Green Mountain-Chapter 728 - 582: The Long Judgment

"Do you dare let me speak to the Commandery Princess?" Lü Qi gazed up and down at Chen Ji, seemingly surprised that Chen Ji actually dared to let him talk to Bai Li.

Chen Ji slowly withdrew the Whale Blade: "She is free, whoever she wishes to speak to is her choice, I will not stop her."

Lü Qi's expression flickered unpredictably: "Do you know what I want to say to the Commandery Princess? How do you think she'd react when she finds out about your dirty deeds?"

Chen Ji didn't immediately answer.

He turned his head and glanced back, only to see Bai Li standing in front of the tomb, looking over, her cheeks softened by the sunlight.

Chen Ji withdrew his gaze, and after a long silence, replied: "I cannot silence the murmurs of the world; since it is done, I must be prepared for others to know."

Lü Qi took a deep breath; the Four Beams and Eight Pillars of the Cao Guild had devised many plans, such as how to divert Chen Ji by feigning one direction and striking another, or where to secretly contact Bai Li. Everyone had split into four routes last night, rehearsing thrice, yet now none could be used.

He felt somewhat vexed and inexplicably stifled.

Lü Qi looked at Chen Ji, speaking harshly: "Please, Marquis Wu Xiang, step back; the secrets of the Cao Guild can only be spoken to the Commandery Princess alone."

Chen Ji said nothing, carrying the Whale Blade, he retreated ten paces. He stood under a dead jujube tree, his robe carried by the wind then dropped.

Once Lü Qi confirmed Chen Ji was distant, he approached and respectfully performed a clasped fist salute to the Commandery Princess: "Greetings to the Gang Leader."

Bai Li slightly furrowed her brow, as if surprised at the title: "Gang Leader?"

Lü Qi whispered: "Before coming to the Imperial Capital this time, the old Gang Leader Han Tong was determined to either succeed or sacrifice, he specifically instructed me, that he might not return unscathed from this journey. Should he face misfortune, you, as the last descendant of the Wen Family, will become the Gang Leader of the Cao Guild; our twelve thousand brothers... are all sworn to follow you unto death."

Bai Li did not immediately reply, she just looked down quietly at the words on the tombstone, her thoughts unknown.

Lü Qi changed his form of address: "Gang Leader, the old Gang Leader once instructed us, should he be trapped, not to rescue him, lest more members die at the hands of the Hawks and Dogs of the Eunuch Party. Currently, six of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars still linger in the Imperial Capital, tonight we can assist your escape. From the South Water Gate, we will take a fast boat and reach Jinling in seven days."

At this point, he lifted his eyelids, quickly glancing at Bai Li. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Bai Li's profile was serene, the sunlight laid upon her cheeks like a thin layer of old silk, revealing neither grief nor joy beneath.

She did not look at Lü Qi, only softly saying: "I do not intend to be this Gang Leader, nor do I have the ability to care for over a hundred thousand people, you should find someone more capable."

Lü Qi looked wide-eyed, unable to resist speaking some truths: "The Gang Leader of the Cao Guild has always been from the Wen Family, how can it change? You may not know, the old Gang Leader is still in the inner prison, yet there are already those competing for the position of Gang Leader, entirely disregarding the means to rescue him... You must step forward to restore order, or the Cao Guild will fall into chaos. Then there'll be no one to save the old Gang Leader, and this vast enterprise will be destroyed by the Eunuch Party."

Bai Li gazed into the distance: "Everyone claims he is my father, but clearly the one who taught me to read and write, accompanied me in play, and cared for my warmth and wellbeing wasn't him. I don't blame him, just expressing my sincerity; the father truly in my heart is already gone."

Lü Qi became anxious, stepping forward: "Gang Leader, the old Gang Leader also cared for you, no matter how significant the affairs were over those years, he always managed to visit Luocheng City before your birthday, just that he was troubled..."

Bai Li did not say more.

Lü Qi saw Bai Li silent, contemplating a moment, he lowered his voice to probe: "Doesn't the Gang Leader want revenge for the Empress?"

Bai Li's eyelashes gently flickered, her fingers slightly curled.

