Aoyama

Chapter 198 Good Guys
The wind is cold and bleak.

Chen Ji stepped out of the threshold of Wenyun Hall and left without looking back.

He had been holding this confession for a long time, originally intending to deal a fatal blow to Chen Wenxiao at the right time.

After going through so many things now, when Chen Ji looked back at Chen Wenxiao, he felt that the other party was just a very small trouble, like a small stone on the road, which could be kicked away when passing by, or not.

But Chen Ji holds a grudge.

Outside Wenyun Hall, Chen Wenxiao was pressed on a long bench by servants. The servants held whistles but did not dare to take action and secretly looked at Liang's expression.

Chen Liqin stood on the steps and said in a stern tone: "Fight, why not?"

Chen Liqin followed the two people's gaze and glanced at Liang, then rushed forward, grabbed the whistle stick, and hit Chen Wenxiao hard on the buttocks: "What is 'benevolence'?"

Chen Wenxiao was only concerned with howling in pain, so he couldn't answer the question. Or perhaps, even if he hadn't been hit by the whistle, he wouldn't have been able to answer the question.

On the side, Chen Wenzong whispered: "Confucius said that the nature of mountains is benevolence, and benevolence nourishes all things. Being simple and generous, treating people sincerely, and being willing to help others is benevolence."

Chen Liqin pressed the issue again: "What is 'righteousness'?"

Chen Wenxiao burst into tears: "Yi... Loyalty to those above, benevolence to those below!"

Chen Wenzong said, "The Master said, 'A gentleman is concerned with righteousness, while a villain is concerned with gain. Wealth and honor gained through unrighteousness are like floating clouds to me. Righteousness is conscience and morality.'"

Chen Liqin asked again: "What is 'ritual'?"

This Luocheng Tongzhi usually patrolled the river bank. If there was a flood, he would carry a sack of mud and earth on his shoulders. He was tanned and had great strength in his hands.

Chen Wenxiao was nearly suffocated by the three blows, so he had no time to reply: "Mother, mother, save me..."

But he heard Chen Wenzong answer the question for him in a low voice: "When a father is kind, his son is filial; when an elder brother is friendly, his younger brother is respectful; when a ruler is benevolent, his subjects are righteous. There is a difference between husband and wife, an order between the old and the young, and trust between friends. Ethics is etiquette."

When Chen Liqin heard "the father is kind and the son is filial", he was stunned, then hit him hard with a stick and didn't ask any more questions.

Chen Wenxiao lay on the bench and wailed loudly: "Father, this is strange! Chen Ji just came back, and Yun Yang and Jiao Tu came to visit. He must have colluded with these two people."

Liang suddenly looked at Chen Liqin, she thought so too!
However, in Chen Liqin's opinion, Jiaotu and Yunyang came here to attack him with the "Anti-traitor Proclamation". This was not something Chen Ji could intervene in, so it naturally had nothing to do with Chen Ji.

Chen Liqin was furious when he thought of this: "How dare you throw dirty water on your own brother!"

Liang looked at his fierce expression and walked up to him quickly: "Master..."

Chen Liqin said fiercely: "No one is allowed to plead for this beast today!"

Liang was silent for two seconds, and then she said quickly, "I am not trying to plead for Wenxiao. Now that I know that Wenxiao has committed a terrible mistake and wronged Chen Ji, I will definitely compensate him in the future. Master, think about it, Wenxiao has just passed the Asian Yuan exam, and it is time for him to socialize. If others see him with injuries all over his body, where will our Chen family's reputation be?"

Hearing the words "Chen family face", Chen Liqin fell silent.

Seeing that things were turning around, Liang immediately said, "Wen Xiao, quickly admit your mistake to your father!"

Chen Wenxiao cried, "Father, I know I was wrong! I will never do it again!"

Chen Liqin's expression eased a little, and he dropped the whistle stick a little slower: "You have suffered huge losses from gambling over the years, and have developed bad habits. I will punish you by confining you to your room before the imperial examination. You are not allowed to go out and play alone anymore!"

