Chapter 182: Fate

Big snow.

Myriad miles of white silk, like the white hair of the human world.

Chen Ji didn't know how he got back to the medical hall, nor did he remember if he had said "I'm back" this time. Only when he was nearing the medical hall did he finally manage to restrain the smile that had been plastered on his face.

Tomorrow, at the Ying Xian Lou, he would host a banquet for several dozen colleagues to celebrate his promotion to Hai Dong Qing.

According to Jin Zhu, from now on, even a county magistrate would have to be polite to him, and a small city prefect without a powerful background wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

Should he be happy?

Of course, he should be happy. He had finally found his footing in this world. He should be especially happy, openly and grandly happy!

But after the happiness?

Old Man Yao stood behind the counter, looking at him head-on, with snow falling on his shoulders. "Lost soul? Go inside my room and warm up by the fire."

Chen Ji softly "en"-ed and headed inside.

Just then, the sound of a carriage stopping came from outside the door. Someone came to the door and politely asked, "Excuse me, which one is Chen Ji?"

Chen Ji slowly turned his body. "I am. What is it?"

He saw a shopkeeper leading a small apprentice walk into the room, his face wreathed in smiles. "This humble one is the shopkeeper of Li Ji Clothing Store. Do you still remember? Earlier, the county lord ordered several sets of clothes for you at our place: two standing-collar robes, two pairs of winter cotton pants, two pairs of black boots, one black gauze hat, and a large fox fur cloak. According to the county lord's instructions, she said you don't like being flashy, so the fox fur is sewn inside, and the outside is made of the finest cotton cloth..."

Chen Ji looked blankly at the clothes the small apprentice was holding, unable to react for a moment.

The shopkeeper continued to speak. "Right, the county lord also instructed that six gold melon seeds be sewn inside the clothes as pendants to make the robe appear more straight and wide. She said it would be convenient for your emergency use."

The small apprentice walked forward and placed the clothes in Chen Ji's arms.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "The money has already been paid by the county lord. If you have no other instructions, this humble one will take his leave. If the clothes don't fit, our small shop offers free alterations forever."

He waited for Chen Ji to reply, but Chen Ji only lowered his head and stared at the clothes in his arms for a long time without speaking.

It wasn't until Old Man Yao threw a piece of broken silver that he said, "Go back." The shopkeeper hurriedly said "eh" and turned to leave.

Old Man Yao stood watching Chen Ji's retreating figure and suddenly sighed. "...Are you eating dinner at home tonight, boy?"

"Not eating, Master," Chen Ji hugged the clothes and walked into the bedroom. When he came out, he looked at the red cloth strip on the apricot tree, somewhat stunned.

After a long time, Chen Ji moved a ladder and climbed onto the tree to take down the cloth strip that belonged to Bai Li. He slowly untied it. Inside, he saw a line of elegant small characters: "With Jun year after year, year after year."

He looked at this line of small characters, his gaze seemingly penetrating the vast snow, meeting the eyes of County Lord Bai Li under the apricot tree that day.

The red color on the apricot tree bloomed in his mind, like an anchor point in memory, becoming a 年轮 (nianlun - annual ring) in his mind. From now on, the old times and the new day were different.

Chen Ji stuffed the red cloth strip into his arms, went out and mounted his horse. The galloping steed and the young man in the heavy snow were just like the characters in a storyteller's tale, all wanderers who would not return to the Jiang Hu.

Inside 48848 Cui Yun Lane.

Housekeeper Chen Fu was just directing the small servants to sweep the snow. "Sweep the heavy snow clean. If Master slips and falls coming back from the yamen, be careful of your hides."

Just then, a carriage slowly drove into Cui Yun Lane. Chen Li Qin lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down. He was wearing a bright red official robe, but there was no hint of his usual majesty between his brows, only gloom and suppression.

The Liu family rebellion had been quelled, but the proclamation he had written to suppress the bandits had disappeared along with that Mr. Feng.

This matter could be big or small. If someone were to actually investigate the proclamation to suppress the bandits, he and the Liu family would be in the same boat as the rebels.

Chen Li Qin didn't know who to discuss this matter with, nor could he. He could only keep it pressed in his heart.

The housekeeper saw him return and hurriedly shouted into the mansion, "Master is back!"

Inside Chen Fu, a dignified and elegant woman came out to welcome him. She stood inside the doorway and said in a warm voice, "Master has a cough these past few days. Your concubine has already ordered people to stew good silver ear pear congee. Please enter the room quickly and drink it while it's hot."

Chen Li Qin nodded silently. The woman then gently said, "Master, Azong has locked himself in his room and won't even let his maidservants enter. Tonight, please talk to him and see if he has any knots in his heart."

Chen Li Qin said "en".

The next moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the lane.

Chen Li Qin turned his head and looked at Chen Ji on the horse, stunned. "Why are you back?"

The woman inside the doorway also saw Chen Ji and asked softly, "Did you come back suddenly for some urgent matter? Or are you in need of silver?"

In the gaze of the crowd, Chen Ji's horse hooves did not stop.

The housekeeper blocked Chen Ji's path. "Master, Madam is speaking to you, you..."

Chen Ji's face was calm. With a pull of the reins, the war horse suddenly reared up on its hind legs and fiercely stepped towards the housekeeper!

