Green Mountain
Chapter 206 - 161, White Boat Record

Chapter 206: 161, White Boat Record

The black, silent stone steps harbored no wind, and it was uncertain where they led.

Chen Ji stared pensively down the profound steps, wondering if, by merely traversing this underground tunnel, he could uncover whom Prince Jing was conspiring with and what the conspiracy entailed.

Perhaps in that moment, many lingering puzzles that had long perplexed him would be readily solved.

Prince Jing, carrying an oil residue lamp, descended the steps and looked back to see Chen Ji lingering at the entrance, hesitantly not moving forward. He said in bafflement, "Come on."

Chen Ji suddenly hesitated. "Prince, where does this secret passage lead? If I see people or things I shouldn’t, could I be silenced?"

Prince Jing couldn’t help but laugh and cry. "What are you thinking about all day? Put your mind at ease; no one wants to silence you. Also, leave that knife in your hands with your master for safekeeping. It’s too noticeable without a sheath."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Ji leaned the Whale Blade against the inner wall of the room, then casually asked Old Yao, "Master, when you came to Luocheng three years ago, did you arrange it with Prince Jing in advance?"

Old Yao glanced at him sideways. "Don’t try to wheedle information out of me; just go away."

Chen Ji said, "Oh."

He slightly bowed his head and followed Prince Jing into the extremely narrow tunnel.

In the dim light, only the weak flame in Prince Jing’s hand flickered, casting his elongated shadow throughout the tunnel.

With every step Chen Ji took, his vigilance heightened.

He was about to meet that mysterious figure. What kind of person were they? Could they be trusted just like his master and Prince Jing?

He had no idea.

After walking for what felt like dozens of breaths, Prince Jing held up his oil residue lamp and climbed the steps, prompting Chen Ji to take a deep breath before catching up.

The next moment, he was somewhat startled.

There were no prominent figures around, nor any followers—only an empty shop remained.

Chen Ji looked at the familiar surroundings and asked, "Prince, is this the Wang Meat Shop on Anxi Street?"

"Exactly," Prince Jing answered. "This meat shop has always belonged to the Prince Mansion. Business has been quite good."

While Prince Jing was not looking, Chen Ji casually touched a candle holder on the desk; the white wax had not yet fully solidified, indicating it had been extinguished not long ago. The person who met secretly with Prince Jing had just left.

But if the person from the secret meeting had already left, what was Prince Jing doing here?

Chen Ji asked, "Prince, where is the person you were supposed to meet?"

Prince Jing laughed, "When did I say I was here to meet someone? I never did."

Chen Ji looked up, only to see Prince Jing had already blown out the oil lamp and was walking towards the street under the moonlight, beckoning back at him, "What are you dazed about? We don’t have much time."

As he walked towards the door, he hadn’t even stepped out when he suddenly pulled Prince Jing back into the shadow of the meat shop.

"What’s the matter?" Prince Jing asked, puzzled.

In the darkness, a carriage hurriedly crushed the snow on the road as it headed east.

The carriage was modest and unadorned. Chen Ji and Prince Jing saw Xibing slightly lift the curtain, quietly peering out while urging the coachman to go faster.

After the carriage passed by, Prince Jing, standing in the wind stirred up by the carriage, asked with a smile, "How many people do you think are in that carriage?"

Chen Ji recalled: The carriage was small, yet the horses seemed strained. Therefore, at least two people, or perhaps three, were inside.

The other person in the carriage was Consort Yun.

At this very moment, as Prince Jing lay ’seriously ill,’ Consort Yun had quietly left the Prince Mansion under cover of darkness. This matter could be seen as significantly serious or trivial.

Chen Ji cautiously observed Prince Jing’s expression and said carefully, "Prince, I can’t tell how many people are in the carriage."

Prince Jing laughed. "Playing clever, are you?"

He watched the carriage disappear into the night and chuckled softly, "The general does not dismount; each pursues their own path. Let’s go, we have important matters to attend to."

...

...

In Luocheng, on Tongji Street, a gathering place for the wealthy, also where Chen Ji attempted to assassinate Manager Yuan.

The long street housed forty-eight courtyards; the first twelve covered extensive grounds, each designed by garden artists from Jiangnan Water Town, complete with pavilions and towers and humorously called ’Heavenly Leader’ by the locals. The remaining thirty-six were much smaller, jokingly labeled ’Earthly Leader’ by the community.

Regardless of whether it was Heavenly Leader or Earthly Leader, the fortunes and disgraces of the owners changed like flowing water, but the pavilions and towers remained constant.

On the cobblestone street of Tongji, carriages were parked tightly, with coachmen and servants tucking their hands in their sleeves, gathering in groups under the gray tile walls to brag and chat about women.

Today, the legitimate eldest son of Landlord Lin from ’Heavenly Leader’ was getting married; the street was adorned with lights, and red happiness characters were pasted every five steps on the cobblestone with paste.

Guests filled the courtyard pv_next_page inside Landlord Lin’s home, with dozens of tables arranged for the banquet.

Prince Jing stood in front of Lin Mansion, glanced up at the plaque, and smilingly said to Chen Ji, "This is the place."

Then, he lifted his leg to walk inside.

Chen Ji quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Your Highness, are you just going to walk in so blatantly? Lin Mansion is crowded with people; what if someone recognizes you?"

Prince Jing responded irritably, "Why fear? You’re just a young man, yet you sound more pessimistic than me. Landlord Lin runs brothel and gambling house businesses, surrounded by hooligans; no dignitary would demean themselves to attend his family’s wedding. If there are no dignitaries, who could possibly recognize me?"

