CHAPTER 421: 331. WHOSE PERSON_2

Chen Ji suddenly understood, no wonder the Jiefan Guard rushed to handle this matter rather than the Five Cities Military Department.

He wondered, "Is it just keeping me from dying?"

At this moment, a Jiefan Guard hurried over and handed over a piece of Xuan paper.

Lin Chaoqing glanced at it and pushed it in front of Chen Ji, "This is transcribed from the Imperial Court, there are officials reporting the Yulin Army for engaging in armed private fights overnight and misappropriating the official army, according to our Daning Law... Bring the Daning Law."

The Jiefan Guard brought the Daning Law book from next door, turned to Volume 14, "Military Laws", the first clause was misappropriating the official army, punishable by one hundred strokes and exile for three thousand miles.

Before he could speak, another Jiefan Guard came with a stack of Xuan papers, Lin Chaoqing unfolded one and read: "The Minister of the Ministry of War reported the Yulin Army for privately hoarding military equipment, punishable by one hundred strokes and exile for three thousand miles."

"The Assistant Minister of Rites reported the Yulin Army for attempted rebellion, this needs no reference to Daning Law, it’s a capital offense..."

Before Lin Chaoqing finished reading, another Jiefan Guard brought more Xuan papers, all transcriptions from the Imperial Court memorials.

He patted the thick stack of Xuan paper in his hand, "Dr. Chen, so many people reported against you overnight, if it weren’t past midnight, perhaps dozens of officials would already be waiting outside the Imperial Palace Gate to see you dead. Lord Wu Xiu being able to keep you alive is already quite good, avoiding flogging and exile is impossible. As long as you confess any one of the zodiac secrets, you can survive."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Those two crossbow arrows, surely they weren’t shot by your Jiefan Guard?"

Lin Chaoqing laughed, "Our Jiefan Guard wouldn’t dare. Dr. Chen, such is the Imperial Capital, everybody goes about their duties quietly to avoid mistakes usually. Once someone is involved in a matter, everyone will move to see what they can gain from it."

Chen Ji shook his head, "Lord Lin, I have no intention of getting involved in the factional struggles within the Ritual Supervision."

Lin Chaoqing stood up, instructing the Jiefan Guard to pull Wang Huan aside, making space for Chen Ji, "Since persuasion is ineffective, then I’m afraid we must resort to punishment."

The Jiefan Guard dragged the limp Wang Huan aside and set Chen Ji up onto a wooden rack.

Lin Chaoqing calmly said, "Dr. Chen, perhaps you just returned to the Imperial Capital and are unaware of the gravity, committing a grave mistake yet still having the leisure to eat wontons. That may be the last time you ever have wontons in your life..."

As he spoke, Lin Chaoqing sensed something amiss.

He pondered for a moment, "Strange, you’re not someone who doesn’t comprehend the gravity, so why would you brazenly sit by the road eating wontons?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

Lin Chaoqing turned to a Jiefan Guard, "How many Yulin Army members are captured?"

The Jiefan Guard reported back, "We’ve arrested forty-nine, along with more than ten under Chen Wenren."

Lin Chaoqing extended his hand, "Where is the list?"

The Jiefan Guard pulled out a sheet of paper, "It’s all recorded here."

Lin Chaoqing looked at it for a moment, frowning, "Where are Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo?"

Suddenly, he turned to Chen Ji, "You led so many men to parade around, just to distract my Jiefan Guard, giving Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo time? But you guessed wrong, the Qi family will not intervene in this matter. Until now, not a single member of the Qi family has stepped forward to inquire about it."

Chen Ji still did not respond.

Lin Chaoqing calmly said, "Proceed with the punishment."

The Jiefan Guard tied Chen Ji’s hands to the rack, stripped off his shirt and removed his boots.

Lin Chaoqing turned to the furnace, placing the branding iron used on Wang Huan back into the fire, waiting for it to turn red hot.

...

...

Baishun Alley, White Jade Garden.

Qigong sat in the pavilion, with five Three Mountains Association men behind him, watching intently.

Opposite the table, Brother Pao and Er Dao were eating ravenously, the roast chicken was picked clean to the bones, the fish was down to bones and fins.

After a long wait, an angry Three Mountains Association man behind Qigong said, "Are you done eating yet?"

Brother Pao stuffed a thin spring pancake rolled with slices of roasted duck into his mouth, chewing while scanning the leftovers on the table, completely ignoring Qigong and the Three Mountains Association men in front of him.

Qigong, stroking his beard, frowned impatiently, "Were you two reincarnated from starved ghosts?"

Brother Pao casually wiped his mouth: "We’ve waited all night for Qigong here; Three Mountains Association is a big enterprise, it wouldn’t hurt if the two of us had a little meal, right?"

