Chapter 202: Bearing Thorns to Plead Guilty

On the dark, long street, Liu Qu Xing cried for a long time.He only wiped his tears in a hurry and pulled his mother away when his crying drew his father out.Chen Ji stood in the darkness of a nearby alley, watching silently until the long street was empty. Then, he hugged Wu Yun and walked out of the shadows.He looked in the direction Liu Qu Xing had left, sighed softly, and said: "Liu Qu Xing studies medicine very diligently. Master once said, in a while he can start practicing medicine. The Taiping Medical Hall is left to him, and the medical books in the medical hall are also left to him. It's not wasted."Wu Yun asked: "Why not tell the truth to Liu Qu Xing? You clearly did so much, but you are still misunderstood."Chen Ji said: "Cannot say." Wu Yun was puzzled: "Why cannot say?"Chen Ji replied: "Matters with secrecy succeed, words with leak fail."Wu Yun was startled: "Fish with crab fail?"Chen Ji explained: "If we want to save the city lord, we must take risks together. We will inevitably do some forbidden things in the future. If others know we want to save that lord, our secretly done things will be linked to us. So Bai Long instructed me, I must have depth of mind. Liu Qu Xing is not someone skilled at keeping secrets. Letting him know too much will instead bring him killing disaster." Wu Yun meowed: "But, being misunderstood by friends, it really makes one very sad."Chen Ji hugged Wu Yun as he walked on the dark, long street, and lightly exhaled a puff of white mist: "It doesn't matter. The things we need to do, we don't need anyone to understand.""Oh."Chen Ji smiled and said: "Soon we will go to the capital, be a bit happier. I heard people say, the capital's Lantern Festival is the most prosperous. The entire city is decorated with fiery trees and silver flowers, golden and magnificent, for six days and six nights, all night long, the lights illuminating everything. We will spend New Year and Lantern Festival in the capital. At that time, I will take you to see.""Good." Wu Yun was still a bit sullen.It was already the hour of Zi when Chen Ji returned to Ming Quan Garden.He stood outside the courtyard, looking at the open courtyard door and the lit lamp inside the house, and thought: "I remember I extinguished the lamp when I left. Who would come here in the middle of the night?"Wu Yun responded: "It is Chen Wen Zong's scent."Chen Ji, relieved, walked into the room. He saw that a charcoal fire was already lit inside, the windows were opened a crack for ventilation, and Chen Wen Zong was sleeping beside the inlaid mother-of-pearl tea table in the room.He walked forward and lightly patted the other's shoulder: "Elder brother."Chen Wen Zong woke up and suddenly sat up straight: "You're back. Where did you go just now? Why weren't you in the room?"Chen Ji avoided answering: "Elder brother, why the midnight visit?" Chen Wen Zong was reminded and said in a hurry: "I thought your room hadn't lit the charcoal fire yet, so I ordered people to move the silver silk charcoal from the West Mountain kiln in my room to you. This thing has no smoke or odor, and can burn warmly for three hours. It's very good for warming overnight." Chen Ji looked at the yellow copper charcoal basin: "Elder brother has thought of everything."Chen Wen Zong reached into his bosom to take something, but he had just been caned twenty times by Chen Wen Xiao during the day, and also caned Wang Gui twenty times. His arms were now sore and painful, almost unable to lift. With great effort, he tremblingly took out a string of beads from his bosom and said warmly: "Chen Ji, I carefully counted Wen Xiao's confession crimes again today. In these years, he has successively owed one thousand seven hundred taels of silver in various gambling houses in your name. As your elder brother, I cannot let you unjustly suffer this injustice. His debt to you, I have withdrawn from the Chen family public funds to give to you, considering it compensation."Chen Ji looked at that string of Buddhist general treasures, his expression unclear.Was he lacking silver?He was lacking.Now, the ice flow from Jing Wang was like lingering storm winds and rains inside his dantian:He needed silver, he needed a lot of silver to dissolve the ice flow.One hundred ten lamps of furnace fire were burning inside Chen Ji's body. Perhaps lighting the remaining four hundred ninety plus lamps could allow him to step into the Seeking Dao realm and become a true great official. Just as he was worrying, Chen Wen Zong sent timely rain.This elder brother, although somewhat rigid and pedantic, could also be considered an upright gentleman. In the Chen family, perhaps only this one was worth associating with. Chen Ji took that string of Buddhist general treasures, showed a smiling face, and said: "Thank you, elder brother. It's late, elder brother should also go back to rest early." Chen Wen Zong shook his head: "I still have some matters to ask you.""What matter?"Chen Wen Zong suddenly said: "The Master