Chen Ji hurriedly said, "Still, we can’t take the risk in such a mixed crowd. What if something goes wrong? How would I explain it to Bai Li and the Princely Heir?"

Prince Jing lifted his leg and walked towards Lin Mansion, "Kid, I hired you to be my guard, not to manage me. Today, I have important business and must go inside."

Chen Ji could only grit his teeth and hurry to follow.

When they reached the doorway, the welcoming butler stood at the high threshold, smiling and bowing, "The two guests seem unfamiliar. May I trouble you to ask if you have an invitation from our master?"

Prince Jing nonchalantly said, "We are merchants passing by and seeing the lively event here, we simply came to offer our congratulations and partake in some drinks."

The butler was stunned; he had never seen anyone so brazen about gatecrashing a feast.

He glanced at Prince Jing and Chen Ji’s empty hands, and without a second thought skillfully replied, "Today is a joyful day at Lin Mansion, and we’ve only invited some close friends and family..."

Prince Jing, smiling, interrupted, "Please excuse us, as we came in haste and didn’t have time to bring a proper gift. However, since it’s a great celebration at Lin Mansion today, we offer thirty silver taels as a token of our congratulations."

Upon finishing, Prince Jing looked at Chen Ji, "Give it to the butler."

Chen Ji: "?"

He had been enjoying the spectacle until he realized he’d been tricked.

Seeing Chen Ji hesitate, Prince Jing urged again, "Thirty taels."

Chen Ji, astonished, said, "Thirty taels, I’m to give?"

Prince Jing spoke gently, "Didn’t you bring it? Quickly hand it over, let’s not keep this butler waiting."

Chen Ji expressionlessly pulled out three small silver ingots from his sleeve and handed them to the butler, who smiled slightly and tucked the silver ingots into his sleeve, "Please come in, and servants will guide you."

After entering, a young servant led them towards the courtyard.

Chen Ji solemnly said, "You handle things, I pay; how is this reasonable?"

Prince Jing laughed heartily, "Bai Li has spent so much on you. What is unreasonable about you spending thirty silver taels? Should I calculate the expense in detail for you?"

Chen Ji suffered a loss there.

After a long silence, he asked quietly, "You didn’t even ask if I had that much money before you mentioned thirty silver taels. Next time, please discuss it with me."

Prince Jing, hands behind his back, leisurely said, "No need, your master said you always carry thirty silver taels for emergencies."

"Alright, alright..."

The young servant led them to a table at the edge of the banquet near the opera stage.

The table had leftover food, but Prince Jing didn’t mind and began serving himself while stretching his neck to watch the stage.

Chen Ji, following his gaze, asked, "Is the person you’re meeting secretly on the stage?"

Prince Jing gave him a strange look, "A secret meeting? What meeting?"

Chen Ji puzzled, "Didn’t you say it was serious business?"

With patience, Prince Jing explained, "Today Lin, the landlord, has arranged a banquet specifically to invite Master Meng of the Northern Faction Mixed Drama to perform ’White Boat Record.’ You should know, Master Meng was a renowned actor in the Imperial Capital back in the day; it’s not easy to hear him perform a play. I came here to listen to the opera."

Chen Ji: "Ah?"

So, your serious business was just to listen to an opera?

At this moment, the Liu Family, Consort Yun, Princess Consort Jing, and the Ritual Supervision all plotted, each painstakingly striving for advantage amid a situation turning chaotic.

And there you were, at the heart of the vortex, like someone with nothing better to do, sneaking into someone else’s banquet to listen to an opera?

The Liu Family was plotting a rebellion, relatives of the Prince Mansion were looking to go their separate ways, and the drama offstage was even more absurd than that onstage. You should be working to stem the tide of disaster now instead of listening to an opera.

Just as Chen Ji was about to say something, he heard Prince Jing suddenly say, "Don’t talk, the play is about to start."

The youth suddenly turned to look towards the dimly lit stage, where a performer with a heavily painted face rushed on, "Humid night stretches long, humid night stretches long, flying across heavy barriers, racing through barren outskirts; in the red dust, mistaken years of youth in the Imperial Capital..."

In the play, a young man was sent on a dangerous mission to the battlefield.

To eliminate corrupt officials, kill the rebels, pacify the northern borders, only to return with white hair. Before he could even return to the capital to become prime minister, he was imprisoned due to the Emperor’s suspicion.

It is said that the General secured peace, not allowing himself to enjoy peace.

Chen Ji looked back at Prince Jing, only to see this graying Vassal Prince sitting upright, his eyes no longer on the play, his thoughts wandering elsewhere.

It seemed like both the joys and sorrows on stage and the absurdities offstage were momentarily indistinguishable.

Not knowing how long it took, the play ended.

Prince Jing looked at Chen Ji and smiled, "Why do you look at me like that?"

Chen Ji spoke excitedly, "Did you really take this risk tonight just to listen to this play?"

Prince Jing teased, "Isn’t it okay to just listen to a play? Who dictates that one must undertake great national saving deeds every day? That would be exhausting."

Chen Ji was at a loss for words.

Prince Jing laughed heartily, "In earlier years when Northern Faction Mixed Drama was thriving, the Empress Dowager once summoned Master Meng to the palace to perform, and at that time, he sang ’White Boat Record.’ Back then, I was twenty-one and had just been titled; Master Meng was celebrated far and wide. Now that Southern Kunqu Opera has replaced Northern Faction Drama, Master Meng has fallen to the point of needing to perform in the homes of merchants."

Prince Jing looked at the now empty stage, smiling softly, "All are famed actors from a bygone era preparing to take their final bows, this opera, one less to hear each time."

Chen Ji asked, "Prince, the opera has ended, where to now?"

Prince Jing stood up to leave, "Let’s go home."