Green Mountain
Chapter 74 - 63, True Bodhisattva

Chapter 74: 63, True Bodhisattva

The greeter waitress paused for a moment, then grabbed a piece of Xuan paper and ran upstairs.

"I heard a scholar who just returned from Donglin Academy say that the Princely Heir is scolded by the masters every day, and every day he is either catching wild chickens and rabbits on the mountain or sneaking off the mountain to drink in the city. Look at their group, do they look like scholars? They’re all waving swords and dancing around like country bumpkins."

"Surely Liu Xingshou will let him go upstairs, considering his status as the Princely Heir?"

"You don’t know. Previously on the Qinhuai River in Jinling, the main heir of the Hu Family couldn’t produce any poetry but still wanted to board a boat, causing a scene. Guess what happened?"

"What happened?"

"One son of the Xu Family beat up the Hu Family’s main heir and threw him into the Qinhuai River! So, if the Princely Heir thinks he can act all high and mighty, he’s really picked the wrong place. Liu Xingshou is backed by the Cabinet Minister from the Xu Family... the Xu Family doesn’t even have to respect a vassal prince..."

At this moment, the crowd was still buzzing with discussion, but the Princely Heir ignored these voices, waiting only for the greeter waitress to come down and curiously asked, "Miss, what did Liu Xingshou say?"

The greeter waitress giggled, "My lady said, the Princely Heir didn’t brag. Your half sentence is worth ten from someone else! Please, go upstairs!"

The onlookers were shocked, "The incompetent Princely Heir can write poetry?"

The Princely Heir slightly narrowed his eyes, turned his head to scan the crowd, trying to find who had spoken.

However, he looked striking, wearing the Princely Heir’s official cap and a silver brocade robe, just the disappearance of his smile endowed him with a natural authority, a bit unlike the former wastrel he was.

The speaker wasn’t foolish, merely taking advantage of the chaotic crowd. Seeing the Princely Heir’s slight anger, how could he dare to really provoke such authority? He immediately shrank back into the crowd.

Someone shouted from the crowd, "Bring out the poetry the Princely Heir just wrote, let us see if Liu Xingshou is being lenient!"

After a moment of silence, the Princely Heir laughed loudly, no longer letting these attacks bother him, "Say whatever you like, I can go upstairs and you can’t, that will suffocate you! Let’s go drink!"

With a grand gesture, full of Jianghu bravado, he no longer paid attention to these people, turned around excitedly and beckoned to Liang Gou’er, "Quick, quick! Carry Chen Ji upstairs for drinks too!"

Everyone’s gaze turned towards Chen Ji; why were they carrying someone who was sleeping?

"Why are so many people carrying him?"

"He might be disabled and can’t walk?"

"That’s pitiful."

Liang Gou’er and Liang Mao’er lifted the bamboo chair and moved forward. Liu Quxing laughed, "Now, Chen Ji will become famous in Luocheng."

She Dengke reluctantly said, "We might as well have left him at the Medical Hall to avoid being called disabled."

Liang Gou’er blurted out, "Us folks of Jianghu, how can we drink without one of us? It’s boring for him to be alone in the Medical Hall. He naturally has to drink with us! We’ll drink till morning then carry him up the drum tower to watch the sunrise, that will be thrilling!"

By this time, Chen Ji had died and come back to life again, but hearing the surrounding chatter, he truly didn’t have the courage to open his eyes...

He kept his eyes closed, gritting his teeth, and said, "Stop chatting, let’s go!"

Liang Gou’er and Liu Quxing burst into laughter, "Turns out he’s awake!"

Once inside the embroidery building, which was quietly elegant, there was even a small fishpond dug in the center of the hall with three or five koi fish.

As the crowd was about to go upstairs, a pretty maid came down the stairs, and the Princely Heir suddenly raised his hand, gesturing for Liang Gou’er to stop with Liang Mao’er in front of the maid.

The Princely Heir patted Chen Ji, "Chen Ji, look at this girl, she’s very attractive."

The maid covered her mouth and giggled.

Chen Ji refused to open his eyes, dead set against doing such embarrassing things, but the Princely Heir stubbornly wouldn’t leave.

Not knowing how long the standoff lasted, the uneasy Chen Ji quickly opened his eyes, then quickly closed them, his teeth almost crushed, "I’ve seen her, let’s go upstairs."

