Green Mountain

The third day of the Lunar New Year.

The sky had yet to brighten, and the crowing of roosters could be heard.

Following the crowing of the roosters, the prolonged shouting of the Second Steward from Duke Huang Mansion echoed: "Open the well!"

According to legends in the Jing and Ning Dynasties, the Well God would travel to the East Sea at the end of the year to report on the conditions of the land and its people.

In order not to disturb the Well God’s journey, at dusk on New Year’s Eve, each household would first fill their water jars with fresh water, place sweets and incense candles by the well to worship the Well God, then seal the wellhead with vermillion paper strips, thus sealing the well.

On the morning of the third day of the New Year, the entire family would gather by the well to remove the red seal and perform the ceremony of opening the well.

Chen Ji, draping his clothes over him, came into the courtyard, momentarily lost in the lively commotion outside the West Wing.

Wu Yun meowed at him from above: "What are you thinking?"

Chen Ji patted its head: "I was thinking, our family is probably opening the well at this moment... It should be Xiao Man doing it, she loves festivals the most, tirelessly energetic, making sure every holiday is celebrated meticulously."

At this moment, the door of the West Wing was pushed open from the outside, with the Second Steward leading a group of maids and servants filing in, some carrying basins of hot water, some carrying silk, others with brooms, and others with materials for sealing windows.

Chen Ji frowned slightly: "Second Steward, what is this for?"

The Second Steward smiled apologetically: "County Lord, please don’t call me Second Steward, I cannot bear it."

He gestured to the maids and servants behind him: "This is all instructed by the Lord Duke, he said although you are now the Songmo County Marquis, expected to live independently, you may not find a suitable residence immediately, so you’d better stay at the Duke Mansion for now..."

Second Steward seemed worried that Chen Ji might dislike the West Wing and be unwilling to stay at the Duke Mansion, hurriedly adding: "The Lord Duke also instructed that if you want to change rooms, both the East and West Cross Courtyards are available, you can live in either."

Chen Ji shook his head: "No need for the trouble, I will just stay in the West Wing."

The Second Steward breathed a long sigh of relief and smiled, directing the maids and servants: "Come, let’s clean this West Wing properly for the County Lord and take the horses to the back courtyard."

Chen Ji stopped them: "No need, let everything remain as it is, you may all leave first."

The Second Steward was taken aback and smiled, saying: "The Lord Duke also instructed to let everything be up to you... So, I will now lead them away, please feel free to instruct if you need anything."

After the Second Steward led the group noisily out, Chen Ji also breathed a long sigh of relief: "Accidentally became a Songmo County Marquis of the Jing Dynasty, what’s with this mess?"

He crouched beside the water jar, rubbed willow branches with salt, and cleaned his teeth.

Old Ears came out from the house, chiming in with a smile: "Why not stay in the Jing Dynasty? With your merit of saving the Emperor, advancement is just around the corner, and this old man can also enjoy prosperity with you."

Chen Ji continued cleaning his teeth, ignoring him.

Old Ears blinked, scooped a ladleful of water, and squatted beside Chen Ji.

He dipped the willow branch in salt, but before putting it in his mouth, he put it down, looked up at Chen Ji: "Is it because you can’t forget about Second Miss Zhang? Come on, a man shouldn’t worry about not having a wife. Now that you are a County Lord and the Right Guard Middle General, if you shelter under the Bai Family and head to Shangjing Road as a Military Governor in the future, you’d be a ruler of a region, what kind of woman couldn’t you find then? You could have your pick of all the young women on Shangjing Road."

Chen Ji replied irritably: "Don’t make wild guesses."

Old Ears changed his approach: "Perhaps within ten years, you can be dispatched as a Military Governor. Then, with your life-and-death friendship with the Bai Family Duke, you could be a man of utmost authority on Shangjing Road, never needing to return to the Ning Dynasty to live in fear. Moreover, as the responsibility on Shangjing Road is to guard against Beifan, the North and South Dynasties fighting would have nothing to do with you, sparing you from being caught in between."

Chen Ji raised his head to rinse his mouth, making splashing sounds.

Old Ears said meaningfully: "Have you considered, now that Zhang Zhuo’s radical reforms have affected the income of many, such people never end well. Once his reforms are complete and he’s of no further use, Emperor Ning would likely cast him out to quell the public’s anger. If you can establish yourself in the Jing Dynasty, it would give the Zhang Family a way out, then you could have them come to Shangjing Road for protection, wield immense power, do as you please... Doesn’t that sound great?"

The act of rinsing Chen Ji’s mouth paused.

Old Ears’ eyes lit up, just about to strike while the iron was hot, when the courtyard gate creaked open, and the two crouching by the water jar turned to look.

They saw Bai Xingzhen sneak in through the door crack, looking up to find an old and a young man squatting by the water jar, staring at him, which startled him: "What are you two doing squatting there!"

Chen Ji spat another mouthful of water onto the ground, saying irritably: "I haven’t asked you yet what you’re sneaking around for."

Bai Xingzhen glanced around the courtyard: "Second Steward said you were still staying here? This West Wing reeks of horse manure, why not move to the West Cross Courtyard? The West Cross Courtyard is paved with the green gold brick from the Imperial Kiln, with underfloor heating buried below, it’s not hot in summer, not cold in winter. Just treat this Duke Mansion as your own home, make yourself comfortable, don’t be polite with me."

Chen Ji stood and wiped the water from his mouth with his sleeve: "Offering goodness for no apparent reason suggests ill-intent, are you afraid that if I leave, no one will dare to take you out to have fun?"

