Chapter 202: Seeking Punishment

On the dark, long street, Liu Qu Xing cried for a very long time.He only hurriedly wiped his tears and pulled his mother away when his father's crying sound attracted him.Chen Ji stood silently watching in the darkness of a small alley not far away. Only when the long street was empty did he, holding Wu Yun, emerge from the shadows.He looked in the direction Liu Qu Xing had left and sighed softly, saying, "Liu Qu Xing studies medicine very diligently. Master once said that after a while, he can set up a clinic. Taiping Medical Hall will be left to him, and the medical books inside the hall will also be left to him. It's not a waste."Wu Yun asked, "Why don't you tell Liu Qu Xing the truth? You clearly did so much, yet you're still misunderstood."Chen Ji replied, "I cannot say."Wu Yun was puzzled, "Why can't you say?"Chen Ji said, "Matters with secrets become, words with leaks are defeated."Wu Yun was startled, "Fish with crab defeated?"Chen Ji explained, "If we want to save the capital lord, we must take risks. We will inevitably do some forbidden things in the future. If others know we want to save that lord, the things we do quietly will be linked to us. So, White Dragon instructed me that I must have prudence. Liu Qu Xing is not good at keeping secrets. Letting him know too much will bring him disaster."Wu Yun meowed, "But, being misunderstood by friends really makes people very sad."Chen Ji, holding Wu Yun, walked on the dark street and exhaled a mouthful of white mist, "It doesn't matter. The things we have to do don't need anyone to understand.""Oh."Chen Ji smiled and said, "We're going to the capital soon. Be a little happy. I've heard people say that the capital's Shangyuan Festival is the most prosperous. The whole city is decorated with fire trees and silver flowers, brilliant and magnificent. It lasts for six days and six nights, all night long, with bright lights. We'll spend the New Year and Shangyuan Festival in the capital. I'll take you to see it then.""Alright." Wu Yun was still a little depressed and unhappy.By the time Chen Ji returned to Ming Quan Garden, it was already the Zi hour.He stood outside the courtyard, looking at the open courtyard door and the lit lights inside the house. He seemed to be thinking, "I remember I extinguished the lights when I left. Who would come here late at night?"Wu Yun replied, "It's Chen Wen Zong's scent."Chen Ji felt relieved and walked into the house. He saw that a charcoal fire had already been lit inside. The windows were open a crack for ventilation. Chen Wen Zong was lying asleep beside a screw-inlaid tea table in the house.He walked forward and gently patted the other's shoulder, "Elder brother."Chen Wen Zong woke up and sat up straight. "You're back. Where did you go? Why weren't you at home?"Chen Ji avoided answering, "Elder brother, why did you visit at midnight?"Chen Wen Zong remembered and quickly said, "I thought you still needed a charcoal fire in this house, so I ordered people to move your West Mountain Kiln silver silk charcoal here. This stuff has no smoke or smell and can burn warmly for three hours. It's very good for warming overnight."Chen Ji looked at the yellow copper charcoal basin, "Elder brother, you have a good heart."Chen Wen Zong reached into his embrace to take something. However, after being caned twenty times by Chen Wen Zong for the first time during the day and then caned twenty times by Wang Gui, his arms were sore, swollen, and painful. He could barely lift them. He used great effort and only trembling took a string of beads from his embrace. He said warmly, "Chen Ji, I carefully counted Wen Xiao's confession of his crimes again today. Over the years, he lost one thousand seven hundred taels of silver in various gambling houses under your name. As your brother, I cannot let you suffer this injustice innocently. He wronged you, so I took it from the Chen family's public funds to give you. Consider it compensation."Chen Ji looked at the string of Buddhist beads, his expression unclear.Did he lack silver?He lacked it.Now, the ice flow from Jing Wang seemed to rage like a storm within his dantian:He needed silver, he needed a lot of silver to dissolve the ice flow.Chen Ji's body just had one hundred ten lamps of furnace fire burning fiercely. Perhaps lighting the remaining four hundred ninety-plus lamps would allow him to step into the realm of seeking the Dao and become a true great official. He was just worrying when Chen Wen Zong sent a timely rain.This elder brother, although a bit rigid and pedantic, could be considered an upright gentleman. Among the Chen family, perhaps only this one was worth associating with. Chen Ji put away the string of Buddhist beads and smiled, saying, "Thank you, elder brother. It's late, elder brother should go back and rest early."Chen Wen Zong shook his head, "I still have some things to ask you.""What matter?"Chen Wen Zong suddenly said, "The Master says, 'To