Chapter 42: The Double Agent
Chen Bai had Qi Zheng go directly to Chen Zixiu.
Regarding the alliance Qi Zheng had proposed, Chen Bai did have some concerns. Chen Zixiu was not like Mountain Lord. If something happened to Mountain Lord, he could “demon-flee,” either vanish or leave outright. But Chen Zixiu could not run from the temple just because the monk ran. He might even drag down the entire Court of Judicial Review residence.
Besides, no matter how one looked at it, Qi Zheng was still a marginal prince. His power was a little too weak. It was said that only the strong joining with the strong could sail smoothly with the wind. If he allied with Qi Zheng, then his days as the Grand Scholar of the Brush in the palace would definitely be extremely difficult and full of obstacles.
The identity of Grand Scholar of the Brush was too special. As far as the king was concerned, he could not take any side. The only person he could be loyal to had to be the king.
Chen Bai wanted to see what reason Qi Zheng would use to convince him to get on the same boat as him.
Very soon, Chen Bai received an invitation from Qi Zheng.
To be honest, with Chen Bai’s current identity as the Grand Scholar of the Brush in the palace, it was not good for him to casually visit others alone when there was nothing going on, especially not a prince, lest it arouse unnecessary suspicion.
However, the reason written on the invitation was Qi Zheng’s birthday.
Was he using a birthday banquet to create an opportunity to meet?
Qi Zheng had once helped Chen Zixiu avoid court punishment. That news had been spread throughout Shangjing by people with ulterior motives, and the king definitely knew about it as well. So Qi Zheng inviting him to his birthday banquet was reasonable and did not seem abrupt.
Holding the invitation, Chen Bai smiled. This banquet was still one he had to attend.
Chen Bai brought Chen Xiaobu with him, and he went together with Chen Shouye and Madam Ronghua in a grand and open manner.
On the road, Chen Xiaobu led two dogs. One was his Dalmatian, and the other was a birthday gift for Qi Zheng: an Alaskan Malamute.
Chen Xiaobu smiled so widely his eyes almost disappeared. Did people know how impressive it felt to hold one big dog in each hand?
Chen Xiaobu’s Dalmatian had already grown into a large dog. The Alaskan Malamute was still a puppy, but because Malamutes were large dogs, even as a puppy it did not look small.
The young Malamute looked round and chubby, and the way it walked was especially adorable. Just looking at it made one’s heart melt.
“Brother, why don’t we keep it ourselves? Don’t give it away. I can raise two by myself,” Chen Xiaobu said while wiping drool with his hand, clearly reluctant to part with it.
However, while he was leading two large dogs, it turned into the two large dogs leading him around instead. Once the two dogs were together, they were no longer as obedient as before.
Chen Bai smiled. Letting Chen Xiaobu raise one dog was already the limit. If he truly raised two, it would not be a person walking dogs, but dogs walking a person. Just like now, Chen Xiaobu was being dragged around by the dogs.
When they arrived at Qi Zheng’s residence, the two dogs’ ability to attract attention was also at one hundred percent.
Gan Xin, the Shang brothers, Prince Ning, and the others who had come to attend the banquet also gathered around.
Even Qi Zheng, who came after hearing the news, was stunned.
After Chen Bai placed the dog leash in Qi Zheng’s hand, the expression on his face was still rather strange. Chen Zixiu really was something. Whoever sent him an invitation for a birthday banquet, he would gift them a strange beast.
Looking at the silly dog wagging its tail and circling around him, Qi Zheng: “…”
Why did it feel like taking this dog out in the future would be rather interesting?
The people around them seemed already used to Chen Zixiu’s way of giving gifts. Even for the king’s birthday, he had gifted a strange beast called a bulldog, which was now being raised by Prince Ning. This was also something everyone knew.
So no one found it abrupt. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the new strange beast.
Qi Zheng led the dog away, leaving a hall full of guests behind. The banquet officially began as well.
