Green Mountain-Chapter 712 - 567: Feint to the East, Strike to the West (2)

Qi Zhenwu immediately got off the carriage.

...

...

At this moment, Chen Ji rode to Tea Leaf Alley beside Chaotian Palace.

The entire Tea Leaf Alley consisted of seven courtyards. After a grand purchase, they were combined into one and hung with a gilded plaque: "Qian Mansion."

The plaque was brand new, its golden paint glaringly bright, clashing with the surrounding ancient blue bricks and gray tiles. Even the stone lions at the door were newly carved, lacking the dignity that comes with age.

The Qian family, one of the Eight Great Merchants based in Lianghuai, had sent their youngest son to the Imperial College in the capital for study, sparing no expense to buy and join the seven courtyards beside Chaotian Palace.

Chen Ji reined in his horse in front of the mansion gate but did not dismount. He simply watched the vermilion gate silently.

The gatekeeper was sharp-eyed and had already spotted Chen Ji through the crack in the door, as well as the Whale Blade across his saddle. The Qilin Embroidery and the five-and-a-half-foot-long Whale Blade identified him unmistakably as Marquis Wu Xiang.

Before long, the vermilion gate swung open suddenly, and more than twenty servants wielding spears and sticks came out, glaring fiercely as they surrounded Chen Ji.

Inside the threshold, a young man with an unsteady gait said harshly but with little confidence, "Chen Ji, others may fear you, but I don't. My Qian family is one of the Eight Great Merchants, and my father has official status!"

Chen Ji glanced at him, then dismounted while holding the Whale Blade. With a face as calm as a still lake, he pressed toward the main gate, making the more than twenty servants nervously retreat with each step he took.

Though surrounded by more than twenty people, no one dared to make a move. They could only be pushed backward into the Qian Mansion by him.

Chen Ji's gaze remained fixed on the Qian family's youngest son, Qian Xingzhi. Qian Xingzhi felt as if a bow was drawn and aimed at his brow from ten steps away, instinctively avoiding eye contact.

Yet as soon as he avoided eye contact, he felt it was somewhat cowardly, and once more met Chen Ji's gaze, only to have to avoid it again and retreat backward.

The next moment, Chen Ji stepped over the threshold and strolled inside as if in his own home, his bright red Qilin Embroidery shining under the sunlight, the black lacquered silk Flared-Corner Futou atop his head emanating authority.

He drove the servants into the Qian Mansion like a tide, as if he owned the place.

The courtyard fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Only Chen Ji's footsteps could be heard, unhurriedly treading on the bluestone slabs, step by step moving inward. More than twenty staff-bearing servants encircled him, appearing both as escorts and as if they were being driven, retreating chaotically toward the inner residence.

Qian Xingzhi retreated until he could retreat no more, his heels against the stone steps of the main hall.

He tried to maintain composure: "Stop there, you're trespassing in a private residence. Is there no rule of law in this capital?"

Chen Ji stopped before the steps.

He didn't look at Qian Xingzhi; his gaze swept over the maids and servants peeking out from the corridor with pale faces, finally landing on Qian Xingzhi's face.

Silence.

The silence weighed heavily on Qian Xingzhi, making it hard for him to breathe, his mind chaotically flashing with images of Yang Zhong being dragged along, Yuan Wang's heartrending screams, and the broken staffs scattered outside the Meridian Gate yesterday.

Suddenly, Chen Ji turned and walked toward the Wind Letter Pavilion of the Qian Mansion, sitting down by a stone table and laying the Whale Blade across his knee: "Serve tea."

The servants turned to look at Qian Xingzhi, whose face turned red: "What are you looking at me for? Do I have to teach you how to do your job? Li Du, my Qian family has supported you for so many years, is it just so you can be led around by others?"

A middle-aged man whispered: "Young Master, he holds a noble title. If we act against him, it might bring endless trouble."

Qian Xingzhi exploded in rage: "Then damn it, go serve him tea! Poison it, kill this bastard!"

The maids of the Qian Mansion hurried to prepare tea, while Chen Ji sat alone in the Wind Letter Pavilion, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table, his gaze never leaving Qian Xingzhi.

A moment later, the tea was brought. Chen Ji, unafraid of poison, picked up the teacup and raised it to his lips.

Qian Xingzhi, summoning up his courage, took a step forward and shouted in anger: "Why have you come to my Qian Mansion? I haven't done anything to provoke you!"

Chen Ji said nothing, taking a light sip of the tea.

Qian Xingzhi felt a little uneasy: "I did say I wanted to go to the Imperial Music Bureau, but before, I was just boasting to others..."

As they spoke, Chen Ji put down the teacup with a clang and drew the Whale Blade, pulling a piece of fine linen cloth from his sleeve and wiping it repeatedly.

Qian Xingzhi was startled, quickly retreating, and said with a fierce outward display but weak inside, "I only said I would join the excitement; I never said I was determined to buy Princess Bai Li!"

Chen Ji still ignored him, continuing to polish the Whale Blade.

