Green Mountain
Chapter 291 - 233, slang

Chapter 291: 233, slang

The moonlight in Guyuan City was silver, casting a chilly clarity over the world.

Four horses weaved between mud houses and narrow paths, suddenly, Chen Ji pulled the reins and turned back to look at the deserted street behind him, "The Crown Prince probably hasn’t sent anyone after us, we have shaken them off."

He was draped in a black large cloak, and Wu Yun was bundled inside, sleeping soundly.

Xiao Man rode on a small pony behind him, curiously asking, "Young Master, why do we need to sneak away?"

Chen Ji answered without turning back, "Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo are brave but reckless, and Mr. Chen is not quick-witted enough. The Crown Prince wants to investigate the case of wrongful glory, it seems he has to rely on himself. Moreover, there are people secretly plotting against the Crown Prince and the border army. If we continue to follow them, we might end up unlucky as well."

Zhang Zheng commented, "The Yulin Army is at least the facade of the Imperial Guard. I don’t know why so many noble children are employed. That Qi Zhenzhuo used to be chased around by us in the Imperial City, and now he rides a white horse in the Yulin Army."

Zhang Xia glanced at him, "Employing noble children is not solely due to nepotism but for their loyalty. The Yulin Army guards the palace doors, a critical position that cannot be entrusted to someone without family ties. If a bachelor was employed and he made a mistake, the court would find it difficult to execute his nine tribes."

She turned her head towards Chen Ji, "Is it dangerous to be around the Crown Prince?"

Chen Ji nodded, "I suspect that the poison given to the Chen family tonight was not by the border army, but by a spy from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department."

Zhang Zheng was shocked, "A spy?"

Chen Ji explained, "As I mentioned earlier, the border army has no motive, and neither do the local tyrants in Guyuan City. But if it was the Jing Dynasty spy trying to incite a conflict between the Crown Prince and the border army, that would make sense. It’s just that it seems like the Crown Prince’s entourage is convinced it’s the border army and hasn’t considered other possibilities."

At that moment, Zhang Zheng grasping his reins, chuckled: "It’s strange how the Crown Prince has no capable people by his side. No wonder he was anxious to call on Mr. Chen."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and asked, "Who is the Mr. Qi mentioned by the Crown Prince? Why didn’t he accompany the Crown Prince to Guyuan?"

Zhang Xia shook her head, "I don’t know. We know very little about palace affairs, and neither our father nor uncle ever mentioned it, treating the matter of the national treasury with the utmost secrecy."

She pondered for a few breaths and guessed, "If you ask me, previously when the Crown Prince was the deputy director of education and investigated the private minting of copper coins, his half-hearted actions greatly disappointed His Majesty, who then transferred out his strategy-making staff as a way of admonishing him."

Zhang Zheng grinned, "His Majesty must be afraid those deeply scheming staff would lead the Crown Prince astray."

Chen Ji’s thoughts were busy. After returning to the Chen family, Chen Liqin was immediately promoted to a minister of the Eastern Palace, followed by the consecutive transfers of the Crown Prince’s staff, creating a power vacuum.

This series of events seemed to be engineered from behind the scenes to make room for Chen Liqin... was it coincidence or conspiracy?

If Chen Ji was still a novice apprentice at the Medical Hall, perhaps he wouldn’t ponder these questions. But after witnessing Bai Long and the Prime Minister engulf the Liu Family and Prince Jing Mansion, he couldn’t help but overthink.

Zhang Xia asked, "So what should we do now?"

Chen Ji snapped back to reality, "We need to expose the Military Intelligence Department’s spy. Otherwise, in cooperation with Jing Dynasty forces outside, Guyuan could truly be in danger."

Zhang Xia thoughtfully asked, "Are you planning to help the Crown Prince?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, "Yes, I have a reason to get close to the Crown Prince, but I can’t disclose that reason yet..."

At this point, he suddenly realized: All the people around the Crown Prince were being transferred out—not to make 原 for Chen Liqin, but for himself?

...

...

During the night, Chen Ji rode along the narrow mud road inside Guyuan City, searching for something.

After a moment, he found an old man in a dim alley, tucked behind a pile of debris dozing off, with an old copper gong and hammer beside him.

