Chapter 181: Banquet

The Qiannian Army... it's not that branch anymore, the Qiannian Army that lived and died with Jing Wang. Over the long years, it was divided, intimidated, and disintegrated by the Dongchang using various means. Those who didn't obey were beheaded; only the obedient were allowed to remain alive. No reinforcements.

Chen Ji suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness, as if no matter how much effort he put in, there would always be a hand reaching out, correcting his desperate attempts to change fate one by one. Could it be that Master's divinations were immutable? Was this fate?

No!

Chen Ji stood completely surrounded by Qiannian Army officers and soldiers, like an isolated reef in a sea of tides. However, before the officers and soldiers could close in, he retreated instead of advancing, like an icebreaker ship in the open sea, rushing straight towards the deputy general!

No one thought he would be so arrogant, still intending to behead a general. Caught off guard, the deputy general swung his long halberd. The halberd howled towards him, yet it was steadily stopped in Chen Ji's hand.

Chen Ji's wrist exerted force and shook: "Let go!"

A huge force transmitted from the halberd shaft to the deputy general's hand, forcing him to let go: "An official close to Innate!"

Other officers and soldiers saw the situation and swarmed forward, but the long halberd in Chen Ji's hand turned its blade and swept horizontally, like a swinging crescent moon, sweeping everyone away.

When they reacted again, they saw Chen Ji already standing behind the deputy general, pressing the long halberd's crescent blade against his neck: "Everyone else retreat, otherwise his life won't be safe! Speak, tell your subordinates to retreat!"

The deputy general said in a low voice: "My Qiannian Army does not fear death, threatening me is useless."

Chen Ji sneered: "If you truly don't fear death, how could you sell your lord to seek glory?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the officers and soldiers holding halberds looked at each other.

Chen Ji held the deputy general, slowly retreating towards the military camp gate while speaking loudly: "Now Jing Wang is detained by the Secret Agent Department in Luocheng's inner prison, framed for slander, and in critical danger. Jing Wang personally wrote a blood letter, asking me to deliver it to General Wang, hoping he could break into the prison tonight to rescue the Shizi and Junzhu. As a result, General Wang outwardly agreed, but now he's holding the blood letter and going to report to the Secret Agent Department. This deputy general is also the same, slandering me as a remnant of the Liu family! If I were a remnant of the Liu family, what would I come to your Qiannian Army camp for?!"

The military camp was in an uproar. Chen Ji's long halberd crescent blade cut into the deputy general's neck, drawing a blood mark: "If you don't tell the truth, I'll take your life now, and we'll die together."

The deputy general sneered: "Even if you kill me, how will you escape?"

Chen Ji suddenly spoke loudly: "All officers and soldiers, look closely at my appearance. That day at Luhun Mountain Villa, the Shizi and Junzhu were right by my side, and I once led a horse for the Junzhu!"

Some officers and soldiers recognized Chen Ji: "I remember him. At that time, I thought he was a ceremonial guest from the Prince's mansion!"

A Princess's husband is called a consort, a Junzhu's husband is called a ceremonial guest. Although the identity was wrong, indeed many people recognized his appearance.

Chen Ji slightly relaxed his breath, just about to say something, but his peripheral vision swept towards the arrow tower diagonally behind him. A person wearing a deputy general's armor climbed up, his face cold as he drew his bow and shot a cold arrow. The military camp gate was also slowly closing!

He suddenly turned around and used the deputy general in front to block the arrow. Not good, too many people in this military camp have been bought!

Chen Ji discarded the corpse he was holding, running while throwing the long halberd towards the deputy general on the arrow tower. The long halberd's momentum was heavy, and the deputy general hurriedly bent his body. The long halberd narrowly brushed past the top of his head, shattering the wooden top of the arrow tower.

The Qiannian Army camp gate was slowly closing. At the critical moment, Chen Ji leaped and pounced, squeezing out through the gap that was about to close.

When he landed from the pounce, he suddenly supported himself with both hands, then with another burst of force, he rushed out like a hunting leopard, not stopping at all.

Arrows shot out one by one, but they couldn't keep up with his footsteps, only nailing into his footprints behind him.

Chen Ji arrived at where he had tied his horse and flipped onto its back. He fiercely clamped the horse's belly, and the warhorse rushed out like an arrow leaving the string, leaving the clamor and noise behind.

