At the head of the banquet table sat the Heir Apparent and the Lord of Bai Li County. They sat behind their individual tables, merely listening to the crowd chatter, without inserting any words. The two whispered to each other, it was unclear what they were discussing.

Chen Ji looked at the expressions of all the people at this literary gathering and felt somewhat out of place. He also didn’t know when the Consort Jing would summon him to discuss matters.

At this moment, Chun Hua quietly approached him, bent low, and said in a hushed voice, “My lady invites you over to speak.”

Chen Ji surveyed the scene of the literary gathering, confirming that the Consort Yun had not come to participate, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Currently, he was a member of the Secret Spy Office in front of the Consort Jing, and a member of the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Office in front of the Consort Yun. It was quite like walking a tightrope tens of thousands of meters in the air, a tense feeling.

He rose and followed Chun Hua to a pavilion. He looked through the bamboo curtain and could only see the faint figure of the Consort Jing.

Chun Hua retreated, leaving only Chen Ji and the Consort Jing inside and outside this pavilion, separated by a curtain.

Consort Jing didn’t speak for a long time, and Chen Ji just stood there. The two seemed to have specially come to participate in the literary gathering.

After an unknown period of time, Consort Jing calmly asked, “Everyone says Liu Shi Yu was forced to death by the Secret Spy Office. Why do you say he died from being murdered to silence him?”

Chen Ji slowly replied, “I examined the body. Someone colluded with the inner palace guards to disguise his death as a hanging by self-strangulation, but he was actually strangled to death by someone. The Secret Spy Office has files on this matter that can be checked.”

Consort Jing frowned, “How can I check the Secret Spy Office’s files? How do I know you are not deceiving me?”

Chen Ji stood outside the pavilion, thought for a moment, and said, “You actually know what I say is the truth. Since the Liu family could send you that cup, they naturally wouldn’t be stingy with Liu Shi Yu’s life. I am just a small fry working for the Secret Spy Office. Consort Jing, your enmity shouldn’t be directed at me.”

Consort Jing said sternly, “Don’t think you can escape responsibility. Someone told me that if it weren’t for you, the Secret Spy Office wouldn’t have found a handle on Liu Shi Yu! Since you had Chun Hua bring word to me, then tell me how to take revenge, otherwise you too must die!”

Chen Ji looked at the literati and scholars in front of him. Others were discussing poetry, romance, and political ideals, while he was discussing life and death in another world. “Madam, who in the Liu family is currently in charge of important matters in Luo City? Is it Liu Xian Ming?”

Upon hearing this name, the resentment in Consort Jing’s tone clearly increased. “Exactly him!”

The suppressed tone of Consort Jing contained some madness. First losing her son, then the next day losing her close nephew, the successive grief had already brought her to the verge of losing control.

Chen Ji inwardly praised Liu Xian Ming’s good acting. The night he was surrounded at the Zhou residence, he wore mourning clothes and was in filial piety, his eyes were red, and his expression was tired. He looked like a devoted son in every way. “How do you want to take revenge?”

“I want him to die a horrible death!”

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief. The hatred had already been transferred to Liu Xian Ming. “When did he gift you that cup?”

“Early spring!”

Chen Ji asked again, “At that time, he must have asked you to do something, and you didn’t agree, so he wanted to send you that cup to get revenge on you. I want to ask, what exact matter did he entrust you with at that time?”

“Why are you asking these questions?”

Chen Ji replied, “If I don’t know what he wants to do, how can I take revenge on him?”

Consort Jing thought for a moment, “At that time, an old subordinate general of the Prince was promoted to commander and led two thousand soldiers to garrison the Luo City Imperial Workshop. Liu Xian Ming wanted me, using the Prince’s name, to help him contact that old subordinate…”

Chen Ji was startled for a moment.

Zhou Cheng Yi arranged for the ‘thin horse’ Cui Huan to approach the Imperial Workshop. Liu Xian Ming’s entrusted matter to Consort Jing was also to approach the commander leading the soldiers garrisoning the Imperial Workshop.

Why was the Imperial Workshop so important that the Military Intelligence Office and the Liu family had to put in so much effort? And why did the Imperial Workshop of the Ning Dynasty need two thousand elite soldiers to garrison it?!

Wait.

Earlier, a literatus had said that if Jing Dynasty cavalry approached Chong Li Pass, the Ning Dynasty garrison general could use cannons and firearms to strike back at the other side.

In Chen Ji’s mind, it was as if a line of light connected all the clues: the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Office wanted the secret formula for manufacturing firearms from the Ning Dynasty!

This was the condition the head of the Military Intelligence Office demanded from the Liu family!

