Chapter 580: Wontons |
The retreating backs of Chen Ji and Bai Li drifted further and further away, until they disappeared into the curtain of the dark night.
A spectating onlooker watched the direction where the pair of figures vanished, murmuring: "In 'Four Dreams of Bianliang', Li Changge rebelling out of Bianliang for the Commandery Princess is fake. Tonight, Viscount Wuxiang risking everything for Commandery Princess Baili is something we witnessed with our own eyes... It truly is just like the storybooks."
An onlooker shouted: "I dare to guarantee, in no more than three days, this story will have to be compiled into a new opera, and it's guaranteed to draw huge crowds. I've even thought of the name, let's just call it 'Qilin Youth Night-Bridges the Imperial Music Bureau'."
"Just drop it. With the name you gave it, I would have thought it was the kind of opera script that teahouses can only perform after the Hour of Hai (9-11 PM)."
"I also don't know when that gentleman who wrote 'Four Dreams of Bianliang' will be able to write this matter into a storybook too? I suppose it would be even more spectacular than 'Four Dreams of Bianliang'."
Tonight, the spectating onlookers had watched what seemed like a resplendent storybook. The Sheng (male lead), Dan (female lead), Jing (painted face), Mo (supporting male), and Chou (clown) on the stage had all fought with their lives to perform vigorously. There were flashes of swords and shadows of blades, there was love, hate, infatuation, and entanglement, there were shattered dreams and collapsing palaces, and there was Finding Life in Despair.
Now that the two famous actors had passed through the tide of people, taking a novel curtain call, it was already time for the audience to disperse. No matter how much the onlookers felt they hadn't had enough, there is no unending banquet under heaven; ultimately, they had to go home to sleep.
Yanle Hutong gradually quieted down, while Qi Zhaoning's crying still echoed within the Imperial Music Bureau, as she had nearly fainted.
Qi Zhaoyun came forward to support her away. Jiao Tu, Yun Yang, Brother Pao, Bai Long, and the others just silently watched.
Bai Long looked at Brother Pao: "Chen Chong, today His Majesty has already issued a decree seizing Chen Ji's Salt Certificate business, Plum Blossom Ferry, Morning Newspaper, and Evening News. What are your plans?"
Brother Pao smiled, straightforwardly taking out the Land Deeds and Property Deeds from his robes and placing them onto the Eight Immortals table beside Bai Long: "I had long thought this play would happen. Here are the house and Land Deeds for Plum Blossom Ferry, please take them, Lord Bai Long."
Jiao Tu said beamingly: "Brother Pao is a heroic good fellow, able to pick things up and put them down. It's just, how did you guess His Majesty would seize these livelihoods of Chen Ji's, you even surprisingly prepared the house and Land Deeds in advance."
Brother Pao smiled self-deprecatingly: "There are plenty of smart people under heaven. This killing artifact of Salt Certificates and newspapers can only be used once; once used, it no longer belongs to oneself. Lord Bai Long, the women in Plum Blossom Ferry are all pitiful people, this lowly one has already returned their penal slave registrations to them. Now Plum Blossom Ferry only has an empty shell left, it is up to the Directorate of Ceremonial to dispose of as they please."
Jiao Tu covered her mouth and laughed charmingly, saying: "Yo, I didn't expect Brother Pao to also be a seed of gentleness. Even while dispersing your entire family fortune yourself, you didn't forget to help out pitiful people."
Brother Pao laughed freely: "Just a matter done in passing."
Bai Long glanced at the house and Land Deeds on the table, then looked at Brother Pao again: "Are you willing to work for my Directorate of Ceremonial? Although the properties no longer belong to Chen Ji, you don't need to leave with him. This seat can promise you to continue being the manager, with your dividends remaining unchanged. You are only thirty-five years old this year; in just ten years, the Eight Great Chief Merchants might not necessarily be unable to turn into the Nine Great Chief Merchants."
Brother Pao dusted off his black cloth shirt, saying unhurriedly: "Lord Bai Long wants this Chen to betray my proprietor? Although everyone says this Jianghu no longer has rules, the Jianghu is still the Jianghu. Those who showed grace receive narrow escapes; those who were heartless receive clear retribution. I am indebted to Lord Bai Long for thinking highly of me, but this lowly one cannot do this kind of treacherous and unrighteous thing."
Yun Yang said in a cold voice: "That proprietor of yours hasn't done any less treacherous and unrighteous things."
