211. General Wang
Outside Zhang's residence, twenty tables were set up in Cuiyun Lane. Roast chicken, braised pork elbow, braised carp, and sliced pork in broth were served in a continuous stream. Neighbors sat down and ate, leaving their table to continue eating. This is the origin of the "flowing banquet."
In Zhang's mansion, the distinguished guests were arranged in eight courtyards. In each courtyard, there was a rectangular low table that could seat eighteen people, and a wide variety of dishes and snacks were displayed.
Before the main banquet began, the invited dignitaries gathered together and sent their congratulations to Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin one by one.
Chen Ji and Xiaoman stood side by side under a walnut tree in the corner of the courtyard, looking at Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin from afar, who were like the sun and moon of Los Angeles, surrounded by stars.
Xiaoman asked in a low voice, "Sir, how did you become friends with the Zhang family? They seem to have a very good relationship. Rumor has it that the Second Miss Zhang is very fierce and never treats outsiders well, yet you even wrote an invitation specifically for them."
Chen Ji said calmly, "Why are you asking so many questions? You haven't been so fond of asking questions before."
Xiaoman's eyes widened. "Have you forgotten, Master? I love to ask about the Zhang and Li families' affairs. It's a good way to enjoy your meal."
Chen Ji: "...This is not a good habit."
Xiaoman curled her lips and said, "Auntie also loves to listen to gossips about the Zhang and Li families. I remember when I was a kid, I went with her to the farm outside Beijing to check the accounts. She heard a group of old ladies gossiping at the entrance of the village, so she had someone bring in chairs and listen for the whole afternoon."
Chen Ji was puzzled: "What did they talk about?"
Xiaoman recalled: "First, they said that two old widowers in the village had sex in the middle of the night, and then they said that the daughter-in-law of a certain family in the village was bought from Tongzhou. They also said that so-and-so's family had no son and his relatives might be wiped out. My aunt was very excited to hear it."
Chen Ji opened his mouth but didn't say anything for a long time.
At this moment, the servant outside the door called out his name again: "The Thousand-Year-Old General Wang has arrived!"
The name of the Qiansui Army was like a sudden cold wind, freezing the excitement and jubilation in the Zhang residence. Those three words brought back memories of the recent war, as if the scent of blood still lingered in their nostrils.
Chen Ji turned his head to look outside the door, while pulling Xiaoman's arm and retreating towards the crowd.
Xiaoman looked at him in surprise: "Sir, what's wrong?"
Chen Ji said calmly, "It's okay."
As the names of the generals were being called out, General Wang came walking on the red carpet. He was not wearing any armor today, but was only wearing a black robe, a golden crown on his head, and thick-soled black boots on his feet. He was still as imposing as a tiger.
Behind General Wang were several soldiers, all clad in armor and with swords hanging from their waists. The guests at Zhang's residence almost thought that the Qiansui Army was about to start a new war.
Zhang Zhuo pushed through the crowd and teased from a distance, "General Wang, why are you attending a banquet at my residence, fully armored? Are you afraid that I, Zhang, will murder you?"
General Wang smiled and said in a rough voice, "Recently, some gangsters have been breaking the law by force. It's better to be careful."
Chen Ji lowered his head in thought. Did some scoundrels of the underworld use violence to break the law? The other party was heavily guarded, and even came to the banquet with soldiers accompanying him. Could it be that some underworld people had tried to assassinate him recently?
Yes, although Chen Ji made a big fuss in the military camp that day and was eventually defeated, the words he shouted in the military camp were finally heard and remembered by the soldiers of the Qiansui Army.
As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Even if the discipline of the Qiansui Army is strict, the reputation of General Wang betraying Prince Jing has probably spread quietly among the people.
In the martial arts world, there must be righteous men who care about Prince Jing and want to avenge him.
While Chen Ji was thinking, he pulled Xiaoman and turned his back, not wanting to meet the other party.
But just as Zhang Zhuo was about to lead General Wang inside, he saw General Wang pass by the walnut tree where Chen Ji was, take two steps forward, and then take two steps back.
He looked at Chen Ji's back and said in a deep voice, "Turn around."
Chen Ji was silent for two breaths, then turned around and met the other person's gaze: "General Wang, long time no see."
General Wang said in a deep voice: "How dare you appear before me?"
Chen Ji didn't expect that the other party would take the lead.
He pondered for a few breaths and smiled: "What is General Wang talking about? Why don't I dare to appear in front of General Wang?"
General Wang said in a serious tone, "The prince treated you well, and the crown prince and princess were close friends and confidants. But how did you do it? If you hadn't provided evidence to the eunuchs, how could the prince be framed by them and die unjustly in prison?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Zhang Mansion suddenly became quiet, and the guests all looked over.
Chen Ji stood under the gazes of dozens of people, as if facing dozens of piercing spears. It was as if he was still in Longwangtun that night, autumn leaves fell from the branches, and behind the leaves were enemies.
