Chapter 614
Visit
October 15th, the thirty-second year of the Jia Ning era.
Suitable for: marriage, seeking offspring, betrothal, having children, and receiving wealth.
It is taboo to raise the roof beam, build a stove, cut down trees, travel, or bury someone.
At the gate of the Censorate, Xiaoman politely knocked on the door and waited with the little monk, each carrying a bundle.
She tiptoed and peered inside, but a screen wall blocked the entrance to the Censorate, so she couldn't see anything. "How long do you think the young master will have to stay in this birdcage? Since the joint trial by the three judicial departments didn't convict him, they should release him as soon as possible."
The young monk clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and remained silent.
The Censorate prison was much better than other prisons.
This place was only used to imprison officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as nobles, so it was jokingly called a birdcage by the people of the capital. This was because the officials imprisoned here had birds on their chest badges before they entered: golden pheasants, peacocks, wild geese, silver pheasants, and so on.
Each prisoner has their own private cell and is allowed to visit by relatives. They are provided with three meals a day, consisting of two dishes and a soup, and even have a dedicated cook.
At this moment, Xiaoman suddenly remembered something and muttered to herself, "Young Master really angered Sister Xia a few days ago. I went to ask Sister Xia to come and visit Young Master this morning, but she made an excuse that she had something to do and didn't come... Young Master is really something, what nonsense did he say that day?"
The young monk couldn't help but speak up: "Benefactor Chen Ji is unwilling to implicate others, and I believe Benefactor Zhang Xia can understand that."
Xiaoman rolled her eyes: "I understand, but he arranged our escape route and then drove Sister Xia away. What, does he think he's the only hero? Who does he look down on? In the end, he doesn't believe anyone can live and die with him! This time, not only is Sister Xia angry, but I'm angry too... Aren't you angry?"
The young monk whispered, "Ah... this humble monk truly does not wish to die."
Xiaoman pinched the little monk's waist hard: "You good-for-nothing."
The young monk, hunched over and baring his teeth, said, "Benefactor Chen Ji, it's not that you don't believe us, it's just..."
Xiaoman asked in a low voice, "Just what? Don't speak so suddenly."
The young monk straightened up: "He's just not as powerful as you think."
Xiaoman asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
The young monk sighed and said, “Benefactor Chen Ji is not as capable as you think. People only see that he has repeatedly escaped from desperate situations and never entrusted his fate to others, but I only see that when faced with loyalty and righteousness, he always chooses to surrender and await death. He is not afraid of not having money, nor is he afraid of not having official position and power, but he is afraid of being disappointed. So he came up with a plan that he thought was clever: as long as he doesn’t put himself to the test of life and death, he will not be disappointed.”
Xiaoman stood there, stunned: "Are you talking nonsense?"
The young monk put his hands together and said, "Amitabha."
No one came out of the gate of the Censorate for a long time. Xiaoman was getting impatient. She went up to the black lacquered gate, picked up the beast-head ring, and slammed it down, causing dust to fall from the gate.
A minor official from the Censorate rushed out to investigate, looking Xiaoman up and down: "Who are you looking for?"
Xiaoman replied, "I am visiting my young master, Viscount Wuxiang."
Upon hearing the words "Viscount Wu Xiang," the official's expression changed, and he turned to leave, saying, "Go back. Viscount Wu Xiang is not allowed to visit."
Xiaoman, quick as a flash, grabbed his collar: "Why are you running? The Censorate allows visits, why aren't we allowed to visit? What have you done to my young master?"
The minor official was lifted up by his toes, his collar choked around his neck, making it hard for him to breathe. His face turned bright red. "The rules of the Censorate are that relatives visit each other. Are you his relatives?"
Xiaoman was stunned: "I'm not even allowed to be his maid?"
"Of course not!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone nearby said, "Let them in."
Xiaoman turned her head to look.
A sedan chair landed in front of the Censorate's gate. A servant lifted the curtain with a bamboo stick, revealing Chen Lizun, dressed in a bright red official robe.
She quickly released the clerk and said politely, "So it's you, sir. It's getting cold, and it looks like it'll snow in a few days. We've come to bring you bedding."
Chen Lizun nodded to her, then instructed the clerk, "Let them in."
But the clerk, upon hearing the Left Censor-in-Chief's order, still stubbornly insisted: "Sir, our Censorate has regulations that all visitors must be relatives."
