Aoyama

Chapter 393 Leading the Dragon
A gust of wind swept through Plum Valley, causing the yellow winter plum blossoms to fall from the branches and drift through the gaps between the crowds and horses.

The people were still, but the plum blossoms were in motion. Everyone stood still, seemingly not expecting Chen Ji to refuse the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince said gently, “Brother Chen Ji, I remember you used to like to travel alone when you were in Guyuan. How come you have changed? Mr. Liao still needs to protect me, and no one else can get close to Zaozao. So it is safest for you to go.”

Chen Ji declined again, saying, "Your Highness, please let Mr. Liao go. I was able to protect you when I was in Guyuan, and I can do the same in Xiangshan."

Although his tone was tactful, his gaze was fixed on the other person, showing no intention of compromise or backing down.

The Crown Prince remained silent, but Mr. Liao beside him slowly spoke up: "Is the young master of the Chen family perhaps afraid of battle? Our Ning Dynasty soldiers never retreat in battle and are ready to die for their country. How can they be afraid of battle?"

Zhang Xia suddenly spoke up, saying, "Mr. Liao, you are mistaken."

She sat on Zaozao's tall saddle, looking down at Mr. Liao: "Mr. Liao was not by Your Highness's side during the Battle of Guyuan, so he was unaware of it. If it weren't for Chen Ji, I, Qi Zhenzhuo, and Your Highness would probably not have been able to return to the capital alive."

Before Mr. Liao could refute, Zhang Xia continued, "To Your Highness, Chen Ji is loyal and dutiful; to Qi Zhenzhuo and me, Chen Ji is a life-saving grace; and to you, Mr. Liao... it was Chen Ji who preserved your reputation and life."

Mr. Liao calmly said, "Why did Miss Zhang bring up this old minister?"

Zhang Xia stared at him: "Mr. Liao is a minister of the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince were to suffer a loss, I would be filled with shame and beg His Majesty to grant me three feet of white silk or a cup of poison. Therefore, Chen Ji also owes you a debt of gratitude for saving your honor, Mr. Liao."

Mr. Liao fell silent.

Prince Fu found it amusing and immediately beckoned to Zhou Kuang.

Zhou Kuang understood immediately, took a deerskin bag from the saddle, opened it, and brought it to Prince Fu.

Prince Fu picked up a thumb-sized salted plum from the fruit, bit off half of it, and said with a smile, "Miss Zhang is right!"

After saying that, he held half a plum in his hand, leaned to the side, and whispered to Zhou Kuang, "No wonder no one dares to propose marriage to the Zhang family. If the Second Miss Zhang were to enter the family, the matriarch of the household wouldn't have many years left to live."

Zhou Kuang kept his eyes down, seemingly lost in thought: "Your Highness, say less. Once Miss Zhang takes her anger out on you, you won't be laughing anymore."

Prince Fu coughed lightly and sat up straight on his horse.

At this moment, Mr. Liao stopped talking to Zhang Xia and turned to Qi Zhenzhuo: "Commander Qi, the young master of the Chen family is a centurion under your command. What do you think?"

Everyone instinctively looked at Qi Zhenzhuo, while Zhang Xia frowned.

Prince Fu whispered, "Boring, all they do is pick on the weak."

Qi Zhenzhuo looked troubled, glancing at Chen Ji and then at the Crown Prince.

Mr. Liao said with a smile, "Grand Secretary Qi was Your Highness's tutor. At that time, Your Highness was still young, and this old minister listened to Grand Secretary Qi talk about loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness..."

Qi Zhenzhuo interrupted him, avoiding the Crown Prince's gaze: "Mr. Liao, the Imperial Guards are the imperial guards. If you want to mobilize the Imperial Guards, you need to bring a document from the Ministry of War. Without a document from the Ministry of War, the Imperial Guards will naturally guard His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Prince Fu."

Chen Ji glanced at Qi Zhenzhuo with some surprise, while Mr. Liao narrowed his eyes slightly.