Bai Xingzhen exasperatedly said: "I am a First Rank Duke, you are a Fourth-rank County Marquis, how can you speak so disrespectfully... Besides, you promised earlier to take me out to have fun, how can you not keep your word?"

Chen Ji walked to the basket where beans were drying, picked up a handful of black beans to feed Zhaolei: "We agreed to go out on Lantern Festival Night, nothing was said about the third day of the New Year."

Bai Xingzhen said indignantly, "Why are you like this? Princess Liyang’s ability to establish her own mansion is at least 30% due to my efforts, yet you won’t take me out to have some fun?"

Chen Ji remained unmoved, "Did you forget about the assassination attempt during the festival? There might still be an assassin lurking in the shadows watching you. If someone can send an assassin into Shangjing, they have the ability to do it twice. Last time luck was on our side, as His Majesty was there too. Next time, we might not be so fortunate."

Old Ears tossed aside a willow branch nearby and raised his hand, "Though I am merely an official in the Seeking Dao Realm, I’m not afraid of assassins coming."

Chen Ji was instantly infuriated by these words, and said vehemently, "Where were you last time the assassin came? I’m grateful you didn’t offer them a drink; I’ve burned incense for that!"

Old Ears sheepishly put down his hand.

Bai Xingzhen’s eyes flickered, and he grabbed a handful of black beans from the basket and approached Chen Ji, "I heard yesterday in the East Market, there was a show about the Immortal Rope ascending to the heavens, where a young child was sent up and claimed to have seen the Forty-nine Heavens."

Chen Ji casually said, "Lies."

Bai Xingzhen wondered, "If it’s a lie, how would a street child know about the Forty-nine Heavens? Others heard him speak convincingly; he said he saw the Forty-nine Heavens as bubbles filling the sky, and there were cracks beyond the Forty-nine Heavens."

After Zhaolei finished eating a handful of black beans, Chen Ji dusted off the crumbs from his palm, "Surely, just a hoax; can’t really climb up to see the Forty-nine Heavens."

Bai Xingzhen continued feeding Zhaolei, nonchalantly saying, "Today, we’re going out to play; just coincidentally, let’s see if it’s true."

Chen Ji turned back into the house, "Not going. Didn’t you hear? Last night outside the Duke Mansion, it was chaos, with screams and drumbeats. There’s a chance a few assassins popped up again."

Bai Xingzhen quickly explained, "No, no, they weren’t assassins. I sent someone to inquire, and it turns out it was an error by Si Cao under Southern Dynasty’s Lu Jin."

Chen Ji paused, "Si Cao? Error?"

Bai Xingzhen recalled, "Right Guard people said two Si Cao sent to Southern Dynasty somehow started fighting, and during the fight, they were chased by the Imperial Guard. Oh, and there was a woman among them, with a faint scar on her nose; supposedly chased into Shangjing by Temple of Martial Arts’ Changsheng and Qiubai days ago."

Chen Ji no longer maintained a calm demeanor, anxiously asked, "Where is that woman now? Did she fall into the hands of the Imperial Guard?"

Bai Xingzhen gave Chen Ji a surprised look, "I didn’t inquire that much... but last night, people on Vermilion Bird Street saw through their windows; there must be someone talking about it in the tea shops now."

Chen Ji led Zhaolei out, "Let’s go!"

Bai Xingzhen’s eyes lit up, and he followed bouncing along.

...

...

The carriage drove away from the Duke Mansion, directly towards Vermilion Bird Street.

Chen Ji steered the carriage, looking left and right, choosing the busiest tea shop to stop, tying Zhaolei’s reins to the horse tie at the entrance. The servant greeted them with a smile, "Guests, please come in."

The servant initially wanted to guide them upstairs to a private room since they came by carriage, but Chen Ji refused, choosing the busiest spot to sit down, absentmindedly said, "Just bring some tea and snacks, maybe some melon seeds."

Bai Xingzhen hurriedly added, "No, no, I’ve heard your Xianchun Meng Tea is quite famous; let’s have a pot of that. Also, bring Single Cage Golden Milk Cake, Red Silk Cake, Lotus Cake, Imperial Concubine Red, Jade Dew Balls... one of each famous item!"

The servant’s smile widened, "Certainly, please wait a moment, dear guest."

Soon, several servants completely filled their table, Bai Xingzhen looked like a child who had never seen the world, circling the table several times, unsure what to eat first.

Old Ears smacked his lips, "Poor child, those who don’t know might think he hasn’t eaten in days and nights."

Bai Xingzhen explained, "My health was weak before; eating a little more could cause a fever lasting several days."

At that moment, another carriage slowly stopped outside the tea shop, Old Ears stood up, "I’ll visit the toilet."

Outside, the carriage stabilized, the attendant opened the curtain, helping the middle-aged man in gray cloth get down.

The man looked up at the signboard, casually stepped over the threshold, arriving at Chen Ji’s table. Facing Bai Xingzhen, he clasped his hands, "Duke Huang, Jin An."

Bai Xingzhen’s expression changed, "Council Chief Executive Officer needn’t be so formal... Why did the Council Chief Executive Officer come here?"

Lu Jin smiled slightly, without waiting for Bai Xingzhen’s invitation, sat leisurely, looked at the opposite Chen Ji, gently said, "Naturally, coming to meet the Songmo County Marquis with merit in escorting."

...

There’s one more update tonight, see you tomorrow morning

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