Chapter 582: Advancing and Retreating Together |
The sound of the watchman's drum came from outside Liquor Alley, the night watchman dragging out a long intonation: "The morning rooster announces the dawn, sleep early and rise early!"
Chen Ji had remained sleepless all night on the bed in the east wing room. He quietly watched the ceiling until the sound of roosters crowing arose outside the house, and the sound of the watchman's drum came from the street by the Jade River.
The Little Monk beside Chen Ji suddenly sighed: "Benefactor, Carving a Mark on a Boat to Find a Lost Sword, ultimately one cannot find that sword from back then."
Chen Ji stared steadily at the ceiling: "The sword is still that sword, and the boat is still that small boat, how could it be different?"
The Little Monk lay side-by-side next to Chen Ji, also staring steadily at the ceiling: "The sword might still be that sword, and the boat might also still be that small boat from back then. But the small boat has tossed and turned for thousands of miles, and the sword has rusted and gathered dust in the riverbed's silt... The state of mind is ultimately different."
The Little Monk turned his head to look at Chen Ji, saying earnestly: "Benefactor, when a sword falls into the river, the thing the person on the boat should do most is not Carving a Mark on a Boat to Find a Lost Sword, but to move forward and look for a new one... Perhaps you already have a new one by your side, it's just that your obsession has covered your eyes, and you haven't seen it."
This time Chen Ji didn't speak.
The Little Monk slowly got up: "Benefactor, if you encounter two exactly identical trees while climbing a mountain, it's not because creation in this world is so miraculous, it's because you are lost... This young monk is going to pick vegetables, otherwise Xiaoman will scold people."
Chen Ji gave an "mm".
It was Brother Pao and Er Dao who had come.
Chen Ji looked at the Qilin Rank Robe hanging in the room, but only folded the Rank Robe up neatly, changing into a suit of black clothes with a slanted collar and large lapel.
He was currently tying the buttons when he heard Brother Pao's careless and magnanimous voice sounding from outside the door: "Xiaoman, cook a bit more food, Er Dao and I have big appetites."
Xiaoman agreed: "Okay!"
Chen Ji pushed the door and came out, asking curiously: "Plum Blossom Ferry was taken away, where did you spend the night yesterday?"
Brother Pao laughed 'haha', sitting by the stone table and responding: "Can a living person be suffocated to death by holding in urine? Does the proprietor remember that I previously sent away the Red Courtesans of the Red Plum Building? Now they invited me to lodge with them. Staying with one family for one day, I can go a month without repeating a place to stay."
Er Dao said in a muffled voice from the side: "You clearly had silver to stay at an inn, but insisted on staying at those women's homes."
Chen Ji looked at Brother Pao: "I'm sorry, I originally said I would leave Plum Blossom Ferry and the Salt Certificate business to you, but now they are all gone."
Brother Pao said freely: "I said it before, people don't have a thousand days of good times, and flowers don't stay red for a hundred days. If you want to win, you first have to afford to lose. If a person hasn't risen again from the ashes, what kind of heroic good fellow are they? I'm actually curious, what does the proprietor plan to do next? If you are going to leave, Er Dao and I won't stay here either... Er Dao, what do you say?"
Er Dao thought for a moment: "We can leave today."
Chen Ji fell into silence.
He didn't expect Brother Pao and Er Dao actually planned to roam the ends of the earth with him: "You don't need to drift around everywhere. Although the livelihoods are gone now, the foundation of connections is still there. I will recommend you to Lord Zhang Zhuo. He is going to reform the money, grain, and taxes, and it's exactly the time when he needs people. With your talents, you can accomplish much, and you will definitely become Name Known Throughout the World. I know, you came to the capital city precisely for this."
Brother Pao unhurriedly stuffed shredded tobacco into his Tobacco Pipe, and then lit it leaning in toward the Fire Wood Strip Er Dao handed over: "Before this matter of becoming Name Known Throughout the World was accomplished, I still felt it was interesting. But I, this certain Chen, have already relied on two final pen-strokes to become Name Known Throughout the World, I can play with something else... Not only Name Known Throughout the World, maybe I can even go down in history together with the Qi Family."
Chen Ji sat by the stone table, asking sincerely: "Are you truly willing to leave? With this departure, the efforts of the past year will all go down the drain. No matter where you go again, you will have to start from scratch."
Brother Pao smiled faintly: "Proprietor, when have I ever spoken lies? Er Dao and I now have no external possessions. If we really say we are leaving, I fear we might leave even more straightforwardly than you."
At this time, Xiaoman walked out of the kitchen: "Young Master, the Little Monk and I also discussed it, we are leaving with you."
Chen Ji raised his eyebrows: "When did you guys discuss it?"
