Aoyama

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the thirty-second year of the Jia Ning era, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated.

The rooster crows.

Chen Ji slowly sat up from the bed.

He slept a long sleep and had a long dream.

In his dream, Ning Chao had electric lights and air conditioning, airplanes and high-speed trains. He stood on Chang'an Avenue, watching time fly by, people coming and going on the street, and the sun, moon and stars rotating in the sky.

Watching the pavilions and towers along Chang'an Avenue collapse and the towering buildings rise up, Chengtianmen is transformed into Tiananmen, and finally, there are no more rows of beggars or people starving to death on the streets in winter.

Chen Ji was stunned for a long time, then gave a self-deprecating laugh: "What are you thinking about..."

He went out, picked up a carrying pole, and swayed as he left the Ginkgo Garden.

But as soon as he stepped out, he saw Chen Xu standing in front of the door in a black Taoist robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his eyes closed in meditation.

Hearing the door open, Chen Xu opened his eyes and nodded slightly: "Greetings, young master."

Chen Ji, carrying a shoulder pole, asked in confusion, "Steward, are you waiting for me?"

Chen Xu smiled and said, "Young Master, you started a morning newspaper in the capital, which has recently caused quite a stir in the city. Many censors and officials have impeached you, but Master was worried that it would ruin your hard work, so he suppressed it all. You should know that in the capital, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. Master is willing to suppress this matter for Young Master, which means we share the risk. If the newspaper gets into trouble, Master's reputation will also be damaged."

Chen Ji assumed Chen Xu was there to do a favor for Grand Secretary Chen, and immediately said sincerely, "Thank you..."

Before he could thank him, Chen Xu changed the subject: "But the master didn't expect that he was overthinking things. He originally thought that since you haven't studied, you would suffer some losses when facing civil officials in this vast capital. But the master said you are smart and will know how to deal with people after suffering a few losses. But you are exceptionally talented. You silenced the censors with just three sentences. As of yesterday, there wasn't even a single memorial impeaching you."

May every poor family in the world have books on their desk and light in their window.

May all people in the world have fire in their stoves and no frozen bones in the streets.

May all people in the world have rice in their bowls and millet in their pots.

Chen Xu said with a smile, "From now on, all scholars in the world will bow down to you, and the common people will also owe a debt of gratitude to the Chen family. You have quite the skills, young master."

After a moment of silence, Chen Ji said, "Butler, that's not a method."

Chen Xu was slightly taken aback: "Not a means?"

Chen Ji did not explain.

He published articles on movable type printing and papermaking improvements in the Morning Post, which everyone thought was a way for him to compete with Wen Yuan Bookstore. He had the young monk write those three sentences, which the Chen family thought was a way for him to silence public opinion.

But neither is true.

Of course, it's not important.

Chen Ji smiled and asked, "If the steward has nothing else, I'll go fetch water."

Chen Xu looked Chen Ji up and down: "I heard from the servants that you've been fetching water from outside the mansion lately? Is it because the well in the mansion has been renovated and doesn't suit your taste?"

Chen Ji didn't want to explain further, so he could only say, "No, thank you for your kindness, butler. I just wanted to go and see the city."

Chen Xu lowered his eyes: "Young master, one cannot always live in the past. The Chen family on Fuyou Street is your true home."

Chen Ji turned and walked out of the Chen residence: "Steward, there's nothing that's impossible. What I care about most is left in the past."

Seeing that he was unwilling to talk more, Chen Xu immediately called out loudly from behind him: "Young master, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Qi family is holding a banquet for guests at their mansion. You have been fighting with Miss Qi for so long. Now that you have won, you should ease the tension between you. After all, you will still have to live together in the future. The master asked me to find you today because he hopes that you can go to the banquet with him... After all, the Chen and Qi families will still have to work together in the court."

Chen Ji paused for a moment, then continued walking out of the mansion: "Alright."

He gradually got used to walking long distances to fetch water, passing through crowds alone, without any insincere greetings from unfamiliar people, and without having to explain to anyone why he was doing what he was doing.

Chen Ji walked eastward along Chang'an Avenue, and just as he reached Chengtian Gate, he heard the sound of horses' hooves.

He looked south and was astonished to see the Imperial Guards, clad in silver armor, wearing white feathers on their heads, white cloaks, and carrying flags bearing the sun, moon, and stars, forming two rows to escort a group of people northward through Zhengyang Gate.

He was an envoy from Annam.

Before the spring hunt at Xiangshan, a report of victory arrived in the capital. Chen Ji thought it was a great victory for Mr. Wang in Goryeo, but it turned out to be a great victory for Yang Xun, the governor of Jiaozhi, who captured the King of Siam alive with 8,000 elite troops from Annam.

It was early March then, and now it's August. Officials from the Six Ministries stopped their work and stood in front of their offices, curiously observing the envoy's procession. Relatives of officials and nobles from the inner city also came out, filling the streets to capacity.

