Chapter 155 + 156: New Year's Day

The heavy snow stopped.

The scarlet tassels on the helmets of the Qian Sui army fluttered across the snowy plain, like a grand banner advancing northward.

Chen Ji rode his horse at the very front. White mist puffed from his nostrils and drifted far away with the wind. He felt a surge of melancholy dissipate, finally feeling alive in this world.

Baili, wrapped in a white mink coat, her features like a painting, rode behind him and asked in a loud voice: "Chen Ji, when we get back to Luocheng, what do you most want to do?"

Chen Ji pulled on the reins, slowing his warhorse to ride alongside Baili. He smiled and replied: "Take a hot bath, and then sleep until the world is dark."

Baili said with a smile: "Your clothes are quite torn in several places. When you wake up, come with me to the Li Ji shop. Let them measure you and make two new sets of clothes. Also boots and a hat."

Chen Ji replied: "Holding the clothes together and sewing them up, they can still be worn."

Baili, thinking he was concerned about money, quickly said: "I'll pay, you don't need to worry about the silver."

"Ah?"

Chen Ji was stunned for a moment: "This isn't good, is it?"

Baili pondered for a moment: "What's not good? If it weren't for you this time, I definitely wouldn't have made it back alive. Also, you helped me out during the debate. What's the big deal about me getting you two sets of clothes!"

Chen Ji smiled: "Alright then!"

Baili smiled sweetly: "There's still a month until Suiri. Are you going back to the Chen family?"

"No, I'm not going back!"

Baili smiled and asked: "If you don't want to go back to the Chen family, why not come to the Prince's manor? That way everyone can play Pai Jiu together and guard the year, and we can also go to the street to set off firecrackers together."

Suiri is the Spring Festival, followed immediately by eating Yuanxiao and visiting the Lantern Festival on Shangyuanjie.

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "By then, Senior Brother Liu and Senior Brother She will all go home to guard the year. Only Master will be left in the medical hall. I'll stay at the medical hall to accompany him."

Baili thought for a long time, then opened her mouth and asked: "Then how about I and my brother go to the medical hall to guard the year? Sweep the dust in the morning, hang lanterns in the afternoon, make dumplings, steam mantou. Play Pai Jiu in the evening. Guard the year."

Chen Ji was confused: "Don't the Princess and the Heir need to guard the year at the Prince's manor? Suiri is always spent with family!"

Baili was silent for a moment: "There's no atmosphere of Suiri in the Prince's manor. The mantou are all steamed by the servants, and the dumplings are also made by the servants. Father still has to handle official business, and Mother goes to bed early. There's no excitement."

Chen Ji smiled and said: "Then the Princess and the Heir can come to the medical hall. We'll sweep the dust, hang lanterns, make dumplings, and steam mantou together."

Baili's eyes sparkled: "Okay, it's a promise. Right, have you secretly looked at the red cloth strips I tied on the apricot tree?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No, I haven't. Princess, rest assured, that's your secret. I won't secretly look."

Baili let out a long "oh": "...That's good then!"

Not far behind the two, Jing Wang and Wang Daosheng rode side by side. Jing Wang's red cloak stood out against the white world.

Wang Xiansheng said: "Your Highness, you mobilized the Qian Sui army this time without a military order. If this matter reaches the capital, I fear you will again be subject to much criticism."

The Qian Sui army had been Jing Wang's direct army for some years, but it was not a private army after all.

Mobilizing more than three hundred people out of the camp required a military order from the Ministry of War.

Now, Jing Wang had gathered a thousand soldiers and horses to surround Luhun Mountain Villa.

This matter could be big or small, it all depended on His Majesty's mood.

Jing Wang was completely unconcerned: "If I can't even protect my children, I might as well be a commoner. I think His Majesty knows about this matter, and he will be tolerant."

Wang Daosheng was confused: "In recent years, Your Highness has been discreet and cautious, afraid of making mistakes and provoking His Majesty's suspicion and jealousy. Why are you so rash today?"

Jing Wang laughed and didn't answer.

He looked at the backs of Chen Ji and Baili from afar, and changed the subject: "Wang Xiansheng, what you said earlier was that Chen Ji might be a listener, not even considered a named disciple. How did he become a personal disciple now?"

