The sky was still dim, just before dawn.

At the intersection of two alleys, Chen Ji leaned against the north corner, and Si Cao Gui against the west. They spoke as if back-to-back, neither able to see the other. Though speaking this way felt awkward, it ensured that if anyone entered the alleys from outside, regardless of which alley they used, they would only ever see one person, never both.

Leaning against the green brick wall, Chen Ji hesitated for a long time before asking, “Did you encounter any dangers during your escape? Is Wu Hongbiao doing well? Has he returned?”

Si Cao Gui explained with a smile, “Piaozi and I fled south at the time. Along the way, we encountered seven interrogations by the Secret Directorate. We disguised ourselves as traveling merchants, lay in coffins, and even hid in night soil carts. If not for our vigilance, we might truly have perished on the way.”

He continued, “However, after we left Yuzhou, the Secret Directorate’s people became lax. We boarded a Canal Gang boat south to Yangzhou, then hurried non-stop to Qidong Port, where we took a smuggling merchant ship to Lushun. While we were fleeing, we thought every day that it would have been better to die in Luocheng. But once we reached Lushun, we felt the journey was worth it. You don’t need to worry about Piaozi; he’s doing very well.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “Was his sister rescued?”

Si Cao Gui said with interest, “What, are you still thinking about his sister? Forget about her. I saw her this time, and she looks exactly like Piaozi—plain and rather unattractive.”

Chen Ji laughed heartily, “I wasn’t thinking about her; I was just asking.”

The two chatted casually like old friends reunited after a long separation, as if they had forgotten the days of living by the sword and were not currently enduring great suffering.

After they finished laughing, Chen Ji slowly put away his smile and tentatively asked, “You finally managed to leave, so why did you come back?”

Just then, someone passed by from outside the alley. Si Cao Gui pulled down his bamboo hat and remained silent.

After the pedestrian left, he explained in a low voice, “Your uncle has been reinstated. This time, leveraging the intelligence failure in Luocheng and the military defeat in Guyuan, he managed to imprison his political rivals, Jiang Tan of the Military Strategy Bureau and Lu Guanwu of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and also secured the position of Deputy Privy Councilor. Now that the Military Strategy Bureau is under his command, I naturally had to return to continue serving the court.”

Chen Ji looked up at the gray sky. Although he had learned in Guyuan that there were signs of Lu Jin’s reinstatement, when he finally heard the news, he still felt a mix of complex emotions.

Si Cao Gui asked from around the corner, “Why are you silent?”

Chen Ji said with a smile, “I’m happy for my uncle… Does that mean I can return to the Jing Dynasty now?”

Si Cao Gui instinctively replied, “No.”

Chen Ji frowned, “Why not?”

Si Cao Gui explained, “Privy Councilor Yuan Cheng relies on the Emperor’s favor, so your uncle cannot move against him for the time being. There are many conflicts between your uncle and him; in the mere half-month before I came to the Ning Dynasty, your uncle experienced twelve assassination attempts. It might not be safe for you to return now, so he hopes you continue to stay in the Ning Dynasty.”

Si Cao Gui continued, “Moreover, the Military Intelligence Bureau had previously stagnated due to factional struggles, neglecting many important tasks. Now, you and I must help your uncle rectify the situation. Only when the Military Intelligence Bureau functions effectively can we prove to His Majesty that reinstating your uncle was the correct decision, leaving Yuan Cheng speechless.”

Chen Ji cautiously probed, “Okay… Since my uncle now controls the Military Intelligence Bureau, does that mean you are the Director of the Military Intelligence Bureau, now that you’ve returned?”

Si Cao Gui calmly replied, “No, the position of Director has not changed. A Si Cao is still a Si Cao, and the Director is still the Director.”

Chen Ji mused inwardly: Lu Guanwu has already been imprisoned, so why would Uncle Lu Jin still keep this Director? Was he unable to remove him?

