Chapter 339: Escape

Thick smoke billowed through Chessboard Street and Dongjiang Rice Lane, the arsenic mixed in the bamboo tubes so acrid that it made everyone's eyes sting shut. Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, hiding in the smoke. He didn't rashly approach the Huichong Inn, instead leaning quietly to the side, waiting with his eyes closed. He was waiting for the Five City Military and Horse Division to be dispatched.

In the white smoke, sedan chair bearers, scribes, and high-ranking officials, who had just finished their shifts, were choked and disoriented. Everyone squinted, struggling to make out their surroundings. Shopkeepers rushed out from street-side taverns, some shouting, "Fire! Help!"

"Where are the fire brigades? Where are the fire soldiers of the Five City Military and Horse Division?""Quick, get the water bladders!"

The capital was dry, and hundreds of fire incidents occurred annually. Minor fires would destroy a single house, while major ones could raze an entire row. Chessboard Street, being the busiest area in the inner city, saw merchants collectively establish "Water Cabinet Workshops." These workshops stored cowhide water bags, each capable of holding three *shi* of water. Merchants also paid "fire protection money" to the Five City Military and Horse Division each month. Failure to pay meant the division would stand by idly during a fire; payment ensured their homes would be prioritized. Thus, upon any fire, the Five City Military and Horse Division would always prioritize putting it out.

Chen Ji closed his eyes, listening as the sounds of running footsteps and rustling armor receded. The nearby Five City Military and Horse Division had turned to retrieve the stored cowhide water bags from the "Water Cabinet Workshops." Though the Five City Military and Horse Division had been diverted, Chen Ji remained still. This time, he had to wait for the Secret Directorate to leave.

Just then, the cinnabar in the bamboo tubes finally ignited, and the billowing white smoke instantly turned red. Street residents, seeing the crimson haze spread, cried out in unison, terrified: "Monsters! It's monsters!"

"Demons are wreaking havoc in the capital!""The Planet of Misfortune has descended!"

Someone suddenly shouted from within the dense fog: "No, this could be an assassination attempt! Assistant Minister of Rites Chen Lizhi is here; protect the Minister!"

"Protect Assistant Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Works!""Protect the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Personnel!"

Hearing this, even the secret agents outside the Huichong Inn exchanged glances. Someone whispered, "Should we go check?"

"Check what? Our duty is to watch these Goryeo envoys. Don't go looking for excitement."

Another secret agent angrily retorted, "What's there to see? Offices have just closed, and half of the scribes and high-ranking officials from the Six Ministries are out on this street. If an official were to be assassinated by a Jing Dynasty spy right under our noses, you and I could both be sent to Lingnan to fish and dry salt!"

"Let's go!"

More than twenty secret agents divided their forces, sending half to investigate. Chen Ji's mind settled slightly; it was precisely as he had expected. Earlier, Chen Ji, infected by Si Cao Kui's tension, had assumed the Secret Directorate's blockade of the Huichong Inn was to guard against Jing Dynasty military intelligence spies. But upon reconsideration, he realized that Si Cao Kui had merely tensed up at the sight of the secret agents, having misinterpreted the Secret Directorate's true intentions.

Chen Ji knew well that the Goryeo envoy assassination case had long been ruled a suicide, entirely unrelated to the Jing Dynasty. It was merely a tactic the envoys used to coerce the Celestial Empire, and even the Goryeo crown prince had confessed to it. After the incident, the imperial court had ordered them not to leave the Huichong Inn, yet they hadn't been convicted. Far from it, court officials were still debating daily whether to send military aid: who would lead the troops, and which battalion would be dispatched? Ultimately, the Goryeo envoys were not criminals but rather subjects of a vassal state. Would Jing Dynasty spies collude with Goryeo envoys? Unlikely, as the two sides harbored national and familial grievances, rendering reconciliation impossible. Would Jing Dynasty spies assassinate Goryeo envoys? No, because if the Goryeo crown prince were truly killed within the Ning Dynasty, the Ning Dynasty would undoubtedly come to Goryeo's aid. Therefore, the secret agents were merely present to prevent the Goryeo envoys from lobbying or bribing court officials, and to stop them from taking further extreme actions. They were not guarding against the Jing Dynasty's military intelligence. Thus, when high-ranking officials and envoys from smaller states simultaneously faced danger, the Secret Directorate's first priority would undoubtedly be to protect the high-ranking officials.

Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose, squinting his eyes and intently watching Dongjiang Rice Lane. There should have been only seven or eight secret agents left outside the Huichong Inn... but it was still not the right moment. At that moment, thick smoke billowed from the second floor of the Huichong Inn, and panicked Goryeo cries in their language could be heard from the windows. Hundreds of Goryeo envoys rushed out of the Huichong Inn in a frenzied mass. Some secret agents drew their swords and shouted, "Go back! The Emperor has decreed that you are not allowed to leave the Huichong Inn without permission!" But given the urgency of the fire within the building, how could a few secret agents possibly hold them back? Seeing the smoke inside grow increasingly thick, until the white haze turned crimson, the Goryeo envoys immediately pushed and shoved each other, surging outwards and mingling with the street residents, sedan chair bearers, merchants, scribes, and officials.

Chen Ji quickly scanned the crowd, searching for the scribe's figure. During his investigation into the Goryeo envoy suicide case, he had requested the Huichong Inn's registration records from that middle-aged scribe, so recognizing him wouldn't be difficult... He found him.

Chen Ji finally moved. Amidst the chaos, covering his mouth and nose, he passed by the scribe, their shoulders brushing. As they parted, the scribe looked down at the small wooden box slipped into his hand. By the time he looked up again to find Chen Ji, Chen Ji had already blended into the crowd.

The item had been successfully delivered, but Chen Ji was not in a hurry to escape. He knew that someone outside Dongjiang Rice Lane was certainly observing, and anyone eager to leave would undoubtedly be noted. Chen Ji knew that the commotion here would certainly alert the Secret Directorate and the Jiefan Guard, but they might not be the first to arrive.

The thick smoke from the bamboo tubes dissipated after only about half a stick of incense, leaving hundreds of people bewildered on the long street. Some held wooden buckets, unsure where to douse the water. No fire. All the buildings were completely intact.

Before anyone could depart, dense footsteps echoed from afar. Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose and turned to look, only to see Wu Xuange, the newly appointed Commander of the Imperial Guards, rushing over with over two hundred Left Xiao Guard Imperial Guards. They hadn't even had time to change into their silver armor. Compared to the Secret Directorate and the Jiefan Guard, the Imperial Guards were the closest imperial troops. The Right Xiao Guard had finished their shift and returned home by *shenshi*, but Wu Xuange had kept the Left Xiao Guard at the Commander's Office. Therefore, they were certain to be the first to arrive.

Wu Xuange stood in the middle of the long street and declared loudly, "No one is allowed to leave before the truth is ascertained! Imperial Guards, heed my command: seal off all alley entrances! If anyone trespasses, kill them without mercy!" As the Imperial Guards moved through the long street, Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose, lowering his head and coughing. He only eased his cough after they had passed.

In an instant, the Imperial Guards divided into more than ten teams, completely sealing off Dongjiang Rice Lane, Sanguan Temple Alley, and Yuhe Bridge. A sedan chair bearer, carrying a sedan chair, attempted to leave Dongjiang Rice Lane via Yuhe Bridge but was stopped by the Imperial Guards. A young servant beside the sedan chair angrily retorted, "Do you know who is in this sedan chair? Is Assistant Minister of Rites Chen Lizhi, Minister Chen, someone you can just stop? Move aside!" The Imperial Guards hesitated; the Assistant Minister of Rites held an extremely high position. But Wu Xuange arrived and angrily rebuked the Imperial Guards: "Can't you even understand military orders? I said no one is allowed to leave before the truth is ascertained! Not even the Assistant Minister of Rites, much less the Minister of Rites, is an exception!"

Inside the sedan chair, Chen Lizhi used a bamboo cane to lift the curtain, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief as he looked out. "I was wondering which grand general was making such a fuss," he drawled, "turns out it's Wu Xiu's paternal younger cousin. No wonder you don't even have respect for high-ranking officials."

