Aoyama

Chapter 252 No food
In the main hall of the inn, Yulin soldiers were standing around with swords drawn, and Zhou You stood alone in the middle, making loud noises.

Li Xuan looked around, then turned back to look at the deputy general of the border army: "Sir Zhou, it is certainly admirable that you can eat and live with the soldiers, but you are also to blame for the fact that the Jing Dynasty spies were able to set fire to the food under the noses of your border army. If your border army did not have an internal response, the Jing Dynasty spies would never have been able to do this."

Zhou You's eyelids twitched slightly, and then he slowly said: "We will investigate this matter ourselves, so there is no need to worry about it, Lord Li."

Li Xuan could not help but angrily scolded: "You will find out by yourself? Lord Zhou, I think you are the spy of Jing Dynasty. If the grain you have collected is burned again, this Guyuan City will be really beyond the reach of gods!"

Zhou Youjia looked around with a sneer, "Why, Lord Li wants to keep me here for questioning? Let's see if your Yulin Army has the ability to do that! I joined the border army in the eleventh year of Jianing and went through life and death. In the past twenty-one years, I have beheaded 319 thieves of the Jing Dynasty in battle. It's not the turn of a group of officials in the capital to say that I am a spy of the Jing Dynasty!"

The prince said in a gentle voice, "Lord Zhou has made great contributions in defending the border. We have no doubts about this matter. However, regarding the destruction of the border army's granary, do the border army also need to give an explanation to the court?"

Zhou You dusted himself off and said arrogantly, "If I am still alive after this battle, I will give an explanation to the court. Come, move all the remaining food from the Longmen Inn and transport it to the border army camp!"

Someone outside the inn suddenly pulled down the cotton curtain at the door, rushed into the backyard of the inn wearing rattan armor, and took away all the food within his sight.

Qi Chenzhuo was about to draw his sword, but was held down by Li Xuan: "Be patient, this Zhou You seems to be here to provoke you, a little impatience will ruin a big plan!"

Qi Chengzhuo's teeth were about to break, so he could only slowly loosen his hand holding the sword.

After the border troops left, the cold wind outside blew into the inn, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment in the wind.

Xiaowu and Xiaoliu picked up the cotton curtain on the ground that was trampled with countless footprints and looked at the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, what should we do?"

The shopkeeper said calmly, "What else can I do? Just mend the seams and re-nail the door frame. Do you even need to ask me for that?"

Xiao Wu scratched his head. "I mean, our inn's reputation has been trampled on, why don't we do something? Why does Zhou You dare to..."

The shopkeeper said coldly: "Shut up."

At this time, Li Xuan and Chen Liqin were both frowning.

Li Xuan whispered, "Now that all the food in the city has been taken away by the border troops, what should we do? If you and I really ask His Highness to go to the porridge stall to get porridge, we should die to apologize."

Chen Liqin sighed and said, "May I ask how much silver did Your Highness bring with him when he came to Guyuan this time?"

Li Xuan replied: "The Ministry of Revenue allocated 4,000 taels of silver, which is public. I can't ask how much the prince took privately."

Chen Liqin silently calculated: "On normal days, four thousand taels of silver would be enough to buy eight thousand dan of grain, and one dan of grain is enough to feed a Yulin soldier for thirty days... But now the whole city is short of grain. Even if a grain merchant secretly hides grain, he will sell it at an exorbitant price."

At this time, with 4,000 taels of silver, he was lucky to be able to buy 800 dan of grain. Not to mention 800 dan, it was good to be able to find grain. If he could only feed more than ten people, he could still think of a way, but there were still 500 Yulin soldiers waiting to eat.

Chen Liqin later regretted not listening to Zhang Zhuo's advice. If he had ignored the urgent request of five hundred miles and went to Beijing to perform his duties in the Ministry of Personnel, he would not have to worry about all these things now.

He looked at Li Xuan: "Master Li, do you have any plan?"

Li Xuan was silent for a moment. "Sir Chen, I am the left guard of the Eastern Palace. I am only responsible for protecting Your Highness. Food and fodder are not part of my duties."

Chen Liqin's heart sank.

At this time, the shopkeeper bowed to the prince and said, "Dear guests, do you still want to stay in the hotel?"

The prince withdrew his gaze from the door and said with a smile, "Stop, please arrange a room for us, boss."

The shopkeeper flipped open the account book at hand and looked back at the "water sign" hanging behind him: "Sir, who will stay in the only remaining Tianzi guest room?"

Li Xuan hurriedly said, "Of course it's my son's place."

The shopkeeper took out a plaque with the words "Guests" engraved on it and hung it on the wall behind him at the location corresponding to the Tianzi Ding room. He then continued to ask, "What about the other ten Dizi rooms? Who will be staying in them?"

Before Li Xuan could answer, Chen Wenxiao asked, "Can't we ask the top guests to vacate a few more rooms?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "No matter who it is, anyone who stays in my inn is my honored guest. How can I chase people away when I'm doing business? Some guests will leave the day after tomorrow. It won't be too late to replace them by then."

Chen Wenxiao wanted to say something else, but Chen Liqin held his shoulders.

Chen Liqin pointed at Chen Ji and said politely to the shopkeeper: "We don't need to stay in the No. 1 room. We can stay in the room next to his."

The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and said, "Sir, this cannot be arranged. The young master of the Chen family lives in Room No. 3, and there is no vacant room next to him."

Chen Liqin was slightly startled.

Chen Wenxiao's eyes turned, and he said loudly: "Chen Ji, give your Tianzi room to father and mother, and you and I can live in the Dizi room."