Wang Daosheng said calmly: "He was surrounded by monks and couldn't leave. He must have committed a great taboo of the Buddhist sect during the debate. I am his teacher. Naturally, I want to find a way to protect him. That way, if the Master and Uncle of Wuzhai want to find someone to vent their anger, they should come find me. Not him."

Jing Wang said happily: "Your honesty is admirable, Xiansheng. It's just that this boy doesn't read the scriptures. If someone questions his scholarship in the future, I fear he will embarrass you."

Wang Daosheng shook his head: "It doesn't matter, with the Heir as a shining example, he won't make a difference."

Jing Wang slowly put away his smile and glanced at his eldest son next to him with a displeased look.

The Heir saw his father looking at him, as if he wanted to talk to him. He immediately rode his horse forward: "Father, it's been a long time since I've seen you in armor. You're just as majestic as before."

Jing Wang replied: "In earlier years I wanted to go out and quell rebellions, but these years have been peaceful, so naturally there's no need to wear it."

The Heir suddenly said with emotion: "Seeing you put on your former shining armor, I just realized you've become much thinner."

Jing Wang was startled. Sometimes people don't realize they've gained or lost weight until their old clothes don't fit anymore, when they suddenly realize they've gained a lot, or when their old clothes suddenly hang loosely, only then do they know they've lost weight.

He lowered his head and looked at the shining armor on his body, then raised his head again to look at the backs of Chen Ji and Baili, and suddenly asked: "Yunxi, what do you think of Chen Ji?"

The Heir looked forward, only to see Chen Ji's whale knife hanging by the horse saddle. The young man's waist and back were straight, like a young hero guest descended from Tianshan.

He thought for a moment and replied: "Good, very good. I couldn't ask for a better friend than him."

After speaking, he looked at Chen Ji and Baili, then looked at his father again, shocked and uncertain: "Father, what is the meaning of you suddenly asking this? You want..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jing Wang interrupted: "Yunxi, in Luocheng, is there any young lady you admire?"

The Heir replied: "No, the young ladies from noble families are all so affected, I can't stand them."

Jing Wang said casually: "In earlier years I wanted to find a matchmaker for you, but you said you wanted to go to Donglin Academy to study, and that you didn't want to marry until you returned. Now you've been at Donglin Academy for three years, and you've reached the age of Ji Guan. If you keep putting off marriage, this Prince's manor won't be able to keep you."

The Heir's face changed color: "What are you trying to say? You want to get rid of me?"

Jing Wang said displeasedly: "I'm talking about sending you to the frontier army."

Just at this moment, a person galloped urgently on horseback across the snowy plain.

The other party wore a bamboo hat and a black cloak, their face and eyes hidden in the shadow beneath the hat.

Three long knives hung by the other party's horse saddle, their black scabbards and handles exuding a murderous aura.

"Protect His Highness!"

The Qian Sui army array quickly moved closer to Jing Wang and the Heir.

A cavalry branch in the rear, carrying horse spears, blocked in front of Jing Wang.

But even with a thousand armies and ten thousand horses there, that uninvited guest showed no intention of stopping, not avoiding and not giving way.

At the critical moment.

Chen Ji followed the sound of the horse hooves and narrowed his eyes. He suddenly turned his head to look at Baili: "Princess, isn't that the person who stared and stalked you many times before?"

Baili was startled: "It's him."

Earlier, outside the medical hall, a middle-aged man once stood under a steamed bun shop, secretly sizing up Baili. By the time Chen Ji wanted to observe the other party carefully, the other party had already disappeared.

According to Baili, she had already spotted this person four or five times, it was absolutely not accidental.

Chen Ji was shocked and confused, why did this person appear here?

The other party was getting closer and closer. Chen Ji led Baili to stand by his horse, not moving forward, waiting for the Qian Sui army to surround and protect them.

The middle-aged man's black horse galloped, its hooves stirring up snow waves.

Only, when he got closer, seeing Baili on the snowy plain, he actually slowly slowed down.

Chen Ji's left hand tightened the reins and moved closer to Baili, his right hand gripping the handle of the whale knife, quietly staring at the middle-aged man approaching.