No one expected that this softest persimmon would suddenly become tough today, disregarding the relationship between the Qi family and the Crown Prince.

Prince Fu laughed heartily: "Mr. Liao, I think you should focus on managing the affairs of the Eastern Palace. You can't handle things outside."

The Crown Prince said gently, "Very well, then let the attendants of the Eastern Palace go. With my virtuous brother Chen Ji protecting me, I can feel more at ease."

Mr. Liao said nothing more and immediately sent a close attendant from the Eastern Palace down the mountain.

The prince looked at the crowd and asked, "Gentlemen, should we descend the mountain now, or stay put and wait for reinforcements?"

Mr. Liao pondered for a moment: "Going south down the mountain from Meigu, we still need to pass through Zhaosonglin, where the terrain is extremely narrow and the pine forest is dense, making it very suitable for an ambush. If we go north, we will have to pass through Furongping and Chongcuiyi, which are also dangerous places..."

Prince Fu raised an eyebrow: "According to you, does that mean we can't go anywhere?"

Mr. Liao calmly replied, “Your Highness Prince Fu, that is exactly what I meant. Rather than taking risks, it is better to remain calm and wait for the right moment. There are the Five Armies Camp, the Emperor's Army, Prince Fu's close attendants, and the Crown Prince's close attendants here. I imagine those assassins would not dare to act rashly. The snow on Fragrant Mountain has just melted, so even villains cannot set the mountain on fire.”

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia exchanged a glance. Regardless of Mr. Liao's intentions, staying where they were was indeed the best option, just as he had said.

But Prince Fu insisted on contradicting the Crown Prince's men: "I think it's better to hurry down the mountain. What if the assassins also have reinforcements?"

This time, the Crown Prince dismounted and said, "Then you may descend the mountain on your own, Your Majesty. I will remain here."

Mr. Liao dismounted and used his sleeve to wipe a stone for the Crown Prince to sit on and rest, without giving Prince Fu another glance.

Prince Fu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, then I will stay here with His Highness the Crown Prince."

……

……

Meigu was calm.

Yang Fang and Yang Xian removed their armor and put the wooden sticks in their mouths.

Yangyang lit a campfire, heated the dagger he carried with him until it was red-hot, and dug the crossbow bolts out of the two men's flesh, throwing them into the fire to burn as firewood.

Chen Ji and Qi Zhenzhuo watched silently as Yang Fang sweated profusely, even biting through a two-finger-thick wooden stick without uttering a sound of pain.

Qi Zhenzhuo said softly, "Master, I am not as good as them."

“It’s never too late to have this intention,” Chen Ji said, drawing the sword from Qi Zhenzhuo’s waist and turning to examine the assassin’s body.

He beckoned to Zhang Xia, and the two of them came to the body and stood side by side.

Chen Ji glanced back at the crowd and was surprised to see Mr. Liao staring at him intently with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

He ignored them and cautiously lifted the hats of more than ten assassins, revealing their faces.

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "These assassins might be lurking in the capital all the time. Have you seen them?"

Zhang Xia scrutinized the assassin's face: "Never seen him before."

Zhang Xia could not possibly have met everyone in the capital, but if none of the dozen or so assassins had ever appeared in front of him, then they might have just arrived in the capital from other places.

Chen Ji then used the tip of his sword to pry open the assassin's raincoat and clothing. The assassin carried nothing but a dagger, a crossbow, and a long sword.

Chen Ji asked in a low voice, "Are there any official craftsmen in the capital who can forge this kind of knife?"

Zhang Xia denied this, saying, "Most of the official craftsmen in the capital used the cladding steel method for the swords worn by generals and collected by scholars. Ordinary craftsmen were not allowed to forge the blade tips. These swords used the clamped steel method, which was cheaper to produce, and must have been brought to the capital from other places."

Chen Ji remarked, "They're really cautious."

Zhang Xia asked curiously, "You want to follow the clues and convict the Crown Prince?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No, I just want to know where these assassins usually hide."

