Chapter 33 Walking with Wolves
The warehouse filled with the smell of herbs seems like a corner of the world that no one cares about.

Chen Ji thought silently: The position of Si Cao in the Military Intelligence Department is highly confidential, and since his uncle asked Si Cao to take care of him, he must be a big shot in the intelligence field.

But why did his mother marry into the Chen family of the Ning Dynasty? Why did he stay in the Ning Dynasty?
Seeing that he remained silent, Si Cao seemed to have misunderstood him: "You seem to still be resentful towards your uncle."

Chen Ji lowered his eyes and asked in an ambiguous tone, "Does my uncle still remember me?"

Si Cao patted the dust off his body and said calmly: "Don't say such angry words. When he was in that position, he had to consider all the issues. He didn't take you back to Jing Dynasty, so he naturally had his reasons. Maybe if he took you back, you would be harmed by the villain instead."

"Is that so? My uncle is in a bad situation?"

After the shopkeeper of Bailu Pavilion left, the Si Cao seemed to talk more.

But he said calmly: "Now your uncle has been framed by a villain and demoted."

It turns out that my uncle has stepped down?
Chen Ji asked: "Then when can I return to Jing Dynasty?"

He had no sense of belonging to either Jing Dynasty or Ning Dynasty, but no matter where he went, it was better than walking on the tightrope here.

However, Si Cao said sternly: "You can't leave now. Since you are close to Yunyang and Jiaotu, you must make good use of this identity."

Si Cao's tone left no room for doubt.

Chen Ji was silent for a long time: "Then follow the arrangements of Lord Si Cao, I will try to gain the trust of Yun Yang and Jiao Tu."

At this point, Si Cao changed the subject: "Wait... the way you passed on this intelligence line was Zhou Chengyi's wrong-word method. The Military Intelligence Department never taught you the Fanqie method. How did you know the Fanqie method? And why did you find the "Jinsi Lu"? "

Chen Ji didn't know how to answer for a moment.

He couldn't explain to the people in this world that he wanted to be a diplomatic military attaché since he was a child, so he read popular science, intelligence, and mystery books.

He couldn't explain to the people in this world that seven months ago, he was admitted to the Army Foreign Languages ​​College with the first place in the written test and the first place in the interview.

The school, which is about to be renamed "Army Strategic Support Information Engineering University", has never been a place that only teaches foreign languages, and the written tests and interviews for the special recruitment batch are not in foreign languages.

Si Cao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Why don't you speak? Who taught you to do that?"

As he was speaking, invisible pressure suddenly approached, and Chen Ji clearly saw the other party reaching for the dagger in his sleeve again.

He quickly considered the information in his mind and replied, "My mother taught me."

"Oh?" Si Cao's tone was still unrelenting: "I didn't expect your mother taught you these things when you were so young... What else did she teach you? She couldn't have just taught you the Fanqie method, that would be too coincidental."

Chen Ji recalled: "My mother also told me that if we only use the Fanqie method to hide information, it will be easily exposed once we meet someone who also knows the Fanqie method. Therefore, she created a new method to hide intelligence based on the Fanqie method."

"Huh?" Si Cao became interested: "What method?"

Chen Ji said: "My mother calls it a code book."

"Code book?"

Chen Ji found a jar of medicinal wine in the storeroom, dipped his finger in the wine and wrote on the ground: "The willows are seeking air, the waves are fighting for the sun. The orioles are happy to hear the words, I clap my hands to let you know."

Si Cao asked in a serious tone: "What's the use of this poem?"

Chen Ji did not answer, but continued writing: "Spring flowers are fragrant, autumn mountains are blooming, guests singing joyfully need golden cups, lonely lamps shine brightly on silver jars. In the eastern suburbs, across the West Bridge, cocks crow to herald the dawn, and strange plum blossoms cover the ditch."

Chen Ji explained: "The first poem has a total of twenty words, and the initial consonant of each word is different. The second poem has a total of thirty-six words, and the final consonant of each word is also different. So we can use these two poems as code books and number the words in sequence. The twenty words in the first poem are numbered from one to twenty, and the same is true for the second poem, numbered from one to thirty-six."

Si Cao was a little confused: "How should I use it?"

Chen Ji said, "With this code book, if you want to send the word 'continue', you only need to write nineteen, twenty-seven, fifteen, and eleven. People who know the code book can immediately translate the information after seeing the numbers, but people who don't know the code book will never be able to crack it. Assuming that the "Jinsi Lu" transmits messages in this way, even if the other party intercepts the "Jinsi Lu", they will not be able to understand it."

Si Cao exclaimed: "It's quite interesting."

Multi-layer encryption technology such as code books has existed since ancient times and was developed and promoted during World War I and World War II.

