Green Mountain
Chapter 297 - 237, Rush into the White Tiger Festival Hall_2

Chapter 297: 237, Rush into the White Tiger Festival Hall_2

"What sort of urgent matter could you possibly have?" The Yulin Army glanced at Chen Ji sideways: "Didn’t you all run away before? Why come back now? What, seeing that Jing Dynasty troops aren’t besieging the city today, you’re not afraid of getting involved with us? Crown Prince is currently discussing important matters and it’s inconvenient to meet you. Get going, the Governor’s Mansion is not a place for you to come."

Chen Ji ignored what the Yulin Army might be scheming behind his back, and kept walking inside.

The Yulin Army drew the long sword from his waist and blocked in front of Chen Ji: "Stop right there, didn’t you hear what I said?"

Yet Chen Ji continued without stopping, and when the tip of the sword was about to press against his chest, he slightly turned his body to dodge, brushing past the Yulin Army.

The Yulin Army was furious: "Brat, I told you to stop!"

With that, he turned around and aimed a kick at Chen Ji’s right hip.

Chen Ji caught his ankle, and with just a casual flick of his wrist, the Yulin Army staggered away like a spinning top.

By the time the Yulin Army regained his balance, Chen Ji’s figure was no longer in front of him. He turned around abruptly, just to see Chen Ji charging deeper into the Governor’s Mansion.

The Yulin Army wanted to chase, but Old Wu held his wrist, saying to Chen Ji: "Hurry up!"

The Yulin Army struggled a few times, but couldn’t break free from Old Wu’s iron grip, and immediately roared: "Assassin! Catch the assassin!"

The moment these words were spoken, they stirred up a thousand waves.

A dense clatter of footsteps and the grinding sound of armor rose as the Yulin Army surrounded from all directions, from inside the buildings and over the walkways.

Seeing more and more Yulin Army blocking the way, Chen Ji leapt onto the corridor railing next second, sprinting along the grey tiles towards the White Tiger Festival Hall.

Chen Ji ran along the tile ridge on the roof, while the Yulin Army ran parallel on the ground below.

One of the Yulin Army shouted angrily: "Send me up!"

In an instant, a comrade in front crouched down, and as he stepped onto the comrade’s shoulders with his black boots, the comrade below suddenly stood up, lifting him into the air.

The Yulin Army drew his sword in midair, his white cloak fluttering behind him: "Die!"

The bright sword light slashed down, cutting across the path that Chen Ji was taking.

Chen Ji stopped abruptly, shattering five or six grey tiles to halt his momentum, the sword light missing his nose by a hair’s breadth.

The Yulin Army was shocked, not expecting Chen Ji to evade this sword.

At this moment, Chen Ji took advantage of the Yulin Army’s exhausted force from the sword strike, grabbed the opponent’s wrist, swung it around in a circle, and threw him back into the crowd below, causing a pileup.

By the time the Yulin Army helped up the fallen comrade, Chen Ji had already approached the White Tiger Festival Hall of the Governor’s Mansion!

Chen Ji saw from a distance the Crown Prince sitting at the head of the long table inside the hall, with Li Xuan and Chen Liqin sitting to the left and right, discussing something unknown.

A Yulin Army behind him roared: "Assassin, protect His Highness!"

The people inside the hall were startled by the noise and all looked up to the roof, but in the dark night, they couldn’t see clearly.

Li Xuan stood up immediately, his hand on the long sword at his waist as he walked out of the White Tiger Festival Hall: "Protect His Highness!"

Qi Zhenzhuo led more than twenty Yulin Army soldiers to form up outside the hall, drawing their long swords: "Kill!"

Chen Ji jumped down from the roof, eyed the Yulin Army formation but didn’t dare to rush in rashly.

The well-drilled formation made these twenty-odd Yulin Army soldiers interconnected in breath, covering each other’s flaws without any weakness.

Chen Ji didn’t look at the forest of long swords, he stepped forward, separated by the Yulin Army, his gaze fixed on the White Tiger Festival Hall: "Your Highness, commoner Chen Ji, has an important matter to report!"

Chen Liqin sprang to his feet and looked outside upon hearing these words. Grasping the hem of his official robe, he hurried a few steps and stood on the steps, angrily rebuking: "Chen Ji, what on earth are you doing? What crime shall you bear for disturbing His Highness?"

Chen Ji paid him no heed, continuing to shout loudly: "This humble citizen has discovered news in the market, that someone is secretly seeking Feet Tilting collectors to gather golden juice, with more than ten vats in quantity. I suspect that Jing Dynasty spies intend to contaminate the city wells, colluding from within to aid the encirclement by the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army!"