In the crowd, Chen Liqin also looked towards Chen Ji. He did not expect that Chen Ji was involved in the conspiracy of rebellion in Prince Jing's mansion and was suspected of betraying Prince Jing. Although Prince Jing was now charged with the crime of treason, with his reputation, countless people from the court to the world stood on his side.
On the other hand, they all believed that Prince Jing's death was caused by the eunuch party persecuting loyal officials.
If the Chen family bore the reputation of betraying Prince Jing, they would be scorned by the world. Chen Liqin thought again and again, and finally chose to remain silent.
Zhang Zhuo, however, suppressed his smile and calmly asked, "General Wang, this is a guest from my Zhang Mansion. Why are you saying this? What does he have to do with the case of Prince Jing?"
General Wang snorted coldly: "Let him speak for himself!"
Chen Ji frowned slightly.
General Wang was obviously worried about being sought after by righteous men in the martial arts world, so he wanted to take the initiative in public and have all the dirty water thrown on himself.
But strangely, General Wang had already surrendered to Bai Long. Didn't Bai Long know that he was hiding his identity as a spy in the Chen Mansion? How could he dare to reveal the secret in public?
Wait, the other party wasn't Bai Long's confidant, and didn't know everything. From General Wang's perspective, he was just an apprentice at the Taiping Medical Clinic who had once tried to save Prince Jing. The other party didn't even know that he was also a spy for the Secret Service.
He had not said where the blood letter came from, nor had he revealed his identity as a secret agent. Bai Long had been planning to have him lurking in the Chen family and was recruiting him, so he would not say much to General Wang.
General Wang didn't know that he had already joined Bai Long's army.
Chen Ji figured this out and said nonchalantly, "Why did General Wang say that I betrayed the prince? What evidence did I give to the eunuchs?"
General Wang sneered, "I don't know the specific details, but someone who knows the situation told me that the prince trusted you and asked you to hand me a letter written in blood. But you were so ungrateful that you handed the letter to the eunuchs!"
Someone gasped, "The prince's blood letter?! Why have we never heard of it?"
"What's written in the blood letter? Is there any evidence of the prince's guilt?"
"The prince has devoted his life to the country and the people, but he was harmed by the eunuch party. I never thought that he would be betrayed by a villain!"
"Such treacherous people must be punished by everyone!"
The crowd was outraged and Chen Ji was criticized by everyone.
General Wang sneered, while Chen Liqin simply hid in the main hall of Zhang's mansion.
Zhang Zhuo closed his eyes and pondered, trying to find a way out, but for a moment, he couldn't think of how to clear Chen Ji's name. Zhang Xia tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to think of a solution quickly, but it seemed there was no way out.
At this moment, Xiaoman was so angry that her face turned red. She pulled Chen Ji's sleeve and said, "Sir, please say something. You are not that kind of person."
Chen Ji remained silent.
Xiao Man turned to General Wang and angrily said, "Don't slander my young master. I have served him for many years. He is a kind person and is definitely not the treacherous person you claim he is!"
General Wang said calmly, "You can only judge a person by his appearance, not his heart. I'm afraid the prince also thought he was kind, so he entrusted the blood letter to him. Little girl, you are still young and don't know how to judge people."
Xiaoman held it in for a long time: "...You fart!"
As he spoke, Chen Ji's mind raced: The most urgent task at this moment was to clear himself of the charges, but how should he defend himself?
Could he reveal the whole story? No, if he did, his identity as a secret agent would be exposed, and he would no longer be able to stay in the Chen family. Bai Long valued him because of his Chen family background. If he was no longer useful, Bai Li would be hard to save.
So, could he throw the dirty water back on General Wang? No, he couldn't.
If I said that the blood letter was given to the Secret Service by General Wang, others would ask me, a mere apprentice, how I knew about this.
Moreover, General Wang is a general of the Thousand-Year-Old Army who has always been loyal to Prince Jing, and I am just a small apprentice in a clinic. Who will everyone believe?
Besides, the other party came prepared and might have been prepared for this matter. If I counterattack from here, I might fall into their trap.
I can only find another way and find something that General Wang cannot refute.
Chen Ji pondered for a long time amid the clamor, and finally said, "Where did General Wang learn about the blood letter?"
General Wang crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Don't worry about how I found out. Just tell me if this is true or not."
Chen Ji said, "There is indeed a letter written in blood by the prince."
General Wang breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Liqin paced back and forth in the main hall, thinking about how to prevent the Chen family from being involved in this matter.
The officials outside the main hall started to make a noise: "What's written in the blood letter?"
"How could a young man betray Prince Jing and join the eunuch party?"
Chen Ji slowly said, "The blood letter is indeed true, but the situation is different from what General Wang said."
General Wang raised his eyebrows: "Where did the blood letter come from?"
Chen Ji carefully considered whether there were any flaws in his words, and then slowly opened his mouth and said, "Back then, my master, Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess were imprisoned in the Liu family mansion by the eunuchs. Later, because my master had treated the leg disease of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the eunuchs released us. Before leaving, the prince gave me a letter written in blood and asked me to deliver it to the capital.
