Green Mountain
Chapter 381 - 309, legitimate and illegitimate

Chapter 381: 309, legitimate and illegitimate

"I see," Chen Ji placed the sandalwood box into his bosom but had no intention of using it himself. Trading it for ginseng, it would hold even greater value.

Jin Zhu reminded, "Be cautious of the Chen family’s second branch once you’re out."

Chen Ji looked up, "What about Chen Wenren?"

Jin Zhu rolled up the accounts book, tucking it into his wide robe sleeve, "Chen Lizhi from the second branch of the Chen family went to see Wu Xiu. Wu Xiu intervened to protect Chen Wenren."

Chen Ji was puzzled, "The crime of dereliction is undeniable, how did he manage it?"

Jin Zhu chuckled, "The Chen family handed over a long-wanted Taihang Mountain bandit to the court to confess and face execution. They explained that Chen Wenren had accidentally discovered the bandit’s whereabouts that afternoon and was delayed in capturing him. Now not only is Chen Wenren not guilty, but he’s become a hero for suppressing bandits. Young man, this is a family; to fight with them, you must have a plan to strike with deadly precision, otherwise they’ll always rise again from the ashes."

Chen Ji nodded, "So that’s how it is. It seems Chen Wenren is about to be reinstated."

Jin Zhu lowered his voice, "Li Xuan killed the second branch’s maternal relative Zhao Zhuofan, and since they can’t do anything to Li Xuan, they’ll naturally take their anger out on you. The head of the second branch, Chen Lizhi, is a sinister and vicious man. His two sons, Chen Wende and Chen Wenren, are also not to be underestimated. Now, the main branch of the Chen family still has no heir, the second branch might take over the Chen family at any moment, and your days would become difficult then."

Currently, the patriarch of the Chen family, Chen Luchi, is from the main branch, with only one son, Chen Lizun, who is without children.

Chen Luming, from the second branch, had once served as Minister of Revenue but was assassinated by Lu Jin of the Jing Dynasty. His son Chen Lizhi took over the family affairs, having two legitimate sons, one legitimate daughter, and an illegitimate son, Chen Yu.

Chen Luming from the third branch passed away early due to illness, leaving the line of Chen Liqin.

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "Thank you, sir, for the reminder. I will be careful."

Jin Zhu waved his hand, "Go, there’s someone waiting for you outside Taiye Pond. They’ve waited at the gate for quite a while."

...

...

When Chen Ji was released from the Imperial Prison, it was just at dusk.

The setting sun wrapped in warm wind struck his face; he instinctively raised his hand to block the soft light coming from afar, causing his eyes to ache.

Chen Ji rubbed his cheeks and crossed the White Jade Bridge, heading south.

Outside Taiye Pond, he saw Xiao Man and Zhang Zheng squatting together, whispering about something unknown.

Zhang Xia stood nearby in the shadow beneath red walls and grey tiles, resting with eyes shut. Surprisingly, she had changed out of her fiery red dress, donning a white archery outfit with entwined lotus flowers embroidered, the cuffs tightly wrapped in white cloth. Her lower body was clad in loose white breeches, fastened below the knees.

She appeared less coquettish, gaining more valor.

Zhang Xia was not chatting idly but slightly moving her lips, seeming to be murmuring something silently.

Upon hearing footsteps, Xiao Man quickly raised his head, exclaiming with delight, "Young Master, you finally made it out!"

Zhang Zheng hurriedly approached, scrutinizing Chen Ji up and down, "Do you have any injuries? They didn’t torture you, did they? Aren’t you from the Spy Department? How come they detained you until the end?"

Chen Ji chuckled, "There were some delays... How did the court handle the Korea Envoy Party?"

Xiao Man muttered quietly, "Young Master, why are you still thinking about the Korea Envoy Party? They made you stay in such a grim place as the Imperial Prison for a whole day and night... As for the court’s affairs, you should ask Second Sister."

Chen Ji looked towards Zhang Xia but saw her still murmuring something.

Zhang Zheng laughed heartily, "Ever since you gave her the Cultivation Path, she’s been practicing tirelessly day and night, unwilling to say an extra word. Previously, she could chant it twice in half an hour; now she’s become extremely adept and can do it four times in half an hour."

Chen Ji pondered silently; he could only chant it once in thirty minutes and often made mistakes three out of ten times. A single wrong word would render all previous efforts in vain.

He calculated Zhang Xia’s cultivation speed, "If at Second Sister’s chanting speed, she chants for eight hours a day, in just over seventy days, she’d complete ten thousand chants... I wonder if ten thousand chants is the threshold for Innate?"

Zhang Zheng laughed, "She chants for far more than eight hours a day. Besides eating and sleeping, she’s probably at it for twelve hours, without feeling bothered."

At this moment, seeing that Zhang Xia had yet to finish chanting, Xiao Man shouted, "Young Master, don’t bother with Second Sister now, quickly, come cross the fire basin."

Chen Ji turned and saw a copper basin not far away, filled to the brim with straw.

Xiao Man took out a fire inch and squatted next to the copper basin, blowing to ignite the straw. When the fire blazed the brightest, Zhang Zheng pulled Chen Ji over the fire basin.

In the sunset, Xiao Man clapped his hands and laughed, "May the City God bless, driving away evil and misfortune, bad luck be gone!"

Chen Ji laughed, "Why did you bring a fire basin here?"

Xiao Man widened his eyes, "Young Master, what are you saying? Only those of the lowest rank get out of prison with no one to welcome them. You have a family and siblings, naturally, there should be a fire basin to welcome you."

Chen Ji was stunned.

Zhang Zheng pulled him towards Chessboard Street, "Come, come, come, once we cross the fire basin, we still need to celebrate; let’s go to Li Ji on Chessboard Street for a bowl of steaming pig foot noodles, this is called ’washing feet to come ashore.’"

Xiao Man glared at him, "Mind your language. My Young Master was wronged, what’s there to wash or come ashore for? We should have Pearl Cabbage Tofu Soup, pure and clear!"

Zhang Zheng pondered, "Then let’s go to ’Bianyifang’!"

At this moment, a sudden voice sounded beside them, "Jiao Tu took people to search Huitong Hall and found ink sticks made from Ma Qianzi in the Korean Crown Prince’s luggage; all the evidence is there. Now the court has ordered the Korea Envoy Party not to step out of Huitong Hall. The Officials are debating how to deal with them. To think they dared plot against the Celestial Dynasty even at the cost of their lives, a severe punishment is surely due... But the matter of aiding Korea seems to be on the agenda too, for our Dynasty needs Korea to keep the Jing Dynasty in check and cannot truly watch as they lose their nation."

Chen Ji, Xiao Man, and Zhang Zheng turned to look, only to find Zhang Xia had finished chanting once and answered Chen Ji’s initial question.