Chapter 326: Lushun

Evening.

In the northwest, there wasn't a cloud in sight, so a single red sun hung abruptly above the vast land, looking especially grand and lonely.

On the official road, a strong wind rolled the yellow sand high into the sky.

Everyone sat hunched over on their horses, using their arms to cover their mouths and noses, the wind and sand making it almost impossible to open their eyes. Chen Ji raised his head, narrowing his eyes to see the outline of the county city appear on the horizon.

Arriving in front of the city gate, they saw that the Tianshui County city gate was tightly shut. The news of the battle at Guyuan hadn't reached here yet. Armored soldiers on the city wall saw Chen Ji and the others approaching and immediately drew their bowstrings: "Who comes?"

Chen Ji replied from afar: "The Tiance Army has been defeated, we are escaping from Guyuan!"

The armored soldiers on the city wall said coldly: "How do you prove it? Those escaping from Guyuan can still ride horses? Who are you trying to fool? Loose arrows!"

In an instant, arrows from the city tower rained down. If Chen Ji hadn't been cautious and stayed away, they would have been shot into sieves by now.

Li Xuan was about to reveal his identity but was stopped by Chen Ji: "You cannot say!"

Li Xuan was startled: "Why?"

Chen Ji didn't answer, turning to beckon Qi Jianzhuo.

Qi Jianzhuo led his horse closer: "What's wrong, Master?"

Chen Ji glanced at him, then said in a low voice: "Pass down the order, we are now merchants escaping disaster from Guyuan, who have lost their goods. We are heading to Taiyuan Fu to seek refuge. Before reaching the capital, everyone must call His Highness 'young master'. Anyone who leaks His Highness's identity will be dealt with by military law."

"Yes," Qi Jianzhuo received the order, turned around, and went to instruct each person.

Chen Ji looked at the tightly shut city gate from afar and frowned. The Crown Prince at his side asked: "Are you worried someone will assassinate you again on the road back to the capital?"

Chen Ji cupped his hand in response: "Not necessarily, but it's better to be careful. I hope the young master understands."

The Crown Prince smiled: "Right Siwei is thinking for the orphan's safety, no need to be so polite. Now we cannot enter the city, what should we do?"

"Wait," Chen Ji glanced at the sky: "Guyuan has won a great victory, the border army will surely send people to deliver the news. The city gate will open then."

Qi Jianzhuo at the side muttered: "These Tianshui County garrison troops are indeed alert, but what if the border army comes and they don't recognize them?"

Zhang Xia explained at the side: "Deceiving open city gates is always an important means of attacking a city, Tianshui County has to be on guard. But there's no need to worry, border towns always have three layers of verification. The first is hanging twelve 'shadow pictures' inside the city gate tower, depicting the appearance of the border town's commander-in-chief, vice commander-in-chief, staff officers, and nine other key military personnel. One of these twelve must come. The second is the tiger tally seal. The third is three pre-agreed questions and answers. With these three layers, if the top two match, the gate can be opened. Otherwise, the guarding official will be beheaded on the spot, and their three clans exiled three thousand li."

The Crown Prince praised: "Second Miss Zhang is learned and knowledgeable, her reputation is well-deserved."

Chen Ji sat down outside the arrows' range: "Wait, the border army won't wait too long."

Everyone sat exhausted on the ground, watching the sun set and sink in the west. Suddenly, a fast horse galloped from the direction of Guyuan. The armored soldier on it rode past Chen Ji and the others, drew his bow and shot an arrow towards the Tianshui County city gate tower: "Guyuan great victory, the Tiance Army has been annihilated, six hundred li urgent, quickly verify!"

The guarding official on the city tower held a torch, quickly took down the arrow, and unfolded the white paper wrapped around it. They clearly saw a large seal of the Guyuan commander-in-chief stamped on the white paper!

"Quick, bring the shadow pictures," the guarding official said hurriedly.

