Chapter 257: Hall of Supreme Purity, Palace of Prolonging Glory

People from Luòchéng, killing machine in sulfur.

Chén Jī fell into contemplation. A group of people from distant Luòchéng had come, why hide in Táohuái Fāng to make firearms?

Old Wú was connected to Jīngcháo, and at the same time, he was passing notes to this group of Luòchéng people... Maybe these firearms were for blowing up the city gate? No, it wasn't that simple.

Chén Jī turned his head and looked out the window. On the distant city wall, shadows of border army soldiers came and went.

The hustle on the city wall and the quiet inside the city seemed like two worlds, and the secrets of Gǔyuán seemed hidden within Táohuái Fāng.

At this moment, Xiǎo Màn took out several white flour steamed buns from the food box and placed a dish of pickled vegetables and a dish of preserved meat on the table. "Everyone, come eat..."

Before she finished speaking, she looked up and saw Chén Jī turning around, about to go out. "You all eat first, I have to go out for a bit."

Chén Jī picked up the whale knife leaning against the door, thought for a moment, then put it down again.

Zhāng Xià said curiously, "You want to go to Táohuái Fāng to investigate? I suspect there are secret agents..."

She recalled, "When I passed by there, the Bǎofēng Zhài dim sum shop on the street, although everything inside had been searched by the border army, the boss was still open for business. He sat at the door, just right to see everyone on East Street. The boss lady inside the Wáng Jì tailor shop was wearing ill-fitting clothes... I only dared to pretend to be a passerby at the time, you must be careful."

"Don't worry, it's fine," Chén Jī smiled, "I truly wish I had a brain like Miss Zhāng number two."

Zhāng Xià also smiled, "I, on the contrary, wish I had a male body."

Chén Jī pulled open the door. Xiǎo Màn hurriedly picked up two steamed buns, wrapped them in a clean white cloth, walked to the door, and stuffed them into his arms. "Young Master, you haven't eaten for a day, take two steamed buns to eat on the road!"

Chén Jī carried the steamed buns out the door. He didn't ride a horse. He took large bites of the steamed buns as he hurried towards Táohuái Fāng.

On the way, there were no vendors, no one setting up stalls. Residents stood in groups outside their houses, loudly complaining about the porridge boiled by the border army, calculating how much grain had been requisitioned from their homes.

Chén Jī walked through the crowd and heard someone say loudly, "More than ten jīn of millet, five jīn of corn, and a jar of pickled cabbage were taken from my home, and they only give us such thin porridge?"

"Yes, ah, the border army also took a string of preserved sausages from my home, that was something I just made before the New Year!"

"Let's go together to the border army and tell them, does the court really give the common people a way to live or not?"

"Old Lǐ, you haven't hidden grain in your home, have you? I just smelled a fragrance coming from your home. Can you lend me a jīn?"

Old Lǐ quickly waved his hand, "No, no, my home definitely hasn't hidden grain, don't slander people!"

Chén Jī walked past the noise, lowering his head and finishing the steamed buns in his hand.

Upon arriving at Táohuái Fāng, he smelled the scent of sulfur from afar. Sulfur itself has no smell, but when it combines with organic matter, it produces hydrogen sulfide gas, emitting a sour smell of rotten eggs.

When Chén Jī walked into the Qūlǐ Street of Táohuái Fāng, the street surface was calm, as if nothing had happened.

The boss of Bǎofēng Zhài and the boss lady of the tailor shop's gazes only touched his body for a moment before separating, as if they were pretending to do their own things.

The next moment, as Chén Jī swaggered towards Lǐ Yuánwài's door.

The boss of Bǎofēng Zhài, the boss lady of the tailor shop, and the old night watchman sleeping at the base of the wall suddenly looked at him again.

Their gazes were like a net, covering him from the sky and the earth. With every step he took, the opposing gazes shifted a bit.

The boss of Bǎofēng Zhài slowly drew out a short knife from his sleeve, and the boss lady of the tailor shop drew out a soft sword from her waist belt.

Thump, thump, thump.

Chén Jī knocked on the courtyard door as if no one else was there.

The door creaked open, revealing a palm-sized gap.

A middle-aged man coldly looked from the door gap, "Young man, you've come to the wrong place, haven't you?"

Chén Jī smiled and said, "I've come to find someone."

The middle-aged man was expressionless, "I see you haven't come to find someone, you've come to find death..."

Before he finished speaking, Chén Jī took out his own Hǎidōng Qīng tooth token from his sleeve and held it in front of the door gap.

The middle-aged man's eyes gradually widened, "Adult..."

Indeed, these were people from the Secret Spy Agency!

Chén Jī put away the token and looked at the middle-aged man, asking, "What, you're not letting me in?"

The middle-aged man hesitated. For a moment, he couldn't make up his mind and only turned his head to look behind him.

