The sound of a rooster crowing had not yet risen, and the sky outside the window was still dim. “Master!”

Chen Ji sat up abruptly from the bed, his soul not yet settled.

It wasn’t until he saw Xiao Man dozing by the bed that he suddenly realized it was just a dream. In the dream, he saw Elder Yao killing his way up Changbai Mountain to the martial temple. A meteor-like sword seed passed through his chest, and his blood dyed the white snow on the mountain top red.

Master went to kill Lu Yang… But that’s Lu Yang.

Chen Ji only hoped that the mean-spirited little old man wouldn’t do anything foolish. He himself didn’t need to ascend to the forty-nine heavens. Staying in the mortal world was also quite good!

Besides, Lu Yang was already so old. Hiding in the Ning Dynasty, he could also wait for his opponent to die!

When Lu Yang’s life ended from natural death, he would immediately set off for the martial temple to kill his opponent’s disciple!

At that time, Lu Yang’s disciple should have just started practicing the sword seed, making them easy to kill!

If you can’t beat the old one, then beat the young one!

At this moment! Xiao Man was holding the little black cat in her arms! She dazedly opened her eyes and asked: “Young master, what’s wrong? Having that nightmare again?”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: “No, what time is it?”

Xiao Man replied: “The four o’clock drum just beat, it’s still early!”

Chen Ji lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and looked around their new residence!

The exquisite step-bed was carved with a Qilin sending off a child pattern, the quilt was woven with gold satin, and filled with silk floss inside!

On the desk in the distance were quietly placed the four treasures of the study. Beside them was also a copper censer, from which green smoke slowly rose. This was no longer the poor common bed of Taiping Medical Hall. He no longer needed to go a street away early in the morning to carry water, no longer needed to sweep the ground and sweep snow!

Chen Ji suddenly said: “Xiao Man, when I finish all my matters, let’s go back to Di City to live!”

Xiao Man’s eyes brightened: “That’s not bad. Sister Li Qiu is still in Luo City. I don’t know if she has left the mansion and married yet!”

Chen Ji smiled and asked: “Do you want me to help you write a letter?”

Xiao Man lowered her head: “No need, there’s actually nothing good to say!”

Sister Li Qiu said that we maidservants are like little cats and little dogs. We just follow wherever the master’s family goes! Don’t think about past people and things!

“You’re not a little cat and little dog anymore, you’re Xiao Man,” Chen Ji rolled up his sleeves: “Where are the wooden bucket and shoulder pole? I’ll go fill the water jar in the ear room!”

Xiao Man held the little black cat, her eyes wide: “Young master, you don’t need to do these things. The mansion has servant boys specially for carrying water!”

Chen Ji walked out: “It’s fine, I’m idle anyway. I like carrying water. Where’s the well?”

“Where do people like carrying water?” Xiao Man thought for a moment and said: “Out of Silver Apricot Garden, turn right! Forget it, I’ll lead young master there!”

The two walked out one after the other, only to see a servant boy holding a lantern hurrying towards them: “Young master.”

Chen Ji stood still: “What is it?”

The servant boy quickly said: “Old ancestor summons you to Wen Dan Hall for a talk!”

Chen Ji glanced at the dim sky: “At this time?”

The servant boy nodded: “Yes, big master, second master, and third master have already gone!”

Chen Ji turned his head and instructed Xiao Man: “Go find the wooden bucket and shoulder pole and put them in the yard. I’m going to see what’s happening!”

Xiao Man said in a low voice: “No! I’ll go with you! Second sister specially instructed me last night to guard you carefully! We need to defend against them using some unseen small tricks!”

Chen Ji said doubtfully: “Did your second sister specially remind you about this matter?”

Xiao Man drew out a piece of paper from her sleeve, turned back, and secretly showed it to Chen Ji: “Look, second sister wrote down all the small tricks she heard about in the Xu family and told me to be careful! There are servant boys deliberately leading you to intrude into forbidden areas, and there are bribes to midwives to falsely report a heaven fold! They have such vicious hearts! When a child is born, the midwife directly suffocates the infant to death and says it was born without a heartbeat! But we don’t need to guard against this one for now. When young master gets married, I will help you watch the midwife!”

