Aoyama

Chapter 355 Jiaofang Division

When Chen Ji returned to the Chen Mansion, it was already midnight.

When I passed Hanmei Courtyard, I could see the light coming through the wall. I guess my brother Chen Wenzong was still reading by lamplight.

Chen Ji originally wanted to knock on the door, but then he gave up the idea.

When they were almost at Ginkgo Garden, they could hear Xiaoman giggling from a distance. He pushed open the door, and Xiaoman asked in surprise, "Master, are you back?"

On the other side, Chen Yu was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard and said, "When I went to check the granary today... Hey, why did you come back just now?"

Chen Yu washed off all the dust today, tied up his hair with a scarf, and changed into a bright red yisha embroidered with white cranes and auspicious clouds. When he sat under the ginkgo tree, he was so dazzling that he overshadowed the surrounding elegance.

Chen Ji patted the dust off his body in annoyance and asked: "Why are you here?"

Chen Yu said proudly, "I went to inspect the granary today, and I caught two borers as soon as I made a move. When these two bastards were collecting grain, they deliberately made the people fill the grain buckets very full, until the grain was overfilled. After weighing the grain, they kicked the grain buckets twice, causing the overfilled grain to fall to the ground. After collecting the grain, they swept the grain on the ground away and resold it to other grain stores at the cheap price of old rice... How do you think, is it awesome?"

Chen Ji suddenly realized that he was here to show off.

Xiaoman threw the little black cat in her arms to the ground, and brought a bowl of water from the ear room to Chen Ji: "Young Master, have some water."

Chen Ji drank the warm water in the bowl and looked at Chen Yu: "You waited until midnight just to tell me this?"

Chen Yu shook his head: "Of course not. I heard today that you took all the salt permits away. Several shopkeepers of the salt shop went to Bian Yi Fang to set up a banquet. I'm afraid they are still drinking and celebrating. This is indeed a stupid move on your part. You are alone and without the 93 salt shops of the Chen Family Salt Shop, the salt permits are just a burden to you. I was worried that you were hiding something, but now I don't have to worry."

Chen Ji sat opposite Chen Yu calmly: "Then what should I do?"

Chen Yu said sincerely: "Although I want to win, I can't bear to see those bastards making fun of you like this. Send the account books and salt permits back tomorrow, and I will teach you how to control those shopkeepers step by step. Within three years, I will help you take control of the salt company."

Chen Ji's brows relaxed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, but it's no need."

Chen Yu was a little anxious: "They have sent fast horses to inform all salt shops to stop selling salt. When the master family settles the accounts next month, all the deficits will be charged to you. By then, let alone fighting for adoption, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get into the family tree. If these salt shop owners deliberately spread the news, you will become a laughing stock in the whole capital, and your marriage with the Qi family may be cancelled."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "I'm not anxious, why are you anxious?"

Chen Yu said bitterly: "You took my kindness for granted!"

He stood up and walked out: "Let you fall first, and when you are hurt, come to me, and I will help you make amends then."

Chen Yu arrived at the gate of Ginkgo Garden and suddenly seemed to remember something and looked back: "Oh, by the way, Chen Wenren was escorted to Lingnan today, and he left in a bullock cart."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Shouldn't exile to Lingnan mean walking there wearing shackles?"

Chen Yu sneered, "How many officials dare to put shackles on the eldest son of the Chen family? The officials are also happy to have a carriage, how can they refuse? They took Chen Wenren out of Yongding Gate and removed the shackles, changed him into clean clothes, and didn't look like an exile at all. When the carriage reaches Jinling, someone will help Chen Wenren to complete the paperwork, and someone else will replace him to go to Lingnan. Anyway, the officials in Lingnan don't know what Chen Wenren looks like, so no one dares to hold on to this matter."