And the Liu family had already cooperated with Consort Yun to obtain the firearms. That cup wasn’t just about wanting to kill the child…

Consort Yun’s condition for cooperation was probably that the Liu family kill the disobedient Consort Jing and help her become the principal consort as a pledge of allegiance.

Otherwise, how would Consort Yun stand on the Liu family’s side?

…

…

While thinking, Chen Ji heard someone at the table loudly ask, “Ask Zong, the Chen family has produced two outstanding talents. This year, both of them seem to have the potential to be the top scholar in the provincial exam. But earlier I heard you still have a younger brother, why have I never seen him?”

“That’s not right. I remember my father once asked Uncle Chen how many children he had at home. Uncle Chen said two sons and one daughter at that time!”

Chen Ji looked up. His two legitimate brothers were like dragons among men, the focus of the crowd of literati. Their family matters were naturally also receiving attention.

The person who first asked this question said doubtfully, “Ask Zong, could it be I heard incorrectly?”

Beside him, Chen Wen Xiao spoke up, “That younger brother of ours has a bad character, so our father treats him as if the Chen family doesn’t have him.”

The fat man with a big head and ears became interested, “How so? Could there be a hidden story?”

Chen Wen Zong glared at Chen Wen Xiao, “This is a family scandal, no need to mention it again.”

Chen Wen Xiao, however, didn’t care so much and said to himself, “That younger brother of mine, Chen Ji, indulged in pleasure houses from a young age and was a regular guest at the gambling house in Hong Yi Lane. Three years ago, our father originally planned to let him study at Dong Lin Academy as well, but unexpectedly, a gambling house came to demand gambling debts with an IOU, totaling over six hundred taels!”

“What?”

“Six hundred taels!”

Chen Wen Zong frowned and looked at Chen Wen Xiao, “Stop talking. It dirties the family’s reputation and only adds to others’ amusement!”

Chen Wen Xiao boldly picked up a wine cup and took a sip of wine, “That boy has done countless bad deeds. How can we hide them? Brother, don’t deceive yourself.”

He looked at the crowd, “After our father learned of this matter, he immediately wanted to beat him to death. It was my kind-hearted mother who stopped him a bit and said to find him a livelihood so he could live or die on his own. Mother first sent him to a pharmacy as an apprentice. Later, he thought being an apprentice at a pharmacy was too tiring, so he begged my mother again to donate some silver and send him to the Imperial Medical Bureau as an apprentice. Now, we don’t know where he is.”

At the table, someone sighed, “Tsk tsk, produced a gambler, truly a family misfortune.”

Suddenly, with a bang, She Deng Ke was seen overturning the table and standing up, “Nonsense! Chen Ji is not that kind of person. He is not a gambler, nor is he lazy or gluttonous!”

The food on the table scattered on the ground, and the wine also splashed on the literati at the front table.

The crowd looked towards She Deng Ke. Chen Wen Xiao looked at the Heir Apparent doubtfully, “Heir Apparent, who is this?”

The Heir Apparent was also a bit stunned. This wasn’t the person he invited.

She Deng Ke introduced himself, “I am She Deng Ke, an apprentice at the Imperial Medical Bureau, and I was in the same class as Chen Ji for two years. He is absolutely not the kind of person you say he is!”

Chen Wen Xiao narrowed his eyes, “Chen Ji is my younger brother. Of course, I understand him better.”

She Deng Ke’s face turned red with anger, “You understand…”

“Deng Ke? Achieving success through scholarship, top scholar and first? Hahaha!” Suddenly someone laughed, “With such an ambitious name, why not go participate in the imperial examination, but instead go to the medical bureau as an apprentice?”

“And with these coarse clothes, how is it appropriate to come to participate in a literary gathering?”

Liu Qu Xing couldn’t listen anymore either and immediately stood up angrily, “What does wearing clothes have to do with a literary gathering? We have known Chen Ji for two years, and he is absolutely not the kind of person you are saying he is.”

“Oh, you see he is indeed dressed quite properly, but I think that cherry hat doesn’t look like it was made by Li Record, but rather an imitation from a small workshop.”

Liu Qu Xing was speechless. He had indeed bought an imitation one because it was cheap.

At this moment, the Lord of Bai Li County stood up and loudly asked, “Are the academy teachers teaching you all to judge people by appearances like this? What he wears and what he does, what does it have to do with what he said? None of you should have seen that so-called Chen Ji, right? I haven’t seen him either, but these two people are willing to risk face to speak up for him. In my opinion, he shouldn’t be too bad.”

The Heir Apparent laughed heartily, “Bai Li has a point. Let me ask all of you, if someone slanders you outside, will there be one person who will defend you? Do you have such friends by your side?”

Saying this, the Heir Apparent actually raised his cup from a distance towards She Deng Ke and Liu Qu Xing, “Admirable, drink up!”