Outside Zhang Manor, twenty tables were set up in Cuiyun Alley. Dishes like roast chicken, braised pork hock, stewed carp, and sliced pork with soup were continuously served. Neighbors could sit and eat immediately; as soon as one table finished, they would leave, and another group would take their place. This is the origin of the “flowing feast.”

Inside Zhang Manor, honored guests were seated in eight courtyards. Each courtyard featured a long, low rectangular table that could accommodate eighteen people, laden with a dazzling array of dishes and pastries.

Before the main banquet began, invited dignitaries gathered to offer their congratulations to Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin one by one.

Chen Ji and Xiaoman stood side by side under a walnut tree in a corner of the courtyard. From a distance, they watched Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin, who seemed like the sun and moon of Luocheng, surrounded by stars.

Xiaoman whispered, “Young Master, how did you become acquainted with the Zhang family? Your relationship seems very close. It’s rumored that Miss Zhang Er is fierce and never shows a good face to outsiders, yet she specifically wrote an invitation for you.”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “Why so many questions? You weren’t this curious before.”

Xiaoman’s eyes widened. “Have you forgotten, Young Master? Xiaoman loves to gossip about the Zhang and Li families; it makes my food taste better.”

Chen Ji said, “…That’s not a good habit.”

Xiaoman pouted. “My aunt also loves to hear gossip about the Zhang and Li families. I remember when I was little, I went with her to a farm in the Beijing suburbs to check accounts. When she heard a group of old ladies gossiping at the village entrance, she had someone bring her a chair, and she listened all afternoon.”

Chen Ji asked, perplexed, “What did they talk about?”

Xiaoman recalled, “First, they talked about two old widowers in the village getting together in the middle of the night. Then, they said that a certain family’s daughter-in-law was bought from Tongzhou. And they talked about how a certain family had no sons, and their relatives would probably seize their inheritance. Auntie was very enthusiastic listening to it.”

Chen Ji opened his mouth, speechless for a moment.

Just then, a servant at the gate announced again, “General Wang of the Qiansui Army has arrived!”

The name “Qiansui Army” swept through like a sudden cold wind, freezing some of the warmth and festivity at Zhang Manor. These three words reminded everyone of the recent military disaster, as if the scent of blood still lingered in the air.

Chen Ji turned his head to look towards the gate, while pulling Xiaoman’s arm to retreat behind the crowd.

Xiaoman looked at him in surprise. “Young Master, what’s wrong?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “Nothing.”

Amidst the announcements, General Wang walked in on the red carpet. Today, he was not wearing armor, but a black great-lapelled robe, a golden-beam crown, and thick-soled black boots, still exuding a powerful aura.

Behind General Wang followed several soldiers, fully armored and with long sabers hanging from their waists. The guests at Zhang Manor almost thought the Qiansui Army was about to instigate another military conflict.

Zhang Zhuo parted the crowd and quipped from a distance, “General Wang, why have you come to my manor for the banquet, and still in full armor? Are you perhaps afraid that I, Zhang, might try to harm you?”

General Wang smiled, his voice rough. “Recently, some petty martial artists have been breaking the law with force. It’s better to be careful.”

Chen Ji lowered his head in thought. Petty martial artists breaking the law with force? The general was heavily guarded, even bringing armored soldiers to a banquet. Had some martial artists tried to assassinate him recently?

That’s right. Although Chen Ji had been defeated and fled after causing chaos in the military camp that day, what he shouted in the camp had been heard and remembered by some Qiansui Army soldiers.

As the saying goes, good deeds don’t go beyond the door, but bad deeds travel a thousand miles. Even with the Qiansui Army’s strict discipline, General Wang’s reputation for betraying Prince Jing had likely spread quietly among the populace.

In the martial arts world, there must still be righteous individuals loyal to Prince Jing who want to avenge him.

As Chen Ji pondered, he pulled Xiaoman and turned their backs, not wanting to face the general.

However, just as Zhang Zhuo was about to lead General Wang further inside, the general, after walking two steps past the walnut tree where Chen Ji stood, paused and took two steps back.

