“Chen Ji, my Ning Dynasty stretches from the Bohai Sea in the east to Qinghai in the west, and from Chongli Pass in the north to Dongfan and Ryukyu Island in the south. A single document can take several months to travel from east to west or north to south. If commoners rebel in the south, the capital might not know for months. Guyuan has been under siege for days, and by the time the officials in the capital find out, the spring flowers will probably already be blooming.”

Grand Master Hu took a sip of tea, sitting by the table. “All emperors in this world know perfectly well that even if they work themselves to death, they can’t control every single affair under heaven. What truly concerns them is just one thing: who is coveting their power. If the Hu family were to suddenly produce two Divine Dao Realm Grand Officials, I doubt the one in Renshou Palace would get any sleep.”

Chen Ji remained silent for a moment before asking, “Is Hu Junxian confident he can advance to the Divine Dao Realm?”

Grand Master Hu chuckled. “The Divine Dao Realm is like an insurmountable chasm. Unless someone is as exceptionally brilliant as Lu Yang from the Jing Dynasty’s Martial Temple, who can confidently say they’ll definitely cross that threshold in their lifetime? Even the young supervisor in my Hu family has never made such a boast. Xu Shu, on the other hand, simply says it’s impossible for him in this lifetime. But are these details important to the one in Renshou Palace?”

Chen Ji asked softly, “Isn’t he afraid that if the Jing Dynasty suddenly gains two Divine Dao Realm Grand Officials, it might instead allow the Jing Dynasty to swallow the Ning Dynasty?”

Grand Master Hu said seriously, “Between the two dynasties, there are a total of four Divine Dao Realm Grand Officials – two from the Jing Dynasty and two from the Ning Dynasty. Not one more is allowed; this is an unspoken agreement among emperors.”

Chen Ji looked up and found that Grand Master Hu’s blind, white eye seemed to be staring deeply at him.

Though the eye was clearly damaged, it felt as if it could see into the depths of one’s heart.

Chen Ji changed the subject. “Grand Master, before Hu Junxian came to Guyuan as the Deputy Commander, this position was yours, wasn’t it?”

Grand Master Hu smiled. “It was.”

Chen Ji asked, “Why did you resign from office?”

“I needed to leave Guyuan to do something,” Grand Master Hu replied casually. “I couldn’t leave without resigning.”

Chen Ji probed, “Was it because there was someone you wanted to kill, so you needed to resume the path of an official practitioner?”

Grand Master Hu picked up the teapot and refilled his cup, saying nonchalantly, “Why bother with fighting and killing? Perhaps I just wanted to see what the world outside Guyuan had become. When I first decided to come here, my mother disagreed, saying it was too far from home. I stole a fast horse, took five hundred taels of silver, and rode all the way to Guyuan to enlist. That was twelve years ago.”

“Before coming to Guyuan, I thought I’d be able to bravely fight enemies with my comrades every day. But once I arrived, I discovered that Guyuan doesn’t see battle every year; perhaps only once every two or three years, or even five or six. In between those times, there’s a long, silent solitude. You stand on the battlements, gazing into the distance, and all you see is loess, mountains, and gravel – it’s enough to drive a person mad.”

“Nobody cares about this place. Scholars don’t care, nor do the officials. Military pay and supplies are siphoned off layer by layer before they even reach here. They don’t seem to worry at all about Guyuan falling; it won’t affect the capital’s prosperity anyway. I imagine Hu Junxian, like me and all the border troops, we hate it here. We dream of leaving this place, returning to the bustling capital, visiting temple fairs, and admiring lantern displays.”

