CHAPTER 47: 45, DRINK TO FULL

At the head of the banquet, the Princely Heir and Princess Bai Li sat behind the table, merely listening to everyone chatting without interrupting. The two whispered to each other, unknown about what they discussed.

Chen Ji felt somewhat out of place in this Literary Meeting, not knowing when Princess Consort Jing would seek him out to discuss matters.

At that moment, Chunhua quietly approached him and, bending over, whispered softly, "My Lady requests your presence for a talk."

Chen Ji surveyed the scene of the Literary Meeting and, ensuring that Consort Yun hadn’t attended, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, in front of Princess Consort Jing, he was a man of the Spy Department; in front of Consort Yun, he was from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department, feeling as tense as if walking a tightrope thousands of meters above the ground.

He stood up and followed Chunhua to a pavilion, peering through the bamboo curtain into the interior where he could only see a blurred figure of Princess Consort Jing.

Chunhua departed, leaving only Chen Ji and Princess Consort Jing in the pavilion, separated by a curtain.

Princess Consort Jing took a long time before speaking. Chen Ji stood thus, the two seemingly focused solely on attending the Literary Meeting.

After an indeterminate period, Princess Consort Jing calmly asked, "Everyone says Liu Shenyu was driven to death by the Spy Department. Why do you claim he was killed to silence him?"

Chen Ji responded slowly, "I examined the body myself. Someone colluded with the inner prison guards to fake his death as a hanging, but he was actually strangled. This matter can be checked in the Spy Department’s archives."

Princess Consort Jing frowned, "How can I access the archives of the Spy Department? How do I know you’re not deceiving me?"

Standing outside the pavilion, after a moment of thought, Chen Ji said, "You actually know the truth of my words. Since the Liu Family could send you that cup, they would certainly not spare Liu Shenyu’s life. I am but a minor figure working for the Spy Department. Your vengeance shouldn’t be directed at me, Princess Consort Jing."

Princess Consort Jing said sternly, "Don’t think you can absolve yourself of involvement. Someone told me that without you, the Spy Department wouldn’t have found Liu Shenyu’s weakness! Since you’ve had Chunhua bring me your message, tell me how to exact revenge, or you too shall perish!"

Chen Ji, observing the literati in front of him discussing romance and political ideals, found himself in a different world discussing life and death: "My Lady, who currently runs the affairs of the Liu Family in Luocheng City, is it Liu Mingxian?"

Upon hearing this name, bitterness clearly tinged Princess Consort Jing’s tone, "Yes, it’s him!"

Her restrained tone bordered on hysteria. First, she lost her son, then a beloved nephew the very next day, consecutive grief pushing her to the brink of losing control.

Chen Ji inwardly praised Liu Mingxian’s convincing act. On the night he surrounded Zhou Mansion, his hemp attire and filial piety, with reddened eyes and a weary expression, made him the epitome of filial devotion. "How would you like to retaliate?"

"I want him to suffer a miserable death!"

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief, as the hatred now shifted towards Liu Mingxian, "When did he give you the cup?"

"In the spring!"

Chen Ji then asked, "At that time, he must have asked you to do something which you refused; hence, he thought to send you this cup as revenge. What exactly did he ask you to do?"

"Why are you asking these things?"

Chen Ji responded, "How can we seek revenge without knowing what he intended to do?"

After a moment of contemplation, Princess Consort Jing said, "At that time, a former subordinate of the Prince was to be appointed Commander, leading two thousand soldiers to guard the Craftsmanship Supervisor. Liu Mingxian wanted me to use the Prince’s name to connect him with this former subordinate..."

Chen Ji paused.

Zhou Chengyi’s tactic of using Thin Horse and Cui Huan was to gain access to the Craftsmanship Supervisor, as was Liu Mingxian’s request to Princess Consort Jing.

Why was the Craftsmanship Supervisor so crucial, necessitating such elaborate schemes by the Military Intelligence Department and the Liu Family? And why did two thousand elite troops need to guard the Ning Dynasty’s Craftsmanship Supervisor?

Wait.

A scholar had just mentioned that if Jing Dynasty cavalry approached Chongli Pass, the Ning Dynasty’s commanders could use cannons and firearms to repel them.

A sudden illumination brought all clues together in Chen Ji’s mind: The Military Intelligence Department Chief wanted the firearm manufacturing secrets of the Ning Dynasty!

This was what the Chief had demanded from the Liu Family!

And since the Liu Family had already cooperated with Consort Yun and obtained the firearms, that cup was meant not only to kill the child...