He carefully examined the assassin: the assassin was about forty years old, with large hands and extremely thick knuckles, and thick horizontal calluses on the palms of both hands, suggesting he might be skilled with dual knives.

Chen Ji looked at the assassin's shoulder. The assassin had thick calluses on his right shoulder, less on his left, and some old scars. Zhang Xia whispered, "The assassin probably carries a shoulder pole all year round... a peddler??"

Chen Ji glanced at Zhang Xia, knowing that the other was learning to reason, so he explained in more detail: "It's not about leaning on the foot of a peddler; the carrying pole is smooth and usually won't leave any marks."

He used his sword to cut open the assassin's pants, revealing a dense array of dark brown, dotted scars running from the waist down.

Zhang Xia frowned: "What kind of scar is this?"

Chen Ji explained, "This is a scar left inside the body from the leech's mouthparts after it was forcibly torn apart."

Zhang Xia quickly asked, "A farmer in the paddy field? No, if he were a farmer in the paddy field, the wounds shouldn't reach his waist; a water chestnut harvester? No, a water chestnut harvester shouldn't have a wound on his shoulder; a boatman in the river? Yes, he is a boatman, and the wound on his shoulder matches up."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "You learn really fast."

Zhang Xia and he exchanged a smile: "It's not difficult. I'll go back and send someone to secretly investigate the boatmen and see if we can find any clues."

Chen Ji hummed in agreement: "Investigate."

He crouched down and pried open the assassin's mouth, only to find crushed white wax inside and one of his back teeth missing: "He hid poison in his mouth with a wax pellet. After being shot by an arrow, he was afraid he wouldn't die, so he swallowed the poison to commit suicide."

Zhang Xia sighed: "To train so many assassins would require a lot of money and at least ten years. Only someone with great ambition and patience could do it."

Chen Ji then looked at the topknot on the assassin's head. He used his sword to part the assassin's hair and saw that the tip of the assassin's iron hairpin had a faint blue luster: "This is used to kill, and also to commit suicide... These people are afraid that they will not die, but they are very righteous and did not put poison on the crossbow bolts."

This is the most illogical part.

Why mobilize so many assassins, defying the world's condemnation, yet not use poison?

If Chen Ji were to assassinate the Crown Prince, he would certainly coat the crossbow bolts with the most potent poison, ensuring that even a tiny scratch would be fatal to the Crown Prince.

Chen Ji smiled and looked at Zhang Xia: "Someone is afraid of accidentally hurting you. You might not die from a crossbow wound, but if the crossbow bolt is poisoned, you will definitely die. The person who killed me wants you to live."

……

……

In the Plum Valley.

The Crown Prince and his close attendants stayed together, while Prince Fu gathered with Zhou Kuang, the Five Armies, and others. They kept to themselves, each about sixty paces apart.

This is the distance at which a close attendant can protect their master should someone suddenly shoot an arrow.

When Chen Ji returned, Prince Fu was sitting casually on a rock, beckoning to Chen Ji and shouting, "Hey Chen family brat, come here, come here, I want to have a word with you."

But Chen Ji ignored him and sat down within five steps of the Crown Prince.

Mr. Liao glanced at him: "Young Master Chen, what's this...?"

Chen Ji replied earnestly, "Reporting to Mr. Liao, I will guard His Highness the Crown Prince."

Mr. Liao remained silent.

At this moment, Yangyang came to Chen Ji's side, separating Mr. Liao from Chen Ji's gaze: "Young man of the Chen family, it's time to return the ancestral horn bow of my Yang family to me."

Then Zhang Xia arrived and sat down next to Chen Ji: "Yangyang, you said before that you would compete with Chen Ji. If you lose this spring hunt, you will give him your ancestral horn bow."

Yangyang's eyes widened: "Ah Xia, are you going to conspire with him to steal my family's ancestral bow? We don't hunt."

Zhang Xia glared at him: "What do you mean by lying? Don't you remember what you said? Isn't a hunter a hunter? You killed nine people just now, and he killed seventeen people, so naturally he won."

