Chen Ji stood in the vast shadow outside Wumen. The Yan Chi Lou on the city wall cast a shadow, like an impenetrable official’s gauze cap.

Ye Bu Shou.

Zong Du Jing Ying Yi Zhang Shi.

Neither of these positions was what he wanted.

He turned to look at Jingyang Gong in the distance, but it was obscured by Wumen’s large red palace walls.

At this moment, the palace music from Guo Zi Jian had already begun, and the sound of bells and chimes could be heard from afar. Presumably, the Qionglin Yan was bustling with activity, filled with clinking wine cups and lantern-lit pavilions.

But this liveliness did not belong to him.

Chen Ji adjusted his collar and walked south.

Chen Xu stood under the moonlight outside Chengtianmen, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and nodded slightly: “Young Master, you have won this round. Master specifically told me to congratulate you once you leave the palace.”

Chen Ji and Chen Xu stood facing each other: “Only a congratulation?”

Chen Xu smiled, took a string of Buddhist coins from his left wrist: “After your Qi Shuai period ends, Master will open the ancestral hall and adopt you into the first branch. Also, this is twelve thousand nine hundred and sixty taels of silver. Master said it’s to make up for the monthly allowance you were owed as the eldest grandson of the first branch all these years.”

After speaking, Chen Xu took another string of Buddhist coins from his right wrist: “This is not from the Chen family, but a meeting gift from the Family Head as a grandfather to his eldest grandson, ten thousand taels of silver. Please accept it, Young Master.”

Chen Ji looked down at the Buddhist coins on Chen Xu’s left and right hands. Accepting them would mean acknowledging his identity as the eldest grandson of the first branch.

He unpretentiously took the Buddhist coins and put them on his left wrist: “Thank you.”

Chen Xu smiled: “You’re welcome. Your Majesty sending you to be a Ye Bu Shou, and this act of ‘Duo Qing,’ shows His Majesty’s favor towards you. When you return to the capital again, I’m sure there will be important responsibilities awaiting you. I wish you a triumphant return from Chongliguan, Young Master.”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Did Second Master say anything before he died?”

Chen Xu was silent for a moment, then truthfully said, “Before he left, Second Master asked for a good cup of tea, Longjing picked just before Qingming, one bud and one leaf. After drinking the tea, he said there was nothing to complain about in ‘the victor is king, the vanquished is bandit,’ that he was simply inferior. He only asked the Family Head to give Chen Wen-de a way out, to send him overseas.”

“He was a good son and a good father,” Chen Ji asked again, “How did Second Master die?”

Chen Xu calmly replied, “Second Master stood on a chair and hanged himself with a white silk sash.”

“Quite dignified,” Chen Ji turned and continued south.

Chen Ji turned right after passing Zhengyangmen and arrived at the back gate of Meihua Du.

The men here had changed to four new faces and did not recognize Chen Ji.

Seeing him approach, the men immediately hid their hands behind their waists, touching their daggers, and asked warily, “Where do you come from, sir?”

Chen Ji calmly said, “From Kunlun Mountain.”

The man asked again, “Did you see white cranes flying?”

Chen Ji raised his thumb: “Only five-colored clouds.”

The man respectfully cupped his fists: “So it’s the Boss. Pao Ge is waiting for you in Meiruilou.”

One person pushed open the back door and stepped aside for Chen Ji to pass. Chen Ji followed the path to Meiruilou, only to find it dark and empty.

There was no sound of abacus, nor any accountant.

He pushed open the main door and ascended the stairs to the top of Meiruilou, where he saw Pao Ge leaning against the railing, slowly smoking a pipe.

It was as if he was specifically waiting for someone here.

Pao Ge’s fingernails were all gone, leaving only bloody nail beds. A loose black cloth shirt hung on him, open at the chest, with layers of white cloth wrapped around his abdomen. A strong smell of medicinal paste emanated from him from afar.

Pao Ge heard footsteps, and without turning his head, said, “I had Er Dao distill the alcohol several times, but I couldn’t get the kind of alcohol I wanted. I don’t know if it can really sterilize and reduce inflammation… Before, I only cared about making money, and I suffered from being uneducated. In the end, I still sent him to the pharmacy to buy the best Jin Chuang medicine for me.”