Qigong frowned: "What exactly are you two here for? You’re the one who wants to set up the staff, yet you don’t go to Li Shamao Alley, what are you doing here at Three Mountains Association?"

Brother Pao extended his hand, and Er Dao immediately put down his chopsticks and took a copper pipe out of the pouch on his shoulder, carefully filled it with tobacco, lit it, and handed it to Brother Pao.

Brother Pao took a deep drag, and only then did he exhale the grayish-white smoke with satisfaction.

Qigong fanned away the smoke in front of him: "Nowadays, your men have all been taken away by the Jiefan Guard, and you still have the mood to eat?"

"That’s the boss’s business, it has nothing to do with us," Brother Pao looked across at him: "Qigong, we’ve already driven away Heji, so should we collect all the Peace Money from Eight Great Hutongs in the future?"

Qigong coldly sneered: "Dream on, according to the agreement, what you get is Li Shamao Alley, nothing else falls to you. Even if Three Mountains Association agreed to give it to you, would you be able to take it? The ruffians of Heji were only injured, not killed, their boss behind them is still there."

Brother Pao raised his eyebrows.

Qigong looked at the leftovers on the table: "At this moment, who knows how many people from all corners are mixed here, all wanting to kill off your group behind you. Once they’re finished, once the Wang Family falls, and Furui Xiang is forced away, then the businesses that Heji and Furui Xiang have held for many years will slip away, bringing in tens of thousands of silver taels a year."

Qigong continued: "But the most important thing is not the business, it’s the schemes behind these people, without some lives lost, it can’t be settled. Kid, I advise you to run for your life before they trace it back to you."

Brother Pao took another deep drag of smoke and smiled, saying: "Three Mountains Association is so powerful, can’t it help my boss?"

Qigong drooped his eyelids: "We Three Mountains Association are no different from Heji and Furui Xiang, living in this Jianghu, it’s good enough to protect ourselves, let alone others. Don’t think about saving your boss, because no one will save you either."

Saying this, Qigong waved his hand to the back, and a man from Three Mountains Association handed over a string of Buddhist Treasures.

Qigong threw it to Brother Pao: "There are 500 taels of silver inside, go, take the Cao Guild’s boat, you can still make it if you leave now. This is the sentiment of Three Mountains Association, doing all it can."

Brother Pao shook his head: "I can’t leave."

Qigong sighed lightly: "When your boss sells you out in the Imperial Prison, you won’t be able to leave even if you wanted to."

Brother Pao casually put the Buddhist Treasures on his wrist: "He won’t sell me out."

Qigong raised his eyes to look at him: "As far as I know, you’ve only recently known each other, right?"

Brother Pao grinned: "No wonder people say Three Mountains Association is powerful, Your old man even knows this? But you guessed wrong this time, we’ve known each other for a long time."

Qigong was startled: "What exactly are you doing here tonight?"

Brother Pao tapped the pipe against his sole: "The boss told me to stay at Three Mountains Association, and to inform Qigong that if he can leave intact today and Heji is uprooted, then the Eight Great Hutongs and Glass Factory in Heji’s hands will all belong to him in the future."

Qigong was puzzled: "Where does your confidence come from?"

Brother Pao thought for a moment: "The boss told me before I came, someone taught him that in this Imperial Capital, rules don’t matter, business doesn’t matter, whose person you are matters the most."

Qigong squinted his eyes: "Those crossbow arrows wouldn’t be shot by you, right? If it was you, you’re really trying to wipe out the Wang Family."

Brother Pao laughed heartily: "Qigong, don’t wrong people, who would dare bear the crime of decapitation? Those crossbow arrows have nothing to do with us."

Qigong pondered for a moment: "Then I’ll wait here with you and see if he can leave intact."

...

...

In Pipa Hall, the bluish-black branding iron was gradually heating to a red glow.

Lin Chaoqing rolled up his right sleeve and picked up the branding iron with his own hands, slowly coming before Chen Ji: "Dr. Chen, have you made up your mind? Even though Jin Zhu helped you, you must hand over Yun Yang and Jiao Tu."

Chen Ji replied calmly: "Handing over Jiao Tu and Yun Yang is not hard, the difficulty lies in how to face the Prime Minister’s revenge."

Lin Chaoqing nodded: "Then we’ll have to use extraordinary means. I know you’re not someone who surrenders easily, but I think you’ve backed the wrong side this time, the person you counted on won’t be able to save you."

With that, he raised his hand to press the branding iron.

Just then, an urgent voice came from outside Pipa Hall: "Conveying Your Majesty’s decree!"

Lin Chaoqing was shocked, and swiftly turned to look outside Pipa Hall.

In the dim passage, a little eunuch hurriedly arrived, loudly repeating: "Conveying Your Majesty’s decree, summon Yulin Army small flag officer Chen Ji to appear in court!"