Liang agreed: "Master, rest assured, I will keep a strict watch on Wenxiao and will not allow him to leave the house. As for Chenji, I will be considerate and find him the best teacher and the best marriage. I will give him the best food, clothing and daily expenses, and the same monthly salary as Wenzong and Wenxiao."

Chen Liqin's expression softened again and he held the whistle stick in the air, which finally stopped falling.

When Chen Wenxiao saw his father stop, he immediately climbed up from the bench and said, "Don't worry, father. I will definitely change my ways in the future."

Chen Wenzong frowned: "Who told you to get up?"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, took the whistle stick from Chen Liqin, and swung it hard: "What is 'wisdom'?"

Chen Wenxiao wailed, "Ah! Brother, what are you doing?!"

Chen Wenzong angrily asked: "I ask you, what is 'wisdom'? Answer me!"

At this moment, another servant came running over and said, "Master, the prefect Zhang is here with his children."

Chen Liqin frowned: "What is he doing here?"

The servant bowed his head and said, "I don't know, and Master Zhang didn't say anything either."

Chen Liqin raised his hand to stop Chen Wenzong: "Don't rush to fight, don't let outsiders laugh at you."

But Chen Wenzong ignored him and just swung his whistle stick: "What is 'faith'?"

Seeing this, Chen Liqin sighed inwardly.

He told Liang: "I will go to the door to greet him. Don't let Zhang Zhuo come to the back hall to watch the joke."

……

……

Chen Ji walked along the winding path to the back house. He returned to Tingquan Garden, looked at the tiles and blue bricks all over the yard, then sat down on the stacked blue bricks and began to daze.

Wuyun jumped lightly onto his knees and meowed, "Are you relieved?"

Chen Ji propped up his chin, looked at the corner of the yard, and answered casually: "It's not a matter of whether I feel relieved or not. People like Chen Liqin are reluctant to kill Chen Wenxiao, and Liang is eloquent and will not do anything to Chen Wenxiao. As the saying goes, if there is a naughty child, there are naughty parents. If they were willing to be ruthless, Chen Wenxiao would not be like this."

Wuyun thought for a moment and said, "Then I will go lick all their snacks and then shit on their pillows!"

Chen Ji stood in awe: "Very fierce!" "Hehehe."

"Hey hey hey."

At this time, Wuyun looked at the messy yard and said, "What should we do here? If you clean it by yourself, it will probably take you two or three days to finish it."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "No need, someone will come to clean it."

Wu Yun was stunned for a moment: "Is there such a good person in the Chen Mansion?"

Chen Ji patted its head and said, "Don't worry, we will often interact with the Chen family in the future. I will teach them how to be good people."

……

……

In front of the Chen Mansion, Chen Liqin greeted him with a bow: "Mr. Zhang has been my neighbor for several years, but he is still a rare guest in my Chen Mansion. Why did you think of me today?"

Zhang Zhuo smiled and said, "Lord Chen's words are full of sarcasm. If outsiders hear it, they will think that there has been a long-term conflict in the Luocheng government office. Zhang Zheng, Zhang Xia, quickly present the gifts you brought, so that Lord Chen will not blame our Zhang family for being impolite again."

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Chen Liqin twitched his beard and asked, "Why does Lord Zhang have to make sarcastic remarks?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed: "Master Chen, you are overthinking. I am not here to visit you."

Chen Liqin was startled: "What is the purpose of Mr. Zhang's visit?"

Zhang Zhuo explained, "Today, I had nothing to do in the government office, so I went to Taiping Clinic to play chess with Chen Ji. But when I got there, I found that the clinic was locked and sealed. I thought carefully that he had nowhere to go, so he must have gone back to Chen's house... Did he come back?"

Chen Liqin breathed a sigh of relief: "He has returned and has settled down in the mansion."

