Green Mountain
Chapter 165 - 121, It’s done

Chapter 165: 121, It’s done

On the city walls, the spies took off their hand crossbows from their waists and hid behind the battlements, staring intently at the darkness below.

Jin Zhu paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, no longer maintaining his usual composure.

From time to time, he would lean over the parapet to check on Chen Ji below to make sure he was safe before he briefly eased his worries.

It was as if, at a Pai Gow table, a gambler who had received a good hand continually checked his own cards, worried both of misreading them and the opponents cheating or flipping the table.

It was as though Chen Ji was gambling not with his own life, but with Jin Zhu’s.

Luckily,

perhaps due to the appearance of the Heavenly Horse, the Liu Family members hidden among the refugees didn’t assassinate Chen Ji; they lay quiet and dormant like poisonous insects, waiting for the time between 5 to 7 AM.

Heavenly Horse stood by the battlements and looked down to see Chen Ji sitting alone by the city wall, closing his eyes to rest as if he were asleep.

Heavenly Horse looked at Jin Zhu and gestured with his hands: New guy? He’s very bold, almost like a madman.

Jin Zhu’s face instantly turned as bitter as a purple eggplant: I might fall back to the Postnatal Realm because of this. This kid is going to get himself killed sooner or later!

Heavenly Horse was surprised: You actually bet on him?

A trace of pity appeared in his eyes.

Jin Zhu sighed: Meng Ji wrote to the Lord Prime Minister in his secret report that this kid has high potential as an Executive Officer, just like you, both are Class A... I thought Class A talents were hard to find, and wanted to quickly secure him, but I didn’t expect to be planted by his hands.

Heavenly Horse thought for a moment and silently gestured: Are you helping him become one of the Twelve Signs?

Jin Zhu nodded.

Heavenly Horse gestured again: Is he also an orphan?

Jin Zhu shook his head.

Heavenly Horse hesitated for a moment: Then when do we get rid of his parents?

Jin Zhu lowered his voice and said with irritation, "Being one of the Twelve Signs doesn’t necessarily have to be an orphan; many from earlier years weren’t."

Heavenly Horse was puzzled.

Jin Zhu rolled his eyes and quickly added: "Really, it’s not necessary!"

Heavenly Horse casually glanced at the stars: It’s almost 5 to 7 AM.

Jin Zhu was alarmed. He turned his head to look towards the city, but still did not see any trace of the grain carts.

...

...

The torches had gone out.

Chen Ji slowly opened his eyes and saw, standing before him, refugees rising one by one, like a vast, black and dried-up forest that spread endlessly.

A refugee held a little girl in his arms and asked hoarsely, "Sir, why hasn’t the grain arrived yet? My child is already too hungry to cry."

Chen Ji stood up silently.

The little girl in the refugee’s arms had arms even thinner than bamboo sticks.

Chen Ji asked softly, "The flood has receded; why didn’t you stay in West Henan to farm?"

The refugee shouted angrily, "After the flood receded, the allocated farmland mysteriously all became the Liu Family’s land. Every household lacks spare grain. Yima County does have rich families willing to lend us grain, but that would mean taking on crippling debts that would burden us for generations. If there were any other way to survive, we wouldn’t have traveled over two hundred li to Luocheng."

The refugee added bitterly, "We truly couldn’t bear the hunger anymore."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Why waste words with him? It’s almost 5 to 7 AM, and the promised grain still hasn’t arrived!"

"Right, where’s the grain?"

"He’s lying, deceiving us!"

"Kill him, break the gate!"

Above the city wall, Heavenly Horse was ready to draw his bow and shoot the leading rebels, but Jin Zhu held his arm down.

Jin Zhu gritted his teeth, "We can’t kill them. You can’t kill everyone. If we provoke the refugees, that kid Chen Ji really won’t survive."

Heavenly Horse looked at Jin Zhu and signed with his hands: No one will listen to him anymore, he’s done for. Shouldn’t I just put him out of his misery?

Jin Zhu spoke urgently, "Wait a bit longer!"

In a moment, the crowd below the city walls, like a black tide, swallowed up Chen Ji instantly.

Some punched, some smashed with hoes, others kicked. Chen Ji could only barely dodge the fatal blows, retreating step by step towards the city gate, until his back was against the red-lacquered, round copper rivets of the gate.

Jin Zhu, clinging to the battlements and looking down, found Chen Ji had been forced into the gateway and was no longer in sight.

At that moment, Chen Ji in the gateway grabbed a fist aimed at him and stared straight at the attacker, proclaiming, "I said the grain would come, and it definitely will. I have staked my entire fortune and life here; I’m not panicking, what are you panicking for? Just wait another quarter of an hour. If the grain doesn’t arrive in fifteen minutes, then do as you wish; kill or flay me!"

However, someone in the crowd shouted, "We’ve waited all night already, what more is there to wait for?"

"Kill him, break the gate! Get into the city and grab food!"

Chen Ji’s expression darkened. The Liu Family didn’t want to wait any longer!

But the refugees hesitated, reluctant to really deliver a death blow to Chen Ji.

They were just honest, simple farmers; none had actually killed someone before and were just making empty threats previously.

In the next moment, a man with a fierce expression threaded through the crowd. He quietly reached the front ranks and suddenly thrust a knife through a gap, aiming for Chen Ji’s stomach!

In the chaos, if this knife had killed Chen Ji, there would be no turning back between the refugees and the court.

However, right as the knife was thrust out, the man was appalled to find that Chen Ji dodged it. He suddenly looked up, meeting Chen Ji’s cold gaze.

The man then realized that Chen Ji wasn’t as weak as he had initially appeared!

