Chapter 583: A Long Sentence |
"You dare let me speak to the Commandery Princess?" Lü Qi scrutinized Chen Ji from head to toe, seemingly not having expected that Chen Ji actually dared to let him speak to Bai Li.
Chen Ji slowly sheathed the Whale Blade: "She is free. Who she wants to speak to is her freedom, I will not stand in the way."
Lü Qi's expression fluctuated between dark and clear: "Do you know what I want to say to the Commandery Princess? What do you think the Commandery Princess will think when she finds out about those filthy things you did?"
Chen Ji didn't answer immediately.
He turned his head to glance back, only to see Bai Li standing in front of the grave looking over, the contours of her cheeks smoothed softly by the sunlight.
Chen Ji withdrew his gaze, replying after being silent for a long time: "This certain Chen cannot block the myriad mouths of the world under heaven. Since I have done it, I am prepared to be known by others."
Lü Qi took a deep breath. The Canal Transport Guild's Four Beams and Eight Pillars had originally made many plots, such as how to Make a Feint to the East and Attack in the West to draw Chen Ji away, such as where to secretly contact Bai Li. Everyone had split into four routes last night and practiced three times, but strangely, none of it could be used now.
He felt somewhat irritable, and also somewhat indescribably stifled.
Lü Qi looked at Chen Ji, his tone stiff: "I trouble Viscount Wuxiang to stand further away. My Canal Transport Guild's secret matters can only be spoken for the Commandery Princess alone to hear."
After Lü Qi confirmed Chen Ji was far away, only then did he step forward, respectfully performing a cupped-fist salute to the Commandery Princess according to the rules: "Paying respects to the Guild Master."
Bai Li slightly knitted her brows, seemingly not expecting the other party to address her like this: "Guild Master?"
Lü Qi said in a low voice: "Before coming to the capital city this time, the Old Guild Master Han Tong harbored the resolve of 'if not successfully completing the task, then dying to preserve virtue'. He specifically told this lowly one that he might not be able to retreat entirely unscathed from this trip. If he met with any mishaps, you, as the only surviving descendant of the Wen family, would be the Canal Transport Guild Master from now on. The one hundred and twenty thousand brothers of my Canal Transport Guild... all swear to follow you to the death."
Bai Li wasn't in a hurry to pick up the conversation, only lowering her head and quietly looking at the characters on the tombstone, not knowing what she was thinking.
Lü Qi had already changed his address: "Guild Master, the Old Guild Master once instructed us that if he fell into prison, we absolutely must not go rescue him, lest more guild members die at the hands of the Eunuch Faction's eagles and hounds. Now six of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars are still lying low in the capital city. Tonight we can receive you to leave the capital city. We will depart from the South Water Gate, and taking a fast boat, we can arrive in Jinling in seven days."
Speaking up to here, he lifted his eyelids and swiftly glanced at Bai Li.
Bai Li's profile was very quiet. The sunlight spread over her cheeks like a thin layer of old silk, unable to reveal whether there was sorrow or joy beneath.
She didn't look at Lü Qi, only saying softly: "I didn't plan on being this Guild Master, nor do I have the ability to look after over a hundred thousand people. Everyone should hire someone more brilliant."
Lü Qi's eyes widened, unable to hold back from speaking some of the actual situation: "The Canal Transport Guild Master has historically always been someone from the Wen family, how can it be changed? There is something you don't know. The Old Guild Master is still in the Inner Prison, yet there are already people wanting to fight for the position of Guild Master, completely not thinking about how to rescue him... You must Step Forward Bravely to bring order out of chaos, otherwise this Canal Transport Guild is going to fall into chaos. When the time comes, no one will go rescue the Old Guild Master, and this massive family property will also be destroyed by the Eunuch Faction."
Bai Li looked into the distance: "You all say he is my father, but clearly the person who taught me to read and write since childhood, accompanied me in playing, and cared about whether I was cold or warm was not him. I have no intention of blaming him, but merely to express my feelings. The true father in my heart has already left."
Lü Qi grew anxious, stepping forward and saying: "Guild Master, the Old Guild Master also cares about you very much. In those years, no matter how big the matters were, he would rush to Luo City before your birthday. It's just that he also has his unspoken difficulties..."
Bai Li didn't say more.
Seeing that Bai Li didn't speak, Lü Qi pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and tested the waters: "Does the Guild Master not want to avenge The Empress?"
Bai Li's eyelashes fluttered lightly, and her fingers curled slightly.
