Chapter 572
Fate's Will, the Hearts of the People
Day .
Chen Ji had been waiting in front of the Imperial Guard Commander's Mansion since early morning, and it wasn't until dawn that he saw Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo riding side by side.
Qi Zhenzhuo saw Chen Ji in the distance and hurriedly came to the gate of the Governor's Mansion, dismounted, and said: "Master, why are you here? Yesterday, the capital was abuzz with news that you sold Gu Fu Lou and Tian Bao Ge to save the princess. Xiao Man said that Gu Fu Lou was left to you by your mother, and Tian Bao Ge makes a fortune every day. How could you sell such businesses?"
Chen Ji looked at Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo in front of him and said sincerely, "The real problem is that the shortage of funds to save Princess Baili is too great, and there is no other way. I came to find you today to ask if you have enough money. If you do, please lend me some. I will charge you three percent interest per month, and I will owe you a favor... Of course, if you don't have any, it doesn't matter. Just pretend I never came."
Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo exchanged a glance, both looking astonished. They hadn't expected Chen Ji to come to borrow money.
This friend who came from Guyuan with me never owes anyone a favor; if you give him one point, he will repay you with two.
When facing over a hundred Tian Ce soldiers at the Longmen Inn, Chen Ji did not seek help. Similarly, when facing over eighty Wu Chang soldiers at Xiangshan, Chen Ji did not seek help.
Throughout all the hardships, Chen Ji had never asked them for money, yet now he was bowing his head and asking to borrow money.
Qi Zhenzhuo was heartbroken, and his words became somewhat incoherent: "Master, I went to see my second uncle, my brother, and Zhaoning, asking them not to oppose you. They don't know how much you did to save Princess Baili, but I know that I really don't want the Qi family to make things difficult for you... They only care about the eunuch faction, as if anyone labeled as a member of the eunuch faction is necessarily a scourge to the country and its people. But we understand you, and we know that you had no other choice. Master, don't worry, I'll go to the Meridian Gate and wait for Grandpa. I'll do everything I can to ask him to talk to my second uncle and tell them not to get involved in this matter anymore, and not to go to the Jiaofangsi to compete with you for Princess Baili."
Li Xuan stood silently to the side, his lips pursed, his fists clenched tightly.
Chen Ji shook his head: "It's alright, this is between me and them, it has nothing to do with you."
Qi Zhenzhuo said anxiously, "Master, why don't you come with me to the Meridian Gate to wait for Grandpa? He still values you a lot..."
Chen Ji interrupted with a smile, saying, "The Qi family is a noble family, how could they associate with the eunuch faction? Let's not talk about that now, I'm here today only to borrow money."
Li Xuan said with difficulty, "As you know, I am usually strictly controlled and don't even have ten taels of silver on me."
Qi Zhenzhuo also said with difficulty, "Master, I only receive two hundred and two taels of silver a month from the Qi family, but after treating my brothers to drinks and meals every month, there isn't much left..."
Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll think of something else. Anyway, thank you all."
Qi Zhenzhuo quickly said, "Master, please don't say that. If it weren't for you, my brother-in-law and I would probably have died in Guyuan. If we can help you, we definitely will."
Chen Ji grunted in agreement, turned around, and walked alone towards the west side of Chang'an Avenue.
But he had only taken ten steps when he heard Qi Zhenzhuo call out, "Master, come again tomorrow morning. My brother-in-law and I will think of another way today!"
Chen Ji paused, then turned his back to the two men and waved to express his gratitude.
Back in Shaojiu Alley, Xiaoman had just finished cooking. When she saw Chen Ji return, she asked in surprise, "Young Master, why are you back so quickly... Didn't you manage to borrow any money?"
Chen Ji hummed in agreement and walked into the main room. Xiao Man complained, "I told you they wouldn't lend it. They're from the Qi family. If they help you at this critical moment, how will they maintain their standing in the Qi family?"
Chen Ji stopped and said with a smile, "Xiao Man, they helped me out of kindness. Even if they didn't help, there's nothing to complain about."
Xiaoman stomped her feet in anger: "Young Master has helped them several times. You twice got them out of the inner prison. Without you, how could Qi Zhenzhuo have been promoted to commander? Without you, how could Li Xuan have become the commander of the Imperial Guard? I know that what you said makes sense. No one is obligated to help anyone in this world. But people are all made of flesh and blood. I just can't stand seeing others so ungrateful... You talk so magnanimously, making it seem like I'm the only petty person. It's infuriating!"
Chen Ji didn't reply, but simply went back into the main room and closed the door.
……
……
The morning of the sixth day.
Before dawn, Chen Ji emerged from Shaojiu Hutong.
He walked along Chang'an Avenue toward Chengtian Gate, his mind elsewhere.
Before even reaching the Imperial Guard Commander's Mansion, Chen Ji could see from afar that in front of the gate, hundreds of dark figures were standing and whispering, and many others were squatting on the ground eating the steamed buns or fried dough sticks they had just bought.
As the ruins appeared, the dark mass of figures turned around and stopped talking. Hundreds of them had their hands on the hilts of their swords, and an oppressive atmosphere permeated the gray sky.
The next moment, someone waved from the shadows: "Master!"
The sound of armor rustling filled the air as hundreds of men pressed forward toward the ruins. In the dim light, the faces of the black-clad figures became increasingly clear; one hundred and thirty-five Imperial Guards had arrived.
The commotion startled the officials from the six ministries who were on duty nearby, and they all stopped to watch.
