Green Mountain
Chapter 209 - 164, Escape

Chapter 209: 164, Escape

Entrusting an orphan.

The deepest trust between men.

A man solemnly entrusts another with his life’s treasure.

From now on, through war, disease, poverty, and wealth, the other person crossed three thousand miles of knife mountains and fire seas, never looking back.

Is it worth it? Is it reasonable?

No one had considered whether it was worth it or reasonable.

At the Eight Immortals table, Chen Ji and Prince Jing looked at each other without words.

It wasn’t until a waiter from Fulou Tea House brought tea, preserved fruits, and seeds between them that the tense atmosphere loosened.

After the waiter left, Chen Ji picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Prince Jing. "Your Highness, why me?"

Prince Jing took a sip of tea. "In terms of strength, you’re not even innate, and there are many under my command who are stronger than you. In terms of intelligence, though your mind is sharp, you’re not one to strategize over great distances."

Prince Jing continued, "But you seem different from others. You readily shared the profits from the cement you painstakingly produced; when others would avoid civil upheavals, you jumped right in; despite the life-threatening situation at Dragon King Village, no one fled. Sometimes, I’m not even sure if you’re clever or just foolish."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Prince Jing stared at the remnants in his cup, then glanced sidelong at Chen Ji. "Leaving so much wealth to Bai Li might not be good for her. Although I don’t really want to praise you, and I’m even somewhat annoyed with you now, I must admit that if someone else were to protect her, I wouldn’t be at ease. With you, it would be acceptable."

Chen Ji puzzledly asked, "Your Highness, why are you annoyed with me?"

Prince Jing grabbed a handful of seeds, glancing at Chen Ji. "Figure it out yourself."

Chen Ji didn’t dwell on the question but casually asked, "Your Highness, haven’t you made plans for the Princely Heir? From beginning to end, you haven’t mentioned him."

Prince Jing fell silent for a moment. "He has his own path to follow."

Chen Ji pondered for a long time before mustering the courage to ask, "Your Highness, what exactly are you planning to do? Why entrust an orphan? In the chaos of the Liu Family, what role are you playing, suppressing revolt or plotting rebellion?"

Prince Jing didn’t answer the question, only calmly saying, "The storyteller has arrived; let’s listen to the storytelling."

At that moment, a middle-aged man with graying hair took a deep drag of soldering smoke and then knocked all the ash out of his pipe with his shoe.

He slowly made his way to the table, slammed the wooden clapper down hard, and declaimed the opening lines:

"Life in this world, day after day, year after year. The rich have everything, the poor shiver in the cold. Rise in rank and gain wealth, then suddenly a kick of the legs, and it’s all over!"

"Tales and operas are meant to instruct, walk the three main paths. Good and evil both get their due, the righteous way of the world is full of vicissitudes!"

"Telling of Jianing’s thirty-first winter, the debate on Buddhism at Lu Hun Manor, a young man emerged as if from nowhere, sitting amid the yin-yang fish, questioning the Bodhisattva: If there is no self, who undergoes reincarnation, who needs to be freed?"

Chen Ji was taken aback; this storytelling directly pushed him to the opposition of Buddhism with no room for retreat.

Prince Jing, cracking seeds, gloated, "Surprised? Nowadays, on Anle Street, nineteen out of twenty-one tea houses talk about this. The script was written by a master, and the storytellers get one hundred copper coins just to recite it."

Chen Ji was shocked; someone was using his scripture debate to undermine the reputation of Buddhism: "Who would do this... No need to ask, it must be the work of the Dao Court."

"Correct," Prince Jing chuckled. "After the debate, Zhang Li led a group of little Daoists from Laojun Mountain Dao Court into Luocheng. They stayed at Yingxian Inn and wrote out the tale overnight. They not only paid storytellers to tell the story but also approached publishers to print the tale."

Chen Ji frowned.

Prince Jing threw down a shell of a seed, laughing heartily. "I guess in two months at most, storytellers across the north and south of Yangtze will tell your story of debating scripture every day. When the Buddhist Sect hears ’Chen Ji,’ they’ll be troubled... Eh, you don’t seem panicked at all?"

Chen Ji bowed his head, feeling the fierce pulsing of the fire within him.

The Dao Court used him to suppress the influence of Buddhism, yet he also benefited from it. If, as Prince Jing said, the tale would spread throughout the north and south of the Yangtze, perhaps his internal fire could transform into a bright yellow hue.

"Boy, what are you thinking? Aren’t you afraid the Buddhist Sect will trip you up?"

Chen Ji looked up and said, "Your Highness, let me survive the current ordeal first. The Liu Family regards me as a thorn in their side; it’s not yet Buddhism’s turn to dislike me."

Prince Jing remarked, "You really have more debts than worries."

As he spoke, the sound of a military formation echoed from outside Fulou Tea House. The tea guests looked outside, only to see a squad of infantry clad in light armor and holding long spears passing by the door.

Chen Ji’s pupils contracted—Liu Family Army had entered the city!

He turned to look at Prince Jing. "Your Highness?"

"Once the Liu Family stops concealing their private army, it means everything is brought to light. Let’s go, it’s time to head back," Prince Jing stood up and walked towards the door.

Before leaving, Prince Jing looked back at the storyteller in the tea house, with the outside light casting his figure in shadow: "Young man, how do you think future storytelling books will speak of me?"

