Chapter 296: Sworn Brothers

Chen Ji once thought that entering the palace to face the emperor would be like the films and television works he had seen. There would be a eunuch taking small steps, leading him through gray tiles and red walls, to a palace paved with blue-gold bricks. The emperor would ask what, and he would just answer what.

The reality compared to imagination was more severe, more grand.

In the quiet guest room of the inn, Zhang Xia explained everything in detail to Chen Ji: "Tomorrow, officials from the Honglu Temple will come first to inspect your appearance... What clothes do you plan to wear? Take them out and show me first."

Chen Ji took out a set of black stand-collar coat from his luggage: "Is this one okay?"

Zhang Xia was startled: "This one? Yes! Next, let's talk about matters to avoid. The current emperor taboos the word 'death'. If you mention the soldiers who died in battle at Guyuan, you must use the words 'qian qiu'. Do not mention the word 'gui'. The emperor taboos this. For example, change Gui Men Guan to Shen Men Guan..."

There were sixty-seven words that needed to be avoided. Zhang Xia wrote them down one by one on a piece of paper for Chen Ji to memorize!

Zhang Xia continued to instruct: "If you cough or sneeze in front of the hall, you must immediately apologize, otherwise there will be the danger of court beating. When His Majesty is angry, you must immediately remove your cap to beg for forgiveness; when entering the palace, civil officials walk up the east steps, the Right Guard that the Prince promised you is a military official, so you must walk up the west steps. His Majesty has not let you raise your head, absolutely do not raise it..."

Zhang Xia spoke continuously. Just the rules took a full two incense sticks' time!

Zhang Zheng also heard such details for the first time. He stared with wide eyes and said: "No wonder Father said not letting me become an official is for my own good. If I became an official, I would probably be beaten by court staff every day."

Xiao Man disdainfully said: "As if you becoming an official, could enter the palace to face the emperor like that!"

Zhang Xia also glanced at him, "Fortunately Chen Ji is from the Chen family, otherwise Honglu Temple would have already gone to check his ancestors for three generations by now! From ancient times, entering the palace to face the emperor has always been the most severe. Once, an imperial censor said: 'Once entering the Meridian Gate, legs tremble and sweat, not fearing the ruler, but fearing the axe and execution!' Don't disturb Chen Ji, let him quickly write down these matters!"

Xiao Man muttered: "Exactly, if my young master gets beaten in the palace tomorrow because of you, humph humph."

Zhang Zheng rolled his eyes and shut his mouth!

After teaching the rules, Zhang Xia began to teach Chen Ji the common knowledge in front of the hall: "First-rank officials wear white crane patches, there are only three now, Grand Tutor Xu, Cabinet Elder, Grand Guardian Hu, Cabinet Elder, and Qi, Cabinet Elder! But the three have different accessories, easy to distinguish! Cabinet Elder Xu wears a gold foil crown on his head, this was personally granted by the current emperor to the chief of the cabinet. Cabinet Elder Hu wears a mutton fat jade belt, this was granted by the previous emperor; Cabinet Elder Qi holds a blood rhinoceros tablet, the patterns like blood threads, different from others..."

Chen Ji asked: "No Grand Preceptor?"

Zhang Xia explained: "Grand Preceptor is generally a posthumous title. Living people are very hard to receive this honor!"

Zhang Zheng and Xiao Man listened until they were drowsy, their heads constantly nodding down!

In the dim guest room, Zhang Xia tirelessly taught, Chen Ji tirelessly learned, from early morning to evening, even the posture of walking and standing had to be learned!

Zhang Zheng lay on the table and slept for a while. He was woken up by hunger and found Chen Ji sitting in the sunset, holding a thick stack of papers reciting rules. Zhang Xia just sat opposite quietly watching!

He looked at the orange-yellow sunset in the evening shining from the window on the two and was actually unwilling to interrupt!

Until the sunset sank in the west, until the sky was about to brighten again!

Zhang Zheng had a depressed qi in his heart. Clearly, just ten days ago he was still fighting in Guyuan, brandishing a knife on horseback, famous throughout the world!

Now, he was yet to be buried by red tape and rules, humble and submissive!

