Aoyama

Chapter 224 Surprise
An urgent letter sent over five hundred miles disrupted all plans.

Zhang Zhuo looked down at the "Patrol Ivory Plate" from the Secret Service in his hand, on which was engraved the words "Patrol on behalf of the Emperor, report major matters to the emperor, and make immediate decisions on minor matters."

He naturally knew that this was an ivory plaque that only a Gyrfalcon could wear. Above that were the "Ivory Plaques" for the twelve zodiac animals, which allowed entry into the Forbidden City and the six eastern and western palaces. It was said that the top three zodiac animals also had separate ivory plaques, which outsiders had no chance to see.

Seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, Zhang Zhuo weighed the ivory cards in his hand and sighed softly: "Chen Ji, what I just said to Master Chen was not nonsense after drinking."

Chen Ji asked in a low voice: "Master Zhang is worried about the succession?"

Zhang Zhuo shook his head. "When it comes to the Jin Party's border troops, it's not just a matter of fighting for the throne. It's a mixture of conflicts between the court and the border towns, between the Jin Party and the Donglin Party. If you're not in it, you'll never understand it. If you don't understand something, try not to get involved."

Zhang Zhuo lowered his voice and continued, "I have never dealt with the prince, so I don't know what kind of person he is. But everyone says that he is kind-hearted and praised by great scholars. In this world, being kind-hearted is considered weak. If such a person wants to investigate the killing of the border troops, he will only kill the people around him."

Chen Ji lowered his head and thought for a long time, and finally said softly: "I understand what Master Zhang said, but I have my reasons for going."

"Well," Zhang Zhuo said, "I have an old acquaintance in Guyuan. I will write you a letter. If there is anything you cannot solve, go to him. He should be able to send you out of Guyuan."

Chen Ji bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Zheng suddenly said, "Father, I also want to follow Chen Ji..."

Zhang Zhuo said calmly, "Go away."

Zhang Zheng: "Oh."

Zhang Xia pulled Zhang Zheng towards the post station and said, "Brother, please don't cause trouble for father. We still have to hurry back to the capital to celebrate New Year's Eve."

Chen Ji asked, "Miss Zhang Er, we will be separated tomorrow, so I will return Zaozao to you."

Zhang Xia waved his hand without even turning his head: "No, no, I'll lend it to you first."

Zhang Zhuo looked at his children's backs and sighed, "If only this kid could be half as sensible as A-Xia... Go back and get some rest."

When I returned to the room, I saw Xiaoman sitting in front of the eight-immortals table, dozing off with his chin supported by his hand.

Hearing the door open, she stood up in a daze: "My lord, you are finally back. I will ask the waiter at the post station to come over and give you some hot water to wash."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "You'd better stop working, I can do it myself. Where's Su Zhou, has she eaten yet?"

Xiaoman rubbed his eyes and said, "She is still hiding in the box on the carriage. It is said that there are people from the Secret Service behind this post station, and she doesn't want to take risks. She has already eaten, and I brought her some snacks when no one was around."

Chen Ji hummed and said, "Tomorrow I will go to Guyuan with the Chen family. You will go to the capital with the Zhang family. Follow Miss Zhang's arrangements on the way and don't act on your own."

Xiaoman suddenly widened her eyes: "Master, are you going to chase me away?"

Chen Ji explained, "I'm not chasing you away. It's because Lord Zhang said that Guyuan is a place full of good and bad people and it's not peaceful. Not letting you go is also for your own good."

The light in Xiaoman's eyes swirled around: "Then you should take me with you so that you can take care of me."

Chen Ji said nonchalantly: "You are just a little maid, what can you do? If you were an official, I would take you with me, but you are not."

Xiaoman was speechless: "I...someone has to take care of you anyway."

Chen Ji said without question: "You go with the Zhang family, take good care of Su Zhou, and escort her to the capital."

Xiao Man reluctantly said, "Sir, when you go to Guyuan, remember to visit Auntie's grave and pull out some weeds for her. If possible, you might want to see for yourself whether what Auntie Li said is true."

Chen Ji was stunned for a moment. Lu’s tomb was actually in Guyuan?
His mind raced. Guyuan was a place where people from the Ning and Jing dynasties mixed together. Since there was an inn that could send people to the Jing dynasty, there must be someone who could send people from the Jing dynasty to the Ning dynasty.

Lu Jin and his sister may have entered the Ning Dynasty from here, forged their household registration, and transformed themselves into Guyuan people. The Ning Dynasty emphasized returning to one's roots after death, so after Lu's death, Chen Liqin sent her back to Guyuan for burial.

Thinking of the previous statement about the "empty coffin", Chen Ji was shocked and wondered, could it be that Lu was not really dead, but took the opportunity to escape in Guyuan and returned to Jing Dynasty?
But if that was the case, why didn't Si Caogui know that the other party was still alive?
Chen Ji wanted to ask about the specific location of the tomb, but he couldn't open his mouth. This was something he should know. If he asked, Xiaoman would probably become suspicious immediately.

Chen Ji said nonchalantly: "It's a pity that she entrusted her trust to the wrong person. She can't be buried in the Chen family after she passed away."

Xiao Man sighed, "Who said it wasn't true? But according to my aunt's personality, I don't want to be buried with those corrupt scholars of the Chen family. If we were buried together, it would be a lot of fun. My aunt would be able to point at the noses of their ancestors and curse them every day in the underworld..."

Wuyun stood in awe: "Very fierce!"

……

……

The next morning, the guest room in the inn was warm. Xiaoman was dozing off on a small stool, drooling on his knees.

Chen Ji got up quietly without waking her up.

He went straight to the backyard stable to take out Zaozao and combed its hair with a coarse-toothed comb. Zaozao felt comfortable and nudged Chenji's shoulder with his head.

