Chapter 515: Right Prefecture Street |
Chen Ji walked toward Wenchang Bookstore, continually pondering the words Zhang Li had spoken in his mind.
Among them, what provoked his deep thought the most were two matters. The first was that the other party guessed he was going to leave the Ning Dynasty. This was fundamentally one of his biggest secrets, and also the matter he had constantly been scheming about. Only the closest people by his side knew of it.
Did Zhang Li calculate it out? But Old Yao had once said it was already impossible to calculate his fate. Zhang Li's fortune-telling ability shouldn't be more formidable than Old Yao's, by right.
The second was the Wordless Heavenly Book. According to what Zhang Li said, the new scribebook was not written by his own pen, but rather written by the Wordless Heavenly Book. Then, could it be deduced that the moment he wrote his own name onto the Wordless Heavenly Book, his own life story began to appear on the Wordless Heavenly Book? Unraveling this might also be the reason why Zhang Li knew he was going to leave the Ning Dynasty.
The feeling of having one's secrets pried into was not easy to bear. However, according to what Zhang Li said, currently the two of them shared loss together and shared glory together; Zhang Li also didn't hope for an incident to occur to him.
But... what benefits could Zhang Li exactly obtain from his body?
Like Jin Zhu?
Right at this time, Chen Ji heard someone shouting until their voice was hoarse and exhausted from afar: "None of you are allowed to read it anymore! This damned Capital Morning Post is spouting heresies to deceive the masses. They're all rumors! It's absolutely impossible between Chen Ji and Zhang Xia!"
Chen Ji suddenly looked up. This was actually Qi Zhaoning's voice.
The literati and scholars filling the street were Dumbfounded and Speechless. Someone said in an angry voice: "What are you doing? This is something I bought!"
Qi Zhaoning waved her hand to Qi Zhenzhu: "Reward him one tael of silver!"
The literato whose newspaper was torn grew even more furiously angry: "This is the very last copy! Now even if I wish to buy it I can't buy it anymore. I don't want your silver! I want you to compensate another identical copy, otherwise let's go to the Government Office to reason things out!"
Qi Zhaoning stared deadly at this person: "Are you serious?"
A passerby carefully tugged at that scholar: "Don't tangle with her anymore. This is the Third Miss of the Qi Family on Right Prefecture Street."
"Right Prefecture Street Qi Family"—these five words were like a hammer, smashing that scholar's anger into fragmented pieces.
"Forget it. This lowly one won't generally stoop to arguging with a woman." The scholar only hesitated slightly before waving his hand, blending into the crowd and going far away.
Outside the crowd, someone said softly: "This is the Baron of Wuxiang County's fiancée who hasn't married over yet. Now having read the matters of the Baron of Wuxiang County and Second Miss Zhang, being angry is only natural."
Qi Zhaoning looked around her surroundings. When she saw Chen Ji standing all alone at the street crossing in the distance, she had a sudden moment of panic, but then calmed back down.
She came before Chen Ji, perfectly calm and composed: "Do you have anything you wish to explain?"
Chen Ji gazed intently at the woman before his eyes. Dressed in a goose-yellow skirt, wearing the butterfly jade Hairpin bestowed by the Empress Dowager on her head, it fluttered its wings under the sunlight, lifelike and vivid.
When the other party wasn't speaking, she naturally possessed the appearance of a young lady from a great family, brightly beautiful and moving.
Chen Ji said softly: "Third Miss, there are many people here. Step aside to speak?"
Qi Zhaoning fell silent for a moment, then broke into a smile: "Alright. I'll hear what you have to say."
Chen Ji turned around and left, with Qi Zhaoning following behind. The two walked all the way into a secluded Alley, and only then did Chen Ji stand firmly and turn around: "Apologies."
Anger slowly filled Qi Zhaoning's heart: "Chen Ji, the matters between you and Zhang Xia have caused a bubbling uproar. Isn't saying 'apologies' only now a bit too late?"
Chen Ji said sincerely: "I once discussed it with Third Miss at the Fragrant Hills villa..."
Qi Zhaoning took a step forward, saying in a concentrated voice: "Do you truly admire and love Zhang Xia?"
