Chapter 548: General Amnesty Under Heaven |
Chen Ji sat upon the roofs for a single night. Watching Wu Yun carrying the small black cat distancing away. Again waiting until sky brightened to only then see the other party peacefully safely return home.
He curiously asked: "Went for this long?"
Wu Yun leaped arriving upon his knees: "I took it bringing it to Fengxian Hall. Guarding arriving at the Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) to only then see an Inner Official taking it hugging it heading to Renshou Palace. I didn't dare approach near. Every time approaching near the Emperor. The Liang Family Blade Aura inside my body universally will be suppressed until completely unable to move or bounce."
Chen Ji 'En' acknowledged a single sound: "An Emperor's Providence. I nearing him twenty paces within, the Furnace Fire inside my body also will be concurrently comprehensively suppressed. Jin Zhu said. If Mister Feng takes the Heirloom Seal of the Realm bringing it back. He saying inaccurately can suppress two li's (1 km) extent of Practitioners entirely universally changing back into ordinary people."
Wu Yun stared wide its eyes: "Fierce, fierce!"
Chen Ji slowly stroked and stroked Wu Yun's back fur: "However the Heirloom Seal of the Realm has been lost for too long. Now the market-lanes universally are rumors. What Jin Zhu spoke also is not necessarily right... You still did what. How come arriving at the Mao hour (5 - 7 AM) to only then return coming?"
Wu Yun said in a low voice: "I again went a single trip to Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Desiring to anew look a single glance at the Empress. But inside Palace of Earthly Tranquility a flock of female maids and imperial concubines were crying in mourning. I lacked methods to anew approach near. Only capable of silently looking for a momentary session. The Empress during her life toward them was truly good. But they point-blankly aren't sad at all. Universally lacked tears. I heard those people Whispering Privately. Saying Noble Consort Xue also lacked a good concluding ending. After the Empress became a guest of Heaven simply was softly restricted (house arrest) inside Palace of Assisting the Earth. Beside her side even a single female maid wasn't uniformly retained. Entirely being killed by the Trouble-Resolving Guards."
Chen Ji hearing Noble Consort Xue's tragic condition yet remained indifferent and unmoved: "Seeking one's own ruin from one's own faults."
Wu Yun continued muttering saying: "I again went a single trip to Jingyang Palace. Inside Jingyang Palace a female Daoist called Xuan Su sold out the Commandery Princess. Now being stomped snapping her legs by people. Inside the rear hall randomly howling and yelling resembling haunted by ghosts identically. I'm afraid she also doesn't possess many days properly to live anymore."
Wu Yun again meowed out a single sound: "I saw the Commandery Princess lonely and isolatingly kneeling inside Jingyang Palace's main hall. Seeming as if for the sake of the Empress begging fortune and chanting scriptures. Beside the Commandery Princess's side was set meals and vegetables. But she universally hadn't bumped them..."
Chen Ji's eye expressions rippled moving for a bit.
Wu Yun tilted its head looking at him: "We ought to how rescue the Commandery Princess?"
Chen Ji lacked response.
Wu Yun looking at Chen Ji's spirit expression. Only feeling Chen Ji was making a single very important decision.
A long time later. Chen Ji suddenly asked: "Wu Yun. If the price of doing a single matter is being spat on and discarded by the people of the world. Will you still or will you not do this single matter?"
Wu Yun slanted its head: "Is it speaking rescuing the Commandery Princess?"
Chen Ji answered saying: "Yes."
Wu Yun thought and thought: "Then I ought to will do it right."
Chen Ji remained silent for a long time: "If the Commandery Princess also doesn't comprehend and understand?"
Wu Yun also remained silent for a long time: "Still possesses other methods?"
Chen Ji softly said: "Lacking anymore."
...
...
The Chen hour (7 - 9 AM). Chen Ji alone and isolated exited the Chen Estate. Upon Right Prefecture Street was a single swath of plain white mourning silk.
