Chapter 540: Trading Life for Life |
Bright Zither Building quieted down. The koi fish originally lacking people feeding them had already scattered. Yet now, not knowing whether attracted by lantern lights or by the poetry-lyrics, they were anew absorbed arriving within Broad Pool outside Bright Zither Building.
The guests Looked at One Another. No one expected that Plum Blossom Ferry after being separated by many days, actually on the night of Mid-Autumn brought out a lyric-poetry piece sufficient to forcefully press down (crush) Capital City.
Amidst Bright Zither Building's lengthy stillness and silence, sobbing sounds transmitted over from beside Qi Zhaoning.
She turned her head looking over. Imposingly it was Qi Zhaoyun lowering her head using her sleeves to cover her face. Teardrops fell dot by dot upon the desk.
Qi Xianshu looked at his own daughter for a single glance, lightly sighing: "'People have sorrows and joys, partings and reunions. The moon has dimness and brightness, waxing and waning. This matter since ancient times has been difficult to perfect'— Exhaustively writing parting sorrows and separating strings of emotion. Exhaustively writing mutual thinking and melancholy. From now and heading later Mid-Autumn poetry will simply only have this single piece. The people of the world will not remember others anymore. Furthermore if anyone lifting their brush writing of Mid-Autumn full moon thinks of this piece of 'Water Melody', they simply will gaze up at the high mountain (feel deep reverence), and feel utterly devoid of flavor (feel their own work is tasteless)."
In Capital City a year has upward of a thousand literary gatherings. Today the Qi Family has one gathering, tomorrow the Xu Family has one gathering. Mutually writing poetry is mostly using it to assist the interest in wine. It is still rare for anyone to press down the entire gathering with a single poem.
Qi Zhenwu smiled bitterly: "Is this Baron of Wuxiang County unable to pass by (has a grudge against) literary gatherings? Back then his second time debating sutras with Wu Zhai, he simply borrowed Wu Zhai's mouth to say literary gatherings were 'using vulgarity to cover truth'. Causing the entire Capital City to have a large half-month where no one dared to host literary gatherings, deeply afraid of being spoken of as a vulgar person with vulgar things.
And now he again tossed out this kind of single poem— Originally the Qi Family tonight also prepared a poetry clock (poetry game), planning to chant poetry and write verses exactly when the interest in wine reached its peak intoxication. But now a single 'Water Melody' is suspended overhead. Who is still willing to lift a brush presenting ugliness (making a fool of themselves)? It's simply fine to not write."
Qi Xianshu listening to his son complain, was actually somewhat more free and easy: "No harm. Today it is decidedly not only my single Qi Family suffering disaster. This Evening News of his should have already been sent to every single corner of the entirety of Capital City. At this moment the Xu Family, the Li Family, the Zhou Family... reckoning they are universally holding this piece of lyric-poetry Looking at One Another. Tonight no one even think of chanting poetry and making verses anymore. Honestly and steadfastly simply drink wine."
At this time, Yang Zhong holding the Evening News, looking at the signature on Water Melody said in a low voice: "'Chen Chong's final writing'— Possessing such poetic talent, how did he simply put down his brush finally and permanently?"
A person who could write out 'Over the sea a bright moon is born, sharing this time from the ends of the earth', who could write out 'Water Melody', actually simply permanently ceased writing like this. Bizarre and Unthinkable.
Yuan Wang suddenly said: "Perhaps he disdains writing poetry anymore right."
Yang Zhong was bewildered: "Disdains?"
Yuan Wang smilingly said: "Exactly just like the Baron of Wuxiang County being unwilling to fight an arena match with us and our peers... what Plum Blossom Ferry has done these past days, is solely for the four words 'Governing the World and Providing for the People'. Various people still don't know right. Now there are still people upon the market surface seeking to purchase Plum Blossom Ferry's newspapers of past days at high prices."
Yang Zhong was even more bewildered: "Seeking to purchase at high prices?"
Yuan Wang flipped to the third page, pointing at the newspaper explaining: "There are merchants acting according to what the Morning Newspaper spoke of and manufactured soap. Sure enough the filth and greasy grime upon hands with a single wash became simply cleanly spotless. There are also merchants acting according to what the Morning Newspaper taught manufacturing Honeycomb Coal. In another month the sky simply will grow cold. Numerous commoners adopt and purchase it. Within many Alleys they took Honeycomb Coal stacking them exactly resembling small mountains. Lord Zhang Zhuo has also adopted the method of earth fertilizer, precisely about to push it toward the capital environs, Lu Province, and Jizhou... These are universally completely business opportunities. Yesterday there precisely was a merchant having just arrived from Jinling hearing of this matter. Immediately in Liulichang seeking to purchase newspapers of past days at a high price. Waiting until after receiving the newspapers, he didn't even do his business anymore, connecting through the night to return back to Jinling."