Wu Xuange ignored the sarcastic tone, merely cupping his fists and stating, "Minister Chen, someone in the capital has deliberately started a fire and perpetrated a disaster. No matter how this matter is discussed, even before the Emperor, I will be in the right."

Chen Lizhi lowered the sedan curtain. "Do as you see fit," he said.

At that moment, an Imperial Guard came to Wu Xuange's side and whispered, "Sir, the high-ranking officials and scribes are all unharmed; no one was assassinated." Wu Xuange frowned, muttering to himself, "Everyone is unharmed. So, what was the perpetrator's intention? Could it have been an attempt at theft?" Another Imperial Guard approached Wu Xuange, holding two scorched bamboo tubes. "Sir," he said, "we've found the source of the smoke." Wu Xuange took the bamboo tubes, brought them to his nose, and sniffed. His expression immediately changed. "Saltpeter? Sulfur?" he exclaimed. "Quick, continue searching! See if there are any other suspicious objects!"

Saltpeter and sulfur were not uncommon, and the smoke-emitting method used in these bamboo tubes was vastly inferior to military firearms, differing immensely in power. The Ning Dynasty had twelve households of fireworks artisans who could produce imperial tribute fireworks such as "Nine-Linked Lamps" and "Hundred-Son Cannons." The Directorate of Palace Eunuchs could also create elaborate frame fireworks like "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea." Furthermore, the Li family of Medicine Kings in Jizhou, the Nie clan's firecrackers in Wanzai, Jiangzhou, and the Tiger Hill Fireworks Society in Suzhou all possessed "fire permits" to purchase saltpeter and sulfur, with each permit limiting purchases to one hundred *jin* of saltpeter. Each of these families also had the skill to craft such items, so it was not particularly difficult. However, in this capital region, any incident involving saltpeter and sulfur would inevitably trigger a thorough investigation from top to bottom, with all sources of both substances meticulously traced. This was a major taboo, even more forbidden than the use of bows and crossbows.

While Wu Xuange was pondering, another Imperial Guard brought him an object: a palm-sized wooden box. He glanced at it. "What's this for?" he asked. No sooner had he spoken than a thin voice from behind him stated, "Gentlemen, the Imperial Guards need not trouble themselves here. Let my Secret Directorate handle this, lest someone cries 'thief' while being the culprit themselves." The voice was not loud, yet it seemed to pierce eardrums, causing the entire street to fall silent.

Black Serpent.

Wu Xuange turned and said in a deep voice, "Black Serpent? Some things cannot be said so carelessly. My Imperial Guards have just arrived here; how can you claim we are 'thieves crying thief'? We are here for the safety of the capital region. If you cannot provide evidence and instead make false accusations, I will take this matter before the Emperor to seek justice."

Black Serpent's slender, narrow eyes were like two willow leaf sabers, seemingly poised to cut into one's skin. Entirely shrouded in a black great cloak, he sized up Wu Xuange, then smiled faintly. "I was wondering who dared speak to me like that," he said, "turns out it's General Wu. What, do you imagine Wu Xiu's backing allows you to parade before the Emperor? Don't keep demanding to seek justice from His Majesty; he's busy with his spiritual cultivation and has no time to play the benevolent judge for you."

"'Minister Wu, I know you're trying to gain credit for Wu Xiu,' Black Serpent said, glancing at the bamboo tubes in the Imperial Guard's hand. 'But someone here has used firearms, which constitutes a major treason case, possibly linked to the Jing Dynasty military intelligence. This falls under the jurisdiction of my Secret Directorate; even Wu Xiu's Jiefan Guard would have to step aside. General Wu, please return.'"

Wu Xuange's square face shifted expressions several times before he finally sneered, "Then let's see if you can find the culprit."

Just then, Black Serpent's gaze suddenly swept to the wooden box in the Imperial Guard's hand. "What is this?" he demanded sharply. The Imperial Guard paused. "This is a wooden box we found on the street," he explained, "we don't know who discarded it." Before he knew it, Black Serpent was in front of him, snatching the wooden box from his hand. As if oblivious to others, Black Serpent raised the wooden box to his eyes. "It has a wax seal!" he exclaimed. He opened it, only to find the wooden box empty.

