Chapter 265: Change and Unchange

"Chen Ji, my Ning Dynasty extends east to the Bohai Sea, west to Qinghai, north to Chongli Pass, and south to Dongfan Ryukyu Island. From east to west, from north to south, a single letter can take several months. When commoners in the south rebel, the capital might not know for several months. Guyuan was surrounded on New Year's Day, and the ministers probably won't know until the spring flowers bloom in the capital."

Hu San Ye sat beside the desk and took a sip of tea. "All emperors in this world understand that even if they work themselves to death, they cannot manage all the affairs of the world. So, they truly care about only one thing: who is coveting the power in their hands. If the Hu family suddenly produces two great officials in the God Path Realm, that person in Renshou Palace will likely lose sleep."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment. "Does Hu Junxian have a grasp on advancing to the God Path Realm?"

Hu San Ye laughed heartily. "The God Path Realm is like a natural moat. Unless you are a brilliant and exceptional person like Lu Yang of the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple, who can claim to be certain of crossing that threshold in their lifetime? Even the young Supervisor in my Hu family has never boasted about it. Xu Shu straightforwardly said it's impossible for him in this lifetime. But, are these things important to that person in Renshou Palace?"

Chen Ji asked lightly, "Isn't he afraid that the Jing Dynasty will suddenly have two more great officials in the God Path Realm, which would allow the Jing Dynasty to swallow the Ning Dynasty?"

Hu San Ye said seriously, "There are a total of four great officials in the God Path Realm across both dynasties. Two in the Jing Dynasty, two in the Ning Dynasty. One more is not acceptable. This is the tacit understanding between the emperors."

Chen Ji looked up and was surprised to find that Hu San Ye's one blind, white eye seemed to be deeply gazing at him.

That eye was clearly damaged, yet it was as if it could see into the depths of his heart.

Chen Ji changed the subject. "Third Ye, before Hu Junxian came to Guyuan as deputy commander, wasn't this official position yours?"

Hu San Ye smiled. "It was mine."

Chen Ji asked, "Why did you resign?"

Hu San Ye said casually, "I wanted to leave Guyuan to do some things. I couldn't leave without resigning."

Chen Ji probed, "Is it because you had people to kill, so you wanted to re-cultivate your official path?"

Hu San Ye picked up the teapot to pour himself a cup of tea, saying indifferently, "Why bother with fighting and killing? Maybe I just wanted to see what the world outside Guyuan had become. When I first came to Guyuan, my mother didn't agree, saying it was too far from home. I stole a fast horse, brought five hundred taels of silver, and rushed all the way to Guyuan to join the army. That was twelve years ago."

"Before coming to Guyuan, I thought every day would be spent bravely fighting enemies with my comrades. But after coming, I discovered that Guyuan doesn't have a war every year. Maybe once every two or three years, maybe once every five or six years. And in between, there is long and silent loneliness. You stand on top of the wall, gazing into the distance, and can only see yellow earth, mountains, sand, and gravel, suffocating you to the point of madness."

"No one cares about this place. Scholars don't care, ministers don't care. Military pay and supplies are stripped layer by layer before they even arrive here. They seem not at all worried about Guyuan falling; it won't affect the capital's prosperity anyway. I think, Hu Junxian and I, and all the border armies, we hate this place. In our dreams, we dream of leaving here, returning to the prosperous capital, visiting temple fairs, and appreciating flower lanterns."

Chen Ji listened quietly as Hu San Ye reminisced. Hu San Ye stood up, opened the window a crack, and calmly looked at the distant wall top. "After leaving Guyuan, I was like a country bumpkin entering the city. Many things seemed to have changed. When I left the capital, the most famous courtesan in the Eight Great Alleys was surnamed Yun. Courtesan Yun was truly beautiful. At seventeen years old, one glance, and the red mole on her brow gave me several spring dreams. When she sat on the high stage playing the qin, I thought fairies were only so-so. But after returning to the capital twelve years later to inquire, I only learned that she married into the Qi family as a concubine, and later was given by Minister Qi to a subordinate."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "What hasn't changed?"

Hu San Ye laughed. "Guyuan hasn't changed. Now, after many years back here, I only discover that only Guyuan, this block of smelly and hard stone, hasn't changed."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Since you already left, Third Ye, why did you return to this place again?"

After a long pause, Hu San Ye smiled self-mockingly. "This matter sounds like a joke. When I was in Guyuan, I dreamed of leaving, but after I truly left, I again dreamed of coming back."

Chen Ji was silent.

At this time, sounds came from the Tian Zi Bing Number Room next door. Someone in the room was pacing back and forth, the wooden floor creaking under their steps.

Zhang Zheng's loud voice came through the wall. "Chen Ji won't be detained by the border army, right? Why hasn't he come back yet? Or should we go to the border army to find him? Since the Chen family is unwilling to help, then we'll bring out the Xu family. I don't believe that Hu Junxian would dare to make a deadly enemy of the Xu family so resolutely."

Hu San Ye glanced at Chen Ji, then quietly walked to the wooden wall to listen.

He heard Zhang Xia say, "You and I are only half Xu family people. Borrowing the Xu family's identity might not be truly useful. How about this, we go to Baiyun Temple in the west city and use little uncle's name."

Chen Ji helplessly stood up and knocked on the wall with his knuckles.

Instantly, the next door went quiet.

Chen Ji said through the wall, "I'm in the Yi Number Room. No need to worry about me. I'll be back shortly."

With that, he sat back down at the Eight Immortals table and took a sip of tea.