Chen Yu said slowly, "The Chen family has prepared a place for Chen Wenren to live in Jinling. From now on, he only needs to stay at home and wait until next year when His Majesty celebrates his birthday. Then he can offer a gift of 10,000 taels of silver and be pardoned. Lingnan is Lingnan for the poor, and Jinling is Jinling for the officials and nobles."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Chen Wenren and I don't have any deep hatred. Let him do what he wants. Just don't get in my way."

Chen Yu shook his head: "The second branch will blame you for this... Be careful, they will do whatever it takes. Let's go."

Chen Ji sat on the stone bench, deep in thought. Xiao Man returned to the room and took out an invitation: "Sir, at 3 pm today, the Qi family sent an invitation saying that the eldest grandson of the Qi family, Qi Zhenwu, invited you to the Jiaofangsi tomorrow."

Chen Ji took the invitation, which read: "My dear brother Chen Ji, I bow my head in respect. It is mid-spring, and the mist in Qujiang is warm. Fortunately, you have been blessed by the emperor, and you have been granted the new tune of the "Four Dreams of Bianliang" by Jiaofang. Tomorrow at 3 pm, I dare to invite you to enjoy the music with me. Let's witness the elegance together."

He threw the invitation on the stone table and asked, "How did you respond?"

Xiaoman hurriedly picked up the invitation and said, "Sir, don't throw it away. Although this invitation is written in the name of Qi Zhenwu, the handwriting is beautiful and delicate, and it must be written by a girl herself. I think the girl from the Qi family wanted to invite you, but she couldn't ask for it herself, so she used her brother's name. But she wrote the invitation by hand with a little thought, and used this handwriting to hint at your true identity as the owner of the invitation."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "So many twists and turns?"

Xiaoman smiled and said, "My mind is a little complicated."

Chen Ji shook his head: "Then there is no need to go."

"Well," Xiaoman muttered, "the servant who delivered the invitation said that many scholars will be there tomorrow, and they all want to see you. Young Master, you may not know that the story of you defeating the Buddha has spread to all teahouses. Although you are not participating in the imperial examination, you have overshadowed all the scholars who came to participate in the imperial examination."

"Scholars?" Chen Ji seemed to be thinking about something.

He took the invitation from Xiaoman and said, "I'll be there after class tomorrow. You don't have to wait for me in the evening. I'll probably be back late."

Xiao Man asked, "Sir, do you want a carriage from your family? Only the rich and powerful can go to the Jiaofangsi. Everyone goes there by car or sedan chair. It may be a bit undignified for you to walk."

Chen Ji shook his head: "No need."

……

……

The class ended at 3 p.m. the next day.

Chen Ji whispered a few words of advice to Lin Yanchu, then turned and walked towards the gate.

At this time, there was a carriage parked in front of the gate. On the loose-leaf wooden board on the side of the carriage, a leopard was carved in a hollow pattern.

Biao, the patch on the chest of a sixth-rank military officer. Legend has it that if a tiger gives birth to three cubs, one of them must be a Biao. Biao are born without stripes and are rejected by their mother tiger, and most of them do not survive.

But the surviving tigers eat dry bones and snatch bad food. Those who grow up alone must be extremely ferocious and fight fiercely. There will be no intact fur on their bodies when they are alive, and no unbroken bones can be found after their death.

Chen Ji didn't pay much attention to the carriage, but when he and the carriage passed by, he heard a familiar voice saying, "Sir, the master heard that you were going to the Jiaofangsi to listen to an opera today, so he sent me to wait for you outside the Governor's Mansion. He also told me that from now on, I will be responsible for your carriage when you go out."

Chen Ji slowly turned his head and saw a man wearing a bamboo hat and lowering his head walking out from the side of the carriage.

Si Caogui.

The ghost lingers.

Chen Ji frowned. Did Si Caogui suddenly become the driver of Chen's house? Or had he been hiding in the driver's room of Chen's house since he came to Beijing?
But not everyone can enter the Chen Mansion. The other party has only been back in Ning Dynasty for a month, how could he have sneaked into the Chen Mansion so easily?