Someone shoved and pushed Chen Ji forward, making the wooden bucket he was carrying on his shoulder sway precariously.

The person who shoved him not only didn't apologize, but also gave him a sidelong glance: "What are you doing here, you water carrier? Get out of here."

Chen Ji ignored them and simply stopped to examine the procession closely.

Among the guarded procession, the person at the head was dressed in a red official robe with a golden pheasant embroidered on his chest. He must be Yang Xun, the Provincial Governor of Jiaozhi, a high-ranking official of the second rank.

Behind him was an old man with a dark complexion, also dressed in Ning-style red official robes, but without rank badges, presumably an envoy from Annam.

The man appeared to be around fifty years old, with graying hair. He had traveled thousands of miles from Annam to the capital, and his face showed signs of exhaustion.

Following that were more than ten prison carts, carrying the old and the young, men and women. It seemed that the victory only mentioned capturing the king alive, but in reality, the entire royal family of Siam had been brought back. The King of Siam was disheveled and his face was numb, as if he had already been shown off countless times by the Ning Dynasty on the way north.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; it's all the same.

When the Imperial Guards approached, Chen Ji, carrying a shoulder pole, stepped aside and quietly watched the procession pass by.

When Li Xuan saw him in the crowd, he immediately nodded in greeting. After that, every member of the Imperial Guards greeted him silently.

Officials and commoners watching along the way noticed something amiss and followed the gaze of the Imperial Guards, only to find that the person the Imperial Guards were greeting was just a young man with his sleeves rolled up and carrying a shoulder pole.

Someone whispered, "It's that person."

Finally, someone remembered the story of Chen Ji and the Imperial Guards, and the rumor that the Imperial Guards followed his lead: "He is the baron of Wuxiang County."

When Chen Ji realized that someone had guessed his identity, and not wanting too many people to remember his appearance, he immediately prepared to leave with his head down.

However, just as he turned around, Qi Zhenzhuo, a member of the honor guard, broke away from the group and bent down by the roadside to say to Chen Ji, "Master!"

The pedestrians who were originally watching the Siamese royal family all turned their attention to Chen Ji, as if he was more eye-catching than the King of Siam.

Chen Ji, carrying a shoulder pole, took a step back and stood under the eaves, frowning as he said, "The ceremonial guard is a symbol of national prestige. If you leave the ceremonial guard without permission, be careful of being impeached by the censor and having your position as commander revoked."

“It’s no big deal to do it this time. This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go to the Imperial Guard Commander’s Mansion.” Qi Zhenzhuo rode his horse a few dozen steps before turning into the gate of the Commander’s Mansion. Only after entering did he say with a complicated expression, “Master, the Annamese envoy behind Yang Xun is King Le Thu Chak of Annamese. We went to Fengtai Post Station today to bring him back. On the way, we heard…”

Chen Ji asked in confusion, "What did you hear?"

Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that his trip to the capital this time was not only to present the King of Siam for a reward... but also to seek a marriage alliance with our Ning Dynasty. Please grant the marriage, Your Majesty."

Chen Ji's heart sank.

The vassal states sought marriage alliances not for women, but in the hope that the Celestial Empire would send envoys, artisans, and physicians to bring agricultural, medical, and textile technologies from Han China to help their own countries develop.

This was originally a reward for a vassal state.

Emperor Ke Ning had no daughters. He originally had two princesses, but now he only had one left, Zhu Baili.

Chen Ji looked up at Qi Zhenzhuo, whose expression was complicated. He asked in a low voice, "Did you guess?"

Qi Zhenzhuo said seriously, "Master, your story with the princess has long been spread throughout the capital by the Four Dreams of Bianliang. Although you have never mentioned it, and although you only said that the story was made up, you deliberately walked side by side with Princess Baili on the day of the sacrifice to the Silkworm Altar, and you stared blankly at Jingyang Palace outside Zhongcui Palace... We are not fools."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Qi Zhenzhuo sighed and said, "Zhaoning is my sister. I shouldn't have said anything about this. I should have watched the princess marry the Prince of Annam. You'll forget about the princess sooner or later. But thinking about how you survived so many near-death experiences on your way from Guyuan, I can't help but tell you."

Chen Ji turned to look at the old, hunched back of the King of Annam. He stood by the roadside, and one by one, the Imperial Guards rode past him, carrying banners. The shadows cast by the sunlight flickered on his face.

He can't wait until next April.

At the end of the honor guard, someone rode forward on horseback. The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial urged Qi Zhenxue, "Commander Qi, don't waste time here. The procession ahead has already reached the Meridian Gate!"

Qi Zhenzhuo responded, and when he turned back to say goodbye to Chen Ji, he only saw the carrying pole and water bucket lying on the ground.

He looked up and saw Chen Ji's figure disappear around the street corner.

Qi Zhenzhuo opened his mouth, then whispered a reminder: "Hey, there's a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at my house tonight, don't forget to go..." (End of Chapter)