At dusk, Qiu Ci Street beca lively, with Dancing Girls undaunted by the cold, changing into thin gauze dresses and leaning on the railing.
When guests arrived, they would throw handkerchiefs from upstairs. The handkerchiefs, carrying a whiff of fragrance, would land perfectly on the pedestrians’ heads; when the pedestrians picked the handkerchiefs off, they would look up to see a glimpse of bare bellies.
Chen Ji galloped out of the Dragon Gate Inn; the Dancing Girls at the railing, upon seeing him, threw their handkerchiefs out.
But Zaozao’s speed was too fast; before the handkerchiefs could fall, Chen Ji had already sped away with him. The light gauze handkerchiefs, like flower petals, fell emptily onto the bluestone road.
The old madam from the brothel stepped out, bending over to pick up the handkerchiefs and muttering, "Next ti aim before throwing, and if you see another in that much of a hurry to reincarnate, curb your frivolity!"
Chen Ji, unaware of what was happening behind him, only focused on pressing forward, with dire urgency.
But once out of Qiu Ci Street, the vendors who set up shop during the day had yet to pack up, and the streets of Guyuan City were so narrow that only one or two people could pass, so even Zaozao, marvelous as he was, could not speed up.
Chen Ji, riding Zaozao, squeezed through the crowd, from Qiu Ci Street to Qie Mo Street, from Gushi Street to Xuwei Lane; as the blood-red remains of the sun gradually set behind the city walls, by the ti he reached the front of the Governor’s Mansion, it was already dark.
Four large fires burned in front of the Governor’s Mansion, illuminating the gilded characters "Governor’s Mansion" on the entrance, shining brightly.
Dozens of Border Soldiers patrolled around the mansion. Seeing Chen Ji approaching, they lifted their long spears from afar: "Dismount!"
Chen Ji dismounted, led his horse by the reins closer, and said to the Border Soldiers guarding the door: "Generals, I have urgent matters to report to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Border Soldiers remained unmoved; one of them slowly lowered his long spear, his face stern, and said, "The Crown Prince is currently in a eting with the Yulin Army Generals about important matters. Unauthorized personnel must stand back."
Chen Ji took a step forward, and several spear-holding soldiers crossed their long spears in front of him, shouting in unison, "Stand back!"
He furrowed his brows, considering whether to force his way in.
The importance of the Governor’s Mansion was not small; it was originally the headquarters of the Guyuan Border Army, and storming the Governor’s Mansion would be seen as betraying and conspiring. Moreover, with dozens of Border Soldiers in formation, he feared he could not break through.
Chen Ji surveyed the surroundings, pondering if he could sneak in from the side.
While he was pondering, he heard soone say, "Eh, why is Third Young Master Chen here?"
Chen Ji looked towards the source of the voice, his muscles suddenly tensing.
The newcor turned out to be the very Border Soldier previously identified by Zhang Xia, suspected of poisoning thirty-four mbers of the Chen family.
The scar beneath his right cheek extending from the corner of his mouth to his earlobe was strikingly visible.
The Scarred Armor Soldier, noticing Chen Ji’s gaze, subconsciously touched his scar, smiling as he explained: "This scar was left during the battle at Quwu Mountain in the 24th year of Jianing when we faced off against the Jing Dynasty Heavenly Strategy Army; General Zhou was leading us toward the Jing Dynasty traitors’ main standard, and a sword-wielding officer blocked our path. He struck with his sword, and had it not been for General Zhou pulling back, half my head would have been chopped off then and there."
Chen Ji clasped his fists: "I admire the sacrifice and blood shed by our soldiers."
The Scarred Armor Soldier waved his hand: "No need to call General, I’m just a minor general under General Zhou; just call Old Wu. I don’t know what business brings Third Young Master Chen here, but the Crown Prince is indeed discussing important matters with the Yulin Army. Unless it’s sothing urgent, I could pass the ssage for you."
Chen Ji shook his head: "I apologize, this matter must be reported to His Highness in person. I must see His Highness today."
Old Wu looked sowhat troubled: "But General Li Xuan specifically ordered that no unauthorized personnel should enter the Governor’s Mansion, and now even we, the Border Soldiers, are not allowed inside but must stand guard outside."
A thought crossed Chen Ji’s mind, not letting him see the Crown Prince?
Could it be that Old Wu was really a Jing Dynasty spy who poisoned the Chen family, now holding the Crown Prince under house arrest in the Governor’s Mansion to isolate him from the outer world?
He glanced up at the sky, realizing ti was running out.
Chen Ji tentatively said, "Old Wu, you know well the connection I have with General Zhou, please make an exception for , I truly have an urgent matter to report to His Highness..."
Old Wu interrupted: "Is it truly urgent?"
Chen Ji gauged his expression: "Extrely urgent, concerning the safety of Guyuan!"
Old Wu pondered for a mont then waved to the soldiers at the door: "Let him through."
The Border Soldiers, following the order, neatly raised their long spears and no longer seed ready to fight.
Chen Ji was taken aback, just like that?
Old Wu signaled the Border Soldiers to open the large doors of the Governor’s Mansion, grudgingly saying, "Since it’s an urgent matter, I’ll make an exception for you this ti. It’s not that we, the Border Army, want to stop you... Young Master Chen, you will understand in a mont."
...
...
Before the doors were fully open, Chen Ji crossed the threshold and strode inside.
But just as he turned the partition wall, he was stopped by a Yulin Army soldier.
The Yulin Army frowned at Chen Ji, then turned to scold Old Wu, "Haven’t you been ordered? The Governor’s Mansion is now the Crown Prince’s Xing Yuan, and without my Yulin Army’s permission, no one is allowed inside! What kind of guard are you?"
Chen Ji involuntarily looked back at Old Wu, realizing that it wasn’t the Border Army that was making things difficult for him, but the Yulin Army had taken control of the entire Governor’s Mansion and wouldn’t allow outsiders in, not giving the Border Soldiers the power to let anyone pass.
At that mont, Old Wu furrowed his brows: "Third Young Master Chen is Mr. Chen’s close relative, why can’t we let him in? This Governor’s Mansion originally belongs to our Guyuan Border Army, and General Hu only moved out of respect for the Crown Prince. You really think this is your territory now?"
Chen Ji stood between the two, placating: "Generals, please calm down, this matter started because of , bla if you must. But I currently have an extrely urgent matter to report to His Highness the Crown Prince, and it cannot be delayed."
Reviews
All reviews (0)