Green Mountain
Chapter 110: The Struggle for Legitimacy

Chapter 110: The Struggle for Legitimacy

Ritual Supervision’s sealed old cases, the vicious assassins, the Princely Heir to the Prince Jing Mansion.

One clue after another intertwined, yet they did not make the puzzle of truth any clearer... if anything, they made it even more obscured.

Was there really a problem with the Princely Heir?

What was the cause of the Wu Family tragedy, and why did the killer treat Lady Wu so maliciously?

Who was the killer?

After investigating all night, no answers were found; instead, more questions arose.

The Archive Room in the inner prison was deathly silent; the flame of the oil lamp burned steadily, as if the air itself had ceased to flow.

Not until the lampwick crackled and burst into tiny sparks did West Wind speak up in a low voice, "Sir, let’s not touch this case for now. We’ll wait for Lord Jin Zhu to return."

Chen Ji nodded from across the table, smiling as he said, "Indeed, this isn’t a case we should handle. We’ll just consider it the work of ghostly forces and pursue it no further."

As his words fell, the flame on the table flickered; from the depths of the inner prison, a cold wind surged forth.

Chen Ji felt the Ice Flow rolling in from the deep layers of the inner prison, just like previously; as long as he stayed in the inner prison long enough, the Ice Flow would naturally come to him.

West Wind felt the chill and suddenly became alert, drawing his sword and coldly looking toward the source of the cold wind, "Sir, did you feel that draft of cold wind just now?"

Chen Ji laughed, "I thought you truly didn’t believe in ghosts in this world."

West Wind felt awkward for a moment, "Everyone says they exist, although I’ve never seen one, but it can’t help but make one wonder. If immortals exist in this world, who’s to say there aren’t ghosts?"

This time, it was Chen Ji’s turn to be taken aback, "Immortals truly exist? Have you ever seen one?"

In a low voice, West Wind said, "Deputy Director Xu Shu of our Daning Dynasty’s Observatory is said to be a reincarnated immortal."

"Ah," Chen Ji expressed his surprise; he had heard this name before.

During the Double Ninth Festival, when the Buddha and Bodhisattva passed by the front of Taiping Medical Hall, his master had mentioned this Xu Shu. It was said that he was the only son of Official Xu Gong who had passed away unexpectedly; the Official then spent a fortune to have the abbot of the Yuanjue Temple use the Seven Treasures Lotus Lamp to cast a flesh body for Xu Shu, granting him a second life.

How had he become a reincarnated immortal, according to West Wind?

Chen Ji asked with curiosity, "I remember he is the son of Official Xu, how did he become an immortal?"

After pondering for a moment, West Wind said, "I don’t know how he became an immortal, but this is what Lord Wu Xiu himself told to Lord Jin Zhu. Many in the Ritual Supervision heard it. Lord Wu Xiu wouldn’t speak rashly."

"Wu Xiu?"

"The Chief Eunuch Bingbi of our Ritual Supervision, now serving right beside Your Majesty, is a very influential person in the Inner Court. Come on, Sir, it’s getting late; let me take you back."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and then said, "Please excuse me for a moment, West Wind. I’d like to take this opportunity to write a letter to a friend using the stationery here in the inner prison."

"Of course, Sir. I’ll wait outside for you," replied West Wind.

Chen Ji picked up the brush from the table and thoughtfully wrote a letter on a piece of paper.

After the ink had dried, he folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve.

After leaving the inner prison, West Wind helped Chen Ji into the carriage.

The carriage rattled on for some time before finally stopping beside the road in the East Market.

As the carriage slowly departed, Chen Ji gently removed the black cloth covering his eyes, turning his head to watch the receding carriage.

Chen Ji walked back for a long time, making sure no one was following him, before he approached a little beggar lying by the side of the road.

He crouched beside the beggar and softly called out.

The little beggar opened his eyes, and upon seeing the masked Chen Ji, he immediately shrank back in fear, "Don’t grab me..."

