Chapter 372: Division Master

Constables from Shuntian Prefecture arrived, initially intending to arrest the people of Plum Blossom Ferry, but now found themselves unable to act.

Chen Bin led his men away from Plum Blossom Ferry, looking disheveled. Brother Pao cupped his hands to the onlookers, saying, "My apologies for the disturbance. All food and drinks today will be on the house, courtesy of Plum Blossom Ferry."

The onlookers erupted in cheers.

On the third floor of the Red Plum Pavilion, only Chen Ji and Chen Yue remained, seated opposite each other, with a singing girl playing a pipa a short distance away.

The atmosphere was bleak.

Chief Steward Chen Yue watched Chen Ji raise his wine cup to him. He hesitated for a long time before finally picking up his own cup.

Instead of drinking, he gently poured the wine onto the wooden floor of the Red Plum Pavilion.

Chen Ji smiled and asked, "Chief Steward, what is the meaning of this?"

Chen Yue placed the empty cup on the table and sighed softly. "A toast to myself in advance," he said, "otherwise, there'll be no wine to drink when I'm underground."

Chen Ji poured him another cup of wine. "Chief Steward," he asked, "do you have any regrets?"

Chen Yue stared at the cup for a long time, then smiled dismissively. "What is there for me to regret?" he asked.

Chen Ji remained silent.

Chen Yue rested his hands on his knees and turned his head, his gaze hazy as he looked at the moon outside the Red Plum Pavilion. "If I hadn't left my hometown and come to the capital all those years ago," he mused, "how would I have known such prosperous places existed, or that there were so many beautiful women in this world? I've enjoyed all the blessings I could, and committed all the sins I was destined to. There's truly nothing to regret."

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject. "Master," he asked, "do you know how I became the Chief Steward?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "I've never looked into it," he replied.

Chen Yue chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Of course," he said, "no one cares about these old, forgotten stories. When I was a young apprentice, I didn't even receive a monthly wage. I only got to eat after the clerks and managers had finished their meals each day; sometimes there was food, sometimes there wasn't. In the seventh year of Jianing, a heavy snow in the capital caused a salt warehouse to collapse. Seeing the meltwater about to seep into the salt stacks, I alone propped up the cracking wooden beams, acting as a human pillar, gaining three precious hours for the salt company."

"By the time they managed to save the salt, I was already frozen stiff. It took three days in bed to recover my life. The Chief Steward at the time, Chen Gui, praised my efforts in saving the salt and promoted me to warehouse supervisor."

"In the thirteenth year of Jianing, the Chen family's salt company fell into conflict with the Boat Gang. The Boat Gang sank several old ships in a shallow area, blocking our salt company's transport boats. The Chief Steward led men to negotiate, but a disagreement led to him also being detained by the Boat Gang. At that time, the Boat Gang, having aided the new emperor, was at the height of its power. They hung the Chief Steward's clerks from the mast, leaving them to freeze to death. No one in the salt company dared to speak a word."

"I was the one who went to the Boat Gang alone and knelt in the shallows for a day and a night. The Boat Gang leader, impressed by my loyalty and integrity, released Chief Steward Chen Gui. The following year, the Chief Steward promoted me to Second Steward."

Chen Ji asked with curiosity, "Then how did you become the Chief Steward?"

Chen Yue chuckled heartily. "In the twentieth year of Jianing," he explained, "I obtained evidence of the Chief Steward embezzling funds. Chief Steward Chen Gui was then beaten to death by the Second Master, and I became the new Chief Steward. Master, you can call me lacking in wit, or a despicable villain, but looking back at my thirty years, I wasn't entirely useless. I lost today, but I've also won before."

Chen Ji glanced at the wine cup in front of Chen Yue. "Now that you've told your story," he said, "drink a cup of wine before you leave."

Chen Yue picked up the cup and drained it. "Master," he said, "the private account book is buried under my stove at home. It contains evidence of all the salt company's stewards embezzling public funds and profiting from private salt."

Chen Ji looked puzzled. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked.