When Chen Lizun saw the clerk arguing with him about regulations, he was not angry. He simply sighed and asked, "I am his uncle. May I visit him?"
The clerk hesitated for a long time before replying, "...Of course you can."
Chen Lizun took the bundle from Xiaoman and the little monk: "You two go back, I'll take it to Chen Ji."
Xiaoman was a little unwilling to leave and refused to go.
Chen Lizun laughed and said, "Don't you believe me?"
"letter."
"Let's go back."
Xiaoman said "oh" and walked away, turning back every few steps.
After walking a dozen steps, he turned back and called out, "Master, please tell the young master that everything is fine at home."
Chen Lizun didn't turn around, but simply raised his hand to indicate that he had heard.
He carried two bundles around the screen wall, behind which was a narrow passageway with whitewashed walls on both sides. Moss grew at the base of the walls, making them damp. At the end of the passageway was a moon gate, through which several stalks of green bamboo could be vaguely seen.
If you didn't know this was the Censorate, people would believe it was the Qingyin Xiaoban (a type of brothel).
Chen Lizun turned to the clerk and asked, "Which room does Chen Ji live in?"
"This way," the clerk led the way, and Chen Lizun followed at a leisurely pace, carrying two bundles.
Passing through the moon gate, another passageway leads to the next room. On both sides of the passageway are sixty-four black lacquered wooden doors. Each door is secured with a gleaming brass lock.
The clerk walked to the innermost room, took out his key, opened the door, and stepped aside, saying, "Sir, this is the room."
Chen Lizun stepped over the threshold.
This was a small courtyard house, but the main house and side rooms were much smaller than those in a typical courtyard. Chen Ji was sitting in the courtyard, the iron shackles on his wrists had been removed, and he was sitting on a stone bench in a daze. When he saw Chen Lizun, he was taken aback: "...Uncle."
Chen Lizun placed the bundle on the table: "Xiaoman brought this. She said it's getting cold, so she brought you an extra blanket."
Chen Ji nodded: "Where is she?"
Chen Lizun paused for a moment: "I'm going back. The Censorate doesn't allow maids to visit, and the censors in the Censorate are all waiting to find something on me, so it's not good to make things easy for Xiaomanxing. I can only bring the things in myself."
Chen Ji sighed, "My uncle's position as Left Censor-in-Chief is so frustrating."
Chen Lizun went inside and poured himself a glass of water. Holding the teapot, he said self-deprecatingly, "Who says otherwise? They're just following the rules, there's nothing wrong with that. Later, they'll find a pretext to demote that minor official, and he can still go to the Qi family to collect a reward. After a year or two, the Qi family will arrange an even more lucrative job for him. That's how aristocratic families maintain their retainers, and our Chen family is no different."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Uncle, you've forgotten that I'm no longer a member of the Chen family."
Chen Lizun didn't reply, but just held the cup and looked around the room. It wasn't big, but it was clean.
The thin blankets on the bed were neatly folded, and there was a wooden basin filled with water in the corner.
Chen Lizun asked, "Is there anything else we need?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment: "I don't need it."
Chen Lizun sat down opposite him: "The case that was jointly tried by the three judicial departments has been sent to the palace, waiting for His Majesty's decision. I heard that His Majesty was furious and did not eat dinner. He also chased all the eunuchs out of Renshou Palace."
Chen Ji suddenly asked, "How are She Dengke and Xifeng?"
Chen Lizun was taken aback: "Why aren't you worried about yourself, but instead about others?"
Chen Ji repeated, "How are She Dengke and Xifeng?"
Chen Lizun pondered, "It's hard to say about She Dengke, but Xifeng openly said he wanted to kill you to silence you, so he'll probably do the same as Wu Xiu and execute you immediately. The Qi family originally promised him a lucrative position, saying he was an informant for the Ministry of Justice, but now they won't care about him anymore."
Chen Ji earnestly said, "Please, Uncle, help them and give them a way to live."
Chen Lizun sighed, "...Alright, She Dengke should be fine. As for Xifeng, I can only try to get him exiled to Lingnan. I can't guarantee anything else."
Chen Ji said earnestly, "Thank you very much, Uncle."
Chen Lizun realized that this was probably the first time Chen Ji had thanked him so sincerely: "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to them."
The two fell silent, seemingly unsure of what to say.
After a moment, Chen Ji asked curiously, "When can I go out?"
