Chapter 120: Rebellion

Inside the lamps and brilliant fire of the Xianke Lou, Chen Ji looked at Zhang Zhuo with some surprise.

The Ministry of Rites and the civil officials had been opposing each other for a long time, incompatible as fire and water.

He originally thought that without an imperial decree token in hand, it would take some effort to get Zhang Zhuo to leave. Who knew that as soon as Zhang Zhuo heard that the refugees were in danger, he immediately stood up and was willing to follow him.

Why?

Zhang Zhuo looked at Chen Ji somewhat amusedly and said, "What? I dare to follow you, but you don't dare to take me?"

The banquet gradually became noisy. A new scholar stood up, emboldened by wine, and shouted, "Sir, you absolutely cannot leave with the eunuch party. What if they try to take you to the inner prison under the guise of this opportunity?"

"Sir, you cannot fall into the eunuch party's trap!"

However, Zhang Zhuo suddenly raised his hand, and the sounds of the banquet stopped.

He smiled at Chen Ji and said, "Please, important matters are pressing."

Having said that, this prefect actually took the lead and walked out of the Xianke Lou.

Outside the Xianke Lou, Zhang Zhuo stood on the flagstone road of Baiyi Xiang. He turned his head to look at Chen Ji behind him and said casually, "And so? What does this official need to do?"

Chen Ji quickly explained, "Please trouble Sir Zhang to immediately open the granary and transfer a batch of grain to the area outside the Xicheng Gate."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his mustache and said, "Open the granary? Young man, the Luocheng granary is a strategically important place. The matter is very serious. Why didn't you go to Sir Chen, but specifically came to me?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "Sir Chen is rigid and pedantic. At this time, only Sir Zhang in Luocheng has the ability and courage to do this."

Zhang Zhuo laughed and scolded, "Stop trying to butter me up. If you said that in front of Sir Chen, I might be more straightforward."

He then restrained his smile and said, "I need to confirm once more, do you know what you are doing at this time, and can you bear the consequences?"

Chen Ji, wearing a bamboo hat and gray clothes, and Zhang Zhuo, in a large red official robe, stood facing each other.

After a long time.

Zhang Zhuo said firmly, "Sir Zhang, I know what I am doing."

Zhang Zhuo asked no more. "It's good that you know."

Chen Ji turned to the small alley next to the Xianke Lou and shouted, "Xifeng, prepare the carriage. You all escort Sir Zhang to transfer the grain as quickly as possible."

Xifeng led a carriage out of the small alley. Several secret agents rode warhorses, guarding the carriage.

Chen Ji said, "Sir Zhang, please get in the carriage."

But Zhang Zhuo did not get in the carriage. Instead, he neatly untied the horse's harness, flipped onto the horse, and left.

He laughed loudly and said, "The carriage is too slow. We'll meet at the city west later. If I find out you are deliberately being mysterious, even Xu Wenhe cannot protect you all."

Having said that, Zhang Zhuo clamped the horse's belly with his legs, and the swift horse raised its hooves and galloped away.

Chen Ji watched as the red robe turned out of Baiyi Xiang and disappeared from sight. He actually felt that if a precious sword were hung on that official robe, it might look more fitting.

Just as he was thinking, Jin Zhu ran out of the Xianke Lou, muttering, "Crazy, crazy."

Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "Sir, what is this about?"

Jin Zhu complained, "Although we secret agents are arrogant and overbearing and have arrested many civil officials, taking away a fifth-rank court official at the Lüming Yan is something we have never done before. This is a taboo."

Chen Ji explained, "But we don't want to arrest Sir Zhang, but to save him."

Jin Zhu was helpless. "Those civil officials might not think so. You should at least discuss this with me before doing it."

Chen Ji asked, "If I had asked, would you still have let me do it?"

Jin Zhu said in a bad mood, "That's definitely a no."

"Never mind, never mind. Do whatever you want. Where are we going now?"

"City west!"

"Chen Ji!"

"Hmm?"

Jin Zhu rode on his horse and looked at the calm-faced medical hall apprentice beside him. He suddenly sighed and said, "You were born to eat this bowl of rice. You said earlier that you wanted to resign from the secret agent position, but the secret agents are the most suitable place for you."

"Why does Sir say so?"

Jin Zhu looked at the end of the long street and said, "You are too fond of taking the sword to the extreme. Sooner or later, you will lose your head."

Chen Ji changed the subject and asked, "Sir, just now Sir Zhang said, 'Even Xu Wenhe cannot protect you all'. Who is Xu Wenhe?"

