Chapter 163: Entrusting the Orphan

Along the bluestone slab road of Anxi Street, Chen Ji walked back alone, carrying a shoulder pole. Two wooden buckets full of water swayed up and down on the shoulder pole, but not a drop spilled out. He pondered the information provided by Gold Pig, only feeling that Luo City was covered in a layer of gloom, making it hard to breathe.

If the Liu family truly rebelled, the first thing they would likely do is sacrifice the "eunuch party" of Donglin Academy. As a small secret agent under Donglin Academy, he would inevitably be the first to bear the brunt. This time, many people would die!

Just as he returned to the medical hall, he saw White Carp County Princess, who had changed into clean clothes, sitting on top of the wall. She smiled and waved at him: "Chen Ji, Chen Ji, help pass over the ladder!"

Chen Ji bent down, put down the shoulder pole, and moved the ladder over. White Carp, while climbing down the ladder, asked curiously, "Did you help wipe the tiles on this wall? There's not a speck of dust left!"

Chen Ji held the ladder and hummed in response, "I saw your white clothes always getting dusty when you climbed the wall, so I wiped them a bit."

White Carp lowered her head to look at her clean pants, then raised her head and said with a smile: "Thank you!"

After World Son's head popped out from the top of the wall, Chen Ji asked curiously, "Haven't seen the little monk in a long time. Where is he?"

World Son said proudly: "Father said staying in Luo City with me would make him learn bad things, so he sent him to the Capital Qintianjian to cultivate with Vice Director Xu Shu!"

Chen Ji said helplessly, "World Son, what exactly are you proud of? Why did World Son and the County Princess come so early?"

World Son slid down the ladder, "We came to find you to learn knife techniques, Chen Ji, teach me knife techniques, okay?"

Just as he finished speaking, Jing Wang, looking weak, lifted the door curtain: "What's the use of following him to learn, even though he's just a small apprentice!"

Chen Ji was puzzled. Yesterday, Jing Wang seemed fine while watching the opera, but this morning he was full of resentment and hate towards him! Strange, where did this resentment come from?

At this moment, White Carp widened her eyes: "Father, why are you saying that about Chen Ji?"

Jing Wang also widened his eyes: "I just want to say it like this, is that not allowed?"

White Carp said in confusion: "Father, why are you suddenly looking at Chen Ji with displeasure? You were praising him earlier!"

Jing Wang said in a bad mood: "That was then, this is now. My son and daughter came today, but didn't visit me first, instead they chatted with him first. You must have forgotten, your father is still sick!"

White Carp quickly moved a bamboo chair from the room and awkwardly helped Jing Wang sit down: "Father, we rushed over early this morning to visit you!"

Jing Wang said slowly: "You know who you came to see in your heart!"

White Carp quickly covered Jing Wang's mouth with her clean palm and whispered: "Father, quickly don't say that. Of course I came to see you."

She secretly glanced at Chen Ji, who seemed not to have heard their conversation just now. He looked at Jing Wang and asked curiously: "Wang Ye, Xu Shu is the Vice Director of Qintianjian, who is the Director?"

White Carp explained: "I know, the young director of Qintianjian is called Hu Junyan, the little *shishu* of Laojun Mountain Dao Court."

"This name sounds familiar."

Chen Ji tried to recall, "Wait... Someone told me earlier that in the winter of Jialing eight year, Hu Ge Lao's direct grandson was abducted by the Beggar Gang during the Shangyuan Festival, and later found by the Hu family. Is it him?"

White Carp stood beside the bamboo chair, pinching Jing Wang's shoulders: "It's him, it's him. I heard Mother say it caused a huge sensation that year! After he was found by the Hu family, the headmaster of Laojun Shao Dao Court, Cen Yunzi, personally went to the Capital to take him as a disciple on behalf of his master. So, this Hu Junyan is considered Cen Yunzi's *shidi*, and Daozhang Zhang Li's *shishu*!"

Chen Ji was suddenly a bit puzzled. Why did Cen Yunzi suddenly come to take a disciple, making Hu Junyan change to become the Dao Court's little *shishu*? Could it be that something unknown happened during the abduction by the Beggar Gang? Or, is this person like Xu Shu, from the forty-nine heavens?

Chen Ji asked curiously: "How old is he?"

White Carp counted on her fingers: "Twenty-seven years old?"

Chen Ji sighed: "Twenty-seven years old and already the positive fourth-rank director of Qintianjian, ah!"

White Carp said with a smile: "You can too."

