Aoyama

Chapter 508 The Imperial Seal
The Imperial Guards stayed at the tomb all night, and only rode back to the capital the next morning.

However, they did not go directly into the city. Instead, they waited silently on the official road five miles away, waiting for Qi Zhen to go to the capital to inquire about the situation before making any plans.

Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji: "The news of the Crown Prince's injury and disability has probably already reached the capital. As the Imperial Guards, we should protect him. Now that his noble body is injured, we have failed in our duty... We will definitely be punished, and you may be stripped of your title."

Chen Ji casually said, "Trading a baron for the crown prince isn't a bad deal, since the title doesn't offer much in salary anyway. It's just that this has dragged Lord Li down; you might even be dismissed."

Li Xuan gazed at the outline of the capital city on the horizon: "It's alright. If I really have to be dismissed from my post, I'll go to Guyuan alone to ask Hu Junxian for a better future."

Chen Ji remained calm: "Have you spoken to your family about it?"

Li Xuan sighed softly but did not reply.

At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), Qi Zhenzhuo arrived at full speed.

Li Xuan asked loudly, "Has the court reached a conclusion regarding Chen Wende's matter?"

Qi Zhenzhuo reined in his horse at the front of the battle and said urgently, "Chen Wende committed suicide as soon as he entered the capital!"

The Imperial Guards were all shocked: "He committed suicide?"

Qi Zhenzhuo explained, "I asked my childhood friend, and he is now an official in the Ministry of Justice. After Chen Wende died, the coroner of the Ministry of Justice also went there, so the news should be true."

Chen Ji frowned: "Who gave you the poison? How can we be sure it was suicide?"

Qi Zhenzhuo recalled: "It is said that he died by biting open the poison sac in his mouth. That Chen Wende had already pulled out his molars and hid a poison sac made of white wax in the place where the molars were. Now the court is keeping this matter a secret and has determined that the Changping incident was an assassination of a Jing Dynasty envoy by Jing Dynasty spies, and has nothing to do with the Chen family."

The Imperial Guards turned their gaze to Chen Ji, knowing that they had passed this test somewhat unknowingly, but they didn't know how they had done so.

Only Chen Ji knew that Bai Long must have used a method to make Chen Wende commit suicide, but... how did Bai Long make Chen Wende willingly commit suicide?
Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji: "Now only the matter of the Crown Prince remains. What do you plan to do about it?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "Let's take it one step at a time."

Li Xuan turned to the Imperial Guards and instructed them: "No matter who asks, tell them you know nothing about Chen Wende."

The Imperial Guards answered in unison, "Yes."

Chen Ji took the lead and sped south: "Back to the capital."

This time, they still passed through Andingmen, but no one stopped them this time. The Five Cities Garrison simply checked the Ministry of War's fire warrants as a routine matter and then politely let them pass.

The Imperial Guards, their bodies stained with blood, slowly passed through the city gate, heads held high and eyes straight ahead.

The pedestrians in the city were so intimidated by the imposing presence that they silently stepped aside.

Qi Zhenzhuo turned back to look at the Five City Garrison under the city gate, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Why didn't they stop us this time?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "Like wild beasts, territory is earned through fighting, not given away by others."

When they arrived at the Meridian Gate, they saw the golden pig standing outside the gate, seemingly waiting for them.

Chen Ji dismounted and, with a smile, addressed the Imperial Guards: “Gentlemen, there is no need to enter the palace. His Majesty has decreed that although you have rendered meritorious service, you caused the Crown Prince’s injury, and your merits and demerits cannot outweigh your merits. You will be fined three years’ salary but will remain in your original positions to atone for your crimes.”

Qi Zhenzhuo's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected that the heavy stick would be raised high and then lowered so easily, resulting in a mere three years' salary deduction.

Jin Zhu waved his hand: "His Majesty, considering that you have been traveling for dozens of days without rest, has granted you three days of leave. After three days, go to the Imperial Guard Commandery to report for duty. You may all leave now and go back to rest early... Wu Xiang County Magistrate, please stay."

Li Xuan glanced at Chen Ji, who nodded silently, and then the Imperial Guards dispersed.

Watching the departing figures of the Imperial Guards, Jin Zhu sighed, "It's only been a short time since we left the capital, and it feels like a lifetime ago to be back. You've become the Duke of Wuxiang County, been adopted into the Chen family's main branch, and are even going to marry into the Qi family. Just half a year ago, you were still a junior apprentice at the Taiping Medical Clinic."

Chen Ji said softly, "I would rather I were still at Taiping Medical Clinic."

The golden pig comforted him, saying, "Kid, you have to keep moving forward, otherwise you'll be left behind in the past in the end."

Chen Ji laughed: "Is Lord Golden Pig talking about himself?"

The golden pig was slightly taken aback.

Chen Ji walked towards Qipan Street and changed the subject: "Let's have a bowl of noodles together and talk about how you captured Yuan Cheng? I've always been curious about how you caught him."

The two arrived at Chessboard Street. Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then led Jin Zhu into Bianyifang: "Waiter, two bowls of mutton hot pot noodles, each with three ounces of mutton."

Jin Zhu added, "I'll add two more ounces of mutton offal to mine."

The waiter, beaming, used a white handkerchief from his shoulder to wipe the eight-immortal table for the two of them: "Alright, please wait a moment, gentlemen." When the mutton noodles were served, Jin Zhu pulled out a pair of chopsticks and rubbed them together: "Actually, I don't know how I somehow managed to capture Yuan Cheng."

Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Hmm?"

Jin Zhu recalled: "After the Pyeongdong Army set sail, they raised two sails and headed towards Goryeo. They originally planned to land at the port of 'Bupyeongpo'."