Chen Ji shook his head: "This matter has nothing to do with Zhang Xia. Third Miss, now everyone believes that it is I who had fault first. Your Qi Family withdrawing from the marriage engagement also will not bear a bad name. The people of the world will only curse me for being fickle and heartless. As far as you're concerned, this is already the best result."
Qi Zhaoning said in a deep voice: "Chen Ji, what is the best result—what you say doesn't count, only what I say counts! Ever since childhood, grandfather told me I am the bright pearl upon the Qi Family's palm, so I am worthy of the best of everything in this world. The best things in this world must definitely be mine, and they are required to be mine. Even if they aren't mine, they also cannot be someone else's!"
Chen Ji remained silent, unspeaking.
Qi Zhaoning retreated step by step toward the outside of the Alley: "Chen Ji, do you know? I am definitively not sad either. Because you are nothing more than a martial artist Without Learning or Skill, that's all. To say it harshly, you also have no hope of entering the cabinet in this lifetime. Discussing Practitioner realms, you cannot compare to Li Xuan. Discussing talent and learning, you cannot compare to Lin Chaojing. Just you watch, I will also make you become the laughingstock in Capital City. Was that damned Morning Newspaper run by Zhang Xia? What does she want to do, stage a demonstration against me? Wants me to withdraw after recognizing the difficulties? Let that heart of hers die! What I cannot obtain, she similarly cannot obtain. Don't even think about keeping this damned Morning Newspaper running either!"
At the Alley's entrance, Qi Zhaoning abruptly turned around, walking away without looking back.
...
Up on the Plum Blossom Pavilion, Brother Pao leaned diagonally against the balustrade. His black cloth shirt was draped loosely across his shoulders, holding a tobacco pipe in hand and taking small puffs.
He looked down upon the Zhengxi Ward, watching as the yellowish Morning Newspapers were passed around the outer city sheet by sheet. In just three shichen, those Bamboo Papers being passed to and fro were already tattered and unbearable.
Just like Chen Ji, they were all guests in a foreign land.
Coming to this unfamiliar world, steamed buns had to be held up with palm leaves, wiping one's butt required using bamboo strips, hurrying on a journey relied on walking, calling people relied on shouting, no air conditioning in the summer, no central heating in the winter.
Even in this bustling and abundant Capital City, there were always people defecating and urinating anywhere on the ground. A foul smell of urine could always be smelled at the base of the walls outside Plum Blossom Ferry, angering Brother Pao so much that he specially dispatched people to guard there before it got much better.
This world seemed to be using its own method, reminding them at every moment of every hour: they fundamentally didn't belong here.
It was like a stone with distinct edges and corners being thrown into a millstone; every out-of-place spot was ground raw and painful.
It was only when things belonging to their own world appeared here that Brother Pao felt he had truly come here, and begun to change things.
This was an exclusive sense of achievement belonging to transmigrators.
The Salt Certificate exchange could only be considered half of one, but the newspaper was the thing that could truly give him a sense of existence.
Behind him in the Plum Blossom Pavilion, the crackling sounds of an Abacus rang out. Someone lightly and gracefully stepped on the stairs, walking behind Brother Pao.
Without turning his head, Brother Pao said: "Apologies. I gave offense."
Zhang Xia arrived at the place by the balustrade, looking into the distance: "Brother Pao writing this front page wasn't just wanting to attract eyeballs, right?"
Brother Pao gave a smile, answering what wasn't asked: "Second Miss Zhang, Chen Ji is a person who hides every matter in his heart. Currently he wishes to appropriately hand over his affairs one by one after his death. I am not at ease. I must find some matter to tie him down, and only then will it do."
Zhang Xia fell silent for a moment: "Brother Pao is very worried about him?"
Brother Pao gently exhaled a mouthful of smoke, saying methodically: "Second Miss Zhang, you are actually also worried about him. But he has Found Life in Despair far too many times, so much so that you all believe he has the certainty of absolutely winning in everything he does, gradually forgetting that his resolution in doing things has never taken life or death into consideration. But I am different. I won't forget... because he has already died before my eyes once."
Zhang Xia blanked out in place.
Brother Pao said with a smile: "Second Miss Zhang is a person with very proper measure. Even having guessed that we don't belong here, you also never ask an extra sentence. But I guess you must have held it in your heart for a very long time, by right."
Zhang Xia said calmly: "When Chen Ji wishes to say it, naturally he will say it."
