Chapter 161: White Boat Chronicle

The stone stairs were silent and dark, with no wind, and it was unknown where they led. Chen Ji looked at the deep stone stairs, pondering if he could discover who Jing Wang was conspiring with and what they were plotting, as long as he passed through this underground tunnel. Perhaps at that moment, many mysteries that had perplexed him for a long time would all be easily solved.

Jing Wang walked down the stone stairs holding a lamp with oil residue. Turning back, he saw Chen Ji standing at the cave entrance, hesitant and unmoving. He said, puzzled, "Walk."

Chen Ji suddenly felt some hesitation. "Your Highness, where does this secret passage lead? If I see people I shouldn't see, or things I shouldn't see, will I be silenced?"

Jing Wang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What have you been thinking about all day? Relax, no one wants to silence you. Also, give that knife in your hand to your master for safekeeping. Such a long knife without even a scabbard would be too conspicuous to take out."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment. While leaning the whale knife against the wall inside the room, he casually asked the old man Yao, "Master, when you came to Luo City three years ago, did you discuss it with Jing Wang in advance?"

The old man Yao gave him a sidelong glance. "Stop trying to trick information out of me. Get out of here."

Chen Ji replied, "Oh."

He slightly lowered his head and followed Jing Wang into the extremely narrow tunnel.

The light was dim, with only the weak flame of the oil lamp in Jing Wang's hand flickering, infinitely lengthening his shadow in the tunnel. Every step Chen Ji took increased his vigilance.

He was about to see that mysterious important figure. What kind of person was on the other side? Would they be able to trust him the same way his master and Jing Wang did?

He didn't know any of this.

After walking for several dozen breaths, Jing Wang climbed the stairs holding the oil lamp. Chen Ji took a deep breath and followed.

The next moment, he was somewhat astonished.

There was no important figure here, nor any attendants, only an empty, spacious shop. Chen Ji looked at the surrounding furnishings, which seemed somewhat familiar. "Your Highness, isn't this the Wang Ji meat shop on Anxi Street?"

Jing Wang replied, "That's right. This Wang Ji meat shop is originally an industry of Wang Fu. Its business has always been good."

While Jing Wang wasn't paying attention, Chen Ji casually touched the candlestick on the table. The white wax hadn't completely solidified yet, indicating that it had been extinguished not long ago. The person Jing Wang had a secret meeting with had just left.

But since the person he was meeting had already left, what was Jing Wang still here for?

Chen Ji asked, "Your Highness, who did you want to see?"

Jing Wang laughed. "When did I say I wanted to come and see someone? I may not have said that."

Chen Ji looked up, only to see that Jing Wang had already blown out the oil lamp, pulled open the large door of the meat shop, walked out onto the street, and stood under the moonlight, turning back to him and waving. "What are you dazing at? We'll be too late."

He walked towards the door, and just as he was about to step out, he pulled Jing Wang back into the shadows of the meat shop.

Jing Wang asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

In the dark night, a carriage was hurriedly rolling on the snow-covered road, driving towards the east side. The carriage was plain and undecorated. Jing Wang and Chen Ji saw the curtain slightly lifted, quietly looking outside, and the occupant still urging the carriage driver to go faster.

As the carriage drove past, Jing Wang stood in the wind it brought up and asked with a smile, "How many people do you think are inside this carriage?"

Chen Ji recalled that the carriage wasn't big, but the horses pulling it seemed somewhat strenuous. Thinking about it, there were at least two people inside, possibly even three.

Who were the other people inside the carriage? Yun Fei.

At this critical moment, Jing Wang was 'gravely ill,' yet Yun Fei quietly left Wang Fu under the cover of night. This matter could be considered significant or insignificant.

Chen Ji observed Jing Wang's expression from the corner of his eye and said cautiously, "Your Highness, I can't tell how many people are inside the carriage."

Jing Wang laughed. "Playing it safe."