Chen Ji took the paper, only to see Zhang Xia had densely written over eighty items on the paper that needed guarding against. For example, burying witch curses in the yard to frame someone, or using incompatible food to secretly harm someone, or altering field deeds, or being drugged before ancestor worship and missing important matters. It was a messy collection, but behind each one was a blood price!

Zhang Xia was afraid of missing anything: “Even trivial matters are written down!”

Chen Ji handed the paper back to Xiao Man: “Put it away. You should go back in case someone takes advantage of us not being there to hide things in the yard and frame us!”

Xiao Man was startled: “That’s right! Then young master, be careful!”

Chen Ji said “En” and lifted the hem of his robe, following the servant boy towards the depths of the diligent government garden. Along the way, maidservants and servant boys came and went continuously!

The back kitchen lights were bright, and voices were buzzing!

The Chen mansion in the early morning was not like a large house, but more like a carefully rehearsed temple fair during the Shang Yuan lantern festival!

And behind this noise, Chen Ji still saw one by one secret stakes!

Guards held swords and waited at every intersection!

When Chen Ji and the servant boy passed by, a secret stake saw an unfamiliar face, lifted their eyes, carefully sized him up, and then moved their gaze away!

Chen Ji and the servant boy passed through the deep “Xiao Yingzhou” one after another. He remained vigilant and looked around the surroundings all the way until he saw the light of Wen Dan Hall in the distance, and nothing happened!

Chen Ji lifted his head, only to see the eight-panel vermilion door of Wen Dan Hall open!

A plaque hung above Wen Dan Hall with the three golden characters “Teacher Way Respect” written on it. The left couplet read: “Poor to the bone! Still have a glimmer of life, better to starve to death than read books!”

The right couplet read: “Learning does not satisfy the heart, exactly needs a hundred kinds of temper, literature is through fortune, originally Luo City Chen mansion Wen Yun Hall learned from this place!

Inside the hall, the Chen family head, Chen Lu Chi, sat on a grand master’s chair. Chen Li Qin and another middle-aged man he hadn’t seen before sat on the left and right sides, respectively. All three wore red official robes! That middle-aged man he hadn’t seen before should be the head of the second house, Chen Li Zhi!

Outside the hall, Chen Wen Zong and two other young men stood with their hands down, waiting, not saying a word!

At this moment, everyone heard footsteps and all lifted their eyes to look at Chen Ji, like a trial in three halls, with an official atmosphere face to face!

Chen Ji stood still outside the hall, cupped his hands, and said: “Unworthy descendant Chen Ji, greets the family head.”

Elder Chen Ge’s head was full of white hair! His thin body wore an official robe! Like a big cloak covering him: “Come forward and speak!”

Chen Ji lifted the hem of his robe, stepped over the threshold, and stood upright in the lamplight of Wen Dan Hall!

Elder Chen Ge sat on the grand master’s chair! He carefully sized him up, then opened his mouth and said: “The old man saw the Crown Prince’s memorial requesting merit for you. You arrayed and killed one hundred and seven thieves of the Jing Dynasty, is that true?”

Chen Ji lowered his head and said: “Not true.”

Elder Chen Ge asked again: “More or less?”

Chen Ji truthfully said: “Less!”

Good, good, good… if you want to accomplish things, you should first have courage.

Elder Chen Ge said three good consecutively: “Monthly silver proposed to sixty-two, equal to a legitimate son’s betrothal gifts, rewarded with a bolt of cloud brocade, ten mu of clan land, one lake brush, two ingots of Hui ink: Chen Li Zhi, the head of the second house opposite Chen Li Qin, suddenly said: “Family head! He has no one by his side, reward him with two more maidservants and two servant boys! I just bought a batch of servants yesterday and can select some for him!”

Elder Chen Ge nodded: “Can!”

Chen Ji was slightly startled. He originally thought the posture in this hall was to start a teacher-questioning crime against him, a trial of three offices, but he didn’t expect to be met with a string of rewards!

