Chapter 652
Conflict over Pathways
Chen Ji drove the carriage slowly toward Donghua Gate.
The heavy snow from the past few days has melted away, and the shops lining both sides of the long street have already taken down their doors and are steaming buns. The waiter lifts the lid of the steamer, and large plumes of white steam rise up.
Chen Ji leaned against the carriage, inhaling the cool air and exhaling it as white vapor. He suddenly realized that he hadn't thought about getting up early to fetch water in a long time.
Upon reaching the Donghua Gate, Zhang Zhu bent down and climbed out of the carriage. Chen Ji was about to lead the carriage to the riverside house when Zhang Zhu called out to him, "Chen Ji."
Chen Ji turned around: "Hmm?"
Zhang Zhuo, with a stack of memorials under his arm, said, "You don't need to wait for me outside today. I'll stay in Wenhua Hall until midnight before going back. You can come back at midnight. Liulichang and Tianqiao should be bustling with activity, all selling New Year's goods. Go pick up A-Xia, Xiao-Man, and the little monk and buy some New Year's goods."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "What kind of New Year's goods are you lacking in the manor?"
Zhang Zhu laughed: "Oranges, cured meat, and ham from the south, pine nuts and candied chestnuts from the north, buy whatever you want. Even if you don't buy New Year's goods, it's good to take a stroll. Otherwise, if Xia knows you've been waiting for me outside Donghua Gate all day, she'll complain about me when she gets home."
Before Chen Ji could respond, Zhang Zhuo's figure had already disappeared inside Donghua Gate.
Chen Ji rubbed his cheeks.
Bao Hou peeked through the gap in the carriage curtain, and Yu Yuan asked in confusion, "What is Lord Sick Tiger doing?"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's like a dream... You go ahead and do your own thing, just come back to Donghua Gate at midnight and meet me there."
Changsheng said in a high-pitched voice, "No, Lord Bailong said that we should follow you. Wherever you go, we will go."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Follow me? Aren't you supposed to be protecting Lord Zhang?"
Yu Yuan said gently, "That's not what Lord Bailong said. His original words were, 'Lord Zhang must be protected, and you must be protected too. Neither of you can be harmed.'"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "I'm going to wait for my wife to finish her studies outside the Imperial College, then we'll go eat at Donglaishun, and then browse the New Year's goods stalls in Liulichang. Are you guys coming too?"
Qi Xiao said in a muffled voice, "Go."
Changsheng: "Go."
Yu Yuan: "Go."
The middle-aged man behind the monkey mask, who seemed to have the authority to make decisions, said calmly, "We can't go. Liulichang is a mixed bag; there might be spies from the Military Intelligence Bureau infiltrated there."
Yu Yuan complained, "What's wrong? It's almost New Year's and you're still making a face. Nannan has been wanting to eat roasted chestnuts for a long time. Go and buy some for her."
Bao Hou said in a deep voice, "You wanted to buy the velvet flowers and rouge yourself, why are you dragging Nannan into this?"
Yu Yuan was unhappy: "Isn't my salary included? I also put in the effort. What's wrong with me using my salary to buy some things I like?"
Qi Xiao said in a muffled voice, "You don't even have a body to wear them, why would you buy those?"
Changsheng suddenly said, "Let her buy whatever she wants, is it any of your business? Anyway, none of you spend any money, so just let her spend it."
Yu Yuan laughed: "Chang Sheng is so sensible. I'll sing you a song when I have time."
Changsheng: "Okay."
Chen Ji drove the carriage onto Chang'an Avenue. He originally thought that the most mysterious of the twelve zodiac animals in the Secret Service was the Monkey, whose voice under the mask was unpredictable.
Now, all I feel is the cacophony of voices in the carriage, like neighbors bickering amongst themselves.
Chen Ji returned to the Zhang residence, picked up Xiao Man and the little monk, and then slowly turned around and headed to the Imperial Academy in Chongjiao Ward.
The streets are bustling, more than ten times busier than usual.
Stalls selling New Year pictures lined up at the street corner, door god portraits hung on ropes and swayed in the wind, and lucky dolls holding carp sat on red paper, their faces glistening in the sun.
Several elderly scholars set up long tables by the roadside, spreading red paper on them to write Spring Festival couplets for people. Peddler carrying loads shouted their wares, the iron woks selling roasted chestnuts rattled, and someone on the second floor of a teahouse opened a window to look down, with melon seed shells floating down from the windowsill.
A sunflower seed shell landed on a pedestrian's head. The pedestrian fiddled with his hair, looked up, and cursed, "You son of a bitch..."
The little monk lifted the curtain and rested half his arm on the carriage window. Xiaoman poked her head out of the carriage and said, "If the inner city is this lively, how lively must Liulichang and Tianqiao be?"
Chen Ji's gaze swept across the crowd, and he said with a smile, "It's definitely even better than here..."
However, at that moment, his voice abruptly stopped.
Chen Ji felt a sudden pang in his chest, as if his heart had skipped a beat.
This feeling was familiar; it was the first time he had looked into the eyes of Old Man Yao after he began practicing the Mountain Lord's path.
Those with connections to the same practice were mixed in with the crowd!
Xiaoman noticed something amiss with Chen Ji and asked with concern, "What's wrong, young master?"
Bao Hou asked in a deep voice, "A spy?"
Chen Ji did not answer. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the reins, his eyes searching through the crowd, trying to find the person who had made eye contact with him. However, the street was too crowded, and even he could not be sure who had made eye contact with him.
The next moment, he saw a person wearing a straw hat with his head down, as if avoiding his gaze, turn east and merge into the crowd.
