The storeroom, filled with the scent of medicinal herbs, felt like a forgotten corner of the world.
Chen Ji silently pondered: the position of the Military Intelligence Division's Chief Secretary was highly classified.
The fact that his uncle could instruct the Chief Secretary to look after him suggested that his uncle was a significant figure in the intelligence network.
But why had his mother married into the Chen family of the Ning Dynasty? And why had he been left behind in the Ning Dynasty?
Seeing Chen Ji's silence, the Chief Secretary seemed to misinterpret his thoughts.
"It seems you still harbor resentment toward your uncle."
Chen Ji lowered his gaze and asked ambiguously, "Does my uncle still remember me?"
The Chief Secretary brushed off the dust on his clothes and replied nonchalantly, "Don't speak in anger. Back then, he had to consider the bigger picture from his position. There were reasons for not bringing you back to the Jing Dynasty. Perhaps bringing you back would have put you in danger from scheming individuals."
"Is that so? Is my uncle in a difficult situation?"
After the manager of the Hundred Deer Pavilion left, the Chief Secretary seemed to become more talkative.
He spoke calmly, "Your uncle has been framed by petty men and demoted from his position."
So, his uncle had already been removed from power?
Chen Ji asked, "When can I return to the Jing Dynasty?"
He felt no sense of belonging to either the Jing or Ning Dynasties, but anywhere would be better than walking on a tightrope here.
However, the Chief Secretary coldly stated, "You can't leave now. Since you've already gotten close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, you need to make good use of this identity."
The Chief Secretary's tone brooked no argument.
Chen Ji remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Then I'll follow the Chief Secretary's arrangements. I'll strive to gain the trust of Yun Yang and Jiao Tu."
At this point, the Chief Secretary abruptly changed the subject.
"Wait... the method of passing information in your intelligence line is Zhou Chengyi's error code method. The Military Intelligence Division never taught you the reverse phonetic method. Where did you learn the reverse phonetic method? And how did you discover the 'Jin Si Lu'?"
Chen Ji was momentarily at a loss for words.
He couldn't explain to the people of this world that he had always wanted to become a diplomatic military officer, so he had read extensively on science, intelligence, and reasoning.
He couldn't explain that seven months ago, he had been admitted to the Army Foreign Language Academy with the top scores in both the written and oral exams.
And that the school, which was about to be renamed the "Army Strategic Support Information Engineering University," was never just a place to teach foreign languages.
The special admission batch's exams didn't test language skills either.
The Chief Secretary narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why aren't you speaking? Who taught you?"
As he spoke, an invisible pressure suddenly closed in.
Chen Ji clearly saw the Chief Secretary's hand reaching for the dagger in his sleeve again.
Quickly weighing his options, Chen Ji replied, "My mother taught me."
"Oh?" The Chief Secretary's tone remained tense.
"I didn't expect your mother to teach you these things at such a young age... What else did she teach you? Surely she didn't just teach you the reverse phonetic method. That would be too much of a coincidence."
Chen Ji 'recalled,' "My mother also told me that using only the reverse phonetic method to hide information is risky. If someone else who knows the reverse phonetic method comes across it, it's easy to expose. So, she created a new method to hide information on top of the reverse phonetic method."
"Really?" The Chief Secretary became interested.
"What method?"
Chen Ji said, "She called it the codebook."
"Codebook?"
Chen Ji found a jar of medicinal wine in the storeroom, dipped his finger in it, and wrote on the ground: "Willow by the side seeks low breath, waves compete for the sun's time. Orioles murmur with joy, clapping hands to let you know."
The Chief Secretary asked seriously, "What's the use of this poem?"
Chen Ji didn't answer but continued writing: "Spring flowers bloom, autumn mountains open, guests sing joyfully with golden cups, lonely lights burn silver vats. East of the suburbs, west of the bridge, roosters herald the dawn, strange plums lean over the ditch."
Chen Ji explained, "The first poem has twenty characters, each with a different initial consonant. The second poem has thirty-six characters, each with a different final vowel. These two poems serve as the codebook, with each character numbered in sequence. The twenty characters of the first poem are numbered one to twenty, and the thirty-six characters of the second poem are numbered one to thirty-six."
The Chief Secretary was puzzled.
"How do you use it?"
Chen Ji said, "With this codebook, if you want to pass the message 'continue,' you just need to write nineteen, twenty-seven, fifteen, and eleven. Those who know the codebook can immediately translate the numbers into the message, but those who don't will never be able to crack it. If the 'Jin Si Lu' used this method to pass messages, even if someone intercepted it, they wouldn't be able to understand it."
The Chief Secretary praised, "That's quite interesting."
The codebook, a multi-layered encryption technique, had existed since ancient times and was further developed during World War I and II.
It wasn't foolproof, but in intelligence work, being one step ahead often meant complete victory.
