Chapter 158: Fell Off the Horse

The bustling long street saw people coming and going. Ordinary folk carrying shoulder poles and driving ox carts stepped on the snow out of the city. They wanted to rush and leave Luo city before sunset, returning to the farms outside the suburbs.

The smell of ox dung and the sounds of shouting intertwined, only then livening up Luo city’s winter day.

Chen Ji stood in the endless stream of people. His hand silently shrank into his sleeve, hiding the paper strip the west wind had brought.

A thread of chill rose from his back: The Secret Spy Office was the inner court’s direct personal guard. Normally, the twelve zodiac signs holding the king’s command tokens moved rampantly and unobstructed. Why the need to hide their identity and secretly transmit paper strips?

And now, the west wind lowering his hat brim and leaving in a hurry explained that the Secret Spy Office had already turned into a dark place and hidden its identity!

They wanted to be careful of the Liu family acting recklessly and exterminating completely.

But like this, in Mr. Feng’s eyes, only Chen Ji was still on the surface. The Liu family could only take him to vent their anger.

Chen Ji originally thought that after exterminating the Dragon King Village military garrison, the Secret Spy Office would then have evidence of the Liu family plotting rebellion.

As long as they sent the evidence to the capital, they could confiscate the Liu family’s home and execute them.

Once the Ten Thousand Years Army arrived, the Liu family would naturally turn to ashes.

However, the Liu family fundamentally did not plan to sit and wait for death. The Secret Spy Office’s secret memorial was fundamentally sent out of Yu state.

No wonder Mr. Feng was so arrogant.

The Liu family wanted to tear faces.

Chen Ji turned his head, his gaze passing through the gaps in the tide of people, looking towards the quietly driven horse carriage outside the city gate.

What matter was the Liu Cabinet Elder so urgently seeking King Jing about to secretly plot?

Bai Li saw him in a daze and curiously asked:“Chen Ji, how are you? Your face doesn’t look too good.”

Chen Ji came back to his senses and smiled at Bai Li:“County Princess, I’m fine!”

Bai Li pulled his sleeve and went forward:“Up front is Li Ji clothing shop in front of the south city. I’ll take you to measure your clothes size. Just wait for father in the shop, then go back to Anxi Street together.”

Zhang Xia looked at Bai Li’s hand and subconsciously looked at the World Son’s expression.

The World Son pretended not to know and turned his gaze elsewhere.

Zhang Xia curiously asked:“Does the World Son plan to turn a blind eye?”

The World Son helplessly said:“Counting this time, Chen Ji has already saved our brother and sister two times. Each time was dangerous, each time was a near-death experience. I, this elder brother, all pretended not to see. Why must Second Miss Zhang, an outsider, dig to the bottom?”

Zhang Xia smiled:“That’s true!”

In Li Ji clothing shop, the shopkeeper personally held a roll of soft leather ruler and went up to measure Chen Ji’s size.

Chen Ji stood in front of the counter with spread arms, his gaze still looking outside the door.

Bai Li sat on the side chair, her fair hand supporting her chin, staring with interest.

Two maidservants brought tea and dried fruits, diligently placing them on the small table beside Bai Li, and immediately wanted to kneel on the ground to pound Bai Li’s legs.

Bai Li was startled:“No, no, no, what is this for?”

The shopkeeper laughed:“County Princess, you don’t know. Measuring the body and making clothes is a time-consuming and slow task. Differ by an inch or a centimeter, and the clothes worn on the body will not be comfortable or fit. My Li Ji specifically employs maidservants to relieve the boredom of noble guests so they can wait patiently.”

Bai Li hurriedly waved her hand:“No need, no need, I’m afraid of being tickled.”

The shopkeeper laughed to the maidservants:“Since the County Princess said no need, you two go down.”

The maidservants bowed in a courtesy and softly said:“Yes!”

The shopkeeper said again:“There is also a place to play Pai Gow in the backyard. If the County Princess is bored waiting, you can call the maidservants to accompany the County Princess for a couple of rounds.”

Bai Li did not know whether to cry or laugh:“Really no need, I can wait.”

“Good!”

The shopkeeper carefully measured Chen Ji’s clothes, sleeve cuffs, collar, waistline, every place not missed.