Jin Zhu was amused. "That is the name of the inner minister. Just now everyone was either calling him Poison Minister or Inner Minister, and I almost forgot this name. Zhang Zhuo really has great courage. A fifth-rank official actually dared to directly call the inner minister's name."

Chen Ji was curious. "I always feel that Sir Zhang is not like those civil officials, but more like a wanderer."

Jin Zhu squinted his eyes and smiled. "You are really right. After Zhang Zhuo's wife passed away, he really went to be a wanderer for a year, mixing with Jianghu people every day and not attending to proper business."

"Then why did he come back later and marry Xu Ge Lao's niece?"

Jin Zhu scoffed, "Studying civil and military arts is to sell to the imperial family. Don't all civil officials think this way? What's the reason? By the way, how about the matter of him wanting to betroth his daughter to you? If it can really succeed, it might save you thirty years of detours. The inner minister once said that Sir Zhang is prime minister material."

Chen Ji did not answer, and could not answer.

At this time, a secret agent exclaimed, "Sir, there is firelight."

In Baiyi Xiang in the east of the city, by the time Chen Ji and others rushed to the west of the city on horseback, it was already midnight.

Before even leaving the city, Jin Zhu and others saw a huge fire burning in the distance outside the city, with sparks flying and dancing in the night sky.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji in shock and said, "Were you really right? How did you know that something big would happen in the west of the city?"

Chen Ji's face was as solemn as water.

Jin Zhu asked urgently, "What can burn such a big fire outside the city?"

Chen Ji replied, "Perhaps it is the granary used by the Luocheng government office to relieve the disaster victims."

Jin Zhu's face became serious. He was not stupid and immediately understood the crux of the matter. "More than ten thousand Yu West disaster victims are gathered outside the city, hungry and without clothes. If the granary is burned and someone mixes among the disaster victims to incite them, perhaps the disaster victims will immediately turn into bandits and rush into Luocheng to burn, kill, and loot. If a popular rebellion happens, both Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin's futures will be over."

A secret agent doubted, "Sir, the Luocheng military affairs department is not idle either. If there is a popular rebellion, they will immediately close the city gate and wait for the official army to come and suppress it. If they do not close the city gate in time, it is a capital crime. Even if the Liu family gives them more money, it won't work."

Jin Zhu said in a cold voice, "I guess, the Xicheng Gate must have already been opened by the Liu family."

As soon as he finished speaking, several people urged their horses around a street corner and saw the Xicheng Gate wide open.

The soldiers in front of the city gate had all been slit at the throat, and their corpses lay on the ground.

From a distance, Chen Ji had already seen through the open city gate densely packed disaster victims raising torches, holding rakes and wooden sticks, menacingly approaching Luocheng.

A secret agent asked urgently, "Sir, what do we do now?"

Jin Zhu had the idea of retreating in his heart. What did it matter to him whether Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin lost their official positions or not?

What did it matter to him if this group of disaster victims rushed into Luocheng to burn, kill, and loot?

He was not the local official of this place.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji and said, "You and I have done our best today. It is their internal struggle among the civil officials that led to this big mistake, and it has nothing to do with us. Anyway, your father doesn't favor you either. If he loses his official position, it's just good for you to vent your anger."

Chen Ji stood still on his horse, his gaze under the bamboo hat silently fixed on the firelight outside the city gate.

Outside the city gate, there seemed to be a restless aura.

Along with the flickering flames of the torches.

Chen Ji asked, "If the disaster victims rush into the city, how many people will die?"

Jin Zhu looked at the firelight flickering in Chen Ji's eyes and said in shock, "Why do you care how many die? These disaster victims cannot move the people of Anxi Street. Chen Ji, let's just pretend we didn't come over tonight, okay? As long as we don't intervene, this matter has nothing to do with us. Once we intervene, even if it's not our fault, that group of civil officials will still blame us."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Chen Ji bend low and urge his horse straight towards the city gate. "Close the city gate. Don't let the disaster victims rush in."

The hearts of the secret agents were shocked. They turned their heads to look at Jin Zhu.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji's back and gritted his teeth. "Don't mind him, let him go die."

But after struggling for several breaths, he actually fiercely whipped the horse's butt and said fiercely, "Damn it, follow me and close the city gate. I am really unlucky in eight lifetimes to get involved in such a thing."