Chen Yue stood up, placing his hands on his corpulent belly. "For these past twelve years," he said, "I've been on guard day and night against those people trying to usurp my position. I haven't had a single good night's sleep. Now that I'm leaving, Master, you absolutely must not let them get away with it."

He walked towards the stairs, and as he passed the singing girl playing the pipa, he suddenly stopped.

Chen Yue removed a string of Buddhist coins from his wrist and handed it to her, whispering, "This is one thousand eight hundred taels of silver. Take it and leave the capital."

The singing girl took it, stunned. "You are...?" she murmured.

Chen Yue smiled. "A small person like me comes to the capital with nothing but my life," he said. "I brought nothing when I came, and I'll take nothing when I leave."

He turned back to Chen Ji. "Master," he said, "this capital is a dogfighting arena. Every day, defeated dogs arrive, and then defeated dogs leave. Today it is me, but next time it might be you."

With that, he turned and descended the stairs, slowly walking out of Plum Blossom Ferry and heading east along Baishun Alley.

At the alley entrance, Chen Yue felt a moment of disorientation, unsure where he should go.

At that moment, a carriage stopped in front of him. The official who usually accompanied Chen Lizhi calmly stated, "Get in, Steward Chen. The Second Master is waiting for you by the Mountain-River Altar."

Chen Yue chuckled self-deprecatingly, cast one last glance at the brightly lit Baishun Alley behind him, then laboriously climbed into the carriage. "Let's go," he said. "Those who arrive first might get to pick a good spot."

The night deepened.

The performance was over, and the crowd had dispersed.

Chen Ji sat in the Plum Blossom Pavilion, lost in thought. Brother Pao, seated opposite him, slowly packed his pipe, then mused with a lowered head, "It won't be until much later that people realize the most important thing in business isn't profit, but cash flow. If you have cash in your hands, you have power. If you don't, you're just prey in the market."

Chen Ji was still deep in thought.

Brother Pao waved his pipe in front of him. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Chen Ji snapped out of his trance and instructed, "Once we retrieve the Chen family salt company's private ledgers, we'll effectively have full control of the salt company. You will be the Chief Steward, and have Huang Que choose someone to be the Second Steward to manage the private salt business. With the Chen family's legitimate facade, private salt can operate openly."

The salt permits issued from Plum Blossom Ferry could only be used to collect salt from the fifty-nine salt fields of the Inner Court. However, these fifty-nine salt fields produced only thirty percent of the official salt fields' total output, which was far from sufficient.

To compensate, ninety percent of private salt would need to be mixed into the official salt for sale, using the official salt as leverage to control the entire salt industry of the Ning Dynasty.

Brother Pao took a puff from his pipe. "Don't worry," he said.

Chen Ji continued to instruct, "The money in the accounts cannot be moved freely. The Chen family's accounts are audited by Chen family members, and the Zhang family's accounts by Zhang family members. Our methods of making money must remain hidden beneath the surface. Also, I need your help to approach the Boat Gang; this is a crucial step."

Brother Pao exhaled a long stream of smoke. "I've been very curious lately," he said. "You seem to genuinely not care much for money. If it were anyone else, after acquiring such a large salt company and setting up this salt permit trading exchange, they'd be jumping for joy. But you don't seem particularly happy?"

Chen Ji smiled. "Of course I'm happy," he said. "How could I not be?"

Brother Pao raised his pipe and looked into the distance. "Happiness can't be faked," he said. "Is it because you've acquired blood-stained chips? Don't overthink it. In this world, the hardest thing isn't killing, but kindness. A soft-hearted person is an unfortunate one."

Chen Ji stood up and walked away. "Don't worry," he said, "I'm not soft-hearted. The reason I'm not overly happy is simply that making money isn't my ultimate goal. What I need to accomplish has only reached its second step; there are still nine hundred and ninety-eight more steps to go."

Brother Pao looked puzzled. "What exactly do you intend to do?" he asked.

Chen Ji waved his hand without looking back. "It's better if Brother Pao doesn't know," he said. "I probably won't be coming to Plum Blossom Ferry for a while; I have other matters to attend to."