Hu San Ye looked at the empty cup and asked, "What, not afraid I poisoned it?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "If Third Ye wanted to kill me, it probably wouldn't require this much trouble."

Hu San Ye suddenly changed the topic. "How does the Chen family treat you? They clearly know you are in danger and are still unwilling to step forward for you?"

Chen Ji's eyes moved slightly. "I'm just an illegitimate son of the Chen family. I was even sent to a medical hall as an apprentice for two years before. We are a bit estranged, so it's reasonable that they are unwilling to step forward."

Hu San Ye was startled, then his face sank. "They actually let you go and serve people as an apprentice, pouring tea and water?"

Having rolled around in the Jianghu, he naturally knew how bitter it was to be an apprentice. Lack of pay was a small matter; as an apprentice, you had to put aside your dignity.

Pouring the night pot for the master, holding the spittoon for the master to spit in the middle of the night, these were things apprentices had to do.

Chen Ji explained, "My master is the imperial physician Yao Qimen. He was quite good to me."

Hu San Ye slightly relaxed and asked with a smile, "You're not young anymore. Have you perhaps admired a woman..."

Chen Ji silently glanced at the other person. He wasn't familiar with Hu San Ye. Their conversation about the Chen family was already shallow words masking deep meanings. And this sentence now was even more like an elder speaking to a junior.

Hu San Ye realized his mistake and quickly stood up to change the subject. "If you want ginseng, come to Yuan Cao Hall tomorrow morning at Si time. It should be possible then."

With that, Hu San Ye was about to leave.

Chen Ji was puzzled. "Where is Third Ye going?"

Hu San Ye replied, "If you want to buy someone's ginseng at a low price, you naturally have to cut off all their escape routes... You'll know then."

The door closed, leaving only Chen Ji in Hu San Ye's room to ponder.

He had previously suspected that Hu San Ye was the person who had spent silver to buy his whereabouts from Xiao Man, but it didn't seem so now. The other person didn't even know that he had gone to a medical hall as an apprentice, nor did he know his situation in the Chen family.

Strange.

As he was thinking, there was a knock on the door next door.

The Crown Prince's gentle voice came from the corridor. "Zhang Second Miss, is Chen Ji in the room?"

Chen Ji hurriedly pulled open the door. "Your Highness, I'm here."

The Crown Prince was surprised. "Eh, you're not in the Bing Number Room? How did you get to the Yi Number Room?"

Chen Ji explained, "Just chatting with a friend in this room... Your Highness, is there something you need me for?"

The Crown Prince stood in the dim room and said softly, "Chen Ji, previously Qi Jianzhe was jealous that you stole the limelight of the Yu Lin Army, so he wanted to go against you in everything. After you came out today, Li Xuan and I have already severely reprimanded him... It's difficult for you to forgive him, but you cannot delay so many Yu Lin Army officers because of him alone."

Chen Ji cupped his hands. "Your Highness overthinks it. This humble one did not take it to heart."

The Crown Prince sized him up for a moment and sighed. "Today, the Yu Lin Army has already gone a day without grain. They are relying solely on drinking water to get by. If they don't eat tomorrow, I fear they won't even have the strength to kill enemies."

Chen Ji immediately said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. This humble one will certainly find grain for the Yu Lin Army tomorrow."

The Crown Prince's eyes brightened. "You can be so magnanimous. You already possess the breadth of a prime minister."

He took a string of Buddhist beads from his wrist and handed them to Chen Ji. "This is one thousand taels of silver. It's all for you to use. The more grain, the better."

Third day of the siege.

The sky was still not bright, but Longmen Inn was already lively.

Chen Ji stood by the window lattice and through the gap saw Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu sending the Guyuan merchants one by one into the stable. Seven were sent away in one night.

The goods the merchants brought were all swallowed by the inn, their destination unknown.

Zhang Xia got up and said softly beside him, "You want to give grain to the Yu Lin Army? You don't need to worry about others saying 'the overall situation comes first.' My father said that life in this world is only a few short decades, gone in the blink of an eye. There's no need to wrong yourself for others."

Chen Ji closed the window. "I'm not doing it for the overall situation first. Hu Junxian likely wants to open the gates and surrender the city. When that time truly comes, grain won't sell for a price. I want to take the last opportunity to earn all the silver I can earn."

Zhang Xia's mind was quick. "Open the gates and surrender the city? Then we must move to the cellar today. Only hiding there is safest. We'll leave at dawn. We'll take Xu Wei Lane then; there are few people on that road."

Chen Ji gave a sound of acknowledgment. "If I settle you all in the cellar, I can rest assured to do things."

Zhang Xia said nothing, turned to pat Xiao Man, who was still dozing, and together they packed their luggage.

Before the sky was completely bright, Chen Ji quietly pulled open the door. The four people filed out and quietly went downstairs.

As soon as they were out of the inn, Chen Ji sensed something was wrong.

Someone in a small alley by the side of Kuchai Street saw them come out and immediately lowered their hat and followed behind them. Chen Ji didn't pay attention, but after walking more than ten zhang, another group actually followed.

As soon as they left Kuchai Street, there were four groups following.

They didn't try to hide their tracks either. When Chen Ji sped up, they also sped up. When Chen Ji stopped, they also stopped. When Chen Ji turned back and looked, they openly looked back at Chen Ji.

Zhang Xia said in a low voice, "I recognize these people. They all bought news from you. They are local toughs in Guyuan. I think they were panicked by this siege and couldn't buy news, so they're just following you."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and turned back to the inn. "Bringing you all means I can't shake off these people. You all wait in the inn. I'll shake them off, finish my business, and then come to pick you up."