Chen Ji extended his hand, revealing twenty Copper Coins in his palm.

The little beggar immediately reached out to grab them, but Chen Ji closed his hand and withdrew it. He then pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to the beggar, "Take this letter to Taiping Medical Hall tomorrow, and I will give you twenty Copper Coins tomorrow evening. Remember, Taiping Medical Hall."

The little beggar nodded eagerly, "I got it, Sir. I’ll deliver it first thing tomorrow!"

A few flurries started to fall from the sky, gently settling among Chen Ji’s hair.

The little beggar suddenly said, "Sir, can you give me one Copper Coin to buy a biscuit to eat? Otherwise, I can’t hold out."

Under the dim night, Chen Ji dropped two Copper Coins, turned, and with his hands tucked into his sleeves, walked westward.

...

...

Early in the morning, Anxi Street quickly became lively.

Liang Mao’er, wearing a cotton jacket and sleepy-eyed, walked to the entrance of the Medical Hall, just as he saw the strong servants of the Prince Mansion carrying buckets of salt, scattering it handful by handful on the snow-piled cobblestone path.

He wondered why, when just yesterday the Prince Mansion only cleared their own front entrance, were they now generously spreading thirty-Copper-Coin-per-jin salt all over the street?

Not only that, but the strong servants were also handing out ruddy Yanmen dates to each and every neighbor, spreading festive cheer.

Someone in the Medical Hall curiously asked, "What’s this about?"

Liang Mao’er turned and saw that Chen Ji and Liu Quxing had also gotten dressed and come to the front door.

At that moment, Miss Xibing, carrying a basket, passed by the Taiping Medical Hall. She came up with a beaming smile, "Chen Ji, hold out the hem of your clothes, and I’ll pour you some more dates."

Chen Ji smiled and lifted the hem of his clothes as Miss Xibing actually poured half a basketful of dates into it.

Liu Quxing suddenly felt a pang of jealousy, "Miss Xibing, why are you so nice to Chen Ji? Pour some for me too!"

Miss Xibing rolled her eyes at him, "This is for all of you, if you want some, go grab from Chen Ji. I have to go, there are still many more houses to deliver to."

Chen Ji watched Miss Xibing’s retreating figure, puzzled, "A big happy event at the Prince Mansion?"

Liu Quxing thought for a moment, "Maybe Prince Jing is coming back? The neighbors on Anxi Street are all saying that when the prince is around, the mansion is very generous, but when he’s not, they become a bit stingy..."

While they were talking, they saw the strong servants fetch bamboo brooms and sweep the long street so clean that it seemed as if it had never snowed.

A sound of scaling the wall came from the backyard, and the Commandery Princess called out, "Who took away the ladder? Help me out, bring the ladder over."

Liu Quxing hurried to the back to greet her, "I’m on it, I’m coming!"

Turning his head, Chen Ji saw the Commandery Princess climb down the ladder and stand under the courtyard wall. She unfastened the small purse tied around her waist, handed Liu Quxing a piece of broken silver, and said, "Buy six baskets of pork buns and four baskets of vegetarian buns. I saw Brother Liang Mao’er eat four baskets by himself yesterday and he wasn’t even full, so buy more today."

Liang Mao’er laughed naively, "Commandery Princess truly has the heart of a Buddha."

No sooner had he spoken than a filthy little beggar in tatters came rushing into the Medical Hall with a letter in hand.

Liang Mao’er quickly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, "What are you doing?"

The little beggar pleaded in a panic, "Someone asked me to deliver this letter here. There’s a reward if it gets delivered!"

Chen Ji took the letter, unfolded it, and began to read, "Princely Heir—my brother, your kind letter is gratefully received...a letter for the Princely Heir?"

His expression composed, he walked to the backyard and handed the letter to the Princely Heir, "Princely Heir, this letter is for you."

"For me?" The Princely Heir said in surprise as he took the letter, and after only a glance, his expression turned gloomy.

