Green Mountain-Chapter 568 - 428: Decisive Victory

Enfeoffment.

The three hundred stone annual stipend is dispensable.

But should there be another spring hunt, no one can bypass Emperor Ning and issue a maritime capture document, not even the Ritual Supervision.

The foreign visitor finally has an "identity" in this world that is hereditary and unchanging.

Zhang Zhuo teased, cupping his hands to Chen Ji: "Chen Ji, from now on, I can no longer call you ’kid’ or ’that boy,’ I must call you Lord."

"Lord Zhang, you jest," Chen Ji took the Imperial Decree.

Xiao Man, holding the little black cat, came over with sparkling eyes, full of disbelief: "Young master, have you really been enfeoffed? Now, won’t the matchmakers trample down the threshold of the Chen family’s house?"

Chen Ji glanced at her and no longer pretended to be drunk: "You’re more worried about my marriage than I am."

Xiao Man whispered: "But this three hundred stone stipend is too little, even as a lord, the monthly stipend is only twenty taels of silver, which lord lives so frugally..."

The little eunuch delivering the decree changed his expression and hurriedly said: "Young lady, watch your words, you can’t speak recklessly!"

Xiao Man noticed the little eunuch was always staying beside her, and immediately flipped her sleeve to find something. But she had left the house too urgently, not bringing any money for rewards.

Her gaze fell on the prayer beads in the little monk’s hand: "The one in your hand..."

The little monk hastened to explain: "This is a real prayer bead, not a Buddhist treasure."

Xiao Man made a sound of acknowledgment.

Zhang Zhuo pulled a golden peanut from his sleeve and tossed it to the little eunuch: "What are you watching for, go do your work, and pretend you heard nothing just now."

The little eunuch beamed, bowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Lord Zhang, thank you, Lord Zhang!"

Zhang Zhuo turned his head to Chen Ji: "Kid, now that you’ve been granted a title, you should host a few tables of feasts to celebrate."

Chen Ji rolled up the Imperial Decree and handed it to Xiao Man: "Before the spring hunt, Your Majesty promised a barony and a four hundred stone stipend, why has it been reduced today?"

Zhang Zhuo pointed at him smilingly: "Don’t act all humble when you’ve been given a good deal. The stipend is not important, the four words ’hereditary and unchangeable’ are the most valuable. The Ning Dynasty hasn’t granted a title outside the royal family in twenty-seven years, now you have a barony, and it can be raised to a viscount, later on, there could be a duke, a prince, a marquis, an earl... Being a king of a different surname wouldn’t be delightful?"

"I haven’t thought that far," Chen Ji shook his head and changed the topic: "By the way, Lord Zhang, where are Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia?"

"The two of them went to the Xu family to visit the Official," Zhang Zhuo sighed lightly, walking towards Chessboard Street: "The Official is seriously ill, I don’t know how much longer he can hold on. If it weren’t for Xu Shu exchanging a Dao Court elixir from Hu Junyan, he might not have survived last month. Now some people hope the Official leaves sooner, and even within the Xu family, there are those who wish for this. The Hu family sent people to the Observatory a few days ago, asking Hu Junyan not to give life-prolonging elixirs to the Xu family anymore."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "There are people in the Xu family who want the Official dead?"

Zhang Zhuo smiled and explained: "When the Official is here, he can decide to have the Xu family managed by me. Once he leaves, the side branches of the Xu family will all come to get a share. By then, the Xu family will no longer be under my control. Now I just wish he could hold on a little longer, wait for me to complete the new reforms, and get this great country in order."

Walking beside Zhang Zhuo, he curiously asked: "Won’t Xu Shu, Xu Jianzheng inherit the Xu family business? He’s the legitimate son, with him there, how could any side branch get a share?"

Zhang Zhuo shook his head as he walked: "He is a person from the Forty-nine Heavens, and Official Xu does not want him to inherit the family business. Imagine, would you get close to someone who took the body of your only son? Official Xu wanted to kill him, but Xu Shu was saved by Yuanjue Temple back then, and upon waking, he did not hide his identity, admitted to coming from the Pure Glass World, and borrowing the body of the Xu family, promised nineteen years of prosperity for the Xu family... That’s when Official Xu suppressed his murderous intentions. But since then, the two never spoke a word, with Official Xu using me to send messages to Xu Shu, and Xu Shu using me to send messages to Official Xu."

Chen Ji was curious: "Which year is it now?"

Zhang Zhuo was silent for a moment: "The nineteenth year."