Their Court of Judicial Review residence was no longer as deserted as it had been in the past. From time to time, people came in twos and threes to toast them, and in passing, they also drank a cup with him, this Grand Scholar Zhaoxue.
At this moment, a steward came to pass a message, saying that Chen Xiaobu and the others were asking him to go over.
At ordinary banquets, there would always be separate amusements arranged for children.
When Chen Bai went over, he could not help freezing. He did not see Chen Xiaobu. Instead, he saw Qi Zheng.
He looked around. There was only Qi Zheng. Only then did he walk over.
He had not expected that meeting someone now would require sneaking around.
This place happened to be where Qi Zheng had planted the potatoes. The potatoes in the field had already been dug up, leaving only messy pits everywhere.
Chen Bai did not waste words. “Mountain Lord said you had something to discuss with me alone?”
Qi Zheng turned around and looked at Chen Bai. He was also somewhat emotional. He had never imagined there would come a day when he would try to win over Chen Zixiu. Who could have expected that such a special official position as Grand Scholar of the Brush in the hall would actually fall onto Chen Zixiu?
Qi Zheng suddenly spoke. “What do you think will happen to you and the Court of Judicial Review residence once the king passes away and Crown Prince Jiao ascends the throne?”
Chen Bai’s eyes narrowed sharply. These words were somewhat treasonous, but they were also something one could not avoid facing.
Right now, what Chen Bai was most worried about was actually this matter. At present, with the king suppressing things, Crown Prince Jiao could not do anything to him yet. But once the king passed away, the world would belong to Crown Prince Jiao.
At that time, forget just him. Even if the entire Court of Judicial Review residence were included, they would not be able to fight Crown Prince Jiao.
Qi Zheng continued, “Do you think the king truly does not know the inside story of the grievance between you and Crown Prince Jiao back then?”
Chen Bai abruptly raised his head. What did Qi Zheng mean?
There were two key points in what Qi Zheng had just said. Qi Zheng had used the word “grievance.” One had to know that the entire Shangjing still only held doubts about Chen Zixiu’s case. Did Qi Zheng know something?
And then, Qi Zheng’s meaning was that the king knew the truth?
But the king had never once stepped forward to say a word because of it.
Qi Zheng looked at Chen Bai’s shocked expression. “There is nothing that happens in the imperial palace that the king does not know.”
Chen Bai frowned. “How are you so certain?”
Qi Zheng’s face was expressionless. He only answered with one sentence. “Meng Huanchao is the king’s man.”
Meng Huanchao, one of Great Qian’s Four Gentlemen, the chief retainer of the crown prince’s residence.
Chen Bai’s pupils shrank. Back then, when Crown Prince Jiao had set him up, Crown Prince Jiao had not been the only one present. There had also been the crown prince’s trusted aides who had forcefully dragged him onto the bed.
At the time… Meng Huanchao had been standing beside Crown Prince Jiao.
Chen Bai smiled bitterly. So that was how it was. If Meng Huanchao was truly the king’s man, then it was impossible for the king not to know the truth.
He had once wondered how someone like Meng Huanchao could walk together with a person like Crown Prince Jiao. So it turned out he was a spy the king had planted beside Crown Prince Jiao.
Everyone said the court was extremely dangerous. Now it seemed it truly was full of traps at every step. If no one pointed it out, one could really be kept in the dark for an entire lifetime.
Qi Zheng continued, “So if you want to rely on the king to protect you, I’m afraid that is a delusion. The only choice you have now is to ally with me.”
Chen Bai’s expression did not look good. He was, after all, the eldest son of the Court of Judicial Review residence. Yet the king had turned a blind eye and pretended to know nothing.
Since ancient times, the crown prince’s position had always been inherited by the legitimate eldest son. In the king’s eyes, the crown prince was clearly far more important than an outsider like him.
If there was one instance of indifference, then there would be a second. Chen Bai even worried whether he could survive until Crown Prince Jiao ascended the throne.