The guarding soldiers brought the shadow pictures, compared them with the official seal, and confirmed that every corner was exactly the same. Only then did they shout down to the city below: "The day has ended, how many drum sounds before closing the door?"

The border army below the city answered loudly: "Six hundred eighty-nine sounds!"

The guarding official asked again: "If there's no night travel permit?"

The border army answered: "Twenty-seven whips!"

The guarding official asked again: "What did you eat last night?"

The border army answered: "Elm tree flour!"

Qi Jianzhuo stared with wide eyes: "What are these messy things?"

Zhang Xia explained: "The three questions and answers are naturally agreed upon so that outsiders will never be able to answer."

Just as she finished speaking, the city wall erupted in cheers: "Guyuan wins, the Tiance Army is annihilated!"

"Guyuan wins!"

"Our dynasty is mighty!"

With a creaking sound, the Tianshui County big gate opened. The guarding official lifted his official robe and ran down the city wall, excitedly gathering in front of the border army warhorse. He pulled the reins and asked: "Did we really win?"

The border army was impatient: "Get out of the way, this grandfather is waiting to change horses and send the six hundred li urgent dispatch!"

The guarding official said in agreement: "Quick, quick, quick, prepare two jin of mutton and two jin of cakes for the good man from Guyuan, let him take them on the road to eat!"

Chen Ji asked from a distance: "Can we enter the city?"

The guarding official's previous enthusiasm was gone, and his face was cold: "Do you have your road permits?"

Chen Ji replied: "Lost in Guyuan, burned completely in a large fire."

The guarding official sneered: "Then wait outside the door."

At this moment, the border army spurred his horse back, saying to the guarding official: "I recognize these people, they escaped from Guyuan this morning. Let them pass."

Chen Ji was startled, then saw the border army cup his fist and bow to him and Li Xuan from afar, before galloping into the city.

Chen Ji finally entered Tianshui County city, and the wind and sand somewhat subsided.

Zhang Xia spurred her horse into Tianshui city, turned her head to look at the Tianshui city gate, and asked Chen Ji curiously: "You made everyone hide their identities, are you worried, as Master Chen said, that someone will use this opportunity to seize the heir?"

Chen Ji nodded, and after confirming there was no one nearby, he recalled: "I've always been unclear about one thing earlier. Why did Hu Junxian suddenly call me up to the city gate tower and talk to me about recruiting and offering the city? There was no good reason."

Zhang Xia lowered her head in thought: "Mr. Wang's letter arrived before we did, but he didn't see you early or late, only one day before the city was offered... moreover, he actually never had the intention of recruiting you."

Chen Ji hummed: "Correct. He was actually using me to pass a message to Longmen Inn: they can make their move."

Zhang Xia suddenly realized: "But you didn't reveal it to the shopkeeper... are you using Longmen Inn's 'ear jar'?"

Chen Ji nodded: "This time, not only the Si Li Jian wants the Crown Prince dead, but even the border army wants the Crown Prince dead."

Zhang Xia said in a low voice: "King Fu."

Chen Ji looked at the Crown Prince's back.

He only knew earlier that the struggle for the heir was dangerous, but he didn't know where the danger lay.

He had heard about the Xuanwu Gate Incident, heard about the witchcraft disaster, heard about Hu Hai seizing the throne, heard about the Eight Kings Rebellion. He was very clear about the dangers of the struggle for the heir, but those stories in old paper piles were far less real than facing them directly.

The heir apparent of a country almost died inexplicably in a border town, truly making it difficult to be prepared in time. If the Crown Prince died here, history books would only record that the Crown Prince died a martyr for the country, and would fundamentally not consider it related to the struggle for the heir.

Perhaps this is the difference between history books and the truth.

At this moment, Li Xuan stopped his horse in front of an inn and turned to look at the Crown Prince: "Young master, should we stay here tonight?"

The Crown Prince, however, said casually: "This place is too close to the city gate, it will be noisy when the guarding soldiers change shifts. Let's go a bit further."

Li Xuan was silent.