Qi Zhenzhuo approached Chen Ji and took out two strings of Buddhist coins from his pocket: "Yesterday I asked my mother to secretly give me some silver, and I also borrowed some from my second sister Zhaoyun, totaling two thousand taels of silver. You can keep it for now. I'll borrow some more from my childhood friends today, which will just mean they'll go to the Eight Great Hutongs a few less times." Li Xuan also took out a string of Buddhist coins and stuffed it into Chen Ji's pocket: "This is four hundred taels of silver."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Where did you get these four hundred taels of silver?"
Li Xuan chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I pawned my ancestral Fei Bai sword. Only when I got to the pawnshop did I realize that the Fei Bai sword, which my Li family had guarded like a treasure for generations, was only worth four hundred taels of silver in the eyes of others."
Chen Ji looked at the Buddhist talisman in his hand and said softly, "The Flying White Sword is an ancestral heirloom; how can it be used as collateral?"
Li Xuan patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "Anyway, there's no use for my skills in the capital. My Li family motto is 'loyalty and righteousness,' so using the Flying White Sword to help a friend isn't a disgrace to it. Helping is helping, isn't it?"
At this moment, Duo Bao took out a pure gold longevity lock from his pocket and handed it to Chen Ji: "Sir, this is what I wore when I was a child. You can take it and exchange it for silver..."
Li Cen stepped forward and handed over a string of Buddhist coins: "Sir, I pawned the mink vest my father gave me the year before last... Also, I secretly sold the rare thirteen commentaries on the classics at home, since no one reads them anyway. I just didn't expect Wen Yuan Bookstore to only give me fifty taels."
"Sir, this is the military pay I've saved up, sixty taels."
Li Guang suddenly shouted, "I've also saved some, four hundred and twenty taels!"
Everyone turned to look and exclaimed in amazement, "Li Guang, I remember you said that your father was a dyer in a silk shop, and that you were able to join the Imperial Guard because your ancestors had served in the Five Armies Camp. Your monthly salary is only twenty-four taels of silver, how did you manage to save so much?"
Li Guang scoffed, "When have I ever paid for my own drinks when we go out for drinks?"
The Imperial Guards were furious and pinned him to the ground, ready to give him a good beating: "How can you talk about being stingy so confidently?"
Li Guang hurriedly cried out and begged for mercy: "I'm saving this money to get married. You all have families to support you, but I don't. If I don't save some money and end up a bachelor, will you stay with me?"
Duo Bao chuckled: "It's not impossible."
The officials from the six ministries watched from the sidelines as one after another, members of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and stuffed the silver they had collected into Chen Ji's hands. Some were Buddhist coins, others were loose silver, some were hundreds of taels, others were dozens of taels.
Someone took their family heirloom jade bracelet to pawn, but the pawnshop said it was worthless old jade and only gave them ten taels.
Someone pawned a knife given to him by his grandfather when he came of age; the hilt was inlaid with a small ruby. The old pawnbroker pried off the ruby, saying the knife was worthless, but he would give the ruby eight taels.
Some people went even further. After being scolded by their families for asking for money, they went to the Eight Great Hutongs and found their former lover, a courtesan, and stammered out a request to borrow money. The girl was stunned for a long time, then went back to her room and took out a small wooden box containing 670 taels of silver that she had saved for three years to redeem herself. She gave it all to him.
Gradually, Chen Ji could no longer hold it in his arms, so he could only use the hem of his clothes to hold it. After that, it was so heavy that even the hem of his clothes could not hold it, and it could only be piled on the ground.
The officials from the six ministries who had been watching the spectacle were still discussing it animatedly, but gradually they fell silent.
In the distance, atop the Chengtianmen city tower.
Changxiu stood by the railing, taking in the entire scene.
He held half a steamed bun in his hand and slowly tore it apart to eat.
A guard beside him whispered, "Sir, should we..."
“No need,” Changxiu stuffed the last bite of steamed bun into her mouth, patted the crumbs off her hands, and said with a smile, “I often heard the ministers in Renshou Palace say that Viscount Wuxiang is still young and has many immature actions in politics. He should not be given a real position and needs more experience. They think that Lord Chen is not shrewd enough and want to suppress him further. But they don’t realize that this is the power they have been dreaming of.”
Changxiu squinted at the dark mass of people in front of the gate of the Imperial Guard Commander's Mansion, and suddenly sighed, "A eunuch faction can make these纨绔 (spoiled brats) soldiers of the Imperial Guard open their hearts and scrape together money. Today's events are more interesting than what I've read in books... Hmm?"
At this moment, he saw Wang Daosheng walk out of the Ministry of War from afar, take out two silver ingots from his sleeve and hand them to Chen Ji.
He immediately exclaimed, "Even an incorruptible official like Mr. Wang has come to help the eunuch faction. It seems that Lord Chen's efforts have not been in vain. Justice will prevail. However, even Mr. Wang has contributed one hundred taels of silver. What about Lord Zhang Zhuo? If Lord Zhang makes a move, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for the Qi family."
The guard behind Changxiu saw a red figure emerge from the Ministry of Personnel and stride toward the Imperial Guard Commander's Mansion. He whispered to Changxiu, "My lord, Lord Zhang is here."
Changxiu squinted: "Guess how much silver Lord Zhang can give Lord Chen?"
Jie Fanwei thought for a moment: "Ten thousand taels?"
Changxiu laughed loudly: "Are you looking down on Lord Zhang? I guess it's four hundred thousand taels!"
……
Third update (End of this chapter)