Chen Ji came to his side, looking out into the distance from the high building, at the myriad of dazzling lights in the capital: “I heard you didn’t say anything.”

Pao Ge smiled, taking a deep puff of smoke: “I got beaten a lot where we came from, and I thought I was mentally prepared, but I almost couldn’t hold out. Now that I think about it, those who can withstand torture are truly amazing.”

Chen Ji also smiled: “Do you resent me?”

Pao Ge sighed: “It would be a lie to say I don’t resent you at all, after all, you intentionally sent me into their hands.”

The sounds of sheng, xiao, and chimes in Badahutong suddenly ceased, as if leaving a moment of quiet night for the two to speak frankly.

That day, Chen Ji knew that the Chen family’s second branch would frantically search for him, but he didn’t warn Pao Ge to be careful. So Pao Ge knew in his heart that this was a test Chen Ji had prepared for him.

Pao Ge tapped the ash from his pipe on the wooden railing and casually said, “I know you’re cold-hearted and never easily trust others, so this hurdle was bound to come sooner or later. If I didn’t pass, I would never be one of your own. I also know you deliberately left flaws for the Chen family’s second branch to capture me. You told me the hiding place of the Zhang family’s assassins because you wanted to test whether I would reveal that place.”

Chen Ji did not speak.

Just as Pao Ge guessed, he had done it on purpose.

Pao Ge chuckled: “An ordinary person, if deliberately plotted against by relatives like you, would react the same way. But I’ve already experienced it, so I understand why you do this. You don’t have to worry about me bearing a grudge against you. I’m just curious, how big of a task are you planning that you need people you can completely trust?”

Chen Ji leaned on the railing and let out a long sigh: “I’m going to save Princess Bai Li.”

Pao Ge relaxed his body: “Finally, we’re on the same side, and it feels pretty good… Is it Princess Bai Li, who is under house arrest in Jingyang Gong? I’ve heard your story. A while ago, some esteemed guests from the Ministry of Rites came to Meihua Du and gave Liu Hang Shou a few invitations to the Dan Bi Da Yue Tang of the Jiaofang Division. She invited me and Er Dao to watch the ‘Bianliang Si Meng,’ and she cried a river of tears.”

Chen Ji did not speak.

Pao Ge continued: “When I watched that play, I thought that after you came to this world, your life was much more exciting than mine.”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “It’s all a play.”

Pao Ge asked curiously, “How do you plan to save her? I heard that Prince Jing committed the grave crime of rebellion. Although I don’t understand Ning Dynasty law, I know that since ancient times, this matter has been difficult to clear up.”

Chen Ji calmly said, “A few days ago, the Crown Prince told me that Renzhou Gong and the Six Animal Pens, those places where people are bought and sold, are no different. As long as you can provide enough chips, you can get anything you want.”

Pao Ge nodded: “Understood. What should I do?”

Chen Ji instructed: “Three things.”

“First?”

“Let the salt smugglers in the south know we are selling salt certificates to attract more people.”

“That’s not difficult. What’s the second?”

“Find a way to infiltrate people into the Cao Gang.”

Pao Ge pulled up the clothes draped over his shoulders: “It’s hard to infiltrate the Cao Gang. They also have their own way of selecting people; their organization is tight, not much worse than ours…”

At this point, Pao Ge suddenly said with confidence: “But don’t worry, give me half a year, and I will definitely find out the Cao Gang’s secrets for you. The third thing?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, took off the Buddhist coins he had just received from Chen Xu, and tossed them to Pao Ge: “This is twenty-two thousand nine hundred and sixty taels of silver. Put it in the accounts. Earn as much money as you can before next spring.”

Pao Ge grinned: “Finally, you’re talking about what I’m best at. But aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the silver? You’re really bold, kid.”

“Someone said I have eradicated greed and hatred, and thinking about it, it makes sense,” Chen Ji turned and walked into Meiruilou: “Once I rescue the princess, I will leave. All of this in the Ning Dynasty will be yours. But Pao Ge, remember, between you and me, it’s just business. If you’re in a desperate situation, I won’t risk my life to save you; if I’m in a desperate situation, you don’t need to risk your life to save me either.”

Pao Ge whistled: “This deal is worth it, it’s a done deal!”