Chen Ji knew that Bupyeongpo was the "Incheon" he knew, an important port for trade between the Ning Dynasty and Goryeo, and the gateway to Seoul.

Jin Zhu continued, "On the fourth night, Feng Wenzheng suddenly appeared beside Wang Daosheng to offer advice, while the Pingdong Army changed course and headed straight for Lushun, arriving in two days. On the sixth night, we quietly approached Lushun, and strangely, the entire port was dark. It seemed that Mr. Feng had known this would happen all along. After we disembarked, the old man surnamed Feng led us straight to Yuan Cheng's ancestral home, saying that it was his mother's 80th birthday and Yuan Cheng had specially returned from the capital to offer his congratulations."

Jin Zhu sighed, "That day we fought fiercely until sunrise. The Yuan family's ancestral home was built like a city, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Many Pingdong soldiers died that day, their corpses piled up high. Tianma and I eventually climbed the city wall by stepping on the corpses. I still remember when I first climbed the city wall, my head was buzzing, and I was in a bloodthirsty frenzy. It wasn't until I saw the sunrise from the top of the city wall that I came to my senses."

"The Heavenly Horse stood on the city wall, and the meteor rain of arrows made the Yuan family's attendants unable to lift their heads. I thought the situation was settled, but the Yuan family's attendants retreated into the city and fought us in the streets, which dragged on for two hours. Everyone was very anxious at that time because, according to the time, the Left Jinwu Guard of the Jing Dynasty's central imperial army was near Lushun. They were the direct line of Yuan City. If they were called to come to our aid, none of us would be able to go home."

"I searched everywhere for Feng Wenzheng, hoping to get some advice, but the old man had vanished without a trace. When I saw him again, he was already standing on the city wall with Yuan Cheng in his arms. It's really unbelievable. The old man is so elusive. I don't know how he captured Yuan Cheng alive."

Chen Ji silently ate a mouthful of noodles.

Could Mr. Feng still be so shrewd and calculating even after arriving in the Jing Dynasty? Is he in cahoots with Lu Jin, or did he lay the groundwork early on?
He put down his chopsticks and asked, "Where did Mr. Feng go after that?"

Jin Zhu shook his head: "No, after he handed Yuancheng over to the Pingdong Army, he separated from us and we don't know where he went, but I guess..."

Chen Ji's expression shifted: "What did you guess?"

Jin Zhu whispered, "I guess he went to look for the Imperial Seal of the State."

Chen Ji was taken aback: "The Imperial Seal of the State?"

Jin Zhu nodded and said mysteriously, "You don't know, do you? Before the two dynasties divided the north and south, there was an Imperial Seal of the State. It is said to have been passed down from ancient times. It is engraved with eight characters in seal script: 'By the mandate of heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous.' The person holding the seal can suppress the cultivation of officials within a two-mile radius, and render ordinary infantry and armored soldiers powerless. Xu Shu was ordered to go to the north to find this seal, but he didn't find it. He only brought back a dragon-breed warhorse... the one Miss Zhang Er had named Zao Zao."

Chen Ji suddenly realized that he had heard Zhang Xia mention this matter before, but Zhang Xia hadn't said what Xu Shu was looking for in the north.

After pondering for a moment, he asked in confusion, "How was the imperial seal lost?"

Jin Zhu shook his head: "I don't know. The Jie Fan Lou only records that on that day, Emperor Taizu led his troops into the palace and captured Tuoba Lao'er alive. But Tuoba Lao'er only claimed that the Imperial Seal was stolen. Even he didn't know who stole the Imperial Seal, otherwise he wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat. Since then, the Imperial Seal has become a mystery. We only occasionally hear that when officials pass through a certain place, their cultivation suddenly disappears. Everyone is looking for it based on these clues, but we have never found it."

Chen Ji fell into deep thought. How could something so important be stolen?
He asked curiously, "Then is there no imperial seal in the palace now?"

Jin Zhu chuckled: "It's just a measure taken by later generations. Surely the imperial edict can't be without a seal, right?"

Chen Ji then asked, "Then how did you know that Mr. Feng was looking for the Imperial Seal?"

After finishing his noodles, Jin Zhu wiped his mouth and said, "I really can't think of anything else that would warrant such a person making the trip in person."

Although Jin Zhu had some reservations about Mr. Feng, he still admired him from the bottom of his heart.

and many more.

Chen Ji suddenly wondered if his master's departure to the Jing Dynasty was originally intended to search for the Imperial Seal of the State.
At this moment, the golden pig suddenly changed the subject: "Have you had any extraordinary encounters in your cultivation recently?"

Chen Ji remained calm and asked, "Why do you ask that, sir?"

The golden pig mumbled, "Um... I feel that your temperament has changed, as if you have broken through a major realm overnight."

Chen Ji's heart skipped a beat; this was the Golden Pig testing him.

These days, his cultivation progress has only been limited to the hundred or so furnace fires he obtained from the Five Witches' army, which is hardly a major advancement. Only after consuming the sword at the top of Incense Burner Peak can he be considered to have made a real leap forward.

It turns out that sword seed cultivation can also provide feedback to the golden pig.

Chen Ji vaguely replied, "One night, while observing the celestial phenomena, I gained some insight."

The Golden Pig sighed, "Exceptionally gifted, you can even cultivate by observing celestial phenomena at night... How far are you from the Dao-Seeking Realm?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's still early."

Jin Zhu took out two boxes from his sleeve and handed them to Chen Ji: "These are jadeite pieces I took from the Yuan family's ancestral home. Use them for cultivation."

Chen Ji calmly put the two boxes into his pocket and joked with a smile, "Lord Golden Pig seems to care more about my official cultivation level than I do."

The golden pig stood up, patted its behind, and said, "I told you, we're friends... I'm leaving!"

(End of this chapter)