Green Mountain
Chapter 204 - 159, the sky hasn’t fallen yet

Chapter 204: 159, the sky hasn’t fallen yet

Taiping Medical Hall’s courtyard had no lights, only the early rising moonlight.

Sweat on Chen Ji’s head turned into white mist in the cold air, and the strong servant brought by Princess Consort Jing appeared solemn, as if ready to pounce at any moment.

They looked at Chen Ji indifferently, and Chen Ji returned their stares. She Dengke and Liu Quxing squatted by the kitchen door, not knowing what to do. Liang Gou’er had gone out to drink and was nowhere to be found.

However, Liang Mao’er paid no attention to the others. He brought a bowl of rice from the kitchen and handed it to Chen Ji, saying earnestly, "Haven’t eaten yet, huh? Hurry up and have a few bites."

Looking at the white rice and arranged slices of cured meat in the bowl, Chen Ji asked, "Is this saved for me?"

Liang Mao’er smiled and placed a pair of bamboo chopsticks on the bowl, "Master said at noon that you would come back and asked to save it for you."

Chen Ji let out a slight sigh of relief, "Thank you, Brother Mao’er."

Holding the bowl, he slowly picked at the rice while leaning against the window outside the main house, secretly listening to the sounds inside.

From inside the house, faint sounds of suppressed sobs from Princess Consort Jing and the speaking and coughing of Prince Jing could be heard.

Gradually, the voices of Prince Jing and Princess Consort Jing grew softer, as if they had fallen back into a slumber.

After a long time, Chen Ji heard through the paper window Princess Consort Jing’s frail sobbing, "Doctor Yao, tell me the truth, how is the Prince really?"

Old Yao casually said, "Princess Consort Jing, the Prince just needs some rest for a few days, and he’ll recover. Don’t worry too much."

The sobbing inside the house gradually ceased. Chen Ji turned his head and through the paper window, saw the shadows illuminated by the kerosene lamp inside.

Princess Consort Jing seemed to hand something to Old Yao and then asked, "Doctor Yao, tell me the truth, what’s really going on with the Prince?"

Old Yao hesitated for a moment, "The Prince has always been frail, and his cold hasn’t been treated properly before, and now he has exhausted his energy for the Princely Heir and the Commandery Princess. Judging by his pulse, he might have one month if it’s soon, three months if it’s late. We need to start preparing for the worst now."

Chen Ji’s pupils shrunk. He instinctively looked around the courtyard to make sure no one else had heard the conversation inside before he relaxed.

Prince Jing... is going to die?

Could it be that his insistence on going on an incognito visit was actually because he knew he didn’t have much time left, and he wanted to take one last look with his children while he could still move?

Normally, after Prince Jing’s death, the Princely Heir would naturally succeed the throne, but with the Liu Family’s rebellion imminent, how could the Princely Heir handle such a crisis?

Princess Consort Jing uncertainly said, "A month... wouldn’t that mean he won’t even live until New Year’s Day?"

Old Yao softly spoke, "If the Elixir of Life Feather from Laojun Mountain Dao Court’s Medicine Official Path could be obtained, it might extend his life by three years."

Chen Ji was puzzled, what kind of elixir was so esteemed that even his master had to use the word ’please’?

Princess Consort Jing wondered, "I only knew that the Life Feather Pill is the Dao Court’s treasure, but I didn’t know it was so miraculous."

Old Yao explained, "It is the lifelong blood, sweat, and tears of the Medicine Official Path. Currently, there are only two such pills in the world. One was presented to the current Emperor by Huangshan Dao Court, and the other resides with the Laojun Mountain Dao Court, absorbed in gathering the essence of the sun and moon atop the Jade Emperor Peak. One Life Feather Pill extends one’s lifespan by three years, not a day more, not a day less, even if one contracts a severe illness, he can live like a normal person during those three years."

Princess Consort Jing made a move to leave, "I will go and beg for this medicine for the Prince."

Old Yao added behind her, "The Life Feather Pill’s extension of life is just a secondary effect, its true purpose is to help executive officers transcend calamities. If Daoist Leader Cen Yunzi of Laojun Mountain wishes to transcend people’s calamity and break through to the Divine Realm, this pill is essential."

Princess Consort Jing struggled, "Such an important item, would the Dao Court give it away?"

"That depends on what price you are willing to pay," Old Yao then blandly said, "However, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life; what’s meant to come will come, what’s meant to go will go. It’s not necessary to desperately go against fate."

Princess Consort Jing was silent for a long while, then picked up her skirt and walked out, "Since the Prince insists on staying in the medical hall, I will not say more, please take good care of him, Doctor Yao. As for the matter of the Life Feather Pill... I’ll think of a way."

Having said this, with reddened eyes, Princess Consort Jing lifted the door curtain and walked out, her emerald earrings swaying.

She glanced coldly at Chen Ji, then walked away supported by Chunrong.

Chen Ji noticed that the jade hairpin that had been in her hair when she arrived was missing. Holding his bowl, he lifted the curtain and walked inside, just in time to see his master holding a kerosene lamp, tucking the hairpin into a cabinet.

He glanced at Prince Jing and asked Old Yao’s retreating figure, "Master, can’t you even save the Prince?"

Old Yao snorted, "I’m no immortal."

Chen Ji felt a pang of regret.

Old Yao closed the cabinet, turned to look at him, and asked, "Feeling sad?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "No. I’m not close to Prince Jing. I only think he is a decent person. It’s a pity that he has to die so young at forty-five."

"It’s truly sad. And here I thought we had become quite close."

