Chen Ji turned and watched Zhang Zhuo’s back disappear into the city gate arch. He looked up and saw dark clouds covering the moon.

Lu Jin.

That uncle, whom he had never met, had always been like a huge, impenetrable shadow. This was why Chen Ji preferred to go overseas rather than to Jing Chao.

He had seen the man resign, then be reinstated, rising step by step to the highest position in Jing Chao, becoming the Assistant Grand Councilor. Now, Grand Councilor Yuan Cheng had been captured alive at Lushun Port. Was that person behind it?

Chen Ji did not know.

Xiao Man raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes. “Gongzi?”

Chen Ji snapped back to reality, turned, and strode towards Fuyou Street.

Xiao Man, holding the little black cat, trotted behind him. “Gongzi, where are you going?”

Chen Ji said in a deep voice, “Back to the Chen family.”

Xiao Man followed him, jogging beside him as they crossed Chang’an Avenue, and said worriedly, “Gongzi, are we still going back to the Chen family? The Second Branch of the Chen family tried to kill you, and you’ve defied the Family Head this time, offending both the First and Second Branches. If we go back today, those people will hold another ‘Three Judicial Reviews’ farce in the Wandan Hall. It’s better not to go back.”

Chen Ji did not speak, only walked briskly.

Xiao Man continued to talk as she followed him. “I went to look at a house these past few days. There’s a small house not far from the Zhang family that’s for sale at the yahang, only one thousand four hundred taels of silver. It’s a two-courtyard house, with new bricks and tiles, and all the beams are made of good material…”

Chen Ji glanced at her. “We only have one thousand four hundred taels of silver, so a two-courtyard house on Xuanwumen Street only costs one thousand four hundred taels of silver? Who’s being so kind? Is it Lord Zhang Zhuo or your second sister?”

Xiao Man was stunned. “Lord Zhang…”

Chen Ji looked at the little black cat Xiao Man was holding and suddenly asked, “Are you sure this little black cat was personally given to you by your second sister?”

Xiao Man was puzzled. “Yes, my second sister personally gave it to me that night. Why do you ask, Gongzi?”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia, one of them must be lying.

Who was lying? And why were they lying?

Xiao Man asked, “Does Gongzi really want to go back to the Chen family?”

Chen Ji calmly said, “Yes, there are still things to do.”

The imperial court was already calm, and even the mastermind behind the disguised Jiefan Guards was no longer pursued, as if nothing had happened.

But Chen Ji could not pretend that nothing had happened. As long as the Second Branch of the Chen family was not completely defeated, they would eventually return. It was already a fight to the death between them.

And now, there was someone in Qinzheng Yuan who could be the witness to defeat the Second Branch.

Fuyou Street.

Chen Ji walked faster and faster. When he reached the outside of the Chen family’s Qinzheng Yuan, he directly climbed over the white walls and grey tiles, heading straight for Qingzhu Yuan.

Xiao Man followed Chen Ji over the wall into Qinzheng Yuan, but when she turned back, she heard the little monk shouting from outside the wall, “Don’t leave me behind!”

She rolled her eyes, went around to the side gate, and complained while unbolting the door, “So stupid! You don’t practice diligently on weekdays, you’re useless! Come in quickly!”

The two of them chased after Chen Ji, but from a distance, they saw Chen Ji stop outside Hanmei Yuan.

Qingzhu Yuan was Chen Liqin and Liang Shi’s courtyard, while Hanmei Yuan was Chen Wenzong’s courtyard.

Chen Ji was going to find Liang Shi, but unexpectedly, upon arriving, he saw maids and servants going in and out, carrying boxes onto carriages, but Chen Wenzong was nowhere to be seen.

Today was the day the Gongyuan opened, so he should have already returned to the Chen family by now.

Chen Ji asked, “What’s going on? Where is Brother Wenzong?”

The head maid beside Chen Wenzong hurriedly explained, “Reporting to Third Gongzi, the mistress has passed away, and Gongzi Wenzong is heartbroken. He is going to the Chen family’s ancestral graveyard to observe three years of mourning. He left on a fast horse at You Shi, and we are here to pack his belongings.”

Chen Ji’s heart sank.

The mistress passed away?

Liang Shi was dead?

He asked in a deep voice, “How did she die?”

The maid stammered, “The mistress caught a cold a while ago, and her health deteriorated day by day. On the day Gongzi Wenzong entered the Gongyuan, for some reason, she sent us to the kitchen to prepare medicine. When we returned, she was already lying on the bed, breathless.”

Chen Ji looked into Hanmei Yuan. “Did you call a doctor earlier?”