Chen Ji leaned forward while sitting on his horse and asked, "Old man, are you the night patrol?"

The old man, disturbed, didn’t even lift his eyelids, only pulled his hands tighter within his sleeves, continuing to doze.

Zhang Zheng sat on his saddle, took out a piece of broken silver from his sleeve, and threw it onto the dirt road. It made a ’puff’ sound and raised some dust. The old man immediately opened his eyes and crawled over to pick up the silver.

Zhang Zheng chuckled to Chen Ji, "Go ahead and ask."

Chen Ji repeated his earlier question, "Are you the night watchman?"

The old man fawningly replied, "To all you lords, I am indeed the night watchman of Wushen Fang."

Chen Ji curiously asked, "Being a night watchman, why aren’t you on patrol?"

The old man sorrowfully exclaimed, "Lords, you must’ve just arrived from outside? You’re not aware, it’s not that I’m lazy, but nights in Guyuan are riddled with over-river dragons and local tyrants. If I happen to encounter criminals who’ve just committed a crime, I might even get killed to silence me..."

Chen Ji wondered, "Doesn’t the Guyuan City, Dusi Prefecture handle this?"

The old man hesitated to speak.

Zhang Zheng threw another piece of broken silver, prompting him to speak, "Lords, if the Governor’s Mansion wanted to manage, they wouldn’t let so many outsiders in. Normally, the city gates are open, you don’t even need a road pass to come and go, as long as you agree to pay taxes and protection money. All sorts of powerful criminals come here to hide after committing crimes, how could it not be chaotic?"

Chen Ji thoughtfully said, "When we arrived, the city gates were closed."

The old man explained, "The gates have been closed for more than half a month."

Chen Ji further inquired, "Were the city gates closed since the Crown Prince arrived in Guyuan?"

The old man shook his head, "No, the Crown Prince has only been here for about ten days. They were closed before he arrived, not allowing entry or exit. Many trading teams are trapped in the city, making Qiu Ci Street bustling."

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Xia, "It seems the border army has concealed some matters. Their scouts must have detected Jing Dynasty’s movements even earlier."

Zhang Xia tensed up, "Do you think, the Jing Dynasty army really plans to surround Guyuan?"

Chen Ji nodded, "The timing of the Heavenly Strategy Army of the Jing Dynasty is very coincidental... What do you think, if Jing Dynasty wants to isolate this place entirely, when would be the best time?"

Zhang Xia paused in shock while riding her horse, "Right now."

Zhang Zheng scratched his forehead: "What riddle are you playing? Why now?"

Zhang Xia cautiously explained: "The Guyuan Trading Team travels frequently. If Guyuan was besieged on a normal day, the Taiyuan Prefecture would become suspicious after not seeing the trading team for many days. But now, with the New Year’s Day and the Lantern Festival approaching, and the weather being cold and freezing, even if there are no trading teams coming and going, no one would find it strange."

She continued, "If it’s true as the border army says, that Jing Dynasty Officials have infiltrated behind Guyuan, I’m afraid Guyuan has already become an isolated city."

The old man panicked: "What are you gentlemen talking about, are Jing Dynasty troops coming?"

Chen Ji did not answer, but continued to ask: "Why do all the merchants gather on Qiu Ci Street?"

The old man explained: "The best brothels, taverns, inns, and gambling houses in Guyuan are all on Qiu Ci Street. Merchants have nothing to do at night, so don’t they all run there? It’s said that a trading team from the Northwest lost the antelope skins they brought within just seven days at the gambling house, and now they don’t even have the money to stay in the inn; they are working as pimps in the brothel."

Zhang Zheng remarked with a sigh: "They can bend and stretch."

The old man quickly said: "They didn’t want to be pimps; they were sold into it by the gambling house."

While they were talking, a rush of hurried footsteps came from a distance, and someone was shouting loudly: "Stop running, damn it! If I catch up, I’ll chop off two of your fingers!"

Chen Ji silently touched the Whale Blade lying horizontally in front of the saddle. In the next moment, a group of young servants dressed in short Hu clothing and holding short knives, chased a middle-aged man with a knife sticking out of his shoulder. They rushed past Chen Ji and the others without giving them a second glance.

After these people ran far away, the narrow road returned to its quiet state, as if nothing had ever happened.