Xiaoman replied: "Last night... Right, Little Monk?"
The Little Monk was startled for a moment: "Ah... Right, we discussed it properly last night."
Chen Ji said puzzledly: "You didn't plan on leaving previously."
"Circumstances change with the passage of time," Xiaoman shrugged her shoulders: "Before, I wanted to stay behind and live some good days. Having been a servant girl for several years, it's about time I became a wealthy landowner. But now the Auntie's livelihoods are all gone, what am I still staying here for? I have to follow you! You gave away those livelihoods, you have to compensate me for them... Today I will take the remaining silver in the house and go buy some things. But for Young Master to swagger out of the capital city is a bit eye-catching, we have to prepare things at the Zhang family's farming estate outside the capital city."
Xiaoman counted on her fingers and calculated: "If we are traveling far, we need to prepare some... what did we need to prepare again?"
She paused, suddenly discovering that she surprisingly didn't know where to start, becoming so anxious she constantly tugged at her cuffs.
Brother Pao knocked his Tobacco Pipe: "Let me do it, I've thought about this matter for a very long time."
He placed the pipe stem on the stone table, stretched out one hand, and pressed down his five fingers one by one: "First we must prepare carriages and horses."
Xiaoman hurriedly said: "We have horses, the ten horses His Majesty rewarded are still being raised at the Directorate of Imperial Horses outside the East Brilliance Gate, we have to lead them out. But ten horses are too many; we'll keep six for travel and exchange the remaining four for silver. We need to buy two carriages, one for carrying people, one for carrying goods. Large carriages in the capital city are expensive, we won't buy them in the city. We'll go out of the city to Changping to purchase them, we can save thirty percent."
Er Dao supplemented: "The carriage axles must be made of elm wood, willow wood can't endure wearing down."
Brother Pao nodded, pressing down his second finger: "Secondly is Winter Clothes. Seeing as it's entering autumn, the further north we go the colder it gets. Practitioners can ignore it, but myself, Er Dao, the Little Monk, and the Commandery Princess will definitely need one set of thick Padded Cotton Jacket and Padded Cotton Trousers per person, covered with a windproof exterior. Leather jackets are too expensive, we can't afford new ones, but hunting for a few old ones at the second-hand clothing shops will be just as warm."
Xiaoman hurriedly took out a small notebook, then brought out a piece of charcoal from the kitchen to record on it.
Brother Pao pressed down his third finger: "Then there's food: roasted flour, dried meat, and pickled vegetable lumps. For roasted flour, use naked oats; it staves off hunger, and once steeped in boiling water it can be eaten. For dried meat, buy beef; pork can't be kept long. For the pickled vegetables, have the old ladies pickle the kind that is suffocatingly salty, it won't spoil even if kept for a year."
Xiaoman nodded in agreement: "We must bring plenty of salt, salt is precious outside the pass."
The Little Monk whispered: "Prepare some vegetarian dishes for this young monk..."
Brother Pao pressed down his fourth finger: "Then comes the tools and equipment."
He glanced at Chen Ji: "Myself, Er Dao, and Xiaoman must each have a Short Blade for self-defense. Regarding the proprietor's Whale Blade, I see there's a crack on the scabbard. There is an extremely famous scabbard craftsman in the capital city; I'll go find one, it can be finished with a day of rushed work."
Chen Ji pondered for two breaths: "No need, it can still be used."
Brother Pao didn't pick up on this topic, continuing downwards as if speaking to himself: "We cannot lodge at the Relay Stations. We must prepare two wool felt tents, men stay in one, women stay in one. The pot needs to be a small Iron Pot with ears, which can be hung over a fire to cook rice. One bowl per person, made of wood, not afraid of being dropped."
He paused: "Bring a dozen Fire Wood Strips, wrap them tightly in tung-oil cloth."
Xiaoman finished writing and looked up: "What else?"
Brother Pao thought for a moment, pressing down his fifth finger: "Lastly is silver and money... How much is left in the house?"
Xiaoman hesitated for a moment: "Eight hundred and forty taels."
Brother Pao smiled faintly: "It's enough. Back when Er Dao and I first arrived in the capital city, we only had two hundred wen on us. Er Dao, take out our family assets as well, hand them all over to Xiaoman for expenses."
Er Dao didn't speak. He dug out a cloth bundle from his robes and placed it on the table. Inside were three strings of Buddhist Prayer Beads Currency: "Four thousand seven hundred taels. These have nothing to do with Plum Blossom Ferry and the Salt Certificates. They are the dividends from collecting Peace Money these past few months, it's all here."