But he gradually sensed something was wrong. The man lifted his head, revealing a tough, strong face like a knife cut, but there was no hint of hostility.

Instead, it was as if he had let out a sigh of relief, his whole body relaxed, and his face also softened a lot.

Only when the Qian Sui army caught up with the man, they surrounded Chen Ji and Baili in a tight circle.

The man, as if there was no one around him, rode his horse around the outside of the Qian Sui army array, not saying a word.

Chen Ji was inside the army array, looking outwards through the gaps in the scarlet tassels on the helmets, and found that the other party was also sizing him up.

The officer holding the royal flag looked at Jing Wang: "Your Highness, shall we take him down?"

Jing Wang looked deeply at the man for a moment, and shook his head lightly: "They are all travelers, there's no need to make things difficult."

This chapter is not finished, please continue...

In the snow-covered ground, Zhang Zhuo helped Zhang Xia remount the horse. He patted Zaocao's cheek and said, "Thank you very much. From now on, you are a great meritorious minister of my Zhang family. Later, I'll have the housekeeper find a mare for you..."

Zhang Xia glared at him, "Father, what are you saying?"

Zhang Zhuo chuckled, "This is the natural order of heaven and earth, nothing to hide."

Chen Ji watched this scene and sighed, "Everyone says Master Zhang is greedy, which might not be true. But everyone says Master Zhang is lustful, which must be true. However, I see that Master Zhang truly loves Second Miss Zhang very much. He's wearing his official robe, meaning he probably rushed here as soon as he got the news at the yamen."

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "You know me, Chen Ji."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Master Zhang, this horse is divine and extraordinary. I heard Second Miss Zhang say earlier that it was brought back by Deputy Supervisor Xu Shu of the Qin Tian Jian from outside?"

Zhang Zhuo flipped onto his horse, "That's no secret. Xu Shu cultivated for seven years after coming back to life, and suddenly bid farewell to Elder Xu and went north, saying he was looking for something. Later, I heard him say he went to the bitter cold region even further north than the Jing Dynasty. He didn't find the thing he was looking for, but he brought back this dragon horse."

"I heard Second Miss Zhang say it's of dragon blood," Chen Ji said.

Zhang Zhuo replied, "Xu Shu said there are still some ancient bloodlines left in the bitter cold northern region, which are the most divine and strange when used as warhorses."

Chen Ji suddenly thought, if according to his guess, Xu Shu was also a person from the forty-nine heavy heavens, then what was he looking for when he suddenly traveled ten thousand li to the bitter cold northern region? Treasures left by the forty-nine heavy heavens in the human world?

Chen Ji asked again, "Master Zhang is learned and knowledgeable. Have you ever heard of the character Xuanyuan?" This was what he wanted to ask most. In this world, there was no search engine. Finding any information was like trying to fish a needle from the sea. Only someone with a super memory and wide reading like Zhang Zhuo could possibly answer his questions.

He saw Zhang Zhuo think for a moment. "On Huang Mountain, there's a Fu Gu Peak. Under Fu Gu Peak, there's a cave mansion. Inside the cave mansion are engraved the characters Xuanyuan, and there's a remnant book that records the sharpest sword called 'Xuanyuan Sword.' But this sword's whereabouts are unknown, and no one has ever seen it. That's all the records I could find."

Chen Ji nodded and said nothing more. It seemed that some things still had to be asked of Xuanyuan himself. He slowly closed his eyes, letting the horse carry him swayingly into the distance. The ice flow within his body spread out, bringing him back to that black cloud sea and landing on the green mountain.

When he opened his eyes, Chen Ji still didn't see Xuanyuan on the green mountain peak. The black king flag embroidered with gold characters was stuck in a crack in the giant stone, and there was no one around. Chen Ji felt strange. He stood at the edge of the mountain cliff and looked down, only to see the cloud sea dissipate. Under the mountain foot, he didn't know when a piece of farmland had been reclaimed.

Xuanyuan had shed his king's robe and changed into a set of coarse clothes, just rolling up his trouser legs and pulling a plow in the farmland.

Chen Ji came down the mountain to the edge of the farmland and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Xuanyuan answered casually, "Farming!"