Black Serpent suddenly turned, his gaze sweeping over every face on the long street. "Not for murder, not for arson," he mused aloud, "it must have been to deliver this item... But to whom were you trying to send it? Such painstaking effort surely means it was intended for someone you couldn't normally contact." At this point, his gaze locked onto the Goryeo envoys. "Search them," he commanded. "Detain those Goryeo envoys and search them one by one according to the registration list!"

A secret agent whispered, "Sir, should we search the Goryeo crown prince?" Black Serpent sneered, "What crown prince? He's merely a subject of a small vassal state. Search him!" Hundreds of secret agents swarmed the Goryeo envoys, arresting them all and escorting them back to the Huichong Inn for a thorough body search.

A moment later, a secret agent reported, "Sir, we've searched every conceivable hiding place, and found nothing." Black Serpent frowned. Wu Xuange, seeing Black Serpent's initial certainty now lead to naught, immediately let out a hearty laugh. "Sir Black Serpent, you may take your time investigating here," he announced. "We are returning to camp!" With that, he turned and walked west.

Black Serpent said coldly, "Did I tell you to leave?" The secret agents all drew their swords, blocking Wu Xuange's path. Wu Xuange turned back, spreading his arms. "What, Sir Black Serpent, do you intend to search this general as well?" he challenged. "My Imperial Guards only arrived in Dongjiang Rice Lane after the smoke had cleared, and we have no connection to this matter. If you find nothing, do not blame me when I impeach you!" Black Serpent narrowed his eyes. "Originally, I didn't intend to search you," he said, "but now I insist. Search him!" The secret agents took a step forward. Wu Xuange angrily shouted, "Draw swords! Face the enemy!" The secret agents and Imperial Guards were at daggers drawn, confronting each other across the long street.

Just then, a voice floated lightly through the air. "The culprit hasn't been found yet, and the Imperial Guards intend to feud with my Secret Directorate?" it said. "Could it be that you are truly abetting the real perpetrator?"

Wu Xuange turned, his heart suddenly chilling. He quickly cupped his fists and said, "Sir White Dragon, it is not that we intentionally wish to be enemies with the Secret Directorate, but rather that this Black Serpent is far too arrogant and overbearing." The secret agents parted, creating a path. White Dragon, wearing a white dragon-patterned mask and dressed in white, walked between the Imperial Guards and the secret agents. He glanced askance at Black Serpent, then at the Imperial Guards, before waving a hand at his agents. "Let them go," he instructed, "but remember to check their identification tokens one by one. No one is allowed to leave except the Imperial Guards." The secret agents, without glancing at Black Serpent's expression, quickly responded, "Yes." Wu Xuange led the two hundred Left Xiao Guard Imperial Guards, each displaying their identification tokens. Only then did they swagger away without looking back.

White Dragon looked at Black Serpent. "I just found a bamboo tube on the second floor of the Huichong Inn," he said. "Your guess was correct; the culprit was indeed targeting the Goryeo envoys. However, I don't know what was in that wooden box. Arrange for your men to reside in the Huichong Inn and closely monitor everyone's movements, so the culprit doesn't get another opportunity." Black Serpent cupped his hands. "Yes," he replied. White Dragon looked down at the humble Black Serpent before him and smiled. "I know you wish to contend for the top three positions left vacant by the Sick Tiger," he said, "but don't be impatient. Haste will not lead to great accomplishments." Feeling White Dragon's oppressive presence, Black Serpent bowed even lower. "This humble subordinate understands," he replied.

Meanwhile, after Wu Xuange and his men had walked for dozens of yards, Chen Ji approached two blocking secret agents and displayed his identification token. The agents glanced at it, then waved him past impatiently. Chen Ji moved through the crowd, following behind the Imperial Guards for several dozen paces before turning into an alley. He walked calmly through the narrow, dim alley, gently patting dust from his clothes. He knew the capital was about to plunge into chaos. As long as saltpeter and sulfur were involved, the Secret Directorate would undoubtedly turn the city upside down. Even if Si Cao Kui possessed immense courage, he would undoubtedly choose to lie low for a while; the entire military intelligence agency might have to go silent. Chen Ji let out a long breath. Si Cao Kui would come looking for him again, sooner or later, but before that, he still had many things to do.