It's not omnipotent, but intelligence work has always been about you just need to be one step ahead to defeat your opponent. At this point, Si Cao finally relaxed his tone and chose to believe Chen Ji: "Your mother taught you well, and you learned well. When your mother came to Ning Dynasty to hide, it only took her three years to become a famous talent in Jinling. I didn't expect that she was not only good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also studied the use of the Fanqie method. I will report this code book and the "Jinsi Lu" to the chief to request credit for you. You are now a 'Que'-level spy, right? This credit is enough for you to be promoted to the 'Pheasant' level."

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief: The bet was right.

According to his guess, his mother and uncle were both from the Jing Dynasty, but his mother strangely married into the Chen family of the Ning Dynasty. The only reason that could explain this was that his mother was also a spy!
Back then, my mother came to Ning Dynasty with my uncle. My uncle established the intelligence network of the Military Intelligence Department in the south, and my mother married into the Chen Mansion in order to obtain intelligence.

Chen Ji changed the subject: "Master Si Cao, my next main task is to get close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. Can you tell me more about them?"

Si Cao nodded and said, "When dealing with Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, never believe anything they say. These two were able to get promoted by stepping on the corpses of their colleagues. They may use you today, but abandon you tomorrow."

Chen Ji wondered: "Won't their actions arouse public outrage among their colleagues?"

"No, the Secret Service is a place that only values ​​merit and not favors. They are cruel to their own people, and even crueler to us," Si Cao thought for a moment and then explained, "Of course, given their relationship with the Minister of Poison, other colleagues may not dare to speak out."

"Ok?"

"Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are both orphans adopted by Du Xiang. They have been trained to be the assassins they are today after more than ten years. Maybe they are not as capable as others, but they are ruthless when it comes to killing for Du Xiang."

Chen Ji suddenly recalled that on the night Zhou Chengyi died, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu swore by their own parents...

As they were talking, Manager Yuan pushed the door open and walked in: "Master Si Cao, it has been arranged. Chang Jing will be at..."

Si Cao said coldly: "Slap him."

Shopkeeper Yuan was stunned for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and slapped himself ten times.

Si Cao's dull voice came from behind the mask: "The various intelligence lines are not allowed to tell each other information. You have forgotten this principle and still want to replace Zhou Chengyi as the Hai Dongqing of Luo City?"

Shopkeeper Yuan lowered his head and said, "It was my fault that I was reckless."

But Chen Ji suddenly said, "Master Si Cao, I will try my best to get close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, but I have a request."

"explain."

Chen Ji stared at Manager Yuan and said, "I need the Military Intelligence Department to transfer all those who know my identity as a spy back to the Jing Dynasty, and they can never return to the Ning Dynasty again. Otherwise, if anyone else is arrested and gives me away, all my efforts to get close to the Twelve Zodiac Signs will be wasted."

Si Cao seemed to be thinking about something.

Manager Yuan's expression changed drastically: "Master Si Cao, he is seeking revenge for his personal gain!"

Chen Ji shook his head: "This is not a personal vendetta. You already know my identity. If you are arrested, you will definitely give me away."

"No!" Shopkeeper Yuan said anxiously, "Master Si Cao, I have been running Luocheng for six years. No one is more suitable for this place than me."

Si Cao pondered for a moment and walked straight towards a box of medicinal herbs.

He opened the box, pulled out a piece of oil paper used to preserve medicinal materials, and spread it on the ground calmly.

Upon seeing this, Shopkeeper Yuan turned around and tried to flee the warehouse.

But just as he turned around, Si Cao had already flashed behind him, lifted up the fat body with just one hand, and put it on the oil paper.

The next moment, Si Cao kicked Manager Yuan in the knee, forcing him to kneel down.

He pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and looked at Chen Ji. "I had no choice but to interrogate you today. Don't hold a grudge. If what happened today becomes a thorn in your heart, I will help you remove it now. From now on, you can approach Yunyang and Jiaotu with peace of mind. Except for me, the chief, and your uncle, no one else will know your identity as a spy."

As he spoke, Si Cao pinched Manager Yuan's jaw and stabbed him in the heart with a knife: "Yuan Ming, you took advantage of your position to embezzle 8,327 taels of silver from Bai Lu Pavilion in six years. This Bai Lu Pavilion was originally established to raise funds for the Military Intelligence Department, but it became a place for you to enrich yourself. You are disloyal."

Shopkeeper Yuan gasped and could not utter a word.

Si Cao twisted the dagger to crush Shopkeeper Yuan's heart, and raised his green-faced, fang-toothed face to look at Chen Ji: "If there is no absolute loyalty, then there is absolute disloyalty. Chen Ji, I give this sentence to you as well. Remember it in your heart."

Chen Ji watched this scene silently. He knew that he would have to travel with these jackals, tigers and leopards from now on.

(End of this chapter)