Chen Ji was puzzled, "You are already an immortal who doesn't need to eat or drink, why do you still want to farm?"

Xuanyuan said impatiently, "I like farming, is that not allowed? Sheji, she for land, ji for five grains. If there are no five grains, this world is incomplete. This is the foundation of a country."

Chen Ji sat down at the edge of the farmland, "But in the characters sheji, there are no people."

Xuanyuan was startled, "What?"

Chen Ji sat cross-legged, "She for land, ji for five grains. Where are the common people?"

Xuanyuan thought for a while, "In the emperor's heart."

Chen Ji chuckled, "Humorous."

Xuanyuan put down the shoulder plow and said with a cold face, "What are you here for today?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Did you ever build a cave mansion under Fu Gu Peak to cultivate?"

Xuanyuan was puzzled, "Fu Gu Peak? Never heard of it."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and changed the way he asked, "I found a cave mansion under a mountain peak in the outside world, with the characters Xuanyuan engraved inside. Not far from that mountain peak, there's a valley. When people walk in, they look up at the sky, and there's only a line of blue sky. If it's not noon, you can't see the sun or the moon."

Xuanyuan was startled, "Tianzi Du? You found Tianzi Du?"

Chen Ji was also startled, "What Tianzi Du?"

Xuanyuan left the farmland and in the blink of an eye, put on a set of black king's robes out of thin air. The king's robes seemed to come from the void, appearing on him in an instant. "I once escaped to a mountainous area while heavily injured to heal and enlighten... and also met you here."

Chen Ji didn't expect that this place was actually related to him, "After meeting, what then?"

Xuanyuan didn't want to answer this question yet, only turned and narrowed his eyes, "Strange, strange. Since you can find Tianzi Du, that means Guixu, Lei Ze, Qingqiu Country, Tianshan, Zhangwei Mountain, Fa Jiu Mountain, Sun Moon Mountain are all still there, just changed names..."

"Should be so!"

Xuanyuan's expression turned strange, "In Tianzi Du, there's a spring eye hidden with a sword. That was something I seized after slaying an enemy in the past. If you absorb its sword intent, you can use it to nurture the sword seed within your body and ascend to heaven in one step."

Chen Ji's eyes brightened, but extinguished in a flash, "It's been sixteen thousand years. That sword has probably decayed?"

Xuanyuan asked solemnly, "Did the Whale Knife ever decay?"

"No!"

"If the Whale Knife didn't, neither did it. I placed it in the spring eye, originally to use Tianzi Du, this world's first strange peak, to nurture the sword intent for later use. I didn't expect it to benefit you."

Chen Ji was spirited again, "Can you specifically describe the geographical features of that spring eye?"

Xuanyuan avoided answering, only slowly saying, "Not only this place, I've also hidden many treasures in the world. Although I don't know what names they are called now, I can help you draw them out. But on what basis should I help you draw them out?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "If I die one day, can't you borrow my body to return to the world? These treasures are just being temporarily kept by me. They will all be yours later. When you return to the world, you won't need to painstakingly search for them, you can use them immediately."

Xuanyuan sneered, "Do you think I'm a fool?"

Chen Ji was helpless, "You set the conditions."

Xuanyuan thought for a moment, and suddenly waved towards the distant army formation, "Feng Huai, Feng Lie, Feng Xiao, Feng Gui."

From the army formation, four generals came out and knelt on one knee, "Here!"

Xuanyuan turned his head to look at Chen Ji and laughed coldly, "The four of them will surround and kill you. When you can defeat the four of them, I will tell you the location of the first hidden treasure."

Feng Huai held a knife, Feng Lie held an axe, Feng Xiao held a stick, and Feng Gui had a bow on his back. The four of them had a grand aura and surging battle intent.

Chen Ji cursed inwardly, turned around, and ran.

"Chen Ji, wake up..."

"Chen Ji, we've arrived!"

Chen Ji opened his eyes on the horse. What entered his sight was a sea of red. The setting sun slanted its rays, and the white snow plain reflected splendid light, like an orange-red aurora flowing on the snow. The city gate tower of Luo City appeared on the horizon, as if a mirage.