He said nineteen years, and it has been nineteen years.

In these nineteen years, Official Xu has sat steadily as Cabinet Minister, suppressing other families to the point where they can’t raise their heads, even the Liu family is gone. Now that Official Xu is leaving, the Xu family is on the verge of collapse.

Chen Ji probed: "Did Xu Shu ever mention why he came down from the Forty-nine Heavens? Why did the other immortals from Forty-nine Heavens come to the human world? Who resides in the Pure Glass World?"

Zhang Zhuo recalled: "He only mentioned that the Pure Glass World is the arena of the Medicine Buddha, nothing else."

While pondering this, the group had arrived outside Chengtian Gate.

Gazing at the empty Chessboard Street, Zhang Zhuo suddenly sighed: "Chen Ji, this Imperial Capital is like a Jianghu of swordfighters, no one dares to make a move, everyone waits for others to reveal a flaw. The more you do, the more mistakes you make... but some things must be done. My position has been abolished for a year, come help me."

Chen Ji and Zhang Zhuo stood side by side outside Chengtian Gate, gazing at the dim gateways of Chessboard Street. One wore a red official robe, one was bloodstained.

The once bustling Chessboard Street had extinguished its lights, submerged in silence.

In Chen Ji’s hometown, it was no longer called Chengtian Gate but Tianan Gate.

The Zhang family nowadays was the most trustworthy people in this world for him, and he did want to help Zhang Zhuo, but he still had his own affairs to attend to.

Chen Ji was about to refuse, but suddenly reconsidered: "What does Lord Zhang need done?"

Zhang Zhuo slowly stated: "Clearing the canal transport. The canal is like the dragon’s spine; the national taxes and duties need to be transported to the Imperial Capital via the canal. But the Cao Guild has controlled the canal transport for too long, becoming a major hidden danger that must be eradicated. But the core members of the Cao Guild are well hidden, I need your help to contact the Three Mountains Association, and to explore the situation of the Cao Guild."

Chen Ji pondered for a long time: "Alright."

If it were other matters, he could only refuse Zhang Zhuo. But since it involves the Cao Guild, this is also what he needs to investigate:

First, the death soldiers disguised as Jiefan Guard hiding among porters definitely came from the Cao Guild, as only the Cao Guild along the shores of the canal has the power to raise such death soldiers. Second, Aunt Ping once said that the Tomb Dog carried twelve scrolls of scriptures to Yangzhou, assassinated by an Executive Officer from Hidden Python Path, and the blood sacrifice method of the Five Mad Soldiers also ended up in the opposite party’s hands. Chen Ji also knows an Executive Officer related to the Cao Guild... Bai Li’s biological father, Han Tong.

Aunt Ping once mentioned that Executives from Hidden Python Path usually only tattoo pythons, although some have tried tattooing celestial beings or Buddha figures, they all went mad, but it was never said tattooing them would definitely make one mad.

On Han Tong’s hand, the tattoo is of the Buddha.

So whether Chen Ji wants to find evidence to pin down the second branch of the Chen family or seek the blood sacrifice method of the Five Mad Soldiers, he must investigate the Cao Guild, and thus aligns with Zhang Zhuo’s plans.

Zhang Zhuo was slightly surprised and somewhat pleased to hear his agreement: "Didn’t expect you kid..."

Xiao Man cautiously reminded, "Lord Zhang, you should address him as Duke."

Zhang Zhuo and Chen Ji both turned to look at Xiao Man, bemused.

The little monk closed his eyes, "Amitabha Buddha..."

Just then, the distant sound of hooves clattered, urgent and powerful.

A fast horse galloped from the east, with someone shouting from afar, "A great victory! Pingdong General and Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Wang Daosheng, led our Ning Dynasty navy in a raid on the Jing Dynasty’s Lushun Port, capturing the Jing Dynasty’s Council Chief Executive Officer Yuan Cheng. The troops will soon return to the court!"

The fast horse sped past the two of them, carrying the distant wind that fluttered their robes, heading towards the Imperial Palace Gate.

Chen Ji and Zhang Zhuo instinctively exchanged a glance.

A surprise attack on Lushun Port?

Captured the Council Chief Executive Officer?

Wasn’t Wang Daosheng leading the navy to support Korea? How did he end up at Lushun and even captured a Council Chief Executive Officer?

The Jing Dynasty Council Chief Executive Officer oversees the Command Department, Military Intelligence Department, and the Arms Department, under restraint only by the Minister of the Secretariat and the Jing Dynasty Emperor.