...

...

By noon, the winter sun was just right.

Old Yao, covered in a blanket, sat on a bamboo reclining chair in front of the door and leisurely closed his eyes to rest.

She Dengke, Liu Quxing, and Liang Mao’er sat on small stools in the courtyard, using a large knife to cut whole medicinal herbs into small pieces.

The next moment, Feng Daban, vigorous and aggressive, led the Royal Mansion Guards rushing into the Medical Hall, and finally stopped in front of Old Yao’s reclining chair.

He looked down at Old Yao and said softly, "Doctor Yao, where is the Prince?"

Old Yao lifted his eyelids, glanced at him slowly, and said, "The Prince is currently napping, it’s best not to disturb him. She Dengke, show some initiative and bring Feng Daban a chair."

Feng Daban frowned, "Is the Prince really not inside?"

Old Yao sat unmoved on the reclining chair in front of the door, looking surprised. "Where else could the Prince be if not here? You have surrounded Taiping Medical Hall with soldiers, could the Prince just fly away? I confirmed when I gave him acupuncture yesterday, the Prince doesn’t have wings."

Feng Daban glanced at the thick cotton door curtain, feeling something was amiss. "I’m sorry, Doctor Yao."

With that, he waved his hand at the guards, "Take Doctor Yao aside!"

Several guards rushed forward, intending to lift Old Yao’s bamboo chair away, whereupon Liang Mao’er stood up and shouted, "Stop!"

However, Liang Mao’er, with his burly figure, came charging over and managed to upend one of the guards with a tug.

Feng Daban wasn’t angry, and merely said lightly, "Doctor Yao, please ask him to stop. I am only concerned for the Prince’s safety, we cannot delay."

However, at that moment, Chen Ji appeared supporting Prince Jing, who emerged from the house looking feeble. "Feng Daban, what’s happening?"

Feng Daban hurriedly bowed, "Your Highness, I have come to escort you back to the mansion."

Prince Jing curiously said, "Feng Daban is usually as calm as a steady fisherman, why are you in such a rush today?"

Feng Daban glanced at She Dengke and the others, then turned to the Prince, "Your Highness, this is not a place for conversation."

Prince Jing smiled, "Go on, it’s alright."

Feng Daban took a deep breath, "Your Highness, the Liu Family’s private army at Yanshi Camp has entered the city, they’ve just surrounded Luocheng City Government and are heading towards Anxi Street! It seems the Liu Family is rebelling!"

In the courtyard, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, and Liang Mao’er looked at each other.

Liu Quxing’s face turned pale, "Wasn’t it peaceful just yesterday? How could they rebel today?"

She Dengke dryly said, "What are you afraid of!"

Liu Quxing cursed, "This is a major crime punishable by execution of nine tribes, and I’m part of those tribes, how could I not be scared? Damn it, we never benefit from the Liu Family on normal days, but when trouble arises, we end up implicated!"

She Dengke was stunned as he realized, if the Liu Family’s rebellion failed, Liu Quxing would also be implicated and beheaded, "What... what if the Liu Family succeeds?"

Liu Quxing reflexively glanced at Prince Jing and quickly hushed She Dengke by twisting his arm, "What nonsense are you talking about..."

Feng Daban ignored their conversation, hearing the sound of approaching horse hooves, he once again earnestly said, "Your Highness, there’s no time to delay, please follow me back to the Prince Mansion first. Once we send someone with the Tiger Talisman to summon the Thousand-year Army, there might still be a chance to remedy the situation!"

Prince Jing pondered for a moment, "Let’s go, back to the mansion."

At this moment, Chen Ji suddenly said to Old Yao, "Master, the Prince’s condition cannot do without you, shall we go to the Prince Mansion as well?"

Old Yao furrowed his brows in thought for a moment and agreed, "All right."

Having said that, they quickly packed up and left with Prince Jing.

Just out of the Medical Hall, the group looked back and saw a troop of soldiers galloping toward them, getting closer and closer.

She Dengke exclaimed, "Hurry, let’s move, they are heading for the Prince Mansion!"

However, Chen Ji seemed to suddenly remember something, "You go on ahead, master, I forgot to pick something up."

She Dengke kept looking back as he walked, only to see Chen Ji diving back into Taiping Medical Hall.

He angrily said, "Chen Ji, come with us now! What are you picking up at this time? What’s more important than your life?!"

She Dengke waited for a few breaths, but never heard Chen Ji’s reply.

Moments later, he clenched his teeth to go look for Chen Ji, but was grabbed by the wrist by Doctor Yao and forcefully pulled into Prince Jing Mansion.

Just before entering the mansion, he suddenly realized that the first troop of cavalry had not charged towards the Prince Mansion, but instead had first surrounded Taiping Medical Hall.

Everyone suddenly realized, these people were actually after Chen Ji!

At the entrance of Taiping Medical Hall, the Liu Family soldiers dismounted and drew their waist knives, storming in with murderous intent. They searched the kitchen, bedroom, and main house, but no one was there.

A soldier stood in the main house, frowning as he surveyed the surroundings. He had clearly seen Chen Ji enter the Medical Hall just before, how could he have vanished into thin air?

Pondering this, his eyes fell on the bed...

The next moment, the soldier pulled aside the bed, revealing the dark tunnel below.

"He’s escaped? Chase him!"