But life seemed just like this, always unknowingly becoming calm, turning into a stagnant pool!

He was silent for a long time, suddenly asked: "Chen Ji, do you think A Xia is capable?"

Chen Ji smiled and responded: "Very capable, if the court let women participate in the imperial examinations, it would probably be no one else's business!"

Zhang Zheng again turned his head to ask Xiao Man: "Xiao Man, do you think A Xia is beautiful?"

Xiao Man became spirited: "Beautiful, Sister A Xia is both capable and beautiful, completely without the affectation of official noble ladies!"

Zhang Zheng looked at Chen Ji, pretending to joke casually said: "Everyone has lived and died together so many times, A Xia helps you so wholeheartedly, you also saved her several times, how about..."

However, at this time, Zhang Xia's face changed. She pulled Zhang Zheng and walked out!

Until they were outside Fengtai Inn, Zhang Xia stopped in the night!

She turned back and stared at Zhang Zheng: "Brother, what do you mean by suddenly saying those words?"

Zhang Zheng irritably said: "What meaning do I have? I am your brother, the way you look at him, how could I not understand? I want to help you."

Zhang Xia angrily said: "I don't need you to help."

Zhang Zheng also got angry: "Don't need me to help? When will you be willing to break this window paper? We just experienced life and death in Guyuan. If I don't help you, I only worry that you two will be like this nonsense entering the palace to face the emperor. Clearly you just fought vigorously, turn around yet to be buried in complicated trivial rules. After a long time, you two will forget the Guyuan matters, what to do?"

Zhang Xia said in a low voice: "Do you know or not, Chen Ji has desperately walked this whole way here, about to enter the palace, for what? Do you really think it's for becoming an official? No, he is for the Princess."

Zhang Zheng paced outside Fengtai Inn. He deeply breathed and walked back in front of Zhang Xia: "A Xia, Chen Ji cannot save the Princess!"

This sentence, in the night, was like a thunderclap!

Zhang Zheng slowly said: "Father told me very clearly, to save the Princess, one must first rehabilitate Prince Jing. To rehabilitate Prince Jing, one must make His Majesty admit his own mistake. How will the emperor who receives the mandate of heaven admit his mistake? The Princess's matter has become a pending case, she cannot die, but also forever can only stay in Jingyang Palace to cultivate!"

Zhang Xia frowned: "Father said..."

Zhang Zheng sighed: "Father said, as long as the throne changes person, there will be an opportunity to rehabilitate Prince Jing, but the current emperor is in his prime, at least can live another thirty years. Thirty years later, the Princess will be forty-seven years old, Chen Ji will be forty-eight years old. Do we just watch him waste a lifetime unmarried and childless? How many thirty years are there in life?"

Zhang Xia was silent for a moment: "Maybe there are other ways!"

Zhang Zheng interrupted: "In the imperial palace, experts of the Imperial Guards are as numerous as clouds. Unless Chen Ji can step into the divine realm, only then will he have the qualification to make deals with the royal family, otherwise what other ways? Officials of two dynasties are countless, how many can step into the divine realm?"

He questioned: "A Xia, he saved you so many times, don't say you don't have feelings, if it were me, I would have feelings. In the last battle of Guyuan, you and him rode together, when you pressed your forehead on his back, what were you thinking? At Mengjin Station, you feared he would catch cold so you let me go send him thick clothes. At Longmen Inn, you feared he didn't eat so you let me leave food for him! But I won't always be by your side, how much more can I do for you? Chen Ji is so smart, if I do too much, he will notice!"

Speaking to here, Zhang Zheng softened his tone, earnestly said: "A Xia, sometimes people need to be a bit selfish!"

Zhang Xia listened to her own brother say so much. She looked at the night and slowly said: "Brother, Chen Ji is not a person who cares about rules. Until today he still calls Chen Adult, but for this time entering the palace, he repeatedly learns rules, do you know exactly why?"

Zhang Zheng was startled: "Why?"

Zhang Xia softly said: "Tomorrow, he will change into the clothes gifted by the Princess to go see the Princess. In his embrace still hides the year after year, age after age written by the Princess. This is what he walked thousands of miles, killed hundreds of people to finally await the long-awaited reunion!"