In this era, what is cut off first during a siege? The water source and supplies!

Some armies would bury the carcasses of cows and sheep upstream of a river, which could pollute an entire city’s water in just seven days, while others would poison wells, destroying a city’s water source.

But what’s the easiest way to contaminate? It’s not poison, but feces.

Using arsenic certainly has a quicker toxic effect, but if you want a dose that can debilitate people, you need to throw at least two to three jin of arsenic into a well. However, the cost of extracting arsenic and other such compounds is extremely high and attracts too much attention, making it difficult to cover the hundreds of wells in Guyuan City.

If feces are used to create bacterial contamination, it not only saves time and effort but also money. And the E. coli in the feces can survive for five to ten minutes even in boiling water at a hundred degrees. Even if temporarily inactivated by high heat, microorganisms will rapidly multiply again as water cools, causing illness.

Therefore, when defending armies boil feces into golden juice and pour it from atop the city walls, any attacking armored soldiers scalded by it will inevitably have wounds that fester and cannot heal.

Extremely vicious.

Extremely revolting.

A stern Yulin Army soldier looked at Chen Ji: "What nonsensical things are you blabbering about? Just hearing some gossip in the market and you dare disturb His Highness? What crime shall you bear! Moreover, do you think the Guyuan Border Army are fools? Every well in this city is guarded by two armored soldiers, how could Jing Dynasty villains contaminate the well water?"

Chen Ji retorted: "If the Jing Dynasty villains are making such preparations, there must be an Executive Officer colluding with them. Do you think the border army can afford to station several hundred Executive Officers to guard the wells?"

Qi Zhenzhuo sneered: "This is White Tiger Festival Hall, not a place for children to talk big!"

During the conversation, the Crown Prince slowly walked out from the White Tiger Festival Hall. Li Xuan wanted to drape a white fox furred coat over him, but was stopped with a gesture.

The moment the Crown Prince stepped out of the White Tiger Festival Hall, Chen Ji felt a throbbing between his eyebrows, sensing a hint of murderous aura from a side room, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

He did not look towards the side room, but his heart was filled with suspicion. Could it be that Executive Officers were hidden in the side room to guard the Crown Prince? Who were they?

An Eastern Palace Death Soldier?

At this moment, the Crown Prince stood on the steps, surveying the resolute Chen Ji before the military formation, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes.

He soothed in a gentle voice: "I understand that the Third Young Master of the Chen family only means well and I trust your words. If Jing Dynasty villains really have Executive Officers plotting this scheme, I fear the Border Soldiers guarding the wells might not be able to stop them. However... this is under the jurisdiction of the border army, and it would be inappropriate for me to overstep."

Chen Ji calmly responded: "Your Highness was commissioned to investigate the case of slaying the meritorious and taking their places, yet progress has been slow. If the border army has silenced the clerks who wrote up the petitions, this matter may become an unsolved case. When the time comes, if Your Highness cannot achieve a remarkable feat, how will you return to the court, and what will Your Majesty think of you? Now, with clues about Jing Dynasty spies, why not give it a try?"

A flicker of panic crossed Chen Liqin’s eyes: "Shut your mouth! Is this any of your business?"

Having said that, he hurriedly gave a bow to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, don’t listen to his wild and irresponsible talk. You will surely uncover the truth behind the case of slaying the meritorious."

However, the Crown Prince remained silent, lost in thought.

The area before the White Tiger Festival Hall quieted down, the Crown Prince gazing at Chen Ji standing undaunted before the Yulin Army on the stone steps. Suddenly he asked: "You have a history with Vice General Zhou, why don’t you tell him?"

Chen Ji had his reasons, but could not speak them openly... He bowed to the Crown Prince: "The Chen family are ministers of the Eastern Palace, and in such matters, it is only right to report to the Crown Prince, and not to others."

The Crown Prince gave a faint smile, then turned to Li Xuan and ordered: "General Li, prepare the horses. Let us go and see for ourselves whether what this young man has said is true or not."

Li Xuan asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, do you believe what he says?"

The Crown Prince hummed in response: "I believe about eighty percent. If it were just chasing shadows, he would not risk barging into the White Tiger Festival Hall unannounced. And besides, all of you couldn’t stop him, allowing him to come before me, doesn’t that show his capabilities?"

Li Xuan’s face showed embarrassment.

He turned and took a deep look at Chen Ji, then led the Yulin Army outside: "Prepare the horses!"