Zhang Zhuo uttered a long "oh" and took Chen Liqin's arm and walked inside, acting like the master of the Chen Mansion: "Come on, Master Chen, take me to find him."

Chen Liqin frowned.

Zhang Zhuo seemed not to notice his expression, and said jokingly with a smile: "Master Chen, he had a lot of resentment towards the Chen Mansion before, and refused to come back no matter what. Now that he has finally come back, you as a father must not be confused again."

Chen Liqin was slightly annoyed: "I naturally know how to be a parent. I don't need Master Zhang to teach me."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard and said, "Oh, I was just being nosy."

Chen Liqin led Zhang Zhuo into the mansion. Liang was waiting on the road with two maids.

She clasped her hands together and bowed to her right ribs: "Master Zhang, may you be well."

Zhang Zhuo smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, my wife always wants to invite you to go to Tuoluo Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. When our two families have free time, we should go out more often and don't get bored in this Chen Mansion."

Liang smiled slightly and said, "I will follow Master Zhang's orders."

Zhang Zhuo didn't say much and pulled Chen Liqin to continue walking inside.

Liang asked curiously, "Where are you going with Master Zhang?"

Chen Liqin explained, "Mr. Zhang had met Chen Ji at the Taiping Clinic before, and they became chess friends regardless of age difference. Now he is here to play chess with Chen Ji to relieve his boredom. Madam, go and make some tea, and bring it to Chen Ji's residence later. Don't neglect Mr. Zhang."

Liang's expression changed slightly, she bowed her head and saluted: "I know, but someone just moved into Chen Ji's place, I'm afraid there aren't enough tables and chairs for so many people. Why don't you take Mr. Zhang to the study, I'll call Chen Ji over."

Zhang Zhuo seemed to be thinking about something.

Before he could speak, Zhang Xia said, "Don't bother me, Auntie. I'm familiar with Chen Ji, and I'd feel more comfortable in his garden."

Liang smiled gently and said, "Miss Zhang Er is still unmarried, so it might be inappropriate for her to go to Chen Ji's room."

Zhang Xia smiled gently and said, "Aunt, you are worrying too much. I have my father and brother with me. If anyone dares to gossip, my father and brother will skin him alive."

Zhang Zheng said cheerfully: "That's right!"

At this moment, a wailing sound came from the deep house. Zhang Xia looked around for the sound: "What is this sound? Is the Chen Mansion punishing the servants today?"

Chen Liqin's face darkened, and he hurriedly led the way: "Today, a servant in the mansion broke the rules, and I am asking the housekeeper to discipline him. Sir Zhang, please come this way."

A few people passed through several hanging flower gates and screen walls and came to Tingquan Garden.

Chen Liqin pushed open the door, but was immediately stunned.

In the yard, Chen Ji was seen sitting on two piles of green bricks in a daze, holding Wuyun in his arms.

Chen Liqin was speechless when he looked at the ruined courtyard. Zhang Zhuo was also shocked. He walked into the courtyard, looked left and right, and then took a few quick steps to push open the wooden door of the main house, revealing the tables, chairs and benches piled up randomly inside.

He turned back in astonishment and said, "Master Chen, if your Chen Mansion cannot accommodate a bastard, then you can adopt him to me. My Zhang Mansion can accommodate him."

Chen Liqin opened his mouth but couldn't say anything for a long time.

He slowly looked at Chen Ji, his throat dry: "You..."

Chen Ji stood up hurriedly: "Master Chen, I didn't expect a distinguished guest to visit. I am impolite... I will clean up the yard now."

Chen Liqin held onto the door frame, turned his head and stared at Liang for a long time. After weighing the pros and cons, he slowly said, "It must be that the servants in the mansion misheard the arrangement."

Liang understood and hurriedly said to the maid, "Call the housekeeper. I clearly arranged for Chen Ji to live in Mingquan Garden. Why did he bring Chen Ji to Tingquan Garden? Is this how he usually does things?"

(End of this chapter)