Chapter 88: Moral Principles

“Deal closed.”

Two words fall to the ground with a sound.

Outside Taiping Medical Hall, carriages flowed like water and horses like dragons, people surged like a tide.

Inside Taiping Medical Hall, a skinny, distressed medical hall apprentice stood behind the counter, agreeing to a deal with the true power feudal king of the Da Ning Dynasty.

However, before Chen Ji could say anything more, Bai Li anxiously said: “Chen Ji, do you know how bitter it is to be exiled to Lingnan? At that time, you have to wear shackles and fetters to walk to Lingnan. Less than three tenths of criminals who are exiled to Lingnan survive the journey.”

Bai Li continued anxiously: “We’ve been confined for half a year for nothing. You mustn’t act foolishly for us!”

Shizi also hastily advised: “That’s right, after half a year, we’ll be good people again.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Jing Wang stroked the black chess piece in his hand, looked at him calmly and said: “Considering your youth and ignorance, I can give your brother a chance to repent!”

Chen Ji said sincerely and earnestly: “I’m not just doing this for Shizi and Junzhu. I also want to find a way to make money for myself.”

Jing Wang smiled: “Born into the Chen family, do you still need to find a way to make money yourself? Your Chen family has been high officials for generations. Where is there a need for a younger generation in the family to earn money? As long as you don't defy your father, you won't lack food and clothing.”

Chen Ji smiled and said: “Wangye, the Chen family's status is something I cannot attain.”

Jing Wang suddenly asked: “Are you very short of money?”

Was Chen Ji short of money or not? Of course he was.

The Mountain Lord path burned money like flowing water. To light all several hundred lamps on his body would probably require ten thousand taels of silver.

This number made Chen Ji feel despair, until the words 'cement' appeared in Chen Ji’s mind.

At this moment, Jing Wang saw he didn’t answer, and then smiled and said: “Alright, since you insist, then I need to set three rules with you.”

“Please speak, Wangye.”

“Before the transaction is complete, none of you are allowed to set foot in Hongyi Xiang or Baiyi Xiang.”

“Good!”

“Not allowed to drink alcohol!”

“Good.”

“Not allowed to cause trouble or incidents.”

“Good!”

Chen Ji was behind the medical hall counter, and Jing Wang was outside the medical hall counter. The two faced each other across a chessboard.

The young medical hall apprentice’s gaze neither avoided nor dodged.

Jing Wang gazed at Chen Ji: “In the army there are no jokes, and military strategy is no small matter. Remember your promise. If you don’t complete it, I will really exile you to Lingnan. Young people must not play small tricks.”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: “Rest assured, Wangye, I know what I’m doing.”

At this moment, a middle-aged person with a pale face and no mustache, wearing brown cloth clothes, walked into the medical hall and said softly: “Wangye, the Liu family’s Liu Gun, Liu Xianxian, and Liu Mingli, three adults, have already arrived at the mansion.”

Chen Ji heard the sound and lifted his head, subconsciously looking towards the source of the sound.

That middle-aged person was tall and sturdy, yet his voice was exceptionally gentle and delicate.

Jing Wang turned and pointed at Shizi and Bai Li: “Companion Feng Da, have these two hand over all the silver on their bodies. Instruct those in the Wangfu not to give them any silver within half a year.”

Shizi and Bai Li’s faces turned black. Their own father did things thoroughly and actually still remembered to search their money.

Now it was good, the brother and sister, two poor wretches.

Jing Wang turned and left, leaving the two poor wretches in the medical hall.

Shizi looked at Chen Ji and said seriously: “Chen Ji, I feel confined for half a year is quite good. I can go out and play after half a year, and you don’t need to go to Lingnan.”

Bai Li then smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes straightforwardly: “Saying more is useless. Chen Ji, what do you plan to do now?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and asked: “Are there any pottery kilns near Luocheng?”

Bai Li and Shizi looked at each other. How would they know this?

Aside, the old man Yao slowly said: “Walk ten li south along the pipeline outside the city to Liu Family Village at the foot of Longmen Mountain. There are several pottery workshops there. However, the kilns in Luocheng only fire some rough, shallow ceramics to sell to the common people. They can’t compare to the ones in Jingdezhen.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said: “No harm, having a kiln should be enough.”