At that moment, Si Cao Gui suddenly asked, “I heard you have already had two imperial audiences?”

Chen Ji’s heart froze. The joy of reuniting with an old friend vanished in an instant. What Si Cao Gui had just said was certainly not information that an ordinary person could know. There were only two possibilities: either he had infiltrated among high-ranking officials and extracted this information, or there were agents from the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Bureau hidden within the core of the Ning Dynasty.

Which one was it? It was the second. Si Cao Gui had previously fled back to the Jing Dynasty with Wu Hongbiao. Even if he had returned to the Ning Dynasty without delay, he would at most have arrived in the capital half a month before Chen Ji. In such a short time, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to approach a high-ranking official and gain their trust.

Chen Ji explained, “My imperial audiences were mere coincidences; I just happened to be someone else’s tool.”

Si Cao Gui then asked, “You previously connected with Yunyang and Jiaotu, so why didn’t you join the Secret Directorate?”

Chen Ji deliberated and replied, “Yunyang and Jiaotu burned their bridges and stole my credit. To prevent the truth from being exposed, they did everything they could to keep me out of the Secret Directorate.”

Si Cao Gui remained silent for a long time, his fingers rubbing the hilt of the dagger in his sleeve. Then he asked in a grave tone, “In Guyuan, why did you kill so many Heavenly Strategy soldiers?”

Chen Ji’s heart sank. The murderous intent from the other side was palpable, enough to make one’s hair stand on end even from around the corner. It had finally come. This was the question Si Cao Gui most wanted to ask, revealing that the Military Intelligence Bureau no longer trusted him. Moreover, Chen Ji was now even more certain that the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Bureau agents hidden within the Ning Dynasty’s core must be able to see the reports and victory dispatches from Guyuan—meaning their status was not low.

How should he answer? A slight misstep could lead to his death. If he answered incorrectly, let alone rescuing the Princess, he would be decapitated right then and there. Should he kill Si Cao Gui? Currently, only Si Cao Gui in the Ning Dynasty knew his identity. If he killed him, he could buy himself some more time. But this Si Cao Gui was a Great Executive Official in the Seeker Realm. Over a hundred secret agents couldn’t do anything to him, so how could Chen Ji possibly kill him?

He could only bite the bullet and try to deceive him.

“‘I did not kill Heavenly Strategy soldiers,’ Chen Ji slowly began to answer. ‘At that time, Yunyang and Jiaotu burned their bridges on me, but I narrowly escaped with my life and went to Guyuan with the Chen family. Later, in Guyuan, I seized the opportunity to connect with the Crown Prince. This was a rare chance to get close to the core of the Ning Dynasty, so I secretly investigated the border army’s false claims of achievements and killing of innocent civilians for him.'”

Chen Ji explained in a low voice, “‘At that time, Longmen Inn was attacked, and the hidden Great Executive Official by the Crown Prince’s side took action to kill the enemies. But the Crown Prince didn’t want to expose this official, so he credited all the achievements to me. At the same time, the Crown Prince also wanted to use this opportunity to win over Chen Liqin of the third branch of the Chen family, so he simply helped me secure a position as Right Guard of the Eastern Palace to gain public support. But the Guyuan border army did not show the Crown Prince respect, so Hu Junxian’s victory dispatch didn’t mention me at all. Because among all the victory dispatches and memorials, only the Crown Prince’s memorial mentioned my military achievements, the Ning Dynasty Emperor did not believe it and only gave me an eighth-rank Imperial Guard standard-bearer position… If I had truly killed that many Heavenly Strategy soldiers, I should at least be a sixth-rank official.'”

These words were half-truths; Hu Junxian’s victory dispatch and Chen Ji’s rank as a standard-bearer became his corroborating evidence. Chen Ji was only glad that in the Guyuan border army’s victory dispatches and memorials, only the Crown Prince had mentioned this matter; otherwise, there would have been no room for maneuver. However, Chen Ji’s words still contained many hidden risks: Chen Liqin, Chen Wenzong, Lady Liang, Zhang Xia, Zhang Zheng, Xiaoman, the Crown Prince, and Qi Zhenzhuo were all human witnesses. If even one of them told the truth, Si Cao Gui would know he was lying.