says, governing with virtue is like the North Star, residing in its place while all stars pay homage... what is the explanation of this sentence?" Chen Ji stared with wide eyes: "What thing?"Chen Wen Zong sighed: "Looks like in these two years you spent in the medical hall, you have completely fallen behind on the classics and meanings. But it doesn't matter, elder brother will start leading you to review tomorrow. Since you want to walk the imperial examination road, you cannot slack off anymore."Chen Ji's face changed, and the candle fire in the room also flickered a bit: "Elder brother, this isn't good, I just came back."Chen Wen Zong put on a stern face: "The deceased is like this husband, not sparing day and night. Three years later you will participate in the provincial exam, how many days can be delayed? You must strive, otherwise don't blame elder brother for turning face merciless. Elder brother can cane Wen Xiao, naturally he can also cane you." Chen Ji said: "Ah?"Chen Wen Zong walked outwards: "Rest early."Chen Ji looked at Chen Wen Zong's back and said in a daze: "Wu Yun, do you think my elder brother is getting addicted to caning others?" Wu Yun was shocked: "Fierce, fierce!"At the same time, the lights were not extinguished in the Chen family Buddhist hall.In the room, the hollow copper furnace floated out faint green smoke, and the sandalwood smell dispersed along with the green smoke.Liang Shi removed her luxurious hair ornaments, respectfully knelt on the cushion in front of the Buddha, fiddling with the Buddhist beads in her hand, her lips opening and closing as she silently recited the Buddhist scriptures.Chen Li Qin watched through the window for a moment, originally wanting to find a reason to admonish her again, but seeing her so pious in repentance, he could only shake his head and walk away.Hearing the departing footsteps, Liang Shi slightly lifted her eyes to look towards the window gap, and continued to recite the Buddhist scriptures unmoved."Madam, please save me!"Liang Shi heard someone calling from behind the door and got up to open it.In the night, Wang Gui knelt on the cold green stone slabs, pleading: "Madam save me." Liang Shi said calmly: "You are not dead yet, what are you talking about saving or not? You were just caned by Wen Zong during the day. At this time, you should be resting to heal. Why have you come to seek me?" Wang Gui kowtowed on the ground: "Master just came to tell me, he will let me stay in this Luo City from now on to look after the industries, and not let me return to the capital. Please have sympathy, Madam, my old mother is already old, please help speak a word. I still need to return to the capital to take care of her." Liang Shi looked down at Wang Gui: "Why come to seek me for plea? I am the same as you, in the midst of reflection."Wang Gui said in a hurry: "I know, you protected me today precisely because I and Chen Ji are already deadly enemies, so you left my life useful."Liang Shi's two thin willow leaf eyebrows slightly rose: "That is my Chen family third young master. Why would I keep someone who is his enemy? You are too clever for your own good." Wang Gui did not change his words after being rebuked. He lowered his head and said: "Madam, it is no coincidence that Yun Yang and Jiao Mian came to the Chen family, and it is also no coincidence that Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia came to the Chen family." Liang Shi did not speak.Wang Gui continued: "There is no need to mind the Zhang family people. Wait until we arrive at the capital and enter the big residence of the Chen family. They cannot come to the Chen family every day. Moreover, regarding these two zodiacs, I can say I have some close friends and relatives in the capital. My mother also has some connections in the palace. I will definitely help you investigate the matter's origin and development. If Chen Ji is involved with the eunuch party... Master has hated the eunuch party his whole life, he must not tolerate him."Liang Shi was silent for a moment: "Wang Gui, you have sought the wrong person. You provoked Chen Ji. As long as his anger has not dissipated, master's anger will not dissipate. If you are smart enough, you will know what to do; if you are not smart enough, then stay and look after the industries."Wang Gui slightly pondered, struggling to stand up: "I understand." He dragged his injured body to the woodshed, took off his upper clothes, exposing the wounds on his back. Then, he gritted his teeth to bind one by one thin firewood to his bloody back and went towards Ming Quan Garden. Arriving at Ming Quan Garden, Wang Gui knocked on the courtyard door, and directly knelt outside the door.He saw him with frozen purple lips, his whole body trembling as he shouted: "Third young master, I had many offenses in the past. Today I have been taught by the big young master and suddenly awakened.I know my sins are deep, please third young master punish me. Even if third young master beats me to death today, I will have no resentment."