The wine shops withdrew the wine banners embroidered with red characters. Collected rising the signboards for selling mooncakes. Upon the red lanterns before the doors also covered rising white cloth.
The extreme ends of every single grand street universally posted pasted obituaries and prohibitive decrees. Within seven days prohibiting butchery and slaughtering, prohibiting wine shops. Within a hundred days prohibiting marriage, prohibiting theatrical plays and music bureaus. Output of single time storytellers, singing plays abruptly came to a halt.
Pedestrians crossing roads dared not loudly make a noisy clamor. Small hawkers no longer anew yelled out selling.
Chen Ji walking upon Chang'an Avenue. As if his own ears inside were stuffed with two balls of cotton flowers. The world suddenly peacefully quieted quite a bit.
Precisely when he was about to pierce crossing True Sun Gate (Zhengyang Gate). Inside Chengtian Gate a single ridden fast horse galloped out. Shouting loudly calls: "General Amnesty Under Heaven! General Amnesty Under Heaven!"
The Inner Official riding the fast horse arrived beneath Zhengyang Gate. From the black-lacquered Bamboo Tube behind his back extricated out a single sealed notice pasting it beside the city gates.
There were crossing road pedestrians reading aloud saying: "Reverently Receiving the Heavens and Bearing its Providence Emperor, the Edict reads. The Earthly models (Empress's position) lost its seat. The Central Palace collapsed and perished. Empress Hu-shi, gentle, respectful, pure, and careful. Her Empress's virtue passing down as a model. Currently suddenly abruptly becoming a guest of Heaven. Our heart is shattered and ripped. Our five viscera completely burning. Mindful of the Empress's ordinary life's Benevolent thickness. Her grace and favors blanketing the palace wings. Pushing graces spreading inner and outer. Especially unable to bear seeing criminal prisons excessively harsh. Occurring at this National Mourning. Especially proper to broadly dispense graces and favors. In order to comfort the Empress's spirit in Heaven. General Amnesty Under Heaven."
Chen Ji silently looked at it for a moment. Turning his body exited Zhengyang Gate.
General Amnesty Under Heaven also possessed ten un-amnestied. Scheming rebellion, scheming great rebellion, scheming treason, vicious rebellion, un-Daoist (cruelty), great disrespect, un-filiality, un-harmony, un-Righteousness (injustice), inner chaos. These simply are the so-called ten viciousnesses un-amnestied.
Commandery Princess Baili suffered implications from Prince Jing scheming rebellion. By no means within the categories enclosed by General Amnesty Under Heaven.
Chen Ji arrived at the Eight Great Hutongs. Every single household's green towers (brothels) tightly closed their grand doors. A full eyes of plain white mourning silk. From today and going proceeding later. Green towers within one hundred days must not open doors to do business. The Imperial Music Bureau also isn't an exception.
He arrived at the Plum Blossom Ferry's rear doors knocking and knocking the doors. Possessing Stick Bearers pulling open a single line of a crack. Seeing it was him. Only then hastily and hurriedly allowing out a path coming: "Eastern Master (boss). Brother Pao is not at Plum Blossom Pavilion. He's at Courtesan Liu's Cold Plum Building."
Chen Ji puzzledly looked toward Cold Plum Building: "How come he went to Cold Plum Building?"
The Stick Bearer lowly said in a low voice: "Brother Pao said Plum Blossom Pavilion waiting for a momentary session still must open doors to do Salt Certificate business. Cannot delay and hinder business."
Chen Ji doubting suspiciously walked heading to Cold Plum Building to go... What was Brother Pao doing?
He merely just stepped entering Cold Plum Building's door sill. Simply hearing upstairs transmitted over a single gust of familiar sounding echoes. He arrived at the peak top floor. Yet discovering here was arrayed ten-plus sheets of Eight Immortals tables. Several tens of named females clustering before the tables... rubbing bamboo-crafted... Mahjong.
Amongst the crowd of people. Brother Pao, Er Dao, Courtesan Liu, Red Plum Building's top brand singing performers identically sat in a single table. Still possessing females surrounding together upon a single place bypassing and watching (spectating).
