Сhеng Сhi, whоm Zhоu Shаоjin was thinking of, hаd аlrеаdу arrived in Tоngzhоu by this time.
Нowevеr, hе did nоt rush tо thе сapitаl overnight. Instead, he draреd himself in а blaсk сlоаk and, withоut еvеn bringing Нuаishan whо usually alwауs aсcompаnied him, quietlу made his wау intо а rеmоtе small inn with familiаr еasе.
Тhе innkeеpеr wаs an old mаn in his fiftiеs, sitting under а dim oil lamp аnd tapping оn аn аbaсus. When he saw sоmеоne еntеr, hе lооkеd up, his еуes сloudу and dull. But thе momеnt hе сleаrlу sаw thе newcomеr, a glint of sharpness flаshed in his eyеs beforе he quiсklу lowеred his eyelids and said, "Guest, staying at the inn? Only one superior room left at the back, fifty coppers a night."
Cheng Chi said nothing, grabbed a handful of copper coins, and tossed them onto the counter.
The innkeeper handed him a lamp.
Cheng Chi held the lamp and walked toward the back.
Shortly after, the innkeeper emerged from behind the counter, muttering to himself about "poor business" as he used wooden planks to barricade the inn's main door.
In the inn's superior room, Huo Dongting wore a patched coarse cotton robe, resembling a failed scholar, sitting with his hands tucked into his sleeves at the square table in the hall. Another man, who looked honest and simple, wore a brown cotton garment, revealing his honey-colored skin calloused like an old farmer's.
Seeing Cheng Chi enter, the two immediately stood up.
Cheng Chi blew out the lamp and casually placed it on the small table by the window-side heated brick bed.
Someone suddenly sprang out from the corner, throwing a punch toward Cheng Chi with a whoosh: "Cheng Zichuan, you bastard! If you want to die, go die alone! What kind of scum are you, dragging our Xiao family down with you..."
Cheng Chi stood there as steady as a mountain, not even moving an eyelid. The honest-looking man had already stepped forward, blocking the punch aimed at Cheng Chi. With a mocking smile in his eyes, he said, "Xiao Zhenhai, Fourth Master only asked you to step forward and help manage the Seven Stars Hall. It was you who couldn't let go and spied on Fourth Master. What, scared now? What were you doing back then?"
These words flushed Xiao Zhenhai's face red.
Cheng Chi didn't even glance at him. He sat down on the heated brick bed by the window and asked Huo Dongting, "The Crown Prince is served by experienced eunuchs and matrons. How could he have fallen ill?"
Huo Dongting replied in a low voice, "I heard that Tai Furen of Chengen Hou went to the Crown Prince the day before his birthday to complain about poverty. She said that the civil and military officials in the court only knew of an Earl of Pengcheng and didn't know there was also a Chengen Hou. She claimed that the Earl of Pengcheng's household feasted on delicacies every day and even bought estates in Daxing, while Chengen Hou could only rely on his salary to get by. She urged the Crown Prince to get Chengen Hou's heir appointed to the Maritime Trade Office, saying that the Earl of Pengcheng's heir was already managing flowers and fruit trees in the Shanglin Garden, while Chengen Hou's heir was the Crown Prince's own maternal uncle. Why should he be inferior to a mere honorary uncle... She went on with a lot of other nonsense, which so angered the Crown Prince that he smashed the teacup in his hand on the spot and stormed off. But Tai Furen of Chengen Hou showed no awareness and hurriedly tried to grab the Crown Prince, only to be stopped by several eunuchs. The Crown Prince spent half a day alone in his study writing large characters and fell ill that very night. A man named Wang Youdao from the Imperial Hospital was summoned to the Eastern Palace overnight—only he alone was called, without even an assistant to carry his medicine chest. The prescription wasn't kept in the Imperial Hospital either. We haven't yet found out where the prescription is stored.""Nothing happened that night. But early the next morning, the Emperor rushed to the Eastern Palace. He only went to court after seeing His Highness the Crown Prince.
"I've also investigated Wang Youdao.
"He was originally a famous physician from Jiangnan. Recommended by the late Grand Secretary Hu Zhuoran to enter the palace, that year the Crown Prince was just seven months old. After that, this Wang Youdao became the imperial physician of the Eastern Palace, exclusively treating the Crown Prince. Apart from the Crown Prince, even the Empress could not command him. And besides treating the Crown Prince, he would not treat anyone else's illness. This had long caused dissatisfaction among the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Only because the Emperor trusted him particularly, even if someone impeached Wang Youdao, the Emperor would always withhold the memorials without responding. And since Wang Youdao was only a minor seventh-rank imperial physician, after several such incidents, those censors lost interest in him.
"So I suspect that His Highness the Crown Prince must have fallen ill that day."
At this point, his face showed a look of shame, and his voice grew even lower: "I didn't realize it at the time. By the time I did, all the discarded items from the Eastern Palace had already been cleared away, making it impossible to verify..."
Cheng Chi said nothing, sitting in the armchair with his eyes closed.
Xiao Zhenhai grew increasingly anxious and angry, saying: "Hey, you can't scheme against me like this! Even if you want me to die for you, you have to give me some explanation! You can't just drag me here in such a muddled way. Spying on the Emperor's intentions is a capital offense, a capital offense! And one that brings disaster upon the entire family..."
As he spoke, Cheng Chi suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes were as bright and cold as winter stars, saying: "So the Xiao family is a lineage of generations devoted to farming, study, and ritual traditions!"
Xiao Zhenhai's face flushed red with anger.
The Xiao family originally were bandits who occupied mountains as their stronghold, living hand-to-mouth by illicit means—what did they have to fear from confiscation of family property or extermination of the clan!
Cheng Chi glanced at him coldly and said: "Our family needs to take sides!"