Chen Li Qin lightly coughed and reminded: “Still not thanking the family head?”

Chen Ji cupped his hands again: “Thank you, family head!”

Elder Chen Ge instructed Chen Li Qin: “After you go back, write an article and send it back to each state by fast horse! Spread it and recite it among the young talents of the clan. They should take this child as an example!”

Chen Li Qin responded: “Yes, I will write it today!”

Elder Chen Ge waved his hand at Chen Ji: “You may withdraw!”

“Wait!”

Chen Li Zhi solemnly opened his mouth: “Family head, I recently heard a matter and still want to ask him.” Elder Chen Ge slowly closed his eyes, not saying he could ask, nor saying he couldn’t!

Chen Li Zhi saw the situation and beckoned towards the door outside. Only then did a young man walk into Wen Dan Hall from outside the door, cup his hands and bow towards Elder Chen Ge: “Unworthy descendant, second house nephew Chen Wen De, greets the family head!”

Elder Chen Ge said “En,” his eyelids not lifting: “Speak!”

Chen Wen De turned around and faced Chen Ji: “Reward and punishment are clear within the clan. Those with merit are rewarded, and those with fault are punished. I ask you, during the time in Gu Yuan, did you carry the third-grade maidservant Yao Man to inform Hu Jun Xian, causing Chen Wen Xiao’s body to fall and his name to be ruined? Was there such a matter?”

Here it comes, this is the main play today!

The plot revealed the dagger. Chen Ji said unmoved: “Reply, brother! The matter Chen Wen Xiao committed is known to everyone and cannot be hidden!”

Chen Wen De slowly and methodically said: “Before Wen Dan, you are not allowed to disobey your brother! What I ask, you answer. No need to bring up other matters! I ask you again, did you carry maidservant Yao Man to inform Hu Jun Xian about Chen Wen Xiao’s matter?”

Chen Ji calmly said: “No!”

Chen Wen De was startled. He was silent for several breaths before saying: “Since you don’t admit it, I will invite a witness!”

Having said that, he waved his hand towards the door outside, and a young man waiting outside the door hurried away!

An incense stick later: He led the Liang family in. Chen Li Qin’s face changed, and he suddenly stood up: “What are you, a woman, doing coming to Wen Dan Hall? Is this a place you can come?”

Only to see the Liang family kneeling on the blue bricks outside Wen Dan Hall, tearfully: “Report, family head! That day in Gu Yuan, this lowly concubine personally saw Yao Man informing Hu Jun Xian.”

Chen Wen De waved his sleeve and turned to face Elder Chen Ge: “Family head; according to the law of Da Ning, matters such as private land, marriage money, and debts are handled by each clan themselves. If criminal matters are encountered, relatives may conceal each other. Chen Ji and Chen Wen Xiao are blood brothers, yet they indulged a maidservant to persecute the clan’s reputation! Today I want to request family law! Chen Ji shall be caned twenty times and guard the ancestral temple for life! Yao Man shall be caned one hundred times and sold to the livestock farm!”

Chen Ji, with his head lowered, slightly narrowed his eyes: “Brother Chen Wen Xiao sold out the country and colluded with Jing, his crime is difficult to tolerate!”

Chen Wen De said without panic: “Chen Wen Xiao naturally deserves to die. Even if he didn’t die in Gu Yuan, the clan would also make him ‘suddenly die’ and give an explanation to the court and the officers and soldiers of Gu Yuan, absolutely not sheltering him!”

Outside the hall, Chen Wen Zong couldn’t help but walk forward, but he heard Chen Wen De sternly stop him: “Did brother summon you forward to speak? Don’t you understand the rules? Withdraw.”

Chen Wen Zong froze in place!

Elder Chen Ge looked towards Chen Li Qin: “Chen Wen Xiao is your legitimate second son, what do you think?”

Chen Li Qin hesitated for a moment, then finally stood up: “Junior believes that Chen Wen Xiao committed a great mistake, his crime should be executed! Yao Man, as a maidservant, bullied her superiors, her crime is also difficult to tolerate in the Chen family! However, Chen Ji is innocent. We may only cane and punish Yao Man!”

