Chapter 305: The Substitute

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Qi Jianzhe sought a set of silver armor and helped Chen Ji put it on.

As he helped Chen Ji fasten the armor, he softly mumbled, "Master, we're waiting to see what a spectacle Chen Wenren makes of himself, why are we helping them... Why do I feel so awkward with you wearing this silver armor?"

Chen Ji was startled, "Awkward?"

Qi Jianzhe furrowed his brow and looked over, "I can't quite pinpoint what's strange, I just feel it doesn't match this silver armor."

Li Xuan heard this and looked over, breaking the silence with a sentence, "Chen Ji doesn't suit this flashy Yulin Army armor, this set of armor is too dazzling, he's suited to wear a body of black armor."

Qi Jianzhe clicked his tongue and said, "It really seems so. Brother-in-law, how could you tell at a glance?"

Li Xuan was silent for a moment, "Because I've seen him in the Tiance Army divine archer black armor."

Qi Jianzhe doubted, "I've seen it too, he wore that black armor after the great battle."

Li Xuan shook his head and softly said, "Not after the great battle."

He recalled the night of the decisive battle at Gu Yuan, when Chen Ji stood in the calm black night waves, holding a sturdy bow in his hand, yet like hidden rolling thunder.

The fiercest eagle falcon will never appear in the prey's eye.

The three of them went out the door.

Zhao Zhuofan was urgently shouting on the drill ground, "Who will go to the Eight Great Alleys and deliver a letter to Commandant Chen? There's a heavy reward, two hundred taels of silver!"

No one on the drill ground responded.

"You won't even run an errand for two hundred taels of silver?" Zhao Zhuofan pulled a Yulin Army soldier and instructed, "You go!"

That Yulin Army soldier retreated a step, struggling free from Zhao Zhuofan's hand, "There's no way I'll make it in time this time, going to the Eight Great Alleys and back, even riding a fast horse will take half an hour, I'll definitely miss the matter at the appointed time. When the Si Li Jian holds me accountable, perhaps the Zhao family can guarantee you, but this lowly soldier will definitely be dismissed and investigated."

Zhao Zhuofan cursed angrily and turned his head to look at a Yulin Army soldier who was feeding a horse, "I'll give you five hundred taels of silver, you go!"

But that Yulin Army soldier also didn't respond.

Zhao Zhuofan was angry, "Your old mother at home is seriously ill and waiting for silver to treat her, your wife is reluctant to buy a box of rouge every day, if you take this silver, you'll have everything!"

Qi Jianzhe sneered from the side, "Five hundred taels of silver is only his salary for two years. Liang Dongcheng was selected into the Yulin Army with great difficulty, why would he miss his duty for your little money? According to the laws of our Great Ning, what crime is it to leave duty arbitrarily..."

Zhao Zhuofan glared angrily, "You!"

Now was not the time to argue with Qi Jianzhe. He turned back to the other poor family officers, "Who is willing to earn this five hundred taels of silver? No, eight hundred taels!"

No one responded.

Qi Jianzhe teased, "Young Master Zhao, relying on the Chen family, how can you only be willing to give eight hundred taels of silver to send someone? If you give five thousand taels, I'll run the trip for you."

Zhao Zhuofan ignored him, only looking at those poor family officers, and laughed coldly, "Good, good, good, I treat you well every day, I never deduct army rations. Wait until this matter is over, you don't need to stay in my guard anymore!"

One Yulin Army soldier heard these words, gritted his teeth, and took a step forward, "Fifteen hundred taels, I'll go deliver the letter to the Commandant."

Zhao Zhuofan thought for a moment, "Good!"

That Yulin Army officer mounted his horse and left, heading towards the Eight Great Alleys.

As he went out the gate, there was another young eunuch outside the gate holding up an imperial decree from the inner court, "Yulin Army listen up, immediately wait for the decree outside the Wu Gate. If anyone is not seen within one incense stick's time, they will be whipped forty times and dismissed from service!"

Zhao Zhuofan said irritably, "Urge, urge, urge, it's like urging someone to die!"

Chen Ji suddenly remembered what Zhang Xia had said, rules are used to eat people.

He turned his head and asked Qi Jianzhe, "How many people in the Yulin Army come from poor families?"

Qi Jianzhe shook his head, "Not many, the selection for the Yulin Army is extremely strict, one must have three generations of ancestors completely clean. There are only twenty-five or six such poor families in the Yulin Army, most of the others have backgrounds."

Chen Ji seemed to be deep in thought.

Two hundred Yulin Army soldiers, with their long swords at their waists, passed through Cheng Tian Gate and lined up in front of Wu Gate.

Zhao Zhuofan paced back and forth in front of Wu Gate, his heart burning with anxiety as he looked in the direction of Cheng Tian Gate.

Just then, Chen Ji saw a familiar figure walk out from the right side of Wu Gate. The person opposite was dressed in white, wore a dragon-patterned mask, and held both hands behind their back, silently inspecting the Yulin Army.

White Dragon.

Chen Ji carefully looked at the person opposite, wondering which White Dragon he had seen before.

The one in Lu City?

Or the one inside the palace ban? Or neither.

After a long time, White Dragon stared at Zhao Zhuofan, "What kind of system is it for the imperial front ceremony guard to pace back and forth in front of the Wu Gate?"