Princely Heir laughed heartily, "It’s just a look, what’s there to fear? Don’t be shy!"

Chen Ji, "..."

You didn’t treat me as a disabled person, but neither did you treat me as a person...

Princely Heir teased as he walked alongside the bamboo chair, "Usually, I see you quite calm, why so modest today?"

Chen Ji turned his head and looked at him, "Were you also carried here?"

The mirth of the crowd echoed up to the rooftop, swirling around the rafters, lingering for a long time.

Chen Ji felt incredibly awkward, but after a moment of embarrassment, he couldn’t help but laugh as well, cursing, "Once my injury heals, I’ll kill you all."

...

...

On a street tens of meters away, Jin Zhu, dressed as a wealthy merchant along with a spy, was secretly watching the embroidery building.

Jin Zhu whispered, "We need to keep a close eye on this embroidery building. Luocheng is in a tumultuous time right now, and today is no auspicious day. His choice of opening business today is suspicious. And that Liu Xingshou, having a good time in Jinling and suddenly running to Luocheng, what for?"

"My lord, it’s a routine for greeter waitresses from Qingyin Small Class opening ceremonies across our Jing Dynasty to invite the headwaitresses from Qinhuai River in Jinling, after all, they are the most well-known."

Jin Zhu shook his head, "No, no, during this period, we need to keep an eye on all new faces in Luocheng. Also, that Princely Heir and Commandery Princess, Donglin Academy closed a month ago; even if it takes half a month by carriage to return, where were they and what did they do the other half month? Look into it."

"In the territory of Luocheng, won’t this provoke Prince Jing Mansion..."

Jin Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly, chuckling coldly, "Would the Liu Family dare to conspire treason without the backing of Prince Jing Mansion? Even if planning rebellion, they would need to find themselves a new master. Without Prince Jing, could the Liu Family really sit on the throne themselves? They aren’t worthy! The Xu Family, Chen Family, Qi Family, Hu Family, Yang Family—they would devour them."

Jin Zhu understood one principle: even if the Liu Family succeeded in rebellion, they couldn’t sit on that throne, so the other party must choose someone.

So, who had they chosen? Prince Fu, Prince Qi, Prince An? None of these three were capable enough, only Prince Jing had the credentials to be Liu Family’s moral support.

As they were talking, Jin Zhu watched in amazement as Chen Ji was carried into the embroidery building by Liang Gou’er and Liang Mao’er, with Princess Bai Li helping with the handrail...

He rubbed his eyes instinctively, "Am I seeing things because of eating something bad, quickly look, is the person being carried by Liang Mao’er and Liang Gou’er Chen Ji?"

His loyal spy dryly said, "It is him."

Jin Zhu was even more shocked, "This kid has such a high status in Prince Jing Mansion?! Tomorrow I must visit him, tell him to keep a close eye on the Princely Heir and the Commandery Princess, and find a way to dig out evidence of the Prince Mansion’s connection to Jing Dynasty!"

...

...

Upon reaching the second floor of the embroidery building, they saw a strange arrangement: every elegant seat was separated by layers of gauze curtains hanging from the roof, seemingly isolating them from the world.

The Princely Heir asked in surprise, "What is the meaning of this? Sitting behind these curtains, how can we see Liu Xingshou?"

A maid explained, "This is tonight’s game, the air is clear in autumn, our lady said to use ’autumn’ as the theme, everyone must come up with three autumn-related poems. The curtains blocking the outside have three layers, revealing one layer for each poem written, and only after three are completed can you see our lady."

The Princely Heir looked around, only to see a maid removing three layers of curtains from Chen Wenzong’s side, the man had already completed his three poems.

Looking at another elegant seat, someone passed out a sheet of Xuan paper from behind the curtain, soon, a maid came to lift the curtain outside the seat, revealing Liu Mingxian sitting upright inside.

The Princely Heir instinctively looked at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji had once again fallen asleep.

He urged, "Bai Li, quick, donate some offerings!"

Princess Bai Li pulled out three golden melon seeds from her little purse and pressed them into Chen Ji’s palm, but this time, Chen Ji lying on the bamboo chair did not wake up.

The Princely Heir whispered in dismay, "Oh no, even giving money is useless, he’s truly a saint!"