179. Wine
"It's dry, be careful with fire... Young man, go home early to rest and don't worry your family."
"Okay, thank you, old man."
At the first watch, the old and frail night watchman, holding a white paper lantern, passed by the oncoming traces.
Chen Ji held the sleeping Wuyun in his left hand and a jar of wine in his right hand, walked across Anxi Street, and pushed the wooden door of Taiping Medical Clinic open a crack.
He was stunned for a moment. There was an orange light coming through the crack of the door, which seemed like a rare warmth in this winter.
Behind the counter, Old Man Yao was using an abacus to keep accounts. Crow, who had not been seen for a long time, returned to the clinic and stood on his shoulder.
Old man Yao looked at Chen Ji and asked indifferently, "Why didn't you call me 'come back' today?"
Chen Ji walked in with a smile: "Uncle Crow, long time no see." The crow raised its wings as a greeting.
Old Man Yao looked at the wine jar in Chen Ji's hand, his eyes full of meaning: "Don't go to fetch water tomorrow morning."
Chen Ji placed the wine jar on the counter and asked curiously, "Why?"
Old Man Yao said casually, "Remember this from now on: after killing someone, don't go to the City God Temple or look into the well. It's bad feng shui."
Chen Ji was slightly startled. Although he didn't know what it meant, he still responded, "Okay." Old Man Yao asked, "Do you regret it?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "No regrets."
It turned out that Old Man Yao was not asleep. The other party knew what he had experienced tonight, so he was waiting for him.
It was just like the feeling he had when he first stepped into Taiping Medical Clinic, as if as long as he stepped in, everything outside could be temporarily forgotten and put aside.
This mean old doctor may have cold blood but a warm heart.
Old Man Yao removed the seal from the wine jar, sniffed it, and frowned. "What worries you so much that you'd buy such a strong drink? Go get two bowls."
Chen Ji said "oh" and went to the kitchen to get two ceramic bowls.
Old Man Yao poured himself a shallow bowl of wine, brought it to his lips, and took a slow sip. Chen Ji asked curiously, "Master, do you drink alcohol? I thought you never did." Old Man Yao looked at the lamp on the counter and said, "I loved drinking when I was young, but I stopped later." Chen Ji was puzzled, "Why not?"
Old Man Yao thought for a moment and said, "When I get older, the wine tastes a bit bitter."
He looked down at the wine swaying in the light at the bottom of the bowl. "The longer I live, the more I lament the cruel ways of fate. Is it time? Is it fate? Killing this man tonight doesn't depend on whether the princess will learn the truth, but on whether you can get over the hurdle in your heart."
Chen Ji remained silent.
Old Man Yao looked at him and said, "But fortunately, you finally understand one thing: those who cannot give up anything cannot change anything."
Chen Ji thought about this sentence seriously, and then poured himself a bowl of wine. It wasn't much, just a shallow bottom of the bowl.
He took a sip and then exhaled a breath of alcohol that was as strong as a knife.
At this time, the dark cloud also woke up. It stuck its head out and licked the wine in Chenji's bowl. It was so spicy that it stuck out its tongue, which made the crow point at it with its wings and laugh silently.
The dark cloud got angry and chased the crow around the house.
Old Man Yao watched the cat and bird struggling and asked casually, "You have now acquired the Ice Flow of Concubine Jing and Concubine Yun, taking two ginseng roots a day. With such progress in cultivation, aren't you afraid that the Golden Pig will become suspicious?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and explained, "Master, I can't wait any longer."
The ice flow given by Concubine Jing and Concubine Yun is better than that given by anyone before.
It's a lot, roughly enough to digest more than twenty ginseng roots. It's a pity that Lord Liu resigned from his post and returned home in mourning, so there was no ice flow. Otherwise, the ice flow generated by the Lord Liu would probably be more than that of the two princes and concubines combined.
Old Man Yao sighed, "The thing a tiger fears most is impatience. If someone were to discover your true intentions, the world would be in vain for you."
Chen Ji replied, "Master, I have the cultivation path given to me by the Secret Service as a cover. Even if the Golden Pig discovers that there's something wrong with my cultivation speed, he won't know I'm practicing the Tiger Path. Furthermore, the only thing that can bind people together in this world is interest. I don't know what the Golden Pig is up to in hiding in the Secret Service, but it must be something very important."
Chen Ji continued, "He needs strength. The faster I cultivate, the more he'll need me. If I were to name the person who least wants me to die, it would definitely be him."
Old Man Yao raised his eyebrows and said, "What will you do when he finishes his work and no longer needs you?"
A mist flashed across Chen Ji's eyes, and he whispered, "That time won't come." Old Man Yao looked at him seriously for a moment, then said with relief, "You're finally no longer a stranger."
Chen Ji's gaze froze, and this sentence seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight.
The old imperial physician and the young boy looked at each other across the counter, breaking the window paper for the first time.
Chen Ji once thought that Old Man Yao must know that he came from the Forty-ninth Heaven, so he did not question it when his personality changed drastically.
On the night I first arrived, he said he went to the Zhou residence because he had a "lucky divination." But now that I think about it, it seems more like he was worried that I would lose my way and become a wandering ghost, so he went to take me home.
If Old Man Yao hadn't come to pick me up that night, I wouldn't have known where to go if I left the Zhou Mansion.