It was no wonder that Li Ji shop was famous in Luo city. Being famous naturally had a reason for being famous.

In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the shopkeeper finished measuring Chen Ji’s size and asked with a smile:“What items does the County Princess plan to customize for this young master?”

Bai Li calculated on her fingers:“Two pieces of stand-collar overlapping front, two strips of winter cotton pants, two pairs of black boots, one top tile ridge black gauze hat. Can you make great coats here? Use fox fur to make him a cold-resistant black great coat, but don’t put the fox fur on the outside, make it into the inner lining, he doesn’t like to show off.”

Chen Ji was stunned. He withdrew his gaze from outside:“County Princess, no need to make so many, right?”

Bai Li’s eyes bent into crescent moons and she said with a smile:“You are usually very busy. It’s difficult to make clothes once, so you definitely want to make more. This is to thank you for saving my life. Could it be that my life is not worth this much silver money?”

Chen Ji also laughed:“It is!”

Bai Li waved her hand:“Then good. You go out and wait for me for a while. I’ll say a couple of sentences to the shopkeeper and then come out.”

Chen Ji turned and walked out of the shop, talking with the World Son and Zhang Xia.

Bai Li poked her head out and saw that they were not paying attention to this side. She got up and came to the counter side, took out six gold melon seeds from her sleeve:“Shopkeeper, when making the clothes, sew these gold melon seeds into the hem of his clothes.”

The shopkeeper was startled.

Official noble families always liked to sew some fingernail-sized thin silver cakes into the hem of their clothes. The heavy silver cakes could weigh down the hem of the clothes, making the clothes look more hanging and straight and wide. They also sewed lucky copper coins with words like ‘招财进宝’ (inviting wealth and treasure) and ‘rise official get rich’ (getting rich and promoted), taking a good omen.

But sewing gold melon seeds was indeed the first time he had seen it.

Bai Li saw that the shopkeeper was puzzled, then smiled and explained:“For him to use in emergencies. Just sew the gold melon seeds in, shopkeeper.”

The shopkeeper did not ask more and agreed with a smile:“Good!”

This matter, King Jing lifted the curtain and came out of the horse carriage, yet saw him flip onto a horse, hurriedly urging the horse towards the city.

Chen Ji saw his figure from afar, turned his head, and said to Bai Li:“County Princess, we should go.”

Bai Li answered from inside the room:“Coming.”

But the words had just fallen when King Jing swayed on the horse, and before he reached the front of Li Ji clothing shop, he coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood and fell crookedly off the horse.

The World Son exclaimed:“Father?”

Chen Ji had quick eyes and ran two steps, holding King Jing as he fell to the ground.

He lifted his head and looked towards outside the city gate. Mr. Feng sat high on the coachman’s position, raising the horse whip, whipping the horse carriage towards the south as if no one else was around.

No one expected that the Liu family would actually make such a move against a real power vassal king in a busy market.

The World Son’s eyes were about to crack. He hated staring at the Liu family’s horse carriage but did not chase after it. He turned his head and said to Chen Ji in a low voice:“First go back to Anxi Street to find your master to save people.”

Chen Ji straightforwardly carried King Jing on his back and ran madly towards Anxi Street.

Within the endless stream of people, Zhang Xia and others rode horses and chased, but for a time they couldn’t catch up.

Chen Ji’s face was heavy.

If the Liu family really made such a move, then it explained that the opponent was already unbridled and completely crazy.

But he thought and thought, and still couldn’t figure out what the Liu family meant by killing King Jing.

The sunset sank into the city outside, and heaven and earth were dim.

Peace Medical Hall had already closed its doors.

Chen Ji crashed through the door, loudly saying:“Master, master.”

Old Man Yao, who had been absent for a long time, was just standing behind the counter, lighting a kerosene lamp and fiddling with an abacus.

He lifted his head, glanced at Chen Ji and King Jing, then looked at his own precarious door panel, and said indifferently:“Did the sky collapse?”

The World Son rushed in from outside, urgently saying:“Imperial Physician Yao, quickly save my father. He was poisoned by the Liu family.”

Old Man Yao asked lightly:“Did you see it personally?”

The World Son was helpless:“What time is it? You’re still not in a hurry.”