Saying that, he went back to the backyard and found Liang Maoer, “Big Brother Maoer, can you do me a favor and follow me out for half a month? It might be very hard.”

Liang Maoer smiled simply and honestly, “No problem, as long as I can exert force, that’s fine. I’m not afraid of hardship.”

Chen Ji turned his head to look at Bai Li: “Shizi and Junzhu should return to the Wangfu and wait for my news. I’ll be back in half a month at the latest.”

Shizi raised his eyebrows, “What do you mean? Friends naturally share blessings and misfortunes. Big Brother Liang Maoer can endure hardship, and we can’t? We’ll go with you.”

Bai Li also said: “That’s right, we can also endure hardship.”

Chen Ji laughed: “Why would anyone rush to endure hardship?”

Shizi patted his chest: “This is Jianghu righteousness.”

She Dengke and Liu Quxing also came to the medical hall main hall, looking carefully at the master: “Master, can we go?”

The old man Yao sneered: “Go ahead. A group of poor wretches gathering together is a happy thing. You all go, and I, this old man, can have a few quiet days, saving quite a bit of rice money. Liang Maoer, you should bring your brother too. Otherwise, this lazy fellow staying in the medical hall will still rely on me, this old man, to cook for him.”

Liang Maoer said shamefully: “Okay, Master Yao. I will certainly bring him.”

Chen Ji saw that the matter had come to this, and then smiled and instructed: “Shizi and Junzhu, go back to the Wangfu and change clothes. Your current clothes are not suitable for work. Additionally, everyone remember to bring two sets of clothes to change into. We have to be out for ten days to half a month. We’ll assemble at the medical hall door in half an hour.”

“Okay.”

After everyone left, Chen Ji looked at the old man Yao behind the counter who was fiddling with an abacus: “Master, did you ask Liang Maoer to bring Liang Gouer along because you’re worried about our safety?”

The old man Yao sneered: “Don’t be so self-important. I just don’t want to see him in the medical hall.”

Chen Ji said “oh” and didn’t speak anymore.

In the silence, the old man Yao gradually stopped fiddling with the abacus and said calmly: “You should also understand that cultivating the Mountain Lord path most lacks two things: one is power, and one is money. That’s why you are so anxious to make money. But you have to know, in this world, these two things are the easiest to make people lose themselves. I hope you don’t repeat the mistakes of previous people.”

Chen Ji laughed: “Rest assured, master.”

The old man Yao suddenly said: “What you did last time caused a big commotion. Now all the traffic routes in Yuzhou are clamped down by the Wansui army soldiers, only allowing entry and not exit. The last matter is not yet finished, and this time, what do you want to do again? Don’t cause another big disaster and implicate me, this old man.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied: “You’ll know when it’s done. Rest assured, it’s not dangerous this time.”

The old man Yao stared at him for a moment, still not reassured. He took out six copper coins from his sleeve and threw them on the counter. While performing divination, he muttered: “Kun yuan, auspiciousness of An Zhen, should be ground without boundaries, thickly carrying all things…”

Saying that, he suddenly lifted his head and looked at Chen Ji: “What exactly do you want to do?”

Chen Ji answered with a smile: “I already told you before, it’s something that can replace glutinous rice mortar.”

Just as he was speaking, he heard footsteps coming from outside the door.

He turned around and saw Bai Li had changed into a set of coarse cloth clothes worn by maidservants while working, and was still carrying a cloth bundle.

But even this old coarse cloth dress could not hide Bai Li’s rich and noble aura.

Because Bai Li had a gold hairpin in her hair.

Chen Ji said in surprise: “Junzhu, your clothes and gold hairpin don’t match.”

Bai Li panicked and pulled out the gold hairpin, and then took out a wooden hairpin from her sleeve to tie up her hair: “Shh, all my silver was confiscated by my father. This gold hairpin was secretly brought out while my mother wasn’t paying attention to exchange for money. They haven’t noticed yet.”

“Madam Yunfei is clever and meticulous. How could she not notice? However, she deliberately gave you water…”

“Ah, is that so?”

Bai Li was stunned for a moment, “Anyway, I’ve already brought it out. I think what you want to do definitely needs money. In this world, it’s difficult to take a step without money.”

Chen Ji was silent!