Chen Ji clenched his fist!

Elder Chen Ge looked at Chen Ji; “What do you think? You are allowed to defend yourself!”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said: “Family head, since brother has invited a witness, junior also has a witness! To prove that Yao Man did not inform!”

Chen Wen De frowned: “Still want to quibble?”

Chen Ji said neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Not quibbling, just proving innocence!”

Chen Li Zhi, sitting on the chair, finally spoke: “Who is the witness?”

Chen Ji lifted his head, looking directly at everyone in the middle of the hall: “Hu Jun Xian!”

With a bang, something fell to the ground, and the candlelight in the hall swayed. Everyone’s gazes converged on Chen Ji like arrows, seemingly wanting to see through him!

But Chen Ji neither retreated nor yielded, his expression unchanged as he said: “What Yao Man said to Hu Jun Xian that day was only idle chatter! At that time, my legitimate mother was several openings away, naturally she couldn’t hear clearly, or there was a misunderstanding. Since second master said Yao Man informed Hu Jun Xian, then I will write a letter and send it to Gu Yuan. We will know by asking!”

Chen Wen De was silent, thinking of a countermeasure!

He never expected that Chen Ji would not only not admit it but also bring up Hu Jun Xian!

But the strangest thing here was, how dare Chen Ji be so certain that Hu Jun Xian would speak on his side?

The Liang family shrieked from outside the door: “That Hu Jun Xian will certainly shield you!”

Chen Ji softly retorted: “Legitimate mother, General Hu and I originally have no relation. He is a positive second-rank border army general, I am a commoner. He is a member of the Hu family, I am a member of the Chen family. What reason does he have to shield me? You indeed heard wrong. If Hu Jun Xian’s testimony alone is not enough! I can write another letter to the former vice general of Gu Yuan, Zhou You! He was also at the scene!”

The Liang family angrily scolded: “Because of your teacher Wang Dao Sheng’s relation, they are familiar with Wang Dao Sheng!”

Chen Ji said again: “Legitimate mother misunderstands. Hu Jun Xian once publicly said that the Gu Yuan border army does not want people like me and thinks my behavior style is not good! Since he doesn’t like it, he naturally won’t make false evidence for me!”

Wen Dan Hall was quiet again!

A moment later, Chen Ji took the initiative to break the silence: “Family head, I will write a letter today. All the brother generations can oversee it. Junior will absolutely not hide anything or collude with testimony. As for whether Yao Man has committed a crime! We can wait for Hu Jun Xian’s reply before deciding!”

Elder Chen Ge in the hall stroked his white beard: “Can!”

Second master Chen Li Zhi’s face sank!

He lightly glanced at his son Chen Wen De!

Chen Wen De opened his mouth again: “Family head, junior still has one matter!”

Elder Chen Ge still closed his eyes and rested: “Speak!”

Just when Chen Wen De was about to speak, he heard someone hurriedly coming from outside the hall!

Everyone looked, and surprisingly it was Chen Li Zun lifting the hem of his official robe and stepping into the hall!

Chen Li Qin said doubtfully: “Brother, aren’t you going to Tang Gu?”

Chen Li Zun coldly laughed: “If someone hadn’t reported it by fast horse, I still wouldn’t know that someone is taking advantage of my absence and wants to open a hall in the mansion to judge a case.”

He looked towards Elder Chen Ge: “Father, Chen Wen Xiao colluded with the enemy and sold out the country, this crime is already above the clan rules. If we deliberately conceal it, I’m afraid we will suffer impeachment from censors! At that time, memorials will fly into Ren Shou Palace like snowflakes, giving the eunuch party and censors an opportunity to make a fuss!”

Having said that, he looked at Chen Ji again, his tone slightly softening: “Don’t be afraid, you didn’t do anything wrong in this matter, the one who was wrong is Chen Wen Xiao!”

Chen Li Zhi’s gaze wandered between Chen Li Zun and Chen Ji, his face gradually becoming gloomy!