Chapter 117: Cultivation Path

Did the Second Miss Zhang also come to listen to the class?Chen Ji was slightly surprised.Jing Wang teased, "Master Zhang, it's certainly fine for Zhang Xia to come and listen to Master Wang's class, but you and Master Wang took the palace exam in the same year. He was placed second, and you were the top scholar. Rather than sending Zhang Xia to Master Wang, it would be better for you to teach and guide her yourself."Zhang Zhuo chuckled, "That year His Majesty felt he was young and vigorous and deliberately didn't appoint him as top scholar. If we talk about talent, I am not as good as him."Jing Wang smiled slightly, "Master Zhang is being too modest."Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "Not modest. I still remember that year in Fengtian Hall, under that double-eaved roof, with rows and rows of dougong like wells. His Majesty sat on the golden dragon chair above, and I didn't even dare to lift my head. Yet Wang Dao Sheng dared to make eye contact with His Majesty. Just on courage alone, I am not as good as him."Zhang Zhuo rested his hand on his waist belt, looked up at the apricot tree, and recalled, "That day in front of the hall, His Majesty asked me from afar why I read books. I answered honestly, 'To become an official.' His Majesty smiled lightly and said, 'Your essay is sufficient to become an official.' His Majesty then asked Wang Dao Sheng why he read books. Wang Dao Sheng answered, 'One reads books naturally to become a sage.' His Majesty said faintly, ' is indeed sufficient to become an official, but still lacking to become a sage.' Thus, that year I was fifteen years old, he was twenty-three years old. I became the top scholar, and he became second place."After finishing, Zhang Zhuo chuckled again, "In recent years, I've been drinking and socializing with my official colleagues every day, and all my learning has been abandoned. Learning from me is not as good as learning from him. Furthermore, Zhang Xia just came to Luoyang city. For three years, she hasn't really had any friends. If she can study with others, it can also change her solitary temperament and help her make more progressive friends."Liu Qu Xing softly muttered, "She might not be solitary at all."Just as they were speaking, they heard an urgent call from outside the wall, "Chen Ji, run quickly! My father accepted a bribe from Master Chen to let you go and study with Master Wang, to ease your relationship with their three brothers. Run quickly! Absolutely don't let my father succeed in his scheme. Master Wang is very strict."Inside the small courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall, it suddenly became quiet.Everyone slowly looked over. A moment later, they saw only the head of White Carp County Lord peering over the gray tiles of the courtyard wall."Ah..."White Carp saw the situation in the courtyard clearly and was immediately startled. Her whole body leaned backward. Luckily, the World Son below reacted quickly and caught her. Otherwise, that fall would have been miserable.The World Son complained, "I've flipped over the wall dozens of times already, how can you still make mistakes?"White Carp lowered her voice, "Run quickly, Father is in the medical hall."The World Son's face changed drastically, "Trouble. Run quickly."Jing Wang said coldly, "Where else can you run? Get over here.""Oh..."A rustling sound came from the other side of the courtyard wall. White Carp, the World Son, and the little monk successively flipped into the courtyard, lowering their heads and standing in a row.Jing Wang glanced at Chen Ji, then turned his head and said in a deep voice, "White Carp, what bribe did you say I received?"White Carp softly replied, "I originally went to Ming Zheng Building to find you to ask for the kiln factory dividend. But outside, I overheard you proposing a condition to Master Chen, saying that as long as the Household Department approves an extra sum of silver for the border army to purchase cotton gloves, you would lobby for him and persuade Chen Ji to enter the study."Jing Wang raised his eyebrows, "This is a state affair, and I'm not doing it for my own private interest. What's wrong with that?"White Carp muttered, "Dad, how can you be so righteous even after being exposed!"Jing Wang wasn't at all embarrassed about being exposed. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Chen Ji, Chong Li Pass is bitterly cold in winter. The border army soldiers all have frostbite on their hands and feet; their hands are so hard that you can't even see a single piece of good flesh. Do you think they shouldn't be given an extra supply of cotton gloves?"Chen Ji hesitated for a moment, "...They should!"Jing Wang was relieved, "Seeing that you understand the bigger picture, I'm relieved. White Carp, even Chen Ji agrees, what else do you have to say?"White Carp was helpless, "Nothing."Chen Ji raised his hand, "Wang Ye, wait. This kind of state affair..."Jing Wang interrupted Chen Ji's words, turned his head, and looked at Feng Da Ban, "Distribute it to them."He saw Feng Da Ban, with a warm and harmonious face, take out several strings of Buddhist prayer beads from his bosom