“A twitching right eye means disaster or fortune is coming.” Chen Ji sat in the middle of the main hall at Fengtai Station, subconsciously rubbing his right eyelid. Since waking up this morning, his right eyelid had been twitching incessantly, making his heart pound with unease.

Across the Eight Immortals table, Zhang Xia, dressed in fiery red clothes, smiled and explained, “There are many sayings, depending on the region. Generally speaking, north of the Yangtze River says a twitching right eye means disaster, while south of the Yangtze River all say it means fortune. According to Daoist yin and yang, the left eye represents yang, which is very auspicious, and the right eye represents yin, which is very ominous.”

Chen Ji rubbed his right eyelid again and softly said, “Then it must be a twitch of disaster, is someone secretly trying to harm me?”

Xiao Man, sitting on his right, heard this and secretly glared at the Liang family not far away, softly saying, “Young Master, it’s definitely her.”

Zhang Xia said curiously, “Isn’t it because you didn’t sleep well? Later, let Xiao Man use a hot, wet cloth to apply to your eyes!”

Chen Ji put down the hand rubbing his eye. “No need, it won’t twitch after a while!”

Zhang Zheng lay on the table and said weakly, “How much longer are we going to wait in Fengtai? We can see the capital from here, why did we suddenly stop?”

In seventeen days, after leaving Gu Yuan, they had traveled non-stop, hiding their identities all the way until they were out of the borders of Shan Province. Everyone could finally relax!

But just when everyone thought the rest of the journey would be smooth sailing, the Crown Prince stopped at Fengtai and stayed for three continuous days, not moving forward!

No one knew why the Crown Prince, on the verge of returning home, had not entered the capital!

Zhang Xia suddenly said softly, “I’m guessing the Crown Prince doesn’t want to return to the capital looking like a mess!”

Chen Ji looked over and heard Zhang Xia continue, “My father once said that the hardest ‘official position’ in this world is the Crown Prince. Everyone thinks his position is high, but he has no real power. The Emperor both hopes he succeeds and guards against him changing. Father guards son, son guards father, brother guards brother, brother guards brother!”

Zhang Zheng’s eyes widened, his hair standing on end. “You absolutely shouldn’t learn from your father’s mouth, how can you speak without reservation!”

“What’s there to be afraid of saying it to Chen Ji?” Zhang Xia glared at him, then looked at Chen Ji. “The most important thing on the path to succession is, first, imperial favor, and second, a faction. Too many people in your faction invite His Majesty’s suspicion, and too few and you can’t get things done! The Crown Prince went to Gu Yuan this time originally to get a handle on the Hu family behind Fu Wang, but now he hasn’t succeeded in getting a handle on them. If he just slips back into the capital, it’s not guaranteed that powerful families won’t switch to Fu Wang!”

Chen Ji sighed and said, “The path to succession is like walking a tightrope to heaven, one wrong step and it’s eternal damnation!”

Zhang Zheng said strangely, “But the Crown Prince doesn’t seem worried ah, he still has the mind to go to Qingfeng Temple to burn incense and worship Wenchang Emperor!”

Just at this moment, outside Fengtai Station, the sound of carriages and horses rang out, and a carriage stopped in front of the station door!

A young man wearing a green robe and a round-collar official’s uniform diligently served on the left and right, placing a horse stool and lifting the carriage curtain!

From inside the carriage stepped down a middle-aged person wearing a black gauze hat, a red robe, and a jade belt around his waist. He courteously cupped his hands towards the inside of the station and said, “May I ask if these are the Feather Forest Army?”

Qi Jianzhuo stood up. “Exactly!”

Zhang Xia’s speech was extremely fast as she reminded him, “People from the Inner Court Neimen. Wearing a Three Mountains hat but not a python robe, should be a positive fourth-rank official title. By his side can follow a green-robed, flat-towel-hatted sixth-rank eunuch. I think he’s the director eunuch of some supervise. But if it’s the Imperial Horse Supervise, he should bring guards, not small eunuchs. The Shangshan Supervise, Shangbao Supervise, Yinsui Supervise, Zhidian Supervise, Shencheng Supervise, Yuyong Supervise, and Douzhi Supervise won’t come out. And the Sili Supervise are all familiar faces!

“Um, it’s Wang Chao of the Sisi Supervise, in charge of the imperial front ceremonial guard. This person has always been one who doesn’t contend with the world, the Empress Dowager’s person!”

As her words fell, they heard the middle-aged person outside the door softly say, “Inner minister, director eunuch Wang Chao of the Sisi Supervise, requests to see His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Xiao Man’s eyes flashed brightly. “Sister A Xia is amazing!”

“Director, please wait a moment.” Qi Jianzhuo quickly ran upstairs. After about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the Crown Prince gracefully came down the stairs, lifting the hem of his clothes!

Wang Chao hurried forward several steps. “Your Highness hasn’t been seen in several months, you’ve actually lost so much weight!”

The Crown Prince smiled and asked, “I don’t know what official business Director Wang has in coming to Fengtai?”

Wang Chao squinted with a smile and said, “Your Highness, you still don’t know, do you? Now in every teahouse in the capital, your stories are being told.”

The Crown Prince doubted. “Oh, what matter about the orphan is being spread?”

Wang Chao explained, “Seven days ago, a six hundred li urgent report from the border army reached the capital, and everyone knew about the great victory in Gu Yuan! Someone found a border army vendor buying stories from Gu Yuan. Now, the matter of you leading the Feather Forest Army to array and chop over six hundred people, and Commander Li arraying at the front to chop down a general, has become the hottest story in the capital’s teahouses. If a storyteller doesn’t tell this, the teahouse will have no guests; if a storyteller lectures on your story, the teahouse will definitely be packed to the brim!”