Chen Ji looked at the Buddhist Prayer Beads Currency on the table, then looked up and scanned the few people in the courtyard. Seeing that everyone hadn't even asked him exactly where they were going, yet so earnestly tossed aside everything from the past to start planning matters for the road...
Xiaoman looked at him: "Young Master, before leaving, do you want to have a meal with Sister A'Xia? After all, we won't see her anymore in the future..."
At this time, the door to the main room was gently pushed open, and Xiaoman's words abruptly ceased.
Bai Li still wore that Daoist robe. She looked at the Little Monk, then averted her gaze.
Xiaoman asked curiously: "Why didn't the Commandery Princess wear the clothes I prepared for you?"
Bai Li softly said: "Thank you Xiaoman, it's just that I'm used to wearing the Daoist robe... Were you discussing matters?"
Xiaoman's gaze drifted about.
Chen Ji interrupted: "Let's eat first. After eating, Xiaoman will go purchase the things, and Brother Pao and Er Dao will accompany the Commandery Princess and me on a trip to the Public Cemetery."
...
...
After the meal, Xiaoman tucked the small notebook into her clothes and exited the door.
Chen Ji returned to the east wing room and took the Whale Blade down from the rack.
He pushed the tsuba open with his thumb, the blade body reflecting half his cheek. The crack was three inches down from the scabbard's handguard. If Brother Pao hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have noticed it himself.
He took a deep breath, went out the door, and said to everyone: "Let's go."
The group hired an ox cart. On the cart were placed several jars of wine and folded paper ingots, as well as stacks of white paper money. The ox cart traveled north, exiting the Anding Gate all the way and continuing north.
Upon arriving at the Public Cemetery, Chen Ji first found the graves of the Feather Forest Army soldiers who died in battle, pouring the several jars of wine in front of the stele.
He lit a bonfire in front of the graves, and while tossing the paper money and paper ingots inside, he said in a low voice: "With this departure, I don't know if I'll still have the opportunity to come back and see you guys. If not, don't take offense, consider this time a farewell."
After he finished burning the paper money, he finally headed to the charity mortuary within the Public Cemetery with Bai Li. Here lay some unclaimed corpses, as well as an entire wall of urns for ashes.
Bai Li searched among the rows of urns: "The Empress had someone make a mark on Princess Yongchun's urn. I assume she also remembered to bury Princess Yongchun and Zhou Zhuoyuan together... Strange, why can't I find it?"
Chen Ji pondered for a moment: "Could it have already been taken away by The Empress's people, so that's why you can't find it?"
Bai Li walked outward: "We have to go to Zhou Zhuoyuan's tomb to take a look."
Chen Ji asked: "Where is Zhou Zhuoyuan buried?"
"Walk further north, at the northernmost part of the Public Cemetery. After he died in Lingnan, the Zhou family spent money to secretly transport him back. It's said they didn't dare carve his name on the tombstone."
When the two arrived at the northern side of the Public Cemetery, they surprisingly saw a brand-new stone stele standing alone. The grave mound was made of newly turned soil, without a single weed.
A few characters were carved onto the stone stele: "Husband, Feather Forest Army Commander Zhou Zhuoyuan, Wife, Princess Yongchun Zhu Chunxin, Their Tomb."
The characters were newly chiseled, with stone dust still embedded in the crevices of the strokes. Under the foot of the stele was pressed a withered branch of mugwort, wrapped with a segment of faded red string.
"It's Aunt Yuanjin. She has already helped them be buried together here," Bai Li squatted down in front of the stele, using her fingers to trace along the strokes of "Princess Yongchun" bit by bit: "From now on with Lord Zhou guarding you, nobody will dare bully you anymore."
The wind blew across the desolate slope on the northern side of the Public Cemetery. The ashes of paper money rolled over from the location of Zhou Zhuoyuan's old grave, stuck to that branch of withered mugwort, paused for a moment, and gently floated away again.
Bai Li stood up: "Let's go back..."
However, right at this moment, movement was heard from the bushes further north. Without Hesitation, Chen Ji drew his blade and charged forward. The blade's edge swept over the bushes and stopped at a man's neck: "It was you following us yesterday too?"
The man crouching in the bushes was not afraid, surprisingly lifting his neck against the blade edge and slowly standing up: "It's me. I wasn't following you, but following the Commandery Princess."
Chen Ji looked at the other party horizontally: "From the Canal Transport Guild?"
The man said, neither subservient nor overbearing: "Canal Transport Guild Yangzhou Incense Hall Master, Lü Qi, has words to say to the Commandery Princess... Does Viscount Wuxiang dare to let me speak a few sentences privately with the Commandery Princess?"
Chen Ji fell silent for a long time: "Giving you the time it takes an incense stick to burn." (End of Chapter)