Green Mountain-Chapter 576 - 436: The Oath of Allegiance

In the early morning, the rooster crowed.

A child with a single-shoulder hemp bag walked through the streets, shouting: "The top scorer Lin Chaojing’s timely strategy, discussing the accumulative problems of the salt policy!"

"Chen Wenzong’s new annotation on ’Ritual’ amazed the Academic Administrator!"

"Huqiu Poetry Society leader Shen Ye’s stunning strategy speech, noting that the problems with the salt policy lie not in private merchants, but in outdated laws that lead to corruption, calling for reform, investigation of corrupt officials, and change by converting grain tributes to silver tributes!"

On Fuyou Street, the red gate of the Chen family opened a crack, and someone waved to the child: "Child, come over here, I want a copy of each."

The child beamed: "Alright, sir, that’ll be thirty coins."

A Chen family servant widened his eyes: "So expensive?"

The child hastily explained: "You may not know, this is a unique product from Wenyuan Bookstore, selling ten copies would only earn me one copper coin."

The servant counted thirty copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to the child impatiently: "Go, go, don’t linger in front of the door."

He closed the red gate and respectfully delivered the thin pages of the article to the entrance of Wendan Hall to Chen Xu.

Chen Xu glanced at it, then turned and walked inside Wendan Hall: "Master, it seems His Majesty is spreading rumors; these sneakily released articles are mostly targeting the salt affairs... Would you like to take a look?"

"No need," Official Chen, dressed in his official robe, blew on the tea’s floating foam: "The salt affairs have been a thorn in His Majesty’s heart for thirty-two years, and now, with us in disarray, he naturally wants to remove it. However, removing this thorn will not be easy."

Chen Xu nodded: "Yes."

Official Chen put down the teacup: "Still haven’t found Chen Ji?"

"No, we haven’t."

"What about Wang Gui?"

Chen Xu said in a deep voice: "Also not found. Brother Pao, Chen Chong, who works under Chen Ji, came out of nowhere and is quite a character. In just a month, he gathered ruffians from Heji and Furui Xiang under his command, even setting up a series of secret codes and hand signals, sealing off Meihua Ferry Crossing as impregnable..."

Just then, a servant outside the hall spoke: "Second Master, allow me to first report..."

Chen Lizhi burst into anger: "Report what? Get out!"

He lifted his official robe and strode into Wendan Hall, standing below and shouting: "Family Head, what is that rascal Chen Ji up to? The matter is already settled, why is he still clinging on? If he insists on this, don’t blame me for being ruthless as his uncle."

Official Chen looked him up and down, slowly saying: "What exactly does Wang Gui know that makes you so flustered? You don’t even understand the rules here at Wendan Hall."

Chen Lizhi was at a loss for words.

He pondered back and forth, thinking he had no hold over Wang Gui. Yet Chen Ji went to great lengths to hide Wang Gui, and when Meng Ji enters the Imperial Capital, it seems he is positioning himself to bring him down.

At this point, Chen Lizhi began to have a trace of hesitation...

But he still firmly said: "Family Head, Wang Gui is just a housekeeper of the third branch, what leverage could he have against me?"

Official Chen replied casually: "In that case, there’s no need to concern yourself with him."

Chen Lizhi suppressed his anger: "Family Head, that lad Chen Ji disregards the family’s rules and fails to notify you before making decisions on his own, how can you allow him to act recklessly?"

Official Chen picked up the teacup again: "When you wanted to kill him before, you didn’t inform me either."

Once again, Chen Lizhi was at a loss for words.

Official Chen took a small sip of tea, smiling as he said: "He survived life-and-death during the spring hunt, it’s reasonable for him to have grievances. Maybe give him something to calm him down."

He changed the topic: "Or, you could find Wang Gui and kill him before Meng Ji enters the Imperial Capital, putting an end to this."

After a moment of silence, Chen Lizhi turned and left in large strides: "I understand, uncle."

Chen Xu stood inside Wendan Hall, watching Chen Lizhi’s back and softly said: "Master, the minds of Second Master and Chen Ji are not on the Chen family; they’re only focused on themselves."

Official Chen smoothed the creases on his official robe and gazed outside Wendan Hall at the dim sky: "Chen Xu, how many people’s minds in this vast Chen family truly focus on the Chen family? This great ship of the Chen family has weathered thousands of storms and come through like this." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Chen Xu cupped his hands: "Master, I was born as a Chen family member and will die as a Chen family ghost."

Official Chen smiled: "No need for loyalty pledges, you’re the only one I have complete faith in within this family. And don’t worry about Chen Ji, make him understand the family is better than outside, and his mind will naturally return. Have you read the debate scripture between Chen Ji and Wuzhai of Yuanjue Temple at Lu Hun Manor, printed by Wenyuan Bookstore?"

Chen Xu was taken aback, then lowered his head: "Reporting to Master, I haven’t."

Official Chen sighed: "I only started truly valuing this child Chen Ji since then. At Lu Hun Manor, he posed an interesting question: if every plank on a ship is replaced, is this still the same ship... How similar this is to my Chen family! Chen Xu, you answer me, is my present Chen family still the same as before?"

Chen Xu thought for a long time: "I am dull-witted."

