Green Mountain-Chapter 647 - 504: One After Another

Chen Ji stood by the window, quietly watching Chen Wende on the long street.

The other party was dressed in a formal red robe with a diagonal collar, wearing a black square headscarf, clean and meticulous. It was like an official heading to the Imperial Palace Gate to carry his coffin and protest, leaving the most dignified image in people's minds.

Li Xuan came to Chen Ji's side and whispered, "Be careful, he's not planning to live, he wants to take the Chen family to the grave with him."

Qi Zhenzhuo exclaimed in shock, "That ruthless?"

Li Xuan ignored Qi Zhenzhuo and continued to say to Chen Ji, "Your Majesty has been frustrated with the family for a long time. He has painstakingly prepared for more than ten years to deal with the Liu Family. Now, if someone hands the knife to kill the Chen family to Your Majesty, who knows if he will take it."

Qi Zhenzhuo looked at Chen Ji, bit his lip, and said, "My master worked so hard to be adopted into the main house. How can we let this be ruined? I'll go kill him now!"

Li Xuan glanced at him sideways, "With so many garrison soldiers and civilians watching, can you kill them all? If you kill him, it could be deemed as quelling a rebellion, or it could be seen as murder to silence a witness, all depending on Your Majesty's whim."

With these words, the Yulin Army members looked at each other, some cautiously observing Chen Ji's expression.

Li Xuan's words were clear; getting involved in this mire could lead to the grave crime of family extermination. The Yulin Army were all sons of officials, who would be willing to risk their status for this?

If it only concerned themselves, perhaps they might have impulsively rushed forward, but now it involved their family and kin, so they had to think carefully.

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, "Don't kill, we can't drag everyone into the Imperial Prison again over this..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw Li Xuan holding the Feibai Sword walk to the corner of the wall, slitting the throats of the wheezing Death Soldiers one by one.

Chen Ji looked puzzled, "What are you doing?"

Li Xuan used his toe to pick up a Broadsword and held it in his hand, seriously saying, "Only Chen Wende is left. Later, after you escort him out of the city, I will remove my armor and wear a mask to intercept and kill him on the way. Before you leave Changping County, let the townspeople see it was the work of an assassin."

Qi Zhenzhuo remarked, "So it turns out, brother-in-law, you are the boldest one."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "You can't do that. You are the Commander of the Yulin Army. If you're not in the procession, someone with intent will notice."

Li Xuan replied, "Few people have seen me. Later, Qi Zhenzhuo will wear my helmet, and they will mistake him for me."

Chen Ji asked back, "What if someone has seen you?"

Li Xuan was silent.

This place was only a day's journey from the Imperial Capital; perhaps someone had indeed seen him.

Chen Ji looked out the window.

On the long street, Chen Wende was still standing alone, with garrison soldiers and civilians far away, no one daring to approach.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the Whale Blade, and turned to head downstairs, "No need to think further, escort Chen Wende back to the capital."

The Yulin Army followed Chen Ji down the stairs, their silver armor and white pheasant tail looking impressive.

Chen Ji walked into the long street and came before Chen Wende, "Since you've left, why come back?"

Chen Wende looked him up and down, smiling without answering directly, "Brother Chen Ji, you truly have a tough life. Even at Fragrant Mountain, dozens of Death Soldiers couldn't kill you, even using the Forbidden Technique of the Five Mad Soldiers failed. Today, I conspired with the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department and even had the Seeking Dao Realm Executive Officers act, yet still couldn't kill you. I truly concede with a heartfelt nod, this loss is not unjustified."

Qi Zhenzhuo spoke from behind Chen Ji, "My master is favored by fortune, not someone lowly people like you can kill."

Chen Wende shook his head with a smile, sincerely addressing Chen Ji, "It's not just fortune. Once can be luck, twice can be luck, but if every time someone helps you, then it's skill. Brother, the second branch of the Chen family indeed picked the wrong opponent and misjudged you."

Chen Wende truly wanted to kill Chen Ji. Earlier, three out of ten Death Soldiers launched a volley at Chen Ji, and Chen Guang was hiding on the rooftop waiting for an opportunity, all meant to kill Chen Ji alone, everyone else was incidental.

But he still failed... but it didn't matter.

Chen Ji examined Chen Wende, seeing him standing tall and proud, without the sorrow and resentment of the doomed, only the calm acceptance of a gamble lost.

"Brother, you are straightforward," Chen Ji asked again without showing any expression, "But, you had already left, why come back? The second lord left you with so many men, surely there's substantial wealth as well. You could start anew anywhere, aren't you planning to leave a lineage for the second branch?"

Chen Wende folded his hands into the sleeves of his robe, standing straight as he looked up at the sky, "Brother Chen Ji, 'fatherly kindness, filial piety, brotherly love and friendliness' is a facade in your third branch, but it is real in our second one. My father knew he would die, so he arranged for two Seeking Dao Realm Executive Officers to stay by my side and take me far away. He knew if he didn't die, Official Chen wouldn't let me go, so he stayed behind to face death alone. Do you think he was courageous?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "He was."

Chen Wende then asked with a smile, "All my branch's Death Soldiers knew they were doomed today, yet they still accompanied me to kill you. Is this courage?"

Chen Ji answered, "It is."

Chen Wende continued, "I could have just left, whether to Nanyang or the Jing Dynasty, and enjoyed a life of wealth and honor. But I returned to avenge my father's death, dragging the entire Chen family to the grave with me. Is this courageous?"

Chen Ji thought again, "It is."

Chen Wende looked up and lamented, "Chen Ji, Official Chen speaks often of the literary courage, but courage is not exclusive to you; my second branch possesses it too."