Chén Jī immediately confirmed that there was definitely a great secret spy of the same rank or higher than himself inside this courtyard.

He calmly asked, "Who is in charge here?"

He heard someone inside the courtyard laugh softly, "Forget it, let him in."

As soon as these words came out, along with the boss of Bǎofēng Zhài and the boss lady of the tailor shop, all withdrew their weapons. The old night watchman again nestled back on the ground, hugged his arms, and continued to nap.

The man slowly pulled open the door, revealing more than ten secret spies behind him, holding knives and axes, full of killing intent.

And among these more than ten secret spies stood a middle-aged scholar.

Chén Jī's pupils slightly shrunk. He cupped his hands and bowed, "Mr. Fēng, long time no see. Please be well."

"Adult Chén, you and I are both Hǎidōng Qīng, no need for excessive courtesy."

In the courtyard, the middle-aged scholar wore a green robe, his right hand held a scroll book, and his left hand still pinched a piece of freshly peeled orange. He looked at Chén Jī with a half-smile.

Mr. Fēng, White Dragon!

Indeed, White Dragon had personally come to Gǔyuán!

'Mr. Fēng' waved his hand at the secret spies, "Go out, I and Adult Chén will talk alone."

The secret spies cupped their fists, "Yes."

Someone blew a copper whistle, emitting three crisp magpie calls. They filed out from the courtyard door, and footsteps were also heard leaving from the roof.

After the courtyard door closed, Mr. Fēng put down the book scroll in his hand and smiled as he sat on the stone bench in the middle of the courtyard. "This seat was truly worried you would shout 'White Dragon Adult'. At that time, this seat would have to kill all the secret spies who heard. These are all capable subordinates, it would be too pitiful to kill them."

Chén Jī said without changing his expression, "Adult, why did you change back to the identity of Mr. Fēng to come to this Gǔyuán?"

White Dragon smiled and said, "When is it your turn to ask about this seat's plans? This seat saw you a few days ago and was still wondering why you also came to Gǔyuán."

Chén Jī was doubtful, "Didn't you think of ways to transfer away the Crown Prince's advisors, prompting the Crown Prince to summon the Chén family?"

White Dragon said indifferently, "His advisors were indeed transferred away by this seat. Two were transferred away before leaving the capital, and two were killed after leaving the capital. One hasn't been found yet, I don't know where he is hiding. But this was prepared for your return to the capital, I didn't expect it to be used in advance. It's also good, it saves trouble."

Indeed!

Chén Jī softly asked, "White Dragon Adult wants me to approach the Crown Prince, for what matter?"

White Dragon counter-asked, "Then why did you approach the Crown Prince? This seat previously only instructed you to lurk in the Chén family, but did not tell you to approach the Crown Prince."

Chén Jī was silent.

White Dragon laughed loudly, "Even if you don't say, this seat can guess. You approached the Crown Prince for nothing more than because the place where the Princess is imprisoned, Jǐngyáng Palace, is next door to the Crown Prince's Zhōngcuì Palace. The East Six Palaces are separated by only one street, less than six zhàng away. You ask this seat why I arranged for you to approach the Crown Prince? Just to help you."

Zhōngcuì Palace, Jǐngyáng Palace, one left, one right, separated by a door.

Chén Jī's efforts to catch spies and protect the Crown Prince were just so he could have an identity to walk to that door and look into Jǐngyáng Palace.

He knew this matter couldn't be hidden from White Dragon, but it was absolutely not as simple as the other side said. This person, who casually killed people as the first of the twelve zodiac signs, where did he get such a good heart to help himself? Not a single sentence from his mouth was true.

The other side allowing him to approach the Crown Prince must have a bigger plot.

White Dragon scrutinized Chén Jī, "How did you find this place? Old Wú doesn't know about the matters inside Táohuái Fāng."

After saying this, he lowered his head and pondered, "Could it be that the sulfur smell gathered inside this Fāng attracted you to come? So, you know that the firearms formula needs sulfur... How did you know?"

Chén Jī's heart was shaken. White Dragon's mind was too sharp.

He hurriedly explained, "It was the boss of Bǎofēng Zhài and the boss lady of the tailor shop on this street who exposed it. I observed for two days and only discovered this place."

White Dragon sighed, "A group of fools, they couldn't even hide properly. Finish the matters in Gǔyuán, and send them all back to Wúniàn Mountain for several years of re-training. On the contrary, you have now gained the Crown Prince's favor, very good."

Chén Jī cupped his hands and asked, "Adult, what do you need me to do next?"

White Dragon thought for a moment, "Watch the Crown Prince well. Who he sees, where he goes, all must be reported to this seat every day."

Chén Jī carefully probed, "Adult, what do you want to do?"

White Dragon smiled and said, "If this seat says, this seat plans to eliminate the Crown Prince for Prince Fú, do you believe it?"

Chén Jī did not believe it.