Yet, seeing his stealth attack fail, the man didn’t hesitate; he fiercely turned the knife towards himself, stabbing into his own abdomen. He cried out, raising his blood-stained hands high, "There’s been a murder, the government officers have killed! Avenge me! Storm into Luocheng!"

Chen Ji’s expression turned solemn.

This was one of the Death Soldiers raised by the Liu Family!

Zhang Zhuo, why haven’t the grains been transferred yet? Has something gone wrong? Could the Liu Family have a backup plan at the granary?

For a moment, mixed emotions flooded into Chen Ji’s mind, making him feel trapped in a death trap meticulously designed by the Liu Family.

This doesn’t seem like Liu Mingxian’s strategizing.

It’s more like an old, cunning chess player making a sudden move, blocking all his retreats with a casual drop of a piece.

Ruthless, crafty, leaving no room for escape.

The opponent’s plan was interlocked as if no matter how he struggled, he was bound to a fate of inevitable failure.

At that moment, someone yelled, "Make way!"

The crowd parted.

Chen Ji looked up and saw at the end of the cleared pathway, dozens of people carrying heavy logs with hemp ropes, charging towards the city gate!

Once the gate was breached, a civil uprising was inevitable, and the death trap would be complete!

However, just then, the crisp sound of horse hooves came from behind the gate, lone yet resolute.

The noisy voices of the disaster victims were suppressed by the solitary clatter of the hooves, leaving that to be the only sound in the world.

A creaking noise followed, and Chen Ji saw the heavy vermilion city gate behind him being slowly pulled open from inside.

The disaster victims looked on in astonishment, their gazes passing over Chen Ji to focus on the increasingly large gap in the gate.

Inside the vermilion crack, Zhang Zhuo sat astride a black warhorse, his face and red official robe spattered with blood!

Zhang Zhuo gently nudged his horse forward, the horse snorted with each step out of the city gate, and with each of its steps, the disaster victims stepped back until they were crowded and could retreat no further.

This single man and horse overshadowed the momentum of thousands of disaster victims!

Chen Ji turned to look, Zhang Zhuo had come alone, there were no grain carts behind him!

He suddenly looked up, incredulous.

Where was the grain?! What was the point of coming without it, a suicide mission?

However, Zhang Zhuo sat calmly on his horse, and unhurriedly declared, "I am Luocheng City Prefect Zhang Zhuo. Disaster relief grains are on the way, they will arrive here within the next quarter hour! Everyone step back a hundred paces, I will set up a congee booth below the city. Form a queue when it is ready, everyone will get a portion!"

The disaster victims didn’t move; without the grains, words were futile.

They stood in silent confrontation with Zhang Zhuo, the silent pressure from thousands felt as heavy and solid as city walls.

Chen Ji’s heart sank, he whispered lowly, "Lord, slowly step back, the Spy Department will cover you..."

But Zhang Zhuo scoffed through his nasal tones, and again spurred his horse forward!

The black mass of disaster-stricken people was boundless, a solitary red figure upright, firm, unwavering.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The slow beat of iron hooves struck the hearts of the disaster victims as Zhang Zhuo calmly announced, "I am the Luocheng City Prefect appointed by the Emperor, Zhang Zhuo! Those who do not retreat, will be executed by law."

It was then that some disaster victims peering through the city gates saw, West Wind and others pulling carts of grain appearing at the end of the road. "The grains have arrived!"

"The grains have arrived!"

"Quick, don’t hinder Lord Zhang from setting up the congee booth!"

Suddenly, like a defeated army, the disaster victims receded like a tide.

Chen Ji took a deep breath of relief.

Zhang Zhuo halted his horse beside him, chuckling, "I thought you really weren’t afraid of dying!"

Chen Ji answered tiredly, "Lord Zhang, who in this world truly isn’t afraid of death? I am scared out of my wits."

Zhang Zhuo looked intently at Chen Ji, noting his torn clothes and bruised face, exceedingly disheveled.

After a moment, he said solemnly, "Thank you."

Chen Ji replied nonchalantly, "You don’t have to thank me, Lord. It’s fine as long as everything is alright."

Zhang Zhuo said seriously, "If not for your warning, I wouldn’t have realized there was going to be a civil disturbance tonight; if not for your delaying, the disaster victims wouldn’t have waited for the grain. I thank you first for preserving the official position atop my and Mr. Chen’s heads, second for saving the thousands of families behind this city gate, and third for preventing these disaster victims from turning into rioters, saving these poor souls."

Saying this, Zhang Zhuo dismounted and bowed deeply to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji slightly sidestepped, feeling that tonight’s Zhang Zhuo was somewhat different from usual.

He slowly began, "Now that Lord Zhang is here to take charge, I should leave."

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

Zhang Zhuo looked at Chen Ji, seriously asking, "I have grand ambitions, would you assist me?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Thank you for your high regard, Lord Zhang, but I know my own limits. I can risk my life, but I’m not suited for the political arena."

Zhang Zhuo, on meeting Chen Ji’s refusal, wasn’t angered but instead smiled brightly, "No matter, a melon forcibly twisted off the vine isn’t sweet. Yet, if you ever change your mind, you’re welcome to find me anytime."

Chen Ji felt puzzled, feeling as if he had heard those words somewhere before but he resolutely answered, "I won’t change my mind."

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "Young man, don’t speak too absolutes. In this world, the only constant is ’change’."

He then deliberately changed the subject, "Was this matter really manipulated by the Liu Family?"

Chen Ji responded, "Without a doubt."

Zhang Zhuo glanced at the swarm of disaster victims, "Don’t be in a rush to step back from accomplishment. People from the Liu Family are still hiding among the disaster victims; if we let them stay hidden, more problems may arise. Let me ask you, do you have a way to root them out?"

Chen Ji closed his eyes to think.

When he opened them, he answered, "There is a method we could try."