Qian Xingzhi bit his lip and removed a string of Buddhist Treasures from his wrist, throwing it onto the stone table: "This is ten thousand taels of silver, consider it a gift from the Qian family to you. I wish you and Princess Bai Li a happy and harmonious life together, to grow old in happiness, have many children, be blessed like the East Sea, and your life span like the southern mountains…"

Chen Ji continued wiping the Whale Blade, calmly saying, "Not enough."

Qian Xingzhi's expression changed: "I am here in the Capital to study; how can I carry so much silver with me? Do you even know how much ten thousand taels are? It's enough to buy five houses in the inner city and still have leftovers after spending ten years in the Eight Great Hutongs! Ten thousand taels is enough to buy the freedom of Jinling's finest courtesan!"

Chen Ji still did not speak.

Qian Xingzhi hurriedly explained: "All my Qian family's businesses are in Lianghuai. My father told me to focus on studying at the Imperial Academy, so he didn't give me much silver to spend... You don't have anything against my Qian family, so why are you asking me for silver?! Fine, I won't go to the Imperial Music Bureau then!"

The more he explained, the more guilty he felt, and with each explanation, his imposing manner weakened.

But Chen Ji remained silent.

In the long silence, Qian Xingzhi turned to yell at Li Du in frustration, "What are you standing there for? Go get the emergency silver!"

Li Du hurried off and quickly returned, handing a string of Buddhist Treasures to Chen Ji: "Marquis Wu Xiang, this is forty thousand taels of silver."

Chen Ji's hand finally stopped wiping the Whale Blade, but he did not take it. Instead, he looked at Qian Xingzhi.

Qian Xingzhi's expression changed several times, but in the end, he stepped forward, took the Buddhist Treasures from Li Du, and offered them with both hands to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji tucked both strings of Buddhist Treasures into his bosom and got up to leave. He walked indifferently through the servants, speaking only four words from start to finish.

Not enough.

Pour tea.

...

...

At noon, on Chang'an Street, Qi Zhenwu returned hastily, lifting the carriage curtain and saying, "Uncle, that boy Chen Ji went to the Qian family's house."

Qi Xianzun slowly opened his eyes: "The Qian family among the Eight Great Merchants?"

Qi Zhenwu explained, "Yes, the Qian family sent their youngest son to the Imperial Academy to study, but this boy spends all day fooling around, gathering a group of merchant family scions to eat, drink, visit brothels, and gamble every day. I heard that two days ago, this boy bragged in front of many people at the Imperial Academy about going to the Imperial Music Bureau to buy Bai Li, and several students joined in, saying they would go too. That's why Chen Ji came to find him today."

Qi Xianzun frowned slightly: "Did he drag the Qian family son to death? Why hasn't he come to the Imperial Palace Gate to admit guilt? Does he really think that with his noble status, he can kill a merchant's son and remain unscathed? The Eight Great Merchants are technically officials."

Qi Zhenwu shook his head: "Chen Ji did not kill anyone; he just sat leisurely in the Wind Letter Pavilion at the Qian family's house, drinking tea. Before he even finished a cup, the Qian family's son was scared witless and immediately offered ten thousand taels of silver, begging him to go easy, saying he was just talking nonsense and had no intention of going to the Imperial Music Bureau." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Qi Xianzun frowned: "Did Chen Ji agree?"

Qi Zhenwu shook his head again: "Chen Ji didn't agree; he just continued drinking tea until the Qian family's son offered another forty thousand taels of silver before he leisurely left."

Qi Xianzun leaned slowly against the carriage wall: "A diversion? We've been played."

Qi Zhenwu crawled into the carriage and asked softly, "Second Uncle means, from the start, he never intended to target Feng Xi?"

Qi Xianzun said slowly, "From the beginning, he crazily endured those ninety imperial punishments, making everyone in the Imperial Capital think he had lost his mind and didn't care for his life. But he knew from the beginning that merely being fierce wouldn't save Princess Bai Li; money would."

Qi Zhenwu nodded: "Exactly, he knew that killing wouldn't scare everyone off, at least not my Qi family, nor the Xu family. Nowadays, people read newspapers instead; fewer people are buying books. Xu Bin at Wenyuan Bookstore hates him and would love to trip him up. Meihua Ferry Crossing has been sealed; even if the Morning Newspaper scraped together a few thousand taels, it wouldn't be enough to buy Princess Bai Li's freedom."

Qi Xianzun praised, "So he spent two days establishing his power with ninety strokes and two lives. Now he only has to stand in front of those fools, and they're scared shitless, obediently offering up the silver with both hands... Where has he gone now?"

"Someone saw him heading straight to Duke Cheng Mansion," Qi Zhenwu replied, "Second Master at the Duke's Mansion once said at Bianyifang Restaurant that he wanted to buy back Bai Li. This should be interesting; although Duke Cheng Mansion has declined, it's not something Chen Ji can easily handle."

Qi Xianzun mused: "Not necessarily."