CHAPTER 430: 337, ESCAPE

The Chessboard Street and East Rongmi Lane were engulfed in thick smoke, the arsenic mixed in the bamboo tubes stinging everyone’s eyes shut.

Chen Ji used his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose, hiding within the smoke. He didn’t rashly approach the Huitong Hall but quietly closed his eyes and leaned against the side to wait.

Waiting for the Five Cities Military Department to be diverted.

In the white smoke, the sedan bearers, clerks, and ministry officials who had just finished their shift were choking and unable to find their direction, squinting their eyes to distinguish their surroundings with difficulty.

The shop owners rushed out from the street-side taverns, someone shouted loudly: "There’s a fire, put it out!"

"Where are the Fire Armor soldiers? Where are the fire troops from the Five Cities Military Department?"

"Quickly bring the water bags!"

The Imperial Capital was dry, with more than a hundred fire incidents occurring every year, some minor burning down a house, others destroying entire rows.

Chessboard Street was the busiest place in the inner city, where every merchant pooled funds to establish the "Water Cabinet Workshop," where the cowhide water bags stored therein could hold three stone of water.

Every month, merchants also had to remit "Fire Armor Money" to the Five Cities Military Department. If not paid, the military department would stand by idly during incidents. Paid, they would protect your home first.

Hence, once a fire broke out, the Five Cities Military Department would definitely extinguish it first.

Chen Ji kept his eyes closed, listening to the sound of running footsteps, armor rustling as they distanced, the nearby Five Cities Military Department turning to fetch the stored cowhide water bags from the "Water Cabinet Workshop."

But with the Five Cities Military Department diverted, Chen Ji still didn’t move.

This time, he was waiting for the Spy Department to leave.

At this moment, the vermillion in the bamboo tubes finally ignited, the rolling white smoke swiftly turning into red smoke. Residents by the street, upon seeing the spreading red smoke, exclaimed in alarm: "It’s a demon! A demon!"

"Demons are wreaking havoc in the Imperial Capital!"

"Mars descends upon the world!"

Someone suddenly shouted in the thick fog: "No, it might be an assassination attempt, the Assistant Minister of Rites Chen Lizhi is here, protect the Assistant Minister!"

"Protect Minister of Public Works Lord Zhou!"

"Protect the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!"

Upon hearing this, even the spies outside the Huitong Hall exchanged glances, someone whispered: "Should we go take a look?"

"What to look at? Our duty is to watch these Korea Envoys, let’s not join the commotion."

Another spy angrily retorted: "What’s there to see? Right now the government office has just finished their shift, half the clerks and officials from the Six Ministries are on this street. If any official gets assassinated by the Jing Dynasty spies right under our noses, you and I might as well go catch fish in Lingnan and dry salt!"

"Go!"

Over twenty spies split half their manpower to go check, Chen Ji felt slightly at ease, as he expected.

Earlier, Chen Ji was infected by Si Caogui’s tension, thinking the Spy Department sealed off the Huitong Hall to guard against Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department spies.

But upon reconsidering, he believed Si Caogui was simply tense upon seeing the spies, misunderstanding the intention of the Spy Department.

Chen Ji was very clear that the case of the Korea Envoy being assassinated was long deemed a suicide, unrelated to the Jing Dynasty, a means for the envoy to threaten the Celestial Dynasty. Even the Korean Crown Prince had confessed.

After the incident, the court ordered them to not step out of the Huitong Hall, and did not convict them. Not only were they not convicted, the courtiers were discussing daily whether to send troops for aid, if troops are sent, who should lead them? Which camp to deploy?

Ultimately, the Korea Envoy was not a criminal but a vassal state subject.

Would the Jing Dynasty spies collude with the Korea Envoy? Impossible, these two sides hold grudges and hatred, there’s no possibility of reconciliation.

Would the Jing Dynasty spies assassinate the Korea Envoy? Also unlikely, if the Korean Crown Prince were truly killed in the Ning Dynasty, the Ning Dynasty would certainly assist Korea.

Hence, those spies were merely preventing the Korea Envoy from lobbying and bribing the courtiers, and preventing any further radical actions, rather than defending against the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department.

So when officials and small state envoys are simultaneously in danger, the Spy Department’s first choice would inevitably be to protect the officials.

Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose, squinted his eyes, and stared toward the East Rongmi Lane’s direction, there should now only be seven or eight spies left outside the Huitong Hall... but it’s still not time.

At this moment, billowing thick smoke surged from the second floor of the Huitong Hall, panicked Korean language echoed from the windows.

Hundreds of Korean envoys rushed out of the Huitong Hall at once, with a spy brandishing a sword and yelling: "Return, by the order of Your Majesty, you may not step out of the Huitong Hall without permission!"

But the urgency of the fire indoors, was not something a few spies could stop?

The Korea Envoy saw the smoke growing thicker and thicker indoors, until the white smoke turned into red smoke, immediately shoving each other to rush outside, mingling with the street residents, sedan bearers, merchants, clerks, and officials.

Chen Ji quickly searched for the Secretary’s figure amidst the crowd.

While investigating the suicide case of the Korea Envoy, he had asked the middle-aged Secretary for the Huitong Hall’s registration list, recognizing the other wasn’t difficult... found him.

Chen Ji finally moved.

In the chaos, he covered his mouth and nose, passed by the Secretary, the two collided shoulder to shoulder.

As they separated, the Secretary looked down at the wooden box stuffed into his hands, and when he looked up to search for Chen Ji, Chen Ji had already merged into the crowd.

The item had been successfully delivered, but Chen Ji didn’t rush to leave. At this moment, outside East Rongmi Lane, someone would certainly be paying attention; rushing to leave would surely get noticed by the other party.

Chen Ji knew the commotion here would certainly alarm the Spy Department and Jiefan Guard, but the first ones here might not be them.

...

...

The thick smoke within the bamboo tubes lasted only about 15 minutes before gradually dissipating, leaving hundreds of people bewildered on the long street, some holding wooden buckets unsure of where to throw the water.

No fire.

All the buildings intact.

Before everyone had left, a dense sound of footsteps reached from afar.

Chen Ji covered his mouth and nose, turned his head and saw the newly appointed Yulin Army Commander Wu Xuange, leading more than two hundred Left Brave Guard Yulin Army hurrying over, not even having time to change their silver armor.