Yang Zhong hesitated: "Those novel and marvelous playthings published upon the Morning Newspaper, are all universally useful?"
Yuan Wang stroked his chin: "Various people still do not know right. This plaything of Cement... was also pondered out by the Baron of Wuxiang County in Luo City. The appearance of this object has been quite a while now. My Yuan Family renovating mansions anew simply used this object. Both sturdy and also saving effort. Now upon the market surface it is difficult to buy. It is also because the royal court adopts and purchases it to be used in city wall renovations. The Guyuan city walls originally requiring three years to only then be capable of being repaired completely, is said to have been repaired completely in half a year... That city wall upon the east side of our Capital City, is also repaired using this object."
At this time, a Ministry of Revenue Official evaluated for a glance at Elder Chen upon the head seat. Following which he said loudly: "Every year the Ministry of Revenue using for repairing city walls, must allocate out several tens of myriad silver taels used to purchase and buy glutinous rice, lime-stone, and other objects. If encountering tense war matters, it simply causes many places to sever grain, making starving corpses litter the wilderness. Now purely this single line item, can simply save away thirty myriad silver taels."
The Ministry of Revenue Official continued saying: "Furthermore. If using glutinous rice requiring three years to only then make a firmly solid city wall. Now in a single month it simply can become firm and unbreakable. Do various people still remember or not remember... in the twenty-fifth year of Jianing when the Jing Dynasty came invading. It was precisely taking advantage of when our Chongli Pass Twelve Linked Cities' Youjin Pass city wall was being renovated anew, the city wall was unfirm... only then did they luckily have a tiny handful of elite troops kill their way inside the pass. This subordinate dares to say, having this object, our dynasty heading later will absolutely not repeat the overturned cart tracks (repeat the same mistakes)."
Governing the World and Providing for the People. Compared mutually with these four characters, Mid-Autumn poetry simply appeared lacking foot and light weight (insignificant).
Now the night banquet guests again recalling the four words 'Chen Chong's final writing', simply felt like it was a kind of soundless ridiculing mockery and taunting: You want to compete in Mid-Autumn poetry. But I feel although poetry-lyrics are good, they actually cannot resolve the commoners' warm clothing and full bellies. Therefore you write your own poetry yourself, I myself will do my Governing the World and Providing for the People.
But later you again say I am unable to bring out poetry only doing these matters. Then I will simply let you look at what is true poetry-lyrics. After letting you look for a single glance, I simply will continue going to do even more important matters.
I will not write poetry anew anymore, you also should not come entangling yourself anew either.
At this time, Elder Chen slowly hoisted his cup. Turning his head looking toward Elder Qi. Slowly and leisurely saying: "Small children blindly making a fuss amongst themselves, do not wound the friendship of the two Qi and Chen families. Chen Ji is still moreover young. Doing matters possesses lacked consideration, but his heart is good."
Elder Qi raised up his wine cup, saying slowly: "Zhaoning. Heading later do not blindly make a fuss again. Someone who ought to establish a family (marry) immediately, should also gather and restrain her temperament somewhat. Various people. Precisely during the night of the Mid-Autumn full moon. Please together raise up fine wine."
The guests knew, the matters of the two Qi and Chen families could simply be considered passed over. Elder Qi was very satisfied with Chen Ji this grand-son-in-law. The marriage contract did not alter.
But it was strange. Where did Chen Ji go tonight?
At this exact moment of time, Chen Ji was precisely following behind Bai Long's back passing through the still and silent palace roads. Arriving below the Trouble-Resolving Tower.
The Secret Spies standing guard outside the Trouble-Resolving Tower seeing Bai Long come, immediately turned their bodies heading upstairs to offer a report.
A moment later, Shan Niu's figure slowly floated up from within the dark shadows of the Trouble-Resolving Tower. The other party was overly tall and large. To the point standing inside the building, Chen Ji actually only could see half of the other party's face. Everything upwards of the nose bridge was universally covered and concealed behind the door lintel.
Shan Niu slanted his body yielding open: "Go up. The Inner Chancellor at this moment has free time."
Bai Long walked past from Shan Niu's side, leading Chen Ji ascending stepping the stairs. The Trouble-Resolving Tower still as before was the scent of pine fragrance, book fragrance, ink fragrance mixed into a single togetherness. Merely smelling for a second could simply cause a person's heart and spirit to calmly settle down.