Chen Lizun shook his head: "I'm afraid it will take a while, until the cases of Prince Jing and Qing Wentao's treason are overturned."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Wasn't it already been exonerated?"
Chen Lizun took a sip of water: "That was just Wu Xiu forcing the three judicial officials to say those words on behalf of the court in front of the people hearing the trial. Once the news spreads among the people, it will be only a matter of time before Prince Jing is exonerated, but the proper procedures still need to be followed."
Chen Ji responded with an "oh".
Chen Lizun continued, “Now that the Minister of Justice has resigned and retired, His Majesty has appointed Pang Qingchi, the Governor of Shanzhou, to take over, a member of the Hu family; the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has been dismissed and investigated for corruption, and is in prison in Guannei. I heard that Chen Jin, the Prefect of Jinan Prefecture, is to be transferred to the capital to take over, but it has not been decided yet; the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief has been demoted to Circuit Censor and sent to Taiyuan Prefecture, and the replacement has not been decided yet. Only when the new people take office in these three positions will the court be stable. Then the three judicial departments will have to send people to Luoyang and Guyuan to investigate again. By the time they return to the capital to settle the case and exonerate the guilty, it will probably be winter... Only then can your merits and demerits be determined.”
Chen Ji nodded: "Understood."
The two fell silent, and Chen Ji drifted off into a daze again, creating a subtle atmosphere.
Chen Lizun put down his water glass and said, "I heard that Grand Secretary Qi is seriously ill again. He was able to enter the Wenhua Hall a few days ago, but he has fallen ill again today. I sent someone to inquire, and it is said that Grand Secretary Qi used the pills sent by the Dao Court before. They were not as effective as the Sheng Yu Dan, but they were enough to keep him alive. Now he is suffering from a heart attack due to anger, and I'm afraid he won't last more than a year. The Qi family is now leaderless and has no backbone. I'm afraid they might do some foolish things... But don't worry, I have already asked Chen Xu to arrange for people to guard the Shaojiu Hutong area. They will come to the rescue if anything happens at home."
Chen Ji's expression finally softened: "Thank you, Uncle."
The two fell silent again.
Chen Lizun slowly stood up: "I'm leaving now. I'll come see you again in a few days... Should I bring anything next time I come?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Bring a copy of the Treatise on Febrile Diseases. Uncle can ask the head of the Imperial Medical Academy; he knows which one I need."
Chen Lizun agreed and walked outside.
As he approached the door, he stopped, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing, only sighing before hurrying away.
As Chen Lizun walked out of the Censorate, he instructed the clerk guarding the gate: "Don't neglect him, or it won't be as simple as just being demoted. Even the Qi family can't save you."
The clerk repeatedly replied, "Don't worry, sir, I know what I'm doing."
Chen Lizun sighed, straightened his black gauze hat, and walked down the stone steps.
Just then, a figure in white approached, wearing a dragon-patterned mask, followed by a precious monkey, a bright rabbit, and a cloud sheep.
Bai Long walked up the stone steps as if no one else was there, brushing past Chen Lizun.
The minor official was about to intervene: "Hey, this is the Censorate, what are you doing... Guards!"
More than ten jailers wielding sticks rushed out of the Censorate prison, but when they saw who it was, they all froze on the spot.
Bai Long ignored him and walked straight into the Censorate prison without saying a word.
Yun Yang grabbed the minor official by the neck, pinning him against the dark door. His gaze slowly swept around the room, a forced smile playing on his lips: "Does the Secret Service need your permission to interrogate Chen Ji? Don't you have anyone else in your family?"
The minor officials and jailers remained silent in fear.
Jiao Tu stepped forward, straightened the clerk's collar, and said with a smile, "Next time we come, remember to think about who you are first, and then think about who we are, so you don't lose your life for no reason."
The clerk nodded hurriedly, "Understood, understood."
Jiao Tu swayed as she walked inside: "Let him go, he'll wet his pants if he gets scared any more."
When Bai Long arrived at Chen Ji's courtyard, Chen Ji was still sitting on the stone bench in a daze. When Bai Long entered the courtyard, his expression did not change.
At this moment, Bai Long pulled a copy of the Treatise on Febrile Diseases from his sleeve and threw it on the table: "You won't be able to leave anytime soon. I asked the Imperial Physician and the Chief Physician, and they said you might want to read this book." (End of Chapter)