Green Mountain
Chapter 305: Chen family’s third son

Chapter 305: Chen family’s third son

Inside Dragon Gate Inn, guests whispered and murmured to each other, discussing whether to buy the information; the waitstaff, carrying their trays, moved between the square tables like little bees flitting through a garden of flowers.

Chen Ji had successively sold seven pieces of information, netting a clear profit of three thousand five hundred taels of Silver, far exceeding his expectations. He had originally planned to sell each piece of information for two hundred taels, and earning over a thousand taels would have been quite good.

Who would have imagined the sudden appearance of ’Third Elder’, who abruptly drove up the prices, making Chen Ji’s earnings overflow.

The guests who bought the information clenched their brows, leading their respective troops and hurried out the door.

The man surnamed Zhang, who had been previously called upon by the brothel owner, stood outside the door feeling more and more that something was not right: "Although the information is important, isn’t five hundred taels of Silver too expensive? What was the last piece of information that sold for so much?"

His attendant replied, "Sir, the last time was eight years ago. The shopkeeper of Dragon Gate Inn sold the information on behalf of their mysterious backer, starting the bid at 600 taels."

The man surnamed Zhang asked, "What was the information that was sold?"

The attendant whispered, "Back then, our business was too small, we were reluctant to buy..."

The man surnamed Zhang was puzzled: "Why do I feel like Third Elder is a plant? When have you ever seen Third Elder so shocked? Normally not even flinching at a knife’s edge, but today, he shot up from his seat upon hearing the news and hurried off? That’s too exaggerated."

The attendant hesitated for a long time: "Sir, who could ask Third Elder to be a plant? If you were to ask him, could you persuade him?"

The man surnamed Zhang pondered for a moment: "He might end up slapping me hard."

The attendant spread his hands: "There you have it."

The man surnamed Zhang rubbed his face: "Let’s go, we need to make some preparations before the Jing Dynasty lays siege."

With that said, they tightened their collars, braved the wind, and swiftly left with bowed heads.

Inside the inn, the crowd around Chen Ji’s table finally dispersed, Zhang Xia found a moment to remind them: "The men from the Yulin Army have left."

Zhang Zheng raised an eyebrow: "The Yulin Army came too?"

Zhang Xia nodded: "Yes, they hid in the corner under bamboo hats and secretly sent a stranger to buy the information. But Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo’s figures are easy to recognize; I can tell it’s them without even seeing their faces."

Zhang Zheng looked worriedly at Chen Ji: "What if they report us selling the information to the Crown Prince? Those in power are most wary of leaks around them. You selling information related to him will surely foster resentment in his heart... Didn’t you want to get closer to him?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Suddenly, Xiao Man behind him said, "Young Master, shall we silence them? They just left not long ago, we can catch up."

Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia slowly turned their heads, staring at Xiao Man for a long time without saying anything.

Chen Ji said soothingly: "It’s not a problem. The Crown Prince is now in a difficult position: with the Jing Dynasty’s army approaching, further probing the false merit case would be inappropriate. If the border army holds Guyuan, he would be even less able to pursue the heroes, and even if he wanted to, it would have to be postponed to avoid losing the people’s hearts."

Zhang Xia chimed in: "But he can’t return to the Imperial Capital empty-handed. If he can’t investigate the false merit case, he has to achieve another great deed, otherwise, he won’t be able to face Your Majesty."

Chen Ji nodded: "If I can help him achieve a great deed, selling some information is nothing."

While talking, the brothel owner from Red Sleeves returned with a gust of fragrant wind and sat down, smiling: "Young man, may I borrow a drink?"

Before Chen Ji could speak, Xiao Man tightly hugged the wine jar in her arms: "We bought this jar for 300 cents, not for you to drink."

The brothel owner rolled her eyes: "Even an old hen doesn’t protect her eggs like you do. Can’t I just have a few words with your young master?"

Xiao Man glared at her: "If you want to talk, talk properly. What’s with those coquettish glances? Sit up straight!"

The brothel owner ignored her and turned to Chen Ji: "Young man, I can’t spend these five hundred taels without clarity. I need to ask first, is your information absolutely true?"

Chen Ji nodded: "Absolutely true."

The brothel owner leaned in to ask more, but then raised her eyes to Xiao Man behind Chen Ji and stopped: "As far as I know, last night on Shache Street, only the border army and the Crown Prince’s troops were there, with the entire street sealed off. How did you come to know what happened inside? Were you on Shache Street at that time?"