Li Xuan asked in a deep voice, "Just to fight for this breath, do you want to sacrifice so many lives?"

Chen Wende gently shook his head, "It's just that I can't tolerate Chen Luchi, this family traitor, taking over the nest without paying the price."

At this point, he turned and smiled at Chen Ji, "Brother, have you made a decision? Are you going to escort me back to the Imperial Capital, or kill me here directly? Are you willing to see what you've fought so hard for go down the drain?"

Chen Ji looked at the garrison soldiers and civilians behind Chen Wende, "I suppose you've left yourself a way out. No matter what I choose, the result will be the same. Let's return to the Imperial Capital, His Majesty will make the judgment."

Chen Wende nodded, "Smart man... Did my father say anything when he left."

Chen Ji recalled, "Before Second Master left, he asked for a cup of good tea, freshly picked Dragon Well, one bud and one leaf. After drinking the tea, he said there was nothing to complain about in winning or losing, it was simply that his skills were inferior. He only asked the Family Head to give you a way out, to allow you to go out to sea."

Chen Wende remained silent for a long time, then softly said, "Yes, winning or losing, there's nothing to complain about, let's go."

Chen Ji turned to look at the Yulin Army behind him, "Where's the Crown Prince?"

Qi Zhenzhuo and the others were startled, then looked around and found the Crown Prince in the shadows under the grey-tiled eaves. A feathered arrow pierced through the Crown Prince's thigh, his whole body was drenched in sweat, yet his expression was as usual.

Chen Wende burst into laughter, "Even worse than my second branch."

Chen Ji approached the Crown Prince to inspect the injury, the arrow had actually broken the Crown Prince's leg bone, most likely leaving him crippled.

In the Ning Dynasty, a crippled Crown Prince was no trivial matter.

The Emperor called himself the Son of Heaven, and his body was considered the Mandate of Heaven. Any disability would be seen by civil servants as a loss of heavenly virtue; if he were crippled, the Crown Prince would never ascend to the throne.

So Chen Wende said, there's someone worse off than the Chen family second branch.

With no chance of ascending to the throne, the Crown Prince no longer concealed his disdain, but looked up at Chen Ji, his voice no longer gentle, like icy shards, "Mr. Chen, are you satisfied now?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "A bit of a pity."

The Crown Prince was expressionless, "Pity I didn't die? Mr. Chen, I didn't die today, can you still sleep at night?"

At this moment, the sound of hoofbeats came from afar, the metal-clad horseshoes striking crisply.

Li Xuan's expression changed, "The visitors are ill-intentioned."

The next moment, twelve Jiefan Guard members arrived in straw coats, led by none other than the Jiefan Guard Commander, Lin Chaoqing!

Qi Zhenzhuo whispered, "Why did the Jiefan Guard suddenly come? If they"

Chen Wende smiled, "Naturally, someone on my side reported voluntarily, saying someone here intended to rebel... I imagine the Jiefan Guard would be quite interested in the Chen family assets. Their specialty is raiding homes."

Qi Zhenzhuo looked at Chen Ji, "What to do if we fall into the hands of the Jiefan Guard..."

The Jiefan Guard approached, and Lin Chaoqing, sitting on horseback, cupped his hand towards Chen Ji, "Marquis of Wuxiang, so soon we meet again. Someone reported to me that Chen Wende of the Chen family secretly hoarded crossbows and raised death soldiers. This is within my duties, and I must take this man back to the Imperial Prison for interrogation."

The Yulin Army stood guard in front of Chen Wende, ready to draw swords and crossbows.

The Jiefan Guard, clad in straw coats, hands on waist knives, seemed ready to fight for the body.

Lin Chaoqing looked at Chen Ji, "Could it be that the Yulin Army is conspiring with this Chen Wende to rebel? Marquis of Wuxiang, you should think clearly, don't drag a hundred Yulin Army soldiers down with you."

The Crown Prince, slumped on the ground beside him, looked at Chen Ji and laughed loudly, "Mr. Chen, with this matter of Chen Wende, your Chen family won't have any rest. I'm very pleased, and I'll watch as you're all thrown into the Imperial Prison, then exiled to Lingnan. On that day, I'll lift three cups in Zhongcui Palace to bid you farewell."

Chen Ji ignored the Crown Prince and spoke, "Hand Chen Wende over to the Jiefan Guard." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The Yulin Army looked at each other, then slowly stepped aside.

Lin Chaoqing spurred his horse forward, smiling, "The Marquis of Wuxiang is much steadier now."

Chen Ji ignored Lin Chaoqing as well, turning to Duobao and instructed, "Find a carriage to escort the Crown Prince back to the capital."

Duobao went to Changping Post Station to fetch a carriage and, together with Li Cen, helped the Crown Prince onto it.

Lin Chaoqing cupped his hand toward Chen Ji from a distance, "Farewell."

Qi Zhenzhuo asked worriedly, "Master, what should we do?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "Step by step..."

Before he finished speaking, distant hoofbeats were once again heard. Lin Chaoqing abruptly turned his head, only to see a figure in white leading six men racing down the long street, heading straight for him.

This group of riders stopped in front of Lin Chaoqing, and after hesitating for a long time, he looked at the figures behind Bai Long — Xuan Snake, Treasure Monkey, Jiao Tu, Yun Yang, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse — and finally lowered his head and clasped his fists, "Lord Bai Long, I thought you were still in Tanggu. I guess since it hasn't even dawned, you rushed over right after seeing off the Jing Dynasty envoy... I imagine several horses must have died on the way."

Bai Long ignored him, turning instead with calm curiosity to survey the crowd, "What has happened here?"