Green Mountain
Chapter 363 - 300, Ascend the Stage

Chapter 363: 300, Ascend the Stage

The hurried first audience with the emperor ended just as hastily.

As the emperor behind the silk curtain disappeared deep into the palace, only the golden gauze around the imperial couch swayed gently.

The oppressive power from the supreme authority gradually receded, the five hundred fifty-five stoves were lit one by one, and the Ice Flow no longer raged.

Chen Ji finally exhaled a long, murky breath, and only then did he have the presence of mind to observe the palace that had been built at such enormous expense.

Above his head, the beams were decorated with painted cranes and deer in spring, and the east side featured a black lacquered, gold-plated shrine, housing three gilt bronze statues of The Three Pure Ones, with a cloud and crane patterned incense burner placed in front, its blue smoke curling up.

Amid the swirling smoke, Wu Xiu rolled up the prepared Imperial Decree and handed it to the little eunuch beside him, "Send thirty Jiefan Guards to Guyuan to deliver the decree, there must be no mistakes."

The little eunuch replied in a low voice, "Understood."

Wu Xiu looked at everyone present and said courteously, "The Holy Emperor has returned to the palace. All officials, please leave. Someone light the lanterns and escort the officials out of the palace."

Two rows of little eunuchs holding palace lanterns divided into two lines outside the door.

When Official Chen, Chen Luchi passed by Chen Ji, he glanced briefly but said nothing. In contrast, when Mr. Qi passed by Chen Ji, he suddenly stopped, looked him up and down, and said, "You are a man of considerable talent."

Chen Ji was slightly taken aback, not knowing what the comment meant.

Inside Renshou Palace, Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji with difficulty, "You..."

Before he could say more to Qi Zhenzhuo, Mr. Qi spoke coldly from the door, "Inside the palace, be mindful of your words."

The two men had no choice but to leave with a quick "We will discuss this tomorrow at the Yulin Army Commander’s Mansion," and hurried out.

In an instant, the previously bustling Renshou Palace was empty. Little eunuchs carried copper poles, extinguishing the candle flames one by one.

Zhang Zhuo patted Chen Ji’s shoulder, "Let’s go."

Chen Ji stepped out of Renshou Palace, only to see the Crown Prince still waiting outside the palace gate, his face expressionless.

He was about to bid farewell to the Crown Prince, but Zhang Zhuo forcibly dragged him away, changing the topic, "Come, I have something to discuss with you."

Chen Ji took a few steps and looked back, seeing the Crown Prince like a clay statue, standing motionless outside the gate of Renshou Palace.

The candle flames in Renshou Palace were extinguished one after another until darkness engulfed everything, even obscuring the Crown Prince’s silhouette.

...

...

On the way out of the palace, the little eunuchs sensibly carried the palace lanterns farther away.

Zhang Zhuo smoothed his red official robe as he walked under the red walls and gray tiles, "Chen Ji, do you know why these little eunuchs keep their distance voluntarily?"

Walking beside him, Chen Ji replied, "I do not know."

Zhang Zhuo nonchalantly explained, "It’s the lessons they’ve learned at the cost of their lives. Without status, the more you know, the sooner you die. Beyond that, the eunuchs in the palace have even developed survival tactics, such as saying no more than ten sentences a day if you haven’t reached the position of Chief Eunuch; such as retreating behind the screen when listening; such as ’third watch ear reports’ for secret messages; minor matters lean on the Chief, moderate matters on the consorts, major matters rely on the emperor; such as ’better be a vicious dog than a lonely wolf.’"

Zhang Zhuo sighed, "Life is hard everywhere, Chen Ji. Within these palace confines, you must be extremely cautious; one misstep and you could lose your life."

Chen Ji said quietly, "Lord Zhang, are you suggesting I was somewhat reckless tonight?"

Zhang Zhuo chuckled, "Indeed, you were foolish tonight. The Holy Emperor handles matters flawlessly. Whether or not you exposed Hu Junxian tonight, the outcome would not have changed. Without you, there would still be Li Xuan, Qi Zhenzhuo. Without them, there would still be Feng Wenzheng."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Seeing his state, Zhang Zhuo sighed lightly, "Chen Ji, history records only the outcomes, not justice."

Chen Ji shook his head, "My lord, it wasn’t for justice. The sacrifice of half the people of Guyuan doesn’t speak of justice; I merely dislike betraying others."

Feigning a jest, Zhang Zhuo said, "If someone offers you a high price, don’t hesitate to betray me. Everyone has their price. If you could sell me for a fortune, I’d be delighted."

"Lord Zhang," Chen Ji changed the topic, "By rights, the matter of Guyuan should have been suppressed. What sparked today’s events?"

Zhang Zhuo pondered, "It was also sudden, a minor official from Guyuan snuck into the capital with a merchant caravan and struck the signal drum at the Imperial Palace Gate, claiming that Hu Junxian conspired with the Ritual Supervision and caused the death of his entire family of seventeen."

Chen Ji frowned, "Something’s fishy."

"Of course something’s fishy," Zhang Zhuo smiled, "The area around the signal drum is guarded by the Yulin Army. How can commoners approach it as they wish? The signal drum hadn’t sounded for fourteen years; I thought it would never sound again."

Chen Ji asked, "People sent by Your Majesty?"

Zhang Zhuo was less certain, "We’d need to check which Yulin Army officer was on duty at the signal drum today. But I guess the person behind this wouldn’t leave such an obvious flaw. Chen Ji, who do you think lost today?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "The Hu Family? They lost half of Guyuan."

Zhang Zhuo laughed, "Xu, Chen, and Qi — the three officials covet the trade routes in Guyuan; Wu Xiu aims to topple the Prime Minister; the emperor solidified Hu Junxian’s loyalty. Is the Hu Family the loser? No. Today’s revelation shows those in court that the Crown Prince is now sidelined; who would follow him in the future? In the end, it aids Prince Fu."

By this time, the two had finally exited the Imperial Palace Gate.

Standing outside, Zhang Zhuo turned to Chen Ji, "That’s the brilliance of the emperor. Everyone present today became a winner, except the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister. One can’t even enter the palace, the other can’t return from the Jingtai Mausoleum. It’s hard to say whether this is an overt or covert plot... Of course, it’s still too early to determine if the Poison Minister is a loser."