Lü Qi continued: "The Empress treated you as her own, we know you surely wish to avenge her. The one who truly wanted the Empress dead wasn't Consort Xue, rather it was the one in Renshou Palace. Our Cao Guild has manpower and money, once you have gathered the old Gang Leader's former subordinates, we can go south to win hearts and recruit soldiers, awaiting the day the Jing Dynasty launches a southern expedition, we will rise up and overthrow the Zhu family's empire. Then we will hang the Emperor's head on the Imperial Palace Gate, to pay respect to the Empress..."

Bai Li turned her head, looking at the dead jujube tree ten paces away.

Chen Ji stood there, the wind lifting his robe, then letting it fall.

He did nothing, nor did he move closer to eavesdrop, just stood there indifferent, as if allowing everything to unfold.

Lü Qi followed Bai Li's gaze, immediately whispering: "Gang Leader, don't be deceived by this scoundrel. While in Luocheng City, he had already pledged loyalty to the Eunuch Party, and has put the old Gang Leader in danger. Upon entering the capital, it was this scoundrel who killed Zhu Xiao among the Four Beams and Eight Pillars, and personally captured the old Gang Leader, sending him to the inner prison. This scoundrel is malicious, be cautious."

Bai Li shook her head in denial: "Impossible, there must be a misunderstanding. You haven't lived alongside him, and merely judge him by worldly standards, condemning him with the name of the Eunuch Party."

Lü Qi saw she didn't believe him, immediately narrating what transpired: "Recently, Chen Ji wished to meet the old Gang Leader, so he invited Qigong from the Three Mountains Association as a mediator, the old Gang Leader promised to meet him if he could kill Consort Xue. That night, Consort Xue died suddenly in the palace, the old Gang Leader sent Zhu Xiao to meet him as agreed, but halfway discovered traces of the Eunuch Party. The old Gang Leader took the opportunity to inquire how he killed Consort Xue, but he couldn't answer. The old Gang Leader suspected he was colluding with the Eunuch Party, that Consort Xue's death was actually a long-game ploy, thus he refrained from meeting him."

Lü Qi took a deep breath: "This man, possessing extraordinary skills, pinpointed the old Gang Leader's hiding place from mere clues, leading Bai Long, Jin Zhu, Heavenly Horse, Xuan Snake, Treasure Monkey, Jiao Tu, Yun Yang and other members of the Eunuch Party to capture the old Gang Leader in front of Chongxing Temple. His collusion with the Eunuch Party is indisputable. Gang Leader, this matter is not fabricated by me, it's well-known in the streets, and the Three Mountains Association therefore severed ties with him, expelling him from Jianghu."

Bai Li frowned in silence.

Lü Qi thought he had persuaded her, seizing the moment he said: "The old Gang Leader spent the past year searching for your mother's whereabouts. They initially arranged seven escape routes, the old Gang Leader dispatched trusted followers to wait on these paths, yet we never found her."

Lü Qi gave Bai Li a glance: "The old Gang Leader suspects your mother might have also fallen into the Eunuch Party's hands, possibly even imprisoned or worse, otherwise she wouldn't have remained silent. The scoundrel Chen Ji in Luocheng City was too friendly with the Eunuch Party; he might know something. In three days, let the Gang Leader lure Chen Ji to Chongnan Fang, then we'll capture and interrogate him, for sure we'll uncover details about your mother."

Bai Li instinctively replied: "No."

Lü Qi asked in confusion: "What?"

Bai Li's eyelashes quivered slightly, her voice was gentle yet like a fine needle, pinning Lü Qi's words in mid-air: "I said, no."

Lü Qi took several steps forward, urgently saying: "Gang Leader, if you don't believe what I said, you can go inquire in the streets, there's no false word from me. If not, call him over now to confront him face to face, I'll listen to what he has to say!"

Bai Li resolutely said: "Enough."

Lü Qi was too close. Jiao Tu's originally slightly curled palm suddenly opened, and an invisible force erupted, pushing Lü Qi back more than ten steps before he could steady himself.

Lü Qi hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward a few steps, bowing and saying, "It was my rudeness, but when did you repair the Official Gateway?"

...

...

Chen Ji stood silently waiting under the jujube tree.

