Green Mountain
Chapter 298 - 238, Jing Dynasty spy

Chapter 298: 238, Jing Dynasty spy

Before the steps of the White Tiger Festival Hall, soldiers of the Yulin Army carefully wrapped sticks with cloth dank with tung oil to create torches, which they ignited from the brazier.

The crowd proceeded with torches in hand, the Crown Prince leading on his horse, but was stopped by Li Xuan: "Your Highness, if it’s as Chen Ji said, tonight we may well come into conflict with the traitors of the Jing Dynasty. Your esteemed self, with a body worth a thousand pieces of gold, should stay at the Governor’s Mansion."

The Crown Prince laughed heartily: "General Li, why do you treat me as if I am a coward? We came to Guyuan together and should share weal and woe! How can there be any reason for you to risk your heads and blood up front while I hide behind? Since its establishment, our great Daning has never had an Emperor who shied away from battle, nor a Crown Prince."

Li Xuan was moved: "Your Highness, if anything were to happen to you, how could I answer to Your Majesty!"

The Crown Prince raised his hand to stop him: "No need for more words... Third Young Master Chen, where are the traitors of the Jing Dynasty?"

Chen Ji clasped his hands and replied: "To the east of the city, in Taohuai Square on Shache Street, the residence with an elm tree in front of the door is the place."

The Crown Prince asked loudly: "Does anyone know where Shache Street is? Lead the way."

The Yulin Army soldiers looked at each other; they had only been in Guyuan for just over ten days and had closely followed the Crown Prince without having the chance to familiarize themselves with Guyuan.

Li Xuan said from the side: "Your Highness, I will appoint a Border Soldier to lead the way shortly."

The Crown Prince nodded: "Very well!"

The crowd mounted their horses, torches in hand, and over a hundred white horses galloped out from the Governor’s Mansion, startling the Border Soldiers outside into falling back.

In front of the red lacquered gate of the Governor’s Mansion, torch after torch cast an unsettled look upon Old Wu’s face: "Your Highness, where are you all heading?"

"Military matters of great import, if it’s not your place to ask, don’t inquire," said Li Xuan, pointing to a Border Soldier: "Mount up and lead the way."

Old Wu suddenly clasped his hands: "General Li, the foot soldier you picked is not skilled in horsemanship. I know Guyuan better—why not let me lead you?"

Li Xuan scoffed: "There’s no need, I will ride and guide him myself!"

Old Wu said no more and turned to instruct the Border Soldier: "Lead the way for His Highness attentively, and make no mistakes!"

The Border Soldier saluted: "Yes!"

Once the Border Soldier was mounted, the Yulin Army, holding torches, escorted the Crown Prince as they sped off. The white flowing capes and feather-tailed helmets were imposing, the long procession like a pristine ivory blade piercing into the heart of Guyuan City.

At the end of the procession, Chen Liqin spurred his horse and followed, his eyes on Chen Ji’s back laden with troubling thoughts as if covered by a ten-year cloud that would not disperse.

After much hesitation, Chen Liqin finally whipped his horse to catch up to Chen Ji. But just as he drew level, Zaozao suddenly sped up, leaving him behind.

Reluctantly, Chen Liqin spoke out: "Chen Ji, I have something to say to you!"

Chen Ji gently patted Zaozao’s back, who slowed down in understanding. He looked sideways: "Mr. Chen, what do you wish to say?"

Chen Liqin looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, before he asked in a low, secretive voice: "Have you seen someone recently?"

Chen Ji frowned slightly: "What do you mean by that, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Liqin pondered for a moment: "Have you perhaps already met her?"

"Who?" Chen Ji puzzled: "Exactly what Mr. Chen is trying to ask?"

Chen Liqin said gravely: "Stop feigning ignorance, I am asking where you learned all those skills?"

Chen Ji calmly responded: "Reporting to Mr. Chen, I learned them from my Master at the Medical Hall."

Chen Liqin increased his tone: "Don’t fool me, Doctor Yao has been practicing medicine in the capital for decades, who ever heard of him being an Executive Officer?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Then suddenly Chen Liqin said: "Chen Ji, have you seen your mother already? Do you already know... that she is still alive?"