He looked at Chen Ji’s back and said in a deep voice, “Turn around.”

Chen Ji remained silent for two breaths, then turned around to meet the general’s gaze. “General Wang, long time no see.”

General Wang said grimly, “You still dare to appear before me.”

Chen Ji was surprised that the general had taken the offensive.

He pondered for a few moments, then smiled. “General Wang, what are you saying? Why would I not dare to appear before you?”

General Wang said sternly, “The Prince treated you well, and the Crown Prince and Princess even considered you a close friend and confidant. But how did you repay them? If you hadn’t given evidence to the eunuch faction, how could the Prince have been framed by them, and how could he have died unjustly in prison?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Manor fell silent. Guests turned their heads to look.

Chen Ji stood under the gaze of dozens of people, as if facing dozens of stabbing spears. It was as if he was back on that night in Dragon King Village, with autumn leaves falling from the trees, and enemies hidden behind every leaf.

In the crowd, Chen Liqin also looked at Chen Ji. He hadn’t expected Chen Ji to be involved in the Prince Jing rebellion case, nor to be suspected of betraying Prince Jing. Although Prince Jing had been charged with treason, given his reputation, countless people, from court to the martial arts world, stood by him, believing his death was caused by the eunuch faction’s persecution of loyal officials.

If the Chen family were to bear the reputation of betraying Prince Jing, they would likely be scorned by the world. After much consideration, Chen Liqin chose to remain silent.

Zhang Zhuo, however, restrained his smile and calmly asked, “General Wang, this is a guest invited by my Zhang Manor. Why do you say such a thing? What connection does he have to Prince Jing’s case?”

General Wang snorted coldly, “Let him speak for himself!”

Chen Ji frowned slightly.

It was clear that General Wang was worried about righteous martial artists seeking revenge, so he wanted to preemptively seize the initiative in public and shift all blame onto Chen Ji.

What was strange, however, was that General Wang had pledged allegiance to White Dragon. Did he not know that Chen Ji needed to conceal his spy identity and infiltrate the Chen family? How dare he reveal such a secret in public?

Wait, the general was not White Dragon’s confidant and didn’t know everything. From General Wang’s perspective, Chen Ji was just an apprentice from Taiping Medical Hall who had once tried to save Prince Jing. The general didn’t even know Chen Ji was also a spy for the Secret Intelligence Department.

Chen Ji hadn’t revealed the origin of the blood letter that day, nor had he disclosed his spy identity. White Dragon had always sought to recruit him precisely because he planned for Chen Ji to infiltrate the Chen family, so he naturally wouldn’t have told General Wang much.

General Wang didn’t know that Chen Ji had also pledged allegiance to White Dragon.

Having figured this out, Chen Ji casually asked, “General Wang, why do you say I betrayed the Prince? What evidence did I give to the eunuch faction?”

General Wang sneered, “I don’t know the specifics, but an insider told me that the Prince, trusting you, entrusted you with a handwritten blood letter to deliver to me. Yet, ungratefully, you handed that letter over to the eunuch faction!”

Someone gasped, “The Prince’s blood letter?! Why have we never heard of it?”

“What was written in the blood letter? Was it evidence of the Prince’s guilt?”

“The Prince dedicated his life to the country and its people, yet he was harmed by the eunuch faction. To think that a villain would betray him!”

“Such a treacherous person deserves to be executed by everyone!”

The crowd was incensed, and Chen Ji became the target of public condemnation.

General Wang wore a cold sneer, while Chen Liqin simply retreated into the main hall of Zhang Manor.

Zhang Zhuo closed his eyes in deep thought, trying to find a way to resolve the situation, but for a moment, he couldn’t think of how to clear Chen Ji’s name. Zhang Xia tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to quickly come up with a solution, but at this point, it seemed there was no way out.

At this moment, Xiaoman’s face was flushed with anger. She tugged at Chen Ji’s sleeve. “Young Master, say something! You’re not that kind of person.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Xiaoman then angrily confronted General Wang, “Don’t slander my Young Master! I’ve served him for many years; he is kind and certainly not the treacherous person you claim him to be!”