Brother Pao knocked out the tobacco ash onto the sole of his foot: "Chen Ji is a stubborn dead-end mind. What he wishes to do, he absolutely must accomplish, and only then will it do. But like Xiaoman, I don't understand Commandery Princess Baili. We only saw you and Chen Ji sharing life and death together. Although saying it like this is somewhat unfair to that Commandery Princess, we both hope you can make Chen Ji change his mind and not go throw his life away."
Zhang Xia shook her head: "Since Brother Pao understands Chen Ji, then you ought to know he won't turn back before saving the Commandery Princess. Let's speak of proper matters. The first batch of newspapers has already been completely sold. It's exactly a good time to strike the iron while it's hot. Should we print additional copies?"
Brother Pao gave a denial: "Cannot print additionally."
For Brother Pao's first time printing the newspaper, he only printed one thousand two hundred copies in total. It wasn't that he didn't have the capability to print more; he was simply probing the court's boundaries with extreme restraint.
Brother Pao sighed with emotion: "Second Miss Zhang, in the Ning Dynasty, tabloids run by the folk townspeople are naturally the enemies of the court. Because who is right and who is wrong was fundamentally supposed to be decided by the court, but now you also have the qualifications to speak about it. From here on out, the truth is no longer grasped solely in the hands of the court."
Zhang Xia silently repeated to herself: "The truth..."
It was still her first time hearing the two words "the truth"—fresh and novel, yet extremely apt.
Brother Pao continued saying: "When Chen Ji brought up wanting to run a newspaper, he knew that sooner or later it will have to be confiscated and returned to the court. At that time, it will be the great killing weapon in Lord Zhang's hands for pushing forward the New Policies. But before then, Chen Ji presumably wants to use it to do a major matter that pierces the heavens... Before Chen Ji does this matter, we can only carefully and cautiously evade those ferocious beasts, first letting this thing called a newspaper survive. Thus, we cannot be too greedy. We cannot let the ferocious beasts get ideas about this plaything ahead of time."
Zhang Xia nodded: "Understood. Then we shall control the daily printed quantity to within three thousand. Palace secrets will not be written. Official appointments and dismissals will not be written. Everything related to the court will not be written."
Brother Pao said with a smile: "Correct. Precisely this meaning."
Zhang Xia suddenly said: "Brother Pao being somewhat cautious is actually not wrong either, but you still slightly look down on this Capital City. First and foremost, that hurdle of Qi Zhaoning's will not be easy to pass."
Brother Pao raised his brows: "How so?"
Right at this time, clamorous noises came from the distance. Brother Pao lifted his eyes to look, but couldn't clearly see what happened.
A moment later, heavy thump thump thump footsteps came from the Plum Blossom Pavilion stairs. Er Dao walked over and said with a muffled, nasal voice: "Brother, the people from the Five Wards Military and Police Department suddenly came, arresting quite a few brothers. They are currently confiscating the newspapers all across the streets, saying we are spouting heresies to deceive the masses, offending our superiors and causing a rebellion."
Brother Pao used his pinky finger to scratch his scalp: "The reaction is too fast. This is not a matter I can resolve; I'll have to go seek Chen Ji before it will do."
Zhang Xia shook her head: "No need."
Brother Pao was bewildered: "Hmm?"
Zhang Xia said with a smile: "Brother Pao has also looked down on Chen Ji. He is no longer that young man with absolutely nothing to his name whom you used to know. He is Right Prefecture Street's Chen Ji."
Right at this time, Brother Pao watched as a group of Stick Bearers dressed in black cloth shirts suddenly surged into the Eight Great Hutongs. Impressively, they were precisely those ones who had just been arrested away by the City Defense Division earlier.
Waiting for the Stick Bearers to arrive downstairs below the Plum Blossom Pavilion, Brother Pao asked curiously: "How come you returned so quickly?"
The Stick Bearer was also completely baffled: "We had just been arrested into the Five Wards Military and Police Department when a person named Chen Xu came. He only gave instructions of two words: 'Release them'. The Five Wards Military and Police Department then released us."
Brother Pao gave a self-deprecating smile to Zhang Xia: "I actually didn't expect that I myself had actually hugged such a thick pair of thighs."
(End of this chapter)