Old Man Yao sighed, "I don't know where you came from, but you've developed such a naturally compassionate heart. But in this world, good people don't live long. Your blood has cooled, which is great. Otherwise, I'd be worried you'd die before me."
Chen Ji remained silent.
Old Man Yao looked at him and said, "But I have one more thing to say to you."
Chen Ji asked, "What?"
Old Man Yao said slowly, "The blood can be cold, but the heart must be warm."
The master said the same eight words in a different order.
"It's time to give you this thing," Old Man Yao took out an object from his sleeve, put it on the counter and pushed it in front of Chen Ji.
Chen Ji took it in his hand and saw that it was an ivory-white waist badge engraved with the Bagua diagram. There was not a single word on the waist badge, only three hexagrams.
He was puzzled: "Master, what is this?"
Old Man Yao said nonchalantly, "I didn't want to give it to you because I was afraid you'd die faster if you took it. As for what it is, I can't tell you, nor do I want to. You're a smart person. When you can use it one day, you'll naturally understand."
Chen Ji asked again, "Why are there only three hexagrams on this waist badge?"
Old Man Yao casually said, "Kaimen, Xiumen, Shengmen, the three auspicious gates. There's nothing particular about them, just for the sake of good luck."
Chen Ji uttered an "oh" and put the badge into his arms: "Master..."
Old Man Yao waved his hand impatiently. "I don't have time to chat with you. I need to go back to bed. I'm telling you again, you don't need to fetch water tomorrow morning. Don't crow like a rooster every day and disturb my sleep." Chen Ji: "..."
Old man Yao drank the wine in the bowl.
Then he looked at Chen Ji and said, "Why don't you drink the wine you bought?"
Chen Ji was stunned for a moment: "Master, I didn't buy this wine to drink." Old Man Yao was suspicious: "Isn't it to drown your sorrows?"
Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He went to the kitchen to get some charcoal, crushed it, and mixed it with Shaodaozi liquor, spreading it out, waiting for it to evaporate. "Master, this process is to purify the charcoal, to make the... anyway, it's to create the strong and overbearing thing you mentioned."
Old Man Yao's eyes widened, and he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the backyard: "I'm not worrying about you anymore!"
Chen Ji smiled and concentrated on crushing all the black charcoal, mixing it with the liquor, and then spreading it out to dry.
Wait until everything is done.
Chen Ji silently blew out the oil lamp, sat alone behind the counter in a daze, letting the darkness engulf him.
+4-484 Dawn.
The fishy smell of early morning water lingered in the mist, as if soft moss had grown in the air.
Chen Ji led the warhorse tied to the apricot tree and walked into the mist on the bluestone road. The sound of horse hooves could be heard from far away, echoing in the empty street.
He first went to the East Market and bought more snacks from Zhengxinzhai. Then he went out from the South City Gate and rushed to the Liu family mansion.
Now that Concubine Yun is gone, the Secret Service naturally has no way to use evidence to convict Prince Jing. They will probably keep the Crown Prince and the Princess under house arrest for a while longer before having no choice but to release them.
However, when Chen Ji arrived in front of the Liu family mansion, he hesitated after looking at the vermilion lacquered door.
On the way here, he was only thinking about finally saving Prince Jing's Mansion, but when he arrived at the door, he was daunted.
Chen Ji was silent for a moment, finally jumped off his horse and knocked on the door.
With a creak, the red lacquer door opened a crack from the inside, and a young secret agent poked his head out. Seeing Chen Ji, he asked in confusion, "Master Chen, why are you here?"
Chen Ji handed over the snacks and said, "Please take them to Prince Jing. I won't go in." The spy said, "Sir Chen, this thing was sent to the wrong place."
Chen Ji frowned slightly: "What do you mean, did Master Jinzhu tell you anything?"
The spy knew that Chen Ji was a favorite of Jin Zhu and had made many great achievements. He might one day become a spy on the level of Hai Dong Qing. So he hurriedly explained, "Early this morning, Lord Bai Long took Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess to the Inner Prison. So, your snack should be sent there."
Chen Ji calmly asked, "Why did Lord Bailong take them to the Inner Prison?" The spy smiled apologetically, "I don't know. I'm afraid you'll have to go to the Inner Prison yourself and see for yourself."
Chen Ji stood in front of the door for a long time without saying a word. The violent cold wind blew, blowing his hair to the east.
Chen Ji threw the snacks in front of the door, jumped on his horse, pulled the reins, turned the horse's head, lowered his body, and galloped towards the inner prison.
He suddenly remembered what Jin Zhu had said. If the most powerful people in the Ning Dynasty wanted Prince Jing to die, then he must die. This was the general trend.
Chen Ji finally understood.
Now the Secret Service has drawn the trigger and has no choice but to strike. Without Concubine Yun, they will fabricate other evidence until Prince Jing dies completely and the trouble is gone forever.
Prince Jing had trusted the wrong person, so he could die, but what about the Crown Prince and Bai Li? Chen Ji dismounted in front of the inner prison gate. He steadied his breathing, then slowly knocked on the iron gate.
A jailer peeked through the small window behind the iron gate and saw that it was Chen Ji. He quickly opened the iron gate and said, "It's Master Chen."
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