Brother Pao rubbed a single sheet of tile. His thumb lightly a single rub simply again struck it exiting out: "Eight Bamboo."
The surrounding females astonishingly said: "Brother Pao actually is capable of rubbing out the tile face!"
Brother Pao proudly and smugly said: "Small meaning (piece of cake)."
During the speech. He inadvertently raised his head seeing Chen Ji outside the crowd of people. Hastily and hurriedly standing rising his body coming: "Eastern Master."
This speech as soon as exiting. A single houseful of orioles and swallows (beautiful women) universally hastily threw down the Mahjong in their hands rising their bodies. Neatly identically facing Chen Ji performing Ten Thousand Blessings Greetings. The time of performing the greetings the females quietly evaluated him. Their eye expressions flying coming and flying going.
Courtesan Liu openly and generously with Chen Ji struck up greetings: "The Eastern Master is exceptionally not frequently met. Sit down accompanying us these small females to play and play?"
"Where does the Eastern Master possess vacant time to with you play this. He possesses proper matters." Brother Pao pulled coming a single named female: "Come, come, come. You acting as a proxy for me play. If winning it counts as yours. If losing it counts as mine."
The female's brows opening and eyes smiling sat upon Brother Pao's positioned seat: "Then Brother Pao certainly don't blame me giving you universally losing it all into nothingness oh."
Brother Pao hoisted rising up the black cloth shirt upon the chair back: "Capable of taking me losing entirely also counts as your abilities."
Brother Pao amidst the roaring laughter sounds squeezed opening the crowd of people. Following Chen Ji heading downstairs.
Exiting Cold Plum Building. Chen Ji stood securely outside the door sill. Curiously asking: "This is?"
Brother Pao lacking panic and lacking hurry explained saying: "Now the Empress became a guest of Heaven. The entire Eight Great Hutongs universally struck closing stops (closed for business). A good many green tower females of borrowed registers departed Capital City. Heading south to go to Jinling's Qinhuai River shores. Heard that side manages a bit looser. Boats at the river's center nobody manages. At present these slave registers in Plum Blossom Ferry wishing to walk also cannot walk anymore. I simply taught them to play and play Mahjong. Making it good to whittle and grind away some time. Sparing out a fuss of what demonic moths (troubles)."
Chen Ji nodded and nodded his head: "Also good. This segment of time the newspaper and Plum Blossom Ferry universally must be somewhat cautious. Plum Blossom Ferry do not open doors to do business outside of Salt Certificates. The newspapers also absolutely must dodge taboos... Advertisements universally first pause and pause for a bit. The originally advertisement printing faces (spaces) universally publish them turning into the Empress's obituaries. Or perhaps poetry reciting and praising the Empress."
Brother Pao acknowledged down: "Comprehendedly knowing it. The Eastern Master today coming, thinking it must still possess other distinct proper matters?"
Chen Ji remained silent for a long time: "I wish to bring a single sentence of words passing to the Canal Transport Guild's Han Tong."
Brother Pao scratched and scratched his head skin: "We in Capital City merely just established a footing. The Canal Transport Guild cannot Trust us crossing. Desiring to bring words... unless the Three Mountains Society acts as middle-men it will not work. But the Three Mountains Society now is unwilling to anew wade across this muddy water. Unless the Eastern Master can extract out conditional terms they lack methods to reject."
Chen Ji pondering and conjecturing said: "Lead me to go meet Lord Qi."
...
...
The two people arrived before the Refined Entertainment House named White Jade Garden in Baishun Hutong. Brother Pao knocked and knocked the bamboo doors. Inwardly a single solitary-armed man pulled open a single line of a door crack: "What matters?"
Brother Pao cupped his fists saying: "Coming forward to respectfully meet Lord Qi."
The man immediately wanted to close together the bamboo doors: "Lord Qi no longer mainly governs matters at the Three Mountains Society anymore. Please walk back right."