He left Plum Blossom Ferry through the back door. Si Cao Gui had already set up the footstool and used a Xiangfei bamboo stick to lift the carriage curtain for him. "Young Master," he said, "please get in."

Chen Ji climbed into the carriage, which then slowly began to move.

They both remained silent, and Si Cao Gui didn't utter a word until they had passed through Zhengyang Gate.

Chen Ji gently opened a small slit in the carriage curtain and looked at Si Cao Gui's unyielding back. "Master Si Cao," he asked, "why aren't you urging me on today?"

Si Cao Gui remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "From now on, I likely won't need to urge you," he said. "After watching you set up the trap to eliminate the salt company's stewards tonight, I suddenly realized this is something I might never be able to do in my life. Since I cannot accomplish it myself, I have no right to dictate to you any further."

Chen Ji was somewhat surprised.

Si Cao Gui leaned back against the carriage's exterior, gazing at the prosperous night view of the capital. "As I told you before," he said, "as long as you do what benefits the Jing Dynasty, I wouldn't mind being your blade. Now you have proven your wisdom is far superior to mine. From now on, you don't need to listen to me; I will listen to you instead."

Chen Ji was even more surprised by this.

Si Cao Gui countered, "What, do you think I'm joking with you?"

Chen Ji smiled. "No," he replied, "Master Si Cao is meticulous in his work; he would never joke so casually."

"Power is useless to me," Si Cao Gui continued. "Whoever can uphold the foundation of our Jing Dynasty should wield great power. Just as we supported your uncle in replacing those complacent nobles, it wasn't that your uncle needed us, but that we needed your uncle. Now that you have proven yourself, I should listen to you."

Si Cao Gui's tone then shifted. "However," he warned, "if I ever discover that you've done something that betrays the Jing Dynasty, or harbor any selfish motives, do not blame me for turning ruthless."

Chen Ji leaned his head against the carriage wall and closed his eyes. "Rest assured, Master Si Cao," he said, "your humble servant will naturally do his utmost."

Si Cao Gui sighed lightly. "Before coming to the Ning Dynasty," he reflected, "your uncle was still worried about finding a suitable Commander, as there was no one available. But now, I actually feel there is a worthy successor. It's a pity I cannot convey what happened here back to the Jing Dynasty at this moment, lest the message be intercepted and your identity discovered. Otherwise, your uncle would surely be delighted to learn of your accomplishments."

Chen Ji's heart stirred. "Does my uncle no longer have any strategists under him?" he asked.

Si Cao Gui answered casually, "Your uncle has many talented individuals under him, including courageous warriors and brilliant military strategists. However, the Military Intelligence Bureau is not a conventional military unit; mere courage and strategic prowess are not enough for such a significant responsibility. One must possess extraordinary patience and endurance, as well as exceptional adaptability and acting skills, to deceive the Ning Dynasty's eunuch faction. While I detest the Secret Police's Twelve Zodiacs, there are a few among them whom we genuinely fear."

Chen Ji asked with curiosity, "Which ones?"

Si Cao Gui recalled, "Dream Rooster is one. This person practices the 'Dream God' official path; his interrogation methods are incredibly mystical and impossible to guard against. Anyone caught by him could potentially reveal all their contacts through dreams. It was this individual who forced our Military Intelligence Bureau to adopt single-line contact methods, compelling us to be even more cautious."

"Golden Boar is the second. This person is incredibly meticulous and skilled at setting traps. Even a slight oversight will lead to them seizing a weakness, and they have captured many of our agents."

"Dark Serpent is the third. This person practices the 'Minor Celestial Five Decays' official path and is also a master of criminal justice, exceptionally skilled at tracking and apprehension. When I was in Jinling previously, I was ambushed by this individual and barely escaped with my life."

Si Cao Gui suddenly added, "But the most troublesome one is White Dragon. This person is a grave concern for our Jing Dynasty; if an opportunity arises, it would be worth sacrificing ten of my lives to eliminate him."

For some reason, Chen Ji didn't want the White Dragon to die.