Chen Ji responded calmly: "According to the inn’s rules, information must be obtained from personal experience, you don’t need to worry."

The brothel owner prodded further: "And how did the Crown Prince come to know there was a Jing Dynasty spy on Shache Street? I heard yesterday someone led the way to buy that bit of information from Feet Tilting, which happened to relate to the incident on Shache Street. That person wouldn’t happen to be you, right? Are you one of the Crown Prince’s people?"

Zhang Xia suddenly spoke up, sternly asking: "What’s the purpose of these questions? Are you looking for the person who warned the Crown Prince yesterday, seeking revenge for the Jing Dynasty spy?"

The brothel owner’s expression changed: "I was just asking casually, after all, I need to ensure the reliability of the information. I have no ties to the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji scrutinized the woman before him: "Ordinary people wouldn’t ask these things."

The brothel owner met his gaze for a while, then smiled and stood up to leave: "I spoke out of turn."

As she reached the door and lifted the cotton curtain, at that moment, a loud and resonant bell rang out suddenly from outside. The bell rang urgently, one chime after another emanating from Guyuan City, ringing a total of twelve times!

Inside Dragon Gate Inn, everyone’s complexion changed: "This is bad, the long-ringing bell of the border army, the Jing Dynasty has come!"

As the sound of the bell resonated, dark clouds suddenly pressed down from the sky, darkening the day, and the sun and the moon lost their light.

It was as if the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army was descending from the heavens, stifling breaths.

The Jing Dynasty, truly has arrived!

The brothel owner was still in the action of lifting the door curtain, as if frozen in place by the bell’s chime, and the next moment, she hastened her steps to leave. Guests inside the inn also rose one after another, rushing out of the inn in utmost urgency.

"Quick, gather food supplies!"

"Quickly sell the goods in hand!"

In a blink of an eye, the once bustling inn turned quiet and empty, leaving only a mess of bowls and plates on the tables, and melon seed shells on the ground.

In the store were only the shopkeeper, Xiao Wu, Chen Ji, Zhang Zheng, Zhang Xia, and Xiao Man left, as if the previous commotion was an illusion.

Xiao Wu, holding a broom and dustpan, was cleaning up within, and he asked Chen Ji: "Guest, we might have to close early today, would you like some staple food? If so, I’ll call the kitchen to prepare a bowl of spicy meat noodles for you."

Chen Ji, however, suddenly asked: "I want to inquire about something. Is Third Elder very well-known in Guyuan?"

Xiao Wu was slightly taken aback, subconsciously looking back at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, not even lifting his eyelids, continuing to record the day’s accounts with a writing brush.

Xiao Wu looked at Chen Ji with a shy smile and said, "Guest, here at Dragon Gate Inn, information doesn’t come for free."

Zhang Xia took out a ten-tael silver ingot and pushed it to the edge of the table. "Let’s talk."

Xiao Wu shook his head: "Information related to Third Elder costs fifty taels."

Zhang Xia thought for a moment, then took out four more silver ingots and placed them on the table.

Xiao Wu’s eyes twinkled with joy as he pocketed the silver ingots. "Generous guest, no wonder you can handle big business and make a fortune!"

Zhang Zheng, cracking melon seeds, said, "Stop dawdling, go on and tell us."

Leaning on a broom, Xiao Wu recalled, "Third Elder used to be a big shot in the border army, serving as Assistant General under General Wen Tao... Fellow friends, do you know what the position of Assistant General entails?"

Zhang Xia calmly said, "Among the border army, the General comes first, the Deputy General second, and the Assistant General third. Was Third Elder the third in command of the border army? I remember the last Assistant General of the border army was named Hu Junyuan, the cousin of the current General Hu Junxian. Is that who he is?"

Xiao Wu’s mouth fell open: "What background do you have, miss? You’re not from Guyuan, are you, since you even know this?"

"My sister here is impressive," Zhang Zheng said with a chuckle, "Go on, continue."

Xiao Wu continued, "Years ago, when he was still in the border army, he set the rules in Guyuan. Whatever he said was what could be done and what couldn’t. The young folks in Guyuan City all dreamed of becoming someone like him. At first, everyone called him Third Brother Hu, but gradually they started calling him Third Master Hu. However, eight years ago, he abruptly left the Guyuan Border Army and no one knew where he went. Some said he followed a significant figure, while others believed he was plotting to avenge General Wen Tao. After he left, Guyuan gradually lost some of its order."