and give them to Chen Ji and the others one by one.Jing Wang sighed, "Chen Ji, this sum of silver was originally intended to purchase cotton, but Jing Wang Fu keeps its word and can only first distribute the dividend to all of you. I also won't force you to reconcile with the Chen family; that's your own business. You only need to go to Master Wang's and pretend a little, and that counts as a great favor to me!"Chen Ji lowered his head and looked at the string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. Two thousand five hundred taels of silver could buy seventy branches of ginseng and light a hundred and forty lamps.He turned his head and looked at Liu Qu Xing and She Deng Ke, "Do the two senior brothers want to go and study with Master Wang?"She Deng Ke shook his head like a rattle, "Can't learn!"Liu Qu Xing struggled for a moment, then finally said, "I'd rather stay and serve Master."Chen Ji stuffed the Buddhist beads into his sleeve, turned his head, and looked at Jing Wang, "Wang Ye, I can go to Master Wang's by myself. If there's no one in the medical hall, my master alone won't be able to handle everything."Jing Wang clapped his hands and laughed, "Little Doctor Chen deeply understands righteousness, admirable, admirable. Then it's settled, tomorrow morning at the first quarter of Mao time, you can go to Zhi Xing Academy beside Wang Fu and find Master Wang to answer the roll call."After speaking, Jing Wang left, leaving the crowd in the medical hall looking at each other.She Deng Ke said in a muffled voice with muffled anger, "Liu Qu Xing, don't you want to be an official? Why don't you go and study with Master Wang? This is a rare opportunity in a thousand years. After his Ding You period, he will resume his original post. Perhaps he will arrange an official position for you."Liu Qu Xing rolled his eyes, "What do you understand? That Master Wang has been an official for twenty years and has been demoted five times. Even though he repeatedly achieved extraordinary merits in suppressing bandits in Jiangzhou and pacifying Japanese pirates in Minzhou, he still hasn't received His Majesty's favor. If I truly become his disciple, it might not be a good thing.""Then why do Chen Wen Zong and Chen Wen Xiao want to study with him?"Liu Qu Xing was impatient, "Those two are Chen family people. Can I compare with them? Rather than join that excitement, it's better to wholeheartedly follow Master and learn medical skills. With my little cleverness, being a seventh-rank imperial physician is still okay, but being a seventh-rank county magistrate and messing up means being sent to Lingnan."Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard on the side and laughed, "Little Doctor Liu knows when to advance and retreat. This is most rare. If I had understood this principle at your age, perhaps by now I would have returned to the capital and been promoted to Minister of Personnel."Liu Qu Xing then remembered that Zhang Zhuo was still there and quickly cupped his hands, "Master sees my foolishness.""No harm, no harm."Zhang Zhuo looked at the World Son and Chen Ji, "Zhang Xia's nature is not bad. I hope that several young men won't mind the previous misunderstanding. As the saying goes, a long road tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's heart. The more you get along, the more you will understand her character. I'll take my leave."White Carp watched Zhang Zhuo walk out of the medical hall and was confused, "Why do I feel like Master Zhang's words had hidden meanings?"At this moment, a bird call sound came from outside the medical hall. Chen Ji frowned; this was the signal imitated by the secret spy department's bronze whistle.He quickly walked out of the medical hall and saw a carriage stopped in front of the steamed bun shop on the bustling Anxi Street. The door window was tightly covered by a dark blue cotton cloth curtain.Beside the carriage, Xi Feng was dressed as a coachman's assistant, wearing a bamboo hat.Jin Zhu lifted open a gap in the silk curtain from inside and silently mouthed, "Get on the carriage."Chen Ji turned his head and glanced at the medical hall, then turned and squeezed through the crowd into the carriage.Jin Zhu knocked on the carriage body. Xi Feng raised the horse whip and drove the carriage, heading to an unknown destination.Inside the dim carriage, Chen Ji was puzzled, "Master, we only separated a few hours ago. How did you find the medical hall again?"Jin Zhu said mysteriously, "Don't ask so much. Just rest in the carriage for a moment. When we arrive, you'll understand. There's a huge good thing waiting for you."Chen Ji looked at his enthusiastic appearance at this moment and suddenly felt uncomfortable, "Master, why don't you still suspect me like before? You're like this now, and I'm a little afraid."Jin Zhu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "What are you saying? I know you have anger in your heart, but from now on, we're all brothers. Why bother being so particular with me? When I find a cultivation path for you, you'll know my sincerity."Chen Ji changed his posture and leaned on the carriage, "How can I trouble you to find a cultivation path