Although he didn't know who the White Dragon was, he vaguely felt that this new White Dragon must be very important to him.

He immediately changed the subject. "Are there no Bright Rabbit, Cloud Sheep, or Heavenly Horse?" he asked. "What about the other zodiacs?"

Si Cao Gui replied, "Bright Rabbit pretends to be foolish, Cloud Sheep is genuinely foolish, and there's also Treasure Monkey, who is cunning like a ghost. These three have always served as the Poison Minister's blades for eliminating internal rebels within the Ning Dynasty and typically do not interact with our Military Intelligence Bureau. Mountain Ox is said to constantly guard the Jiefan Tower, ensuring no one dares to easily spy on the inner palace. As for Heavenly Horse, he obeys only the Poison Minister, doing whatever he is told. Imprisoned Rat manages all the Ning Dynasty's inner prisons, and everyone who has seen her has died. Corpse Dog digs graves, seemingly searching for some secret; we don't provoke him, and he doesn't provoke us..."

Chen Ji suddenly asked softly, "What about Sick Tiger?"

Si Cao Gui appeared to hesitate.

Chen Ji pressed him. "Sick Tiger is one of the top three zodiacs, so he must be very difficult to deal with, right? Has he done anything noteworthy?"

Si Cao Gui replied gravely, "The name Sick Tiger has always existed only in legend. No one has ever seen him, and no one has ever dealt with him."

Chen Ji looked puzzled. "He doesn't work for the Secret Police?" he asked.

"No," Si Cao Gui took a deep breath. "A skilled warrior wins without spectacular feats, and a great healer cures without widespread renown. It is precisely because the Military Intelligence Bureau knows nothing about this person that his terror is confirmed. Someone must have seen him and dealt with him, but even if he stood right in front of you, you wouldn't know he was Sick Tiger. That is what makes him truly lethal."

Chen Ji changed the subject. "Why doesn't my uncle let you be the Commander?" he asked.

Si Cao Gui smiled. "I am merely a military man," he said. "In your uncle's words, I can be a fierce soldier in the Flag Guard Camp, but the character for 'commander' on that grand military flag will never be my surname. Therefore, I cannot be the Commander."

Chen Ji looked puzzled. "Who is the current Commander?" he asked.

Si Cao Gui shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "Currently, only your uncle knows who the Commander is. I only know the identities of Si Cao Jia, Si Cao Yi, Si Cao Ding, and Si Cao Xin. Si Cao Xin is already dead; he was Steward Yuan, who died in Luocheng. Si Cao Yi was Lu Guanwu's man, and I personally eliminated him."

Chen Ji peered out through the slit in the carriage curtain, cautiously probing, "Is Si Cao Jia the spy code-named Long Whale?"

Si Cao Gui became wary. "Why are you asking about this?" he said. "This is not yet something you should be inquiring about."

Chen Ji smiled. "Just now, Master Si Cao said he would listen to me," he pointed out. "But if I don't know who within the Military Intelligence Bureau can cooperate with me, how can I formulate plans and strategies?"

Si Cao Gui's tone softened. "The identities of Si Cao Jia and Si Cao Ding are too sensitive; I cannot tell you just yet," he explained. "Wait a little longer. They are undertaking something extremely important, and you will learn their identities at the opportune moment."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment. "Is the Commander my uncle's person, or someone loyal to the former military strategist Lu Guanwu?" he asked.

Si Cao Gui shook his head again. "Neither," he answered. "When Lu Guanwu's people were conducting their purges earlier, he remained hidden in the south and did not participate; otherwise, your uncle would not have tolerated him. Now, he has managed the southern Military Intelligence Bureau exceptionally well, and Si Cao Bing, Si Cao Geng, and Si Cao Ren are fiercely loyal to him. Your uncle also finds it difficult to remove him, but sooner or later, a way must be found to replace him with one of our own."

Si Cao Gui smiled. "If you become the Commander then," he remarked, "I can serve dutifully as a Si Cao under your command."

Commander, he mused...

Chen Ji closed his eyes once more.