Chapter 603
Departure
Chen Ji looked down at the water in the bucket. The water swayed gently, and his face swayed along with it, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing.
He stared for a long time, until the water finally calmed down, and there was still that same face, expressionless.
The chatter of neighbors drifted over from the alley behind me, intermittent and fragmented.
A man dressed in a short brown robe squatted against the wall, a pipe in his hand, and said in a deep voice, "If the prison break in Luocheng is true, then it's a capital offense. This Chen Ji embodies all the vices of disloyalty, filial impiety, inhumanity, and injustice..."
An old woman stood nearby, an empty basket slung over her arm. She listened and shook her head, saying, "It's too early to draw conclusions based on mere gossip from those idle people in the teahouse. My neighbor Old Wang's son works as a waiter in the teahouse. He says those storytellers make up eight stories a day. Who can believe them?"
The squatting man put his pipe in his mouth and glanced at her sideways: "Even without the prison break, Chen Ji wasn't a good person. What in the newspapers was wrong about him?"
Before the old woman could reply, a middle-aged woman with her arms crossed leaned forward and whispered, "That's right. I think the Qi family was also framed by this eunuch faction, which made Grand Secretary Qi so angry that he fell ill. My husband works in the Ministry of Personnel and he saw with his own eyes Grand Secretary Qi being carried out of the palace, his face was ashen."
Just as the squatting man was about to nod, a sneer suddenly came from the corner of the wall.
Everyone turned to look, and saw the young man from Menlou Hutong: "Have you forgotten what kind of people Li's Pawnshop was back then? My father-in-law borrowed three taels of silver to buy medicine that year, and the interest ballooned to forty-seven taels. He almost sold my sister-in-law to pay off the debt. Why didn't you say the Qi family was good back then?"
The woman choked for a moment, then said stiffly, "Li's Pawnshop was set up by Qi Xianzhun, and now Grand Secretary Qi has removed him from the family register."
Chen Ji stopped listening and carried his shoulder pole into the alley with gray tiles and white walls.
He walked and then stopped, seemingly lost in thought. Dark clouds jumped from his left shoulder to his right, then back to his left, nuzzling Chen Ji's cheek with their heads, but Chen Ji remained silent.
A moment later, Chen Ji exhaled a thin breath of white air in the cold sun, and smiled as he patted Wu Yun's head: "I'm fine."
When Chen Ji returned to Shaojiu Hutong, he carried a shoulder pole into the courtyard and saw Xiao Man and the little monk looking at him with concern.
He casually walked into the side room: "You know everything?"
Xiaoman followed to the door of the side room and said urgently, "Young master, please don't take this to heart. This is all a scheme by the Qi family. They've been waiting for a month to throw mud at you today. As long as they smear you, the people will think the Qi family is more innocent. Xu Bin of Wenyuan Bookstore is no good either. That bastard is holding a grudge because he failed to run a newspaper."
Chen Ji unloaded the carrying pole from his shoulder and poured a bucket of water into the water vat.
Xiaoman continued, "Others may not know, but how could I not know? That Lord Chen Liqin condoned Liang's plot to seize the property left by your aunt, and also condoned Chen Wenxiao to smear you. How dare you call him father and mother? They don't act like parents at all."
Chen Ji put down the wooden bucket, then picked up the other one and poured it into the water vat.
Xiaoman quickly added, "And then there's that Miss Qi San. You clearly refused her several times, hoping she'd give up, but she just wouldn't listen and kept pestering me... And that damn peace money, everyone was paying it before you came along, and after the Gelaohui (a secret society) took charge, they often waived the peace money for many people. Anyone who tried to take advantage of it would be hung up and beaten. A few days ago, every merchant in the outer city praised the Red Gate for keeping the rules."
Chen Ji smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes and said with a smile, "Don't worry, when have I ever taken these things to heart?"
Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Young master, please come and eat."
Chen Ji sat down at the stone table. He picked up his chopsticks but suddenly stopped. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Xiao Man, pack your things. We're leaving the capital today."
Xiaoman was taken aback: "So suddenly?"
Chen Ji hummed in agreement, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl, then mixed it with the porridge and took a big gulp.
Xiaoman asked doubtfully, "Is it because of these rumors, young master? The Qi family and the Xu family can only slander you in the newspapers. After a while, everyone will forget about it."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Don't think too much about it. I'm just tired of staying in the capital and want to go out for a walk. I'll go to Luoyang first, and then see the peonies in Luoyang next spring. After that, I'll go south to Jinling... I've heard that Jinling is even more prosperous than the capital. Don't you want to go and see it?"
Xiaoman beamed, "So you're going on a trip! I've wanted to go to Jinling for a long time, but I haven't had the chance. I'll pack my things in a bit... Oh no!"
Xiaoman's face suddenly fell.
Chen Ji asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Xiaoman complained, "The old man carried the oat noodles away to give them away early this morning, otherwise we could have eaten them on the road."
The young monk remarked, "Amitabha! Chen Chong's gift is wonderful. Even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas couldn't eat fried oat noodles for a month..."
Xiaoman pinched the little monk's waist, making him wince in pain.
She then looked at Chen Ji and tentatively said, "Um... Young Master, we're leaving the capital and we don't know when we'll be back. How about I go and invite Zhang Zheng and Sister Xia over for lunch?"
She looked at Chen Ji nervously, while Chen Ji remained silent for a long time before agreeing, "Okay."