Zhang Zheng hesitated: "What was that...?"

The old man answered: "Those young servants just now were from the Wuqia Gambling House, and it seems to be another gambler who lost everything and tried to default on his debt."

After a moment of thought, Chen Ji asked: "One last question, where is Dragon Gate Inn?"

"Sir, Dragon Gate Inn is right in Qiu Ci Street, that tallest building there."

...

Qiu Ci Street is bustling with brothels and taverns hanging red lanterns, continuous sounds of drinking commands and the chattering from the brothels, making it feel like a blazing furnace amid the cold winter, keeping this remote military town from being completely frozen.

Chen Ji and his party had already dismounted, leading the reins along the stone slab road.

Zhang Zheng looked around: "Only this place in Guyuan has paved blue bricks, I almost thought I was back at the Red Dress Lane in Luocheng."

Zhang Xia frowned: "Brother, it’s a critical moment, don’t wander around aimlessly."

Zhang Zheng chuckled: "What do you think your brother is? I’ve been through countless floral passages without a stain; I’m already tired of them. Even if the top-ranked brothels in the Eight Famous Old Alley of the Imperial City beg me to stay, I might not agree. What we’ve played at Imperial City’s base is all about the show, wild flowers here can’t attract us."

Xiao Man murmured behind them: "Bragging again, not afraid of bursting the cowhide."

Zhang Zheng turned back with a chuckle: "Who is this little girl underestimating?"

Xiao Man looked towards Chen Ji: "Master, he’s bullying me."

Zhang Zheng: "...I did not!"

Chen Ji ignored the two, he looked up and saw in the middle of the long Qiu Ci Street, a three-story octagonal building stood out like a crane among chickens.

He led the three to the front of the building, and saw a plaque hanging in front of the door that read "Dragon Gate Inn"; the right side of the couplet read, "Observing things and events, observing heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, high and low", the left side of the couplet read, "Laughing at the past and present, laughing east, west, south, north, back and forth, laughing at oneself’s previous ignorance."

Chen Ji thought pensively; other inn’s couplets usually welcome guests and wealth from all directions. So why does this Dragon Gate Inn not seem focused on doing business, but rather looks like a place for cultivating Zen?

He lifted the heavy cotton door curtain and entered, bringing the cold air with him.

Before he could clearly see the furnishings inside, a clerk came up with a white cloth, patting off the dust on him: "Guests, are you staying at the inn or just passing by?"

Chen Ji looked down as the clerk used the ’dusting off’ as an excuse to scan him from head to toe, even touching his sleeves, clearly trying to see how much wealth or weapons he carried.

When the clerk touched the Whale Blade wrapped in cloth in Chen Ji’s hand, his hand paused slightly, but his face remained nonchalant.

Chen Ji calmly said after a pause: "Four people, staying at the inn."

The clerk smiled and got up: "Will the guests be paying with copper coins or silver taels?"

Chen Ji slightly narrowed his eyes; a usual inn’s clerk would only ask how many rooms they need, not such an odd question... Paying with copper coins or silver taels?

This Dragon Gate Inn is strange at every turn.

Chen Ji calmly asked: "What difference does it make whether we use copper coins or silver taels?"

The clerk laughed: "Don’t overthink it, sir. Whatever you use is fine; I just asked casually."

After saying that, he shouted to the shopkeeper behind the counter: "Shopkeeper, we have sharp and shrewd guests and a wandering over-river dragon; present them and assess what’s under the sea."

Chen Ji asked: "What does that mean? I don’t understand."

The clerk politely said: "Sir, that’s our Guyuan dialect, calling the shopkeeper to serve you."

However, just then, Zhang Xia suddenly stepped forward, smiling at the clerk: "Brother, you missed the mark."

She translated to Chen Ji: "He was speaking in Jianghu slang to the shopkeeper, saying we’ve got handsome men and women who might have entered the wrong shop, telling the shopkeeper to assess our backgrounds."

The clerk was taken aback: "Do they belong to Jianghu?"

Zhang Xia quietly explained to Chen Ji: "He’s asking if we are fellows of the Jianghu."

Then, turning to the clerk she said: "There’s no need to assess further. The four of us are just passing through Guyuan and won’t interfere with your business. Please arrange rooms for us."