Chapter 556: Better Chips (Bargaining Chips) |
Chen Ji possessed many matters desiring to ask.
For example whether the Inner Chancellor will or won't comply with guarding the mutually fixing agreements (promises). For example harmoniously marrying is at hand. Bai Li ought to how escape her body?
Is it persuading Emperor Ning to not harmoniously marry... pardoning Bai Li? Will or won't Emperor Ning identically appropriately (agree to) alter replacing national policies?
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Or else assisting Bai Li Faking Death to Escape her body? This hand segment (method) capable or incapable of concealing safely from Wu Xiu and the Trouble-Resolving Guards?
Chen Ji full heart's puzzling doubts. But Bai Long hadn't given him the opportunities to ask exiting these mutually questions. Turning his body heading outside the Alleys walking to go: "This Seat knows you desire to ask what. But this Seat this time rushing heading to meet the Inner Chancellor. Lacking empty air (time) to with you entwine and coil around. Waiting until tomorrow entering the palace facing the Saint... entire sets universally will identically be dividing clearly already."
Speaking arriving at this place. Bai Long turned his head slantingly squinting at Chen Ji: "Remember to take this body of clothing garments of yours exchanging dropping them. Do not optionally appropriately wear this single body heading to His Majesty's face front to hinder eyes (be an eyesore)."
Chen Ji lowered his head looking over. His own body upon entirely is blood filth and broken holes. Waiting until he anew lifted his head's time. Bai Long had already exited the Alleys.
Bai Long received passing the reins the secret spies passed coming flipping his body ascending horse. Leading taking a single multitude of secret spies toward the city north galloping swiftly and departing to go. Initiating until outside Taiye Pool only then stopping descending.
Arriving before Xihua Gate.
Originally ought to have dropped locks (been locked) palace doors yet spaciously opened a single line of crevice. A single named small eunuch in a low voice said: "Excellency. Inner Chancellor Excellency at Trouble-Resolving Tower waiting for you."
Bai Long 'en' a single sound. Following at the small eunuch's body behind piercing passing the secludedly deep palace prohibitions.
When crossing passing Palace of Compassion and Tranquility's time. He couldn't endure holding to redundantly look for a single glance at that seated scorched black grand hall. Several ten ten-thousands of taels (hundreds of thousands of taels) of silver simply like this suffered handling dropping a single torch (going up in flames).
The small eunuch walking at the front faces. Behind back yet seemingly as if having grown arriving at eyes: "Empress Dowager peacefully moved exiting passing to Palace of Assisting the Earth for temporarily residing already. His Majesty descended edicts cultivating completing Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. But dotted names (specifically requested) desiring Yun Province's six zhang long golden thread nanmu wood to act as grand beams. Using this to manifestly reveal the Empress Dowager's honorarily highly valued nature. But this year head (these days). Heading where to go find six zhang long golden thread nanmu wood to go? If uniquely raiding a positioned Grand Secretary's home joyfully perhaps capable of finding it. But Yun Province deciding calculating (definitely) uniformly lacks it... This Palace of Compassion and Tranquility fearing it's a single time half a moment (in the short term) cultivating incomplete rising coming already."
Bai Long looking at the small eunuch's back shadow: "Chang Xiu. You are inside the palace seven years already. Possess or don't possess plans exiting the palace doing matters? Going to the Trouble-Resolving Guards historically refining for several years. Trouble-Resolving Guard Commander early or late is yours."
The small eunuch also following it faintly smiled: "Excellency. This small person with you peers is un-identical. You peers joyfully like the palace walls outside faces' world. This small person joyfully likes the palace walls inside faces' world."
Bai Long smilingly asked saying: "This again is why?"
The small eunuch named called Chang Xiu joyfully harmoniously answered saying: "Worldly people all speak this palace prohibitions resembles the sea... people's hearts difficult to measure. But the palace walls outside's people's hearts again how capable of being good arriving at where to go huh? This palace wall inside universally calculating un-passing (only) several thousand people busy livingly. Only necessitate you being capable of stroking thoroughly these several thousand people. Actually capable of living arriving at very self-freeingly (freely). But a single dawn exiting the palace walls. Having to face facing of how stopping several thousand people? Their heart eyes (intentions) simply is good huh?"
Bai Long ha-ha grandly smiling: "Possess Dao logic (makes sense). The palace walls outside's The Jianghu holding the inverse also didn't compare to the palace walls inside good arriving at where to go. No. Perhaps even more dangerously vicious."
