Golden Pig looked at Chen Ji with a smile and said, "The Inner Minister is a master strategist. He knew that Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit were more likely to cause trouble than to succeed, so he had me wait nearby, ready to step in when they inevitably failed. Right now, the Military Intelligence Department and the Liu family probably have no idea that I'm already in Luo City. This is the perfect opportunity to... apprehend them."
Chen Ji felt a surge of danger.
The Inner Minister's schemes were indeed deep and meticulous.
It turned out that Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit were merely decoys to mislead the enemy.
Once they failed, the enemy would let their guard down after a brief victory.
That's when Golden Pig would quietly step in, with the enemy in the open and us in the shadows, ensuring a successful strike.
No wonder Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit had been promoted to the Twelve Zodiacs half a year ago—it was all for this moment!
Even his own people were ruthlessly manipulated.
No wonder the outside world called him the "Venomous Minister"!
Chen Ji cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Golden Pig, I'm not part of the Secret Spy Division. I hope you won't share confidential matters with me."
Golden Pig walked over, warmly grasping Chen Ji's hand with a beaming smile.
"Of course, I have to tell you! I'm counting on you to join the Secret Spy Division and help me earn some merits! By the way, I haven't told you the good news yet. The Inner Minister has issued a decree, specially approving your entry into the Secret Spy Division. From now on, we'll be colleagues. With your intelligence, you're bound to rise quickly."
Chen Ji's hand was enveloped by Golden Pig's plump palm, sending shivers down his spine.
He quickly humbled himself, "Golden Pig, you flatter me. I don't have such abilities."
"You certainly do!" Golden Pig praised.
"I originally thought Cloud Sheep would fail at Zhou Chengyi's place and be forced to leave Luo City in disgrace within a day. But not only did they find evidence, they also nailed Liu Shiyu and even uncovered the Liu family's patriarch's fake death. I was puzzled at first—those two are good at killing, but when did they learn other skills? Later, I realized it was because of you!"
"It wasn't me," Chen Ji shook his head.
"Golden Pig, I'm just a medical apprentice."
"Don't be modest. Lin Chaoqing has already reported the whole incident to the Inner Minister, and Dream Rooster has also reported your interrogation in the dream realm. When the two accounts were compared, the truth became clear."
Chen Ji suddenly understood why Golden Pig had come to find him.
The Inner Minister already knew of his existence.
Curious, he asked, "I heard from Cloud Sheep that the selection process for the Secret Spy Division is very strict."
Golden Pig chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"That's true, but your outstanding performance in the Liu Shiyu case caught the Inner Minister's eye. Naturally, exceptions are made for talent."
"What are the benefits of joining the Secret Spy Division? What's the salary?" Chen Ji asked.
"Salary?" Golden Pig laughed heartily.
"A Sparrow-level agent earns twenty-four taels of silver a year, a Pheasant-level earns twenty-six. At the Dove-level, you get twenty-eight taels a year, putting you on par with a county magistrate. And when you reach the Sea Eagle level, even a prefect will treat you with respect. Do you know what a Sea Eagle is? It's a fierce bird of prey that will attack anything in the sky when hungry."
"What about the Twelve Zodiacs?" Chen Ji asked again.
"You want to be a Zodiac?" Golden Pig looked at Chen Ji with interest but continued without pause.
"The Twelve Zodiacs are naturally more powerful than the Sea Eagles. They carry the royal command flag and have the authority to act first and report later... though there are differences among the Zodiacs as well."
"Oh?"
"The Twelve Zodiacs are divided into four tiers: A, B, C, and D. The D-tier consists of Rat, Rabbit, and Sheep."
Chen Ji thought to himself, so Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit were at the lowest tier among the Zodiacs.
Golden Pig continued, "Next is the C-tier, which currently includes Golden Pig, Treasure Monkey, and Dream Rooster."
"What about the B-tier?"
"Corpse Dog, Mountain Ox, and Mystic Snake."
"And the A-tier?"
Golden Pig smiled.
"The A-tier is truly formidable. As the saying goes, 'The Upper Three are unshakable, while the Lower Nine come and go.' Over the years, most of the other Zodiacs have been replaced, but the Upper Three have remained steadfast, never making a mistake, never being replaced."
"These three are White Dragon, Heavenly Horse, and Sick Tiger!"
"The authority of the Upper Three Zodiacs is naturally different from ours. We still need to report to Minister Wu Xiu, who then relays our messages. But the Upper Three report directly to the Inner Minister. What they do and where they go is not for us to inquire about. If they issue orders, the Lower Nine must obey without question."
The medical hall fell silent.
Only now did Chen Ji have a complete understanding of the Secret Spy Division.
Golden Pig stopped talking, placing his bamboo hat on the counter and giving Chen Ji time to digest the information.
In the quiet, Chen Ji quickly pondered why Golden Pig had shared so much with him.
Was it because he wasn't deep? No, that couldn't be.
If Golden Pig weren't deep, he wouldn't have waited so patiently to appear.
This wasn't a Golden Pig—it was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Chen Ji asked, "May I ask... where are Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit now?"
Golden Pig smiled.