for me? There's no reward without merit. I can slowly accumulate merit and cultivate after being promoted to Hai Dong Ying; it won't be too late."Jin Zhu's face changed, "No way."Chen Ji looked at Jin Zhu, suspicious, "Master, what's wrong?"Jin Zhu quickly smiled and said, "You young man, you don't know the benefits of cultivation! You've also seen Tian Ma; that one hand of Meteor Arrow Rain is so formidable that even an army of a hundred people has to temporarily avoid its edge. Don't you envy it?"Chen Ji shook his head, "No matter how powerful, that's someone else's ability. I don't envy it."Jin Zhu was helpless and could only continue to tempt him, "Once you have a cultivation path, you'll no longer be one of the ordinary masses, but a high-ranking official. If you can quickly step into the Innate Realm, where would you still need to stay in Taiping Medical Hall and be a little apprentice?""I'm quite good in the medical hall."Jin Zhu hated him for not achieving his potential, "I know you have a grudge against the Chen clan. I'll use another metaphor. If you can step into the Jie Fan Realm, your father will also have to be polite to you. If you can step into the Shen Dao Realm, you and the head of the Chen clan, Chen Lu Chi, can stand as equals."Chen Ji became interested, "Master, are you in the Shen Dao Realm?"Jin Zhu's breath caught, "No, there are no more than three people in the entire Ning Dynasty in the Shen Dao Realm. I am currently in the Innate Realm.""How many years have you cultivated, Master?""Fifteen years..."Chen Ji thought for a moment, "Then I probably won't cultivate to the Jie Fan Realm!"Jin Zhu was anxious. He leaned forward, almost close to Chen Ji, "I fell from the Jie Fan Realm to the Innate Realm for a special reason. You definitely won't be the same as me."Chen Ji casually asked, "Master, why are you so attentive to my cultivation?"Jin Zhu chuckled dryly and leaned back, "I've already said it all, from now on, we're all brothers."Chen Ji no longer spoke. At this time, he finally confirmed that Jin Zhu had bet on him.The carriage swayed and drove on. After an unknown amount of time, it slowly stopped. Xi Feng said softly outside the door, "Master, we've arrived."Jin Zhu didn't get off the carriage, just lifted the curtain and watched silently.Through the gap, Chen Ji suddenly saw that the carriage had actually stopped not far from Bai Lu Ting.The front door of Bai Lu Ting was already surrounded tightly by secret spies.Pedestrians on the entire street had all hidden in the shops on the side of the street, afraid of being implicated.Chen Ji didn't understand, "Master, why did you bring me here?"Jin Zhu glanced at Chen Ji and explained, "This is one of the military intelligence bases of the Jing Dynasty in Luoyang city. The Jing Dynasty thieves used it to transmit messages, gather military funds, and raise quite a few spies. Now that my secret spy department has wiped it out, it's a great merit. I've already sent a carrier pigeon to the Inner Minister; this merit belongs to you alone and will be used to exchange for a first-class cultivation path inside Jie Fan Building. Rest assured, at the latest in half a month, the cultivation path will be sent to Luoyang city!"Chen Ji asked, "Aren't we getting off the carriage?"Jin Zhu stared intently outside, without turning his head, "Not yet. Wait until the people from the Criminal Department leave."At this time, the first batch of secret spies brought out the staff of Bai Lu Ting, tied up one by one. The second wave of secret spies then carried several large boxes and placed them at the door.In front of the door, there were Fish Dragon Guards from the Criminal Department who were wearing raincoats and had long knives hanging from their waists, waiting. They actually searched the secret spies one by one to prevent anyone from privately carrying silver after the raid.Following that, they opened the boxes to check and inventory the seized goods, registering them one by one.Jin Zhu secretly cursed, "This group of bastards, all they know is checking their own people. If it weren't for them, where would I need to secretly make money?"After half a shichen, the secret spies and the Criminal Department withdrew together.Jin Zhu then quietly got off the carriage, tore off the seal strip of Bai Lu Ting, and entered the door.Inside the room was messy. The counter, tables, and chairs were all overturned.Jin Zhu bent down and searched through the mess on the ground for something.He also instructed Xi Feng, "Xi Feng, go to the warehouse and see where the six of them hid it in the east. Chen Ji, close the door."Chen Ji closed the big door and asked curiously, "What are you looking for, Master?"The next moment, he saw Jin Zhu flip open a pile of garbage and find a small wooden box from underneath. His face showed joy, "Found it."Xi Feng's voice also came from the backyard, "Master, we also found one hidden in the backyard."Jin Zhu opened the box to check, then stuffed it into Chen Ji's bosom, "Here are fifteen branches of year-old ginseng, worth four hundred taels of silver. Just keep it. It will be of great use after the cultivation path is sent from the capital!"