Chen Ji couldn’t afford to worry about such details. He could only bet that Si Cao Gui would temporarily be unable to verify with these people, and even if he did, Chen Ji could use “the Crown Prince ordered a gag order” as an excuse. Just drag it out for a while longer. He only needed to drag it out for a little longer.

From the other side of the corner, Si Cao Gui said in a deep voice, “Are you telling the truth?”

Chen Ji took a deep breath and confidently said, “Sir Si Cao, you know my capabilities. Do you think I could kill over a hundred Heavenly Strategy soldiers?”

Si Cao Gui couldn’t help but feel doubtful. Over a hundred Heavenly Strategy soldiers charging would force even a Seeker Realm Executive Official to retreat from their might. He didn’t know that Chen Ji that day had maintained a geographical advantage, had the continuous “furnace fire” from the Mountain Lord’s inheritance supporting his stamina, had even sacrificed one of his patterned stripes, and barely managed to survive with the help of Wuyun and Xiaoman. In the Crown Prince’s memorial, there was no mention of Wuyun or Xiaoman; it only stated that Chen Ji alone killed over a hundred Heavenly Strategy soldiers, which was inherently incredible. In Si Cao Gui’s impression, Chen Ji was not proficient in combat.

Si Cao Gui slowly said, “I believe you… Now, there’s something I need you to do.”

Chen Ji grew wary. “What is it?”

Si Cao Gui said, “I have something I need to deliver to the scribe of the Huittong Hall in Dongjiang Mi Alley. Currently, the area outside Huittong Hall is crawling with Ning Dynasty secret agents. An ordinary person approaching within ten zhang would attract their attention, but with your identity, you might be able to accomplish this.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Si Cao Gui nonchalantly said, “What, are you unwilling to do it?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “Whatever the command, I would naturally go through fire and water without hesitation. Sir Si Cao, what do you need me to hand over to that scribe?”

Si Cao Gui smiled. “I’ll place it on the ground. Count to twenty breaths, then come over and pick it up. Remember, do not look inside, and do not attempt to open it.”

Chen Ji silently counted twenty breaths before turning the corner. Si Cao Gui had already vanished. On the ground, a palm-sized wooden box lay quietly. The box was sealed with red wax, and Chen Ji didn’t know what was inside.

He tucked the wooden box into his sleeve, turned, and quickly left.

On the bustling Chang’an Avenue, Chen Ji, with a serious expression, dodged the constant flow of carriages and palanquins. Did Si Cao Gui believe his explanation? Certainly not. Chen Ji had dealt with Si Cao Gui before. The man was naturally suspicious and would never casually believe baseless words. Even though Chen Ji was Lu Jin’s nephew, Si Cao Gui had repeatedly suspected him while in Luocheng.

And for a significant figure returning to the Military Intelligence Bureau, facing a spy subordinate who had been out of contact for a long time, what would be the first thing to do? A loyalty test. Now, handing the wooden box from his sleeve to the Huittong Hall scribe was the Military Intelligence Bureau’s loyalty test for Chen Ji.

Chen Ji touched the wooden box in his sleeve, rubbing the wax seal on it. Should he risk giving the wooden box to the Huittong Hall scribe? Yes, he must. Should he try to break the wax seal and see what was inside? No.

Arriving before the main gate of the Imperial Guard Commander’s Manor, Chen Ji let out a long, turbid breath. Once his facial expression relaxed, he smiled and walked through the gate. As he stepped through the gate, a dull rumble of thunder suddenly sounded overhead. Chen Ji instinctively looked up, only to see dense dark clouds covering the capital sky. It was going to rain.

It was the thirty-second year of Jianing, and this was the capital’s first spring rain.