Chang Xiu 'en' a single sound: "The year coming out from Wunian Mountain this small person simply entered the palace already. Every single day capable of possessing somewhat leisurely idle time lingering inside Trouble-Resolving Tower looking and reading books simply is exceptionally good."
Bai Long asked saying: "Looked at how many already?"
Chang Xiu possessing somewhat not good meaning (embarrassed): "Just merely looked at two portions."
Bai Long smilingly said: "Doesn't count as small already. Compared to quite a few grand Confucianists universally is forming fiercely."
Arriving beneath Trouble-Resolving Tower. Trouble-Resolving Tower spaciously opening doors. Not yet lighting lamps.
Chang Xiu toward Trouble-Resolving Tower inside's black dark cupped his hands said: "Brother Shan Niu. Excellency Bai Long came already."
Shan Niu seated at the doors inside black dark center lifting his eyes from upon Bai Long's body sweeping passing. Following intents (casually) cupping and cupping hands again silently shutting his eyes.
Bai Long hoisted lifting his clothing hems plucking upon the stairs advancing upon. Arriving before the Inner Chancellor's doors knocking and knocking: "Inner Chancellor Excellency. This humble official returned coming already."
Inside the room echoed rising Copper Bell sounds.
Bai Long pushing the doors advancing entering. Cupping his hands said: "Inner Chancellor Excellency. Han Tong caught holding already. Already escorted entering the Inner Prison. Tomorrow a single early capable of sending entering the palace center receiving interrogations... Does or does not descend edicts letting the Secret Spy Division immediately seizing arresting Four Beams and Eight Pillars and various incense Hall Masters?"
The Inner Chancellor 'en' a single sound. Still as before at the separating wind screens (screens) rear laying over his desk doing Cinnabar Rescripts. Voice energy wave ripples un-startled (calm): "No need. If uniquely cleanly caught arriving at. Transport river I'm afraid is about to chaotically lack sets (fall into chaos). Catching two handling via extreme punishment shaking violently terrifying night smalls (scoundrels). The additionally remaining ones universally give Official Positions... Those listening to words give Transport river Centurion. Peacefully steady five years capable of promoting to Chiliarch. The most listening to words ones capable of transferring promoting to Squad Commander. Leading Jinling transport river guard station five thousand troops and horses."
Bai Long responded descending (complied): "This humble official tomorrow simply heads to properly arrange it."
At this time. The Inner Chancellor upon paper wrote descending several acting lines of words. Hoisting it rising up blowing and blowing the ink traces: "Wait for a moment handing it giving to Meng Ji. Tomorrow according to upon the paper interrogation. What ought to ask, ask. What ought not to ask, a single single word universally do not optionally appropriately ask."
Bai Long circled passing the separating wind screens taking the Xuan Paper receiving it inside his hands extensively reviewing. Yet suddenly froze stopping.
The Inner Chancellor lifted his head looking at him: "How?"
Bai Long pondered and conjectured for a moment: "Chen Ji now took Lin Chaojing, Han Tong universally entirely caught holding already. Does or does not Inner Chancellor Excellency identically agree returning Commandery Princess Baili freedom."
The Inner Chancellor stopped dropping his brush. Seeming to smile not smilingly looking toward the separating wind screens: "How. Trust not passing (don't trust) this Chancellor?"
Bai Long lowered his head cupping his hands: "This humble official dare not. Merely looked at what tomorrow is about to interrogate matters. Feeling inside them I'm afraid still possessing wave turning (twists and turns). Inner Chancellor Excellency seeming as if intentionally favorably turning backs on Trust and discarding Righteousness."
The Inner Chancellor slowly and leisurely spoke saying: "More and more coming not smoothly untying (understanding) compasses and rulers (rules)."
Bai Long by no means withdrew yielding. Merely calmly fixedly spoke saying: "Mister Feng approaching walking front once spoke. With Inner Chancellor Excellency speaking words no need to speak of thoroughly investigating compasses and rulers. Un-necessitates identically speaking of human emotions and worldly causes (social norms). Only necessitate matters done correctly already. Other bystanders universally not heavily importantly vital. Mister Feng spoke... the Inner Chancellor merely looks at knotting fruits (results). Doesn't ask passing paths (process)."
The Inner Chancellor lightly smiled rising up: "He also is more and more coming releasing wanton arrogances. This also is capable of following conveniences (casually) teaching?"
