Green Mountain-Chapter 702 - 558: Result and Process

Chen Ji didn't pause for a moment.

His crimson official robe had yet to smooth out the creases, but he walked straight through the Zhengyang Gate, hurriedly heading towards Meihua Ferry Crossing.

Pedestrians on the long street outside the Outer City took notice; it's rare for an official to wear such attire without a carriage or horse and walk alone.

The billowing red waves of Chen Ji's wide sleeves were conspicuously eye-catching in the marketplace.

However, as Chen Ji entered the Eight Great Hutongs, he saw Qigong standing alone at the entrance of the alley: "The Marquis of Wuxiang County... No, it's Viscount Wuxiang now."

Qigong was still wearing his old coarse clothes, with simple cloth shoes on his feet. The servants and women on both sides of the alley quietly opened their windows, sneaking glances at the two.

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stepped forward, bowing his hand and saying: "Qigong."

Qigong shook his head with his hands behind his back: "An old man's life is too low to accept a bow from Chen Marquis, let's skip it from now on."

He looked Chen Ji up and down, his words sharp: "It's the first time the old man has seen Chen Marquis wearing this Qilin Embroidery. Clearly, the Chen Mansion sought a master to weave it with Kesi silk privately. Actually, the embroidery doesn't need patterns on both sides; either way, others can't see inside. But without Kesi silk, it can't showcase Chen Marquis's nobility... However, all these officials in the Imperial Capital, despite their efforts, are nothing more than hypocrites in fine clothes."

Chen Ji didn't argue: "Qigong wants to scold, so scold."

Qigong raised his eyes to look at Chen Ji: "I came today just to ask Chen Marquis a few questions, and then I'll leave."

Chen Ji pondered for two breaths: "Please ask, Qigong."

Qigong stared into Chen Ji's eyes: "Rumor has it that Han Tong was captured by Chen Marquis in collusion with the Eunuch Party; is this true?"

Chen Ji nodded: "It's true."

Qigong seemed surprised by his immediate admission: "When you swore that day, did you already intend to capture Han Tong?"

Chen Ji admitted: "Yes."

Qigong's voice deepened: "Chen Marquis proves to be quite honest, but do you remember the oath you made that day?"

Chen Ji softly replied: "I remember. Facing the turbulence of Jianghu together, we'll discern right from wrong in the world; if I violate this oath, I'll forever fall into Eternal Hell."

Qigong solemnly said: "Should you fall into this hell, from the moment you enter, through countless calamities, day and night, dying and being reborn, you'll never find a moment's rest unless all Karma is exhausted, then you can be reborn, continuously."

"I know."

Qigong remained silent for a long time: "Since Chen Marquis is willing to bear the consequences, I have nothing more to say. But your name will be no more in the Jianghu. Not only the Jianghu, but there will be no future for Chen Marquis in the Imperial Three Camps either; we simply can't walk the same path."

"Alright."

Qigong smiled, bowed his hand: "Then I wish Chen Marquis a bright future and a grand journey, until we meet again."

Chen Ji bowed his hand: "Until we meet again."

After speaking, Qigong left, leaving only the whispers from the brothels on both sides.

Chen Ji took a deep breath and continued rushing towards Meihua Ferry Crossing.

...

...

In front of Meirui Building, various salt merchants were coming and going. In the main hall on the first floor, twelve accountants were working their abacuses with a loud clatter.

A salt merchant stood at the counter, his voice booming: "Langfang salt permit, four taels and three maces, need five hundred pounds."

"Alright," the clerk held a bamboo pole, picking a Water Plate off the wall, pasted with a red paper. The red paper read "Langfang" in big characters, with smaller ones below "Four taels and three maces, three hundred pounds."

The clerk glanced at the Water Plate hanging on the wall and then turned back to the salt merchant outside the counter: "Guest, there are only three hundred pounds left for four taels and three maces, but there are still two thousand pounds for four taels and four maces."

The salt merchant frowned: "We came from afar, how come your Meihua Ferry Crossing starts charging exorbitantly too?"

The clerk cheerfully explained: "Guest misunderstood, these are all salt permits consigned to us by other guests and officials here at Meihua Ferry Crossing; we only take a mediator's fee, we wouldn't dare set the prices ourselves."

The salt merchant gritted his teeth: "Then get another two hundred pounds of four taels and three maces."

At this moment, Chen Ji stepped into the main hall, and the noisy chatter felt as if it was cut by a knife.

All eyes were fixed on the glaring crimson of his robe, the Qilin Embroidery with golden threads on his chest faintly glowing.

The salt merchants held their breath, with some quietly sidling half a step to the side, bowing and whispering: "May you be well, my lord..."

Chen Ji acted as if he hadn't heard, walking straight towards the stairs.

Upstairs, Brother Pao was behind the desk flipping through the ledger, while Er Dao crouched beside, leisurely pressing tobacco into the copper pipe.

Upon hearing the footsteps, Brother Pao raised his head: "Why has the Landlord come at this hour?"

Chen Ji got straight to the point: "Seven days later, how much current silver can be moved from the account?"

Brother Pao exclaimed in surprise: "So urgent?"

Chen Ji affirmed: "Very urgent."

Brother Pao pondered for a moment: "Should we leave any retreat?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No retreat."

Brother Pao laughed: "Then it will be a lot. I'll go through the accounts and give you an exact number before sunset."