A voice came from not far away: "Third brother woke up really early."

Chen Ji turned his head and saw Chen Wenzong standing on the steps of the post station wearing a white fox fur coat, like a nobleman who walked out of a storyteller's story.

Chen Ji bowed and said, "Brother."

Chen Wenzong smiled: "You call father Lord Chen, but you are willing to call me brother."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Brother, you are a noble person and you deserve to be called brother."

Chen Wenzong hesitated for a moment: "Father actually..." Before he could finish his words, Chen Ji had already taken Zaozao to the front door of the post station.

In front of the post station, the escorts were seen waking up early before dawn. One of them was squatting at the door of the post station with a bowl of mutton soup. They ate the hot sesame cake with a sip of soup. After they warmed themselves up, they got up to put the reins on the oxen and horses and led the ox cart and horse cart out of the yard.

The clerk at the post station pointed at the ground and cursed: "Pick up all the cow and horse manure on the ground, otherwise next time you come, you won't even have a place to stay in the cowshed!"

Liang Biaotou hastily smiled and said, "I'll pick it up right away!"

Chen Wenzong looked at the escorts' backs and said with emotion, "The escorts squatted together early in the morning to drink hot soup and eat sesame cakes. This scene of urban life is so lively. Watching them eat, my appetite suddenly opened up. In the past, I didn't have any appetite at home when I was living a luxurious life. Third brother, do you want a bowl of mutton soup?"

While combing Zao Zao's hair, Chen Ji teased, "Brother, the escorts have been staying in the cowshed all night. If they don't drink some hot soup in the morning, their toes will be cold. The mutton soup only has two thin slices of mutton. If they hear you say this, I'm afraid they would be eager to trade with you, live under the carved beams and wooden buildings, and eat the luxurious food you mentioned."

Chen Wenzong was startled for a moment, then said sincerely, "I've learned a lesson... Third brother, you must have suffered a lot outside these two years, right? Fortunately, you're back home."

Chen Ji glanced at him and said, "Not really."

At this time, Chen Liqin and Liang had already led Chen Wenxiao into the carriage to avoid meeting Zhang Zhuo again.

Chen Ji stood in front of the door and called Zaozao. He grabbed a handful of soybeans from his bag and fed them to Zaozao's mouth. Wuyun came out from Chen Ji's arms and nestled on Zaozao's head, but Zaozao was not angry.

When the Chen family convoy was on the road, Chen Ji was not in a hurry to get on his horse and set off.

He whispered to Zaozao, "Let's wait a little longer until your master says goodbye to you before leaving. Otherwise, she will definitely be reluctant to leave after not seeing you for more than a month."

Chen Ji knew that Miss Zhang treated Zaozao as a friend, so she would definitely come to say goodbye.

But he waited and waited, and saw the Chen family convoy going far away, but no one showed up.

"Not good!" Chen Ji seemed to have thought of something and jumped up, riding his horse to chase after the Chen family's convoy.

When he arrived at the Chen family convoy, he drove Zaozao around to check, but there was no sign of Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng among the more than ten vehicles.

Chen Ji called out to the maid named Hanlu on the oxcart, "Open the box and see if there are any Tibetans inside."

Han Lu was confused: "What are you talking about, Third Young Master? The boxes are full of our belongings, how could there be someone hiding in them?"

Chen Ji insisted: "Open it and take a look."

Hanlu did as she was told, but just as she opened a crack in the box, she saw a hand reaching out from inside and closing the lid again...

Chen Ji: "?"

Hanlu screamed, "What the hell?!"

Before they could open the box to check again, they heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the alley beside the road.

Chen Ji turned around and saw Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng riding their horses to catch up.

He asked doubtfully: "What are you two doing..."

Zhang Zheng said carelessly, "We have been in Luocheng for two years, and our mother has not allowed my brother and I to travel far. We are almost exhausted. She doesn't care about my elder brother and sister on weekdays, so why does she always care about us? So, I secretly brought my sister out, asked for two good horses from the post station, and went to Guyuan with you to take a look."

Chen Ji frowned: "That won't do."

Zhang Zheng laughed: "You are not my mother, so you can't control us!"

Chen Ji knew that what Zhang Zheng said made sense, and he really had no reason to restrain the other party, so he had to give up: "Miss Zhang Er, since you are out, let's change horses, and I will return Zao Zao to you."

Zhang Xia said generously: "No need, I see Zaozao likes you very much, so I will lend it to you first, you need it more than I do."

Chen Ji thanked him, and then he suddenly remembered the hand in the box...

Since Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia are here, who is in the box?
Chen Ji said calmly to the box: "Come out by yourself!"

The box slowly opened, and Xiaoman was seen holding the lid of the box with her right hand, squatting inside and smiling brightly: "Sir, is this a surprise?"

Chen Ji said unhappily: "Why don't you listen to my orders?"

Seeing that he looked unhappy, Xiaoman hurriedly explained, "But you really need someone to take care of you on the road. What young master doesn't bring a maid? Is a young master still a young master without a maid?"

Chen Ji thought it was bad. Xiaoman secretly followed him. But what about Su Zhou? Su Zhou insisted on hiding in the Chen family team, just to observe whether he was the one who betrayed Prince Jing's Mansion. But now he and Xiaoman are gone...

Doesn't that mean Su Zhou is the only one left in the carriage? !

At this moment, the coachman was driving Chen Ji's carriage behind the Zhang family's caravan.

As the car was shaking, a faint voice came from the wooden box in the car, asking: "Can we come out now? It's very stuffy in there."

"Can I come out now?"

"Can you please give me a word?"

"Speak, you dead girl!"

(End of this chapter)