Chapter 102 Betting on Life
In a small noodle stall in East Market at midnight, in front of a shiny wooden table, Chen Ji lowered his head and shoveled the hot beef noodles into his mouth, saving the only two pieces of beef in the bowl for last.

Sitting across from the wooden table, Jin Zhu sighed, "You and Tianma have two completely different personalities. He always eats the beef in the bowl first, not caring whether the white flour behind it still has any taste. Your personality is not suitable for the martial arts world, because you don't live happily enough."

Chen Ji uttered an "oh" and finished his noodles. He put the last piece of beef into his mouth and looked at the half bowl of beef noodles left in front of Jin Zhu: "Didn't Master Jin Zhu say that he loved beef noodles the most when he was young?"

"But I'm not young anymore," Jin Zhu said with a smile, "After the matter is done, I will also invite you to Yingxian Tower for a meal. You can eat whatever you want."

"No, simple food and drink will suffice."

Jin Zhu gradually stopped smiling: "I've finished my noodles and I'm warm now. Now tell me, what did you write on the note you gave to Liu Mingxian?"

Chen Ji wiped his mouth with the back of his hand: "I asked him to meet me under the Peony Bridge at dawn."

Jin Zhu was puzzled: "Why did you ask him out?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "Ask him if he has any connection with Jing Dynasty spies."

Golden Pig:"……"

Chen Ji laughed, stood up and walked out: "You are kidding, how can I directly ask someone's identity. Let's go, sir, we still have to get to Mudan Bridge before dawn."

Outside the noodle stall, an old man was walking towards us carrying a shoulder pole. On the pole were two wooden boxes hung one in front and one behind. On the wooden boxes were a row of thin wooden masks with monkeys, pigs, rabbits and sheep carved on them, which looked very lifelike.

A group of children gathered around the carrying pole, pulling their parents' hands to buy a mask, but were stopped by their parents.

Chen Ji walked up and picked up two masks: "Old man, how much are the masks for?"

The old man put down his pole and replied with a smile, "Twenty cents each."

Chen Ji took two, a rabbit and a sheep, but was held down by the golden pig's wrist.

Jin Zhu changed his own face into an ox face, and changed Chen Ji's face into a tiger face: "It's unlucky to wear a rabbit or sheep face, wear a tiger face for good luck. I wish you a quick rise to the top and take over the position of Master Binghu."

Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Master Jinzhu, aren't you afraid that I'll seek revenge on you after I become one of the top three? A few hours ago, you hung me on the roof."

"When you reach that position, you will naturally understand that interests are eternal," Jin Zhu patted Chen Ji's shoulder and said jokingly, "Master Chen Ji, please spare my life when the time comes. I will be useful to you. Let's go."

Chen Ji turned around, glanced at the Yingxian Tower which was still splendid in the distance, then turned and walked into the night.

……

……

It was the hour of Yin, before daybreak.

Lights were lit in a courtyard near the Mudan Bridge. A servant holding a lantern hurried through the moon gate in the courtyard and came to the door of a bedroom, calling out, "Second Master, Second Master, it's time."

A voice came from the room: "Got it."

Deep inside the house, two beautiful concubines in satin pajamas lifted the curtains of the step-out bed from the left and right.

Liu Mingxian got out of bed and opened his arms, letting his concubine put clothes on him. He calmly asked outside the door: "Have the three guests from Yanshi arrived?"

"Reporting to the Second Master, they have arrived and are waiting by the carriage."

Liu Mingxian was dressed neatly and walked out calmly.

When he crossed the threshold, he said lightly, "Reward."

The servant took out two gold bars from his purse and threw them on the floor. The two beautiful concubines hurriedly knelt in front of the door and watched Liu Mingxian leave.

When he arrived at the door, Liu Mingxian bowed to the three Liu family servants and said, "Thank you for your hard work today. Someone will deliver your rewards to your residence tomorrow."

A skinny old man laughed dryly, with a mountain flower ghost coin painted with cinnabar hanging on a red string around his waist: "You are too polite, sir. It is my duty. The elder has instructed me to protect you."

Liu Mingxian smiled and asked, "How is my father these days?"

The old man replied: "The elder has been in mourning at the ancestral cemetery and has never come out."

Since the founding of the Ning Dynasty, if the parents of court officials died during their tenure, they had to resign and return to their ancestral hometown to observe mourning for their parents for 27 months.

During this period, you have to eat, live and sleep in front of your parents' graves, and you are not allowed to drink alcohol, take a bath, shave your head or change clothes.

Now Liu Gun has resigned from the post of Minister of Personnel and lived in the Liu family's ancestral mausoleum.

Liu Mingxian said nonchalantly, "Since you three have come to work for me, you can settle down in the city. Mr. Feng will be enough to look after my father."

