Green Mountain-Chapter 649 - 506: The Setting Sun Like Blood

Changping County.

The Spy Department departed, leaving behind a mess at Anfu Square.

The once bustling marketplace was now riddled with feathered arrows; the blood of warhorses, shot dead, seeped into the cracks between bricks, emanating a strong stench of blood. Pedestrians avoided it, leaving desolation in its wake.

The Jiefan Guard was also preparing to leave, but Chen Ji called out to Lin Chaoqing: "Lord Lin, since you're here, might as well clean up Anfu Square before leaving. With so many assassins' corpses, finding a forensic doctor to examine and collect the bodies seems like a duty for the Jiefan Guard."

Lin Chaoqing turned his horse back, looking at Chen Ji with a mocking smile: "The Marquis of Wuxiang has indeed changed quite a bit since coming to the Imperial Capital from Luocheng City, speaking with much more confidence. Very well, my Jiefan Guard will handle the aftermath; the Marquis can return to the capital on his own."

Chen Ji seemed oblivious to the taunt, taking a glance at the Crown Prince slumped on the ground nearby, then said to Lin Chaoqing: "And the Crown Prince, let's also entrust him to the Jiefan Guard. My Yulin Army has important matters to attend to and can't escort His Highness back to the capital."

The mocking look in Lin Chaoqing's eyes deepened: "The Marquis of Wuxiang shows no concealment; what important matters could the Yulin Army have at this time?"

Chen Ji replied calmly: "Naturally, very important matters."

Lin Chaoqing waved his hand: "No matter, as you please, Marquis of Wuxiang."

But at that moment, the Crown Prince suddenly spoke: "Congratulations to Mr. Chen for once again turning danger into safety; I now understand, His Majesty has made you a trusted minister, so he has no reason to plot against the Chen family. That's why Bai Long dared to act as he did... Once Official Chen passes, the Chen family will be yours, essentially His Majesty's."

Unbeknownst to everyone, the Crown Prince had already changed his way of addressing Emperor Ning, from 'father' to 'Your Majesty.'

Chen Ji did not respond, but saw the Crown Prince leaning against the wall, sighing with nostalgia: "I sometimes envy you; it seems wherever you go, there's always someone to help you out—Guyuan, the Imperial Capital, Fragrant Mountain, Changping—each time there is a noble helping you avert danger, while I always seem to meet people who add insult to injury."

Qi Zhenzhuo frowned: "Your Highness, you speak wrongly; my master faces life and death every time, and those who save themselves are saved by heaven."

The Crown Prince smiled: "There's truth to that. However, I might not have the chance to see you all again, so let me give Mr. Chen a piece of advice before we part."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Please go ahead, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince said softly: "Mr. Chen, becoming His Majesty's man is not necessarily a blessing; he and I are really the same kind of people—equally ruthless, equally selfish. Only, he is luckier; his father died early, mine died late."

The faces of all present changed; none expected the Crown Prince to speak such rebellious words in public.

If this reached His Majesty's ears, everyone present would not escape questioning.

Chen Ji remained unmoved: "Does Your Highness seek death, too?"

The Crown Prince sneered: "Not seeking it doesn't mean I won't die. He knew you were bait this time, yet still wanted me to accompany, so I could take some blame for you. Of course, if I managed to die outside, it saves him the trouble of removing the Crown Prince with obstacles, a win-win."

Chen Ji looked down at the Crown Prince on the ground, no longer gentle as jade; his face was pale, and his eyes seemed clouded over with dust.

The Crown Prince looked toward Chen Ji: "Mr. Chen, today's me might very well be tomorrow's you."

Chen Ji replied casually: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince waved his hand: "Go on then, we shall not meet again."

This Crown Prince seemed to have already guessed his fate of being placed under house arrest until death; he sat weakly on the ground, the pain in his legs hardly mattered anymore.

Chen Ji said no more, leading the Yulin Army swiftly away from this place of right and wrong.

Lin Chaoqing watched the Yulin Army depart silently until their shadows could no longer be seen, then instructed his Jiefan Guard subordinates: "Use my waist tag, go to the Jiefan Guard's camp and summon a battalion over."

"Yes." A Jiefan Guard rider galloped away.

Lin Chaoqing then instructed the remaining Jiefan Guard: "Gather the assassins' bodies, wait for the forensic doctor to examine them."

The Jiefan Guards dismounted and stormed into the tavern on the street corner.

Only then did Lin Chaoqing come to the Crown Prince's side, squatting down to check the arrow wound on his leg: "Your Highness, the arrow has fractured the thigh bone. I apologize for my incapability; I can only treat your external wound first, can't restore you completely... Such an injury, even with Taoist Court Elixir, might leave you disabled."