Chen Ji’s heart leapt in shock, feigning surprise: "My Aunt is still alive?! Mr. Chen, what exactly do you mean? I thought my Aunt had passed away?"

"Stop pretending!" As Chen Liqin pressed on with a series of questions: "Did she go to Luocheng City to find you? When did she go? What did she say? Where is she now?"

Chen Ji’s thoughts raced; the information revealed in Chen Liqin’s questions was enormous: his biological mother, Mrs. Lu, was indeed not dead!

But if Mrs. Lu was alive, why hadn’t she returned to her hometown in the Jing Dynasty? What had happened back then that forced Mrs. Lu to fake her death, to live in hiding and under a false name?

And why, it seemed, did Xiao Man not know anything about this?

Seeing Chen Ji remain silent, Chen Liqin continued urgently: "I told her long ago, if she chose to leave, she should have departed cleanly; why bother coming back to see you? She taught you these skills, and you think she is being kind to you? Her doing so will only embroil you in trouble!"

Chen Ji deliberated for a while before responding calmly: "Mr. Chen, are you confused? My Aunt passed away long ago, how could she come to find me? I have said, the skills I possess were taught by my master, Yao Qimen, Doctor Yao. If there is a single lie in my words, may I be struck down by lightning."

Chen Liqin huffed: "How long will you persist in lying? Remember this, do not see her again, and do not display your skills, especially those she taught you. And, do not get too close to the Crown Prince or Prince, be wary she uses you to cause a catastrophe!"

At this point, Chen Liqin was convinced that Chen Ji’s mother had returned; otherwise, there was no explanation for Chen Ji’s extraordinary abilities – he did not believe that an Imperial Physician could teach Chen Ji the skills of an Executive Officer.

Chen Ji turned his head and stared at Chen Liqin, asking bluntly: "Mr. Chen, what exactly happened back then?"

Chen Liqin’s expression changed, and he said angrily, "This is not something you should inquire about. You just need to remember not to see her again, I will never harm you!"

Chen Ji fell into silence, realizing that Chen Liqin had such a worry... From this, it appeared that Chen Liqin must know many insider details, and might even know of Mrs. Lu’s identity in the Jing Dynasty!

The other party might have noticed his peculiarity a long time ago, but dared not to make it public. Only now that they could not bear it any longer did they come to question him.

Seeing that Chen Ji had been silent for a long time, Chen Liqin’s voice softened a bit: "You don’t understand your mother’s character; she’s full of lies, sometimes even deceiving the closest people to her, even herself. Take my advice, don’t have any more dealings with her, focus on your studies and earning official rank - that is the right path."

Just then, the armored soldiers of the border army pointed toward a narrow street: "Generals, we’ve arrived at Shache Street."

Chen Ji looked over, but saw that there were three elm trees within Shache Street; he didn’t know which house the ’Feet Tilting’ person referred to.

He had a bad feeling: "Your Highness, the information I received earlier stated that the house with elm trees in front of it was the target, but there are actually three elm trees here, I’m afraid..."

Li Xuan said in a deep voice, "It doesn’t matter, just search all three houses!"

He glanced at Shache Street and gave a signal to the Yulin Army around him. Members of the Yulin Army dismounted and climbed onto the roofs, approaching the three houses.

Chen Ji did not dismount but quietly stood his horse at the entrance of Shache Street, his brow deeply furrowed.

At this moment, the Crown Prince wrapped his fox fur coat tighter around his shoulders, turned his horse back, and approached Chen Ji: "Didn’t Third Young Master Chen leave last night? Why did you suddenly send a message today?"

Chen Ji explained: "Your Highness, I left yesterday to gather information. Guyuan is a place of mixed repute; for every person in the light, there should be one in the shadows."

The Crown Prince praised, "Third Young Master Chen is truly a disciple of Master Wang Daosheng, possessing both literary skill and military tactics. But from where did you obtain this information?"

Chen Ji calmly replied: "Your Highness, worthless talk from brothels and rooftops, nothing more."