A muscular man on the side whispered, "As you command..."

Liu Mingxian looked at the man in front of him and asked with a smile: "Brother Xu Can, after you two came back from the border army, did you miss the scenery of the border town?"

The man named Xu Can bowed and said, "Life in the border towns is very hard. We have to sleep in the open air and be on guard every day. It's not as comfortable as in Luocheng. We have to thank the elder for his respect for us two brothers and for giving us a meal."

Liu Mingxian smiled and said, "You will understand in the future that following my Liu family will only bring benefits, not harm."

The old man quickly smiled flatteringly: "I understand, I understand."

Liu Mingxian nodded in satisfaction: "This house will belong to the three of you to live in from now on, and the people inside will also be given to you as a reward. Those dozen skinny horses from Yangzhou were all bought with hundreds of taels of silver."

"Thank you, Master!"

The driver opened the curtain of the carriage and Liu Mingxian bent down to get in.

The three priests did not get on the carriage. The old man followed the carriage in small steps like an old lady with bound feet. Although his steps were small, he was able to keep up with the speed of the carriage.

The Xu Can brothers walked in front of the carriage with big strides, like two giant gods clearing the way for the carriage.

When they reached Mudan Bridge, the three of them suddenly stopped.

The old man leaned against the carriage window and whispered, "Second Master, we've arrived. The person is not under the bridge, but on the bridge."

Liu Mingxian was sitting in the car. He opened the gap in the curtain with a calm expression and looked out. He saw two people wearing masks in the middle of the bridge, staring coldly at them at the bridge head.

One has an ox on his face, and the other has a tiger on his face.

The Peony Stone Arch Bridge is about thirty meters long, with a total of twenty-four arches, and can accommodate two carriages running side by side.

The old man next to the car winked at the Xu Can brothers. The next moment, Xu Can and Xu Chu jumped onto the stone railings on both sides of the arch bridge and moved closer to the bridge step by step.

The old man stroked the vermilion mountain flower ghost money on his waist and walked slowly in the middle of the bridge. The three of them were in perfect harmony, and they slowly stopped until they were only ten steps away from the ox and the tiger on the bridge.

Liu Mingxian got out of the car, walked behind the old man, and looked at the mask from a distance.

The golden pig behind the ox-faced man narrowed his eyes. He looked at the mountain flower ghost money on the old man's waist, then turned to look at the strange tattoos on the necks of the two sturdy men, and his whole body tensed up.

Jin Zhu glanced at Chen Ji secretly. He didn't know what Chen Ji wrote on the note, but he actually summoned two killers who had disappeared for a long time from the border town.

Could it be that Chen Ji has sold me out and wants to ambush and kill me with the Liu family?

No, Chen Ji's hands were very calm. Hands represent courage, and when hands are not trembling, the heart is at peace.

Chen Ji was very calm.

But Jinzhu still didn't know why Chen Ji was so calm.

Under the moonlight, neither side spoke, and the atmosphere on the bridge became increasingly solemn.

Slowly, the autumn morning mist rose and the sky in the distance gradually brightened.

Just as Jin Zhu was about to speak to smooth things over, Chen Ji calmly asked, "When your Liu family smuggled firearms from the Craftsmen's Bureau, you didn't handle it cleanly, and the news leaked out, ruining our plans. How should we deal with this? The chief has arrived in Kaifeng Prefecture and was originally planning to meet in Luocheng today. Why do you want us to give him an explanation now?"

Golden Pig: Huh?!
Sizhu?

meeting?

The golden pig's pupils behind the wooden ox mask suddenly shrank, and he almost subconsciously wanted to leave Chen Ji here and run away alone.

Only at this moment did he finally understand that Chen Ji was actually going to pretend to be the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department to contact the Liu family directly.

How can this be considered as handling a case?

This is clearly a gamble with your life!
Jin Zhu was not a fool either. He understood that Chen Ji wanted to bet that after Hongyi Lane was surrounded, the Jingchao Military Intelligence Department would not dare to move around for the time being, and under the city-wide search, they would not dare to contact the Liu family.

Taking advantage of this gap, they can pretend to be the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Department, lead the Liu family step by step into the trap, and make them hand over the evidence voluntarily!
But this matter is like walking a tightrope. What if the Jingchao Military Intelligence Department and the Liu family are still in contact? What if the Jingchao Military Intelligence Department and the Liu family have any special agreed codes? If there is any mistake, the two of them will have to explain themselves here today.

A madman who takes an unconventional approach!
While thinking, Liu Mingxian heard Chen Ji's question and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Master Craftsman? I don't understand what you are saying."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Don't waste any more time."