Zhang Zheng was speechless!

Zhang Xia stood in the night, the evening wind came fiercely, but the moon in the sky was not her moon!

Zhang Xia looked at Zhang Zheng, with a determined expression: "Brother, I, Zhang Xia, never take advantage of someone's misfortune, also never seize what others love, whose is whose! He and the Princess are a match made in heaven, he to me is life-saving grace, I to him is gratitude, not anything else, also cannot be anything else!"

"He saved me three times, I will repay him three times. Since the previous ways to save the Princess are not feasible, I will in front of little uncle kowtow and not get up to become an official, cultivate day and night to help him save together. If he cannot cultivate to the divine realm, I will cultivate to the divine realm to help him make this deal with the royal family, if one divine realm is not enough, then two divine realms."

Zhang Zheng bitterly said: "You and him already lived in the same house in Guyuan, the world has no wall that doesn't leak wind. If one day this matter spreads to the capital, who will still dare to marry you?"

"I will solve it."

Having said that, Zhang Xia turned and walked into the inn. She came to the counter and found the night watch inn attendant: "Bring wine."

The inn attendant curiously asked: "Second Miss Zhang wants what wine?"

Zhang Xia loudly said: "The strongest."

She carried the strongest Burning Knife wine back to the room door, pushed the door and entered!

Xiao Man smiled with narrowed eyes and wanted to continue the earlier topic: "Sister A Xia, what Zhang Zheng just said 'how about' is to do what ah?"

Zhang Xia seriously said: "Chen Ji, let's four people swear brotherhood!"

Xiao Man froze in place, Chen Ji also felt somewhat abrupt!

Abrupt just like a knight, resolutely cutting off his own retreat!

Chen Ji softly said: "Zhang..."

Zhang Xia interrupted: "Nothing allowed to say, don't talk nonsense."

She didn't explain anymore, cleanly opened the mud seal, used a dagger to cut open her palm, dripped blood into the wine jar: "Your turn."

No room for doubt!

Chen Ji laughed, just like when she came to Taiping Medical Hall door, regardlessly asked aloud: "Who is Chen Ji?"

That girl in red clothes like fire, riding a horse coming, forever the most open and upright!

Zhang Xia is still Zhang Xia, hasn't changed!

Chen Ji used a dagger to cut open his palm and drip blood in, then Xiao Man, finally Zhang Zheng.

Zhang Zheng was just about to drink the blood oath, suddenly thought of something and pointed at Xiao Man: "Wait, how can she join the sworn brotherhood?"

Xiao Man for a moment was at a loss. She lowered her head and pulled her clothes: "Um, I am just a maid, what sworn brotherhood, Sister A Xia you all swear is fine!"

Zhang Zheng hurriedly said: "No no, I don't mean to dislike you! I mean, how about you three swear, I won't swear with you... forget it."

He cut open his palm, also dripped blood into the wine jar!

Zhang Xia lifted the wine jar and suddenly gulped down a big mouthful. She faced the bright moon outside the window and knelt: "Today, Zhang Zheng, Zhang Xia, Chen Ji, Yao Man, are willing to swear as unrelated siblings, not seeking to be born in the same year, same month, same day, only willing to die in the same year, same month, same day! Heaven and earth, truly witness this heart! Betray righteousness and forget grace, heaven and man will punish together."

Chen Ji, Zhang Zheng, Xiao Man simultaneously said: "Today, Zhang Zheng, Zhang Xia, Chen Ji, Yao Man, are willing to swear as unrelated siblings, not seeking to be born in the same year, same month, same day, only willing to die in the same year, same month, same day! Heaven and earth, truly witness this heart! Betray righteousness and forget grace, heaven and man will punish together."

The four people suddenly swore brotherhood, so abrupt, yet like a dream under the moonlight!

Zhang Xia said: "My brother is the oldest, he is big brother. I am second sister. Chen Ji is third brother. Xiao Man is fourth sister."

Having said that, she took off a string of Buddhist treasures from her wrist and handed it to Chen Ji: "This is six hundred taels of silver, as second sister's meeting gift, take it!"