Chen Ji looked at this scene, somewhat lost in thought. Zhang Zhuo urged his horse to his side and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ji came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Master Zhang, I very much want to go back to the medical hall and have a good sleep right now. But the scenery at this moment is thrilling, and I want to stop and look more. You say, is the destination more important, or the scenery along the way more important?"

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard, pondered for a long time, and then replied, "To me, naturally the destination is more important."

Chen Ji didn't understand, "Why?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "I am quite a greedy person. When I see one scenery, I think there might be something better waiting for me ahead. I'm not willing to stop until I see the destination. Young man, last time you saved my official hat during the rebellion, and this time you saved my daughter's life again. How should I repay you?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Master Zhang is too polite. Second Miss Zhang and I are classmates. How could I have a reason to not save her when I see her in danger?"

"Two different things!" Zhang Zhuo thought and said, "Participate in the imperial examination. As long as you don't kill anyone in the examination hall, I guarantee you'll become a juren."

"That simple?"

"That simple!" Zhang Zhuo said, "I know you don't want to get involved in officialdom, but I also know that you are not someone who only wants to cultivate yourself."

Chen Ji looked into the distance, "Master misunderstands."

Zhang Zhuo laughed, "If you were just a Confucian official who only wanted to cultivate yourself, you wouldn't have jumped off the city wall that day of the rebellion. Follow me to do things. I guarantee you..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw Mister Wang riding a fast horse and leaving the Qian Sui army formation, coming to Chen Ji's side. He said to Zhang Zhuo, "Chen Ji is not suitable to be a civil official, and he doesn't necessarily have to take the imperial examination route. After the new year, follow me to the capital. I will find a position for you in the Ministry of War. The court's accumulated problems have been long-standing, what good is wasting three years?"

Zhang Zhuo was displeased, "What are you joining in on the fun for?"

Wang Dao Sheng replied calmly, "He is more suitable for the border army."

Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "Promotion in the border army is too slow."

Wang Dao Sheng was expressionless, "If there were no border army, how could there be peaceful southern songs and dances? Does Master Zhang look down on the border army?"

"You old fellow, stop trying to put a shit basin on me." Zhang Zhuo said angrily, "I'm not saying the border army is useless, but keeping him by my side can promote him early. With greater power in hand, he can do more things."

Wang Dao Sheng lightly asked, "What are you to him? I am his teacher, it is naturally more reasonable for him to follow me to do things."

Zhang Zhuo was startled. For a moment, he wanted to retort but didn't know where to start. "I... I can..." He turned his head and looked at Zhang Xia, swallowing back the words he had. "Although you only taught him for a few days. What teacher? Just wait, everyone relies on their own ability..."

Chen Ji looked left at Zhang Zhuo and right at Wang Dao Sheng, "Two Masters..."

Wang Dao Sheng's expression was calm, "You can call him Master when you address him. Afterwards, when you address me, you must call me teacher!"

Chen Ji said, "Teacher!"

Wang Dao Sheng said unhurriedly, "I don't necessarily need you to come out and do things, but if you want to do things, you must follow me. Don't follow him, he works for the Xu family, and usually doesn't cherish his feathers. Who knows how history will write about him later?"

Chen Ji quietly tightened the reins and slowed down, retreating from the quarrel between the two Masters. Without his obstruction, Zhang Zhuo and Wang Dao Sheng got closer and argued more fiercely.

Zhang Zhuo said, "Whether you can transfer to the Minister of the Ministry of War in the spring is still uncertain, what are you making random promises for now?"

Wang Dao Sheng said, "In the spring of the 24th year of Jia Ning, you lost the scripture debate to me."

Zhang Zhuo raised his eyebrows, "You have already been demoted twice by His Majesty, and the Donglin Party cannot tolerate your unorthodox ways. What can you do by following you?"

Wang Dao Sheng said, "In the autumn of the 25th year of Jia Ning, you lost the scripture debate to me again."

Zhang Zhuo suddenly became annoyed. He rode his horse through the air to hit Wang Dao Sheng. However, Wang Dao Sheng wore heavy armor, and a bit of a fist and foot didn't hurt or itch him at all. Wang Dao Sheng calmly disdained, "Court officials resort to physical violence, what decorum!"

Zhang Zhuo said angrily, "Dog thief, come and fight!"