Chen Ji urged the horse without stopping, forcing the warhorse to speed up again and again. However, his warhorse was already exhausted and could only run slowly.

He turned his head to look, confirming that no one was chasing him, then relaxed his breath. But what to do now?

If General Wang gave the blood letter to Bai Long, the blood letter would become evidence of Jing Wang instigating the Qiannian Army to rob the prison, which is also a great crime of rebellion.

Moreover, once this blood letter fell into Bai Long's hands, Chen Ji would also become an accomplice... Perhaps if he could catch up with General Wang, there might still be a chance to turn things around, but he was doomed to not catch up; the other party was too much faster than him. Two hours later, when the city walls of Luocheng appeared on the horizon, Chen Ji's hand pulling the reins slowly exerted force, and the warhorse slowed down, finally stamping its hooves in place.

He looked at the city gate in front, his eyebrows deeply furrowed: Now is still the time to escape from the Ning Dynasty.

As long as he was like Si Caogui and Wu Hongbiao, first go to Jinling, Yangzhou to lie low and avoid the wind, hide in the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River for a month or two, then detour north to the Jing Dynasty.

From now on, the affairs of the Ning Dynasty would have nothing to do with him. Those people and those things would always be forgotten one day.

Chen Ji seemed to see a road of white bones leading into the city, with pure white snow falling on the broken bones. The fragments of broken bones were like another kind of thorn; once he walked up them, he could not return.

He lifted his head in a trance, and indeed saw snowflakes floating down from the sky. This was the third snow in Luocheng this winter.

Go, or stay? Cannot go.

The next moment, Chen Ji re-urged his horse and rushed into Luocheng. When he approached the inner prison, he suddenly heard someone call his name: "Chen Ji, why are you here?"

Chen Ji turned his head abruptly and saw Jin Zhu leading Xi Feng getting off a carriage.

He said doubtfully: "Master Jin Zhu, aren't you capturing Yun Fei? Why have you come to the inner prison?"

Jin Zhu was full of anger: "I was just looking for clues about Yun Fei when Bai Long suddenly sent people to pass an order, summoning all the Zodiacs to the inner prison. I don't know what mischief this guy is up to again. Day by day, he treats everyone like monkeys, summoning when he wants and dismissing when he wants!"

Saying that, he went to knock on the iron door of the inner prison: "Open the door!"

After the jailer opened the door, Jin Zhu took the lead down the stairs. He found that Chen Ji hadn't moved and turned his head, saying doubtfully: "Go, what are you spacing out for?"

Chen Ji said "Um" and followed him down. He didn't know why Bai Long had suddenly summoned all the Zodiacs, nor did he know what would happen next.

He only knew that he, Jing Wang, the Shizi, and the Junzhu were already hanging by a thread. Entering the dim corridor, Chen Ji saw the end at a glance. Quite a few people had already gathered in front of the cell door of Jia Zi Number One. Feng Tongzhan and Bai Long stood side by side.

When he passed the Qi Zi Number Seven cell again, the Shizi and Bai Li were gripping the railing and standing inside the prison cage. The Shizi urgently asked Jin Zhu: "Master Jin Zhu, what happened? Why are there so many people? What are you all going to do?"

Neither Jin Zhu nor Chen Ji answered.

When the two arrived in front of the Number One cell door, Bai Long did not speak, his expression hidden under his mask.

Feng Tongzhan smiled slightly and said: "Everyone has worked hard recently. First, we quelled the rebellion of the Liu family remnants, and then we captured the mastermind of this rebellion in Jing Wang's mansion."

Chen Ji's pupils suddenly contracted.

The next moment, Feng Tongzhan took out a piece of paper from his sleeve. Words were written on it in fresh blood: "Just today, Jing Wang wrote a blood letter, ordering the Qiannian Army to rob the prison and commit the great crime of rebellion!"

Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, Meng Ji, and Jin Zhu looked at each other. They had just learned of this matter!

Feng Tongzhan smiled and said: "Fortunately, I, the Dongchang, have a young hero who, after tricking the blood letter from Jing Wang, immediately handed it over to me, preventing Jing Wang and the Qiannian Army from brewing a big mistake... Right? Chen Ji?"

Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, Meng Ji, and others all turned their heads to look at Chen Ji, their eyes flashing with an inexplicable expression. Everyone knew that he was very close to Jing Wang's mansion, but they didn't expect that he would ultimately betray Jing Wang.

Chen Ji stood stunned in place.

