Chapter 547: Longevity Lock |
The Yin hour (3 - 5 AM).
The Turmoil of War inside the Forbidden City had not yet transmitted arriving outside the palace. Right Prefecture Street's Chen Family was peacefully quiet.
Chen Ji inside his sleep dreams suddenly and violently felt his whole body thoroughly bone ice cold. A single stream of massive Ice Flow surged entering from his chest mouth. Diffusing and spreading toward his four limbs and hundred bones (entire body). As if taking his blood vessels freezing them solid. Taking his blood freezing out ice stubbles.
This stream of Ice Flow's massiveness... finely counting since he cultivated the Mountain Lord Pathway, only Prince Jing's could compare to it. The Ice Flow acting identical to flood waters generally inside his body horizontally rushed and straightly crashed (ran rampant). Pressing until the Furnace Fire inside Chen Ji's body gradually grew dark and dim. Identical to cup by cup of Eight Trigrams lamps inside the Inner Prison shaking and swaying.
Precisely when Chen Ji shut his eyes thinking and searching for countermeasures. The Ice Flow contacted bumping arriving at the Striped Marks between his rib bones. Suddenly identical to a shocked and startled wild beast shrinking entering his dantian. No longer willing to come out anew anymore.
In the next moment, Chen Ji lying upon the bed couch suddenly and violently opened his eyes. He looked toward his own chest mouth. Precisely possessing a tumbling ball of a furry small black cat curled up and shrinking upon it without uttering a single sound. Using its lengthy black tail to take itself gathering and surrounding it rising up. Covering and obscuring its cheeks.
Chen Ji stood froze: "Wu Yun?"
Wu Yun's tail tip tip moved for a bit. Yet lacked response. Still as before taking itself burying it rising up. Resembling a small little child who suffered injuries when traveling far distantly.
Chen Ji with sudden realization... it was Wu Yun carrying the Ice Flow departing the Forbidden City. But what was strange was, this massive of an Ice Flow again came over from where?
Wu Yun took itself burying it inside its tail lowly meowing out a single sound. Merely this single sound... Wu Yun simply took what it had seen and what it had heard exhaustively telling him. Even sorrow and grief also following the sound together concurrently carved at the bottom of Chen Ji's heart. The small little Wu Yun seemingly vaguely between had already taken the Empress acting treating her as a mother. And afterwards again lost her.
The Empress suffered people falsely trapping and framing her, becoming a guest of Heaven (passed away).
Bai Li was intercepted and stopped down by Noble Consort Xue. Failing to be able to escape the Forbidden City.
This single night possessed too many matters occurring. Numerous arriving until Chen Ji needed to stand blankly for a long time. To only then take the front and back Karma combing it clearly. He lowered his head looking at Wu Yun. The small black cat still as before took itself tightly curling turning into a single tumbling ball... this seemingly was Wu Yun's first time experiencing parted by death.
When in Luo City, they also once experienced separation and parting. But those crucially most important people inside life at least universally still were originally living. Living simply still possessed the hope of mutually meeting anew.
Now the Empress was already passed. People dying is identical to lanterns extinguishing.
Chen Ji remained silent for a moment. Hugging rising Wu Yun exiting the doors. Flipping arriving upon the roofs sitting securely. Gazing distantly at the distant black and hazy Forbidden City.
Passing Beginning of Autumn and Mid-Autumn. The Northern Region's winds began turning cooling. Some people simply were identical to Jianing Year Thirty-Two's summer... forever remaining in the past. Will not again return coming anymore.
Chen Ji by no means urged Wu Yun to not be sad and aggrieved. He merely said in a low voice: "The Empress originally ought to have loved the Emperor perfectly. Merely she fell in love with a single selfish person. The other party couldn't give her the things she desired. Loyal chastity, frank honesty, responsibility, shouldering burdens, self-sacrifice. These most precious and valuable things inside love universally require conscience. Conscience is the most un-valuable of money, yet the most precious and valuable."
Wu Yun gradually calmed down.
It slightly tilted lifting up its tail. Before its eyes revealing out a single line of a crack. Mutually with Chen Ji together quietly and silently gazing at the distance.
Chen Ji gazing at the night colors spacing out said: "The Empress was a good person. I know you very much miss and think of her, also very sad and aggrieved. But perhaps departing toward her to speak only then is a single kind of release and untying."
Wu Yun titled its head looking at him.