He watched Lü Qi from a distance, sometimes whispering, sometimes agitated. He could guess what Lü Qi would say, but he felt no ripples in his heart.

Those complex emotions seemed to have been taken away by time, and he was just waiting for a verdict nine months overdue.

When Jiao Tu used the Official Gateway to push Lü Qi away, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Wu Yun had indeed mentioned that Jiao Tu seemed to be cultivating. He only thought the Empress found Jiao Tu an ordinary Official Gateway to keep her safe, but he didn't expect it to be so miraculous, nor did he expect Jiao Tu's cultivation to progress so quickly.

After some time, Lü Qi hurried away, and Jiao Tu stood for a long while. Chen Ji didn't approach, just waited for her to make a decision.

He quietly watched Jiao Tu, and though only ten zhang separated them, it felt as if they were worlds apart.

The next moment, Jiao Tu walked towards him.

The two stood facing each other, and this time, Jiao Tu broke the silence first, "Can you take me to see Tianqiao? When I was a child in the Prince Mansion, my mother didn't allow girls to go out and mix around. I always heard my brother say Tianqiao was very lively but I never had the chance to see it."

Chen Ji was a bit surprised, but agreed, "Okay."

They drove the ox cart back to the Imperial Capital, and no one spoke along the way. Er Dao dozed off, and Brother Pao smoked his pipe by himself.

By the time the ox cart entered the city, the sun had already moved to the west.

Brother Pao drove the cart into a side alley to the south of Tianqiao and pulled the reins, "Landlord, it seems it's time for us to go. Er Dao and I have to go explain something to the ruffians. We'll meet at Shaojiu Alley on the Double Ninth Festival three days later."

Chen Ji nodded and jumped off the cart shaft. Jiao Tu followed down and stood at the alley entrance, looking out.

Tianqiao was livelier than she imagined.

Entertainment tents were set up one after another. Performers beat gongs outside the tents, shouting, "Support with money if you have it, support with your presence if you don't." Vendors carrying food wove through the crowd, people jostling and bumping into each other.

Jiao Tu stood there, dazed for a long time.

Chen Ji walked to her side, "Where do you want to start?"

Jiao Tu thought for a moment and pointed to a circle of people not far away, "That one."

Chen Ji looked over; it was a sugar figure seller.

A middle-aged man sat on a small stool, with a charcoal stove in front of him. A copper pot sat on the stove, simmering golden syrup. He pinched a bamboo stick with his left hand, and with his right, he scooped up the syrup with a copper spoon, flicked his wrist, and the syrup fell onto the stone slab in front, forming into fine threads.

The drawing was of a little tiger.

The sugar threads on the stone slab outlined the tiger's shape, ears, nose, eyes, and finally a long tail. He pressed the bamboo stick onto it and gently pried it with a spatula, and a translucent sugar tiger stood up.

Jiao Tu stood next to it, absorbed.

The sugar craftsman looked up at her, "Miss, would you like one?"

Jiao Tu thought for a moment and asked, "How much is it?"

The sugar craftsman smiled and said, "Fifteen cents."

Jiao Tu had no money on her, so she held out her palm to Chen Ji, "Give me money. For the toll you swindled from me back then, return some now."

Chen Ji was slightly taken aback, just for an instant, it was as if he returned to that bright afternoon in Luocheng City, outside East Market in Baiyi Lane.

He smiled, took a silver ingot from his sleeve, and placed it in her palm, "Do you remember how much silver I swindled from you?"

Jiao Tu took the silver and handed it to the sugar craftsman, pouting, "I don't remember, but it was a lot."

She took the sugar tiger from the sugar craftsman's hand and held it in front of her eyes for a long time. The sunlight shone through the syrup, dyeing the tiger's outline a translucent amber color. She looked at it for a long time, then turned and handed the tiger to Chen Ji, "For you."

Chen Ji was stunned for a moment, "I don't want it."

Jiao Tu didn't withdraw her hand, just kept holding it out.

Chen Ji looked at the sugar tiger, and eventually took it. The sugar tiger in his hand was so light it seemed weightless, "Aren't you going to eat it?"

"I don't have any appetite now," Jiao Tu looked down at her shoes, then after a while, she looked up and smiled, "Let's go, let's wander around some more. When we're tired today, let's go back."