He thought the blood letter would be in Bai Long's hands, but he didn't expect that Feng Tongzhan was planning all this behind the scenes. Bai Long didn't say a word from beginning to end.

What was this Feng Tongzhan's identity? Bing Hu? Or was the other party not one of the Zodiacs but above the Zodiacs?

He knew that this blood letter was clearly tricked away by General Wang and handed over to Feng Tongzhan, but now Feng Tongzhan said that he had tricked it from Jing Wang's hand.

Why? Why? Why?!

Chen Ji turned his head to look at the Jia Zi Number One cell. He saw that Jing Wang had just made eye contact with him. Those eyes were neither sad nor joyful, without any emotion.

In the damp and cold inner prison, Chen Ji only felt a boom in his brain, as if something had exploded.

Jin Zhu nudged Chen Ji with his arm and reminded him in a low voice: "Speak!"

Chen Ji came back to his senses, his heart utterly cold. He cupped his hands in salute: "Reporting to Feng Tongzhan, this humble one just did what was his duty."

Feng Tongzhan lifted his hand and made a gesture of pressing down twice at him: "Do not be humble. If not for you this time, it would have been truly difficult for my Dongchang to convict Jing Wang. This is a great merit. This one will report to the Inner Prime Minister after returning to the capital and ask for merit for you again."

Saying that, he smiled and drew out a white scroll from his sleeve: "Just in time, the Inner Prime Minister's order for your promotion to Hai Dongying has also arrived. Congratulations. In the future, guard against arrogance and impatience, and do not dwell on success. My Dongchang just needs young talents like you to serve the country."

Chen Ji stepped forward a few steps and received the scroll: "Thank you, Feng Tongzhan."

Feng Tongzhan seemed to smile but not smile: "No need to thank me, thank the Inner Prime Minister for appreciating you. Three days later, Bai Long, Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, and Jin Zhu will escort Jing Wang to the capital together."

Saying that, Feng Tongzhan turned his head and said to Bai Long: "Master Bai Long, please. You and I will lead people together to inventory and confiscate Jing Wang's mansion, and then discuss the itinerary back to the capital."

Bai Long smiled: "Good."

After the two left, Jiao Tu tilted his head and sized up Chen Ji curiously: "Actually, in handling the matter of Jing Wang's mansion, even if you openly let things slide, no one would say anything. After all, you are friends with the Shizi and Junzhu. I didn't expect you, boy, to be quite ruthless, stabbing them personally."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Yun Yang smiled and said: "You are becoming more and more like a Zodiac."

Suddenly, Chen Ji smiled and said: "Master Yun Yang is too kind. It's not easy for this humble one to have the fortune to be promoted to Hai Dongying. I plan to host a banquet at the Yingxian Building tomorrow to celebrate this matter. I wonder if I have the fortune to invite a few masters to grace us with your presence?"

Jin Zhu laughed heartily: "Go, let's all go together and celebrate your merit! Hey, Meng Ji, you also come and have a drink. When was the last time we drank wine together? Wasn't it when His Majesty toured the south and banqueted all the ministers on the road?"

Meng Ji swept the dust off his sleeves and said indifferently: "Drink then drink, I have nothing to do."

Jin Zhu looked at Yun Yang and Jiao Tu again: "You two? Give face, everyone is a colleague, not an enemy."

Yun Yang hadn't spoken yet, but Jiao Tu smiled and narrowed his eyes, answering: "Good, let's go together. But I want to drink thirty-year-old cellar-stored Shaoxing wine. Not a year less."

"Good, if that Shaoxing wine is less than a year old, I'll chop off the head of the Yingxian Building owner and kick it like a ball!" Jin Zhu put his arm around Chen Ji's shoulder and walked outside: "Go, go, go, I'll treat you to this celebration banquet at the Yingxian Building. I was worried earlier that you would think things through and do something foolish. Now that I see you've enlightened, I'm even happier than you are. Just remember, in this world, what fake feelings are not important. Power in hand is the only real thing!"

When the two passed the Jia Zi Number Seven cell, Chen Ji subconsciously looked inside the cell.

Two streams of clear tears flowed down Bai Li's cheeks, finally gathering at her chin and dripping towards the ground. The iron bars between the two people were like a deep abyss, a natural barrier, far and unreachable.

Chen Ji turned his head and smiled: "How can I let Master Jin Zhu treat? I was promoted to Hai Dongying, so naturally, I should treat."