He watched Chen Ji go down the stairs until the thudding sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs faded away.

A moment later, Er Dao ran upstairs: “Brother, he sold you out, and you still want to risk your life for him?”

“What risking my life or not, it’s all business,” Pao Ge turned and looked into the distance: “Er Dao, this person always has a backup plan. The fact that he dared to sell me to the Chen family’s second branch means he’s certain I wouldn’t die. Either he knows where I was taken and has his people among my captors, or he’s sure that the Chen Family Head will return his favor.”

Er Dao scratched his bald head: “Is it that mysterious? But I think this kid is unscrupulous and doesn’t seem like a good person.”

Pao Ge scoffed: “Do you understand it now? Then do I look like a good person to you?”

Er Dao earnestly said: “Brother, you are a good person.”

Pao Ge was startled, took a deep puff of smoke, and exhaled it out of Meiruilou: “If this kid wasn’t a good person, he wouldn’t save that princess. What he told me today was actually just one sentence: if he’s in a desperate situation, I shouldn’t risk my life to save him… Er Dao, this kid is going to risk his life again. He’s afraid of implicating us.”

Pao Ge looked down and knocked off all the ash with the sole of his shoe: “But this is a good thing. He only risks his life when he’s confident.”

Er Dao was puzzled: “What do you mean?”

Pao Ge smiled: “It means he has figured out how to save people.”

Chen Ji walked out of the back door of Meihua Du and proceeded alone to Qipan Jie.

At this time, Qipan Jie was bustling with activity, pedestrians shoulder to shoulder, all heading to Pianyi Fang to eat the Zhuangyuan banquet.

Shen Ye of Andingmen had made an agreement with Pianyi Fang, and Pianyi Fang did not break its word. The owner generously spent a fortune to host eighty-eight tables of banquets for everyone under heaven. Beggars could come to eat, women and children could come to eat, inviting everyone to drink to their heart’s content.

According to the agreement among businesses in the capital, since Pianyi Fang hosted the Zhuangyuan banquet, for the next three years, other taverns would not be allowed to sell the dishes listed on the top eight menu boards behind the counter.

Once, a tavern luckily guessed the Zhuangyuan correctly and listed eight common dishes like sour and spicy cabbage, twice-cooked pork, and pot-fried tofu on those eight menu boards, causing great hardship to all taverns in the capital.

But this time, the top eight menu boards at Pianyi Fang were completely empty.

The owners of famous taverns in the inner and outer cities came together, not only offering gifts but also shouting in unison, “The owner is benevolent and righteous.”

When Chen Ji arrived, there was a long queue outside Pianyi Fang.

However, as he walked ahead, a figure wearing a straw hat followed behind, as if connected by a thread, maintaining a distance of exactly ten steps.

Chen Ji turned left, and he turned left.

Chen Ji turned right, and he turned right.

They both regarded others as if they were invisible.

Chen Ji did not go to Pianyi Fang but entered the adjacent tavern.

He beckoned to the waiter: “Two bowls of noodles.”

The waiter loudly responded, “Alright, please have a seat, honored guest!”

Chen Ji chose a corner to sit down, reached for a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo tube on the table, and rubbed them together.

Many people in the tavern were already drunk and shouting loudly. The neighboring table, deeply immersed in their drinks, chatted about Pianyi Fang, about how Young Master Chen of Fuyou Jie had collided with the Yulin Jun honor guard during the Zhuangyuan parade today, and about the poem Zhuangyuan Lang had written for Liu Hang Shou of Meihua Du.

Little did they know, the culprit of the day was sitting right next to them.

“I heard from a cousin of mine that today, the young master from the Chen family on Fuyou Jie, who collided with the honor guard, had a personal grudge with Zhuangyuan Lang Shen Ye, wanting to compete for the courtesan Liu Su of Meihua Du.”

“Your cousin? Is your cousin a high official? Why haven’t I heard you mention him before?”

“My cousin is the coachman for the Li residence on Qipan Jie…”

Chen Ji didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The scallion oil noodles arrived quickly.

Chen Ji lowered his head to eat his noodles. Another bowl of noodles sat untouched across from him, steaming by itself, but he paid no mind.

A moment later, a person sat opposite him: “Not hiding anymore?”