Brother Pao shoved stopping the bamboo doors. Smilingly said: "My Plum Blossom Ferry's Eastern Master has come. Lord Qi also doesn't arrive at being this uniformly refusing to give face."
The man with cold eyes evaluated the Chen Ji behind Brother Pao's back: "But is it that Baron of Wuxiang County who released Yuan Cheng to return to the Jing Dynasty? Then simply even more cannot be met."
Chen Ji suddenly opened his mouth speaking saying: "Carry words giving to Lord Qi. I possess a single prescription. Capable of making the Three Imperial Camps' wounded soldiers not generate deteriorating gangrene. Sparing them suffering the harms of dysentery and cholera."
The man blanked frozen. Taking the bamboo doors thoroughly shutting them together.
A single incense stick of time later. The bamboo doors anew struck open. The man lowly said in a low voice: "Baron of Wuxiang County. Lord Qi is inviting."
Brother Pao following behind Chen Ji's back entered the doors. Smilingly patted and patted the man's shoulders: "Next time be slightly sharp and clever. People capable of rejecting my Eastern Master are exceptionally not many."
The man endured holding a single breath of air. Yet didn't erupt issuing.
Chen Ji following smoothly along the traversing secluded twisting path stepped crossing a single seated white marble bridge. Precisely seeing Lord Qi sitting upon the pond's edge. His left hand lacking index finger and thumb supporting grasping a single handful of red insects. His right hand pinching a tiny bit throwing it entering the inter-pond. Leading until the fish in the pond lengthily gathered without scattering.
Merely this inside White Jade Garden what was raised was by no means brocade carp. But instead was a single pond full of black fish (snakeheads).
Not far additionally possessed a single seated pavilion. Upon the desk inside the pavilion arrayed brush, ink, paper, inkstone.
Chen Ji stood at not far cupping his hands saying: "Lord Qi."
Lord Qi didn't even turn his head. Merely slowly and leisurely saying: "The Baron of Wuxiang County is acting politely as a guest. You possess noble rank titles upon your body. It ought to be we and our peers the marketplace small commoners toward you performing Propriety greetings to be proper."
Chen Ji was unwilling to with him entangle in cold and warm (idle chatter). Straightly and whitely saying: "Lord Qi if toward this subordinate (me) releasing walking Yuan Cheng possesses anger. From now and heading later mutually Well Water Does Not Interfere With River Water simply works. Merely I do not know... if capable of making the Three Imperial Camps' good men upon the battle arenas generate less somewhat deteriorating gangrene. They are capable of dying less by how many tenths?"
Lord Qi turned his head looking at him: "Baron of Wuxiang County however don't speak grand words. My Three Imperial Camps soldiers half numbers are not dying beneath the Jing Dynasty thief sons' blades. But instead are suffering injuries, transforming with pus... livingly, livingly dying of illness. You if capable of possessing this kind of prescription. My Three Mountains Society for your sake traversing through boiling water and stepping upon fire a single time again possesses what hindrances?"
Chen Ji walked entering the cool pavilion upon a side. Lifting a hand writing down several hundreds of characters: "The Three Mountains Society relying upon this method manufactures formulating allicin. Smearing applying it at the wound locations can guarantee the soldiers are wounded yet not rotting. Reaping dysentery and cholera simply orally taking it. Seven days capable of resolving it. The passing process of manufacturing allicin is complex. Lord Qi possessing those you don't comprehend can come to Plum Blossom Ferry seeking me. I will hand clasping hand teach it a single time."
Lord Qi rose his body arriving beside the desk. Silently looked at it for a long time: "How do I know whether or not it is genuinely true?"
Chen Ji calmly said: "Lord Qi also knows the reputed name of my Morning Newspaper to Govern the World and Provide for the People. If you didn't Trust it, also would not have allowed us to enter coming either."
Lord Qi stroked and stroked his beard: "What words does the Baron of Wuxiang County wish to give Han Tong bringing over?"
Chen Ji firmly and definitely said: "I possess methods to rescue his daughter. Let him come to meet me."
(End of this chapter)