Lü Qi continued speaking: "The Empress treated you as her own child. We know you definitely want to avenge her. But the person who forced her to death wasn't Noble Consort Xue. The person who truly wanted The Empress dead is that one in Renshou Palace. My Canal Transport Guild has people and money. Once you have rallied the Old Guild Master's former subordinates, we can go to the south to win over the people's hearts and recruit soldiers and buy horses. Quietly waiting for the time when the Jing Dynasty mounts a massive invasion southward, we will raise the banner of rebellion and overthrow his Zhu family's rivers and mountains. When the time comes, we will hang that Emperor old man's head above the Meridian Gate to offer as a sacrifice to the Empress..."
Bai Li turned her head, looking toward that withered and dead jujube tree ten zhang away.
Chen Ji stood there, the wind lifting the corners of his robe and letting them fall down again.
He didn't do anything, nor did he lean close to eavesdrop. He just stood there with neither sorrow nor joy, seemingly allowing everything to happen.
Following Bai Li's gaze, Lü Qi immediately said in a low voice: "Guild Master must not be coaxed and deceived by this thief. When he was in Luo City, he had already surrendered and sworn allegiance to the Eunuch Faction, and once put the Old Guild Master in a perilous situation. Upon entering the capital city this time, Zhu Xiao of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars died by this thief's hands, and the Old Guild Master was also personally arrested into the Inner Prison by this youth. This thief's intentions are vicious and malicious, you must be extremely careful."
Bai Li shook her head in denial: "Impossible, there must be a misunderstanding in this. You have never interacted with him, so you only look at him with a worldly gaze, crowning him with the name of the Eunuch Faction and condemning him via speech and writing."
Seeing she didn't believe him, Lü Qi immediately recounted the things that had happened one by one: "A while ago, Chen Ji wanted to meet the Old Guild Master, so he asked Lord Qi of the Three Mountains Society to act as a middleman. Thus the Old Guild Master made an agreement with him: as long as he could kill Noble Consort Xue, the Old Guild Master would go meet him. That night, Noble Consort Xue died violently in the palace. The Old Guild Master, as agreed, dispatched Zhu Xiao to pick him up for a meeting, but on the way discovered traces of the Eunuch Faction. The Old Guild Master took the opportunity to ask him how he killed Noble Consort Xue, but he couldn't answer. The Old Guild Master suspected he was colluding with the Eunuch Faction, and that Noble Consort Xue's death was also the Eunuch Faction letting out a long line to catch a big fish, so he simply didn't meet with him."
Lü Qi took a deep breath: "This youth's abilities are formidable. He surprisingly judged the Old Guild Master's hiding place from the spider's threads and horse's tracks (clues), and that very night led Bai Long, Jin Zhu, Tian Ma, Xuan She, Bao Hou, Jiao Tu, Yun Yang and a multitude of other Eunuch Faction members to our door, arresting the Old Guild Master in front of the Chongxing Temple. His collusion with the Eunuch Faction is undeniable and conclusive. Guild Master, this matter is not my fabrication, the marketplaces all know it. Because of this matter, the Three Mountains Society also Cut the Robe and Sever Ties with him, removing his name from The Jianghu."
Bai Li frowned and didn't speak.
Lü Qi thought he had moved her, so he struck while the iron was hot: "For the past year, the Old Guild Master has been relentlessly searching for your mother's whereabouts. They originally agreed upon seven retreat routes, and the Old Guild Master dispatched our trusted aides to wait on the retreat routes, but we never managed to wait for her."
Lü Qi swept a glance at Bai Li: "The Old Guild Master suspects your mother very likely also fell into the hands of the Eunuch Faction, maybe being locked up in some Inner Prison... or even having already met with an unfortunate mishap, otherwise there wouldn't have been absolutely no news all along. When the thief Chen Ji was in Luo City, he associated excessively with the Eunuch Faction, maybe he knows something. Waiting until three days from now on the Double Ninth Festival, the Guild Master can lure Chen Ji to Chongnan Ward. We will capture him and subject him to torture, we will definitely be able to interrogate out your mother's whereabouts."
Bai Li subconsciously said: "No."
Lü Qi was puzzled: "What?"
Bai Li's eyelashes trembled slightly. Her voice was very light, but like a fine needle, it pinned Lü Qi's words in midair: "I said, no."
Lü Qi stepped forward a few steps, saying anxiously and hurriedly: "Guild Master, if you don't believe my words, you can go to the marketplaces to inquire yourself. This lowly one absolutely has not spoken half a sentence of false words. If not, then call him over right now for a face-to-face confrontation, let's just listen to what he will say!"
Bai Li said firmly like slicing a nail and chopping iron: "Enough."
Lü Qi was too close. Bai Li's originally slightly curled palm suddenly opened wide. A burst of formless power abruptly erupted, pushing and rejecting Lü Qi over ten steps away before he barely managed to stand firm.
Lü Qi hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward a few steps again, bowing and saluting: "It was this lowly one acting rashly. It's just, when did you cultivate a Practitioner Pathway?"