The group continued to walk forward for a li. Li Xuan then pointed to another inn and asked: "Young master, how about this place?"

The Crown Prince didn't even look, like he was in a trance and didn't hear.

It wasn't until Chen Ji pointed to an inn and asked the Crown Prince: "Young master, how about this place?"

The Crown Prince said warmly: "Good."

Chen Ji greeted the Yulin Army officers and led the horses into the stable, then explained to Li Xuan: "Master Li, lead people to buy water bags and grain, we'll continue rushing tomorrow morning... remember to arrange a good night watch, if idle people approach the inn rashly, kill them first."

"Good," Li Xuan asked in a low voice: "Do you want to hire a carriage for His Highness?"

"No," Chen Ji shook his head: "We can change carriages after leaving Shanzhou. If someone comes to kill us, the carriage won't run fast."

Li Xuan asked no more questions.

Chen Liqin saw the two discussing matters in low voices and came over. Just as he was about to inquire, Li Xuan had already led people away in a hurry.

He looked back at Chen Ji, wanting to ask Chen Ji about the next plan. But Chen Ji didn't even look at him, turned around and entered the inn, using the silver given by the Crown Prince to book the entire inn.

Madame Liang watched silently at the end of the group. She saw that in less than one shichen, the power transfer among the Eastern Palace subordinates was complete.

Wang Gui said in a low voice: "Madame, Master's official position is clearly the highest, how can he tolerate Chen Ji's imposition?"

Madame Liang said calmly: "These are the rules of the heavenly family. No matter the official position, no matter the identity, whoever has the emperor's favor holds the power."

She stepped over the threshold and waited in the inn's main hall.

When the shopkeeper was arranging guest rooms, Chen Ji originally planned to have several people share a room, but the Crown Prince suddenly spoke: "Right Siwei has worked hard these days, he should also rest well, so let him have a separate room."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, cupped his hand and replied: "Yes."

Madame Liang's eyes shifted slightly. She looked at the Crown Prince, then her gaze turned towards Zhang Xia.

Night deepened.

Chen Ji sat alone in the Tianzi Yihao room, silently reviewing the matters of Guyuan, trying to recall if anything had been overlooked.

With a creak, the door opened.

Xiao Man rolled up her sleeves and came in holding a wooden basin: "What is the young master thinking?"

Chen Ji came back to his senses: "Not thinking about anything."

Xiao Man hummed: "Young master, wash your feet to relieve fatigue."

Saying this, she squatted in front of Chen Ji and reached out to help him take off his boots.

Chen Ji hurriedly withdrew his feet: "No need, I'll do it myself."

Xiao Man was puzzled: "Young master, did I do something wrong?"

Chen Ji said softly: "You didn't do anything wrong, it's just that you don't need to do these things anymore."

Xiao Man stared with wide eyes: "What nonsense is the young master talking about, if a maid doesn't do these, what does she do... Do you want to send me away?"

Chen Ji smiled: "Xiao Man, if you weren't sold as a maid when you were young, what would you most want to do?"

Xiao Man squatted in front of the wooden basin, propped her chin with both hands and thought for a long time, then lowered her head and said in a low voice: "If I wasn't a maid at nine years old, I should be waiting at home to be married. Dad and Mom would find me a family, either a butcher, or a tenant farmer, or sell me to someone's family as a concubine, anyway, it's no different."

Chen Ji's smile slowly disappeared. He was silent for a moment, then asked again: "Don't mention the past, if it were now, what would you most want to do?"

Xiao Man thought: "I want to help the young master marry a direct daughter from a high family... Young master, what do you think of Second Miss Zhang? She is also good-looking, intelligent, and..."

Chen Ji interrupted: "Not what you want to help me do, but what you yourself want to do."

Xiao Man was startled for a long time, then said in a low voice: "Why think about these things, these are matters only officials think about. We maids don't need to think about these. Sister Li Qiu said, maids shouldn't think about these, the more you think, the harder life feels, if you don't think, it doesn't matter."

