Aoyama

Chapter 290 Rabbit and Sheep

The sun was rising and Chen Ji was walking in the morning mist.

He moved closer and further away to avoid the corpses on the ground, and sometimes he had to avoid the mud mixed with blood and yellow soil. Later he stopped dodging because there was too much blood and it was impossible to avoid it.

The night is gentle. It hides the blood and corpses in invisible places. Only when the day breaks can you see the cruelty of war.

On the dirt road, border troops shuttled among the corpses. They piled the bodies of civilians, border troops, and Tian Ce troops on carts and pulled them away.

As the corpses were piled high on the cart, their arms, legs and heads hung limply, lifeless and without dignity.

An old soldier of the border army saw a suitable pair of boots and immediately sat down next to the corpse. With a smile on his face, he peeled off the corpse's boots and put them on his own feet neatly.

The old soldier of the border army said in surprise: "It fits my feet perfectly! These Jingchao thieves are really nice. They came all the way from afar to send me boots... It's so comfortable!"

Someone laughed and scolded: "Why don't you wash it before wearing it?"

The old soldier of the border army cursed, "After washing them and hanging them outside the tent, I don't know which grandson will steal them away again. In the 25th year of Jianing, I finally got a pair of boots back from Quwu Mountain. After washing them, they were not even dry yet, but they were put on Old Yao's feet..."

As he was talking, the old soldier of the border army remembered that Lao Yao was no longer there and had just been taken away by another cart.

In silence, someone patted him on the shoulder and said, "Find another pair of boots and burn them for Lao Yao."

The old soldier put on his boots, patted his butt, stood up, and grinned: "Bullshit, why would a dead man wear such good boots? If I find good boots again, I will hide them and wear them again!"

Laughing is worse than crying.

Chen Ji did not go back to reunite with the others, but came to the place where the owner of Longmen Inn died. The other party was still sitting there, in the same state as when he died.

He thought for a moment, then carried the shopkeeper's body on his back and walked towards the inn.

Along the way, the surviving people of Guyuan came running towards him and passed by him.

Some people stood in front of their burned-down houses in a daze, while others threw themselves on a corpse and cried bitterly.

Chen Ji walked past them silently, feeling that everything was over, yet it seemed that it had not yet passed. War will leave scars on everyone, either on the body or in the heart.

Arriving in front of the Longmen Inn, Chen Ji shouted to the inside: "Is anyone there?"

No one answered.

No one knew where Xiaowu, Xiaoliu and others had gone.

Chen Ji was silent for a long time, then gently put the shopkeeper down and let him sit against the right door frame. He sat on the other side, staring blankly at the desolate Qiuci Street.

He said softly, "In the winter of the fourteenth year of Jianing, General Wen Tao was framed by the Chen and Xu families and was executed by slow slicing. Then, his subordinate Mr. Hu Sanye and his sworn sister avenged him by killing the former owner and waiter of the Longmen Inn overnight and hanging them on the twelve-bar memorial archway, right?"

The shopkeeper closed his eyes and would never be able to answer Chen Ji's questions, but Chen Ji didn't know who else he could ask.

He just continued to speculate: "A few years later, Mr. Hu Sanye and his men found out that the culprits were not the shopkeepers and clerks, so they resigned and secretly went to Beijing for revenge. General Wentao's sworn sister pretended to marry into the Chen family, and then set up a plan to kill the Chen family's Minister of Revenue and bring his head back to the Jing Dynasty... right?"

Still no one answered.

Chen Ji sighed. This was all just his guess. Only this guess could make many things make sense... But even so, there were still many things that didn't make sense.

Do you want to check?

Chen Ji didn't want to investigate.

What did the injustice of many years ago have to do with him? He only needed to rescue the princess, and then take her away to Jing Dynasty or go out to sea by boat. The rest had nothing to do with him.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ji came to his senses, went up to the third floor and retrieved their luggage.

He took a clean piece of clothing from his luggage and went to the backyard. He took off his tattered clothes, stood in front of the water tank in the yard, and poured a bucket of cold water over his head.

The dirt and blood on the body and in the hair were washed away by the freezing cold water.

It was not until this moment that Chen Ji felt that he was alive again.

However, at this moment, the sound of loose tiles was heard in the distance.

He picked up his clothes and quickly went to the stable to put them on. When he came out again, he saw Jiaotu, dressed in black, leaning against the eaves of the second floor of the Longmen Inn, with her legs hanging outside the eaves and swaying gently.

Yun Yang stood beside her, his hands folded in his sleeves, his expression cold.

When the two saw Chen Ji coming out, Jiaotu covered his mouth and laughed, "How can you be so stingy, sir, that you don't even show your body to others. When you heard we were coming, you quickly hid in the stable."

Yun Yang said coldly: "What's so good about him?"

Chen Ji was tying his belt while casually asking, "What can I do for you two?" Jiaotu sat up straight and said meaningfully, "Of course I came to ask you, sir, if there is any merit that can be shared with us two, so that we can return to the position of the zodiac as soon as possible. Have you forgotten what you promised me?"

