In the quiet confines of the inner prison's secret chamber, Golden Pig crushed the wine cup in his hand, letting the shards of blue-glazed porcelain pierce his palm, drawing blood.
He slowly opened his hand, allowing the fragments mixed with blood to fall onto the table.
"Young Doctor Chen," he said, "the Secret Intelligence Bureau has never been a place of kindness. When outsiders call us arrogant, ruthless, and venomous, I never argue, because that's exactly what we are. Whether it's me, Cloud Sheep, or White Rabbit, we all had to climb over the bones of our colleagues before we could step on others' bones to seek revenge."
Golden Pig wiped the blood from his hand with a white cloth from the Eight Immortals table, speaking leisurely, "So whether you resent me or hate me, you'll have to wait until you climb to my position. Don't worry, I won't hinder your rise. As long as you help me wipe out the entire Liu family, our agreement will always stand."
Chen Ji replied earnestly, "Lord Golden Pig, I understand you."
Golden Pig said calmly, "No, you don't."
But Chen Ji truly did understand.
He knew what it felt like to seek revenge for one's parents.
First, you had to turn yourself into a madman, then sink into an endless world of obsession, with no way out.
After a moment of thought, Chen Ji said, "Lord Golden Pig, I can help you take revenge."
In the next second, Golden Pig's expression changed, and he smiled kindly, "That's good, that's good."
He stood on a chair to unlock Chen Ji's chains, then helped him sit down and handed him chopsticks and a wine cup.
"As long as you're willing to help me, you're my sworn brother."
In the Secret Intelligence Bureau, everyone changed faces as quickly as a madman.
As long as there was a shared interest, past grievances could be temporarily set aside.
Chen Ji sat silently at the table.
Seeing that Chen Ji wasn't touching the food, Golden Pig picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in his bowl.
"I know you're someone who holds grudges. It's fine. Once the Liu family is wiped out, you can seek revenge on me however you like. You want to clear the suspicions of the Prince and Princess, right? We can each get what we need. I only want the Liu family dead. Everyone else can turn a blind eye."
Chen Ji still didn't respond.
Golden Pig laughed, "You've already started to see the Prince and Princess as friends, haven't you?"
Chen Ji shook his head, "No, it's just mutual use."
Golden Pig chuckled, "No need to deny it. I can see it clearly."
Chen Ji picked up the wine cup and drained the yellow wine in one gulp.
"Then I won't say more. I'll help clear the suspicions of the Prince and Princess, and I wish you success in your revenge."
Golden Pig beamed, "Good, good, that's the way. Let's be honest with each other. No need to hide anything."
Chen Ji put down the wine cup and looked at Golden Pig, suddenly asking, "Lord Golden Pig, how long after your sister's death did the Inner Minister appear?"
Golden Pig took a bite of food, "What you really want to ask is whether the Inner Minister knew from the start about the Liu family's schemes but chose to do nothing, allowing my family to be slaughtered, and then took me under his wing when I was at my most hateful?"
Chen Ji didn't answer.
Golden Pig sneered, "The Inner Minister is exactly that kind of ruthless person. Why else do you think everyone calls him the 'Venomous Minister'? The Inner Minister will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He once told me that there are only two things in the world that are the sharpest: fame and fortune. He also told me that there are only two emotions that are easiest to exploit: one is hate."
"And the other?"
"Love."
Chen Ji was taken aback.
Golden Pig poured another cup of wine for Chen Ji and filled his own new cup, raising it across the table.
"The Inner Minister's methods are ruthless. He transferred me to Luocheng, knowing I would fight the Liu family to the death. Is this a conspiracy? No, it's an open scheme. Using love and hate as bait, even if you know he's using you, you can't give up."
He smiled, "The Secret Intelligence Bureau raises spies like raising venomous insects. Everyone carries hatred, like everyone carries poison. Colleagues scheme against each other. New spies are fine, but those above the rank of Sea Eagle have no trust in each other. Do you think I don't want to escape this exhausting life? But how can I leave before my revenge is complete?"
Chen Ji was surprised, "Lord Golden Pig, don't you care?"
Golden Pig laughed, "It's not that I don't care, but the Inner Minister doesn't care whether I care or not. That's his brilliance. Even if I hate him too, I still have to do as he says."
Chen Ji suddenly felt that Golden Pig admired the Inner Minister, revering him like a father.
But at the same time, he also hated the Inner Minister.
This mix of hate and admiration had become a gray emotion that even he couldn't fully understand.
He put down the wine cup, "Lord Golden Pig, I will assist you in finding evidence against the Liu family. Can I leave now?"
Golden Pig also put down his cup, gradually losing his smile.
"Are you in a hurry to attend the banquet at the Welcome Immortal Pavilion? Don't rush. You won't be able to return until there's progress. If you really want to help clear the suspicions of the Prince and Princess, think of a way to catch the real conspirators. If they're innocent, they have nothing to fear from an investigation."
The secret chamber fell silent again as Chen Ji and Golden Pig stared at each other.
After a moment, Chen Ji asked softly, "What clues do you have now, Lord? Can you share them with me?"
Golden Pig sat back down across the table, thinking for a moment before saying, "To be honest, it's a bit embarrassing. Following the clues from the Artisan Bureau, I caught a few traitors from the Canal Gang. After interrogation, I learned there was a transaction at the Red Clothes Lane Gold Shop, but the news leaked. I set up multiple ambushes at the border of Yuzhou to catch the Jing Dynasty spy who used firearms, but he escaped too. Now, I want to catch the Liu family, but they've gone into hiding like turtles, giving me no opening."
Golden Pig looked at Chen Ji, "To be frank, these repeated failures have made me the subject of much doubt in the Bureau of Rites. Even I'm starting to lose confidence. I firmly believe one thing: work with successful people to do successful things. You managed to catch the Liu family before, so you can do it again this time."
"Do you have all the recent case files?"
"I do."
Golden Pig left and returned with a thick stack of documents.
After quickly flipping through them, Chen Ji looked up and asked, "Lord Golden Pig, do you only want the Liu family?"
"Only the Liu family."
Chen Ji asked again, "What time is it now?"
"It's just past dusk, around 7 PM."
"Where is Liu Mingxian, the Luocheng Magistrate, right now?"
"At the Welcome Immortal Pavilion."
Chen Ji was surprised.
Why was Liu Mingxian also at the Welcome Immortal Pavilion?
Golden Pig explained, "Tonight, Liu Mingxian's old subordinate is being promoted to the position of Yanshi County Magistrate. He's hosting a banquet at the Welcome Immortal Pavilion to thank Liu Mingxian for his promotion."
Chen Ji stood up and walked out, "Prepare a horse. We're going to the Welcome Immortal Pavilion to find him."
Golden Pig followed, slightly puzzled, "Are we going directly to him? Are you planning to stir the grass to scare the rabbit? Force him into a corner and see how he reacts? That's a good way to catch him off guard, but it's too aggressive."
Chen Ji said, "No, I'm a conservative person."
"You're conservative?"
As they walked through the long, dark corridor of the inner prison, Chen Ji said softly, "I think stirring the grass to scare the rabbit is still too conservative."
(End of Chapter)