The crowd urged their horses to rush to the city gate. They saw that the distance to the disaster victims was only a hundred steps away. The secret agents pushed the two large red lacquered city gates together, slowly closing them.

Only after topping them with wooden stakes inside did they slightly relax.

Chen Ji and Jin Zhu walked up the city wall and looked down at the disaster victims under the city from a distance.

Chen Ji held a torch in his hand and shouted loudly, "Who dares to intrude into the city?"

Among the densely packed torches under the city, someone shouted angrily, "The court burned the porridge granary and won't let us live. Quickly open the door. We want to enter the city to beg for food."

Jin Zhu frowned. "How could anyone believe such an absurd rumor? Why would the court burn your granary?"

Chen Ji shouted, "This matter must be incited by treacherous officials. Everyone, don't listen to rumors."

As soon as the words fell, someone in the crowd shouted, "Don't listen to what these dog officials say. They eat and drink their fill in the city and talk without pain. Break down the door."

The next moment, Chen Ji narrowed his eyes and then discovered that in the dark night, more than thirty disaster victims were carrying hemp ropes on their shoulders and lifting a heavy giant log towards the city gate.

They came prepared.

Boom!

Chen Ji and Jin Zhu stood on the city wall and only felt the earth shake and the mountains tremble. The whole city shook, rattling stones and dust down.

Chen Ji asked, "How long can the city gate hold?"

Jin Zhu's scalp was numb. "I don't know either. I haven't been to the border towns and haven't seen attacks on cities."

Chen Ji observed for a moment. "Bad. The city gate is old and hasn't been repaired. It might be rammed open soon."

Jin Zhu turned his head to look at the vast darkness of Luocheng behind him. "This time, if there is a popular rebellion, perhaps tens of thousands of people will suffer a calamity."

Having said that, after a moment of hesitation, he actually took out a gold colored command arrow from his bosom and raised it high above his head. "The imperial decree token is here, personally bestowed by His Majesty. I, Song Qian, am the patrol governor appointed by His Majesty, patrolling the world, comforting the army and the people. I already know the disaster situation in Yu West and have dispatched the Luocheng prefect, Sir Zhang, to open the warehouse and release grain. The relief grain will arrive immediately."

The disaster victims gradually stopped shouting and looked up at the dazzling gold light of the imperial decree token. For a time, they were hesitant.

Chen Ji looked at Jin Zhu with a complex expression. This twelve zodiac signs' mouth really didn't have a single true word.

At this time, someone in the crowd shouted, "It's definitely fake. I've seen a real imperial decree token, and it doesn't look like this at all."

Jin Zhu was so angry he jumped up and down, scolding, "Fart, your mother's fart. This was personally given to the old man by His Majesty. Who in the crowd is inciting popular rebellion? The grain will arrive immediately. If it doesn't arrive before Mao Shi, the old man will open the gate and let you enter the city to wreak havoc."

Someone else incited, "Don't believe him. He will definitely dispatch the official army to suppress us. I don't believe the court will really open the warehouse and release grain."

The disaster victims wavered between incitement and the imperial decree token. Jin Zhu was sweating profusely with anxiety. "I damn well haven't handled this kind of thing either. What do I do now?"

On the city wall, the secret agents looked at each other with tense expressions, their fingers tightly gripping their knife handles, not knowing what to do.

Just when the disaster victims were about to ram the door again, Chen Ji suddenly shouted to the area under the city, "I will go down and wait with you all for Sir Zhang to open the warehouse and release grain. If the grain is not seen before Mao Shi, everyone can kill me with one knife."

Having said that, he actually found a hemp rope from inside the city wall and handed it to Jin Zhu.

"Sir, hold this end of the rope and let me out of the city."

Jin Zhu was shocked. "Are you damn crazy? Is it worth risking your life like this? There are definitely Liu family people inciting the popular rebellion down there. What if they incite the disaster victims to kill you?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "I know that ordinary people are not so bold unless they are starving to death. Otherwise, they would not rebel. Furthermore, Sir Tianma is coming."

Jin Zhu suddenly turned his head and saw a white-clothed Tianma standing on the eaves corner of the city wall, he didn't know when he got there.

His heart suddenly felt much more stable.

Chen Ji solemnly instructed, "If someone tries to kill me, they must be Liu family spies. Please ask Sir Tianma to shoot and kill them."

"Wait, what if the grain doesn't come? Tianma may not be able to stop so many disaster victims."

Chen Ji was calm. "I am betting that Sir Zhang can transfer the grain in time."