This is a pivotal figure in the Jing Dynasty, yet Wang Daosheng managed to capture him. And after capturing Yuan Cheng, Wang could still retreat unscathed?

A great victory indeed.

It truly is a great victory.

Zhang Zhuo turned and went to a tavern on Chessboard Street, pounding on the sealed door, "Open up, hurry up!"

He knocked for about 15 minutes, and inside, a server complained as he took down the door slab, "Can’t you see we’re closed...My Lord!"

The server, upon seeing the red official robe outside the door, immediately trembled, "What brings you here, My Lord?"

Zhang Zhuo walked into the shop, took a jar of wine, and gulped it down, "Cheers! Our Ning Dynasty soldiers landed at Lushun Port and marched straight in, capturing Jing Dynasty’s top official, unprecedented!"

He pulled the server along, "Come, come, have a bowl yourself!"

Chessboard Street gradually became lively again. Shops that had closed began taking down their door slabs, and people rushed in after hearing the news, "Is it true about the great victory?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "How could it be false? Naturally, it’s true!"

He tossed a handful of golden peanuts to the server, "Here’s your wine money. Anyone who comes to your shop for a drink today, I will cover their bill!"

The shopkeepers and workers outside the tavern hurried to spread the news, knocking on doors and calling out, and more people gathered in the tavern.

Chen Ji watched the scene unfold, finally understanding the phrase "wearing ceremonial caps joyfully, running to tell others."

This great victory truly merits nationwide celebration in the Ning Dynasty, yet Chen Ji didn’t know whether to feel happy or worried.

He stood outside the tavern, turned to Xiao Man, "Earlier, our family driver went to the spring hunt with me, but we got separated when I was pursued. Has he returned to the Chen family?"

Xiao Man was bewildered, "No, I almost forgot about him until you mentioned it..."

Chen Ji’s heart sank.

Si Caogui had disappeared, blending back into the crowd.

When Chen Ji’s strength was revealed during the pursuit, the other side might have realized that what happened at the Guyuan Dragon Gate Inn was not a falsely reported achievement.

Chen Ji pondered silently, Si Caogui probably couldn’t fully comprehend what happened in Guyuan, nor would he conclude that hearing the victory report meant Chen Ji had manipulated it...

But Si Caogui was not one who relied on evidence.

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo came out of the tavern holding two bowls of wine and handed one to Chen Ji, "Your teacher wins glorious return, why aren’t you happy as his pupil?"

Chen Ji smiled and downed the drink, "Happy."

Yet as they drank, Zhang Zhuo’s cheeriness began to fade, and he frowned.

Chen Ji asked unflustered, "Lord Zhang, what’s wrong?"

Zhang Zhuo responded in a deep voice, "Your teacher’s return will likely face some trouble."

Chen Ji was puzzled, "What does Lord Zhang mean by that?"

Zhang Zhuo finished his drink and sighed, "His Majesty promoted him to Pingdong General, a Second Grade Product, holding the Pingdong General’s seal to command the Ning Dynasty navy, with the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Furthermore, he was exceptionally granted the title of Doctor of Guanglu, a Loyal and Brave Gold Medal, allowing him to act first and report later...His honors are too lavish."

"Oh?"

Zhang Zhuo continued slowly, "His Majesty gave him forty thousand assorted navy soldiers, yet also granted him so many titles, perhaps not expecting him to return... Now that he has returned, how will the court reward him? If I were him, I would tarnish myself on the way back, perhaps by killing captives or embezzling military funds, so His Majesty would have a reason to demote me. But Wang Daosheng wouldn’t do that; he wants to be a saint."

Yet this vast Ning Dynasty has no room for a literary saint.

The next moment, Zhang Zhuo’s expression changed again, "Oh no, Yuan Cheng was captured and returned, giving Lu Jin a chance to rise as Council Chief Executive Officer. This person is much more troublesome than Yuan Cheng and is the most steadfast advocate for war in the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji casually asked, "How troublesome is Lu Jin? To make Lord Zhang so wary?"

Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "You don’t understand. His influence within the Jing Dynasty army is immense, and he is extremely skilled in strategy and patience. These past years of great victories during the Jing Dynasty’s southern campaigns all have his shadow behind them. You should head back and rest for now, I need to enter the palace to see the emperor immediately!"

With that, Zhang Zhuo threw down the bowl, turned, and ran towards the Imperial Palace Gate, not even minding his manners.