He watched the carriage's back disappear into the dark night and lightly laughed. "Generals don't dismount; each is rushing towards their future. Let's go, we still have proper matters to attend to."

Luo City, Tongji Street, a place where wealthy merchants gathered, and also the place where Chen Ji assassinated Shopkeeper Yuan. The entire street had forty-eight courtyards. The front twelve courtyards were extremely spacious, each built with designs by Jiangnan waterside garden artists, with pavilions and towers. The common people jokingly called them 'Tian Kui'. The back thirty-six were smaller and were jokingly called 'Di Kui'.

However, whether Tian Kui or Di Kui, the rise and fall and honor and disgrace of the master families changed like flowing water, but the pavilions and towers always remained the same.

On the bluestone road of Tongji Street at this time, carriages and horses were lined up like scales on a comb, waiting to dock. Carriage drivers and young servants had their hands tucked into their sleeves, gathering in groups of two or three by the gray tile walls to chat and gossip.

Today was the wedding of the legitimate eldest son of the Lin Yuanwai family, a 'Tian Kui'. Lanterns and colorful decorations were hung on the street, and on the bluestone road surface, a red 'Xi' character was pasted every five steps.

Guests gathered inside Lin Yuanwai's courtyard, with dozens of tables set for the flowing banquet. Jing Wang stood in front of the Lin Fu gate, raised his head to confirm the plaque, and said to Chen Ji with a smile, "Just here."

Having said that, he lifted his leg and was about to walk inside.

Chen Ji pulled him back and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, you're just going to walk in so openly? Lin Fu has many people and mixed eyes. What if someone recognizes you?"

Jing Wang said crossly, "What are you afraid of? You're a young man. How can you compare to me, who's already in decline? This Lin Yuanwai runs brothels and gambling houses. He has gathered a group of ruffians under his command. Officials and nobles will absolutely not lower themselves to participate in his family's wedding banquet. Since there are no officials or nobles, how is it possible for someone to recognize me?"

Chen Ji quickly said, "That's still not right. In this place where fish and dragons are mixed, what if something unexpected happens? How will I explain it to Bai Li and the Crown Prince?"

Jing Wang lifted his leg and walked towards the Lin Fu gate. "Boy, I hired you to be a guard, not to manage me. I have important matters today and must go in."

Chen Ji could only brace himself and quickly follow.

When they reached the gate, the welcoming steward stood in front of the high threshold, smiling and squinting his eyes as he bowed to the two of them. "Your faces are unfamiliar, gentlemen. May I trouble you to ask if you have an invitation from our master?"

Jing Wang said quite bluntly, "We are passing merchants. We saw how lively the banquet here is, so we simply came to offer congratulations and have some wine and water."

The steward was astonished. He had never seen people freeload so brazenly.

He looked at Jing Wang and Chen Ji's empty hands and skillfully replied without hesitation, "Gentlemen, today is a happy day for our Lin Fu, but we are only entertaining relatives and friends..."

Jing Wang interrupted with a smile. "Please forgive the master's family. We came in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a small gift. But since today is a happy day for Lin Fu, we two will offer thirty taels of silver as a token of congratulations."

Having said that, Jing Wang looked at Chen Ji. "Give it to the steward."

Chen Ji was bewildered.

He had originally been watching the excitement from the side, only to realize as he watched that he had been calculated.

Jing Wang saw Chen Ji hesitate and urged him again. "Thirty taels."

Chen Ji was extremely astonished. "Thirty taels? I'm giving it?"

Jing Wang said warmly, "Didn't you bring it? Quickly take it out, don't make the steward wait anxiously."

Chen Ji, expressionless, took out three small silver ingots from his sleeve and handed them to the steward. The steward smiled slightly and received the silver ingots into his sleeve. "Please enter, noble guests. A servant will lead the way for you."

After entering the door, a young servant led the two people towards the courtyard. Chen Ji said in a low voice, "You handle the matters, I spend the money. Isn't this inappropriate?"