Brother Pao shook his head: "He has his unspoken difficulties."
Bai Long tapped his fingers on the table: "Then I won't persuade you. Go back and rest. Whenever you figure things out, you can still come find this seat again."
"Many thanks to Lord Bai Long for your consideration," Brother Pao cupped his fists and said: "A kind-hearted reminder to everyone: although these businesses of the proprietor's have been taken away, there are not many people who can use these businesses well. Who knows, these businesses might return to the proprietor's hands someday. Farewell."
Brother Pao strode away.
When he walked out of the Vermilion Steps Great Music Hall, Liu Su stepped forward, performing a Ten Thousand Blessings Greeting: "Lord Bai Long, it would be better to hand this Plum Blossom Ferry over to this concubine to manage. Plum Blossom Pavilion will still run the Salt Certificate business, this concubine won't pay attention to it. As for the rest, this concubine and the Directorate of Ceremonial will split the accounts one to nine. This concubine gets one, the Directorate of Ceremonial gets nine."
Bai Long scrutinized Liu Su for a moment, then tossed the house and Land Deeds out: "Granted."
Liu Su took the Land Deeds and smiled beautifully: "Many thanks to Lord Bai Long. This concubine can be considered to have a new backing mountain from now on."
She also turned and left.
Bai Long looked at Jiao Tu: "Are you still not leaving? Waiting for this seat to treat you to a meal?"
Jiao Tu covered her mouth and laughed charmingly: "Lord Bai Long is so heartless. We were clearly just helping Chen Ji together together... Fine, fine, fine, we're leaving."
Jiao Tu felt a guilty conscience being stared at by Bai Long's dragon-patterned Mask, and immediately pulled Yun Yang along to flee in panic.
The candles in the Imperial Music Bureau had also burned to their ends. The lantern fires extinguished one by one, and the light vanished together with them, leaving Bai Long sitting alone in the darkness, not knowing what he was thinking.
A minor clerk of the Imperial Music Bureau cautiously came in front of Bai Long: "Lord Bai Long, the Imperial Music Bureau is going to close its doors..."
It seemed Bai Long only recovered his senses at this moment. Without saying a word, he got up and walked outward.
Outside the Imperial Music Bureau, there was no longer the previous clamor, leaving only a ground messily littered with melon seed shells and Bamboo Paper scraps. Blown by the autumn wind, they slowly tumbled along the bluestone pavement.
After the extreme bustle came extreme loneliness.
What others walked through were cheers and the red carpet. Only Bai Long passed through this ground of bleakness alone. Wearing a suit of white clothes within the black capital city, he was like a solitary skiff, passing through the overlapping waves of the pavilion terraces and eaves.
Bai Long exhaled a long breath of relief, heading straight to the Falconry Office to inspect the pigeon cages.
Unexpectedly, the two pigeon cages at the very top that had no copper tags attached and were always empty, today surprisingly had a pigeon return to the cage. He untied the Bamboo Tube on the pigeon's leg, poured out the slip of paper, and after glancing at the densely packed tiny characters on it, he rubbed his fingers together and the slip of paper turned into fine powder.
Bai Long pondered for a moment, passing through the Xihua Gate alone, arriving at the foot of the Trouble-Resolving Tower.
Inside the Trouble-Resolving Tower, Shan Niu sat in the shadows and said calmly: "The Inner Chancellor is waiting for you."
Bai Long ascended the steps. This time the door to the Inner Chancellor's room wasn't closed. Standing outside the door, he looked through the screen and saw the other party standing by the window, looking in the direction of the Imperial Music Bureau.
Bai Long stood at the doorway and asked softly: "Since the Inner Chancellor adult likes the lantern fires of ten thousand homes, why not walk out of this Trouble-Resolving Tower and take a look?"
The Inner Chancellor stood by the window, saying lightly: "The lantern fires of ten thousand homes are destined not to belong to those who bury their heads and hurry along their journey. When those wolf cubs from Wunian Mountain first arrived in the capital city, they were all Decisive in Killing one by one. But as the days lengthened, they all developed fetters."
Bai Long said as if nothing mattered: "The Inner Chancellor worries about trapping himself in the lantern fires of ten thousand homes?"
The Inner Chancellor smiled: "Save the probing of this Chancellor, speak of your own matters."