The Crown Prince was surprised. “There’s such a thing?”

Chen Ji suddenly felt how familiar this plot was!

Initially, when he debated scripture and won against the Buddha’s son at Lu Hun Mountain Villa, Zhang Li immediately wrote story scripts overnight and spread them to the north and south of the Yangtze River. A storyteller was given a hundred cash for each lecture, using this to suppress the momentum of the Buddhist gate and compete for believers!

No wonder the Crown Prince wasn’t in a hurry to enter the capital, but instead went to Qingfeng Temple to burn incense and worship Wenchang Emperor. So it was to let the Dao Court help him create momentum!

At this time, Wang Chao smiled slightly and said, “Your Highness, the common people are now asking where you are, all looking forward to your return to the capital! When you return to the capital, at that time the common people will line the roads to welcome you, and fresh flowers will pave the way.

“It will be very lively!”

The Crown Prince shook his head. “This isn’t good, it will arouse suspicion among the people!”

Wang Chao laughed and said, “How will it disturb the people? The common people are happy enough! His Majesty also heard about this matter and decreed that you should return to the capital tomorrow. At that time, you will have an audience and have evening meal together! I came here precisely to receive His Highness back to the capital… That’s right, there’s also Mister Li Xuan, and Chen family’s Chen

Ji!”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred!

The Crown Prince asked, “When should we set out? Should we go now?”

Wang Chao answered with a squinting smile, “No hurry. Entering the palace to face the Emperor is a first-class important matter, and this inner minister still has many things to prepare! The first is Your Highness’s appearance and crown, which are currently being sent. Tomorrow, you will be full of heroic spirit, and it will also be good for the common people to see the imperial family’s style!

“In addition, the Chen family’s young brother is entering the palace to face the Emperor for the first time, there are still some rules to teach him!”

The Crown Prince nodded. “Alright, it all depends on Director Wang’s arrangements!”

Wang Chao beckoned behind him. “Wang He, I still have a few words to say to His Highness. After stopping the carriage properly, you come and teach the Chen family’s young brother. You must not let him lose decorum before the hall and ruin the young hero’s future!”

The little eunuch in the green robe and round collar behind him quickly cupped his hands and said, “Yes!”

The Crown Prince led Wang Chao upstairs. Chen Ji looked around the main hall environment, then said to Wang He, “Let’s go upstairs to talk, it’s quieter in the guest room!”

Wang He laughed and said, “Young Master Chen, please return to your room and wait a bit. This servant will stop the carriage properly and then come!”

Chen Ji agreed. “Alright!”

Having said that, he led Xiao Man, Zhang Zheng, and Zhang Xia upstairs!

After Wang He led the carriage to the backyard, the Liang family also came to the backyard. “Eunuch Wang He!”

Wang He was startled. “Madam is…”

The Liang family took out a piece of broken silver weighing one tael from their sleeve and handed it to Wang He, smiling as they said, “I am Chen Ji’s mother. Now that he has finally gotten the chance to see the Emperor, I hope the eunuch will carefully teach him the palace rules, so he doesn’t lose decorum before the hall!”

Wang He weighed the broken silver in his hand and chuckled. “Madam, please rest assured!”

After the Liang family left, he softly called out and casually stuffed the silver into his sleeve!

Wang He stopped the carriage properly and went to Chen Ji’s guest room. Upon entering, he didn’t waste any time and immediately spoke very quickly, “Tomorrow when you all enter for the audience, you must wear dark colored official clothes, no yellow, white, trimmed, or red colors are allowed; you cannot carry any objects on your person. At that time, you will enter through Xuanwu Gate and wait at East Yoke Gate. The Jie Fan Guard will search your body, you cannot bring swords, seals, not even a strip of paper.”

Wang He recited the rules very fluently, but his speech was extremely fast, so fast that it was almost impossible to hear or remember!

Xiao Man said unhappily, “Why are you talking so fast?”

Wang He chuckled. These were the rules that one tael of broken silver could buy. He only needed to finish saying them; whether or not the other party could remember was their business!

He said to himself, “Young Master Chen, this servant has said all that needs to be said. You must remember it well today, and tomorrow, absolutely do not delay this important matter!”

Having said that, he turned around and walked away. Xiao Man wanted to stop him, but was pulled back by Zhang Xia!

After Wang He left, Xiao Man complained, “How can there be so many rules for entering the palace to face the Emperor? And what’s wrong with this little eunuch, he seems to be intentionally targeting our young master.”

Zhang Xia said calmly, “If these rules are not taught, even if you enter the palace and see His Majesty, it is extremely easy to be punished! During the time of the former emperor, there was a brilliant cold gate scholar who was appreciated by the former emperor even before the palace exam essay, and had the appearance of a top scholar! But when it came time for the palace hall exam, no one reminded him of the rituals. He was actually searched by the Jie Fan Guard at East Yoke Gate and a strip of paper was found in his sleeve, and he was punished with canes and expelled from the palace. There was also a cold gate scholar who was reprimanded on the spot by court officials because his kneeling posture was incorrect! Xiao Man, those people set these rules to devour people!”

Xiao Man was anxious. “Then what should we do, in case it ruins Young Master’s future…”

Zhang Xia smiled and pointed at her own head. “What are you anxious about? These rules are all in my head!”