Jing Wang changed his posture and said with pursed lips: "Him? Dreaming!"

Chen Ji listened silently, without retorting!

As he was speaking, the respectful voice of the guard at the medical hall door came: "Jing Fei madam, Feng Da companion has instructed that doctors, apprentices, and outsiders from outside the medical hall are not allowed to enter or leave casually!"

*Pa*, a crisp slap sound rang out.

Chun Rong *mama* said fiercely: "Saying my madam is an outsider? Who taught you all to do things like this, get out!"

Jing Fei gently advised from the side: "Chun Rong, they are just following orders, don't blame them. However, please make way, generals. I am Wang Ye's side consort, how can you have a reason to block me?"

In the courtyard, Jing Wang heard Jing Fei's voice and quickly stood up to return to the main room. Before entering the room, he instructed Chen Ji: "Wait a while and block her a bit, I don't want to see people today!"

Chen Ji hesitated a bit: "Jing Fei madam has a strong presence, I'm afraid I can't block her!"

Jing Wang said mercilessly: "You must block her even if you can't!"

After entering the room, he stayed close to the window, quietly listening to the movements outside the door. While listening, he softly asked Old Man Yao: "Tell me, will your disciple also get a slap?"

Old Man Yao leisurely counter-asked: "Does Wang Ye hope he gets this slap, or does he not hope he gets this slap?"

Jing Wang thought for a moment and said with a smile: "I still hope so."

As he finished speaking, he heard Chen Ji say from outside the room: "Madam, my master is giving Wang Ye acupuncture, it will be finished soon. You can wait a moment."

Jing Wang's face suddenly darkened. He slowly looked at Old Man Yao, but saw that Old Man Yao had already silently taken out a set of silver needles and motioned for him to lie on the bed. Jing Wang lay down unwillingly, allowing Old Man Yao to perform acupuncture while complaining in a low voice: "Why is this kid so resentful?"

Old Man Yao laughed happily: "Isn't Wang Ye the same?"

A moment later, Old Man Yao lifted the door curtain and said to the outside: "Jing Fei, please enter!"

Chen Ji crowded by the window, silently eavesdropping on the conversation inside the room. However, the sound was too low, and they could only intermittently hear Jing Fei saying: "Liu Ge Lao and Daozhang Cen Yunzi are old acquaintances, they once together... As long as Wang Ye is willing to help the Liu family, the Liu family will definitely help Wang Ye get the Sheng Yu Dan!"

In less than the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, Jing Fei left hurriedly with red eyes. The room remained quiet for a long time. It was like a chess player sitting in the room, fingers pinching a chess piece, facing a complicated chess game, lost in deep thought.

Suddenly, Jing Wang softly said: "It's time!"

The next moment.

He said calmly in the room: "Chen Ji, come in!"

Chen Ji looked at World Son and White Carp in the courtyard, then lifted the door curtain and entered. He saw Jing Wang sit up from the bed, his face dark, pulling out the silver needles one by one: "I want to go out for a trip. You follow me!"

Chen Ji was startled: "Wang Ye wants to go out during the day? What if Yun Fei and Feng Da companion come to visit you?"

"Rest assured. They are endlessly busy now. They can't attend to me."

Luo City, East Market. Anle Street. This was the liveliest place in Luo City at noon. Along the long street, teahouses lined up, and restaurants were everywhere. Idle gentlemen in the city liked to sit in teahouses, order a pot of tea, ask for some melon seeds or fennel beans, and listen to storytelling from daytime to evening.

In front of the Fu Lou Teahouse, Jing Wang stood with his hands behind his back, raised his head to confirm the signboard, then stepped over the threshold and led Chen Ji to find a corner to sit down. The waiter inside the teahouse had a white towel hanging over his shoulder, just sweeping the melon seed shells on the ground. Seeing the two people enter, he immediately greeted them with a smile: "Two guests, what kind of tea would you like?"

Jing Wang said casually: "A pot of Maofeng, a dish of melon seeds, a dish of fennel beans. A dish of preserved fruit. A dish of sour plum. Oh, right, what's the storytelling about today?"

The waiter smiled with his eyebrows: "Sir, just now Mr. Zhou told a segment about Confucius becoming a saint, it's an old story told in a new way, wonderfully done. Next is about some fashionable matters, it seems to be a new storybook about the debate at Luhun Mountain Villa, related to our Jing Wang."

Jing Wang's eyes lit up: "This is interesting, I must listen."

This chapter is not finished, middle...