Chapter 225: Frontier Town

In front of the city gate, the border soldiers no longer had their swords drawn and bows strung. One by one, their expressions changed, and they happily said, "We've been disrespectful. Please enter the city quickly to avoid the wind and cold."

Chen Ji cupped his hands and bowed to the deputy general, then flipped onto his horse. He pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth and nose, turned his horse back to the end of the camel team, and joined Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia.

Wang Gui knelt beside a camel, allowing Chen Liqin to step on his back to climb back onto the animal.

When Chen Liqin's foot stepped on Wang Gui's back, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at the retreating figure of his bastard son.

He only saw that in the wind and sand, Chen Ji's neck scarf was blown messy, a long red scarf fluttering in the wind.

Chen Liqin only felt that today was like re-knowing this bastard son once again.

Wang Gui, kneeling on the ground, dared not urge him until after a long time, Chen Liqin then came back to his senses and climbed onto the camel.

At the end of the camel team, Xiao Man looked at Chen Ji with worried eyes: "Young master, you are a scholar without the strength to tie a chicken. You must not show off later. What if those soldiers hurt you?"

Chen Ji responded with a smile.

Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia looked at each other, both hiding a smile in their eyes.

Xiao Man changed the subject and praised: "But the young master was truly heroic just now. Facing so many long spears, he still dared to ride forward. If you are like this in the Chen family later, they definitely won't dare to bully you!"

Zhang Xia teased: "Do you think your young master is as heroic as that general wearing silver armor?"

Xiao Man said softly: "Compared to him, he's still a bit lacking..."

Chen Ji laughed heartily: "Let's go, enter the city!"

The long camel team slowly moved forward. The sound of the camel bells drifted through the city gate opening, like passing through a thousand-year-old Buddha niche.

After entering the gate, the sound of the camel bells gradually diminished, and human voices gradually grew louder.

The scenery inside was actually completely different from the outside.

He only saw houses built with loess bricks on both sides of the road. Cloth sheds were set up one by one, and ground stalls were laid out. The uneven earth road was so narrow that only three or four people could pass through.

Peddlers and passersby continuously streamed through the middle, shoulder to shoulder.

Chen Ji subconsciously turned his head to look at the desolate yellow land outside, then turned his head to look at the lively Gu Yuan city inside. He only felt as if he had accidentally touched some mechanism and entered a secluded paradise.

There was no wind and sand in the city, and even the temperature seemed to have risen significantly.

On the roadside were dancing girls in winter exposing their bellies. Shining silver chains on their bellies shook, and they waved towards the newly arrived Chen family people: "Official masters, come in and drink wine!"

The clothing in the middle of Gu Yuan city was different from that of the Central Plains. The people here liked to wear colorful stones decorating their foreheads, ears, and necks, enthusiastic like fire.

Chen Wenxiao was captivated and confused, while Chen Wenzong let out a cold hum and then came back to his senses.

Chen Ji also turned his head to look at the dancing girls. Xiao Man rode her small pony forward quickly, wanting to block his line of sight, but because she was too short, she couldn't block it at all.

She reminded him: "Young master, you must not be captivated by those Hu dancing girls. Before marrying the proper lady from the capital, you must preserve your reputation, otherwise all the proper ladies from the capital will avoid you."

Chen Ji laughed dumbly. This Xiao Man was unexpectedly more worried about his marriage than he was, as if it were an obsession.

Beside them, Zhang Xia said with a smile: "Your young master already has a sweetheart, you just don't need to worry blindly."

Xiao Man said "Ah": "He has a sweetheart? Who is the young master's sweetheart? Which family's noble lady is she? Is her family background high or not?"

Zhang Xia did not answer this series of questions.

Xiao Man's eyes rolled: "Miss Zhang seems to understand my young master very well."

Zhang Xia said casually: "It's alright."

Xiao Man pouted: "Why is everyone so mysterious?"

Her eyes darted back and forth between Chen Ji, Zhang Zheng, and Zhang Xia. She always felt that there were many secrets she didn't know among these three.

While thinking, a sudden change occurred.