Xiao Zhenhai's mouth fell open. After a long moment, he pointed at him and stammered: "You, you..."
His hand trembled uncontrollably!
Cheng Chi didn't even look at him.
Xiao Zhenhai suddenly wiped his face and said: "Cheng Zichuan, I'm in! I'll follow you! Succeed or die trying! If you could lead the Seven Stars Hall to turn the martial world upside down, following you surely won't bring me losses! Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
Cheng Chi gave an "mm" of acknowledgment and closed his eyes.
Xiao Zhenhai stood eagerly before Cheng Chi.
After a long while, Cheng Chi opened his eyes.
Xiao Zhenhai rubbed his hands excitedly, then heard Cheng Chi say to Dongting: "The Crown Prince lives in the Eastern Palace, second only to the Emperor and above all others. Inquiring about his news easily alerts the enemy—tell our people over there not to move. You return to the capital now and see if the Fourth Prince made any moves during these two days of the Crown Prince's illness..."
He needed to know whether the Fourth Prince was aware of the Crown Prince's illness!
If he knew, harming the Crown Prince to death would become very easy!
If he didn't know, according to Shaojin's account, the Crown Prince might truly have died of illness.
But if so, the matter of the Cheng family's confiscation would hit another dead end.
He had always felt that, given the Cheng family's current reputation among scholars, unless it involved treason, the Emperor could not have so hastily confiscated the Cheng family's property.
But if the Cheng family truly committed treason, and since someone from the Cheng family could not become Emperor, which prince did the Cheng family collude with?
Cheng Chi thought of Zhou Shaojin.
He wondered if the little maid had fallen asleep yet.
An image of Zhou Shaojin sleeping appeared in his mind.Jet-black hair spilled across the crimson mandarin duck pillow. Her delicate, rosy cheeks glowed with a soft radiance, and her serene expression was tranquil and peaceful, enough to calm anyone's heart just by looking at her.
Cheng Chi suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to return.
To rush back to the capital without a second thought, to see that little girl, to watch her bury her blushing face in his chest, too shy to look up.
A surge of heat rushed downward.
Cheng Chi gave a bitter smile.
Even at a moment like this, under such circumstances, it still clamored for attention.
He took several deep breaths. Gradually, his body settled, but his heart felt hollow, as if a piece had been carved out, stirring a sense of urgency within him.
"Then it's settled!" He stood up, walking out as he spoke, "We'll meet in the capital. Same place, same time. Be careful. Don't leave any traces. Don't underestimate the capital's constables—they're not like those from remote backwaters!"
Huaishan and the man with an honest, simple face bowed respectfully, seeing Cheng Chi off.
Without hesitation, Cheng Chi lifted the curtain and stepped out.
"Wait, wait!" Xiao Zhenhai could hardly believe his eyes. He had just proposed joining Cheng Zichuan for a big job, and now Cheng Zichuan was leaving him behind. Anxious, he called out, "What about me? You have to give me a task!"
Cheng Chi didn't even pause, continuing forward as he replied, "Didn't I already assign you to help Huaishan gather information from the jianghu?"
"What?!" Xiao Zhenhai stared blankly. "Wasn't that what you had me doing before?"
"Exactly!" Cheng Chi lifted the curtain. "Just keep doing it!" With that, he left the guest room.
Xiao Zhenhai stood stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality and chasing after him.
"Cheng Zichuan, Cheng Zichuan," he called out softly, mindful of the curfew still in effect outside. He darted out of the guest room and said, "You can't brush me off like this! Every day, all I do is supervise those people, making sure they pass on every trivial thing they hear or see to Huaishan..."
Outside, heavy snow had begun to fall at some point.
Amid the swirling snowflakes, Cheng Chi's figure had already vanished.
Xiao Zhenhai stamped his foot in frustration.
Cheng Chi knew of a way to slip past the city guards and enter the capital, but he wanted to save that route for a critical moment.
Standing by the window of the post station's guest room, he watched as the snow slowly blanketed the ground, saw the night watchman pass by the station, and heard the courtyard gradually come to life as grooms, sweepers, and cooks began their morning routines... He instructed Huaishan, "We're entering the city!"
Huaishan had also stayed awake all night.
He had been dozing nearby but immediately stood up upon hearing the order, responding with a firm "Yes," all traces of sleepiness gone from his eyes.
Cheng Chi smiled faintly. Without having breakfast, he mounted his horse and headed straight for Chaoyang Gate.
By the time he returned home, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
The gates of the Cheng family residence at Chaoyang Gate were tightly shut, and the entire courtyard lay silent, still enveloped in the night's embrace.
Cheng Chi tiptoed back to the inner chamber.
Chunwan, who was on duty, slept soundly on the large heated kang in the resting room.
Behind the inlaid lacquer bed curtains, Zhou Shaojin lay curled under the crimson quilt, her brows slightly furrowed, sleeping restlessly.
Her dark hair cascaded across the pillow.
He leaned down and gently gathered the strands, tucking them behind her head.
As if sensing someone in the room even in her dreams, Zhou Shaojin stirred uneasily, burrowing deeper into the bedding.Cheng Chi then noticed she was holding something in her arms.
He hesitated for a moment before gently lifting the corner of the quilt.
Zhou Shaojin was holding the pillow he slept on when he was at home.
Clutching it tightly in her embrace, as if it were a precious treasure.
Cheng Chi suddenly felt that braving the heavy snowfall to rush back home was such a wonderful thing.
He softly called Zhou Shaojin by her maiden name and kissed her on the forehead.
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Dear readers, today's update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Tomorrow's extra update will be around twelve o'clock.
I've realized I'm now held hostage by writing—anything that conflicts with it, I'm unwilling to do...
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel