Green Mountain-Chapter 692 - 548: Eternal Hell

"Does Han Tong have a daughter?" Qigong asked in astonishment, "Rumors in Jianghu say Han Tong never married, even the Xu Family's solicitation was declined, where did the daughter come from?"

Chen Ji asked in confusion, "The Xu Family's solicitation?"

Brother Pao, leaning against the pavilion pillar, said, "I know about this. Xu Bin's father from Wenyuan Bookstore has always wanted to marry his second daughter to Han Tong, but Han Tong avoided him. He even had someone bring a message to the Xu Family, saying he has devoted himself to the Buddhist Sect, serving Buddha for life, and will never marry."

Chen Ji looked even more puzzled, "Why would such a colossal entity like the Xu Family want to marry into the Cao Guild?"

Qigong said leisurely, "The Xu Family offended the Johor Royal Family in the Southern Ocean years ago. Later, the Johor Royal Family controlled the Malacca Strait and never allowed Xu's merchant ships to pass. The Xu Family, wanting to open up the Southern Ocean trade route, valued Han Tong's connections in the Southern Ocean."

Chen Ji asked nonchalantly, "What connections does Han Tong have in the Southern Ocean?"

Qigong sat in the pavilion, "Han Tong has a sworn brother named Lin Daoqian. He has close ties with the Johor Royal Family, so the Xu Family wants to use Han Tong to have Lin Daoqian facilitate the opening of the Malacca Strait trade route."

Chen Ji knocked on the table with his fingers, "Who exactly is Lin Daoqian?"

Qigong smiled, "A man from Chaoshan, a pirate who broke away from the Xu Family. After falling out with them, he went to Siam to establish himself, was recruited by the Siamese Royal Family, and led troops against the Hongshawa invasion. Lin Daoqian is quite a character, taking his family to Siam and frequently intermarrying with Siamese nobles. In just twenty-seven years, he became a formidable power, gradually rivaling the Siamese Royal Family until the King of Annan captured the Siam King... You all don't really think Annan's eight thousand elite soldiers were that formidable, do you? If it weren't for Lin Daoqian's rebellion in southern Siam, the King of Annan wouldn't have necessarily captured the Siam King. The court just couldn't openly acknowledge Lin Daoqian's role."

Brother Pao praised, "If Qigong hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't know the Southern Ocean was so fascinating."

Chen Ji pondered silently, has the Prime Minister been after Han Tong for years also because of Lin Daoqian? Does the Prime Minister also want the Southern Ocean trade route?

Uncertain.

Zhang Zhuo once taught him to speculate from the perspective of interests if he couldn't understand why something was happening.

For example, the common people didn't understand why Emperor Ning favored Zhang Zhuo so much, nor why he favored Official Xu for nineteen years. But Zhang Zhuo said clearly that in this court, whoever can make money, whoever can make officials work, becomes the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

For hundreds and thousands of years, the complexities of the court come down to just that.

But Chen Ji couldn't use this method to speculate about the Prime Minister.

The counterpart didn't want the method to increase the yield of good fields, didn't want to solve the salt permit issue, didn't even want the formula to improve firearms. It seemed they didn't have the land and society in mind, but had other motives.

At this moment, Chen Ji folded the Xuan paper on the table and stuffed it into his sleeve. He looked up at Qigong, "Qigong, just be the mediator; there's no need to worry about the rest. If you're unsure about the garlic elixir I mentioned, you can prepare and test it immediately. But I can only wait for seven days. If the Three Mountains Association can't be the mediator within seven days, I'll find another way."

Seven days.

Only seven days before the Empress's funeral, during which the King of Annan cannot propose marriage. At some point, Chen Ji wondered if this was the Empress intentionally delaying the seven days for his rescue of Bai Li.

Chen Ji couldn't wait any longer.

The next moment, Qigong turned and walked out, "Though the men of the Imperial Three Camps don't appreciate the Marquis of Wuxiang, they know his prowess. You say that garlic elixir is useful, then I'll believe it's useful. You say it can save lives, then I'll treat it as life-saving. As for the message for Han Tong, I'll go personally; I believe the Cao Guild will give me this face."

Chen Ji bowed and cupped his hands, "Thank you for your trouble."

Qigong walked a few steps and turned back with hands behind, "Marquis of Wuxiang, I have one thing I don't understand."

Chen Ji replied calmly, "Please go ahead, Qigong."

Qigong asked, "Marquis of Wuxiang, from the Fu You Street Chen Family, originally both civil and martial, with a bright future. Why did you take the wrong path and let that Yuan Cheng return to Jing?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "Qigong overestimates me; I'm just a humble illegitimate son, never thought of my own future."

Qigong chuckled, "Marquis of Wuxiang, you don't know your worth. You trained the Yulin Army to be elite, gained fame at Fragrant Mountain, had Prince Fu lead your horse before, and the top scorer wrote poems after. Even if you didn't pursue the Imperial Examination, you could have had great achievements in the military. Yangyang recommended you to General Lu Wuya of the Ten Thousand Years Army, and Mr. Hu, Hu Junye, also spread word, as long as you went to Taiyuan Prefecture, you'd rise swiftly."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Qigong sighed, "But now, Yangyang and Hu Junye both refuse to speak of the past because Yangyang's master died at the hands of Yuan Cheng, and Hu Junye's eldest son also died by Yuan Cheng's hand... Marquis of Wuxiang, you've destroyed your future, and the Imperial Three Camps can't tolerate you anymore, was it worth it?"

Finally, Chen Ji spoke, "Qigong, you have your path, and I have mine, that's all there is."

Qigong didn't persuade further, "Fine, Marquis of Wuxiang, take care. I'll go now; you two can wait for news at my White Jade Garden."

Chen Ji and Brother Pao sat in the pavilion waiting, from the morning hours until the evening hours, during which White Jade Garden didn't even offer a sip of water.

It wasn't until the setting sun sank behind the city that Qigong leisurely returned, with a small leather wine pouch in hand.

Chen Ji stood up and asked, "What do you think?"

Qigong hesitated for a moment: "Han Tong is willing to see you, but he doesn't believe you have the ability to save his daughter... If you want him to trust you, kill the person who intercepted his daughter first, to prove it to him. Kill this person within three days, and he will come to see you himself."

Chen Ji frowned slightly.

Who is the person Han Tong mentioned? Consort Xue.

Chen Ji claimed he could save Bai Li, but Han Tong didn't believe him. The other party wanted him to prove his alliance was valuable.

If Chen Ji couldn't even get information about what happens inside the palace, or if he didn't have the skill to kill Consort Xue, it would prove he couldn't accomplish miracles, and Han Tong would never take the risk to meet him.

But Consort Xue's Yikun Palace is deep within the palace, surrounded by over twenty Jiefan Guards. How should he go about killing her?

Qigong looked up at him: "I know what you're all up to, it must be something that could bring the sky down. Let me make it clear, if something happens to you, don't involve the Three Mountains Association. There are still many veterans relying on the association for a living."

Chen Ji promised, "Don't worry, Qigong."

Qigong continued slowly, "I've said all that needed to be said. Let's swear a blood oath. If you fail to fulfill his request, then let it go; but if you succeed and he doesn't come to see you, then he has broken faith with you. No matter what is done, do not sell each other out to the court."

Having said that, Qigong opened the leather wine flask he brought and poured the contents into a white porcelain bowl on the table.

Only then did Chen Ji see that the bowl contained wine mixed with blood: "What is this?"

Qigong took a short knife from his sleeve and handed it to him: "It's Han Tong's blood. He has already bled and sworn. Now it's your turn. Shamefully, blood oaths aren't a thing in Jianghu anymore, after all this time no one has been struck down. But Marquis of Wuxiang, don't find it troublesome. Jianghu survives on these old rules, without them, we old folks in Jianghu would be finished."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then took the short knife and sliced his palm, letting his blood drip into the bowl.

Qigong looked Chen Ji in the eye: "Swear the oath. Ride through the storms of Jianghu together, judge the right and wrong of the world together."

Chen Ji repeated: "Ride through the storms of Jianghu together, judge the right and wrong of the world together."

Qigong added: "Should you violate this oath, you shall fall eternally into Eternal Hell."

Chen Ji's eyes seemed to harbor a dry well: "Should you violate this oath, you shall fall eternally into Eternal Hell."

Qigong raised the bowl and drank the blood wine in one go, his expression solemn: "I have acted as a mediator for you two, acting as a guarantor for both parties. Regardless of whether the matter succeeds or not, I hope neither of you will act faithlessly; otherwise, no one in the Imperial Capital's Jianghu will trust a word from either of you. Those who violate this oath shall have their hearts pierced by ten thousand arrows in life, and be exhumed and desecrated in death!"

"Understood," Chen Ji took a folded Xuan paper from his sleeve and handed it to Qigong, leaving White Jade Garden without looking back.

...

...

Chen Ji returned to the upper floor of Meirui Building, watching from afar as the last light of dusk disappeared behind the city wall, the night wind ruffling his hair as he pondered something.

Brother Pao leaned against the railing, smiling as he stuffed tobacco into his pipe: "The look in your eyes when you spoke with Qigong, I don't know if anyone else has seen it, but I have."

Chen Ji said nothing.

Brother Pao chuckled: "When you signed the mortgage contract with me, your eyes looked exactly the same as they do today. That day, you signed the contract with a heavy hand. At first, I wondered why you were being so serious over a simple contract, but on reflection, I realized that you held the pen as if it were a knife."

He looked outside beyond the railing, during the mourning period, the Eight Great Hutongs were dark and silent, desolate: "You lied to me then, saying you would repay the money soon. Today you lied to Qigong, because you never intended to keep your promise. Landlord, have you thought this through? Once you take this step, there's no turning back."

Chen Ji said calmly, "Those unwilling to lose anything can change nothing."

Brother Pao paused, then lit his pipe.

He brought the fire inch to the tobacco, taking a deep draw, the tobacco curling and withering in the fire, the flame illuminating his chiseled face.

Brother Pao exhaled a plume of gray smoke over the building's edge, firmly asking: "What can I do?"

Chen Ji glanced at Brother Pao: "Earlier I asked you to secretly gather ginseng."

Brother Pao grinned: "It's all ready."