At the front of the camel team, a rough man was lifting a weak youth by the collar and angrily saying: "You motherfucker dare to steal from me, you're tired of living..."

Before he could finish speaking, the weak thief pulled out a short knife from his waist and stabbed it into the man's abdomen.

The man staggered back several steps. The thief didn't want the knife either, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd. The man slowly fell down, bright red blood mixed with the mud, turning purple.

The stall merchants beside them only said "Bad luck" and then continued to hawk their wares beside the corpse: "Top quality tea bricks, tea bricks from Yun Province!"

All of this was like a small stone thrown into a vast sea, only causing a small ripple, but quickly returning to normal.

The maids and servants in the camel team turned pale. Gu Yuan seemed to have suddenly torn off its colorful veil, revealing its fangs.

Chen Ji instructed Xiao Man in a low voice: "Watch your belongings carefully. There are many thieves here."

Xiao Man held her purse tightly, surveying everyone vigilantly with her eyes. The purse contained all her possessions. If someone stared at it, she would fight to the death.

At this time, a group of eight or nine-year-old children crowded around the camel team. They held bamboo baskets and said to Chen Wenxiao: "Official master, buy some raisins."

Chen Wenxiao said impatiently: "Go away, go away, I'm not buying!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a child reached out and pulled off the jade pendant from his waist, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.

Chen Wenxiao angrily shouted: "Thief, stop!"

He jumped down from the camel to chase, but that group of children selling raisins crowded around him, preventing him from breaking through.

More and more children crowded forward, like vultures that smelled blood on the grassland. Even Chen Wenxiao's white jade neck pendant and gold hairpins were pulled away, leaving him standing in place disheveled.

If not for the timely protection of the servants, perhaps even his clothes would have been stripped off.

The stall vendors on the roadside loudly mocked: "Look at this fool from the Central Plains still daring to jump off the camel to chase. If he hadn't jumped down, the thieves wouldn't have even reached the hairpin on top of his head!"

"Fatsheep from the Central Plains, they always have to learn this lesson."

People along both sides of the street crossed their arms and leaned against the walls, watching the excitement, as if it were a common occurrence.

At this time, beside a stall selling spices on the roadside, a young man with a scarf covering his face and cheeks caught sight of the jade pendant on Zhang Xia's waist and immediately let out a whistle.

The children turned their heads towards the source of the whistle. The young man gave them a wink, and the children suddenly understood, surrounding Zhang Xia.

Just as they were about to snatch the jade pendant, they saw Chen Ji draw out the cloth-wrapped whale knife from the front of his horse saddle and heavily whip it on a child's wrist.

"Ah!" The child cried out in pain and withdrew his hand. He lifted his head to look at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji didn't look at him, instead calmly staring at the young man not far away.

The child was slightly startled and reached out to pull the jade pendant again. Chen Ji didn't even look at him. The knife sheath followed like a shadow and whipped his wrist again.

The child felt as if his wrist was about to break and turned his head towards the young man.

The young man and Chen Ji confronted each other for a long time. Finally, he turned his head and slightly shook his head at the children. The children dispersed in a swarm and went back to tearing at the packages carried by the servants and maids.

They held onto their packages tightly, but the thieves cut open the packages with knife blades. Jewelry, silver, and copper coins scattered on the ground, causing people to scramble.

Some servants carrying whistle sticks wanted to fight with the thieves, but their arms were cut open with a long wound, and they retreated in fear.

Chen Wenxiao muttered: "Rites and music have collapsed! A place where rites and music have collapsed! Dad, you must report to the Crown Prince and kill all these chaotic people!"

Chen Liqin furrowed his brows and shouted in a low voice: "Shut up!"

In a short one *li* journey, the packages of the servants and maids were robbed empty. Several years of savings turned into nothing.

The maids cried as they walked, provoking bursts of laughter from the passersby.

Xiao Man secretly sized up Chen Ji from behind. Although she didn't have much experience, she just dull-headedly pursued her own path. But the two times Chen Ji hit the child just now were definitely not something the third young master of the Chen family in her impression could do.

Something was strange!

While thinking, Hei Yun meowed, and the Chen Ji in front suddenly turned his head. Xiao Man quickly withdrew her gaze.

