiger! And Mountain Lord, also a tiger!

Chen Ji spoke. “Lord Bai Long,” he said, “if I absolutely must save the Princess Consort, what should I do?”

Bai Long sighed. “You’ve given me an enormous problem. Chen Ji, that’s the grave crime of treason. Do you think His Majesty will spare the Jing King’s lineage?”

Chen Ji said in a low voice, “But the Jing King clearly had no intention of rebelling. This is a crime framed against him by others.”

Bai Long’s voice turned stern. “Once you leave this door, do not utter such arrogant words. You and I, in our positions, must be clear about our identities and think carefully before doing or saying anything. Don’t let anyone know you’re determined to save the Princess Consort. His Majesty wants her dead, and you want to protect her. Are you, too, planning treason?”

After a long silence, Chen Ji asked, “Why does His Majesty insist on the Jing King’s death?”

Bai Long sighed with emotion. “In the spring of the 23rd year of Jianing, the Thousand-Year Army returned victorious from suppressing the rebellion. In his joy, His Majesty rewarded the three armies. But those soldiers said they didn’t want the rewards; they only hoped His Majesty would spare the rebels.”

Chen Ji was startled. “Why is that?” he asked. “How could the Thousand-Year Army intercede for the rebels?”

Bai Long scoffed. “Simply because the Thousand-Year Army initially thought the rebels were ferocious bandits. But when they arrived in Cangzhou, they discovered they were all desperate tenants who couldn’t make a living. The Thousand-Year Army was strong and well-equipped, but they were being ordered to kill common people wielding hoes. How could they bear it? In that battle, many soldiers of the Thousand-Year Army cried as they killed, killing until their hearts died.”

Bai Long continued, “Thirty-seven generals of the Thousand-Year Army knelt outside the Right Gate of the Palace, pleading with His Majesty to withdraw the rewards and spare the rebels’ lives. His Majesty, in his fury, asked the Jing King what should be done. The King replied that those rebels truly did not deserve death.”

Chen Ji’s expression was unreadable. “And then?” he prompted.

“And then?” Bai Long reached out to catch a falling snowflake. “Then His Majesty withdrew the rewards and pardoned the rebels. To cover up the matter, he didn’t just pardon the rebels but used the pretext of discovering an auspicious omen to grant a general amnesty to the entire realm. From that day on, His Majesty and the Jing King were no longer of one mind.”

Chen Ji said softly, “But if the rebels were desperate common people, then they truly…”

Bai Long retorted, “Chen Ji, the rebels sought to overthrow the imperial court. If the Jing King said the rebels were not wrong, then who was wrong?”

It was His Majesty who was wrong. The Jing King’s fate seemed to have been sealed from that day on.

Bai Long then changed the topic. “The Princess Consort’s matter cannot be resolved now, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be resolved later. I’ll first help you save her life, confining her to a temple to live as a nun. We’ll discuss it again when circumstances change, how about that?”

Chen Ji suppressed his excitement. As long as her life was spared, there was still hope!

He once again cupped his fists and bowed deeply. “Many thanks, Lord Bai Long!” he exclaimed.

Bai Long shook off the melted snow from his hand. “Don’t be so quick to thank me,” he said. “When I was young, I also thought I could change everything. But later, I discovered that too many things must be sacrificed on this path. Chen Ji, once you embark on this road, there’s no turning back.”

Chen Ji stood, cupping his fists and bowing, his gaze fixed on his toes. Someone always has to pay the price, right?

He slowly straightened up and said firmly, “No turning back!”

Bai Long turned and cast a sidelong glance at him, then turned back to look at the night sky, sighing. “My lord, after all, cannot cut away that last shred of compassion in the world.”

Chen Ji, puzzled, asked, “What?”

Bai Long casually replied, “Nothing. Let’s go inside; I still have something to tell you.”