Liu Mingxian sneered: "My Liu family is law-abiding. If you asked me to come here today just to say these inexplicable words, I will arrest you two and send you to the Secret Service as thieves of the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji asked calmly, "On the day Yun Yang and Jiao Tu opened the coffin, Lord Liu killed his grandfather. How can a man who plotted treason and murdered his grandfather abide by the law? If we hadn't reminded him that day, Lord Liu would probably have been imprisoned."

Jin Zhu was startled. Chen Ji didn't sound like an actor when he was talking. If Meng Ji hadn't tried Chen Ji himself, he would have thought there was a real spy from the Jing Dynasty standing next to him, at least a Si Cao. He also had doubts in his heart.

Anyone with a discerning eye who has read the files knows that when Yunyang and Jiaotu opened the coffin for the first time, Old Master Liu was indeed not in the coffin. Those two zodiac animals would not joke about this matter.

The second time the coffin was opened, it must have been because someone tipped off Jie Fanwei in advance, which resulted in his finding nothing.

But how could Chen Ji be so sure that it was the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department that reported the news to the Liu family? Was it a guess? Or was there really a Jing Dynasty spy standing next to him who knew the inside story?

Jinzhu became more and more suspicious.

On the other side, Liu Mingxian's face was as gloomy as water. This was his biggest secret. If the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department hadn't reminded him that day, he would have been charged with treason and deceiving the emperor.

After hearing this, he believed Chen Ji's identity as Jing Chao.

Liu Mingxian said solemnly, "It is not my wish that Hongyi Lane is surrounded. After driving away Yunyang and Jiaotu, a Jinzhu came who is ten times more cunning than them. This person is extremely difficult to deal with. He guessed early on that we would make a move from the Craftsman Supervisor, and followed the scent and bit us."

Chen Ji sneered, "This matter is definitely not something that can be resolved by Lord Liu just saying 'it's not my wish'. What are you going to do now?"

Liu Mingxian said slowly, "The purpose of cooperation is definitely to get things done. Since the delivery failed this time, we can choose a new delivery date. But now the Secret Service is keeping a close eye on it, so we need to wait a little longer."

Chen Ji said solemnly: "The Master is in Kaifeng Prefecture now. There is a risk of exposing his identity at any time and anywhere. How can he wait for you slowly? If the Liu family is not sincere, the Master will return to the north!"

Liu Mingxian frowned: "When do you want to deliver the goods?"

"Tomorrow, we will still be at this Mudan Bridge. I want to see the goods. Otherwise, I will leave Kaifeng Prefecture immediately, and all agreements between our Military Intelligence Department and the Liu family will be void."

The bridge became quiet and the morning fog grew thicker, so that even if we were ten steps apart, we could hardly see each other clearly.

After a long time, Liu Mingxian said calmly: "Okay, then let's set it for tomorrow."

"Farewell."

Chen Ji gently tugged at Jin Zhu's sleeve, and the two of them slowly retreated into the morning mist.

……

……

After an unknown amount of time, the Golden Pig said in a small alley, "Okay, no one is following me."

Chen Ji took off his mask, but he was not prepared for Jin Zhu to suddenly grab his jaw and push him against the wall, saying with a fake smile: "Little Doctor Chen, you are not really a spy from the Jing Dynasty, are you? How can you be sure that the opening of the coffin was reported to the Liu family by the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department? Couldn't it be an undercover planted by the Liu family themselves?"

"Of course it's a gamble," Chen Ji asked calmly, "Master Jinzhu, if I were a spy from the Jing Dynasty, why would I expose this to you and arouse your suspicion?"

The Golden Pig was silent.

Chen Ji asked again: "If I were a spy of the Jing Dynasty, why would I help you find evidence of the Liu family's crimes?"

The Golden Pig became even more silent.

Chen Ji slowly pried open Jin Zhu's loosened fingers: "Master Jin Zhu, trust people when you employ them, and don't employ people you don't trust. Since you have chosen me, you should trust my judgment. If you doubt me, it's okay, just check it out."

Jin Zhu sighed inwardly, every word Chen Ji said made sense. If Chen Ji was really from Jing Chao, he would not have to expose himself tonight.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed and helped Chen Ji smooth his clothes. "It's all a misunderstanding, don't take it to heart. I've been in the Secret Service for a long time, and I think everyone is suspicious. By the way, the reason why you didn't tell me your plan tonight is obviously because you were worried that I would not dare to come after I knew the plan!"

"Yes."

The Golden Pig smiled and said, "Who are you looking down on? Next time, remember to tell me your plan in advance so that I won't be caught off guard."

"Ok."

Jin Zhu thought for a long time and asked, "What is your next plan?"