The housekeeper panicked and rolled away, narrowly dodging the strike! Chen Ji said in a cold voice, "Get lost."

He brushed past the crowd and dismounted in front of the Zhang Fu gate.

Chen Ji handed the reins to the small servant at the gate. "Please inform someone, Chen Ji is visiting."

On Chen Fu's side, Chen Li Qin, the woman, the housekeeper, and the small servants all watched silently. Their minds were a little slow to process. Wasn't this their third young master of Chen Fu? Why did he go to Zhang Fu? Why was his killing aura so heavy?

This was not like an apprentice from a medical hall; he was clearly like a killing expert from the border army!

The woman asked in a warm voice, "Master, why did Chen Ji not enter the house when he passed the door? Did I do something wrong and upset him again?"

Chen Li Qin said in a deep voice, "It has nothing to do with you. Don't overthink it."

The woman frowned in doubt. "But what is he going to Zhang Fu for? Your concubine seemed to hear earlier that he has some friendship with Miss Zhang Er. But now that he is a male visitor rashly visiting Miss Zhang Er, will it not be improper etiquette and harm Miss Zhang Er's reputation?"

Just then, Zhang Zhuo's voice came from inside Zhang Fu. "Eh yo, why did you come? I was just thinking of changing out of my official robe and going to the medical hall to find you."

As he spoke, Zhang Zhuo ran out wearing only a pair of white socks. Immediately after, Zhang Zheng, the eldest son of Zhang Fu, also rushed out like a gust of wind.

Zhang Zheng grabbed Chen Ji's arm and pulled him inside. "Good brother, I was just telling A Xia that I wanted to go see you together. It's cold outside, quickly come inside and warm up."

But Zhang Zhuo looked at Chen Ji and turned to Zhang Zheng, saying, "Chen Ji must have something important to discuss. You go back first."

Zhang Zheng was startled for a moment, turned around, and walked away, conveniently taking the small servant at the gate with him so that others wouldn't hear the conversation between his father and Chen Ji.

After the area in front of the gate quieted down, Zhang Zhuo looked at Chen Ji. "Did you come for Jing Wang?"

"No, I came for the world's son and the county lord. Master Zhang, I saved you once and saved Zhang Xia twice. Now I need you and Zhang Xia to do one thing for me tomorrow. Can you?"

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard. "No matter what it is, my Zhang family accepts."

An incense stick's time later, Chen Ji once again braved the wind and snow, urging his horse towards the East Market. It wasn't until evening that he stopped in front of a large house on Tong Ji Street.

This was a wealthy family. Tonight was the family's old lady's 70th birthday, and they were about to hold a celebration, but the snow suddenly fell in Luo City.

Chen Ji arrived at the gate, where a housekeeper with smiling eyes was welcoming guests. "This guest, do you have my family's invitation?"

Chen Ji walked inside without turning his head. "I've come to seek your family's performer for the celebration. I am his friend."

When the housekeeper heard he was looking for the performer, his face suddenly turned cold. He reached out to block Chen Ji's path. "You've come looking for the performer at the master's house? Get lost. Tonight is the old lady's 70th birthday, we don't have time to bother with you."

Chen Ji glanced at him and took out the special agent's waist token from his sleeve. "Three days from now, go to the special agent yamen in Huan Jing Lane and receive ten strokes. If you don't come to me, I will go to you myself."

The housekeeper's face suddenly turned pale.

Chen Ji exhaled a puff of white gas in the heavy snow and sighed. "Power is really useful... Forget it, I was joking with you. Lead me to the performance stage."

The housekeeper bowed humbly and led the way. "Please be careful of the snow on the ground. You must not slip and fall."

When they reached the area outside the stage, Chen Ji waved his hand to dismiss the housekeeper.

He watched from the side as She Deng Ke and a group of performers carried wood and slowly built the stage. It wasn't until She Deng Ke saw him that he ran over in surprise. "Chen Ji, how did you get here? Tonight is the Tang family old lady's big birthday. Wait with me backstage for a while, and I'll take you to get a good meal later!"

Chen Ji stood in the snow, silent for a moment, then said, "Senior Brother Yu, you like Chun Hua, right?"

She Deng Ke hesitated. "Right, I like her."

Chen Ji asked, "Why do you like her?"

She Deng Ke recalled. "The first time I entered the prince's mansion, I made a lot of mistakes, and the other maidservants all laughed at me. Only she carefully reminded me and later secretly taught me the rules and gave me snacks from the prince's mansion. On rest days, I took her home with me to help with the celebrations, and she didn't dislike it. Chen Ji, she is actually a good person."

Chen Ji looked at the stage in the distance. "You and she framed me together earlier, do you still remember? That time she compensated me with money, a total of thirty taels of silver and thirty-six copper coins."

Yu Deng Ke's mood became low. "I remember, I'm sorry."

Chen Ji turned his head and looked directly at Yu Deng Ke, saying calmly, "That time I said you owed me a life, and you must return it when I say so."

"I remember."

"Now, it's time to return this life."

She Deng Ke struggled for a long time. "Okay."

Chen Ji smiled and patted the snow off Yu Deng Ke's shoulder. "Senior Brother She, I won't take this life of yours in vain. Chun Hua is in the inner prison right now. Helping me is helping her. If you can survive this time, I will send you two far away to fly high."

She Deng Ke's heart tightened. "What if I don't survive?"

"Then that is fate."