Bai Li smiled: “Let’s go. I’ve already called an ox cart. We’ll ride the ox cart out of the city.”

“Wait for me for a bit.”

Chen Ji returned to the apprentice bedroom, pulled out the loose brick under the bed, took out all his belongings from the hole and stuffed them into his chest, and then went out.

But just as he walked to the door, he saw a fast horse galloping from the end of Anxi Street. On the tall horse, a person in a green shirt with his hair flying back was truly a handsome and heroic young man.

Chen Ji slowly stopped his steps and quietly watched the other party rein in the horse in front of the medical hall door.

He saw Chen Wenzong sitting on the horse, panting and saying: “Chen Ji, quickly follow me back to the mansion. Don’t argue with father again.”

Chen Ji stood inside the threshold of the medical hall, separated by the threshold, and looked up at his direct elder brother on the horse: “Elder brother misunderstands, I haven’t argued with anyone.”

Chen Wenzong advised: “Father has already investigated the truth. It was a small servant under the housekeeper who swallowed your monthly silver. Now mother has already beaten the small servant to death to vent your anger, and even the housekeeper received ten planks.”

Chen Ji said “oh”: “Pitiful.”

Chen Wenzong was doubtful: “Pitiful?”

Chen Ji smiled: “I said that small servant was very pitiful.”

Chen Wenzong couldn’t help but say anxiously: “Chen Ji, as the saying goes, family harmony prospers all things. What deep hatred is there within a family? Now that you have reformed and returned, as your elder brother, I naturally hope you can return home and reunite early. I will persuade father to send you to Donglin Academy to study. After three years, you can also participate in the imperial examination. At your age, it’s not too late to go and study now.”

“Study? For a science student to go and learn Mingjing and eight-part essays, that would truly be suffering old crimes.”

But, Chen Ji lifted his head and gazed at this direct elder brother. At this time, the other party was truly sincere, like the gentleman as gentle as uncut jade in the stories of the storytelling masters.

But everyone has their own aspirations.

Chen Ji smiled and said: “Elder brother, we are about to go out of the city area. Friends are still waiting.”

Chen Wenzong jumped off the horse and said sincerely and seriously: “Chen Ji, although you have studied little, you should also understand the principles of father and son. There are no unfilial parents in the world. How can you always argue with your own father?”

Chen Ji said calmly: “Elder brother, whether you believe it or not, I really haven’t argued with anyone. Please go back.”

Saying that, he carried his bundle, went around Chen Wenzong, and sat on the end of the ox cart.

Chen Wenzong chased for two steps, his tone heavier: “Chen Ji, what you are doing, where do you put the principles of father and son?”

Just at this moment, Bai Li suddenly lifted her head and said: “One mouthful of principles and ethics, then does anyone in your Chenfu know about Chen Ji being injured by evildoers previously? His chest was cut open by evildoers, and his thigh was pierced, yet you didn’t send anyone to care!”

Chen Wenzong was stunned: “Junzhu?”

He looked carefully, this simple cart not only had Junzhu, but also Shizi.

These two people of noble status were actually wearing coarse cloth clothes and squeezing onto the simple dilapidated board of an ox cart with his collateral younger brother.

Bai Li sat cross-legged on the cart, straightened her waist, and continued to say: “When Chen Ji was injured, we saw him in the embroidery building on Baiyi Xiang. Did you ask after him that day?”

Chen Wenzong was completely silent.

Bai Li didn’t let go: “What you care about are only the principles and ethics you speak of. You came to the medical hall to persuade him because the gentlemen at the academy taught you that family harmony prospers all things, and the classics teach you about ruler and minister, father and son, only this alone.”

Chen Ji stopped Bai Li, turned his head to the carter and said: “Let’s go. If we delay any longer, I’m afraid it will be dark before we reach Liu Family Village.”

The ox cart creaked and slowly moved forward.

Chen Wenzong stood in his original place, looking dazedly at Chen Ji and the others sitting on the open-air dilapidated ox cart, giggling and making noise.

In this cold winter season, their novel appearance didn’t look like they were going to work, but rather like the flowers blooming in spring, wanting to go on an outing.

Shizi’s teasing voice drifted far away: “Haha, do you see or not, Bai Li is just like an angry little tiger. Ah, don’t pinch so hard.”

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