Sheep got anxious: "This horn bow was made from the horn of a Kui ox that my ancestors hunted in the East Sea. Even the bowstring is made from the square sinew of the Kui ox. It won't dry out or crack!"

Zhang Xia remained expressionless: "In the East Sea lies Liubo Mountain, seven thousand li into the sea. On it dwells a beast, shaped like an ox, with a blue body and no horns, one leg, whose roar is like thunder, and its name is Kui. Tell me, where did the Kui ox get its horns?"

Sheep said, "Oh, I was wrong. It's the Five-Colored Divine Ox Horn."

However, at that moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came again from afar.

Chen Ji suddenly looked towards the Eighteen Bends Mountain Road. Were those assassins going to make a comeback? No, there were some to the north... and some to the south!
The assassins came from three directions, and there was no chance of an easy victory. But he was right next to the Crown Prince. How could they possibly avoid the Crown Prince and kill him?
Chen Ji shouted in a low voice, "Protect His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He pulled Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng back to the Crown Prince's side, while Zhang Xia intentionally or unintentionally stood between him and Mr. Liao.

Prince Fu, disregarding his defenses against the Crown Prince, immediately led his men on horseback to join the Eastern Palace attendants.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer and closer until assassins wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats appeared at the edge of Plum Valley from three directions, crouching low and swooping down.

Yangyang's eyes darted around as he silently counted the number of people: "Eighty-two!"

He looked back at his side and saw that the attendants of the Eastern Palace and the followers of Prince Fu were fighting their own battles in a chaotic manner, with no one issuing unified orders.

Yangyang roared, "The commander of the Imperial Guard is here, all under my command! The Crown Prince guards the north, Zhou Kuang, your men guard the east, and the Five Armies guard the south. Fire arrows!"

With their minds focused, the three parties each drew their bows and fired as Yangyang had instructed.

Everyone present was an elite soldier, and their arrows never missed their mark.

After a volley of arrows, more than twenty warriors were hit by arrows. Those hit in vital areas fell off their horses, while those not hit in vital areas endured the pain and drew their daggers to stab their horses in the rump, startling the warhorses into galloping wildly without stopping!
This time, the remaining assassins concealed themselves under the galloping horses and quickly approached. Yangyang only had time to fire a second volley of arrows before the remaining forty-odd assassins closed to within thirty paces.

In an instant, the assassins flipped back onto their horses, each with two crossbows, and fired a dense barrage of bolts.

These suicide soldiers, with shields ready to die in front and two crossbows each behind, aimed to get within thirty paces!

Arrows rained down from the sky, but the plum trees in Plum Valley were too slender to withstand the barrage, leaving no way to avoid them.

In the nick of time, Chen Ji tried to pull his warhorse to shield him from the rain of arrows: "Get behind me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Kuang suddenly roared, "Rise!"

The other party threw out a rope that hung down to the ground, and when the rope was lifted up, the decaying leaves on the ground were pulled up by an invisible force on the rope.

Within a radius of ten feet, the accumulated leaves moved without wind, and even the yellow winter plum blossoms on the plum tree detached from their branches, all converging towards the end of the rope.

Zhou Kuang lifted the rope and swung it into the sky. The decaying leaves and plum blossoms that had accumulated in Plum Valley for years followed the rope and gradually condensed into a dragon's head, body, and tail.

Zhou Kuang twirled a long rope overhead, and the dragon made of leaves and plum blossoms seemed to be led by him, swirling and coiling with the rope's movements.

The dragon coiled its body in a circle, firmly protecting everyone inside, and shredded the crossbow bolts fired by the assassins.

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Xia: "What's this?"

Zhang Xia calmly said, "This is the Zhou family's ancestral path to officialdom. The Zhou family once fought alongside Emperor Taizu. When the army was defeated in Luoyang, it was the Zhou family who stayed with Emperor Taizu to cover the retreat. This path to officialdom was originally called 'Walking the Rope,' but Emperor Taizu thought it sounded bad, so he bestowed upon it a new name: 'Dragon-Leading.'"

(End of this chapter)