Jing Wang laughed happily. "How much money has Bai Li spent on you? What's inappropriate about me letting you spend thirty taels of silver? Do you want me to carefully calculate the accounts for you?"

Chen Ji suffered a silent loss.

After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "You said thirty taels of silver before also without asking me. What if I didn't bring that much? Next time, you should at least discuss it with me once."

Jing Wang put his hands behind his back and slowly said, "No need. Your master said that you, boy, always carry thirty taels of silver for emergencies."

"Alright, alright..."

The young servant led the two people and arranged a seat at the very edge of the banquet stage. The table already had leftovers. Jing Wang didn't mind and helped himself to dishes while stretching his neck to look at the stage.

Chen Ji followed his gaze towards the stage. "The person you want to meet secretly later is on the stage?"

Jing Wang looked at him strangely. "Secret meeting? What secret meeting?"

Chen Ji was puzzled. "Didn't you say you had proper matters?"

Jing Wang said patiently, "Lin Yuanwai is holding a banquet today and specially invited the leader of the Northern school of miscellaneous opera, Master Meng, to sing 'White Boat Record'. You know, Master Meng was a famous actor who was well-known throughout the capital back then. It's not easy to hear him sing a play. I just came to listen to a play."

Chen Ji said, "Ah?"

So, the proper matters you mentioned earlier were just listening to a play?

At this critical moment, the Liu family was plotting, Yun Fei was plotting, Jing Fei was plotting, and the Si Li Jian was plotting. Everyone was racking their brains to gain something in the changing situation.

And you, in the center of the biased vortex, are like someone who has nothing to do, mixing into someone else's banquet to freeload and listen to plays?

The Liu family wants to rebel, and the Wang Fu relatives are all rushing towards their future. Matters outside the play are even more absurd than matters inside the play. At this time, instead of quickly pulling back the crazy waves to the already fallen, what play are you listening to?

Just as Chen Ji was about to say something, he heard Jing Wang suddenly say, "Don't speak, this play is about to begin."

The young man suddenly turned his head to look at the dimly lit stage. On the red stage, the sound of a side drum rose, and an actor with heavy face paint ran onto the stage: "Summer night is long, summer night is long, flying across heavy passes, running wild in the suburbs, a mistaken young man from the capital in the mundane world..."

In the play, the young man faces danger and receives an order to rush to the battlefield. He kills treacherous ministers, kills bandits, pacifies the northern border, and in an instant, his hair turns white and he becomes old. But before he can return to the capital to worship the prime minister, he has already suffered the emperor's suspicion and is chained and imprisoned. There is a saying that peace is originally decided by generals, but generals are not allowed to see peace.

Chen Ji looked back at Jing Wang, only to see this feudal king with temples spotted with white sitting upright, his eyes not on the play, his thoughts wandering somewhere. It was as if the sad and happy events on the stage and the absurd events under the stage were for a time indistinguishable.

It was unknown how long passed before the play ended.

Jing Wang looked at Chen Ji and laughed. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

Chen Ji said heartbroken, "You risked danger to go out tonight just to listen to this one play?"

Jing Wang said teasingly, "Is it not okay to just listen to a play? Who stipulated that people must do one big matter to save the country and the people every day in this lifetime? That would be too tiring."

Chen Ji was speechless.

Jing Wang laughed heartily. "In the early years, when the Northern school of miscellaneous opera was still prosperous, the Empress Dowager once summoned Master Meng to the palace to sing a play. At that time, he sang this very play, 'White Boat Record'. At that time, I was twenty-one years old and was made a king, and Master Meng was famous everywhere. Now Southern Kunqu has replaced Northern miscellaneous opera, and Master Meng has actually fallen to the point of needing to come to the homes of flesh merchants to sing plays."

Jing Wang looked at the empty stage where no one was left, and said with a smile, "They are all famous actors who are about to take their curtain call from the old era. As for this play, listening to one means one less."

Chen Ji asked, "Your Highness, the play is finished. Where are we going now?"

Jing Wang rose and walked outside. "Let's go home."