Bai Long cupped his hands: "News came from the north. Princess Liyang returned to the Jing Dynasty's Upper Capital alive, but Yuan Cheng did not return alive. They said he died at the hands of pirates. She has a few more people passing by her side, one old and three young. Rumors say they are from the Martial Temple, but it hasn't been confirmed yet... The Jing Dynasty's old Emperor has already re-conferred her Princess title. I assume the rumors are true, otherwise it wouldn't be this easy."
The Inner Chancellor said calmly: "And?"
Bai Long continued: "Princess Liyang led the Longyou Circuit, Eastern Capital Circuit, and Xixia Circuit to join Yuan Xiang's faction. Lu Jin was promoted to Privy Councilor."
That thin and weak figure behind the screen didn't seem to care about this, merely asking casually: "Not going back to rest so late at night, just to come tell this Chancellor these things?"
Bai Long stood outside the screen and replied: "Princess Liyang's plots are very great. Now if she obtains the assistance of the Martial Temple, and she also joined Yuan Xiang's faction, I fear it will cause the Jing Dynasty's Imperial Court to tremble. With Lu Jin promoted to Privy Councilor, he already has the qualifications to stand on equal footing with Yuan Xiang. Our Secret Spy Division can exploit their vulnerabilities to enter."
The Inner Chancellor's tone was dismissive: "Yuan Xiang became anxious. He originally could have superficially placated and feigned compliance with Lu Jin for a while more, using his unmerited favor to restrict Lu Jin from taking rash actions, so as to avoid losing the great Righteousness. But he was like an aging blind bear. The moment someone stepped foot into his territory, he became panicked and at a loss... Too much time has passed. Even Yuan Xiang has grown old."
Speaking up to here, the Inner Chancellor turned his head to look at Bai Long: "For a carrier pigeon to set off from the Upper Capital, it takes at least seven days, at the fastest, to reach our Ning Dynasty. Since it's already news from seven days ago, knowing it a bit later wouldn't hurt. You rushed to the Trouble-Resolving Tower not for the matters of the Jing Dynasty, but to resign from the position of Bai Long. Right or wrong?"
Bai Long didn't answer.
The Inner Chancellor looked out the window again: "You don't need to rush to make a decision. Feng Wenzheng wagered his own foresight, betting that you could do better than Chang Xiu. Since you got this opportunity, it would be better to do some meaningful things, even if just to do the things you want to do is fine too. After all, if you leave my Trouble-Resolving Tower, it will be very difficult for you to ever find an opportunity this good again."
Bai Long still didn't answer.
The Inner Chancellor said without turning his head: "Someone once said a sentence to me: brief reunions are hard to say whether they are destined rewards or punishments in life. It's still early to make a decision now... Go. It's far from the time for this good play to have its curtain call. We can wait a while longer and see."
Bai Long remained silent for a long time, then cupped his hands: "This humble official takes his leave."
Just as he was preparing to withdraw from the room, the Inner Chancellor suddenly called him back again: "Wait."
Bai Long turned back and asked: "What other instructions does the Inner Chancellor have?"
The Inner Chancellor smiled and said: "The capital city hasn't been this bustling for a very long time, and this Chancellor also hasn't seen this kind of youthful spirit in this capital city for a very long time. However, all things that burn intensely will ultimately return to dullness, because I fear they haven't even had time to think about what to do after the great vigor and dynamism. How long do you think they'll remain silent? After staying silent, what will be their first sentence?"
The matters this Inner Chancellor cared about always seemed to be out of the ordinary.
Bai Long pondered for a long time: "Are you hungry?"
Behind the screen, the Inner Chancellor was startled for a moment. He carefully chewed it over, then chewed it over again, and then praised: "It should indeed be asking this sentence."
Meanwhile, Chen Ji and Bai Li had not returned to the small residence in Liquor Alley.
The two of them walked on the silent bluestone pavement for an unknown amount of time. Ultimately, it was still Chen Ji who opened his mouth first to break the silence: "Are you hungry?"
Bai Li stopped walking. She looked toward the direction of the Forbidden City, softly saying: "Can you take me to eat a bowl of wontons? I want the hot soup, with extra cilantro and dried baby shrimp sprinkled on top. I heard there's an old man carrying a shoulder pole at the Sky Bridge Night Market in the capital city, and the soup base is boiled with chicken bones for a full three Shichen (six hours)... The Empress thought about it for so long, presumably it must be very delicious, right?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment: "Okay." (End of Chapter)