To His Majesty."
General Wang was a little surprised. He had been expecting Chen Ji to tell the whole story so he could refute it with witnesses. But he didn't expect Chen Ji to refute him, but to make up a new story instead.
However, there is no evidence to support the people mentioned in Chen Ji's words.
He frowned and asked, "Then how did this blood letter end up in the hands of the eunuchs?"
Chen Ji explained, "When my master and I were out, the eunuchs searched and took it away."
General Wang sneered, "How do I know you didn't hand over the blood letter voluntarily in order to seek wealth and glory?"
Chen Ji said calmly, "Because that blood letter cannot be used as evidence of Prince Jing's treason, and handing it over will not bring wealth and honor."
Zhang Zhuo came back to his senses and asked, "What exactly is written in the blood letter?"
Chen Ji was about to speak when General Wang interrupted him, saying, "Wait a minute. Are we supposed to believe everything he says? None of us know the contents of the blood letter, so isn't he just making it up out of thin air?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness wrote a poem. I have memorized most of its contents. As to whether it is fabricated or whether it can constitute a crime against Your Highness, I leave it to you to judge."
Zhang Zhuo waved his hand: "Bring me some writing brush and ink!"
Zhang Zheng ran into the house in a hurry, and came back with Zhang Xia carrying a study desk.
Zhang Zhuo pointed to the rice paper on the table and said, "Write it down."
Chen Ji picked up his brush and wrote on the rice paper: "Drunkenly looking at my sword by lamplight, I dream of blowing the horn in the camp. Eight hundred miles of roast meat distributed to my subordinates, fifty strings played the sound of the frontier, and the soldiers were inspected on the battlefield in autumn."
In just thirty-one words, the drunken passion of a general on the battlefield is brought to life.
A scholar said in astonishment, "Is this the first piece of poetry to break the formation? It fits the prince's state of mind when he led the army. I'm afraid an ordinary young man wouldn't be able to write it."
"I look at my sword while drunk, and I dream of the sound of the horn in the camp..." What a dream! I look at my sword while drunk, and what a dream!
"This young man's handwriting is extremely ugly, without any rules or pattern. He doesn't look like he can write poetry at all."
Chen Ji remained calm and did not respond.
The next moment, someone among the guests urged, "Quick, what's the content of the last couplet of this broken formation?"
Chen Ji continued writing, "I have completed the affairs of the king and the world, and have won a good reputation in life and after death. But my hair has turned white."
Zhang Zhuo sighed, "What a 'pitiful white hair.'" At first glance, this poem conveys the lofty ambition of a military commander, but upon second glance, it reveals the pain and regret of waking from a dream. This is the prince's heartfelt poem to Your Majesty, perhaps expressing the hardships he endured in leading the troops to quell the rebellion, hoping to elicit Your Majesty's sympathy.
General Wang said solemnly, "How do you know this wasn't written by Chen Ji himself?"
Zhang Zhuo sneered, "General Wang is a warrior. I'm afraid he doesn't know the high level of this poem, nor can he appreciate the vicissitudes of life within it. It simply couldn't have been written by a young man."
A scholar nearby echoed, "The elegance of this poem is beyond the reach of us. General Wang, please stop being suspicious. It must have been written by His Majesty out of his heart."
"The structure and breadth of this poem must have been written by the prince."
General Wang was confused.
He looked at the poems and then at the old traces, but could only keep silent.
If he said, "No, the content of the blood letter clearly states that the Qiansui Army is asking for a prison break," Chen Ji would ask him how he knew that, and he would not be able to explain it clearly, because he said that he had never seen the blood letter.
Now, General Wang has no choice but to accept the contents of this blood letter!
"No, no," General Wang said angrily. He looked at Chen Ji and said, "Have you ever written poetry? What if he is so proficient in poetry that he can write poems like this?"
Chen Ji lowered his eyes and said, "General Wang, I have never written poetry and know nothing about it."
Many scholars looked at each other in bewilderment. "If this apprentice from the medical clinic named Chen Ji had the literary talent to write a poem like this, he would have been famous in the poetry world long ago, but we have never heard of him."
Zhang Zhuo chuckled and said, "I know this Chen Ji. He's the third son of the Chen family. It's said that Master Chen sent him to the Taiping Clinic years ago because he was a gambling addict and didn't like studying. I'm sure you've all heard of his reputation. If he had such literary talent, would Master Chen have kept him hidden? He would have been sent out to take the imperial examination long ago. At least he would have been a student on government scholarship."
Someone's eyes lit up: "I've actually heard of this. So, Po Zhen Zi definitely wasn't written by him."
Chen Wenzong stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I hope General Wang will not frame my brother again."
"Wait," someone shouted.
Chen Ji frowned and looked over: "What's wrong?"
The man asked, "Why is there a verse missing from this Pozhenzi?"
Chen Ji said softly, "I forgot."
The scholar was anxious: "How could we forget such an important poem?"
Chen Ji explained, "It happened so hastily that I was lucky enough to remember most of it. I really can't remember the missing part."
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