Zhao Zhuofan was inexplicably shocked by the aura and unwilling to look directly.

White Dragon inspected the Yulin Army, and said without emotion, "According to the records, there are five hundred and thirty-eight people in the Yulin Army, yet now not even three hundred and sixty people have gathered here, very good."

As soon as the words fell, the drum sounds rang out from the Que Ting on the Wu Gate city tower. White Dragon immediately said, "Line up, welcome at Cheng Tian Gate!"

The Yulin Army divided into two lines and marched neatly towards Cheng Tian Gate to welcome.

Chen Ji asked in a low voice, "Aren't we welcoming at Wu Gate?"

Qi Jianzhe chuckled, "Goryeo is our Ning Dynasty's vassal state, how can a suzerain state wait for him? He needs to dismount outside Cheng Tian Gate and walk to Wu Gate."

Upon reaching Cheng Tian Gate, they saw a sedan surrounded by Hong Lu Temple officials and over thirty envoys on East Chang'an main street, slowly approaching. Around it, there were also secret agents in civilian clothes weaving back and forth, guarding both sides.

After the sedan was put down, the Goryeo Crown Prince inside did not dismount, and White Dragon did not urge him either.

He only held his hands behind his back, quietly looking outside the gate, as if there was still a guest coming from afar.

Chen Ji was a little strange, what was White Dragon waiting for?

After one incense stick's time, he was slightly startled. On West Chang'an main street, there was unexpectedly another team of Hong Lu Temple officials and envoys surrounding an identical sedan.

Even the number of envoys was exactly the same.

After the sedan was put down, Golden Pig Head wearing a bamboo hat flashed out from the roadside, came to White Dragon, cupped his fist, "Sir, fortunately I did not fail in my mission, safely delivered."

White Dragon casually asked, "Did nothing happen?"

Golden Pig affirmed, "Nothing happened."

White Dragon smiled, "Then please invite the Crown Prince out."

The Goryeo envoys simultaneously lifted the two sedans. From the left side, a person came out, dressed in red Luo clothes, with embroidered patterns of Yi and algae chapters on the clothes, wearing a five-beamed crown on his head, holding an ivory tablet in his hand, and a jade belt tied around his waist. This was the form of a vassal minister of the Ning Dynasty.

From the right side, a person came out, dressed exactly the same as the Goryeo Crown Prince, also wearing red Luo clothes and a five-beamed crown.

The height and build of the two people were the same, and both were covered with thin gauze.

A double!

White Dragon asked the young man on the right side, "Is the Crown Prince safe? You can pull down the face gauze."

The Goryeo Crown Prince pulled down his face gauze and bowed humbly, "Replying to sir, no harm."

This Crown Prince unexpectedly spoke fluent Ning Dynasty official language.

At this time, White Dragon lightly explained, "To ensure absolute safety, I have gone to this trouble, I hope the Crown Prince understands."

The Goryeo Crown Prince hurriedly replied, "No matter, no matter, the Jing Dynasty thieves have assassinated me several times, you are also thinking for my safety, I should be grateful."

Chen Ji's heart shuddered, had the open and secret struggle between the Jing Dynasty's military intelligence department and the Ning Dynasty's secret agents department in this capital city reached this stage?

But this is under the imperial city's foot.

White Dragon looked at the two people and smiled, "Crown Prince, to have a friend come from afar, is it not also a joy! Please!"

The Yulin Army lined up and cleared the way, leading the Goryeo Crown Prince through Wu Gate, towards Jian Ji Hall.

The Goryeo Crown Prince looked up at Wu Gate, his face solemn.

Wu Gate is named a gate, but it is actually a city gate.

Outer city, inner city, imperial city, advancing layer by layer, Wu Gate is the most important last 'city gate' in the capital area.

The big red Wu Gate, with its high and broad city tower. It was as if someone had put a chief minister's big red official robe on the city wall, sitting here in charge. All those who came to Wu Gate for the first time were bound to be shocked by its solemn, dignified official might, and from this, reverence would be born in their hearts.

After the Goryeo Crown Prince entered Wu Gate, White Dragon heard the sound of urgent footsteps behind him.

He turned around and saw that it was suddenly Chen Wenren leading a crowd of Yulin Army rushing over, covered in sweat.

Chen Wenren came closer, panting, cupping his fist, and said, "This lowly soldier is late."

White Dragon said indifferently, "According to article nine of volume two of our Great Ning laws, all officials who arbitrarily leave duty without reason shall be caned forty times, and those who are guarding the palace ban or warehouses shall be whipped eighty times and dismissed from service."

Chen Wenren's face changed.

White Dragon waved his hand to Golden Pig, "Our secret agents department has the duty to supervise all officials. Major matters are decided by the sage, minor matters are handled directly. Drag them down and whip them eighty times, then hand them over to the Ministry of War for disposal."

The secret agents swarmed up and dragged Chen Wenren and the other Yulin Army soldiers out of Wu Gate.

Chen Wenren roared angrily, "Eunuch party, how dare you lay a hand on me! My Chen family has been officials for generations, with bells ringing and tripods for food, how can you eunuch party touch me?"

White Dragon turned and walked towards the deep gate tunnel of Wu Gate city, "Whip them a hundred times."

Chen Ji turned his head and looked over. This White Dragon now was completely different from Mr. Feng.