Green Mountain-Chapter 672 - 529: Heaven and Earth

Chen Ji gazed at the endless expanse of reed marshes. When the summer wind blew, the dense, lush reeds bowed like waves, producing an overwhelming rustling sound.

The sound was all-encompassing, drowning out everything else.

Chen Ji watched the small boat head south.

Jin Zhu comforted him beside him, saying, "Stop looking and let's go. The Jiefan Guard can set up an inescapable net within three days. Even if we let them go today, escaping will still be difficult."

Chen Ji acknowledged with a nod and turned his horse.

Jin Zhu looked at him several times, hesitating to speak.

Chen Ji turned his gaze in suspicion and asked, "Lord Jin Zhu, do you want to say something?"

Jin Zhu hesitated for a moment, "Have you been into the Jiefan Building before?"

Chen Ji was startled.

Jin Zhu sighed, "You really have been in there. No wonder you're chasing Lin Chaoqing like your life depends on it... Kid, do you remember what I told you?"

Chen Ji recalled, "Lord Jin Zhu said, the Prime Minister once said the sharpest things in this world, one is fame, the other is profit."

Jin Zhu retorted, "Don't play dumb. You know that's not what I meant."

Chen Ji chuckled, "The Prime Minister once said the easiest things to exploit in this world, one is hatred, the other is love."

"The Prime Minister knows how to utilize these four things best. He isn't even an executive officer yet makes people across the world wary," Jin Zhu looked at the undulating reeds in the distance with emotion, "Be careful, though the Jiefan Building can relieve the world's troubles, anyone who's been inside no longer owns their life."

Chen Ji seemed not to hear the last sentence, seriously asking: "Can it really solve troubles?"

Jin Zhu laughed in exasperation, "Boy, you seem impervious to reason?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Jin Zhu snorted with laughter, "Well, I have no right to criticize you... Don't worry, although the Prime Minister has an eye on your life, if he promises you something, he will accomplish it."

Chen Ji laughed, "That's enough for me."

...

...

By the time Chen Ji returned to Yongding Gate, it was already evening, and the orange-red sunset cast its glow on the gray-white walls of the Imperial Capital.

The sound of hoofbeats rang out behind him.

Chen Ji, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse simultaneously turned back, seeing a group of twenty-five riders galloping towards them, all clad in black, twelve men and thirteen women.

Jin Zhu saw the leading woman wearing a bamboo hat, her face veiled with black cloth, showing only a pair of eyes.

His face changed: "Didn't Prisoner go to Wunian Mountain? How did she return so quickly?"

Chen Ji gazed intently, seeing Prisoner for the first time.

Before he could get a clear view, Jin Zhu suddenly advised Chen Ji and the spies under him, "Cover your faces, don't let the wolf cubs from Wunian Mountain remember your face."

Jin Zhu tore a strip of cloth from the spy's garment beside him, handing it to Chen Ji, "Hurry."

Chen Ji was confused but complied. As he concealed his face, he noticed the usually fierce spies now wary.

Once his face was covered, Prisoner had already approached closely, appearing around thirty years old.

She coldly scrutinized Jin Zhu, "Fatty, why didn't you greet me when you saw me?"

Jin Zhu laughed sheepishly, "I didn't have time."

Chen Ji looked at the pair strangely; the last time he saw Jin Zhu so submissive was in front of Bai Long. But Prisoner wasn't one of the Top Three, and Heavenly Horse was beside him...

There's a story.

Heavenly Horse gestured to Jin Zhu with sign language: I'll go see the Prime Minister, you two chat.

Jin Zhu nodded.

After Heavenly Horse left, Prisoner spoke coldly to the spies behind Jin Zhu, "A soldier bears the might of one, a general bears the might of many. Each of you looks listless, what kind of image are you portraying?"

Jin Zhu glanced back, shouting angrily, "Straighten your backs!"

Saying this, he looked at the twenty-four young men and women behind Prisoner.

These wolf cubs did not shy from Jin Zhu's gaze, instead, each met his eyes, scanning from his neck to his abdomen, as if assessing how many vulnerabilities Jin Zhu had.

Without turning, Prisoner knew what the wolf cubs were doing behind her, she spoke, "Stop looking, this old pig loves pretending to be a pig only to eat a tiger. You'll end up counting money for him if you mess with him. He's not someone you can provoke."

Jin Zhu laughed, "Sister Prisoner has a misunderstanding. I'm truly innocent, when did I ever do anything underhanded?"

He rode closer to Prisoner, asking discreetly: "Were they all just escorted from Wunian Mountain? Did you take enough detours to prevent them from finding their way back?"

Prisoner sneered, "Do you think you can teach me how to do things? After seeing the outside world, who would want to go back to that wretched place, would you?"

Jin Zhu shook his head, "I wouldn't, but caution is necessary. Who knows if someone left their soul in Wunian Mountain... The last person who went back caused a big trouble."

Prisoner brushed it off, "Relax... give me the money."

The next moment, Jin Zhu pulled a pouch of silver from his sleeve, tossed it to the person behind Prisoner, and consecutively handed out silver pouches until all twenty-four wolf cubs had one, then stopped.

Jin Zhu grinned, "Everyone, I'm leaving some good fortune. The Imperial Capital is not Wunian Mountain, there are many places to spend money. When I came from Wunian Mountain to the Imperial Capital, before I received my first salary, I was so poor I couldn't afford a bowl of hot noodle soup. Waiting desperately until I got paid, I ate twelve bowls at once."