The maid quickly said, “Yes, we did. The doctor also prescribed medicine and said that it was fine to just follow the prescription, nothing serious. But even after drinking the medicine, the mistress’s health didn’t improve.”

Xiao Man’s eyes darted around. “Wait, according to custom, when a madam passes away, her coffin should be kept at home for three days. At least we should wait for Gongzi Wenzong to come out of the Gongyuan. Why was the coffin sent to the ancestral graveyard in Luzhou so early? Who made that decision?”

The maid stammered, “I… I don’t know.”

Xiao Man pressed her dagger against the maid’s chin. “Speak!”

The maid, on the verge of tears, explained, “It was Second Master who made the decision. We servants don’t know what happened; it’s not our place to ask about such things.”

Xiao Man retracted her dagger.

Chen Ji frowned.

He had previously speculated that the reason the Second Branch of the Chen family used the Wuchang Bingma was because Liang Shi had colluded with them and informed Chen Lizhi about the matter of Guyuan, making Liang Shi an accomplice.

This was originally a clue to defeat the Second Branch, and Chen Ji had returned to the Chen family for Liang Shi. Now, that lead was cut off.

Liang Shi had been silenced by the Second Branch of the Chen family.

At this moment, Chen Ji looked at the maid. “Is Brother Wenzong not participating in the imperial examinations anymore?”

The maid shook her head. “With the death of his birth mother, Gongzi must observe three years of zhan cui mourning and cannot participate in the imperial examinations. Even you, Third Gongzi, must observe one year of qi cui mourning.”

That was right.

Upon the death of the birth mother, the eldest son wore zhan cui mourning for three years, and the concubine’s son wore qi cui mourning for one year, during which they could not hold office or marry. Even the Grand Secretary of the current cabinet was no exception.

Unless the emperor issued an imperial decree of “duo qing,” only then could they retain their official positions.

No wonder Zhang Zhuo said, “Come and help me during this year of dismissal.” Chen Ji had been puzzled as to how Lord Zhang was so sure that he would be dismissed for “one year.”

In reality, Emperor Ning and Zhang Zhuo both knew that Liang Shi had died, and Chen Ji would certainly have to observe one year of qi cui mourning. Dismissal was just a convenient punishment. Even if he wasn’t dismissed, he would have to resign himself to mourn.

Chen Ji looked at the messy Hanmei Yuan, with papers scattered all over the floor. He bent down to pick them up and could still see Chen Wenzong’s neat handwriting, writing about current affairs and annotations of the classics.

It was a pity that Chen Wenzong’s three valuable years were wasted. After three years, who knew what the imperial court would become?

Among the Third Branch of the Chen family, those who died had died, and those who left had left, leaving only him.

Wait.

Chen Ji looked at the maid. “Where is Wang Gui?”

The maid looked bewildered. “Ah? I don’t know where Wang Gui went. I haven’t seen him for days.”

Chen Ji thoughtfully said, “Let’s go.”

He walked along the flagstone path towards Yingxing Yuan, only to see Chen Xu, the attendant of Grand Elder Chen, already waiting at the door.

The man wore a black daoist robe with subtle cloud patterns embroidered on it, and a wooden hairpin in his hair.

Chen Xu was not a Daoist practitioner, but scholars, regardless of age, liked to wear daoist robes as their everyday home attire, and even Emperor Ning did so. Therefore, various daoist robes were often seen in the inner city.

Compared to the daoist robes of Daoist priests, scholars’ daoist robes had many more patterns, which was a fashion in the capital.

Seeing Chen Ji approach, Chen Xu respectfully cupped his hands and said, “Gongzi, the Family Head is in Wandan Hall for a discussion. Please follow me.”

Xiao Man whispered by his side, “Gongzi, don’t go. It’s definitely not a good thing.”

Chen Xu clasped his hands in his sleeves. “The Family Head has instructed that Gongzi has never relied on the Chen family’s influence in the past, and everything he has now was earned with his life. Therefore, the Chen family cannot be too harsh on Gongzi. However, as a child of the Chen family, some principles still need to be made clear. After today, whether you stay or leave, whether you are an enemy or a friend, is all up to Gongzi’s decision.”

Chen Ji calmly said, “Not going means being an enemy?”

Chen Xu smiled modestly, giving an indirect answer. “The Family Head is still waiting.”

“Then let him wait a little longer,” Chen Ji brushed past him. “Let me wash off the blood and change my clothes first.”

Chen Xu hesitated but ultimately allowed Chen Ji to enter.

“Xiao Man, you two wait outside as well,” Chen Ji closed the courtyard gate and took off his blood-stained clothes in the courtyard alone.

The spring night was cold.

He let Chen Xu wait outside, scooping ladle after ladle of icy water from the water vat and pouring it over his head.