Chen Ji listened quietly as Grand Master Hu reminisced. Grand Master Hu then stood up, opened a crack in the window, and calmly looked at the distant battlements. “After I left Guyuan, I was like a country bumpkin arriving in the city; so many things seemed to have changed. Before I left the capital, the most famous courtesan in the Eight Great Hutongs was Ms. Yun. She was truly beautiful. A fleeting glance when I was seventeen, the red mole between her eyebrows gave me several pleasant dreams. When she sat on that high platform playing the zither, I thought even a celestial maiden couldn’t be more exquisite. But when I returned to the capital twelve years later and inquired, I learned she had married into the Qi family as a concubine, and later Minister Qi had given her to a subordinate.”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Has anything remained unchanged?”

Grand Master Hu laughed. “Guyuan hasn’t changed. Now, after all these years, I’ve returned and realized that only Guyuan, this stubborn, unyielding rock, has remained the same.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “Since you had already left, Grand Master, why did you return here?”

After a long pause, Grand Master Hu gave a self-deprecating smile. “It’s almost a joke, really. While I was in Guyuan, I dreamt of leaving. But once I left, all I dreamt of was coming back.”

Chen Ji fell silent.

At that moment, sounds came from the Tianzi Bing room next door; someone was pacing inside, making the wooden floor creak.

Zhang Zheng’s loud voice carried through the wall: “Chen Ji hasn’t been detained by the border army, has he? Why isn’t he back yet? Why don’t we go look for him at the border army camp? Since the Chen family is unwilling to help, we’ll bring up the Xu family. I don’t believe Hu Junxian would dare to make a mortal enemy of the Xu family.”

Grand Master Hu glanced at Chen Ji, then quietly walked to the wooden wall to listen.

He then heard Zhang Xia say, “You and I are only half-members of the Xu family. Borrowing the Xu family’s identity might not be truly effective. Let’s go to Baiyun Temple in the west of the city and use our uncle’s name instead.”

Chen Ji helplessly stood up and knocked on the wall with his knuckles.

Instantly, the room next door fell silent.

Chen Ji called through the wall, “I’m in Room Yi. Don’t worry about me; I’ll be back shortly.”

With that, he sat back down at the Eight Immortals table and took a sip of tea.

Grand Master Hu looked at the empty teacup and asked, “What, you’re not afraid I’ve poisoned it?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “If Grand Master wanted to kill me, I imagine there would be no need for such elaborate methods.”

Grand Master Hu suddenly changed the subject. “How does your Chen family treat you? They know you’re in danger, yet they’re unwilling to stand up for you?”

Chen Ji’s gaze flickered slightly. “I’m merely an illegitimate son of the Chen family. I was also sent to a medical clinic to be an apprentice for two years, so we’ve become somewhat estranged. It’s understandable that they’re unwilling to step forward.”

Grand Master Hu was momentarily stunned, then his expression darkened. “They actually made you an apprentice, fetching tea and pouring water for others?”

Having experienced the martial world, he naturally knew the hardships of being an apprentice. Not getting paid was a minor issue; the real problem was having to set aside one’s dignity.

Pouring a night chamber pot for the master or holding a spittoon for him in the middle of the night—these were all duties an apprentice had to perform.

Chen Ji explained, “My master was Imperial Physician Yao Qimen; he treated me quite well.”

Grand Master Hu visibly relaxed a little, then asked with a smile, “You’re not young anymore, do you have any woman you fancy…”

Chen Ji quietly glanced at him. He and Grand Master Hu were not close, and discussing the Chen family had already delved deeper than their acquaintance warranted. This latest question, moreover, sounded like an elder speaking to a junior.

Realizing his misstep, Grand Master Hu quickly stood up and changed the subject. “If you want ginseng, come to Yuancaotang tomorrow morning between nine and eleven. It should be ready by then.”

With that, Grand Master Hu prepared to leave.

Chen Ji asked, puzzled, “Where are you going, Grand Master?”

Grand Master Hu replied, “If I want to buy someone’s ginseng at a low price, I naturally have to cut off all their options… You’ll see when the time comes.”

The door closed, leaving Chen Ji alone in Grand Master Hu’s room, lost in thought.