Chen Ji said, "You don't need me for the next plan. Liu Mingxian wants to deliver the goods tomorrow, so he must take the risk and break into the Craftsman's Bureau today. Lord Jinzhu only needs to arrange the surveillance of the Craftsman's Bureau and bring the thief to justice. As long as there is solid evidence to arrest Liu Mingxian and put him in the inner prison, it will only be a matter of time before the Liu family is brought down."

The golden pig's eyes lit up: "That's right. Liu Mingde, the eldest son of the Liu family, is devoted to seeking the truth. All affairs in Yuzhou are managed by the second son Liu Mingxian. If we capture him, we will also capture the Liu family."

Chen Ji bowed to Jin Zhu and said, "Sir, can I go home now?"

"Okay, okay," Jin Zhu smiled and waved his hand, "As expected, we should work with successful people to do successful things. Although this plan is risky, it can be regarded as a brilliant move."

Chen Ji turned and left. Jin Zhu watched him walk into the mist and felt that his calm back was suppressing a terrifying madness.

From last night to this morning, Chen Ji calmly went to deliver the letter to Liu Mingxian, calmly finished his beef noodles, and calmly played the role of a spy for the Jing Dynasty.

Jinzhu boasted that he had seen many storms, but he was still frightened at this moment. On the other hand, Chen Ji seemed to be fine.

He cursed in his heart, "Mad man."

……

……

On the bluestone road.

Chen Ji walked slowly on the way back to the clinic, his clothes on the back already wet with sweat.

Gambling with your life is like walking on a tightrope. You have to be extremely alert at all times.

But he's not completely gambling.

The Secret Service Department didn't know, but he knew that Si Cao Gui had gone south to Yangzhou with Wu Hongbiao, and Si Cao Xin was killed by him personally. No one in the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department could continue to contact the Liu family.

Moreover, the Jingchao Military Intelligence Department had always been handled by Zhou Chengyi and Liu Shiyu, and the two bigwigs had never met.

It was precisely because Chen Ji was indeed a spy for the Jing Dynasty and knew more inside information that he dared to gamble.

Will Jinzhu suspect him because of this?

Yes, definitely.

But Chen Ji doesn't care that taking down the Liu family is not the end, he will fill in the last link with his own hands.

In front of Taiping Medical Clinic, Chen Ji looked up at the plaque and suddenly felt relieved.

Go home.

It seemed that as long as he returned here, his restless and crazy heart would be able to calm down again. However, he had not yet figured out how to explain his broken promise.

Or maybe no explanation is needed?
Chen Ji stepped over the threshold, with a look of confusion behind him.

The prince's voice came from the backyard: "Why hasn't Chen Ji come back yet? In order to avoid inviting guests, has this kid not even come home?"

Liu Quxing said: "Master, Chen Ji didn't come home tonight, you must give him a good beating when he comes back!"

Chen Ji walked to the backyard and looked at the prince, Bai Li, Liu Quxing, She Dengke and others in astonishment: "Why are you all here?"

Bai Li put his hands on his hips and said angrily, "Of course I came to ask you why you broke the appointment!"

Liu Quxing yelled, "How stingy!"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Sorry, I did have something urgent yesterday."

“Hahahahaha.” The prince suddenly laughed out loud: “Look, this is the first time I see Chen Ji with this expression.”

Chen Ji looked at everyone with a confused expression.

The prince stepped forward and put his arm around his shoulders: "Of course we know you have something important to do. We are all waiting for you here because we are worried. Bai Li said that if you haven't come back in the morning, I will go to the Qiansui Army to mobilize troops to look for you."

Bai Li asked curiously, "If you encounter any difficult problems, you must tell us so that we can work together to find a solution. Don't hide things from friends."

Chen Ji shook his head: "I'm fine."

Liang Maoer smiled naively and said, "It's good that you're alright. Come eat something quickly. I'll go heat up the food."

As he spoke, he carried two four-layer red lacquer food boxes into the kitchen and lit a fire to heat up the food.

Liu Quxing's eyes lit up: "Finally I can taste Yingxianlou's 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'. I wanted to try it last night, but Baili wouldn't let me."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea?"

Under the apricot tree, Old Man Yao said indifferently, "These little bastards wanted to eat the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea at Yingxian Tower, but they had no money in their pockets, so they tricked a young man from Jiangnan into treating them. After arriving at Yingxian Tower, the young man ordered a table of dishes, but he left without even touching a single bite, saying that he had something to do at home. He also brought back a table of dishes and two jars of Shaoxing Huadiao wine. Then, he waited for you here all night."

Chen Ji: “Ah?”

Old man Yao smacked his lips. "Are you confused? I guess that young man from Jiangnan is even more confused than you. Forget about him. I, an old man, never thought that the prince of Prince Jing's mansion would cheat for food and drink. It's true that if you live long enough, you will see everything."

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you."

(End of this chapter)