The icy water washed away the dust and blood from his hair and skin, not stopping until his skin was red.

It was only then, after washing off the dust and blood, that he felt alive again, returning to the prosperity of Da Ning.

Chen Ji looked down at the wound on his forearm; it had already healed.

He went back to his room, changed into the clothes Chen Lizun had previously sent, found new strips of cloth to wrap around his forearm, and then went out.

Chen Ji once again brushed past Chen Xu, not letting Chen Xu lead the way, but walking ahead himself. “Let’s go, to Wandan Hall.”

Chen Xu looked at Chen Ji’s back, not angry, but rather admiring. “Gongzi, returning to the capital this time, you have quite the bearing of a Chen family son. Power nurtures people.”

Wandan Hall, with its eight vermilion doors wide open.

Without waiting for a servant to announce him, Chen Ji stepped over the threshold and stood inside Wandan Hall.

Grand Elder Chen sat in the grand armchair, eyes closed, resting. Chen Lizun and Chen Lizhi sat on either side, and Chen Wende stood behind Chen Lizhi.

Chen Ji stood below the hall, cupped his hands, and said, “Unworthy descendant Chen Ji, greets the Family Head.”

After speaking, he actually chose a seat on the left, at a lower position, and sat down instead of standing.

Chen Lizun hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

Chen Lizhi raised his eyebrows, his goatee trembling on his skull-like face. “No manners.”

Chen Ji calmly said, “Second Uncle, what are the Chen family’s rules? Is it for elders to plot against juniors?”

Chen Lizhi sneered, “What do you mean by that? You greenhorn, don’t slander people without proof.”

“Enough,” Grand Elder Chen slowly said, eyes still closed. “Since he has a noble title, let him sit. He indeed deserves a seat in Wandan Hall.”

Without waiting for anyone to speak, Grand Elder Chen continued, “Back then, I asked Chen Yu and Chen Ji how they viewed the Chen family’s eight rises and falls. Chen Yu replied that the family’s rise and fall are based on people. Chen Ji replied that borrowing power is temporary; one must create their own power. Now it seems Chen Ji didn’t boast; he actually achieved it.”

Chen Lizun and Chen Lizhi had different expressions, each lost in thought.

Grand Elder Chen smiled and opened his eyes. “A grand Chen family raised a lone wolf. It’s not the lone wolf’s fault, but Chen Liqin and Liang Shi’s fault. The Chen family owes Chen Ji a lot, which shaped his character today.”

Chen Ji remained impassive.

Grand Elder Chen said calmly, “But Chen Ji, there’s an old saying: if you want to go fast, it’s best to travel alone; if you want to go far, you must help each other with others. My Chen family has endured a thousand years of storms this way. If everyone were a lone wolf, my Chen family would not gain power, nor could it withstand those eight rises and falls… Do you understand this principle?”

“I understand.”

Grand Elder Chen turned his head, gazing deeply at Chen Ji in his seat. “Since you understand, then tell me, I already had Chen Xu wait for you outside the city gate, why did you still not heed the advice? My Chen family and the Crown Prince are already in the same boat, sharing the same fate. I am the Crown Prince’s teacher. In the Emperor’s eyes, my Chen family is the Eastern Palace faction, and it is so in the eyes of the world as well.”

Grand Elder Chen spoke forcefully, “Chen Ji, do you understand that you are also a part of this big ship that is the Chen family? Or, do you not want to rely on the Chen family and intend to establish your own household? Then, if you harm the Chen family this time, you will be an enemy of the Chen family.”

Chen Ji turned and met Grand Elder Chen’s gaze. “An aristocratic family does not seek constant victory, but seeks not to be defeated. Previously, the Chen family only backed the Crown Prince, putting all its eggs in one basket. Now, I have helped the Chen family back the Prince Fu, and it is already a position of not being defeated… The Chen family should thank me.”

Grand Elder Chen was silent for a long time, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, the sound reverberating in Wandan Hall for a long time. “Where did you get the courage to bet on Prince Fu for the Chen family?”

Chen Ji calmly said, “You shouldn’t first have power and money; you should first have courage.”

Hearing this, Grand Elder Chen carefully examined Chen Ji, his expression approving. “Good, good, my Chen family has assisted more than twenty Crown Princes, but there are not many courageous descendants. Chen Ji, you are more important than the Crown Prince.”

He turned to Chen Lizun, raising his hand and pointing at Chen Ji. “Go ask the Qi family. Ask them if they still want the marriage. If they want to back out, speak up early, I will choose another virtuous, modest, and dignified woman. Qi Zhaoning is not worthy of him.”

(End of chapter)