Chen Ji observed the Princely Heir’s expression closely, and curiously asked, "Princely Heir, who wrote the letter? You don’t seem too happy?"

The Princely Heir sighed, "It’s from Zhang Ping, Wang Quan, Wang Wu, and Li Bo who previously drank with us... they... they have to leave Luocheng City and won’t be able to join us for drinks anymore."

Chen Ji suddenly felt that the Princely Heir didn’t seem to know that these four men were already dead.

The letter was written by Chen Ji. He wrote this letter to see what reaction the Princely Heir would have upon reading a letter from people who were supposed to be dead.

If the Princely Heir knew these four were dead, no matter how realistically the other side acted, there should be a hint of doubt in his eyes, right?

But the Princely Heir’s first reaction showed no doubt, only sorrow.

While talking, Bai Li also joined them and after seeing the letter, she showed contempt, "These people left because they couldn’t face us. Why are you sad, brother?"

The Princely Heir said softly, "After all, we were friends for a while."

Chen Ji suddenly felt that the Princely Heir should be fine.

Firstly, the night before last, Lord Jin Zhu led the Jiefan Guard to surround Hongyi Lane. The Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department had already received advance notice. Even the old madam of the Golden Workshop and Miss Yan’er had run away, but the Princely Heir had walked into the trap naively. This was not normal on its own.

Secondly, the Princely Heir had been at the Donglin Academy for three years. If the other party truly had ambition and resolve, they would have patiently made connections with scholars rather than consistently frequenting taverns at the foot of the hill to meet people from the Jianghu.

Wait a minute.

Chen Ji suddenly felt that he might have been thinking in the wrong direction all along: The Princely Heir’s trip to the Hongyi Lane Gold Workshop might not have been of his own volition but rather led there intentionally by the four Jianghu men who knew Lord Jin Zhu was planning to surround the workshop.

If the Princely Heir were captured and taken to the inner prison, who within the Prince Mansion might benefit from that? Of course, it would be Princess Consort Jing and Consort Yun.

It was clear that Prince Jing was still capable of fathering children. If there was no son left in the mansion, he would naturally have to make an effort to have another child and continue the lineage, in which case the inheritor of the Prince Jing title would be a child of Princess Consort Jing or Consort Yun.

And inside the Prince Jing Mansion, who could have received advance notice that the Gold Workshop would be surrounded? Consort Yun!

A chill suddenly grew in Chen Ji’s heart!

Consort Yun!

If this whole affair was orchestrated by Consort Yun in her drive for primogeniture, sending the Princely Heir to the inner prison, and then sending someone to kill the four Jianghu men to silence them, a lot of things seemed to make sense.

He had heard of the ruthless fights for primogeniture among ancient people and had thought of them as nothing more than embellishments in fictional stories, never having experienced it firsthand.

But now, he was truly feeling the brutality of the fight for primogeniture in the Prince Mansion.

No, that’s not right.

Chen Ji turned and laughed at himself for making wild and baseless guesses... after all, Bai Li was also in the Gold Workshop the night before. Bai Li was Consort Yun’s own daughter, even if one had ambitions for primogeniture, they wouldn’t go as far as to risk their own daughter, right?

Moreover, after the Princely Heir was taken to the inner prison, what if the entire Prince Mansion was implicated?

Chen Ji abandoned this conjecture.

Bai Li came over and, seeing him in deep thought, asked with a puzzled look, "What are you thinking about? You don’t seem in high spirits."

Chen Ji smiled, "No, nothing. I’m feeling very good, exceptionally good."

Talking between bites, Liang Mao’er carried the tall stack of bamboo-steamer baskets, streaming with white steam, and hurried back to the Medical Hall, "Chen Ji, Commandery Princess, come and eat buns."

Chen Ji responded with a smile, "Coming."

He glanced at the Princely Heir and then at Bai Li. As long as the Princely Heir was not a person with deep schemes and malicious intentions, that would be enough.