At this point, the Chief Secretary finally relaxed and chose to believe Chen Ji.
"Your mother taught you well, and you learned well. When your mother came to the Ning Dynasty to go undercover, she became a renowned talent in Jinling within just three years. I didn't expect her to not only excel in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting but also to master the use of the reverse phonetic method. I will report this codebook and the 'Jin Si Lu' matter to the Division Head and request a reward for you. You're currently a 'Sparrow'-level spy, right? This achievement is enough to promote you to 'Pheasant'-level."
Chen Ji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief: he had guessed correctly.
Based on his speculation, both his mother and uncle were from the Jing Dynasty, yet his mother had strangely married into the Chen family of the Ning Dynasty.
The only explanation was that his mother was also a spy!
Back then, his mother and uncle had come to the Ning Dynasty together.
His uncle had established the Military Intelligence Division's southern intelligence network, while his mother had married into the Chen family to gather information.
Chen Ji changed the subject.
"Chief Secretary, my main task now is to get close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. Can you tell me more about them?"
The Chief Secretary nodded.
"When dealing with Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, never trust a single word they say. These two rose through the ranks by stepping on the corpses of their colleagues. They might use you today and discard you tomorrow."
Chen Ji was puzzled.
"Won't their actions anger their colleagues?"
"No, the Secret Intelligence Division is a place that only values merit, not personal feelings. They are ruthless to their own people and even more so to us," the Chief Secretary added after a moment of thought, "Of course, given their relationship with the Poison Minister, their colleagues might be too afraid to speak out."
"Huh?"
"Yun Yang and Jiao Tu were both orphans adopted by the Poison Minister and trained for over a decade to become his loyal assassins. They might not be as capable as others, but they won't hesitate to kill for the Poison Minister."
Chen Ji suddenly recalled that on the night Zhou Chengyi died, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu had sworn by their parents...
As they spoke, Manager Yuan pushed the door open.
"Chief Secretary, everything is arranged. The Long Whale will be here tonight..."
The Chief Secretary coldly said, "Slap yourself."
Manager Yuan was stunned but ultimately gritted his teeth and slapped himself ten times.
The Chief Secretary's muffled voice came from behind his mask.
"The principle that different intelligence lines must not share information with each other—have you forgotten that? And you still want to replace Zhou Chengyi as the Sea Eagle of Luo City?"
Manager Yuan lowered his head.
"This subordinate was reckless."
Chen Ji suddenly spoke up.
"Chief Secretary, I will do my best to get close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, but I have one request."
"Speak."
Chen Ji stared at Manager Yuan.
"I need the Military Intelligence Division to recall everyone who knows my identity as a spy back to the Jing Dynasty, and they must never return to the Ning Dynasty. Otherwise, if I work hard to get close to the Twelve Zodiacs and someone else is captured and reveals me, all my efforts will be in vain."
The Chief Secretary pondered this.
Manager Yuan's face turned pale.
"Chief Secretary, he's taking revenge on me!"
Chen Ji shook his head.
"This isn't revenge. You already know my identity. If you're captured, you'll definitely reveal me."
"I won't!" Manager Yuan pleaded.
"Chief Secretary, I've been managing Luo City for six years. No one is more suited for this place than me."
The Chief Secretary thought for a moment, then walked over to a box of medicinal herbs.
He opened the box, pulled out a sheet of oiled paper used to preserve herbs, and calmly spread it on the ground.
Seeing this, Manager Yuan turned to flee the storeroom.
But before he could take a step, the Chief Secretary had already appeared behind him.
With one hand, he lifted Manager Yuan's hefty body and placed him on the oiled paper.
In the next moment, the Chief Secretary kicked Manager Yuan's knees, forcing him to kneel.
He drew a dagger from his sleeve and looked at Chen Ji.
"Interrogating you today was unavoidable. Don't hold a grudge. If today's events become a thorn in your heart, I'll remove it for you now. From now on, you can focus on getting close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. Apart from me, the Division Head, and your uncle, no one else will know your identity as a spy."
As he spoke, the Chief Secretary gripped Manager Yuan's jaw and plunged the dagger into his heart.
"Yuan Ming, you've embezzled eight thousand three hundred twenty-seven taels of silver from the Hundred Deer Pavilion over six years, taking advantage of your position. The Hundred Deer Pavilion was established to raise funds for the Military Intelligence Division, but you turned it into a place to line your own pockets. You are disloyal."
Manager Yuan gasped for breath, unable to speak.
As the Chief Secretary twisted the dagger, shattering Manager Yuan's heart, he raised his masked, grotesque face to look at Chen Ji.
"Without absolute loyalty, there is only absolute disloyalty. Chen Ji, remember this well."
Chen Ji silently watched the scene, knowing that from now on, he would be walking among wolves and tigers.
(End of Chapter)