Aoyama

Chapter 384 Rouge Tiger

Both the Ning and Jing dynasties had the custom of spring hunting, summer harvesting, autumn hunting, and winter hunting.

The so-called spring hunt is to hunt wild animals that are not pregnant; the summer hunt is to hunt wild animals that damage crops in the fields; the autumn and winter hunts are the same, hunting the fiercest beasts to fatten them up and skin them for the winter.

The nature of these seasonal hunts was similar to the worship of the silkworm god, with the royal family setting an example and demonstrating their martial prowess to the world.

When Emperor Ning was young, he personally handled these matters, but after he devoted himself to cultivating Taoism, he handed them over to the Crown Prince. This time, not only were the sons of officials and nobles in the capital invited, but the Divine Machine Battalion, the Five Armies Battalion, and the Longevity Army would also send their elite troops.

The winner of the championship can grant one of his sons the title of commander of the Imperial Guard; those who hunt auspicious creatures such as white deer and white fox can accompany the emperor in sacrificial rites at the Temple of Heaven; and those who hunt tigers will be rewarded with a golden belt bestowed by the emperor.

The crown prince would also wrap a red silk ribbon around the leg of a peregrine falcon, and whoever hit it would be rewarded with Emperor Ning's bow and quiver.

Qi Zhenzhu rode a fast horse ahead to return to the Qi residence to pack his things.

The Chen family's carriage moved slowly along Chang'an Avenue, heading towards Xizhimen.

Si Cao Gui, seeing that no one was around, finally asked in a deep voice, "Where do you think this great victory came from? Could it be reinforcements heading to Goryeo?"

Chen Ji sensed the other party's probing intent: "Lord Si Cao, how long will it take for news of the great victory in Goryeo to reach Ningchao?"

Si Cao Gui quickly calculated the time: "It is springtime now, and the winds at sea are from the southeast. If we sail from Tanggu, the Ning Dynasty navy can reach Goryeo in as little as seven days. On the return trip, the winds will be against us, and it will take about ten days. If we do not encounter any strong winds or waves, the good news will arrive just in time."

No wonder Si Cao Gui tensed up when he heard the words "great victory." Judging from the timing alone, it was undoubtedly a report of victory from the Goryeo reinforcements.

Chen Ji remained calm and asked, "Lord Si Cao, what preparations has our Jing Dynasty made, and are we capable of dealing with this reinforcement army?"

Si Cao Gui's voice grew increasingly solemn: "Goryeo has already surrendered to our Jing Dynasty, submitting a memorial requesting that it be sealed and used as a permanent bulwark. Lord Lu has devised a foolproof plan in Goryeo; as long as Ning Dynasty's reinforcements arrive, they will surely be ensured their demise, unless..."

Chen Ji silently clenched his fist: "Unless what?"

Si Cao Gui touched the short knife in his sleeve: "Unless someone leaked the news, the Ning Dynasty's reinforcements did not go to Goryeo at all, but instead launched a surprise attack on other places."

Chen Ji asked bluntly, "Does Lord Si Cao suspect that I leaked the information?"

Si Cao Gui neither admitted nor denied it: "I know you are Wang Daosheng's personal disciple. You also looked anxious when you went to the south of the city to see him off that day. What, are you worried that your mentor died in Goryeo?"

Chen Ji sighed softly, "When will Lord Si Cao truly trust me? I've done so much for the Military Intelligence Bureau, isn't that enough to earn your trust?"

Si Cao Gui stroked the short knife hidden in his sleeve, his expression indifferent, and said, "Have you forgotten what the first lesson of my Military Intelligence Bureau's secret training was?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Si Cao Gui said slowly, "Don't trust anything that has been proven before, and learn to doubt everything that is happening. Chen Ji, the nemesis of Military Intelligence Bureau spies is never the enemy, but one of our own."

Before Chen Ji could speak, Si Cao Gui asked again, "Have you mentioned this matter to Wang Daosheng?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No."

"Sure?"

"Determined".

Si Cao Gui slowly said, "Chen Ji, being a spy is different from being a frontline infantryman. If an infantryman makes a mistake, he may only kill himself, but if you or I make a mistake, we could kill thousands of infantrymen. If you really leaked the information, I will kill you with my own hands."

Chen Ji calmly said, "My lord, there is no need to rush to think about how to kill me. This victory report may not necessarily be from the Goryeo reinforcements."

This Si Cao Gui's absolute loyalty to the Jing Dynasty is something that cannot be bought. Having such a Si Cao from the Military Intelligence Bureau by your side is like having a sharp sword hanging over your head at any time.

If the news of victory truly comes from Goryeo reinforcements, a fierce battle between him and Si Cao Gui is likely inevitable.

What should we do? Should we call on Xiaoman and tough it out together?
No.

Si Cao Gui is a Grand Master of the Seeking Dao Realm. He and Xiao Man are both only at the Innate Realm. Even if the two of them were together, they might not be a match for each other. There is no need to involve Xiao Man further.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ji suddenly said, "Lord Si Cao, let's go back to the Chen residence first. My coarse clothes are not suitable for the Crown Prince's banquet. I need to change into something else."

Si Cao Gui said in a deep voice, "Alright."

When the carriage passed through Fuyou Street, it turned into a small alleyway behind the side gate of Chen Mansion.

When Chen Ji returned to the Chen residence and came out through the side gate, he had already changed his clothes. He got into the carriage and whispered, "Let's go."

As the carriage slowly drove away, Xiaoman, with her hair tied in two buns, quietly peeked out from over the courtyard wall. Once she was sure no one was around, she climbed over the wall and ran towards Xuanwumen Street.