But Chen Ji didn't look at her, but towards the crowd behind him.

Beside the narrow earth road, the young man who instigated the children to steal was still standing in the shadow under the cloth shed, staring straight at him. Only when Chen Ji confronted him did he turn and leave.

Official Li led the Chen family's camel team to the Gu Yuan station, turning a blind eye to everything that happened along the way, as if he hadn't heard or seen anything.

After settling the Chen family people into the station, he then quickly left with Chen Liqin, who had changed into his red official robe, to go to the Gu Yuan Commandery Office.

Inside the room on the second floor, Chen Ji stood by the window and pushed it open a crack, quietly sizing up the outside.

People came and went outside the station. Vendors selling spices occasionally stared at the station gate and didn't hawk their wares. Even if guests came forward to inquire about prices, their hearts weren't in it.

Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng put away their things, patted the dust off their bodies, and came to meet Chen Ji.

Chen Ji said in a low voice: "This Gu Yuan is not peaceful. Several people are staring at us. I don't know if they are people from the border army or spies from the Jing Dynasty... It should be from the border army."

Zhang Xia was doubtful: "Why do you say it's from the border army?"

Chen Ji explained: "Look how unrestrained their stares are. They clearly have something to rely on. If they were spies from the Jing Dynasty, they might not be this blatant."

Xiao Man's eyes flowed, and she muttered softly: "It seems like the young master has seen spies from the Jing Dynasty..."

As soon as the words fell, there was a knock on the door. Chen Ji immediately closed the window vigilantly: "Xiao Man, go open the door."

The door opened, and several border soldiers carried in a huge silver plate. The plate was still covered with a silver lid.

Chen Ji was doubtful: "What is this?"

The border soldiers said with a smile: "General Zhou instructed us to send you the best boiled white sheep. You are Mr. Wang's direct disciple, naturally the most distinguished guest in our Gu Yuan border! Just have a taste. Sheep meat is common, but white sheep is not. Ordinary people may not be able to eat it."

Chen Ji asked: "Are there any in the other rooms?"

The border soldier smiled: "The others are not our Gu Yuan's distinguished guests. You enjoy it alone. In addition, General Zhou asked me to remind you... you must not get involved in the matters between the Crown Prince and the border army. It is very complex, and outsiders cannot see clearly."

Chen Ji said thank you: "Go back and tell General Zhou that I have noted it. Thank him."

The border soldiers left. Xiao Man praised: "This is a silver plate! After the sheep meat is eaten, can we take the plate?"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What are you thinking?"

He lifted the lid. Inside the plate was just boiled sheep meat. He grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. No spices were used, and there wasn't the slightest hint of a gamey smell.

Chen Ji greeted Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia: "Come and fill your stomachs."

Xiao Man ate the meat while stuffing it into her mouth, muttering probed: "Young master, I have a bit of a headache lately. Can you check my pulse later? You went to the medical hall and learned medical skills for two years, but I've never seen you use them."

Chen Ji glanced at her and said casually: "Learning medicine is a long-term matter. You can't learn much in two years. I spent two years as an apprentice and still hadn't reached the point of diagnosis, so I didn't learn pulse diagnosis."

Xiao Man was suspicious: "Then what did you learn in the medical hall?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "I learned some pharmacology, memorizing the cold and hot properties of various medicinal ingredients and foods, as well as the principles of mutual generation and restraint."

Xiao Man was startled. Her cheeks were stuffed full, like a hamster: "What does that mean?"

Chen Ji recalled: "For example, pork and water chestnuts cannot be eaten together, it will cause stomach pain; potatoes and bananas cannot be eaten together, it will cause spots on the face; onions and honey cannot be eaten together, it will hurt the eyes; turtles and amaranth cannot be eaten together, it will cause poisoning..."

Xiao Man said "Oh". Her mouth was full, and she mumbled a question: "So you learned these... Young master, then what can't this sheep meat be eaten with?"

Chen Ji lowered his head to look at the plate. He saw that half of the large plate of sheep meat had gone into Xiao Man's mouth. He said mournfully: "This sheep meat, ah, cannot be eaten with you..."