"I can’t match their clever debates," Official Chen laughed heartily: "To me, whether or not the ship is still the Chen family doesn’t matter; what matters is whether the ship can still carry the Chen family across the seas. If there are rotten beams and planks on this ship, they should be replaced; otherwise, if water leaks in, none of the Chen family on board can escape."

Chen Xu cautiously probed: "Master’s meaning is..."

Official Chen slowly retracted his smile: "The second son is already panicking. What he’s bearing is probably greater than what I have speculated. These matters, he can’t carry them, and I’m afraid the Chen family can’t carry them either. I guess that the leverage Chen Ji has against Wang Gui doesn’t actually exist, otherwise, he wouldn’t have made this matter widely known. He wants to use this event to see the second son’s reaction and then use me as a knife to kill the people he wants to kill... It’s rare for someone to use me as a knife."

Chen Xu respectfully said, "Master, your insight is like a torch, able to see through the child’s schemes and machinations."

Official Chen rubbed the armrest, suddenly asking, "What is a covert plot?"

Before Chen Xu could answer, he continued, "Meticulously deceiving you into a trap, that’s a covert plot. What is an overt plot? An overt plot is when you know, yet have no choice."

Chen Xu dared not to respond further.

Official Chen was silent for a moment: "The second son can no longer be kept."

Chen Xu was startled: "Master, you just said yesterday..."

Official Chen stood up and slowly walked outside: "Do you know what wisdom is?"

Chen Xu bowed and followed him: "I wish for the master to enlighten me."

Official Chen stepped over the threshold of Wendan Hall: "True wisdom is knowing what to do at the right time. Study well when it’s time to study, concede when it’s time to concede, and be ruthless when it’s time to kill. Those who don’t understand this aren’t truly wise."

Chen Xu quickly said, "I will handle it immediately."

Official Chen suddenly stopped: "No rush, first let the second son reveal his last reserves, and also dampen the youth’s arrogance."

...

...

The servants of the Chen family’s second branch walked out of Fuyou Street one by one. Some headed for Chongnan Fang in the Outer City, others went into unknown alleys, leading groups through streets and alleys searching for traces of Wang Gui and Chen Ji.

The Imperial Capital buzzed with activity due to the Imperial Examination, while beneath the surface, undercurrents flowed.

Yet the Chen family searched for a full three days—teahouses, alleys, taverns, inns, suspicious citizens—everywhere was scoured without a trace of Wang Gui and Chen Ji to be found.

On the third night, Brother Pao was sitting in Meirui Building accounting, the candlelight reflecting off the Water Plates on the wall—Imperial Capital, Jinling, Taiyuan... Having changed hands so many times, the bamboo-made Water Plates were rubbed smooth, as if coated with a thick layer of paste.

Just at that moment, footsteps came from Meihua Ferry Crossing.

In Meirui Building, Er Dao, who was dozing off with arms crossed, suddenly opened his eyes: "Brother, someone is coming."

Brother Pao seemed unperturbed: "Looks like they didn’t find Chen Ji."

Er Dao stood up: "What should we do?"

Brother Pao put down the brush, picked up his pipe from the table, took a few deep puffs by the candlelight, and then said with a smile: "The more dire the time, the better the smoke tastes—if I could take a puff before death, I can’t imagine how reassuring it would be."

Er Dao rubbed his smooth head: "What kind of logic is that?"

Brother Pao laughed heartily: "You don’t need to know. Just don’t act recklessly. Chen Ji is a deeply thoughtful person, never easily trusting others, not even us as fellow countrymen. We always have to cross this hurdle; otherwise, we’ll never be one of their own."

Er Dao rubbed his head again: "What kind of logic is this again?"

As soon as he finished, the door of Meirui Building was pushed open, and six masked death soldiers burst in.

Brother Pao got up and put on a black jacket, took another puff before handing the pipe to Er Dao, and said to the masked deaths: "The person you’re looking for is me, let’s go."

The death soldiers were slightly taken aback, seeing this fellow’s demeanor; they didn’t seem to be here to capture him, but rather to receive him.

Brother Pao swaggered through them; there wasn’t a ruffian outside Meirui Building, as Brother Pao had sent them away early on, as if he knew death soldiers would come to take him from the start.

They filed out through the back door and boarded a carriage.

The carriage circled around for four hours before it stopped in a small alley. Along the way, Brother Pao sat in the middle, resting with closed eyes, and only got up when the carriage stopped and walked inside.

In the courtyard, four people were gathered around a bonfire, with a pot of boiling oil suspended above it.

Chen Lizhi’s Mountain Ghost Coin second branch Chief stood up in surprise, sizing up Brother Pao, who was not bound by a single rope: "He came by himself?"

The death soldier replied: "He came by himself."

The Chief furrowed his brow: "Was anyone tailing him?"

The death soldier cautiously said: "Confirmed, no one was tailing."

This left the second branch Chief somewhat puzzled, and he looked at Brother Pao: "Who the hell are you? Could you be a Seeking Dao Realm Executive Officer?"

Brother Pao frankly said: "Haven’t had a chance to practice yet, probably after passing this ordeal."

The Chief raised an eyebrow: "You think you can get through this ordeal? Where is Wang Gui? Where is Chen Ji?"

Brother Pao swaggered into the room, dragged the Taishi chair to the courtyard, and sat down: "I won’t say anything, just get on with the torture."