Bai Long in a light voice said: "This humble official holding the inverse feels Mister Feng taught identically lacking mistake."
The Inner Chancellor from desk after rose his body. Walking arriving before the windows toward outside gazing to go: "Twenty-plus years before possessing people taught me numerous amounts of Dao logic. He spoke. When extensively reviewing separately bystanders doing matters' time. Must solely merely look at knotting fruits. Otherwise bystanders' casually editing a single sequence of reasons simply capable of pasting (fooling) you. You still how act as an ascendingly positional one (superior)? Only necessitate the knotting fruits is completely beautiful's... then entire everything universally is completely beautiful's."
"But when extensively reviewing oneself's time. Must solely merely look at the passing paths not looking at the knotting fruits. Everything entirely exerting strength simply works. He said... people most capable of tragically sorrowful is taking the passing paths extensively reviewing bystanders. Taking knotting fruits extensively reviewing oneself. Arriving at the head coming down. A single lifetime drilling into cow horn tips (being stubborn/obsessive). Witheredly sitting before oil lamps twenty years. Merely for the sake of that single knotting fruits. Entrapped within it. Simply if Chen Ji."
Bai Long lifted his head looking over: "Inner Chancellor Excellency is speaking of Chen Ji. Or else is speaking of himself?"
The Inner Chancellor faintly smiled: "Feng Wenzheng took you teaching brokenly bad already ah. Old people frequently speak. One Fate, Two Lacks (Fortune), Three Winds and Waters (Feng Shui), Four Accumulating Yin Virtue, Five Studying Books, Six Exchanging Honored People (Nobles), Seven Respecting Spirit Illuminations (Deities), Eight Encountering Good People. Nine Seeking Luck Avoiding Calamity. Ten Not Solidly Stubbornly Good and Evil. This simply is people this single lifetime most heavily importantly vital ten pieces of matters. These ten pieces of matters ah. Meeting their three. Simply capable of passing good a single lifetime."
"But these ten pieces of matters reversing coming passing. Simply is accomplishing matters' methods. You must first not be solidly stubbornly good and evil. And afterwards learn comprehendingly Seeking Luck Avoiding Calamity. Anew encountering a single one not crying, not fussing, not hanging one's neck's good person. Waiting until you exchanged Honored People... taking books reading them brightly and whitely. If still haven't accomplished matters. The leftovers simply with you lacks relations already. Must hand them giving to fortune and fate."
Bai Long cupped his hands said: "Received teaching already."
Outside Trouble-Resolving Tower a single array of frigid winds blowing coming. The Inner Chancellor feelingly received the winds inside's frigid intents: "Heavens are about to cool down already... These impoverished households' most difficultly enduring simply is winter days. Spring, summer, autumn universally identically still possess living paths. Only necessitate hands and feet diligent and quick somewhat. Willing to output work and output strength. Simply won't arrive at starving dying people. Universally uniquely winter days are what doesn't give impoverished people living paths. Therefore firewood rice oil salt sauce vinegar tea. Firewood sequences the first. That small kid Chen Ji sending exiting Honeycomb Coal truly fundamentally largely generously (generously). This year whoever if uniquely takes coal stones accumulatingly storing securely uniquely (hoarding for profit). Fining a single piece of reasoning universally exhaustively kills them dropping."
Bai Long responded descending (complied): "Yes."
The Inner Chancellor conjoined shutting the windows. Turning his head looking toward Bai Long: "Still possessing what matter?"
Bai Long considered and searched for a moment. Trembling and shaking hands center's Xuan Paper: "Since the Inner Chancellor already decided releasing backing Commandery Princess Baili. Why not straightly directly simply releasing her dropping. Still desiring to redundantly turn and shift a single sequence?"
The Inner Chancellor smiled rising up: "That small kid daringly massive behaving falsely burning dropped Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. This Chancellor letting him mutually return somewhat silver again acts how? Working already (Alright). Returning going to rest."
Bai Long stood at original lands un-moving.
The Inner Chancellor puzzlingly said: "Still possessing what matter?"
Bai Long earnestly securely asking saying: "Inner Chancellor Excellency genuinely willingly releasing Bai Li this wonderfully good's tokens and chips (bargaining chip)?"
The Inner Chancellor sat returning the desk rear: "This Chancellor already possesses even better's already."
...
...
Chen Ji returning arriving at the Chen Estate already was Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM). Anew possessing three named two-hour periods the palace doors simply are about to boldly open already.