Chen Ji fastened his belt and leaned against the stable, concentrating on being alert, but he said lightly: "Such an important matter as Guyuan is entrusted to you, isn't it? This shows that the Minister of Internal Affairs trusts you two, and it is only a matter of time before you return to the position of the Zodiac."

Jiaotu said nonchalantly, "That Mr. Feng who suddenly appeared is in the limelight. He has been dormant in the Liu family for seven years. Now he has come to Guyuan to take charge of the overall situation. Maybe after returning to Beijing, he will replace us and become the new zodiac sign."

Chen Ji was puzzled as Jiaotu and Yunyang didn't know that Mr. Feng was Bailong.

He said calmly: "How about you secretly kill him on your way back to the capital, so that he won't be able to replace you."

Jiaotu twirled her hair with her slender white fingers and said with a smile, "Master Chen has no good intentions. He wants to trick us into going to our deaths? That Mr. Feng is unfathomable. We will not be fooled."

Chen Ji spread his hands: "I'm just making a suggestion... But you two adults don't have to worry about Mr. Feng. Maybe he doesn't even think highly of the ordinary zodiac position?"

Jiaotu was startled: "What do you mean?"

Chen Ji said casually: "Didn't everyone say that Lord Binghu was going to retire? Maybe Mr. Feng is returning to Beijing to take over the position of Binghu?"

Jiaotu and Yunyang looked at each other subconsciously, and both felt that what Chen Ji said was more likely.

Yun Yang whispered, "Don't waste time with this kid. He's very cunning. Who knows what his purpose is in saying these things? Let's get down to business."

Jiaotu said sternly, "Master Chen, we two came here only to clear up the misunderstanding between us. If we have offended you before, I hope you will forgive us."

After that, she stood up and bowed on the eaves. She turned around and saw Yun Yang didn't move, so she tugged at his sleeve, and Yun Yang bowed reluctantly.

Chen Ji did not answer, not knowing what the other party was up to.

Jiaotu continued, "Your Excellency will be returning to the capital soon, but you don't know how dangerous the capital is. As your subordinates, we naturally have to tell you something... Do you want to listen?"

Chen Ji said casually: "Master Jiaotu has changed his personality and started doing good deeds? Then let's listen to it."

Jiaotu shook his head: "I didn't say this for nothing. How is Lord Chen going to repay me?"

Chen Ji asked, "What does Lord Jiaotu want?"

Jiaotu smiled and said, "Master Chen, take off your clothes and let me see them, and I will tell you."

Chen Ji raised his eyebrows, but heard Yun Yang angrily say, "What are you looking at him for?"

Jiaotu laughed so hard that her body shook with laughter: "Who are you to me? Why are you so anxious? Lord Yunyang is too nosy among colleagues!"

Yun Yang hesitated to speak and finally said nothing.

Chen Ji looked at Jiaotu and then at Yunyang: "If Lord Jiaotu wants to use me to provoke Lord Yunyang, there is no need to do so."

Jiaotu snorted: "Why bother provoking him? It's pointless!"

She sat back on the eaves, her expression dull, "Although the Silijian is a place where Gu are raised, it is common for people to scheme against each other, but there are two people who should not be provoked, one is Shanniu, and the other is Wu Xiu."

Chen Ji: “Oh?”

Jiaotu looked at his nails lazily and said slowly, "Shanniu is guarding the Minister of Internal Affairs in Jiefan Tower and is not aggressive. If you provoke him, you will provoke the Minister of Internal Affairs, and naturally there will be no good end."

Chen Ji nodded: "Where's Wu Xiu?"

Jiaotu narrowed his eyes slightly. "Wu Xiu is the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. He is now favored by the emperor and serves the emperor. He is vicious and wants to get rid of us. He just took away the power of the Li Fan Guard from the Minister of Internal Affairs. Master Chen, please make sure he doesn't get any handle on us."

Chen Ji said nonchalantly, "Master Jiaotu, are you really kind enough to remind me?"

Yunyang was about to speak when Jiaotu looked up and glared at him, and Yunyang closed his mouth again.

She smiled and said to Chen Ji: "I am saying this today just to tell you, Lord Chen, that not only do we need you, you also need us. Lord Chen, the capital is dangerous, we should help each other, but don't forget the agreement between us."

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "I dare not forget."

Jiaotu smiled and said, "That's good. When we return to the capital, Yunyang and I will be waiting for your orders. We will be waiting for you at the Silijian Yamen."

Just at this moment, there was a rustling sound coming from the stable.

Chen Ji turned around and was shocked to see Xiao Wu’s head sticking out from the secret passage with some straw on his head.

When Xiao Wu saw Chen Ji, he asked curiously, "Sir, what are you doing here?"

Chen Ji turned his head and looked towards the eaves, but Yunyang and Jiaotu were no longer there.

(End of this chapter)