Green Mountain

The unrest in Shangjing City gradually subsided.

Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes on the bed, having just heard a faint whisper of scriptures which swept away the accumulated fatigue of the past few days.

Yet the sound of the scriptures was weak, making him momentarily unclear if it was a dream or coming from outside the West Wing.

Chen Ji patted Wu Yun, who was sleeping on his chest: "Did you hear anything just now?"

Wu Yun didn’t even lift his eyelids: "No."

At this moment, outside the Duke Mansion, the elongated report from the night patrol rang out: "Dawn!"

This one report seemed to awaken Shangjing City, and the Duke Mansion suddenly became lively. Outside the courtyard, there were sounds of people walking back and forth, as well as the noise of servants sweeping and discussing.

Chen Ji, holding Wu Yun, got up and went outside, pressing his ear to the courtyard door to listen to the servants’ conversation: "I heard that tonight there is a night banquet for keeping vigil on New Year’s Eve, and the Yinnuo Team of the Imperial Guard will pass through our Yongxing Square. At that time, maybe we can see it by climbing the east wall."

Another servant asked puzzledly: "How do you know? Did Your Majesty tell you?"

The servant who had spoken earlier replied irritably: "Since La Ba, people have been added to Wu Hou’s Shop outside Yongxing Square. Other watchtowers have two people, but this side has six. Isn’t it obvious?"

Someone gently warned: "I advise you to save it. By that time, the nobles will all follow behind the Yinnuo Team. If you dare to spy secretly, be careful the Marquis on the watchtower doesn’t shoot you in the head with an arrow."

Chen Ji and Wu Yun furtively pressed against the door.

Suddenly, a servant lowered his voice and said: "Today, the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince are distributing alms and benefits in Pingkang Square. Let’s sneak out later to collect the benefits and come back, getting a share from both sides. We’ll have dozens of coins."

"This year, it seems the Fourteenth Prince also wants to distribute benefits, but it’s said to be set in that desolate place, Guiyi Square."

"Ha, even that demoness Li Yang wants to compete, but how can she contend with the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince? Those two have Yuan Xiang and Lu Jin behind them."

"Guiyi Square is too far, if we sneak out for too long and the Second Steward finds out, it’ll be another round of scolding."

In the midst of the conversation, the angry voice of the Second Steward came from outside: "Lazying around again! Hurry up and clean up the ancestral hall. If Lord Duke finds dust, snow, or leaves on the road when he goes to worship the ancestors later, watch out for your skins!"

The servants’ voices died down and they hurriedly left with their brooms.

Chen Ji heard the Second Steward’s footsteps walking to the door of the West Wing, hesitating outside without knocking for a long time.

Just then, Mr. Feng’s voice sounded outside: "What are you doing here?"

The Second Steward hastily replied: "Reporting to Chief Steward, Lord Duke is going to the New Year’s Eve banquet tonight. I’m here to check how the horses and carriage preparations are going."

Mr. Feng calmly said: "Alright, get on with your work."

The Second Steward grinned awkwardly: "Will do."

After the Second Steward left, Mr. Feng knocked on the door. Chen Ji opened it and welcomed him into the courtyard, staring at him with eyes full of spirit: "Do you have a plan?"

Mr. Feng looked him up and down, joking: "You’ve gained quite a bit of vigor in your eyes, unlike before when you seemed lifeless."

Chen Ji was startled: "Really?"

Mr. Feng pulled a letter out from his sleeve: "After dawn, Princess Li Yang will lead the Fourteenth Prince to Guiyi Square to distribute alms. Your master will definitely go to protect Princess Li Yang from assassination. Later, lead the carriage to Zhou’s Carriage and Horse Shop in Datong Square in the south of the city. If anyone asks, say I sent you to change the wheels, to avoid the Duke’s carriage breaking down on the way to the New Year’s Eve banquet."

Chen Ji took the letter sealed with wax: "What’s this letter for?"

"It’s for your master," Mr. Feng instructed: "Remember, Princess Li Yang and the Fourteenth Prince are certainly being watched by many. Any mistake could be catastrophic, so do not show any unusual behavior. But don’t be too nervous either, as the Imperial Guard will recognize the Duke Mansion’s carriage and won’t dare to check your travel permits and registrations."

Chen Ji nodded: "I understand."

He led Zhaolei out from the stable and was about to head outside the West Wing when Mr. Feng stopped him: "In such a hurry? Have breakfast first."

Passing by Mr. Feng, Chen Ji didn’t look back: "Not eating it."

...

...

Chen Ji went to the backyard and harnessed Zhaolei to the carriage.

But as soon as he finished, Wu Yun meowed: "Careful, there’s someone hiding in the carriage."

Chen Ji picked up a bamboo broom nearby, slowly approached the carriage, and then flung open the curtain.

Only to see Bai Xingzhen, dressed in gray cloth clothes, hunched inside the carriage, looking at him with a sheepish smile: "Morning."

Chen Ji frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Bai Xingzhen’s gaze was evasive: "I was just wandering around, happened to turn here, and sat in the carriage to rest my feet."

Chen Ji waved to him, "Come out, come out, I need to drive the carriage out."

Bai Xingzhen’s eyes darted around: "Take me with you. You’re new to the Imperial Capital, you’ll definitely get lost. I know where Zhou’s Carriage and Horse Shop in Datong Square is."

Chen Ji was suspicious: "How do you know I’m going to Zhou’s Carriage and Horse Shop?"