Chen Ji breathed a slight sigh of relief and then turned to Er Dao: "Please go to Silver Apricot Garden at Chen Mansion immediately, and bring Xiao Man and the little monk over as soon as possible."

Er Dao tossed away his copper pipe and stood up to leave.

Upstairs, only Chen Ji and Brother Pao were left. Brother Pao was checking the accounts, while Chen Ji went to the railing outside the building, quietly gazing at the Zhengyang Gate tower in the distance.

Brother Pao glanced at Chen Ji's back and then lowered his head to continue checking the accounts, absentmindedly saying: "Landlord, since you're so determined not to leave any retreat for money, I suppose rescuing the Commandery Princess is just one step away. So why still the worried look?"

Chen Ji didn't answer Brother Pao's question but instead asked: "Brother Pao, do you think for one matter the process is more important, or the result?"

Brother Pao laughed heartily: "That's hard to say. Landlord, if you don't know the result yet, then the result is important... but if you don't care about the result, then the process is important."

Chen Ji responded with an "mm."

Brother Pao looked at Chen Ji: "Does the landlord know the result?"

Chen Ji sighed lightly: "I know, just the result may not be that good."

Brother Pao laughed loudly: "Landlord, there aren't so many goods and bads in the world. I say, as long as you don't regret, it's all a good result."

At this moment, a ruffian thudded upstairs to announce: "Landlord, a group of people has arrived claiming to be Chen Xu from Chen family. They want to take the silver, account books, and salt permits from the public accounts of Chen Family Salt Shop. He also said you don't need to go down to see them, as from now on, taking back Chen Family Salt Shop is the government's responsibility and won't trouble you."

Chen Ji knew this was the consequence of teaming up with the Spy Department. He instructed the ruffian: "Tell the account master to settle it clearly with them, don't get it wrong."

The ruffian agreed: "Yes."

Once the ruffian left, Brother Pao looked at Chen Ji: "The Chen family probably worries you'll misuse the silver from Chen Family Salt Shop? Let them take it, even without the silver from the Salt Shop, the money from Meihua Ferry Crossing will be enough... How much silver does the landlord need exactly, and for what purpose?"

Chen Ji replied: "Buying someone from the Imperial Music Bureau."

Brother Pao probed: "Princess Bai Li?"

Chen Ji nodded.

Brother Pao recalled: "I've heard about the Imperial Music Bureau's pricing. If it's a common criminal behind bars, someone skilled in music and literature costs around several hundred taels of silver, with good looks over a thousand taels, and the younger the more valuable. If it's a girl from an official family, it costs several thousand to several ten thousand taels, the higher the rank the more valuable. Previously, the relative of Lord Wang from the Five Cities Military Department was raised to ninety thousand taels by Hongnong Yang Family and Ru Nan Yuan Family, finally bought by an unknown entity for a hundred thousand taels."

Brother Pao looked up at Chen Ji: "If it's Princess Bai Li, it's only going higher, without preparing tens of thousands of taels of silver it's not safe. But don't worry, landlord, as long as you don't encounter someone deliberately causing trouble, the silver on the account at Meihua Ferry Crossing is definitely enough."

Before the words were finished, commotion came from outside Meirui Building: "Seal Meihua Ferry Crossing for me!"

Chen Ji frowned and came to the railing outside to look down, ten-plus people in official robes stormed into Meihua Ferry Crossing.

He recognized the leading person; it was Zhou Biao, Right Assistant Minister of the Imperial Supervision Office, who waited outside the Meridian Gate in the morning but wasn't summoned into the palace.

Behind Zhou Biao were more than ten Imperial Censors, including Yang Zhong from the Hongnong Yang Family.

Behind the censors was Lin Yanchu, the Deputy Commander of the Five Cities Military Department, leading over a hundred infantrymen, capturing every ruffian without leaving a single one.

For a moment, inside Meihua Ferry Crossing, the songstresses screamed repeatedly, and the ruffians were being manhandled.

Chen Ji went downstairs and asked in a restrained voice: "What are you doing?"

Zhou Biao, wearing a deep red official robe with a Standard Fourth Rank Cloud Goose Embroidery on his chest, said coldly: "The Imperial Inspection Office received a report, stating that Meihua Ferry Crossing is secretly selling salt permits for profit. We are here by order of Left Imperial Censor Qi Xianzun Lord Qi to investigate thoroughly."

Zhou Biao's voice was resonant, each word striking in the quiet main hall. The censors behind him all had solemn faces, their eyes firmly locked on Chen Ji. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Chen Ji stood by the staircase, looking at the mess all around. Tables and account books were rudely overturned, abacus beads rolled across the floor, and the account master was pressed against the wall by soldiers of the Military Department.

Chen Ji frowned and asked: "Do you have a Driving Letter?"

Zhou Biao gestured: "Show it to Chen Marquis."

Yang Zhong came forward with a document, which read: "Officials undertaking investigations, examinations, and imprisonments from the Judicial Departments, led by Right Imperial Censor and Imperial Censors of the Imperial Inspection Office, to investigate the Meihua Ferry Crossing for privately selling salt permits. Issued by the Imperial Inspection Office."

The Driving Letter is a form of royal document issued by the court, often signed by the Ministry of Justice, Dali Temple, and the Imperial Inspection Office, serving as proof for performing arrests and executions.

Their side came fully prepared, determined to shut down Meihua Ferry Crossing.