Even Chen Wenzong whispered to Chen Ji: "You and I can live in the ground-numbered room. Filial piety is the most important thing in our dynasty. If you don't change, I'm afraid it will affect your future in the East Palace."

Chen Ji glanced at Chen Wenzong, knowing that he was also thinking about his future. He thought for a moment and said, "Boss, please help us change the room and let Mr. Chen stay in the Tianzi room."

However, what was unexpected was that after the shopkeeper heard Chen Liqin's identity, his face immediately fell: "It can't be changed." Chen Wenxiao said in surprise: "We all agreed to change it, why don't you change it? We paid the room fee, and we have the final say on who stays here!"

The shopkeeper sneered, "I gave this Tianzi C room to the young master of the Chen family. I don't even charge for the room. I can give it to whoever I want. Is that not okay?"

This time even Chen Ji was surprised. He didn't know what the shopkeeper meant.

During the stalemate, the prince observed silently. He was somewhat puzzled by the change in the innkeeper's attitude. How could an innkeeper have the confidence to go against a fourth-rank official? And why did he do so?
In addition, he was even more puzzled about the special thing about Chen Ji in this inn. Now, even if someone told him that this inn was opened by Chen Ji, he would believe it.

Chen Liqin wondered, "Why can Chen Ji live here for free?"

The shopkeeper leaned his elbows on the counter, rolled his eyes and said, "Is it your business?"

Chen Liqin was furious: "You!"

The shopkeeper jokingly said, "What do you mean?"

Wang Gui stepped forward and said sternly, "My master is the young master Zhan Shi of the Zhan Shi Mansion, a fourth-rank official appointed by the imperial court. Speak with respect!"

The shopkeeper was silent for a moment, then sneered, "Fourth rank? I was a fourth rank official before I became an official. I don't even want a fourth rank official, so what is a fourth rank official?"

Wang Gui's eyes widened: "You are a fourth-rank official? You will be convicted of a crime if you tell such a lie!"

The shopkeeper said in a serious tone, "In the 14th year of Jianing, I served as the deputy general of Guyuan, and was awarded the Qilin costume by the current emperor as a reward!"

After saying that, he actually pulled out a jade-inlaid belt from under the counter and threw it on the counter.

When everyone looked closely, they saw that what was thrown on the counter was indeed the jade belt of the Qilin costume. The cloth belt inlaid with white jade was also engraved with a pattern of a dragon head, a musk deer body and a lion tail.

However, if an ordinary official received this honor, he would definitely keep the Qilin clothing at home and take good care of it. However, the shopkeeper casually stuffed the jade belt under the counter and threw it on the counter, seemingly not caring at all.

Chen Liqin and Li Xuan looked at each other, neither of them expected that this small inn could hold so many hidden talents.

Li Xuan clasped his fists and said, "I heard that this inn was opened by General Wen Tao's former subordinates. I thought it was just a rumor, but I didn't expect it to be true."

The shopkeeper lazily put the jade belt back on the counter and said, "It's okay, it's all in the past. If no one comes to show off here, I won't have to take out the jade belt. Now I have no official position, I only manage this piece of land. Even if Hu Junxian, a second-rank official, comes, I will let him live in a place called Dizi. He has to live in Dizi."

"What are you bragging about?" Chen Wenxiao sneered, "Even if you were once an official, you are now a commoner. Ha, I can't wait to stay here with you!"

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Once you leave this door, no one in Guyuan City will dare to accept any guest that my Longmen Inn refuses to accept."

Chen Wenxiao pointed at the shopkeeper's nose and said, "Just now you said you were doing business, but now you have this attitude... Chen Ji, did you instigate this?"

Chen Wenzong slapped his finger away and said angrily, "When did you see Chen Ji ordering the shopkeeper?"

Chen Wenxiao was anxious: "Brother, why do you always speak in his favor? You and I are real brothers!"

Chen Wenzong said calmly, "I only speak the truth. Besides, in my dynasty, there is no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate brothers. Don't mention what I just said again, or I'll punish you with ten strokes of the cane as a lesson to you."

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

After a while, the prince smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Everyone, let Chen Ji live in Room C. He is now my right guard, so he should live next door to protect me."

The inn suddenly became quiet. Seeing that the prince no longer concealed his identity, everyone immediately bowed and said, "It's all up to your Highness."

The prince revealed his identity and turned to look at the shopkeeper. He thought the other party would change his attitude, but the shopkeeper walked to the backyard as if nothing had happened, calling Xiaowu and Xiaowu: "Go, take people to clean up the house!"

The prince smiled, lifted his clothes and walked upstairs.

As he walked, he asked curiously, "Chen Ji, which room do Young Master Zhang and Second Miss Zhang live in? Since I'm moving in, I should go and visit them."

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Highness, the two of them live with me in Room No. 30."

The prince looked back in surprise on the stairs: "You guys live in the same room?"

The Chen family members behind them were also surprised. Chen Liqin frowned and said, "How can you be so disrespectful of etiquette? If the news spreads to the capital, how will Miss Zhang deal with it?"

Chen Ji thought to himself, this is not the first time that the prince has mentioned Zhang Xia on his own initiative, what is his intention?
He thought for a moment and explained, "Guyuan is not peaceful. The four of us are alone outside and need to be extra cautious. So we sleep on the floor in the same room, separated by sheets, so that it is convenient to take turns to keep watch."

The prince smiled and said, "I see. You have worked really hard before. Now that the Yulin Army is guarding the area, you can live separately and give Miss Zhang Er a separate room to avoid damaging her reputation. I will also tell the Yulin Army that no one is allowed to leak this matter. Those who violate the rules will be dismissed and never employed again."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It is a good thing to have an extra room. I will go ask them now."

(End of this chapter)