Bai Xingzhen chuckled: "It’s the custom of the Duke Mansion, so I naturally know. I heard the Imperial Capital is very lively today. I have silver on me; take me out, and I’ll treat you to sweet and sour pork, Ma Family Shao Mai, Smoked Meat Pancakes, and Old Bian Dumplings!"

Chen Ji shook his head: "I’m not interested in those."

Bai Xingzhen hesitated and then removed a Jade Pendant from his waist, gritting his teeth: "This is very valuable, take it."

But Chen Ji shook his head: "This is too precious, I can’t accept it. How about this, I’ll ask you some questions on the way, and if you know the answers, you can tell me, how about that?"

Bai Xingzhen’s eyes lit up: "It’s a deal!"

Chen Ji lowered the car curtain, sat on the carriage board with his legs dangling outside, and gently drove the carriage out of the Duke Mansion.

As soon as they were out of the mansion, Bai Xingzhen couldn’t wait to open a slit in the car curtain, curiously observing the pedestrians coming and going on the road.

As he observed, he said: "You haven’t been to Shangjing City before, have you? It’s the liveliest in Shangjing City during New Year’s Eve and Lantern Festival Night. The gates of squares and city gates don’t close all night. Whether commoners, scholars, merchants, subordinates, or servants, they can all go out to the streets, and the lamps burn from dusk until dawn..."

Chen Ji leaned against the carriage wall holding the reins: "You must have heard this from others?"

Bai Xingzhen was a bit embarrassed: "My father told me once when I was little. He originally promised me that when I was healthier... when I grew up, he would take me out to see it."

Chen Ji casually asked: "Did he break his promise?"

Bai Xingzhen said softly: "A few years ago, he went to Shangjing Road to meet the barbarian envoys and caught a cold on the way."

The two in the carriage fell silent. As they passed Yongxing Square, they saw the village chief leading his square’s Nuotu Team onto the street to hold an exorcism ceremony.

The village chief was dressed as a Fangxiangshi, wearing a golden four-eyed mask, clad in bear skin, wearing mysterious cloth and red garments, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left, acting as the Exorcism Main God.

Behind the village chief were the singing master and Jingzi, wearing red cloth pants and brass masks, holding a brocade banner, singing in chorus: "The armor eats the evil spirit, the lungs and stomach eat the tiger, the male uncle eats the demoness, the soaring letter eats misfortune, gathering all blame, Boqi eats dreams..."

Bai Xingzhen whispered: "Every square has its own Nuotu Team. In previous years, it was my father who played the Fangxiangshi in Yongxing Square. He also promised me that at twelve, I could follow behind him as Jingzi. I know all the words they sing."

Chen Ji responded with a hum, without a reply.

Bai Xingzhen curiously asked: "Zhaolei never lets anyone harness it to the cart. How did you get it to behave?"

Chen Ji smiled: "I have my skills... By the way, how many more horses like Zhaolei are there?"

Bai Xingzhen suddenly gritted his teeth: "There were originally two, one chestnut, and one black. But a few years ago, the chestnut ’Vermilion Bird’ was stolen by shameless thieves, leaving only Zhaolei."

Chen Ji remained expressionless: "With only Zhaolei left, won’t there be no more dragon horses like this in the future?"

Bai Xingzhen earnestly watched the passing Nuotu Team and casually answered: "No. My father instructed that when Zhaolei gets old, I should personally send it back to Shangjing Road, and at that time, just loosen its reins and let it go deep into the grassland on its own. Three months later, it will return by itself, and it will be pregnant with a foal. My father also instructed that after it returns from the grassland, it must not enter the city, otherwise, the guard dogs of the entire Linhuang Prefecture will get scared and make a mess. After giving birth to the foal, it will return to the depths of the grassland on its own, to a place where no one can find it, and it will never come out again."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Is it so magical? Why not let it go a few more times, to have several foals?"

Bai Xingzhen shook his head: "No, father said it can’t..."

His eyes became wary: "Stop asking, I can’t tell you about this."

At this time, as the carriage passed Pingkang Square, they saw two porridge stalls standing opposite each other on either side of the road, pedestrians shoulder to shoulder flocking forward, with red paper scattered all over the ground.

Chen Ji pointed to the porridge stall and asked: "Are the Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince distributing porridge?"

Bai Xingzhen pouted and whispered: "It’s just for show for Your Majesty. They know that Your Majesty has a tradition of changing clothes and going out on New Year’s Eve to tour among the people, so they come out to put on a play for him to see. All the residents in Pingkang Square are officials and military merits, why do they need porridge distribution? If they truly had a kind heart, they should go to the south of Anren Square."

Chen Ji said nonchalantly: "Does Your Majesty enjoy changing clothes and going out?"

Bai Xingzhen nodded: "Your Majesty wasn’t like this in the early years, but after getting ill, he took a liking to going out of the palace. On New Year’s Eve in the 32nd year of Li Sheng, he happened to encounter the Sixth Prince distributing porridge in Yong’an Square. That night, at the New Year’s Eve banquet, he let the Sixth Prince sit beside him and host the banquet, instantly stealing all of the Third Prince’s thunder."

The Third Prince? Isn’t that the one Li Yang tried to assassinate?

Chen Ji casually commented: "This Sixth Prince seems to have a compassionate heart."

Bai Xingzhen snorted: "No way, father said, someone in the Left Guard tipped off Lu Jin in advance. The person detected Your Majesty’s movements ahead of time and arranged for the Sixth Prince to be on the road. Because of this matter, he was heavily relied upon by Yuan Xiang. Now the fate has turned, he and Yuan Xiang are rivals, and he supports the Fourth Prince, playing the old tricks again."

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