The Crown Prince chuckled, then changed the topic: "Your two brothers both became top scorers this year, why didn’t you participate in the imperial examination?"

After contemplating for a moment, Chen Ji answered: "Your Highness, I didn’t learn the classics from my master, but military strategy, and had no interest in partaking in the exams."

"Oh?" The Crown Prince grew interested: "So, are you planning to join the military?"

Chen Ji hummed an affirmation: "Initially, after my master finishes mourning, he intended to resume his position at the Ministry of War, but somehow it got delayed. So, I had no choice but to return to the capital with my family and look for another job."

The Crown Prince commented, "I understand some of this matter. Official Hu presented a memorial recommending Master Wang to Renshou Palace, but it was rejected by the Ritual Supervision. The Prime Minister mentioned that Master Wang was reckless and greedy for merit when he previously led the border army and needed further polishing."

Chen Ji expressed his regret: "It’s a pity for Master’s enormous talent."

The Crown Prince looked at Chen Ji with interest: "Brother Chen Ji, do you have any plans after you return to the capital?"

Chen Ji bowed: "Your Highness, I have made no plans yet."

The Crown Prince spoke with a smiling yet ambiguous tone: "Very well."

Suddenly, Li Xuan’s voice came from afar: "Your Highness, there’s no thief from the Jing Dynasty as Chen Ji mentioned here, nor the so-called dozens of jars of golden juice!"

The Crown Prince paused, then trotted his horse into Shache Street: "None in the three houses? Could it be possible that the thieves from the Jing Dynasty moved the jars after hearing us coming?"

Li Xuan, leading out the people from the three households, replied: "Your Highness, that’s impossible. Even if those dozen jars of golden juice had been moved, there would still be some residue smell in the yard. These three houses are spotlessly clean; we’ve been tricked!"

At this moment, the seventeen people from the three households knelt on the ground, pale-faced: "Army Generals, please spare our lives, we don’t know what wrong we did?"

The Crown Prince quickly said: "Everyone, please get up; it was our mistake."

Qi Zhenzhuo glared at Chen Ji harshly: "Boy, you dare to fool His Highness with some baseless rumors from the marketplace? What should the punishment be?"

Chen Ji lowered his head, remaining silent.

Chen Liqin hurriedly spurred his horse forward and bowed to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, my son was only concerned about the safety of Guyuan and has not made a grievous error. After all, it’s only made Your Highness take this trip in vain without causing any real damage..."

Qi Zhenzhuo rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and said coldly: "That’s not the point, what if His Highness had been assassinated tonight during this trip? Could he bear the responsibility?"

The Crown Prince suddenly spoke: "Qi Zhenzhuo, say no more."

He turned to Chen Ji and said with a smile: "I know Brother Chen Ji meant well, it was just a bust, what’s the harm? We have been investigating false reports for days without result. Chen Ji, you’re young and a bit impulsive; more experience will rectify this, no harm done."

However, at this moment, Chen Ji, sitting astride his horse Zaozao, suddenly looked up: "No, catch that border army soldier... wait, where’s the border soldier who guided us? He entered the house with you all earlier, where is he now?"

The Yulin Army holding torches looked at each other; they searched among the people for a long time but could not find the border soldier.

One of the Yulin Army recalled: "He said he needed to use the privy..."

Chen Ji spoke gravely: "If there are many elm trees in Shache Street, the person who gave me the information would never use ’a house with an elm tree in front’ as a clue, this is not Shache Street!"

After saying that, he turned to the disturbed citizens in the street: "What street is this? Is it Shache Street?"

The people looked bewildered: "General, this is Kule Street. Shache Street is still a mile away."

Chen Ji said no more and galloped by a young man, swiftly grabbing his belt and taking off.

Without turning back, he ordered the Yulin Army: "Follow me, the guiding border army soldier is a spy from the Jing Dynasty. He must be rushing now to warn the Jing Dynasty thieves on Shache Street. We must find them immediately; if they poison half of Guyuan City’s wells before the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army arrives, all will be lost!"