Chapter 45: Full Drink

At the head of the banquet, the Crown Prince and Princess Baili sat behind a table, merely listening to the conversations without interjecting. They whispered to each other, their topic unknown.

Chen Ji observed the various attendees at the literary gathering, feeling somewhat out of place, and wondered when Consort Jing would speak with him.

At this moment, Chunhua quietly approached him, bent down, and whispered, "My mistress asks you to come speak with her."

Chen Ji scanned the literary gathering, relieved to confirm that Consort Yun was not present.

Currently, before Consort Jing, he was an agent of the Secret Service, while before Consort Yun, he was an agent of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau—a situation that felt like walking a tightrope ten thousand meters in the air.

He stood up and followed Chunhua to a pavilion. Looking through the bamboo curtain, he could only discern Consort Jing's indistinct figure.

Chunhua withdrew, leaving only Chen Ji and Consort Jing inside and outside the pavilion, separated by a single curtain.

Consort Jing remained silent for a long time, and Chen Ji simply stood there, as if both were focused on attending the literary gathering.

After an unknown period, Consort Jing calmly asked, "Everyone says Liu Shiyu was forced to his death by the Secret Service. Why do you say he was killed to silence him?"

Chen Ji slowly replied, "I examined the body. Someone colluded with the inner prison guards to make his death appear as a suicide by hanging, but he was actually strangled to death. The Secret Service has a record of this matter that can be verified."

Consort Jing frowned, "How can I check the Secret Service's records? How do I know you're not trying to deceive me?"

Standing outside the pavilion, Chen Ji thought for a moment before speaking, "You actually know what I'm saying is the truth. Since the Liu family could send you that cup, they naturally wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Liu Shiyu's life. I'm just a small pawn working for the Secret Service. Consort Jing, your revenge shouldn't be directed at me."

Consort Jing said in a strained voice, "Don't think you can absolve yourself. Someone told me that if it weren't for you, the Secret Service wouldn't have found anything on Liu Shiyu! Since you had Chunhua convey a message to me, then tell me how I should exact my revenge, otherwise, you will die too!"

Chen Ji looked at the scholars and literati before him. While others discussed romantic topics and political ideals, he was in a different world, discussing life and death. "Madam, who is in charge of the Liu family in Luocheng now? Is it Liu Mingxian?"

Hearing that name, Consort Jing's tone clearly turned venomous. "It's him!"

There was a hint of madness in Consort Jing's suppressed voice. First, she lost her son, and the very next day, she lost her beloved nephew. The successive grief had pushed her to the brink of losing control.

Chen Ji inwardly praised Liu Mingxian's excellent acting; the night the other party surrounded the Zhou residence, he wore mourning clothes, his eyes red and his expression weary, looking every bit like a filial son. "How do you wish to retaliate?"

"I want him to die a terrible death!"

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief, the hatred now directed at Liu Mingxian. "When did he give you that cup?"

"In early spring!"

Chen Ji asked again, "At that time, he must have asked you to do something, and you refused, which is why he wanted to send you that cup to retaliate against you. I want to ask, what exactly did he entrust you with then?"

"Why are you asking this?"

Chen Ji replied, "If we don't know what he was trying to do, how can we retaliate against him?"

Consort Jing pondered for a moment. "At that time, one of the Prince's former subordinates was to be promoted to commander, taking charge of two thousand troops stationed at the Luocheng Imperial Workshop. Liu Mingxian wanted me, in the Prince's name, to help him contact this former subordinate..."

Chen Ji was startled.

Zhou Chengyi arranged for Cuihuan, the "thin horse," to get close to the Imperial Workshop, and Liu Mingxian's request to Consort Jing was also to get close to the commander stationed at the Imperial Workshop.

Why was the Imperial Workshop so important, requiring such elaborate efforts from both the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Liu family? And why did the Ning Dynasty's Imperial Workshop need two thousand elite soldiers stationed there?!

Wait.

Just now, a scholar mentioned that if Jing Dynasty cavalry approached Chongli Pass, the Ning Dynasty defenders could repel them with cannons and firearms.

A flash of insight connected all the clues in Chen Ji's mind: The Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau wanted the Ning Dynasty's secret formula for firearms manufacturing!

This was the "sincerity" the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau demanded from the Liu family!

And since the Liu family had already cooperated with Consort Yun and obtained the firearms, the cup was not simply about killing the child...

Consort Yun's condition for cooperation was likely for the Liu family to kill the disobedient Consort Jing and help her become the principal consort, as a token of allegiance.