……

……

The carriage drove out of Xizhimen, and Qi Zhenzhuo stopped his horse outside the city gate to wait, with another Qi family carriage following beside him. When Si Caogui drove the carriage forward, the curtain of the carriage was lifted a crack, revealing half of Qi Zhaoning's face: "Chen Ji, have you had breakfast? We brought some snacks and candied fruit in the carriage, as well as spring peaches that were just picked yesterday."

Chen Ji politely replied, "Thank you, Miss Qi. I have already eaten."

Qi Zhaoning was not discouraged and asked with a smile, "Is there still room in your carriage? There are three of us, so it's a bit cramped."

Chen Ji was somewhat surprised. Before he could answer, the sound of horses' hooves came from Xizhimen.

Three young soldiers in armor passed by the carriage. The one in the lead was wearing the dark armor of the Long Live Army and a helmet with phoenix wings on his head. He was as tall and imposing as the guardian mountain god in front of the City God Temple.

The man galloped at full speed, charging straight toward Qi Zhenzhuo in the middle of the official road, his speed increasing like a battle charge, startling Qi Zhenzhuo into hastily turning his horse to dodge.

Those who came and those who were considering their options brushed past each other by a hair's breadth.

Enraged, Qi Zhenzhuo tried to calm his warhorse, then yelled, "Sheep, are you in such a hurry to be reborn?"

The newcomer suddenly reined in his horse, steered it back to Qi Zhenzhuo, and said arrogantly, "You're also going to participate in the spring hunt?"

Qi Zhenzhuo raised an eyebrow: "What, you can go, but I can't?"

The man from the Longsui Army laughed heartily: "No, no, no, it's just that this is the first time I've seen the Imperial Guards come to the Spring Hunt, and I find it a bit unusual. I remember that in the fourteenth year of the Jia Ning era, the Imperial Guards participated in the Spring Hunt but didn't catch a single prey. After that, they were too ashamed to come to the Spring Hunt again. This time, are you going to avenge the Imperial Guards?"

Chen Ji peered through the gap in the carriage curtain at the soldier of the Long Live Army, feeling the army's domineering and arrogant nature.

At this moment, Yangyang turned to look at Chen Ji: "This person looks familiar. Could he be the Chen family scion who killed more than a hundred Tian Ce soldiers? I think I will be able to witness Lord Chen's skill tomorrow, and it will be good for me to see how Lord Chen killed more than a hundred Tian Ce soldiers."

Chen Ji had never met this person before, but he could sense the hostility in the other person's words.

Yangyang suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile, "No, I misunderstood you two. To participate in the spring hunt, one should ride a warhorse. Lord Chen went by carriage, so I suppose he is not going to the spring hunt, but to go on a spring outing with the ladies."

Qi Zhenzhuo cursed loudly: "Yangyang, don't think you're so great just because you're in the Wansui Army. If you were in Guyuan, you would probably be dead by now. It's not your place to criticize my master for exaggerating his military achievements."

Sheep's smile faded as she sneered, "A fool is a fool. Even his false reporting of military achievements is so obvious that it's obvious at a glance."

Qi Zhenzhuo was about to argue when Chen Ji glanced at Si Caogui and suddenly stopped him, saying, "Qi Zhenzhuo, let this general of the Longevity Army say what he wants. Don't argue."

Qi Zhenzhuo's face flushed red, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

Yangyang glanced at Chen Ji sideways: "You do have some self-awareness. Don't think that just because you beat some street urchins in the outer city, you can act all high and mighty. It's shameful for a member of the Imperial Guard to fight with a martial arts master. Kid, let me give you a piece of advice: stay away from Zhang Xia. The Rouge Tiger of the Capital is not someone you can mess with."

The traces of the past suddenly became clear.

No wonder this person, filled with overwhelming hostility, charged at Qi Zhenzhuo on horseback as soon as he left Xizhimen... he was after me.

Previously in Guyuan, when Zhang Zheng and Qi Zhenzhuo challenged each other to a duel, Zhang Zheng boasted that he would call on Yang Yang and others to ambush Qi Zhenzhuo every day, suggesting that they were good friends who often hung out together.

Logically speaking, the hostility shouldn't be this intense.

In another carriage, Qi Zhaoning said angrily, "Yangyang, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Sheep gripped the reins and sneered, "Did I say something wrong?"

Qi Zhaoning called out loudly, "Chen Ji and Zhang Xia..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from Xizhimen again.

Everyone turned around and saw Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia riding towards them.

The jujubes puffed out white steam in the spring morning air, and the sound of horses' hooves was like drums. Zhang Xia, dressed in a white archery uniform, had a cold and stern look, and he and his horse exuded heroic spirit.

Zhang Xia approached the carriage and looked at Yangyang with a puzzled expression, asking, "What are you doing here?"

Yangyang's expression froze: "Me? I was on my way to the spring hunt on behalf of the Emperor's army and was just passing by."

Zhang Xia's phoenix eyes were full of sharpness. She first looked at Chen Jue in the car, then at Yang Yang: "Go do what you're supposed to do!"

Yangyang said in a muffled voice, "A-Xia, you mustn't associate with these spoiled brats of the Imperial Guards..."

Zhang Xia raised an eyebrow: "When did I need you to meddle in these things? Get out of my way!"

"Can't you speak properly?" Sheep, with his imposing, mountain-like figure, turned his horse and rode away, fleeing in disarray with his face covered in dust.

Zhang Zheng laughed loudly behind him: "Heroes of the Long Live Army, why are you running?"

(End of this chapter)