Zhang Xia suddenly asked, "What’s his relationship with your Shopkeeper?"

Xiao Wu played dumb: "None whatsoever."

Zhang Xia gathered the silver ingots back in front of himself: "There’s no truth in your words, we’re not buying your information."

Xiao Wu became anxious: "Third Elder and our Shopkeeper used to be..."

"Cough!"

Xiao Wu turned back to find the Shopkeeper staring coldly at him from behind the counter: "Tired of living? Scram to the side!"

Xiao Wu shrank his neck and scurried away, hobbling with the broom in hand.

Chen Ji laughed heartily and bowed to the Shopkeeper, "Didn’t mean to pry into Shopkeeper’s personal affairs, please excuse any offense."

The Shopkeeper forced a smile: "No matter, no matter."

As Chen Ji stood up to go upstairs, he couldn’t help but feel baffled; looking at this Third Master Hu’s history, there seemed to be no connection with himself.

How curious.

...

...

After Chen Ji and the others had gone upstairs, the Shopkeeper was tallying accounts when someone lifted the cotton curtain and came in.

He looked up to see the brothel owner from Red Sleeves returning.

The Shopkeeper offhandedly asked, "What are you here for? I advise you not to cause trouble in my inn, or Guyuan won’t accommodate you."

The brothel owner covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief and giggled, "Now, now, Second Elder, why say that? What trouble could I possibly cause? I made plans with that young man to visit his room tonight, only he didn’t mention which room he’s staying in. Could Shopkeeper be so kind as to let me know?"

The Shopkeeper’s expression was meaningful: "Superior A Room."

The brothel owner pondered for a moment, then turned and headed upstairs.

But from behind the counter, the Shopkeeper called out to her: "Have you thought this through? If you cause trouble here at Dragon Gate Inn, you’ll pay with your life."

The brothel owner smiled: "I’m aware."

Once the brothel owner had ascended the stairs, Xiao Wu came over and asked, "Shopkeeper, you said before that the folks from Red Sleeves are all spies of the Jing Dynasty, so why let her go up like this? She’s probably going to commit murder."

The Shopkeeper sneered, "She murders, I get paid; what’s wrong with that?"

Xiao Wu advised, "But if she kills someone in the inn, I’m afraid it will tarnish our inn’s reputation."

The Shopkeeper calmly replied, "After it’s done, we’ll skin and debone her, hanging her for display at the archway. Xiao Wu, we’re running a black shop here; don’t pretend to have the heart of a Buddha."

"Oh..." Xiao Wu sulked and continued sweeping the floor.

At that moment, someone else lifted the door curtain.

The newcomer removed the bamboo hat and straw coat, patting dust off his body: "Shopkeeper, I’m back."

The Shopkeeper frowned and looked at Xiao Liu, "I sent you out to inquire about someone’s identity, and it took you all day and night? Didn’t you run off to fool around with some woman, did you?"

Xiao Liu protested earnestly: "How could I do such a thing, Shopkeeper? You don’t understand, the border army is busy preparing for war; finding someone is tough. I waited all day at the gate tower before I finally saw my childhood friend."

"Don’t expect me to believe that," the Shopkeeper scoffed. "Someone saw you in Qingchun Square last night."

Xiao Liu angrily retorted, "Who’s been running their mouth!"

The Shopkeeper sternly said, "Spit it out, did you find out anything or not?"

Xiao Liu quickly stepped closer with an apologetic smile: "I did, I did find out. That young man came with the new Junior Scholar Chen Liqin to Guyuan. He is Chen Liqin’s third son, named Chen Ji."

The Shopkeeper stood there dumbfounded: "Say that again?!"

Xiao Liu, confused, repeated: "The third son of the Chen family, Chen Liqin, named Chen Ji... Did I say something wrong?"

The Shopkeeper muttered to himself while looking out the window: "No wonder the third son came back..."

Xiao Liu, smiling, inquired: "Shopkeeper, I saw from afar the Red Sleeves’ old brothel owner enter earlier, where is she now?"

The Shopkeeper came back to his senses and cried out, "Not good!"

With that, he leaped over the counter like a great owl and dashed towards the staircase.