Chen Ji suddenly turned his head, only to see Prince Jing in the dim room suddenly open his eyes, sit up, and begin to pull out the silver needles from his chest one by one.

Chen Ji: "..."

He had been played.

Prince Jing smiled at him, looking at the half-eaten food in his clay bowl, "Give it to me, I’m starving."

Without a word, Chen Ji handed over the bowl and chopsticks. Prince Jing, without minding that they had been used by Chen Ji, quickly devoured the rest of the food, enjoying it immensely.

"The cured meat is a bit salty," Prince Jing handed the empty bowl back to Chen Ji, who looked down to see not a single grain of rice left.

He was puzzled, "You were spitting blood earlier, but now you seem perfectly fine."

Prince Jing chuckled, "We aren’t very familiar, so why should I tell you?"

Chen Ji: "..."

Prince Jing stood up, smoothed his clothes, and patted Chen Ji on the shoulder with a smile, "Luckily you caught me when I fell off the horse, otherwise I would have had a terrible fall. Honestly, young man, while you were carrying me back to the medical hall, did you worry that if I died, no one would pay you that annual dividend of 2,500 taels?"

Chen Ji answered honestly, "I was very worried, which is why I ran so fast."

Prince Jing smiled softly, "You’re quite honest."

After speaking, he turned and pulled back the room’s bed, revealing a deep tunnel underneath. A staircase about two feet wide within the tunnel led to an unknown destination.

Chen Ji looked at Old Yao, then at Prince Jing.

So, in this medical hall, there had been a secret tunnel leading to the outside world all along. The reason Prince Jing had to play dead and insisted on staying at Taiping Medical Hall for treatment was to make a secret escape through the tunnel on the eve of the Liu Family’s rebellion.

And his master had known about all this well in advance.

Chen Ji wondered, "Your Highness, where do you plan to go, and will you return? If you leave just like this, what will happen to the Princely Heir and the Commandery Princess?"

Prince Jing laughed, "I’m just going out to meet someone and will return soon. What, did you think I was going to flee and wander the ends of the earth? Though the world is vast, there is no place for me to hide."

Chen Ji realized that Prince Jing was going out to conspire with someone in dealing with the Liu Family.

But who in Luocheng City was worthy of a vassal prince applying such painstaking effort to make a dramatic escape?

The Spy Department?

Or was it that influential figure he secretly met in Yichuan County?

Chen Ji queried further, "Your Highness, why do you not avoid telling me such a huge secret?"

Prince Jing said meaningfully, "Because sooner or later you would have to know."

Chen Ji fell into thought.

At that moment, Prince Jing took the oil residue lamp from Old Yao’s hand, lifted his robe and slowly descended the stairs, about to disappear into the tunnel. Before vanishing he turned back and smiled at Chen Ji, "Young man, keep watch at the door, don’t let anyone barge in. Also, I would like to have a bowl of millet porridge, a plate of fermented tofu, and two steamed buns for breakfast tomorrow. I want the ’Heji’ brand fermented tofu. Would you mind buying some for me in the morning?"

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure now is the time to be talking about this?"

Prince Jing, chuckling, walked into the tunnel, his voice lightly drifting from inside, "The sky hasn’t fallen yet; we have to eat, right?"

Silence once more enveloped the room.

Chen Ji looked at Old Yao, who calmly took out a fire inch and lit another oil residue lamp.

Old Yao slightly raised his eyelids, his expression bland, "Why stare at me?"

Chen Ji pressed further, "Master, what exactly brought you to Luocheng three years ago?"

Old Yao said offhandedly, "Who are you to question me? You aren’t in charge of Taiping Medical Hall yet, so keep your nosy questions to yourself. If there are things you need to know, I will tell you. If not, don’t ask."

Chen Ji took a deep breath, "Are you Binghu?"

The small main room fell still, broken only by a soft fiz from the lamp wick before Old Yao slowly replied, "If I were Binghu, the first thing I would do would be to expose you, a spy from the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji nervously glanced at the tunnel, "Please, don’t joke about that. The ones who knew my identity are either dead or gone; I am no longer a Jing Dynasty spy!"

Old Yao scoffed, "Do you really think breaking away from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department is so simple? One day, someone who knows your identity will return to the Ning Dynasty. How will you manage then, launch another massacre?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Old Yao methodically said, "You were too reckless this time, acting impulsively for the Commandery Princess, offending those monks. If they were really so easy to bully, the Buddhist Treasure wouldn’t be considered valuable throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River. Their gesture of putting palms together isn’t a courtesy to you; it’s a preparation for action."

Chen Ji asked, "Is it always like this with the Buddhist Sect?"

Old Yao smiled, "Of course not. The monks from the Kujue Temple of the Jing Dynasty are indeed true monks, fully ordained and never ceasing their ascetic practices."

Just then, Liu Quxing’s voice came from outside, "Lady Consort Yun, Master has just administered acupuncture to His Highness, and he has just gone to sleep."

Consort Yun’s frosty voice carried into the room, "Get lost."

Chen Ji and Old Yao exchanged a glance, "Master, what should we do?"

Old Yao curled his lip, "The prince tasked you with guarding the door, not me."

Chen Ji stared agape, "Is that how you interpret it?"

"What else?"

Without a moment to spare, Chen Ji turned and lifted the curtain to go outside.

Outside, Consort Yun was clad in a brown robe embellished with golden threads at the edges, her head adorned with a golden silk bun and flower hairpins on either side, her demeanor dignified and commanding.

She looked emotionlessly at Chen Ji, "Are you going to stop me?"