Consort Yun’s condition for cooperation was probably to have the Liu Family kill the disobedient Princess Consort Jing, helping her to become the official wife, as proof of their commitment.

"Otherwise, why would Consort Yun stand on the side of the Liu Family?"

...

While pondering, Chen Ji heard someone at the banquet ask loudly, "Brother Wenzong, the Chen family boasts two prodigies this year in the provincial exam, both deemed likely to become the top scorers. But I heard you have another brother whom we’ve never seen before?"

"That’s odd, I recall my father once asked your father how many children he had, and at that time your father said two sons and a daughter!"

Chen Ji looked up and saw his two legitimate brothers, like dragons and phoenixes among men, the focus of all the scholars, naturally attracting attention to their family matters.

The first to bring up the matter expressed doubt, "Brother Wenzong, could I have heard wrong?"

On the side, Chen Wenxiao spoke up, "That brother of ours has poor conduct, so our father only acknowledges the Chen family without him."

The fat man with large ears became interested, "How so? Is there a hidden story?"

Chen Wenzong glared at Chen Wenxiao, "This is a family disgrace, let’s speak of it no more."

But Chen Wenxiao didn’t care much and continued, "When my brother Chen Ji was young, he was addicted to the pleasure quarters and a frequent visitor to the gambling house in Hongyi Lane. Three years ago, our father was planning to send him to study at Donglin Academy. Unexpectedly, the gambling house brought a debt note demanding payment of a gambling debt, amounting to a huge 600 taels!"

"What?"

"600 taels!"

Chen Wenzong frowned at Chen Wenxiao, "Say no more, you sully our family’s name, only adding to the ridicule of others!"

Chen Wenxiao nonchalantly picked up his wine cup and took a sip, "That lad is full of bad deeds; how can they be hidden? Brother, don’t deceive yourself."

He looked at everyone, "After learning of this, our father had the steward bring servants to investigate, only to find out he wasn’t just in debt to that one house; altogether in Hongyi Lane, he owed debts to six gambling houses."

"And then?"

"And then? Our father immediately wanted to beat him to death, but it was my mother, kind-hearted, who intervened, suggesting we find him a means to earn a living on his own. First, she asked him to apprentice at an apothecary, but soon he complained of the hard work and begged my mother for some silver to apprentice at the Imperial Medical Hall, and now his whereabouts are unknown."

At the banquet, someone sighed, "Ah, to have a gambler, truly a family misfortune."

However, they then heard a loud bang as She Dengke flipped over the table and stood up, "Nonsense, Chen Ji is not that kind of person, he is no gambler, nor is he lazy!"

Food scattered over the table, drinks splashed onto the scholars in front.

Everyone turned to look at She Dengke, and Chen Wenxiao looked puzzled at the Princely Heir, "Princely Heir, who is this?"

The Princely Heir too seemed bewildered, this wasn’t someone he invited.

She Dengke introduced himself, "I am She Dengke, an apprentice at the Imperial Medical Hall, and have been classmates with Chen Ji for two years. He is definitely not the person you describe!"

Chen Wenxiao narrowed his eyes, "Chen Ji is my brother, I obviously know him better."

She Dengke’s face reddened with anger, "You know..."

"Dengke? Like the top scorer Dengke, the number one scholar? Hahaha!" Suddenly someone burst out laughing, "With such a grand name, why not take the imperial exam instead of apprenticing at the Medical Hall?"

"And how dare you, in these plain clothes, come to participate in the Literary Meeting?"

Liu Quxing could not listen anymore and angrily stood up, "What does it matter what he wears to the Literary Meeting? We’ve known Chen Ji for two years; he is definitely not the person you describe."

"Look at you, dressed all properly," someone else chimed in, "but that Yingzi Wave Cap doesn’t look like it’s from Li Ji, rather like a cheap imitation from some small workshop."

Liu Quxing was at a loss for words; he indeed had bought a fake to save some money.

Just then, however, Princess Bai Li stood up and asked loudly, "Is this what your academy masters teach you? To judge by appearance? What he wears or does, how does that relate to what he says? None of you may have actually seen this so-called Chen Ji. I haven’t either, but those who stake their reputation to speak for someone else, in my view, can’t be all that bad."

The Princely Heir burst into laughter, "Bai Li makes a good point. Let me ask everyone, if someone slanders you out there, is there one who would defend you? Do any of you have such friends by your side?"

With that, the Princely Heir actually raised his cup from afar to She Dengke and Liu Quxing, "Admirable, a toast to that!"