Prisoner said coldly, "Aren't you going to thank Lord Jin Zhu?"

The twenty-four people showed no emotion: "Thank you, Lord Jin Zhu."

Jin Zhu changed the subject, smiling, "I'll also share some news with you. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu were recently demoted to Hai Dongqing. These two are brave but lack strategy, and they barely made a comeback to the Twelve Signs at Chongli Pass. Their foundation is unstable. Xuan Snake had his arms broken in Changping; now he hides them in a large cloak, so it seems they haven't healed yet."

Chen Ji noticed the twenty-four people finally showed some expression on their faces.

Prisoner glanced at Jin Zhu: "Stop digging holes; the Prime Minister has a use for these people."

Jin Zhu chuckled and said no more.

"I'm off to see Lord Prime Minister," Prisoner brushed past Jin Zhu, riding into the gate of Yongding Gate without looking back and instructed the twenty-four people behind her: "Take the silver and have fun in the Imperial Capital; use fine wine and beautiful women to dispel the murderous aura on you. Remember, no killing today." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Chen Ji watched Prisoner's back and then looked at Jin Zhu: "Are you afraid of her?"

Jin Zhu smiled: "It's not fear, it's respect. She left Wunian Mountain three years before me. When I came to the Imperial Capital, I was all alone, penniless, and she gave me one tael of silver in the first month, or I would've starved on the street. Just a heads-up, don't provoke her. She's been in charge of the inner prison for years. The people Xuan Snake and Treasure Monkey have killed together might not even match her number. She does things without regard for anyone."

Chen Ji didn't know if these words were true or not, but he felt their relationship wasn't as simple as Jin Zhu claimed.

Jin Zhu waved his hand: "Go back and rest. If there's any news about Lin Chaoqing, I'll send someone to inform you immediately."

"Thank you."

...

...

Chen Ji bid farewell to Jin Zhu and returned alone to the Chen Mansion.

He stood outside the Silver Apricot Garden, vigorously rubbing his cheeks before pushing open the door: "I'm back."

Xiao Man came up holding the Little Black Cat. Seeing Chen Ji's current state, she immediately dropped the Little Black Cat on the ground: "Young master, what happened to you? You look like you've been burned... I'll go heat some water for you to bathe."

Chen Ji laughed and said, "No need, it's so hot, I'll just take a cold shower. You guys go out and wait a bit."

Xiao Man nodded, pulling the little monk out the door.

Chen Ji took off his clothes, scooping water with a wooden ladle, pouring it over himself, letting the coolness extinguish the restlessness in his heart.

He wondered how Lin Chaoqing would deal with him after meeting his powerful uncle?

Would he consider familial ties or abandon him, would he let the Military Intelligence Department spies reveal his identity?

Or send Executive Officers to clean house?

Chen Ji had no idea; he only hoped the pursuit by the Spy Department and the Jiefan Guard could delay Lin Chaoqing's return to the Jing Dynasty.

As for his second life owed to the Prime Minister, he would have to think of another way.

Chen Ji changed into clean clothes, reopened the courtyard door, and saw Xiao Man and the little monk whispering outside.

He asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

Xiao Man cautiously examined his expression: "Young master, please don't get angry after I tell you."

Chen Ji wondered, "What exactly happened?"

Xiao Man took out a bundle of bamboo paper from her sleeve: "Just now, Wenyuan Bookstore published a so-called Beijing Evening News to compete with us, and they insulted you in it."

Chen Ji took the newspaper and unfolded it, seeing the headline on the front page was about him using private punishment on Lin Chaojing out of jealousy.

Currently, the capture of Lin Chaoqing was kept confidential; the public only knew the court was catching a fugitive, not who or why.

The Ritual Supervision knew the truth but ignored this Beijing Evening News, not wanting to confuse matters nor offend the Xu Family.

In the paper, some unknown writer depicted Chen Ji as utterly wicked.

Xiao Man worriedly said, "I thought about asking Sister Axia to talk to Lord Zhang to tell the Xu Family not to oppose you, but Sister Axia had already said Official Xu doesn't know when he'll pass, they've already prepared the mourning scroll and burial clothes... The Xu Family is in chaos, fighting till no peace remains."

Chen Ji looked down at the paper, ignoring the insults, and instead feeling the paper: "They're also using Jiajiang Bamboo Paper from Shuzhou, cheap."

He examined the ink and words: "Wenyuan Bookstore didn't use movable type but employed a labor-intensive method, using more manpower to carve plates overnight. They've got much more manpower than us, only managing to print two hurried pages, much fewer articles than us. The ink isn't oil-based; many words are blurred..."

Xiao Man was anxious: "Young master, is now the time to care about such things?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Why worry? It's just a few insults. Let them talk."

After speaking, he continued to flip through the Beijing Evening News, stopping at an advertisement on the last page, staring in a daze.

Xiao Man asked in confusion, "What's the matter, young master?"

Chen Ji fixed his gaze on the newspaper; a bold advertisement using the acrostic method was in the lower right corner of the last page.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion is newly opening: Earth sign old wine, tapped today. A new grain is steamed, the fragrance spreads across three streets. The firetender has retired, leaving it mellow and rich. Leaving the old year, welcoming new guests.

Heaven's secret recipe, used today. A square table set for true wine connoisseurs. If you're not drunk after opening the seal, no charge. Use sincerity to invite tasting.

"The Earthly Branches have retired, and the Heavenly Branches begin use."

...

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End of Volume 6, A Life for a Life.