He looked for a single glance inside the room. Wu Yun not knowing heading to where. Xiaoman lying inside the western side rooms hu-hu grandly sleeping. Separated by the windows universally uniformly capable of hearing snores intersecting. The Little Monk then sleeping arriving at even more deadly.
Chen Ji's heart and threads (mood) slowly, slowly calmly peacefully coming down.
He walked entering the ear rooms. Stripping discarding clothing garments looking at a full body of blood traces. Universally all was his own dried blood. Beneath the driedly faded blood traces... are four paths of darkly fading Striped Marks. Still possessing four paths perfectly good identically as earlier.
Striped Marks from Molten Flow locally changing. Previously merely using a single line of Striped Mark's time... he still hadn't observed uniquely possessing what alterations mimicking (changes). Now in a single breath of air using dropping three paths. He only then astonishingly realizing those lightening dropping's Striped Marks. Actually universally anew changing turning into Molten Flow gathering entering Furnace Fires center.
At this time at this moment. The body within seven hundred and twenty cups of Furnace Fires ragingly, fiercely burning. Wanting to compare to passing days any singly a single piece of time universally wanting to be fiercely ruthless. Flourishingly thriving. Thickly fierce.
If previously merely was a single pile of small little campfire fires. Then this time simply is adding dropping hundreds and tens of roots of wooden kindling's grand fire. Burning rising several zhang high's fire flames. Those changing turning into Striped Marks's Furnace Fires from coming un-ever vanished. Waiting until he used dropping the Striped Marks after anew reverting and substituting.
Chen Ji considered and searched for a moment. Vain hands holding holding fulfilling packing water's grand water vat. Actually already capable of taking it softly looseningly lifting raising... passing days even if capable of holding it rising. Also uniquely absolutely unable to be this type completely softly loosening.
He self-speaking self-wordingly (mutters to himself): "Still uniquely not knowing how to burst thoroughly the Path-Seeking Realm. Strength energy largely somewhat also is a good matter."
Chen Ji using a wooden dipper scooping rising clean water. Taking his body's blood traces crashing and brushing cleanly pure. And afterwards exchanging wearing himself's that single body substituting representing the Baron of Wuxiang County identity's primary red-colored official clothing.
White-colored gauze substance lined robes. Equipping green destined borders collars.
Outside covering a basin collar right lapel deep red gauze robe. Front and rear decorating plain gold square badges. The badges upon embroidered Qilin pictures.
Head wearing black-colored Lacquered Gauze Extended-Horn Hat. Both horns evenly straightly unfolding opening. Left and right each singly one chi two cun (approx 0.4m).
Chen Ji today wearing uniquely outside gravely important (solemn).
After wearing safely. He quietly, quietly seated upon the courtyard center's stone stools waiting for Heavenly brightness.
Wu Yun not knowing what time returning coming. At his body side's stone table upon sitting descending: "Han Tong caught holding already or?"
Chen Ji dotted his head (nodded): "Caught holding already."
Wu Yun curiously said: "Then you are thinking what?"
Chen Ji calmly said: "Hoping that connecting descending coming entire everything smoothly beneficial."
Wu Yun again asked saying: "Waiting until rescuing exiting the Commandery Princess. You identically plan doing what?"
Chen Ji pondered and conjectured for a moment: "I originally identically planned carrying her identically together heading to Jing Dynasty. Hear speaking Master is there. The Prince Heir also is there. Liang Mao'er, Liang Gou'er eldest brother also are there. Waiting until joining with them to combine and meet. Also perhaps uniformly identically together heading to even more eastern northern's deep mountains and old forests inside. Heading to kill wild pigs, hunting bear blindly (black bears). Also identically capable of plucking ganoderma, excavating honey bees (honey), digging mountain ginseng. Starving simply properly braise somewhat small chicken and mushrooms. Thirsty simply properly drink mountain spring water. At forest intervals erecting a single wooden seated house... Wu Yun. I hear people speaking. When you see arriving at friends's time... simply will revert arriving at your initially first time seeing his yearly age (age). You within the growing massive paths intersecting passing courses (process) un-stoppingly toss losing yourself. Inside them a single partial section simply is preserved existing at friends there. Seeing arriving at them's time... those correspondingly tossed losing ones universally also are simply scooped finding returning natively coming already."
Wu Yun slanted its head: "Originally this similarly identically planning... then right now huh?"
This single time. Chen Ji hadn't answered. Seemingly as if very many matters universally already quietly silently altered modifying already.
(End of this chapter)