...
...
Chen Ji stood silently waiting under the jujube tree.
From afar, he watched Lü Qi sometimes whispering, sometimes becoming indignant. He could guess what Lü Qi would say, yet there were no ripples in his heart.
Those complex feelings seemed to have long been taken away by time, and he was only waiting for a sentence delayed by nine months.
When Bai Li used a Practitioner Pathway to push Lü Qi away, a trace of astonishment also flashed in his eyes. Wu Yun had indeed said Bai Li seemed to be cultivating. He only thought The Empress had found an ordinary Practitioner Pathway for Bai Li to keep by her side for protection, but never expected it to be this miraculous, nor did he expect the other party's cultivation progress to be this fast.
He didn't know how much more time passed. Lü Qi hurried away, and Bai Li stood in her original spot for a long time. Chen Ji didn't step closer either, just waiting for her to make a decision like this.
He quietly watched Bai Li. The two people were only separated by a distance of ten zhang, yet it felt as if they were in different corners of the world.
The next moment, Bai Li walked toward him.
The two stood facing each other. This time it was Bai Li who broke the silence first: "Can you take me to the Sky Bridge to take a look? When I was in the Princely Estate as a child, mother didn't allow girls to go out and mix around. I always heard my older brother say the Sky Bridge was extremely bustling but haven't had the chance to see it yet."
Chen Ji was somewhat surprised, but agreed: "Okay."
They drove the ox cart and returned to the capital city. Along the way, no one spoke. Er Dao dozed off, and Brother Pao smoked his Tobacco Pipe, minding his own business.
When the ox cart entered the city, the sun had already leaned to the west.
Brother Pao drove the cart to a branching alley south of the Sky Bridge and reined in the halter: "Proprietor, seeing as it's time for us to leave, Er Dao and I have to go give some instructions to the Stick Bearers. We'll meet at Liquor Alley in three days on the Double Ninth Festival."
Chen Ji nodded, jumping down from the cart shaft. Bai Li followed and got down, standing at the alley entrance looking out.
The Sky Bridge was more bustling than she had imagined.
The acrobatics and juggling sheds were squeezed right next to each other. People performing skills beat gongs outside the sheds, shouting "Those with money support the money venue, those without money support the people venue". Vendors carrying shoulder poles selling food weaved through them. People squeezed against people, people bumped against people.
Bai Li stood there, blankly watching for a very long time.
Chen Ji walked to her side: "Where do you want to start?"
Bai Li thought for a moment, pointing to a circle surrounded by people not far away: "That."
Chen Ji looked over. It was a sugar figure seller.
A middle-aged man sat on a small folding stool. In front of him was placed a charcoal stove, upon which sat a copper pot, with golden-yellow malt sugar syrup boiling in the pot. He held a bamboo stick in his left hand, and used a copper spoon to scoop up the sugar syrup with his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, the sugar syrup fell onto the stone slab in front of him, drawn out into fine threads.
What he painted was a little tiger.
The sugar threads drew out the tiger's outline on the stone slab: ears, nose, eyes, and then a long tail. Finally, he pressed a bamboo stick on top of it, gently pried it with a spatula, and a transparent Sugar Tiger stood up.
Bai Li stood at the side, watching engrossed.
The sugar figure master looked up at her: "Miss, want one?"
Bai Li thought for a moment and asked: "How much is this?"
The sugar figure master smiled and said: "Fifteen wen."
Bai Li had no money on her, so she opened her palm toward Chen Ji: "Bring the money. Return some of the toll money you swindled from me back then."
Chen Ji was slightly stunned. In just this instant, he seemed to return to that bright and beautiful afternoon in Luo City, return to the Eastern Market outside White Clothe Lane.
He smiled and took out an ingot of silver from his sleeve, placing it in her palm: "Do you still remember how many taels of silver I swindled?"
Bai Li took the silver, handed it to the sugar figure master, and curled her lip: "I don't remember, anyway it was not a small amount."
She took the Sugar Tiger from the sugar figure master's hand, holding it in front of her eyes and looking at it for a long time. The sunlight shone through the sugar syrup, dyeing the tiger's outline into a transparent amber color. She watched for a long time, then turned and handed the tiger to Chen Ji: "For you."
Chen Ji blanked for a moment: "I don't want it."
Bai Li didn't retract her hand, just holding it up like that.
Chen Ji looked at that Sugar Tiger, ultimately still taking it over. The Sugar Tiger in his hand was so light it had almost no weight: "Are you not eating it?"
"I don't have any desires of the mouth and stomach right now," Bai Li looked down at the tips of her shoes. After a while, she looked up again and said with a smile: "Let's go, walk around elsewhere. Let's go back today when we are tired from walking." (End of Chapter)