Jin Zhu leaned on the city wall and looked down, seeing that the disaster victims actually did not surround and kill Chen Ji. Instead, they slowly retreated several steps.

The shouts of killing suddenly stopped.

Midnight, three quarters.

On Guangji Street.

More than ten riders galloped on swift horses, their hooves tapping on the bluestone slab road, the sound crisp and neat.

On horseback, the oncoming wind messed up Zhang Zhuo's hair. He grasped the reins with his right hand and bent low, turning his head to look at Xifeng beside him. "Hey, who was that young man just now?"

Xifeng was vigilant. "Sir Zhang, why are you asking this?"

Zhang Zhuo said casually, "You all didn't cover your faces, only he did. This official is curious."

Xifeng explained, "His identity is special, fearing revenge from the Jing Dynasty thieves, so he always doesn't show his true face. Sir, please don't ask. This is our secret matter."

Zhang Zhuo's eyes shifted, and he changed the subject. "That young man offended the Jing Dynasty?"

Xifeng chuckled. "Offended them terribly, hehe. Because of him, the Jing Dynasty has lost soldiers and generals multiple times, hehe."

Zhang Zhuo seemed to be thoughtful. After a moment, he asked, "Is he your superior?"

Xifeng said in a muffled voice, "Not yet, but he should be soon. Sir, why are you so curious about him?"

Zhang Zhuo chuckled but did not answer.

After the time it takes to burn one incense stick, the crowd arrived at the granary camp gate and stopped their horses.

Inside the camp, soldiers held long iron halberds and came out to welcome them. "Who is coming here at midnight?"

Zhang Zhuo jumped off his horse. "This official is the Luocheng prefect, Zhang Zhuo. I need to use three hundred shi of grain from the granary for an emergency. Quickly open the gate."

However, the soldiers in front of the camp gate did not retreat. They turned their heads to look at the captain behind them. That person was expressionless, neither nodding nor shaking his head, not even saying a word.

The soldiers held their halberds and turned to Zhang Zhuo, saying, "Wearing a red official robe does not mean you are Sir Zhang. You might also be Jing Dynasty thieves pretending. Did you all bring the government office seal?"

Zhang Zhuo frowned. He went to the Lüming Yan tonight, how could he possibly have the government office seal with him?

He gazed past the soldiers, looked at the captain behind him, and said calmly, "I have seen you, and you must have seen me. Come forward and speak."

The captain pressed his waist knife and said indifferently, "We are under the jurisdiction of the Luocheng military affairs department. The granary is an important military place. If you want to transfer grain to us, you need not only the prefect's government office seal, but also General Liu's talisman."

Zhang Zhuo narrowed his eyes. "What if I don't have it?"

The captain said calmly, "If you don't have it, then go back."

Zhang Zhuo did not speak. What the other side said was all standard procedure. If it were in the past, he could have waited slowly, but not now.

He tilted his head and whispered to Xifeng, "Must we have this grain? Does Chen... does that young man have other options?"

Xifeng said, "No."

Zhang Zhuo asked again, "Did he say what the consequences would be if we couldn't transfer the grain?"

Xifeng thought about it and replied, "He said that the Liu family wants to drive you and Sir Chen out of Luocheng together. If you can't transfer the grain, perhaps your official position will not be saved."

"Motherfucker, the old man worked hard to climb to this position. The Liu family actually wants to mess with the old man's official position?"

Zhang Zhuo muttered in a low voice.

"The Liu family seems to know that someone will come to transfer grain tonight. Even a small captain dares to disobey the prefect. But the more this is the case, the more it proves that the boy's judgment is not wrong."

The next moment, Zhang Zhuo walked straight towards the captain, not angry but majestic. "Make way."

The captain raised his eyebrows but did not put him in his eyes, standing like an iron tower, not retreating or yielding.

Zhang Zhuo's steps did not stop. When he came to the captain's front, he actually suddenly drew out the knife carried by the other side and with a backhand swipe cut across the captain's neck.

In an instant, fresh blood from the captain's neck sprayed onto Zhang Zhuo's red official robe, staining it with purple spots.

Zhang Zhuo held the knife and said fiercely, "I am the Luocheng prefect, Zhang Zhuo. This matter is urgent, and I have come here to transfer grain on my own authority. If anyone does not obey, they will be treated as plotting rebellion."

Xifeng stared with wide eyes. This was the first time he had seen a civil official holding a knife and killing someone.

When he reacted, he immediately roared loudly, "Protect Sir Zhang."