Chen Ji's voice was light and slow: "Inside that ice, ice cold Forbidden City. Her sorrows and happinesses must conform to Propriety strictures and laws. Even her living or dying also must look after completely the grand overall situation. I guess the royal court will not take last night's matters publicizing them to the masses. Upon history books perhaps it will record she separated from the world because of illness. The Ministry of Rites will establish complex and complicated mourning Propriety rituals. The Hundred Officials will rely upon the systems crying in mourning. The Emperor will falsely and hypocritically General Amnesty Under Heaven. Everything universally will be grand, heavy and regulated properly. Perfectly displaying the Heavenly Family's majestic dignity and sorrowful glory (posthumous honors). Uniquely solely that portion of pain, bitterness and lonely solitude belonging to a single concrete female... will be wiped and polished clean. As if never once having existed... However what is worth celebrating and rejoicing is, she anew also no longer needs herself to go experience these anymore. She is unloosed and released."
Wu Yun drilled out from within Chen Ji's embrace. Squatting upon the roof beside his side. Lowly meowing out a single sound: "If only the Empress knew the person she herself married was like this... definitely would not have married passing to him."
Chen Ji sighed saying: "Where could she know huh."
Wu Yun's head again wilted going down: "I hate the Emperor."
Sky light gradually brightened rising up. Chen Ji watched the white-colored light taking the Forbidden City's golden-colored glazed tile roofs illuminating them brightly: "Wu Yun. I hate this era. This era starting from inside the roots simply doesn't mind bystanders' living or dying. Emperor Ning is like this, Prince Jing is like this, Mister Feng is also like this. I originally also believed myself perhaps capable of doing a tiny bit of something for the sake of this era. But discovering only later... a single person delusionally thinking of altering a single era, simply completely resembles empty-handed going to block a single line of a galloping river... What I can do, is precisely distance far away."
A single person and a single cat sat upon the roofs. Their back figures resembling one large and one small two paired eaves-beasts. Also resembling bystanders (spectators) not belonging to this era.
A long time later. Wu Yun meowed out a single sound: "Actually I early on already possessed opportunities to flee coming out. Aunt Yuanjin later simply didn't stare fixedly at me anymore. She also was a good person... But I couldn't bear to walk away. Sometimes walking and walking simply again turned returning back. Did I delay and mistakenly hinder you of a good many matters?"
"Not a hindering matter." Chen Ji stroked and stroked its head: "When you were very small, very small you were simply forced to separate leaving your mother. When a few months big you again followed me heading to Guyuan to kill people. Therefore I thought... you remaining beside the Empress's side, perhaps could pass across a single segment of time lacking sorrors and lacking worries. Resembling a single paired genuine small cat identically. You are the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Sound Universal Transforming Heavenly Venerable ah. Not whoever's pet. Also not whoever's weapons and blades. Therefore the Mountain Lord's cultivation can first be set down for a bit. Whether or not you probed and heard anything is also perfectly not that important."
Wu Yun earnestly and seriously said: "Chen Ji. You are a good person."
...
...
Wu Yun suddenly asked: "I don't understand. Why would that Wang Wenbiao turn into another distinct person?"
"It is a single Practitioner Pathway called 'Colored Face'." Chen Ji's voice gradually sank going down: "Bystanders perhaps are not clear. But I have already with this Practitioner struck up past quite a few times of interaction. Shopkeeper Yuan, Lin Chaoqing, universally once relied upon this person altering heads and swapping faces (changing appearances). He is the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Division."
Wu Yun with startled shock meowed out a single sound: "The Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Division participated amongst it?"
Chen Ji 'En' acknowledged a single sound: "Strange. This person ought to be the Earthly Branches' spy and scout. But now Official Gui, Official Ding have universally already distanced (left) far away. Why is he still moving and leaping (active) in Capital City? He again is what identity? Still possessing... when was it he hooked up lines (established contact) with Noble Consort Xue?"
Wait down.
He knew a single person. Who completely possessed the opportunities of contacting the Military Intelligence Division, and also possessed the motives of hooking and connecting with the Jing Dynasty.
Chen Ji turned his thoughts again doubting suspiciously: "According to what Aunt Ping spoke. The Colored Face Pathway desiring to thoroughly alter body figures... simply necessitates extracting a beloved person's entire body's blood liquid. He altering appearances for three people... then already has killed three beloved people... Is it his beloved people truly are this numerous? Or is it speaking... this Pathway's Practitioner is not merely a single one? This beloved person how is it determined and defined. Is it people loving him, people he loves, or perhaps must mutually love each other? Furthermore, this person previously must also have been in Luo City. Now again coming arriving at Capital City."
Finding this person. Saying inaccurately simply could for the Empress's sake take vengeance. In a single breath of air eradicating and removing quite a few people of the Military Intelligence Division. But this person entirely lacked thread-clues. Not knowing from what location to seek and look.