Chen Ji did not refuse!

Zhang Xia again pulled out a red jade hairpin from her head and handed it to Xiao Man: "This I have worn for many years, is Father's gift, today I give it to you!"

Xiao Man obediently said: "Thank you, Sister."

Zhang Xia again looked at Zhang Zheng: "You also express something."

Zhang Zheng coughed twice: "What good things do I have on me? When I go back to the capital, I will make up for it, definitely make up for it."

Chen Ji lowered his head and thought for a moment, then seriously asked: "Second Sister wants to cultivate the official path?"

Zhang Xia smiled: "Want, of course I want. Wait until I go back to the capital, I will go find little uncle. If he still doesn't give me the official path, I will never mind him again!"

The entire text had two hundred thirty-nine sentences, totaling one thousand six hundred seventy-three characters!

Zhang Xia at the side softly recited: "Before the Shang Qing Zi Xia Xu Huang, the Tai Shang Da Dao Yu Chen Jun! Leisurely residing in the Qi Zhu composing seven words, dispersing five forms changing ten thousand gods! This is the Huang Ting Nei Pian, qin heart three folds dancing fetal immortal! Nine qi reflect bright out of the sky, god cover boy born purple smoke! On this day jade book can be refined, recite it ten thousand times ascend three heavens..."

She suddenly lifted her head: "What is this?"

Chen Ji looked at her: "Official path! Do not ask where it comes from, also do not ask what it is called, more do not tell Supervisor Xu! Memorize it, recite it over and over, must not miss a word, not less a sentence!"

Zhe Gai Yun!

This is the official path that Nei Xiang once sent with six hundred li urgent to Luoyang!

Jin Zhu once said, Qi Zaiyun at sixteen entered the border army, in three years, beheaded Jing Dynasty generals more than ten! In the seventeenth year of Jianing winter, he led three hundred cavalry deep into Jing Dynasty six hundred li, captured alive Jing Dynasty Chi Cheng Marquis! In the twenty-first year of Jianing spring, Qi Zaiyun died in ambush, the official path fell into the hands of the Directorate of Ceremonial!

Chen Ji although he doesn't know the inside story, but concerning the forty-nine heavens, he must be cautious!

Zhang Zheng and Xiao Man came over to look, but Zhang Xia's gaze swept over the text on the paper, immediately put the paper on the candle to burn, actually not even letting her own brother see!

Zhang Zheng muttered: "Why so stingy, what if I am also a cultivation genius?"

Zhang Xia seriously said: "Chen Ji taking out this thing is already taking great risk, better not add more matters, you all still don't look!"

Zhang Zheng pouted: "Fine fine, don't look don't look... Chen Ji, this official path can cultivate to what realm?"

Chen Ji recalled what Jin Zhu said, this Qi Zaiyun aspired to be the first martial saint of two dynasties, unify the rivers and mountains! Presumably this path from forty-nine heavens has an extremely high limit, high to the point of being hard to find in the secular world!

He thought for a moment, in the end still concealed it: "I also don't know, Second Sister first try it!"

Earlier, he just cultivated purple qi coming from the east, yet it was cut off by the sword seed, what changes this path has, he also doesn't know!

Zhang Xia closed her eyes and silently recited Zhe Gai Yun, about half an incense stick's time, she actually opened her eyes, casually pointed at the candle holder!

Everyone only felt the room's dark currents surging, the candle flame shook!

Zhang Zheng hesitated: "A Xia, do you not have cultivation talent?"

Xiao Man glared at him: "What do you know, the official path entry is fast in several months, slow in several years. Sister A Xia can enter the path in half an incense stick, this talent is one in ten thousand, one in a hundred thousand can't even pick one!"

Zhang Xia looked at her own palm, for the first time felt the wonder of the official path: "Chen Ji, thank you!"

Chen Ji laughed: "Second Sister, no need to be polite!"

At this time, the fifth watch drum sounded, there was a watchman coming from afar: "Morning rooster reports, early sleep early rise."

Also, there were carriage and horse sounds coming, the inn became noisy!

Zhang Xia looked at Chen Ji: "Officials from Honglu Temple have come, go, go see the person you want to see!"