Moreover, the king’s thoughts were truly impossible to guess. He clearly knew Chen Bai had suffered injustice. He clearly knew Chen Bai and Crown Prince Jiao were like fire and water. Yet he still made Chen Bai the Grand Scholar of the Brush.
If Qi Zheng had not reminded him now, the king would have seemed to have always stayed out of the matter, as though he had nothing to do with it at all.
Chen Bai looked at Qi Zheng. “I have always had one question. Why did Crown Prince Jiao set me up back then? A dignified crown prince disregarded his own reputation just to drag me down. I truly could not understand it.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
Crown Prince Jiao probably had never expected that a mere Young Master Bai could cause such a commotion and even become the Grand Scholar of the Brush in the hall.
Qi Zheng did not hide anything either. “What Crown Prince Jiao wanted was the position of Court Commandant, one of the Nine Ministers. You just happened to be the sacrifice in that step of his plan.”
So he had used him to deal with Chen Shouye?
His father had indeed disliked socializing with others in the past. If the reputation of the Court of Judicial Review residence had been ruined, then when the Nine Ministers’ positions were changed, Chen Shouye really might have been replaced. If Chen Bai’s reputation had not later risen, and if he had not sent strange beasts as gifts in a roundabout way to build some connections, the position of Court Commandant might already belong to Crown Prince Jiao’s uncle.
Looking at it this way, he really had been arranged thoroughly.
Chen Bai raised his head. “Last question. How do you know the origin of the whole matter?”
Qi Zheng lowered his eyes and said something that left Chen Bai completely dumbfounded. “Meng Huanchao is my man.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Hiss!
So Qi Zheng had arranged someone beside the king, made the king treat him as a trusted aide, and then the king had arranged that person beside Crown Prince Jiao.
Chen Bai glanced at Qi Zheng.
What nerve.
To be honest, Qi Zheng was his only online friend in this world. From the moment they began interacting until now, aside from his cold personality, he had always seemed rather “honest and dependable.”
He even personally planted crops and attended classes.
He had not expected…
Chen Bai could only smile bitterly. He had always said that one had to be careful when making friends, and even more careful when making online friends. Who knew whether the person on the other end of the internet cable was male or female, good or bad?
Now he had truly been taught a lesson. Meng Huanchao was one of Great Qian’s Four Gentlemen. The fact that someone like him had pledged himself to Qi Zheng already proved certain things Chen Bai might not know. Add to that the fact that Qi Zheng had actually been able to place him beside the king—this alone required all kinds of connections operating behind the scenes. There were probably many things about Qi Zheng that he still did not know.
“You want me to be like Meng Huanchao and become a double agent… a double-sided spy?”
Qi Zheng said, “You have no choice, and no way back.”
The only person who could oppose Crown Prince Jiao, and who was willing to oppose Crown Prince Jiao, was him.
Chen Bai opened his mouth. “…”
When Chen Bai went to find Chen Xiaobu and the others, his mood was heavy.
He and Qi Zheng could not talk for too long. It was merely a matter of passing by midway and exchanging a few words.
But what should and should not have been said had all been said.
Qi Zheng’s final words were what touched Chen Bai most deeply. “Do you really think the Three Dukes and the other Nine Ministers have taken no side?”
“Maintaining neutrality only allows them to keep their current positions for now. But once a new king ascends the throne, if they are not trusted aides, can their families truly continue staying in their current positions?”
“Even if they truly have not taken a side, there is already a preference in their hearts. At the critical moment, that preference will reveal itself.”
Chen Bai understood what Qi Zheng meant. Even if the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers did not take sides now, it did not guarantee that their families’ wealth and honor would continue.
“Brother, what are you thinking about?” Chen Xiaobu tugged at Chen Bai, who had fallen into a daze. “It’s your turn to throw into the pitch-pot.”
Chen Bai took a deep breath. Some of his thoughts did indeed need to change, because no matter how one looked at it, between Crown Prince Jiao and him, the king would never choose him.
