Aoyama

Chapter 180 Wine

"It's dry, be careful with fire... Young man, go home early to rest, don't let your family worry."

"Okay, thank you, uncle."

At the first watch, the old and frail night watchman holding a white paper lantern passed by the oncoming relics.

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-yellow light coming through the crack of the door, like a rare warmth in this winter day.

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 over at Chen Ji and asked indifferently, "Why didn't you say 'you're 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 were ambiguous: "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 in the future. 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 opened the seal of the wine jar, smelled the scent and frowned: "How worried are you to buy such a strong wine? 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 mouth and took a sip slowly.

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Master, you drink alcohol too? I thought you never drank."

Old man Yao looked at the lamp on the counter and said, "I loved drinking it when I was young, but I stopped drinking it later."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why don't you drink it?"

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 at the bottom of the bowl swaying in the light. "The longer I live, the more I feel that fate plays tricks on me. Is it time? Is it fate? The key to killing this man tonight is not whether the princess will know the truth, but whether you can get over it."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Old Man Yao looked at him and said, "But fortunately, you finally understood 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 was not 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 the old 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 looked at the cat and the bird struggling and asked casually, "You have obtained the Ice Flow of Concubine Jing and Concubine Yun, and you take two ginseng roots a day. Aren't you afraid that the Golden Pig will get suspicious with your cultivation progress?"

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 was more than anyone else in the past. Roughly speaking, it was enough to digest more than 20 ginseng roots. It was a pity that Elder Liu resigned from his post and went home because of mourning, so he did not have any ice flow. Otherwise, the ice flow produced by the current elders would probably be more than that of the two princes and concubines combined.

Old Man Yao sighed and said, "The most feared thing about tigers is impatience. If someone finds out, the world will not tolerate you."

Chen Ji replied, "Master, I have the cultivation method given by the Secret Service as a cover. Even if the Golden Pig finds out that there is something wrong with my cultivation speed, he will not know that I have cultivated the Tiger Method. In addition, the only thing that can bind people together in this world is interests. Although I don't know what the Golden Pig is doing in the Secret Service, it must be a big thing."

Chen Ji continued, "He needs strength. The faster I cultivate, the more he can't leave 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: "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 will never come."

Old Man Yao looked at him carefully for a moment, and then said with relief: "You are 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.

The night I first arrived, the other party said that he went to Zhou's house because he had a "lucky divination". But now thinking back, it seems that the other party was worried that I would not be able to find my way home 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 would not have known where to go when I left the Zhou Mansion.

Old Man Yao said with emotion: "I don't know where you lived before, but you have such a kind heart. But in this world, good people don't live long. Now your blood has cooled, which is good, otherwise I would be worried that you would 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 would die faster if you took it. As for what it is, I can't tell you, and I don't want to tell you. You are a smart person, and you will understand it when you can use it one day."

Chen Ji asked again: "Why are there only three hexagrams on this waist badge?"

Old man Yao said casually, "Kaimen, Xiumen, Shengmen, the three auspicious gates. There is nothing particular about it, just for the sake of good luck."

Chen Ji said "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'm going back to sleep. I'll say it again, you don't have 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, and then looked at Chen Ji: "You bought the wine, why don't you drink it?"

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 in alcohol?"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He went to the kitchen to get some charcoal, crushed it, mixed it with Shaodaozi liquor and spread it out, waiting for it to evaporate. "Master, this process is to purify the charcoal, to make the... in the charcoal, anyway, to make the strong and overbearing thing you mentioned."

Old man Yao's eyes widened, then he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the backyard: "I worry about you for no reason!"

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 all is done.

Chen Ji silently blew out the oil lamp, sat alone behind the counter in a daze, letting the darkness engulf him.

……

……

breaking Dawn.

The mist was filled with the fishy smell of early morning water, as if soft moss was growing 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 far away, echoing in the empty street.

He first went to the East Market and bought some snacks from Zhengxinzhai. Then he went out from the South Gate and headed all the way to the Liu family mansion.

Now that Concubine Yun is gone, the Secret Service naturally has no way to convict Prince Jing of a crime with evidence. They will probably keep the Crown Prince and the Princess under house arrest for a while longer, and then have no choice but to release them.

However, when Chen Ji arrived in front of the Liu family mansion, he hesitated when he looked 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 gate, 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 lacquered door opened a crack from the inside, and a young spy poked his head out. When he saw Chen Ji, he asked in confusion, "Master Chen, why are you here?"

Chen Ji handed over some snacks: "Please send 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 popular figure around Jin Zhu and had made many great contributions. He might become a great spy at the level of Hai Dongqing one day, so he hurriedly explained: "Early this morning, Lord Bailong has taken people to take Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess to the Inner Prison. So your snack should be sent to the Inner Prison."

Chen Ji asked calmly, "Why did Lord Bailong put them in the inner prison?"

The spy smiled and said, "I don't know about this. I'm afraid you'll have to go to the inner prison to 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 its fingers on the bow and has no choice but to strike. Without Concubine Yun, they will fabricate other evidence until Prince Jing dies completely and there is no further trouble.

Prince Jing trusted the wrong person, so he will 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 took a look 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."

(End of this chapter)