Xiaoman said casually, "Zhang Zheng is idle all day long, and Sister Xia stays at home cultivating every day... Anyway, they don't have anything to do, so why don't we invite them to go to Luocheng together? Sister Xia said the other day that she really likes Luocheng and wants to go back to visit it again if she has the chance."
Chen Ji pondered for a long time and said, "Go and invite them over at noon to discuss it together."
Xiaoman beamed with joy: "Alright!"
……
After breakfast, Chen Ji headed straight for Bianyifang.
Bianyifang had just removed its door panels, and several unfamiliar employees were sweeping the floor. The main hall was filled with a damp smell of water and dust.
Upon hearing footsteps, a waiter wiped the table and said politely, "Sir, we don't start business until 9:45 AM. Please wait a moment. If you have nothing else to do, I can brew you a pot of good tea."
Chen Ji calmly asked, "A pot of good tea and a few copper coins?"
The waiter straightened up, looked Chen Ji up and down, and then pointed to the window: "Sir, Bianyifang no longer sells leaflets."
Chen Ji looked back and saw that the first, third, and fifth windows of the Lantern Inn were ajar, while the second, fourth, and sixth windows were closed for business purposes. If the windows were out of order, business would not be conducted.
At this moment, someone lifted the curtain and walked in from the back hall. Upon seeing Chen Ji, the person was taken aback: "Young Master Chen."
Upon seeing that it was Thirteen, Chen Ji immediately said, "I'm looking for Aunt Ping."
Thirteen suddenly realized: "But Aunt Ping isn't in the capital right now, she's in Changping... Why don't you come back at 10 PM? She's always going back to the capital no matter how busy she is."
Chen Ji seemed to be deep in thought: "Why does Aunt Ping reside in the capital so often?"
Thirteen laughed heartily: "I don't know, you'll have to ask her yourself."
Chen Ji turned and left: "I can't wait until 9 PM tonight. Please give her my regards."
Just as he was about to step out the door, Thirteen suddenly said, "Wait a moment. Third Master is in the capital right now. If you have something urgent to say, you can talk to him."
Chen Ji stopped in his tracks: "Okay."
Thirteen tossed the rag on his shoulder to a waiter: "Watch the shop. I'll be right back. If I find you slacking off, I'll twist your heads off."
Thirteen led Chen Ji out of the house and through Qipan Street into Nianzi Hutong on the west side. He stopped in front of a secluded courtyard, knocked twice lightly, and then twice more heavily.
Chen Ji stood in front of the door, looking around. He remembered that Aunt Ping's house was right next door.
With a creak, the small door opened a crack, and Hu Sanye, wearing a straw hat, looked at Thirteen with his cloudy eyes: "Who gave you the audacity to come here in broad daylight?"
Thirteen stepped aside, revealing the traces behind him: "What do you say now?"
Master Hu's expression relaxed. He peeked out and looked at Nianzi Hutong, then stepped aside: "So it's Viscount Wu Xiang. Come in and talk."
Chen Ji walked into the courtyard. Thirteen was about to follow him in, but was stopped by Third Master Hu: "Go back and take care of the shop."
With a clang, the courtyard gate slammed shut.
Thirteen left with a smirk, mouthing the unspoken message: "So it was Viscount Wu Xiang..."
The courtyard was small, with several bundles of firewood piled up in a corner, neatly stacked.
A saddle leaned against the woodpile, its leather worn smooth and shiny.
Several white waxwood poles were stuck at the base of the wall, their ends wrapped in strips of cloth, which were stained with dark marks, as if they had been soaked in sweat over the years.
The kitchen door was open, and a strong smell of mutton wafted out, mixed with the spiciness of onions and garlic, which went straight into my nose.
Chen Ji glanced inside and saw a black iron pot on the stove, with several pieces of mutton on the bone showing as the soup bubbled. On the cutting board next to the pot lay half a flatbread, cut into pieces, with the knife still stuck in it, the blade slick with oil.
Uncle Hu went into the kitchen and continued cutting the flatbread he hadn't finished: "Want some mutton soup? Winter is coming, a bowl of mutton soup can warm you up for the whole morning. When we were traveling in the Northwest, we liked to drive sheep on the road. If we couldn't take it anymore, we would slaughter one. It can save our lives in the dead of winter."
Chen Ji shook his head: "I've already eaten."
After cutting the pancakes, Uncle Hu pointed with the tip of his knife at the table and chairs in the yard: "Sit?"
Chen Ji shook his head: "I can't sit here. It's urgent. I'll leave after I finish speaking."
Old Master Hu was somewhat surprised: "What is it?"
Chen Ji pondered for a moment: "I helped Deng Huo find Si Cao Ding. Now Deng Huo has to help me send four people away from the capital secretly. It would be best if they could leave before Shen Shi (3-5 PM) and blend in with the people going to the market."
Uncle Hu wiped the grease from his hands and asked in surprise, "So urgent? Where are you taking them?"
Chen Ji said confidently, "First, take them south, pretending to head to Luocheng. After traveling a few dozen miles, turn towards Guyuan. If something happens in the capital, take them to Jingchao to seek refuge with Princess Liyang, and don't let them come back. Xiaoman is a Xiantian, and the rest are ordinary people. It won't be difficult to take them away from Ningchao."
Master Hu nodded: "Princess Liyang has already established herself in the capital, so entrusting people to her is no problem... Aren't you leaving?"
Chen Ji stood silently in the courtyard for a long time: "I'm not leaving." (End of Chapter)