Old Man Yao came out from behind the counter, stroked his white beard with his left hand, and lightly placed three fingers on King Jing’s wrist with his right hand.

Chen Ji held his breath, afraid of delaying the pulse-taking.

A moment later, Old Man Yao said lightly:“The King was not harmed by people, but the previous wind-cold originally did not heal before he went out of the city. Now it’s just an old illness flaring up.”

Chen Ji suddenly relaxed his breath. At least the Liu family was not yet utterly heartless.

Old Man Yao put his hands behind his back and walked towards the backyard, calmly arranging:“Chen Ji, carry the King into the main room. She Dengke, light the stove in the room, let the King warm up. Liu Quxing, bring my silver needles. World Son, County Princess, close the door, don’t let outsiders rush in. Also, don’t let the people from the Wangfu in.”

In the main room, Old Man Yao finally only left Chen Ji alone to help.

He gently placed King Jing on Old Man Yao’s bed and undid his armor.

Old Man Yao sat by the stove fire, unhurriedly burning the silver needles one by one, then applied the silver needles to King Jing’s body.

In the blink of an eye, King Jiang’s chest was full of silver needles.

Chen Ji softly asked:“Master, is King Jing really suffering from wind-cold disease?”

Old Man Yao glanced at him, and while continuing to apply needles, counter-asked:“You also learned wind-cold pathology, what do you say?”

Chen Ji did not answer.

After all the silver needles were applied, King Jing suddenly coughed out another mouthful of fresh blood.

Chen Ji was surprised:“Master?”

King Jing slowly opened his eyes, smiled at Old Man Yao, and said weakly:“You saved me again!”

Old Man Yao got up and went to the wooden basin rack side, washed his hands, and while wiping his hands with white cloth, sneered:“King, don’t go out hiding from everyone in the future. I am a physician, not a magician. I don’t have the ability to cross out life and death records!”

King Jing smiled, seemingly already accustomed to Old Man Yao’s sarcasm.

He turned his head and looked at Chen Ji:“Young man, trouble you to help me call Yun Xi in, I have some things to instruct him. Additionally, help guard the door, absolutely don’t let anyone in.”

Chen Ji gave a sound of understanding and lifted the door curtain out.

In the yard, Bai Li was hugging Whale Knife, standing under the apricot tree biting her lips, while the World Son paced back and forth anxiously.

She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Liang Cat, and others squatted on the side, at a loss.

Seeing Chen Ji come out, the World Son immediately came forward:“Chen Ji, how is my father?”

Chen Ji said in a low voice:“World Son, the King called you in.”

The World Son drilled into the main room, the door curtain swayed, and then a burst of knocking sound was heard outside the medical hall gate.

Consort Jing at the door said sternly:“Open the door!”

Chen Ji calmly said:“Cat brother, block the door, don’t let anyone into the medical hall for now.”

Liang Cat answered and went outside, but before he reached the door, Consort Jing had already led more than ten strong servants and pushed the door in menacingly.

Chen Ji took over Whale Knife from Bai Li and propped the knife at the door outside the main room:“Consort Jing madam, the King instructed that he is just talking with the World Son, no one can go in.”

Consort Jing stared straight at him:“Did the King personally say it, or are you falsely transmitting orders? Get out of the way!”

Chen Ji slightly twisted the knife handle, the sharp blade facing Consort Jing and the others:“Cannot do.”

Consort Jing stepped forward step by step, not at all putting Chen Ji and Whale Knife in her eyes:“Young man, don’t mislead yourself. You are just a medical hall apprentice, moving a knife against the imperial family is a capital offense anyway. Get out of the way now, and I can let bygones be bygones.”

Chen Ji did not move at all.

Just at this time, the door curtain behind him was lifted by someone.

Chen Ji turned his head to look. The World Son walked out with red-rimmed eyes, wiping away tears with his hand as he looked at Consort Jing:“Aunt, Father called you in.”

In the quiet small yard, Chen Ji carried Whale Knife and stepped to the side, Consort Jing arrogantly raised her head and brushed past him.

Chen Ji watched the World Son continuously shedding tears and pulling Bai Li to leave the medical hall. He then turned his head again to look at that silent main room.

What exactly did King Jing say to the World Son?