General Wang calmly stated, “You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Perhaps the Prince also thought he was kind, which is why he entrusted the blood letter to him. Little girl, you are still young and not good at discerning people.”

Xiaoman fumed for a while, then blurted out, “…You’re full of nonsense!”

As the words were spoken, Chen Ji’s mind raced. The immediate priority was to clear his name, but how should he refute the accusation?

Could he reveal everything? No. If he did, his spy identity would be exposed, and he wouldn’t be able to stay with the Chen family. White Dragon valued him precisely because of his Chen family identity. If he became useless, White Carp would likely be beyond saving.

Could he, then, shift the blame back onto General Wang? No, he couldn’t.

If he claimed that General Wang had given the blood letter to the Secret Intelligence Department, others would question how a mere apprentice like him could know such a thing.

Moreover, General Wang was a Qiansui Army general who had always been loyal to Prince Jing, while Chen Ji was just a small apprentice from a medical hall. Whose word would people believe?

Furthermore, the general had clearly come prepared, and it was likely he had anticipated such a counterattack. Responding from this angle might lead Chen Ji into his trap.

He had to find another approach, something General Wang couldn’t refute.

Chen Ji pondered for a long time amidst the clamor, finally saying, “General Wang, how did you learn about the blood letter?”

General Wang crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t concern yourself with how I know. Just tell me if there was such a thing.”

Chen Ji replied, “There was indeed a blood letter from the Prince.”

General Wang exhaled.

Inside the main hall, Chen Liqin paced back and forth, pondering how to prevent the Chen family from getting embroiled in this matter.

Outside the main hall, the officials and nobles grew noisy. “What was written in the blood letter?”

“How could this wretch betray Prince Jing and side with the eunuch faction?”

Chen Ji slowly began, “The blood letter indeed existed, but the situation was different from what General Wang described.”

General Wang raised an eyebrow. “Where did this blood letter come from?”

Chen Ji carefully considered his words for any flaws, then slowly began, “That day, my master and I, along with Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess, were all placed under house arrest by the eunuch faction in the Liu family mansion. Later, because my master had treated the Grand Chancellor’s leg illness, the eunuch faction released us. Before we left, the Prince secretly gave me a blood letter, asking me to deliver it to His Majesty in the capital.”

General Wang was somewhat surprised. He had been expecting Chen Ji to reveal everything so he could refute it with witnesses. Instead, Chen Ji didn’t retaliate but concocted a new story.

And the people Chen Ji mentioned in his account had no way of corroborating his story.

He frowned and asked, “Then why did this blood letter end up in the eunuch faction’s hands?”

Chen Ji explained, “It was confiscated by the eunuch faction when my master and I were leaving.”

General Wang sneered, “How do I know you didn’t willingly hand over the blood letter, hoping for wealth and glory?”

Chen Ji calmly said, “Because that blood letter could not possibly be used as evidence of Prince Jing’s treason, and therefore, handing it over wouldn’t gain me any wealth or glory.”

Zhang Zhuo came to his senses. “What exactly was written in the blood letter?”

Just as Chen Ji was about to speak, General Wang interrupted him. “Wait a moment. Are we to believe whatever he says? None of us knows the content of the blood letter now. Isn’t he just making it up on the spot?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, “The Prince wrote a poem. I have memorized most of its content. As for whether it’s fabricated or could constitute evidence against the Prince, I leave it for you all to judge.”

Zhang Zhuo waved his hand. “Bring brushes and ink!”

Zhang Zheng scurried into the room and returned with Zhang Xia, carrying a study desk.

Zhang Zhuo pointed to the Xuan paper on the table. “Write it down.”

Chen Ji picked up the brush and wrote on the Xuan paper: “Amidst wine, I raise my lamp to examine my sword; in dreams, I hear the bugle calls echoing through the camps. Eight hundred li of roasted meat distributed among my troops, fifty strings playing melodies from beyond the frontier, as autumn muster takes place on the battlefield.”