Chen Ji said seriously: "You can think now."

The next moment, he took out a piece of yellow paper from his sleeve: "I promised you, if we could leave Guyuan alive, I would help you get back your body contract. Xiao Man, you will not be a maid anymore, you won't need to do things in a low voice, you can have your own life."

Xiao Man was first startled, her own life? Why was the young master speaking so strangely, he never spoke like this before.

Then, she suddenly happily took the body contract: "Oh, when did the young master get it back?"

Chen Ji explained: "I went back to Longmen Inn a step ahead of you to get the luggage, precisely because I wanted to take this from Madame Liang's luggage."

Xiao Man was overjoyed: "I didn't expect the young master to still remember."

Chen Ji shook his head: "I didn't specifically get the body contract for you. I was worried that after Chen Wenxiao died, Madame Liang would regret it, so I went to find the house deed and land deed left by my aunt. I just didn't expect she didn't carry them with her."

Xiao Man muttered: "Those things are all locked up in the capital, of course she wouldn't carry them. And the house deed and land deed need to be witnessed by clan elders and li zheng before going to the official office to exchange, getting them back is useless... But, but where do I go after this?"

She had yearned for this for many years, and now she was truly free, but suddenly she was at a loss.

Chen Ji thought: "When we return to the capital, and I get back my aunt's property, you can be the shopkeeper. If you want to go to Drum Abdomen Building, then go to Drum Abdomen Building, if you want to go to Yujing Garden, then go to Yujing Garden."

Xiao Man pretended to be angry: "The young master really likes to joke. Yujing Garden is in the eight big alleys, a brothel. What kind of business would a little girl like me manage there? If I go, it should be Drum Abdomen Building."

Chen Ji was sincere: "Then just go be the shopkeeper of Drum Abdomen Building."

Xiao Man looked at him, then lowered her little head again: "If I go, who will serve you? By then, you won't eat well or dress warmly and you'll still blame me."

Chen Ji teased: "If you don't want it, then give it back to me."

Xiao Man hurriedly said: "No, no!"

At this moment, Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng pushed the door open and entered.

Xiao Man hurriedly held the wooden basin and rushed out, almost bumping into Zhang Zheng.

Zhang Zheng turned his head: "What are you doing rushing out?"

Xiao Man left the room, holding the wooden basin and wandering in the corridor, for a moment not knowing where she should go.

She put down the wooden basin, and then unfolded her body contract to examine it carefully.

She saw written on it: "The person who establishes the document to serve is Yao Man, her body and descendants will serve the master with the surname Chen from generation to generation, and will report to the Chen family gate when called, without delay or disobedience. If there are emotions such as resisting service, listen to the master's disposal, and this document shall serve as the standard."

Yao Man.

She had almost forgotten her original name.

Xiao Man looked at the body contract and suddenly felt like running away. From now on, the sky was high and the sea was wide, no longer constrained. She was an official slave, she still had the silver saved over the years, she could live a good life no matter where she went!

But...

Xiao Man turned her head to look at Chen Ji's tightly closed room door, she couldn't just leave like this, that would be too heartless.

A moment later, her eyes darted: "Help the young master do one thing before leaving, that won't be considered heartless!"

She quietly crept towards Wang Gui's guest room. Arriving in front of the Di Zi Dinghao room door, she took a dagger from her sleeve and inserted it into the door crack, wanting to pry open the bolt from the crack.

But strangely, the room door was not locked.

Xiao Man sensed something was wrong and immediately pushed open the room door. Where was Wang Gui's figure inside?

She held the dagger behind her back, her killing intent surging, turning around the room. The bed was undisturbed, the cup on the table was also undisturbed, it didn't look like anyone had lived there at all!

Xiao Man frowned and went downstairs, finding Qi Jianzhuo on duty: "Hey!"

Qi Jianzhuo turned his head and saw it was Xiao Man, hurriedly smiling: "Girl Xiao Man, did Master call for me?"

