Early in the morning, Chen Ji woke up utterly alone.
The bedroom was desolate without Liang Gou’er’s alcoholic fus, nor She Dengke’s snoring; even the warmth had been taken away.
He got dressed and went out, glancing at the ladder propped against the courtyard wall before bending down to lift the yoke and walking into Anxi Street.
The water tank in the courtyard was full, but Chen Ji still went to fetch water as usual, as if this stubborn routine could keep ti at a standstill before the onset of war.
There were no pedestrians on Anxi Street, so he stood alone by the well, slowly winding the well crank, lost in thought as he did.
It wasn’t until a baozi shop’s assistant ca to fetch water that he snapped back to reality, handled the water, and carried the yoke toward Zhi Xing Academy.
Thud, thud, thud, Chen Ji knocked on the firmly closed wooden door of Zhi Xing Academy.
After a mont, Wang Daosheng opened the door and asked with puzzlent, "Why have you co?"
Chen Ji smiled and walked into the courtyard, saying, "I am your Direct Disciple, living so close, it is only right for to help you fetch water and chop wood."
Wang Daosheng followed him into the courtyard and scrutinized him, then suddenly said, "You have doubts in your heart, don’t you? There’s sothing you want to ask , right?"
Chen Ji stopped in his tracks, not expecting Mr. Wang to see right through him.
He set down the yoke, pouring the water in the bucket into the tank: "Master, did the Liu Family co to you when they plotted the rebellion?"
Wang Daosheng replied from the side, "They did. Official Liu promised high ranks, hoping I would strategize for their battles, but I refused."
Chen Ji asked, "Didn’t the Liu Family give you any trouble?"
Wang Daosheng shook his head: "The Liu Family didn’t cause any trouble; in their eyes, I am no more than a stinky, hard stone, not worth their ti."
Chen Ji laughed, "Why would you describe yourself like that?"
Wang Daosheng casually said, "That’s how others describe ."
Chen Ji curiously asked, "Aren’t you angry about it?"
Wang Daosheng pondered for a mont, then confidently said, "I do get angry."
Chen Ji asked, "Master, do you also get angry because of what others think about you?"
Wang Daosheng smiled, "I still have many principles to figure out."
Chen Ji uttered an "Oh," then bent down to lift another bucket to pour water.
Wang Daosheng calmly said, "You didn’t co to Zhi Xing Academy just to ask about these matters."
Only the sound of water tactlessly splashing remained within the academy.
After quite a while, Chen Ji finally told the truth, "Master, there is this person, as long as she lives, she poses a great threat to and many others. The simplest choice now is to kill her; if done covertly enough, only the heavens, the earth, and I would know."
Wang Daosheng casually said, "That sounds fine. What are you hesitating about?"
After pouring the water, Chen Ji, holding the empty bucket, looked at him and said, "But with that one strike, there are so people I could never face again. So I want to ask, Master, should I kill her?"
Wang Daosheng, with a smile, said, "Just act according to your own conscience."
Chen Ji, looking down, muttered to himself, "Conscience?"
Wang Daosheng thought for a mont and said, "If you were to lose a bag of money on the road, would you feel distressed?"
Chen Ji nodded, "A bit, after all, property was lost."
Wang Daosheng asked again, "Then if you saw a beggar freezing to death on the road, and you could save him with only five cents, but you didn’t save him. The next day you heard he froze to death, would you feel a bit distressed?"
Chen Ji nodded again, "A little, yes."
Wang Daosheng asked, "Why would you feel distressed then, you didn’t lose any property?"
Chen Ji remained silent.
Wang Daosheng pointed to his chest, "You feel distressed because you’ve lost sothing in your heart."
"Hm?"
Wang Daosheng said with a smile, "Actually, this analogy isn’t quite accurate. Most people can only see the loss or gain of things outside themselves but cannot perceive the loss or gain of their own essence. Before you ca to ask , you had already answered yourself in your heart — just follow your heart."
"Thank you, Master."
...
...
Chen Ji, carrying the shoulder pole, headed towards the dical Hall. A carriage was already waiting in front of the hall, with the driver squatting and nibbling at a hard grain pancake, the sa one he had booked the day before.
When the driver saw him coming, he hurriedly stuffed the remaining half of the pancake into his pocket and said with a smile, "Sir, do you still need to carry water yourself?"
Chen Ji glanced at the sky, "You’re early; it isn’t yet the ti we agreed on."
The carriage driver chuckled, "The early bird catches the worm. Us poor folks who work for a living naturally co early to avoid any change in your plans that might leave you without a carriage."
Chen Ji said, "Just wait a mont, I need to set down so things."
He entered the dical Hall, put down the shoulder pole, and picked up the pastries from Zhengxin House and a jar of daughter red he had bought the day before, before getting into the carriage.
The carriage shook its way out of the city, with the driver sitting in front, turning back to ask, "Sir, you’re sure it’s possible to leave the city, right? I had a client yesterday who hired to get out of the city, but the soldiers at the city gate turned us back. These days, neither the ships at the dock nor the city gate are letting anyone through; travelers are tearing their hair out in frustration."
Chen Ji smiled, "Don’t worry, you won’t be making a wasted trip."
Half an hour later, the carriage reached the South City Gate, where three lines of caltrops blocked the gate and dozens of armored soldiers stopped them, "Who’s in the carriage?"
Chen Ji lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down, retrieving the Spy Departnt waist tag from his sleeve, "Spy Departnt."
A lieutenant slowly approached him, sizing him up and down, "Ah, an official from the Spy Departnt. Where are you heading?"
Chen Ji put away the waist tag, "On an official mission to the Liu Mansion."
The lieutenant didn’t ask further, rely saluted, "According to regulations, I must search your carriage."
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