Otherwise, why would Consort Yun side with the Liu family?

As he was deep in thought, Chen Ji heard someone at the banquet ask loudly, "Brother Wenzong, the Chen family has two outstanding talents, both looking poised to become top scholars in this year's provincial examinations. But I recently heard you have another younger brother; why have I never seen him?"

"That's not right. I recall my father once asking Uncle Chen how many children he had, and Uncle Chen said two sons and one daughter!"

Chen Ji looked up. His two elder legitimate brothers were like dragons among men, the focus of all the scholars, so their family matters naturally attracted attention.

The first person to ask about it questioned doubtfully, "Brother Wenzong, could I have misheard?"

Chen Wenxiao, who was nearby, spoke up, "Our younger brother has poor conduct, so our father considers that the Chen family has no such son."

A chubby man with a big head and large ears became interested. "Tell us more, is there some hidden story?"

Chen Wenzong glared at Chen Wenxiao. "This is a family disgrace, do not mention it again."

Chen Wenxiao, however, paid no mind and continued on his own, "My younger brother Chen Ji was addicted to brothels from a young age and a frequent visitor to the gambling houses in Red Clothes Lane. Three years ago, our father had planned for him to study at Donglin Academy as well, but unexpectedly, a gambling house came with an IOU demanding a gambling debt of a full six hundred taels!"

"What?"

"Six hundred taels!"

Chen Wenzong frowned, looking at Chen Wenxiao, "Stop talking. You're disgracing our family name and only providing others with a laughing stock!"

Chen Wenxiao casually picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "That brat has a terrible record; how can it be hidden? Brother, don't deceive yourself."

He looked at the crowd. "After our father learned of this, he ordered the steward to investigate with the household servants. It turned out he didn't just owe gambling debts to that one establishment, but to a total of six gambling houses in Red Clothes Lane. He owed money to every single one."

"And then?"

"Then? Our father immediately wanted to kill him, but our mother, being kind-hearted, stopped him, saying to find him a livelihood and let him fend for himself. Our mother first had him work as an assistant at a pharmacy, but later he complained that working at the pharmacy was too tiring and begged our mother to donate some money for him to become an apprentice at the Imperial Medical Academy. Now, his whereabouts are unknown."

Among the guests, someone lamented, "Tsk, tsk, to have a gambler emerge, truly a misfortune for the family."

But then, with a bang, She Dengke overturned a table and stood up, exclaiming, "Nonsense! Chen Ji is not like that! He's not a gambler, nor is he idle and gluttonous!"

Food scattered across the floor from the table, and wine splashed onto the scholars at the front table.

Everyone looked towards She Dengke. Chen Wenxiao, bewildered, looked at the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, who is this?"

The Crown Prince was also a bit confused. This was not someone he had invited.

She Dengke announced his identity, "I am She Dengke, an apprentice at the Imperial Medical Academy and a classmate of Chen Ji's for two years. He is definitely not the kind of person you described!"

Chen Wenxiao narrowed his eyes, "Chen Ji is my younger brother; naturally, I know him better."

She Dengke's face flushed with anger. "What do you know..."

"Dengke? Passed the imperial examination, became the top scholar? Hahaha!" Someone suddenly burst out laughing. "With such a grand name, why didn't you take the imperial examinations instead of becoming an apprentice at a medical academy?"

"And dressed in these plain clothes, how dare you come to a literary gathering?"

Liu Quxing also couldn't bear to listen anymore and immediately stood up, angrily saying, "What does what one wears have to do with a literary gathering? We've known Chen Ji for two years, and he is definitely not the kind of person you claim him to be."

"Oh, look at him, he's dressed quite respectably, but that cherry-patterned corrugated hat doesn't look like it's from Li Ji; it seems like a knock-off from a small workshop."

Liu Quxing was speechless; he had indeed bought a fake one to save money.

However, at this moment, Princess Baili stood up and asked loudly, "Did the academy teachers instruct you to judge people by their appearance like this? What he wears or does, what does that have to do with what he says? None of you have likely met this so-called Chen Ji, and neither have I, but for these two to risk their own reputations to speak up for him, in my opinion, he shouldn't be too bad."

The Crown Prince burst into laughter. "Baili makes a good point. Let me ask you all, if someone were to falsely accuse you outside, would anyone defend you? Do any of you have such friends by your side?"

With that, the Crown Prince actually raised his cup from afar towards She Dengke and Liu Quxing. "My admiration! Drink up!"