Green Mountain
Chapter 325 - 265, Changed and Unchanged

Chapter 325: 265, Changed and Unchanged

"Chen Ji, from the East starting at Bohai to the West falling at Qinghai, from the North reaching up to Chongli Pass, down to the East Fan Liuqiu Island in the South. From East to West, from North to South, an official document takes several months to travel. A rebellion in the South, it takes months before the Imperial Capital knows, and by the time New Year’s Day in Guyuan is surrounded, I fear the Ministry might only know when the spring flowers blossom in the Imperial Capital."

Third Master Hu took a sip of tea beside the desk: "Every emperor in this world is well aware, they will exhaust themselves trying to manage the affairs of the world, thus what they truly care about is only one thing: who is coveting the power in their hands. If the Hu Family were to produce two Divine Realm Grand Officials at once, I suspect the one in Renshou Palace wouldn’t be able to sleep at all."

Chen Ji remained silent for a moment: "Is Hu Junxian confident in advancing to the Divine Realm?"

Third Master Hu laughed heartily: "The Divine Realm is like a heavenly moat; unless one is a dazzling figure like Lu Yang of the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple, who can confidently say they are certain to cross that threshold in their lifetime? Even the young Supervisor of our Hu Family has never boasted thus, and Xu Shu simply states he could never achieve it in his lifetime. But does any of this matter to the one in Renshou Palace?"

Chen Ji softly asked: "Isn’t he afraid that suddenly having two more Divine Realm Grand Officials from the Jing Dynasty could cause the Jing Dynasty to swallow the Ning Dynasty?"

Third Master Hu earnestly said: "Both dynasties together have only four Divine Realm Grand Officials, two each from Jing and Ning Dynasties, not one more; such is the unspoken agreement among emperors."

Chen Ji looked up, only to discover Third Master Hu’s blinded white eye seemed to be deeply staring at him.

Although that eye was bad, it seemed as though it could see through the depths of a person’s heart.

Chen Ji changed the topic: "Third Elder, before Hu Junxian came to Guyuan as the Deputy General, that position should have been yours, right?"

Third Master Hu smiled: "It was mine."

Chen Ji asked: "Why did you resign?"

Third Master Hu casually said: "I needed to leave Guyuan to do something, I couldn’t leave without resigning."

Chen Ji tentatively said: "Is it because there’s someone you want to kill, so you had to start over on the Official Gateway?"

Third Master Hu poured himself another cup of tea with indifference: "What’s the point in fighting and killing? Maybe I just wanted to see what the world outside of Guyuan had turned into? When I first came to Guyuan, my mother disagreed, saying it was too far from home. I stole a fast horse and brought 500 taels of silver with me, and hurried over to join the army here; one departure lasted twelve years."

"Before coming to Guyuan, I thought I could fight valiantly with my colleagues every day. But after arriving, I realized Guyuan doesn’t always have warfare – maybe once every two or three years, maybe once every five or six years. In between, it was a prolonged and silent loneliness. Standing on the battlements and looking into the distance, all you could see were loess, mountains, and gravel, enough to drive one mad."

"Nobody cares about this place. The scholars don’t care, nor do the ministries; the military provisions and supplies are exploited layer by layer before they arrive here, they seem not at all worried about Guyuan falling, as it wouldn’t affect the prosperity of the Imperial Capital. I think Hu Junxian, like me and all the border army, hated this place, dreaming in our sleep of leaving here, returning to the bustling Imperial Capital, to roam the temple fairs and enjoy the lanterns."

Chen Ji quietly listened as Third Master Hu reminisced then rose and cracked open the window, calmly looking at the distant wall: "After leaving Guyuan, I felt like a country bumpkin entering a city; so much had changed. Before I left the Imperial Capital, the most famous person in Eight Great Hutongs was surnamed Yun. Yun Xingshou was truly beautiful; at the age of seventeen, I caught a glimpse of the beauty spot between her brows which gave me dreams for several springs. When she sat on the high platform playing the zither, I thought surely she must be a goddess. Yet when I returned twelve years later and inquired, I found out she had married into the Qi family as a concubine, later to be given by Vice Minister Qi to a subordinate."

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "Is there anything that hasn’t changed?"

Third Master Hu started laughing: "Guyuan hasn’t changed. Now, after many years, returning here I realize, only this stinky and hard stone of Guyuan remains the same."

Chen Ji curiously said: "Since you had already left, why did Third Elder return here?"

Third Master Hu paused for a while, then chuckled self-derisively: "Speaking of it seems like a joke, when I was in Guyuan I dreamed of leaving, but once I really left, I dreamed of returning."

Chen Ji fell silent.

At this moment, noises came from the neighboring Room C; someone was pacing back and forth, causing the wooden floor to creak.

Zhang Zheng’s loud voice came through the wall: "Chen Ji couldn’t have been detained by the border army, could he? Why hasn’t he returned yet? Why don’t we go look for him at the border army? Since the Chen Family is unwilling to deal, we can bring up the Xu Family, I don’t believe Hu Junxian would dare to make mortal enemies with the Xu Family."

Third Master Hu glanced at Chen Ji and then quietly moved beside the wooden wall to listen.

Then Zhang Xia said: "You and I can only half count as persons of the Xu Family, borrowing the Xu identity might not really be effective. Let’s go to White Cloud Temple in the west of the city and use my uncle’s name."

Chen Ji helplessly stood up and knocked on the wall with his knuckles.

Suddenly, the neighboring room quieted down.

Chen Ji said through the wall: "I’m in Room B, no need to worry about me, I’ll be back shortly."