The Crown Prince was disheartened: "No matter."

Lin Chaoqing gingerly held the arrow, slicing off the part that had pierced through with a dagger: "The arrow must be removed early; otherwise, if the flesh adheres to the shaft, it won't come out easily, requiring leg amputation."

The Crown Prince self-mockingly smiled: "If it really can't come out, just leave it stuck in the leg."

But at that moment, Lin Chaoqing suddenly said: "Your Highness, don't despair; there might still be a turning point—we will assist Your Highness with all our strength..."

The Crown Prince suddenly looked up: "You... hiss!"

In the moment the Crown Prince was distracted, Lin Chaoqing sharply pulled out the arrow shaft from his leg, then tore off a strip of fabric and tightly bandaged the Crown Prince's leg to prevent excessive bleeding.

The Crown Prince ignored the pain, staring straight at Lin Chaoqing: "Is what Commander Lin said just now true?"

Lin Chaoqing's gaze hid beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat: "It's true."

...

...

The Yulin Army hurried along, as if they truly had extremely important business, the sweat of the horses dripped through their coats.

In the procession, Qi Zhenzhuo tilted his head, shouting against the wind: "Master, are we really not returning to the capital? His Majesty and the Ministry may still be waiting for us at Renshou Palace!"

Chen Ji said deeply: "No, let them wait."

"Alright!"

The Yulin Army continued their march from noon until dusk.

Until they saw from afar a funeral procession, carrying sixty-seven coffins, advancing towards the Imperial Forbidden Army Cemetery ten miles north of Anding Gate.

At the front of the funeral procession, someone was scattering paper money to "buy passage."

Then followed men wearing mourning clothes carrying banners with the deceased's official titles and names. Next came the opening gongs and the suona horn ensemble, playing tunes like "Weep, Heavenly Emperor," "General Order," and "Mountain Slope Sheep song."

Within the procession, relatives and friends carried mourning streamers, eight people bearing each coffin, slowly grieving as they walked forward.

Chen Ji stood mounted, silently watching the relatives and friends of the fallen Yulin Army soldiers send them off; the suburban wind of the Imperial Capital blew the white paper money into the sky like tear drops swaying in the wind.

His words to Lin Chaoqing about having something very important to do were not an excuse—it was indeed something very important, far more so than a nation's Crown Prince.

"Dismount." The Yulin Army dismounted in unison, and Chen Ji led by clasping his hands and bowing deeply: "Our acquaintance was short, yet I wish it could have lasted longer; may you rest in peace."

Behind him, the Yulin Army also bowed deeply, and as their heads lowered, Qi Zhenzhuo, Duobao, and others could not help but burst into tears.

Chen Ji straightened up and bowed deeply once more. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The funeral procession halted, quietly waiting for the more than a hundred Yulin Army soldiers to offer farewell to their comrades, as Zhou Chong's mother leaned tearfully against her husband's shoulder.

After the Yulin Army's nine bows, Chen Ji loudly commanded: "Mount up, lead the way!"

Upon his words, the Yulin Army mounted their horses again, the blood on their silver armor and white cloaks not yet washed away, the white pheasant tail feathers on their helms swaying in the wind.

Zhou Chong's father stepped forward to caution: "Marquis of Wuxiang, this cannot be done; the Yulin Army is part of the Imperial Guard, they are not to attend funerals, you might be relieved of your duties."

Chen Ji earnestly replied: "Don't worry, uncle; in recent days, the memorials against me have numbered not less than eighty if not a hundred. It's only a matter of balancing merits and faults."

Zhou Chong's father hesitated, turning to Li Xuan: "Li Dudu, how can this be allowed?"

Li Xuan stated earnestly: "Uncle needn't worry; at worst, I simply won't be the governor of the Yulin Army any longer. This morning, we killed some scums, our yang energy is formidable. With us leading the way, no lonely souls or wild ghosts on the road to the afterlife dare harass them, even King Yama must show some respect. Let's move out!"

Chen Ji rode into the funeral procession, taking over the banner with the deceased's names, holding it high as he walked at the forefront of the procession, sixty-seven banners fluttering in the wind.

They eventually reached the cemetery before sunset, where graves had already been dug, and the household servants were lowering the coffins into them.

Standing by the grave, Chen Ji looked out over the cemetery, seeing the endless rows of tombstones rising and falling with the mountains in the distance.

The sunset was as red as blood, casting a more ominous aura over the Yulin Army.