govern with virtue is like the North Star, residing in its place and all stars sharing it.' What is the explanation of this sentence?"Chen Ji's eyes widened, "What are you talking about?"Chen Wen Zong sighed, "It seems that during these two years in the medical hall, you've fallen behind in classics and their meanings. But it doesn't matter. As your brother, I will start leading you to review tomorrow. Since you're going to take the imperial examination, you cannot be slack again."Chen Ji's face changed. The candle flame inside the house also flickered a bit. "Elder brother, this isn't good. I just came back."Chen Wen Zong put on a serious face, "The deceased is like this husband, not abandoning day and night. You will participate in the provincial exam in three years. You must not delay for any day. Otherwise, don't blame your brother for turning ruthless. Your brother can cane Wen Xiao, and naturally, he can cane you too."Chen Ji said, "Ah."Chen Wen Zong walked towards the outside, "Rest early."Chen Ji looked at Chen Wen Zong's back and said in a daze, "Wu Yun, do you think my elder brother is addicted to caning others?"Wu Yun was shocked, "Fierce, fierce!"At the same time, the lights in the Chen family's Buddha hall were not extinguished.Inside the house, faint green smoke drifted out of a hollow copper furnace. The smell of sandalwood spread with the green smoke.Liang Shi removed her luxurious hair ornaments and respectfully knelt on the prayer mat in front of the Buddha, fingering her Buddhist beads, her lips opening and closing as she silently recited Buddhist scriptures.Chen Li Qin watched through the window for a moment. He originally wanted to find a reason to admonish her again, but seeing her so pious in her repentance, he could only shake his head and walk away.Hearing the departing footsteps, Liang Shi slightly lifted her eyes to look towards the gap in the window and continued to recite Buddhist scriptures unmoved."Madam, please save me!"Liang Shi heard someone call from outside the door behind her. She got up and opened the door.In the dark night, Wang Gui knelt on the cold green stone slab and begged, "Madam, save me."Liang Shi said calmly, "You're not dead yet. What are you talking about saving? You were just caned by Wen Zong during the day. It's not good to rest and heal at this time. Why have you come to see me?"Wang Gui kowtowed on the ground, "Master just came to tell me that he will let me stay in Luo city to look after the businesses from now on and not let me return to the capital. Please have pity on my old mother, her age is high. Help me say something. I still need to return to the capital to take care of her."Liang Shi looked down at Wang Gui, "Why do you come to me for mercy? You and I are the same, in self-reflection."Wang Gui quickly said, "I know, you protected me today precisely because I and Chen Ji are already mortal enemies. So you left my life useful."Liang Shi's two thin willow-leaf eyebrows raised slightly, "That's my Chen family's third young master. Why would I be so clever as to keep someone who is his enemy?"Wang Gui did not change his words after being rebuked. He lowered his head and said, "Madam, it's no coincidence that the Cloud Sheep and Jiao Mian zodiacs came to the Chen family. It's also no coincidence that Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia came to the Chen family."Liang Shi did not speak.Wang Gui continued, "There's no need to worry about the Zhang family people. When we arrive in the capital and enter the Chen family's main house, they can't possibly come to the Chen family every day. Moreover, I have some close friends in the capital who belong to these two zodiacs. My mother also has some connections in the palace. They will definitely help you investigate the origin and development of the matter. If Chen Ji is stained by the eunuch party... Master has hated the eunuch party his entire life. He will certainly not tolerate him."Liang Shi was silent for a moment, "Wang Gui, you've sought the wrong person. The person you provoked is Chen Ji. As long as his anger is not gone, master's anger will not be gone. If you're smart enough, you'll know what to do. If you're not smart enough, just stay to look after the businesses."Wang Gui thought for a moment and struggled to get up, "I understand."He dragged his injured body to the wood house, took off his upper clothes, exposing the wounds on his back. Then, he gritted his teeth and tied thin firewood one by one to his bloody back. He walked towards Ming Quan Garden.Upon reaching Ming Quan Garden, Wang Gui knocked on the courtyard door and knelt directly outside.He was shivering violently, his lips frozen and purple. He shouted loudly, "Third young master, I have committed many offenses in the past. Today, I was taught by the eldest young master and suddenly repented.I know my sins are deep and heavy. Please punish me, third young master. Even if you beat me to death today, I will have no resentment."