"Originally, they were to be escorted to the capital for judgment, but the Inner Minister's decree arrived. They won't be returning to the capital—they're being exiled directly to Lingnan."
Chen Ji shook his head.
"Golden Pig, can I choose not to join the Secret Spy Division? Even Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit, such formidable figures, ended up in prison. My fate probably won't be any better..."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you."
At that moment, a noise came from the backyard.
Chen Ji glanced toward the backyard, and when he turned back, Golden Pig had already vanished!
He looked up and saw Golden Pig's bulky figure perched silently on the beam, not making a sound.
Chen Ji: "..."
This Golden Pig really knew how to disappear at the slightest sign of trouble!
Golden Pig squinted slightly on the beam, as if facing a great enemy, and whispered, "Kid, go check it out."
......
At the backyard wall, White Carp's head peeked out from behind, cautiously scanning the yard.
When she saw Chen Ji, she suddenly deflated.
She had thought that by coming out late, she could avoid paying the toll once Chen Ji was asleep.
But it seemed this medical apprentice never slept!
White Carp clung to the wall, looking at Chen Ji curiously.
"Hey, what are you doing in the yard in the middle of the night?"
Chen Ji replied matter-of-factly, "Collecting tolls."
White Carp grew even angrier.
She climbed over the wall, descended the ladder, and angrily pulled four silver peanuts from her purse, slapping them into Chen Ji's palm.
"You should change your name from Chen Ji to Chen Blackheart!"
"Huh? Why four?" Chen Ji asked, puzzled.
At that moment, another head appeared over the wall—a girl he didn't recognize.
White Carp waved to her.
"Lingyun, there's a ladder inside. Climb down."
The girl, dressed in dark blue with a green jade hairpin, dressed like a boy, nimbly flipped into the yard.
The young master and the little monk followed closely behind.
The girl named Lingyun looked at the four silver peanuts in Chen Ji's palm and asked curiously, "What's this for?"
White Carp explained, "It's the toll we pay him."
"Toll?" Zhu Lingyun was stunned for a moment, then instinctively said, "Isn't the Imperial Medical Hall part of our estate? He's just a medical apprentice under our estate. Why should we pay him a toll?"
Chen Ji looked at White Carp.
"Who is this?"
"This is my sister, Zhu Lingyun," White Carp introduced with a smile.
"She doesn't go out much, so I brought her along for some fun. Don't mind what she says—she has some... classist views."
Zhu Lingyun was shocked.
"White Carp, why are you being so polite to a servant?"
White Carp's face darkened.
"What servant? Father has always told us not to look down on others. Why do you keep acting like your mother?"
Zhu Lingyun was also upset.
"You're siding with an outsider over me? What has my mother ever done to you?"
White Carp didn't want to argue.
"Apologize. Have you forgotten everything Father taught us?"
"Why should I apologize? He's just a servant!" Zhu Lingyun retorted.
The young master and the little monk quickly intervened.
"Stop arguing, there's no need... Lingyun, you shouldn't talk about Chen Ji like that."
Zhu Lingyun widened her almond-shaped eyes in disbelief, looking at the young master.
"Brother, you're siding with White Carp too?"
The young master was silent for a moment.
"I'm not siding with anyone. I'm just stating the facts. At Donglin Academy, Zhu Yu, the son of Prince Fu, was always arrogant, but in the end, he was expelled by the teachers. Don't let the scholars at Donglin Academy flatter you so much that you forget Father's teachings."
Tears welled up in Zhu Lingyun's eyes.
After a long silence, she turned and climbed back over the wall to the estate.
"You all go have fun. I'm not going!"
Chen Ji remained silent throughout...
The young master sighed and turned to Chen Ji.
"Sorry about that. Lingyun is actually a good person, just a bit temperamental."
Chen Ji smiled.
"It's fine."
He returned one silver peanut to White Carp, who was surprised.
"You're giving back money you've already taken?"
"I don't take what I shouldn't."
The young master gave a thumbs-up.
"You've got principles!"
Chen Ji returned to the common room and gently woke up Liang Mao'er.
"Call your brother and go drink with the young master. Remember to eat more at Red Dress Lane."
Liang Gou'er suddenly sat up, his eyes gleaming.
"Drinking? Where are we drinking?"
Chen Ji: "..."
Liang Mao'er: "..."
After they left, the medical hall returned to its quiet state.
Golden Pig floated down from the beam and looked at Chen Ji inquisitively.
"You seem to be on good terms with the young master and Princess White Carp?"
"Not really," Chen Ji shook his head.
Golden Pig smiled.
"I heard Princess White Carp defending you earlier."
In an authoritative tone, he said, "Young man, joining the Secret Spy Division has many benefits. Working for the Inner Minister, you'll never lose. From today, you're a spy. Your first task is to follow the young master and report all his movements to me. I'm off."
Chen Ji stood in the dim light of the medical hall, watching Golden Pig's retreating figure, and softly replied, "Understood, Golden Pig."
As the medical hall's door gently closed, he returned to the backyard, picked up a bamboo tube, and in the cool autumn night, rolled up his sleeves and began carefully scraping frost from the wall.
(End of Chapter)