Arriving at the top floor, Bai Long knocked sounding the room door: "Lord Inner Chancellor."
Within the door rang out a hoarse and raspy voice: "Enter."
Bai Long pushed the door entering inside. Chen Ji this time penetrating past the folding screens saw... that blurred and indistinct figure was no longer sitting behind the desk. But instead stood alone and solitary beside the window, looking into the distant brilliance of lanterns and fires and bustling noises of Fengxian Hall. Emperor Ning was precisely at Fengxian Hall hosting banquets for the Annan Envoy.
Bai Long wasn't anxious to open his mouth speaking words. Chen Ji also did not.
Not knowing how long passed, yet suddenly hearing the Inner Chancellor say: "Don't know whether Feng Wenzheng today has mooncakes to eat or not?"
Chen Ji was dumbfounded.
Only at this time did he pay attention, today the eight window doors inside the room were universally entirely open. Able to gaze far at the myriad households of lantern lights of Mid-Autumn's Capital City.
The Inner Chancellor sat backward behind the desk, saying slowly and methodically: "Do you guys know or not know, hosting banquets for vassal state envoys also possesses rules. Those possessing merits toward our dynasty, whose national strength is the strongest, can be at the most highly stipulated of standards Fengxian Hall. Those most intimately smooth and obedient, are actually placed at Xiyuan using it to demonstrate gracious favor. Those not very intimately smooth and obedient, or perhaps whose national strength isn't all that much... are actually at Qilin Virtue Hall."
Chen Ji did not catch the words, also not knowing why the Inner Chancellor raised and touched upon this matter.
The Inner Chancellor slowly and leisurely said: "Originally King Annan only could go to Qilin Virtue Hall. Now he gambled upon his national destiny, sitting inside Fengxian Hall. Since he was able to sit entering Fengxian Hall. Then him bringing up a trifling tiny peace marriage request, His Majesty naturally will not refuse."
Chen Ji's complexion sank.
The Inner Chancellor leaned on the back of his chair. Seeming as if precisely penetrating through the folding screens evaluating Chen Ji: "King Annan captured the King of Siam bringing him over, only then sitting into Fengxian Hall begging our dynasty for a peace marriage. Baron of Wuxiang County. What again did you bring arriving to my Trouble-Resolving Tower, begging me to help you rescue Commandery Princess Baili?"
Chen Ji's expression grew solemn and earnest. Cupping his hands saying: "Reporting back to Inner Chancellor. This lowly official can present excellent recipes of governing the world. Causing the grain yields per mu of fields to flip and double."
The Inner Chancellor did not confirm nor deny.
After remaining silent for a long time, Chen Ji said once again: "This lowly official can present methods to improve Firearms. Causing our dynasty's Firearm blunderbusses and fire-cannons to lack firmness unable to be destroyed, attacking lacking things unable to be broken."
The Inner Chancellor still as before did not confirm nor deny.
Chen Ji gritted his teeth, hardening his scalp speaking: "This lowly official can alleviate the detriments of Salt Certificates. Using marvelous methods to fully fill the national treasury and the Inner Treasury."
This time, the Inner Chancellor suddenly started laughing faintly: "You ah you. Actually concealing up quite a few things. Today actually entirely disregarding and not caring, in a single breath entirely digging them exclusively out."
Chen Ji said in a sunken voice: "Commandery Princess Baili never once participated in Prince Jing's Estate's matter of plotting rebellion. Still requesting the Inner Chancellor to extend his hands offering mutual assistance, returning her body of freedom."
Yet the Inner Chancellor was by no means moved in his heart. Only casually saying: "The Forbidden City possesses the rules of the Forbidden City. My Trouble-Resolving Tower also possesses the rules of my Trouble-Resolving Tower. Inside this Trouble-Resolving Tower, money can buy officials, buy power. But buying life, can only use life."
Chen Ji didn't hesitate a hair's breadth: "Who does Milord wish to kill?"
The Inner Chancellor faintly smiled: "Go take the Canal Transport Guild's Han Tong bringing him over for me. Using his life, to trade for Commandery Princess Baili's life.
[Translation note: skipped typo/glitch]
Chen Ji stared blankly upon his original spot.
Han Tong? That was precisely Bai Li's biological, flesh-and-blood father. He never ever expected, the other party actually would make him use Han Tong to trade for Bai Li.
The Inner Chancellor seeing him hesitate. Saying diffusely lacking heart (carelessly): "What's wrong, unable to accomplish it?"
Chen Ji remained silent for a moment. Ultimately bowing his body saying: "Reporting back to Inner Chancellor, it is able to be accomplished. "
(End of this chapter)