Chen Ji wiped his mouth, looked up at the person opposite: “Si Cao Daren, when have I ever hidden? Have a bowl of hot soup noodles to warm yourself up.”

Si Cao Gui did not touch the noodles on the table. The face under the straw hat was expressionless: “How did you become an official?”

Chen Ji casually said, “Taiyi Yao from Taiping Yiguan taught me.”

Si Cao Gui said in a deep voice: “So, the Crown Prince’s memorial saying you killed over a hundred Tian Ce Jun soldiers is true? Do you think I wouldn’t dare kill you just because you chose a rowdy tavern?”

Chen Ji retorted: “Si Cao Daren, can a Xiangtian realm official kill so many Tian Ce Jun soldiers?”

This moment was bound to come sooner or later. Instead of hiding, it was better to find a way to resolve it.

But Chen Ji had prepared a belly full of excuses and explanations, only to hear Si Cao Gui calmly say, “A Xiangtian realm naturally cannot kill them. I believe you… There is still a major task to be done now.”

Chen Ji’s heart tightened.

Something’s not right.

Si Cao Gui was definitely not someone who would easily give up suspicion, yet now, with just a casual explanation from himself, the other party chose to believe it?

The other party didn’t believe it, but had a reason to keep him alive.

Was it because of his uncle’s relationship that Si Cao Gui didn’t dare to kill him, or was it for some other reason?

Chen Ji asked calmly, “What major task?”

Si Cao Gui calmly said, “The Jing Dynasty envoys have probably already set off from Shangjingcheng, bringing a generous price to exchange for Yuancheng. We must not let Yuancheng leave alive. Either kill the envoys, or kill Yuancheng.”

Chen Ji realized that Si Cao Gui still didn’t know about him going to Chongliguan as a Ye Bu Shou; Chang Jing probably hadn’t had time to leave the palace.

He thought for a moment and said, “Because I collided with the imperial honor guard today, I’ve been demoted to a border town to be a Ye Bu Shou. I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.”

“Ye Bu Shou?” Si Cao Gui pondered: “That’s perfect. Find a way to ambush the envoys outside Chongliguan.”

Chen Ji frowned: “How can I, a Xiangtian realm official, kill an envoy team? There must be Xundao realm experts among them.”

Si Cao Gui stood up and said meaningfully, “Since you can return alive from under the Wuchang Bingma, you naturally have a way.”

With that, he didn’t even give Chen Ji a chance to object, turned and walked out of the tavern, blending into the crowd outside.

Chen Ji pulled the untouched bowl of noodles from across the table to himself and slurped it down in a few bites. As he stood up, he saw Huang Que drinking alone in another corner. This scholar from the south, after refusing to marry into the Qi family, had, as expected, failed the imperial examination for the third time.

It seemed to perfectly echo the first half of the poem Shen Ye had written on Andingmen Street: “Read twenty years of classics, squander thirty years. Eight hundred evening drums still sound涩, three thousand li of land run in vain, useless scholars are many.”

Huang Que lay sprawled on the table, his eyes bloodshot, muttering to himself. Chen Ji shook his head and left.

After an unknown period, Huang Que mumbled, sprawled on the table, “It turns out I was foolish, Zhu Men’s grace has always been a sword…”

Those were lyrics from ‘Bianliang Si Meng’, which he remembered to this day.

While he was mumbling, a person lightly sat in front of him, pushing a brocade box towards Huang Que, and slowly said, “Young Master Huang Que, someone sent me to give you this, saying it will be useful to you.”

Huang Que, his eyes bleary with drink, said, “Did Zhaoyun send you? No, no, she’s going to be a princess, she shouldn’t have any more dealings with a wretch like me.”

The person across the table chuckled: “Young Master Huang Que, Qi Zhaoyun, the second young lady of the Qi family, cannot dispatch me. I’m leaving.”

Huang Que opened the brocade box in a haze, and saw inside a blue-bound book with the words “Huo Ji” written on it.

He casually flipped through a few pages, and after seeing the content, he suddenly sobered up.

When he looked up to find the person who had given him this path of cultivation, there was no one left across the table.

Huang Que chased out of the tavern, standing on the long street, looking left and right.

But between the bluestone street and the buildings, there was only the prosperity and noise of the capital, no longer the turbulent undercurrents beneath the lamplight.