Unless there is someone from the Military Intelligence Department in the Chen Mansion who can make the final decision.

who is it?

Is it the manager of the Humble Administrator's Garden or the Diligent Administrator's Garden? Or is it some important person from the first or second branch of the Chen family?

Seeing that Chen Ji didn't say anything, Si Caogui politely lifted the curtain for him and said, "Sir, please get in the car."

Chen Ji bent down and got into the car, sitting near the door.

The carriage drove slowly, and Si Caogui's voice came through the door curtain, "Sir, are you going directly to the Jiaofangsi in Yanle Hutong?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "Yes."

Si Caogui said calmly, "Please sit tight."

Chen Ji sat in the car with his eyes closed, his thoughts racing: Why did Si Caogui suddenly get so close to him, is there anyone else in the Military Intelligence Department who knows his identity?

When he opened his eyes again, he asked tentatively, "Could it be that the Military Intelligence Department doesn't trust me, and that they have to trouble the dignified Si Cao to come and monitor me?"

Si Caogui said calmly, "Don't worry too much. I'm here not to monitor you, but to protect you. You are competing with the second branch of the Chen family for the adoption, so you must be careful of the other party's shady tactics. If they can't defeat you in the open, they will use some tricks in the dark. Then you will know my use."

Chen Ji closed his eyes again and fell silent.

Si Caogui continued, "Now, helping you to fight for the opportunity of the Chen family's stepson is the greatest opportunity for my Military Intelligence Department, but your identity is special and cannot be easily disclosed, so I have to come here in person to escort you."

The curtains swayed, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the gaps, fleetingly appearing on Chen Ji's face.

He was silent for a long time, and could only say softly: "Thank you."

Si Caogui asked, "Have you been to the Salt Company? Do you know anything about the Chen Family Salt Company?"

Chen Ji's heart moved. Sicao Gui's news seemed to be delayed. Was he not in the capital yesterday?

He replied, "I went there yesterday morning, but several shopkeepers avoided me and gave me a cold shoulder. In the evening, I led the Yulin Army to seize their salt permits."

Si Caogui was shocked: "Seizing the salt permit? Why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand?"

Chen Ji said nonchalantly, "Shouldn't we discuss this matter with the adults?"

Si Caogui said in a deep voice: "The dispute over adoption has far-reaching implications. It is related to our Jing Dynasty's southern expedition plan. It is not just your business. How can you treat it as a joke?"

Chen Ji no longer speaks.

Si Caogui thought for a moment and asked, "What do you need the Military Intelligence Department to do for you?"

Chen Ji's heart was moved. In the current situation, Si Caogui was more anxious than him: "What can the Military Intelligence Department do? Is there anyone who can put official pressure on Yanhao?"

Si Caogui hesitated for a moment and said, "I can't do it."

Chen Ji understood that it was not that the other party could not do it, but that Si Cao Gui did not fully trust him and was unwilling to expose the big shots in the Military Intelligence Department.

Si Caogui seemed to sense Chen Ji's mood and immediately comforted him, "Don't worry, if you can take over the Chen family, the entire Military Intelligence Department can be spread to every corner of the Ning Dynasty through the Chen family. For such a big event, at the critical moment, the Military Intelligence Department will naturally help you and you won't be left fighting alone."

Chen Ji quickly calculated the pros and cons in his mind.

While he was thinking, Si Caogui said, "Sir, we're here."

Like a real coachman, he placed a footstool outside the carriage and helped Chen Ji open the curtain with a Xiangfei bamboo stick.

Chen Ji bent down and got out of the carriage, whispering, "Master Si Cao, there is no need to do this."

Si Caogui glanced at him and said, "Sir, I have said that you and I are spies, and we must not make mistakes in the spy's role. If we make a mistake, the price will be our whole life... Sir, please."

Chen Ji stepped down from the carriage on a footstool and walked towards the depths of the Jiaofangsi without looking back.

(End of this chapter)