Chapter 93: Family Affairs and National Affairs

While Chen Ji was resting and drinking water, Bai Li quietly approached him and whispered, "I just saw them secretly recording what you said. You must be careful and absolutely don't let them steal the master."

Chen Ji, while drinking from his cowhide water bag, swept his eyes around. Where his gaze landed, several men with thick eyebrows and big eyes hurriedly avoided his gaze.

He said doubtfully, "County Lord, these are found by your father. Aren't you siding with your father?"

Bai Li said angrily, "One thing is one thing. Stealing is just not right."

Chen Ji smiled at Bai Li and said, "It's okay, County Lord. You see these master craftsmen are all good at kiln building. People came to help with the work and are so tired. It's no harm for them to learn something. You can't be so stingy."

Bai Li was exasperated: "Although I don't know the exact value of your skill, if it can make my father rush here to steal and learn, it must be good. I don't know if you are truly confused or faking it. Don't you understand the principle that teaching an apprentice starves the master? My father is the kind of person who is kind to people, but he has many tricks when it comes to business. If he didn't have some means, would the Jiangnan gentry obediently give him grain and fodder?"

"Oh, you talk about your father like that."

Bai Li rolled her eyes: "Forget it, I can't make it clear to you. I'll go talk to him."

Chen Ji looked at her angry, puffing back as she left and suddenly laughed.

At this time, Feng Da Ban ordered people from the camp to find a table and chairs, spread a coarse cloth on it, and set up a chessboard: "This kiln modification probably won't be finished for a while. Wang Ye, don't stand. Your humble minister will accompany Wang Ye in a few games to avoid boredom."

Jing Wang smiled and said, "Come on. I played chess with that boy yesterday and almost had my Dao heart shattered. It's just right to play with you today to find some confidence."

Feng Da Ban said softly, "Wang Ye, you really don't give people face."

"Come, guess first!"

Just as Jing Wang picked up a chess piece and held it in his hand, he suddenly saw a slender white hand reach over from the side, dig the chess piece out of his palm, and throw it back into the chess basket.

Jing Wang slowly turned his head. Bai Li was just standing there, still angry and puffing: "Dad, what exactly are you here for?"

Jing Wang sincerely explained, "Dad is here to help. It's just that Dad's body has been getting worse every day these past few years, and I really can't do heavy work. Otherwise, Dad would definitely go move bricks and plaster mud together."

Bai Li wrinkled her delicate eyebrows: "Don't pretend to understand and act confused. You're not here to help, you're clearly here to steal a master."

Jing Wang hurriedly stood up, pulled Bai Li's wrist, and walked towards the outside of the kiln factory: "How could I, Jing Wang, do something like steal a master? Let's go, let's go. Dad will take you out for a stroll. Oh yes, your birthday is in a few months. Do you have a gift you want?"

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Bai Li struggled to be dragged out: "Dad, it's useless to bribe me. Let go of me,"

Just as they reached the door, they saw a carriage slowly stopping at the door.

Behind it followed several young servant guards riding tall horses.

The coachman took down a footstool, placed it in the mud, and helped Chen Li Qin slowly get off the carriage.

"Wang Ye? Why are you here?"

Chen Li Qin was startled. He had come to find Chen Ji.

When he heard that Chen Ji had come to the kiln factory to mess around, he was unbearably angry.

Youth is like an arrow. One should strive to read every second. How could he waste time at this kiln factory?

But he didn't expect to see Jing Wang and Bai Li County Lord as soon as he got off the carriage.

Jing Wang was also startled when he saw Chen Li Qin: "Master Chen, why are you here?"

Chen Li Qin cupped his hand and said, "Your humble minister just went to the medical hall to pay the tuition for my dog-son. I also discussed with Imperial Physician Yao that my dog-son will no longer be an apprentice at the medical hall. Your minister plans to send him to the Donglin Academy next spring. After he studies and returns like his elder brother, your minister will send him to participate in the imperial examination to serve our Ning Dynasty."

Bai Li exclaimed.

"Chen Ji won't be at Peace Medical Hall anymore? He's going to Donglin Academy for three years?"

Jing Wang pulled Bai Li and said seriously, "Earlier I still doubted why Chen Ji, such a clever child, was placed in Peace Medical Hall. If he can participate in the imperial examination and serve the court in the future, it will also count as a better future."

"Wang Ye is wise."

"Chen Ji is inside. I'll take you to find him."

Bai Li said softly, "Dad, Chen Ji doesn't want to return to Chen Manor."

Jing Wang laughed and said, "Little fool, that's his family matter. Can you make decisions for him?"

At this time, Chen Ji was just pushing the stone mill with Liang Mao Er, preparing the raw materials early.

Once the modified kiln is completed, they can immediately start burning cement.

Chen Li Qin saw his gray head and dirty face from afar and immediately wrinkled his eyebrows: "Chen Ji."

Chen Ji was startled and subconsciously raised his head to ask: "Why has Master Chen come to this place?"

Chen Li Qin heard the address "Master Chen" and immediately said displeasedly, "I have already discussed it with Imperial Physician Yao. From now on, you no longer need to go to Peace Medical Hall. Follow me home."

Chen Ji was silent.

Discussed it with the master?

No longer an apprentice at Peace Medical Hall?

Inside the kiln factory, the crowd hurriedly stopped working and looked towards Chen Ji.

Chen Ji suddenly said firmly, "Impossible."

Chen Li Qin twisted his eyebrows: "What's impossible?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Master cannot possibly agree to you."

Chen Li Qin was startled.

He originally thought he could directly deceive Chen Ji into coming back.

Yet, he didn't expect the other side to actually expose his lie.

What kind of trust is this that makes him so firm?