At this time. Sky colors gradually brightened rising up.
Upon Right Prefecture Street rang out hasty and rapid carriages and horses. Sedan bearers' footsteps sounds. Universally wholly heading toward Meridian Gate to go.
The Forbidden City opened the palace gates. The information of the Empress becoming a guest of Heaven also transmitted exiting outside the palace.
Every single yamen's (government office) Officials' horses without stopping their hooves rushed heading to their respective yamens. Those possessing qualifications to enter the palace facing the Emperor (Imperial Audience) then universally entirely outside Meridian Gate waited for the decrees listening for dispatches. Deeply afraid when the palace inside transmitted summoning oneself they would be unable to find the person.
Chen Ji hugging Wu Yun leaped down the roof: "Waiting until they are busy finishing. I'm afraid there will possess people seeking you. I must take the other single paired small black cat pretending turning it into your appearance sending it returning back to only then work."
The him reason why he didn't give the other single paired small black cat a starting name. Also was because he knew... himself early or late there would be a single day taking the other party sending it away. Old Yao once spoke. People this single lifetime ought not to casually and willfully with whoever generate entwining tethers. Universally all are retributions.
During the speech. Chen Ji looked toward the Longevity Lock hanging upon Wu Yun's neck: "This one also must be exchanged arriving upon the other single paired cat. So long as bearing upon the Longevity Lock, it simply is you."
Wu Yun stood frozen for a bit: "This is what the Empress gifted me. She moltened a single branch of a golden hairpin brought entering the palace when exiting marriage (marrying) to forge and beat it coming out. She said hoping I would be peacefully, peacefully safe, long life a hundred years (live a long life)..."
Chen Ji remained silent.
This era's people were very easy to die. Plagues, smallpox, tuberculosis, tetanus. Every single one universally could want people's lives. Perhaps not passing mind between (carelessly) upon the hands cutting a single line of a small cut... the person simply was gone.
The hundred surnames (commoners) when children reached a full moon (one month old) or a hundred days. Toward the streets and neighborhoods' neighbors every single household begging a single cash of money. Using it to come casting locks protecting children's peaceful safety. Therefore Longevity Locks also are called hundred-family locks.
The lodged meaning being a hundred families' fortune and salary drawing close to the body. Peacefully, peacefully safe. Long life a hundred years.
Longevity Locks possessed Ruyi (Scepter) shapes. Shoe-shaped gold/silver ingot shapes. Qilin shapes. Butterfly shapes. Frequently chisel-carving or relief-sculpting literature text and diagrams and pictures. Chen Ji evaluated that paired single Longevity Lock upon Wu Yun's neck. The stylistic appearance was the constantly seen Ruyi shape. Upon the front face carved long life a hundred years. Upon the reverse face carved fortune, longevity, peace, and health.
"You inside the home properly, properly sleep a single nap. I will come to think of methods." Chen Ji turned his body simply alone and isolated exited the Chen Estate.
A single day of time. From the inner city arriving at the outer city. He took Capital City's jewelry shops strolling exhaustively through to only then find a mutually similar Longevity Lock. Ruyi shapes were constantly seen. Long life a hundred years also constantly seen. Fortune, longevity, peace, and health also constantly seen. They just absolutely pieced gathering together being not easy to seek.
Even if it was this assigned set of new Longevity Lock Chen Ji found. It also was compared to the one the Empress tailor-making specifically for Wu Yun forging and beating out large by half a circle. But Chen Ji lacked time reaching (too late) to seek artisan workers forging and beating out a single mold and single appearance one (an identical one) anymore.
Waiting until when he in the night returned to the Chen Estate. Wu Yun seeing the Longevity Lock was astonished: "You genuinely went seeking for a single assigned set of identical one? Actually using that assigned set of Longevity Lock of mine also completely accomplishes it..."
Chen Ji rubbed and rubbed its head: "That was what the Empress gave you. Although cannot wear it upon the neck anymore. But occasionally bringing it out to look and look is also good. Go right. Carrying within your mouth that paired single small black cat giving it sending it heading to inside the palace prohibitions. Placing it at Fengxian Hall or perhaps the corners of Jianji Hall simply will work. Not reaching tomorrow morning simply will be discovered by people. The Emperor likes cats. There will possess people properly, properly looking after it."
Wu Yun suddenly asked: "But the Commandery Princess what is to be done?"
Chen Ji stood upon his original spot remaining silent for a long time: "Set down your heart. I possess methods."
(End of this chapter)