He had previously suspected that Grand Master Hu was the one who had bought information about his whereabouts from Xiaoman. However, it now seemed that this was not the case. The man didn’t even know he had been an apprentice at a medical clinic, nor did he know about his difficult situation within the Chen family.

Strange.

While he was contemplating, a knock came from the room next door.

The gentle voice of the Crown Prince came from the corridor: “Miss Zhang Er, is Chen Ji in the room?”

Chen Ji hurriedly pulled open the door. “Your Highness, I’m here.”

The Crown Prince looked surprised. “Oh, weren’t you in Room Bing? Why did you move to Room Yi?”

Chen Ji explained, “I was just chatting with a friend in this room… Is Your Highness looking for me for something?”

The Crown Prince stood in the dim room and said softly, “Chen Ji, Qi Zhenzhuo was previously jealous that you stole the Imperial Guards’ thunder, so he tried to oppose you in everything. After you left today, Li Xuan and I severely reprimanded him… It’s difficult for me to ask you to forgive him, but we can’t let one person jeopardize so many Imperial Guard soldiers.”

Chen Ji bowed. “Your Highness is overthinking. Your humble servant hasn’t taken it to heart.”

The Crown Prince looked at him for a moment, then sighed. “The Imperial Guards have been out of food for a day now and are surviving only on water. If they don’t eat tomorrow, I’m afraid they won’t even have the strength to fight the enemy.”

Chen Ji immediately said, “Please set your mind at ease, Your Highness. Your humble servant will certainly find food for the Imperial Guards tomorrow.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up. “To be so magnanimous, you already possess the breadth of mind fit for a Prime Minister.”

He took a string of Buddhist coins from his wrist and handed them to Chen Ji. “This is one thousand taels of silver; it’s all for you to use. The more food you can get, the better.”

Day three of the siege.

Before dawn, the Dragon Gate Inn was already bustling with activity.

Chen Ji stood by the window frame, peering through a crack, and saw Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu ushering Guyuan merchants into the stables. Seven had been sent away in just one night.

All the wealth and goods the merchants carried had been absorbed by the inn, their whereabouts unknown.

Zhang Xia got up and came to his side, speaking softly, “Are you going to give food to the Imperial Guards? Don’t worry about what others say about ‘prioritizing the greater good.’ My father always said that life is only a few decades long, passing in the blink of an eye. There’s no need to sacrifice yourself for others.”

Chen Ji closed the window. “I’m not prioritizing the greater good. Hu Junxian might be about to open the city gates and surrender. When that happens, food won’t fetch a good price. I need to seize this last opportunity to make all the money I can.”

Zhang Xia’s mind worked quickly. “Open the gates to surrender? Then we must move to the cellar today; that’s the safest place. We’ll leave at dawn. We can take Xuxu Alley; it’s less traveled.”

Chen Ji nodded. “Once you’re safely settled in the cellar, I can focus on what needs to be done.”

Without another word, Zhang Xia turned and gently patted the still-dozing Xiaoman, and they began packing their belongings together.

Before dawn fully broke, Chen Ji quietly opened the door, and the four of them filed out, silently heading downstairs.

As soon as they stepped out of the inn, Chen Ji sensed something was amiss.

In an alley beside Kucha Street, someone saw them leave, immediately lowered their bamboo hat, and began following them. Chen Ji ignored them, but after walking a dozen more paces, another group of people started tailing them.

They had barely left Kucha Street when four different groups were trailing them.

They made no effort to conceal their presence. When Chen Ji sped up, they sped up too; when he stopped, they also stopped. When Chen Ji turned to meet their gaze, they boldly stared back at him.

Zhang Xia whispered, “I recognize these people. They’ve all bought information from you before; they’re the local low-lives of Guyuan. They’ve probably been spooked by this siege and, unable to buy news, have resorted to simply following you.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then turned back towards the inn. “I can’t shake these people off with you. Wait for me here at the inn. I’ll get rid of them, finish my business, and then come to pick you up.”