These thirty-one characters vividly depicted the heroic, drunken spirit of a general on the battlefield.

A scholar exclaimed in surprise and doubt, “Is this a ‘Broken Array’ poem? It certainly matches the Prince’s mindset when he led troops back then. An ordinary young man probably couldn’t write this.”

“Amidst wine, I raise my lamp to examine my sword; in dreams, I hear the bugle calls echoing through the camps… What excellent lines! ‘Amidst wine, I raise my lamp to examine my sword,’ ‘in dreams, I hear the bugle calls echoing through the camps!'”

“This young man’s handwriting is extremely ugly, without style or order. He doesn’t look like someone who would be able to compose poetry.”

Chen Ji remained calm, offering no response.

The next moment, someone among the guests urged, “Quick, what’s the next couplet of this ‘Broken Array’ poem?”

Chen Ji continued to write: “Having settled all affairs for the King, earning fame both now and after death, alas, white hair grows.”

Zhang Zhuo sighed with emotion. “What a powerful ‘alas, white hair grows.’ This poem, at first glance, speaks of a general’s heroic ambition. But upon closer inspection, it reveals the pain and regret of a dream awakened. This is a poem the Prince wrote to His Majesty to express his true feelings, likely intending to recount the hardships of leading troops to suppress rebellions in those years, hoping to elicit His Majesty’s sympathy.”

General Wang said in a deep voice from the side, “How do you know this wasn’t written by Chen Ji himself?”

Zhang Zhuo scoffed, “General Wang is a military man; I suppose you wouldn’t know the profound depth of this poem, nor appreciate the weariness it conveys. It’s simply impossible for it to have been written by a young man.”

A scholar on the side also chimed in, “The literary brilliance of this poem is beyond our reach. General Wang, do not be so suspicious. It must have been written by the Prince when he was moved by deep emotion.”

“The scope and breadth of this poem surely confirm it was written by the Prince.”

General Wang was bewildered.

He looked at the poem, then at Chen Ji, but could only suppress his thoughts.

If he were to say, “No, the blood letter clearly instructed the Qiansui Army to break into the prison,” Chen Ji would ask how he knew, and he wouldn’t be able to explain, because he had already stated that he hadn’t seen the blood letter.

Therefore, General Wang could only accept the contents of this blood letter!

“No, no,” General Wang retorted angrily, looking at Chen Ji. “Have you ever written poetry? What if his poetic skill is exceptionally high, and he happens to be capable of writing such a poem?”

Chen Ji lowered his gaze. “To answer General Wang, I have never written poetry and know nothing about it.”

Many scholars exchanged glances. “If this medical apprentice named Chen Ji possessed the literary talent to compose this ‘Broken Array’ poem, he should have long been famous in the poetry world. Yet, we have indeed never heard of him.”

Zhang Zhuo chuckled cheerfully, “Ah, I know this Chen Ji. He’s the third young master of the Chen family. Years ago, I heard that he was sent to Taiping Medical Hall by Lord Chen because of his addiction to gambling and dislike for studying. You’ve probably all heard of his reputation. If he possessed such literary talent, would Lord Chen hide him away? He would have been sent to participate in the imperial examinations long ago; at the very least, he’d be a state-subsidized student.”

Someone’s eyes lit up. “I have indeed heard about this matter. In that case, it’s definitely impossible for him to have written the ‘Broken Array’ poem.”

Chen Wenzong stepped forward and bowed. “I hope General Wang will no longer falsely accuse my younger brother.”

“Wait,” someone called out loudly.

Chen Ji frowned and looked over. “What’s wrong?”

But that person asked, “Why is one stanza missing from this ‘Broken Array’ poem?”

Chen Ji softly replied, “I forgot.”

The scholar became anxious. “How could you forget such an important poem?”

Chen Ji explained, “The incident happened so suddenly; it was already fortunate that I could remember most of it. I truly cannot recall the missing stanza.”