Chen Ji stood up from the car and looked down at the crowd. The other person glanced at him and, seeing that Chen Ji's gaze was fixed on him, immediately disappeared into a small alley.
The monkey had already squeezed out of the carriage window and climbed onto the roof: "Sir, should we chase after them?" Chen Ji withdrew his gaze: "Don't chase them, it might be a trap."
The monkey asked in confusion, "Who is this person?"
They turned a deaf ear to the traces of the past.
Along with the noise, hawking, and cursing from the street, I banished them all from my mind.
Who is this person? Is it Headmaster Lu Yang?
No, it was the third person who was with the same mountain lord, the 'Zhang Qian' who stole seventy catties of gunpowder, the military intelligence officer who brought him the cloth tiger, the little beggar that Old Man Yao had adopted, the young imperial physician who recklessly poisoned court officials to collect ice flow, and the ruthless person who killed Old Man Yao's first crow. Even Old Man Yao himself almost died at this person's hands.
In Old Yao's story, this person should be dead.
Old Yao lied.
Only this answer can explain everything that Chen Ji has encountered these past few days, connecting all the seemingly inexplicable clues together:
Because the other party was Old Man Yao's first disciple, upon learning that he was Old Man Yao's disciple, he immediately confirmed that he was the successor of the Mountain Lord Sect, and thus deduced that his birthday was the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Because the other party is too.
All mountain kings are.
Therefore, the other party would send a tattered cloth tiger, alluding to the mountain king's path.
Therefore, when the other party saw Yao Laotou's other apprentice, they became competitive.
Chen Ji suddenly remembered that when he asked Old Man Yao how this person had died, Old Man Yao had not answered. Not only had the person not died, but he had also become a clerk in the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau.
This person must have been watching me for a while. Today, they deliberately chose a place with the most pedestrians, hiding in the crowd and making eye contact with me, so that I wouldn't be able to recognize them when I see them again.
When the paths to power clash, there is only death and no chance of survival.
At this moment, Xiaoman saw that Chen Ji was not speaking, and she scratched her head anxiously: "What's wrong? Young master, please say something."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just ran into an acquaintance."
He hesitated for a moment, then turned back and lifted the carriage curtain to look at the young monk: "Did you see any strange people in the crowd just now?"
The young monk looked at Chen Ji and said, "I saw a person who is just as strange as you, benefactor."
Chen Ji was taken aback: "As strange as me?"
The young monk nodded: "I just saw a person whose heart was filled with greed but not anger or ignorance. However, this person quickly avoided my gaze and I didn't have time to see anything else."
Chen Ji was taken aback.
……
……
With a heavy heart, Chen Ji drove the carriage to the gate of the Imperial College. Zhang Xia's classes ended at noon, so he tied the carriage to the side of the road and led the three of them to a teahouse.
As soon as they entered, the waiter, with a rag draped over his shoulder, greeted them: "Please come in, gentlemen. We happen to have a storyteller here to 'test his skills' today, so don't miss it."
The so-called "testing ground" is when a storyteller, upon arriving at a new place, performs for three days without charge, so that the owner can see if he can keep customers coming from all over the country, and also see if he has a master, knows the jargon, and understands the rules.
During the days of the examination, the storyteller usually has to show his true skills and tell the stories he is best at.
Chen Ji ordered a pot of strong liquor and four plates of melon seeds and snacks. He found a corner by the window, sat down, and gazed out into the distance, lost in thought.
Why did this person return to the capital? That's right, those who want to cultivate in the Mountain Lord's Path cannot leave the center of power; only here can they obtain the Ice Flow.
Is this person born with innate talent or seeking the Dao? Chen Ji cannot be certain.
What does this person want to do? Kill me?
When did this person join the Military Intelligence Bureau?
Old Yao was surrounded by crows, he was surrounded by dark clouds, and what was beside the other person?
Chen Ji's mind was in a jumble, and he couldn't sort it out for a moment.
Xiaoman sat opposite him, peeling peanuts. She placed half of the peeled peanuts in front of Chenji and the other half in front of the little monk.
Dark Cloud jumped off Chen Ji's shoulder, found the warmest spot on the bench, curled up its tail, and closed its eyes to rest.
The teahouse gradually filled up with people. First came a few old men carrying birdcages, with seven or eight thrushes, larks, and yellow finches chirping incessantly.
Then several groups of young students entered, dressed in the blue robes of the Imperial Academy.
The sounds of people mingled with the bubbling of boiling water, the clinking of teacups against the table corners, and the waiter's shouts of tea names, creating an increasingly lively atmosphere.
The storyteller went on stage, set out his gavel, folding fan, and handkerchief, tested his voice, and went over his lines.
With a snap.
The gavel pulled Chen Ji's thoughts back to the teahouse.
The storyteller began reciting the opening poem, instantly silencing the clamor in the hall: "Wealth and glory are but fleeting moments on paper, joys and sorrows are but a journey through the world. A hundred years pass in the blink of an eye, let us listen to idle men recount their old sorrows!"
The storyteller looked around and said with a smile, "Today's 'Hat Story' will tell a new story. Do you all know about Viscount Chen Ji of Wu Xiang? Everyone says he is fierce, but no one knows where his fierceness lies. Everyone says he killed more than a hundred Tian Ce soldiers in battle, but no one can explain his official career."
With just this one sentence, the teahouse fell completely silent.
Xiaoman and the little monk looked at the ruins together. Before they could say anything, the storyteller said in a resounding voice, "This official's gate is called Mountain Lord!"
Chen Ji narrowed his eyes. (End of Chapter)