Having said that, he sat back down at the square table and took a sip of tea.

Third Master Hu looked at the empty cup and asked: "What, not afraid I might have poisoned it?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "If Third Elder wanted to kill me, I presume he wouldn’t need to go through such trouble."

Third Master Hu suddenly changed the topic: "How does the Chen Family treat you, knowing you are in danger yet unwilling to stand up for you?"

Chen Ji’s eyes flickered slightly: "I am just a bastard son of the Chen Family, previously sent to the Medical Hall to apprentice for two years, we’ve grown somewhat estranged, their reluctance to stand up for me is understandable."

Third Master Hu was taken aback, then his expression darkened: "They actually sent you to be an apprentice running errands?"

Having experienced the struggles of Jianghu, he naturally knew how tough being an apprentice was; having no wage was a minor matter, but being an apprentice meant setting aside one’s dignity.

Serving the master’s night pot, carrying a spittoon for the master in the middle of the night - these were all duties of an apprentice.

Chen Ji explained: "My master is Imperial Physician Yao Qimen, he treats me quite well."

Third Master Hu slightly relaxed and asked with a smile, "You’re not young anymore, do you have any woman you fancy... "

Chen Ji silently glanced at him. He was not very familiar with Third Master Hu, even talking about the Chen family was getting quite personal. And this remark sounded rather like an elder speaking to a younger generation.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Third Master Hu quickly stood up to change the subject: "If you want ginseng, come to Yuancao Hall tomorrow morning at the hour of Si; it should be available by then."

Having said that, Third Master Hu prepared to leave.

Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "Third Master, where are you going?"

Third Master Hu replied, "If I want to buy the ginseng at a low price, I naturally have to cut off all his escape routes... You’ll understand in time."

The door closed, leaving Chen Ji alone in Third Master Hu’s room, deep in thought.

He had suspected before that Third Master Hu was the one who spent silver to buy his whereabouts from Xiao Man, but it seemed that was not the case now. The man didn’t even know he apprenticed at the Medical Hall and wasn’t aware of his situation in the Chen family.

Strange.

While pondering, a knocking sound came from next door.

A gentle voice of the Crown Prince came from the corridor: "Second Miss Zhang, is Chen Ji in the room?"

Chen Ji quickly opened the door: "Your Highness, I am here."

The Crown Prince wondered, "Huh, weren’t you in Room C? Why did you move to Room B?"

Chen Ji explained, "I was just talking to a friend in this room... Did your Highness need me for something?"

The Crown Prince stood in the dim room and spoke softly, "Chen Ji, Qi Zhenzhuo was jealous that you stole the limelight from the Yulin Army, so he has been trying to thwart you in everything. After you left today, Li Xuan and I chided him sternly... It’s difficult for you to forgive him, but we shouldn’t let his actions cause harm to so many soldiers of the Yulin Army."

Chen Ji bowed and responded, "Your Highness worries too much, I have not taken it to heart."

The Crown Prince observed him for a moment, then sighed, "The Yulin Army has been out of provisions for a day; they can only survive on water. If they don’t get food by tomorrow, they may not even have the strength to fight."

Chen Ji immediately responded, "Please ease your mind, Your Highness. I will definitely find food for the Yulin Army tomorrow."

The Crown Prince’s eyes brightened, "With such a generous spirit, you indeed have the mind of a chief minister."

He took off a string of Buddhist Treasure from his wrist and handed it to Chen Ji: "This is one thousand taels of silver, all to be allocated to you for purchasing as much food as possible."

...

...

The third day of the siege.

It was not yet dawn, but the Dragon Gate Inn was already bustling.

Chen Ji stood by the window, watching through the crack as Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu ushered merchants from Guyuan into the stable, sending off seven in one night.

The wealth carried by the merchants was swallowed by the inn, disappearing without a trace.

Zhang Xia came to his side and whispered, "Are you providing food for the Yulin Army? Don’t mind what others say about ’the bigger picture’. My father once said, life is but a few short decades, it passes in the blink of an eye, no need to compromise yourself for others."

Chen Ji closed the window: "I’m not prioritizing the bigger picture. Hu Junxian might surrender the city soon; by then, food won’t fetch a high price. I want to make the most of the last opportunity to earn all the silver I can."

Zhang Xia was quick-minded, "Surrender the city? Then we must move to the cellar today, only there will we be safest, and we’ll leave at dawn. We should take Xuwei Lane since it’s less crowded."

Chen Ji hummed in agreement: "Once I’ve settled you in the cellar, I can go about my business with peace of mind."

Without a word, Zhang Xia turned, patted the still drowsy Xiao Man, and they began packing their belongings.

Before the sky was completely bright, Chen Ji quietly opened the door, and the four of them filed out silently, heading downstairs.

No sooner had they left the inn than Chen Ji sensed something amiss.

In a small alley on Qiu Ci Street, a person saw them leave and immediately lowered his bamboo hat to follow them. Chen Ji ignored this, but after walking more than ten paces, another group started following them.

As soon as they left Qiu Ci Street, four groups were trailing them.

They made no effort to hide their tracks; Chen Ji quickened his step, and they quickened theirs; Chen Ji stopped, and they stopped too; when Chen Ji turned to look at them, they blatantly met his gaze.

Zhang Xia whispered, "I recognize these people, they’ve bought information from you before, they are the local tyrants of Guyuan. Probably panicked by the siege, unable to buy information, they can only follow you."

After a moment’s thought, Chen Ji turned back to the inn: "I can’t shake these people with you in tow, wait in the inn, I’ll finish my business and come to get you."