He softened his tone and said, "Chen Ji, I know you are still sulking, but the little servant who secretly deducted your monthly silver at home has already been caned to death. Even the housekeeper has received ten boards. No matter how angry you are, it should have subsided. Now you are not small anymore and should understand how to choose between two paths. If you stay at Peace Medical Hall, you will at most be a seventh-rank Imperial Physician even when you are old. If you think about participating in the imperial examination, guarding one side later, being a king or prime minister are all romantic figures. The world you see will be completely different."

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Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Master Chen, at what time will the summer cicadas crawl out of their holes after the rain?"

"Why ask this? Youth is a time when you shouldn't waste time on these meaningless things."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Master Chen, please return. I feel it's quite good to be an apprentice at the medical hall. Perhaps being an official is good, but I am not willing."

Being an official is good, but I am not willing.

The words hit the ground with a sound.

Bai Li looked blankly at the figure of the young apprentice, open and upright, neither humble nor arrogant.

Chen Li Qin's face finally completely sank: "Chen Ji, this important matter is not for you to decide. Now you are young and don't understand, thinking you are right. But parents absolutely will not harm you. Someone, tie him to the carriage. Return to the manor."

The next moment, Chen Ji looked innocently at Jing Wang: "Wang Ye, are you all still learning the kiln modification technique or not?"

Jing Wang was startled: "So you boy discovered it early, why did you pretend not to know?"

Chen Ji laughed: "Wang Ye is wholeheartedly for the people. It's no harm to learn."

Jing Wang raised his eyebrows and teased, "But we have almost learned it now. You can just follow Master Chen back to the manor. In the future, participate in the imperial examination, and you will have a promising future as a general or prime minister."

Residents of Qi Xia Garden and Lin Jing Garden, separated by one street, return home after work and successively park their cars here, then walk ten minutes back to the community.

Chen Ji's smile became wider: "Wang Ye, you shouldn't think this small inverted flame kiln can really be used to refine iron? Where does the iron water flow out from? Where does the iron powder enter? How is the iron water immediately stir-fried into mature iron after it flows out? How does iron infiltrate carbon to become steel? Is it possible that Wang Ye is also learning these things?"

A string of questions stumped Jing Wang.

He subconsciously looked at the military craftsmen he had brought.

Yet, he saw the military craftsmen from afar, anxious like ants on a hot pot, waving their hands and gesturing, desperately wanting to keep this boy.

Jing Wang was happy: "You used the kiln modification technique to lure me, yet you hid so many things? Feng Da Ban, today I said I wanted to teach this inexperienced young man a lesson. As a result, people taught me a lesson instead. Alright. I'm being held by people."

Feng Da Ban smiled and said, "Little Doctor Chen is indeed clever."

Jing Wang waved his hand towards the military craftsmen: "Don't let Master Chen take Chen Ji away, he must stay."

Bai Li muttered softly at the side: "Dad, you just said this is Chen Ji's family matter."

Jing Wang lowered his voice and said righteously, "Now it's not a family matter, it's a country matter."

At this time, a group of military craftsmen blocked in front of Chen Ji and pushed back the little servant guards of Chen Manor.

Chen Li Qin looked at Jing Wang, not understandingly: "Wang Ye, this is my family matter, why do you want to interfere?"

Jing Wang patiently explained, "Chen Ji is needed here to do some important things. Master Chen, please return. He cannot follow you back."

"What is he doing here?"

"That is a military secret, and I cannot tell you yet."

Chen Li Qin's breathing was rough, and his beard trembled.

He didn't expect that he had tried to take Chen Ji back to the manor twice in a row and both times failed.

Wu Wei Dian, a staff member of the West City District Urban Management Committee's traffic comprehensive management center, introduced that because parking resources on Bai Zhi Fang Street are extremely scarce

He looked at Chen Ji, then at Jing Wang: "Your humble position still needs to host the entering curtain banquet. Today, I will take my leave, but Wang Ye should not interfere too much with your humble position's family matters. I will certainly bother you again later."

Jing Wang waved his hand: "Go, go."

He watched Chen Li Qin leave in big strides.

Only then did his eyes light up as he looked at Chen Ji: "What about infiltrating carbon to become steel?"

Chen Ji turned his head to look at the inverted flame kiln behind him, "Wang Ye, things must be done one by one."

Jing Wang was so angry he laughed and pointed at him in the air with his finger: "Good, good, good. Then do it one by one. Wang Luo Zhi, take your people back to work quickly. Tomorrow morning, I want to see the entire kiln completed."

Wang Luo Zhi, the leading military craftsman, cupped his fist and said, "Yes."

After the military craftsmen left.

Liu Qu Xing looked at Chen Ji and said bitterly, "Chen Ji, you should follow your father back to Chen Manor. He is right. The imperial examination is the path to the sky, a straight ascent to the blue clouds, soaring ten thousand miles. Being an Imperial Physician means only staying in Luo City with patients. If your luck is not good, you might not even become an Imperial Physician."

Chen Ji rolled up his own sleeves again and laughed happily, "If I go to Donglin Academy for three years, you all won't forget me. How will we drink wine then!"

Liang Gou Er, who was leaning against the wall lazily, suddenly played dead. He lifted the light straw hat covering his face, bit a dry yellow grass stem in his mouth, and said slowly, "Young people do things without considering the consequences. You will understand later. In this world, being an official is the best way out. You will regret it. But, by the time you regret it, I'm afraid it will be too late."

Chen Ji laughed: "By that time, we two will drink wine together and cry with our heads in our hands. You regret your marriage, and I regret my future."

Liang Gou Er cursed under his breath and put the straw hat back on his face, "You boy, your cursing is a bit dirty..."