Xiao Man said impatiently: "I already said, my young master doesn't recognize you as a disciple! Let me ask you, have you seen Wang Gui?"

Qi Jianzhuo recalled: "Yes, just after we settled down, he led a horse out, saying he wanted to help Madame Chen buy some things."

Xiao Man asked in a deep voice: "When did he go!"

Qi Jianzhuo replied: "I'm afraid it was more than one shichen ago."

Xiao Man cursed silently, this scoundrel was actually so alert, he ran ahead!

"A scoundrel lives for a thousand years!" Xiao Man returned to the guest room in anger.

Chen Ji saw her appearance and was suspicious: "Where did you go out and turn around? Who provoked you?"

Xiao Man sat on a small stool, sulking, and said in a muffled voice: "I don't care."

Saying this, she wiggled her butt and turned to face away from Chen Ji, thinking about how to get rid of Wang Gui after returning to the capital.

As she thought, Xiao Man suddenly stood up and put the body contract back in Chen Ji's hand: "You keep this for me first, when I want it, you can give it back to me."

Chen Ji was completely confused and could only put the body contract away again: "What exactly is wrong with you?"

Xiao Man muttered: "Why is that Wang Gui so hard to kill? So many people died in Guyuan, and he still didn't die. I just thought of going to kill him, but he still ran away."

Chen Ji was startled: "Ran away?"

Xiao Man hummed: "Too cunning."

Through Xiao Man mentioning this matter, Zhang Xia also frowned: "All the servants in the Chen family died out, only he remained. There is indeed something extraordinary about him. He was caught by the Tiance Army earlier, and he still didn't die."

Chen Ji's heart moved, and he suddenly asked: "At that time, after you were all caught in the cellar, did the Tiance Army isolate and try to win you over separately?"

Zhang Xia shook her head: "No... not right, Wang Gui was the first one to be caught, and after about several dozen breaths, the second person was caught. These few dozen breaths weren't enough to do anything."

Chen Ji hummed: "Don't think about these for now, let's talk about the topic just now."

Zhang Xia said to Chen Ji: "From Guyuan to the capital, passing through Qingyang, Tongchuan, Yuncheng, Taiyuan, and Huolu, is a total of two thousand six hundred li. It is now the first month, we will likely reach the capital in the second month. Master Chen urging the Crown Prince to leave quickly is actually because he is worried that further delay will cause him to miss Chen Wenzong's imperial examination."

Chen Ji calculated the time and was indeed startled.

Zhang Xia continued at this time: "On this road, I see Madame Liang and Wang Gui are always secretly plotting something. After you return, you should move out of the Chen family. Either live in my Zhang family, or buy a small house, it will be better than staying at the Chen home..."

She saw Chen Ji's mind wandering and asked curiously: "What are you thinking?"

Chen Ji came back to his senses, feeling a little lost: "I was just thinking, Master should be in Lvshun now. I don't know if they are living well."

Outside Lvshun port in the black night, a double-masted ship was in the waves, approaching the port.

An old man stood at the bow of the ship, carrying his hands and letting the sea wind howl.

The sailors on the ship were just lowering the sails, shouting in rhythm.

In the noise, the old man silently looked at the black sea and the increasingly closer port, then turned around and went back to the ship's cabin.

Inside the ship's cabin, Liang Doger was snoring on the bed. Liang Maor watched Zhu Yunxi in the narrow ship's cabin, swinging his wooden knife, sweating profusely.

Old Man Yao squinted at the three people: "Prepare to go ashore, the people from the military strategy department are waiting at the shore to take us towards the Jing Dynasty capital. World Son, this old man will ask you one last time, will you regret it later? If you regret it, no matter the floods in this world, and no matter what great undertakings the dynasty has, just be selfish and stay on the ship, we will still come."

Zhu Yunxi heard the words, slowly put down the wooden knife in his hand, and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "No regrets."

Old Man Yao no longer advised: "Then remember why you came to the Jing Dynasty, only endure, then you can succeed. Go, there is no turning back."

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