The pitch-black stone steps were silent and windless, leading to an unknown destination.
Looking at the deep stone steps, Chen Ji pondered whether traversing this underground tunnel would allow him to discover who Prince Jing was secretly plotting with, and what they were plotting.
Perhaps at that moment, many of the mysteries that had perplexed him for so long would be easily solved.
Holding an oil dregs lamp, Prince Jing walked down the stone steps. Looking back, he saw Chen Ji standing motionless at the entrance of the tunnel for a long time and asked in puzzlement, "Let's go."
Chen Ji suddenly felt somewhat hesitant. "Your Highness, where does this secret tunnel lead? If I see someone I shouldn't see or witness something I shouldn't witness, will I be silenced and killed?"
Prince Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What exactly goes through your mind all day long? Put your heart back in your stomach; no one is going to silence you. Also, leave that blade in your hand with your master for safekeeping. Carrying such a long blade outside without even a scabbard is far too eye-catching."
Chen Ji thought for a moment. While leaning the Whale Blade against the wall inside the room, he casually asked Old Yao, "Master, when you came to Luo City three years ago, had you already discussed it in advance with Prince Jing?"
Old Yao cast a sidelong glance at him. "Stop trying to fish for information from me and scram to the side."
Chen Ji said, "Oh."
He lowered his head slightly and followed Prince Jing into the extremely narrow tunnel.
In the dimness, only the faint flame in Prince Jing's hand flickered, infinitely stretching Prince Jing's and his own shadows within the tunnel.
With every step Chen Ji took, his vigilance increased by a fraction.
He was about to meet that mysterious important figure. What kind of person were they? Would they be able to trust him like Master and Prince Jing did?
He didn't know anything at all.
After walking for about several dozen breaths of time, Prince Jing climbed a flight of stairs holding the oil dregs lamp. Taking a deep breath, Chen Ji followed behind.
The next moment, he was somewhat stunned.
There was no important figure here, nor were there any attendants. All that remained was an empty shop.
Chen Ji looked at the surrounding furnishings and found them somewhat familiar. "Your Highness, is this Wang's Meat Shop on Anxi Street?"
Prince Jing replied, "Correct. This Wang's Meat Shop has always been property of the prince's estate, and business has constantly been quite good."
While Prince Jing wasn't paying attention, Chen Ji casually touched the candlestick on the table. The white wax hadn't completely solidified yet, indicating it had been extinguished not long ago. The person secretly meeting with Prince Jing had just left.
But since the person he was secretly meeting with had already left, what was Prince Jing still here for?
Chen Ji asked, "Your Highness, where is the person you want to meet?"
Prince Jing chuckled. "When did I ever say I came to meet someone? I never said that."
Chen Ji looked up and saw that Prince Jing had already blown out the oil lamp, pulled open the meat shop's main door, and walked out onto the street. Standing under the moonlight, he turned back and waved at him. "What are you standing around in a daze for? We're going to be late."
He walked toward the door, but before stepping out, he forcefully pulled Prince Jing back into the shadows of the meat shop.
Prince Jing was puzzled. "What's wrong?"
In the dark night, a carriage hurriedly crushed the snow on the road as it drove eastward.
The carriage was plain and unadorned. Prince Jing and Chen Ji saw Xi Bing lift the window curtain slightly, secretly peering outside while urging the coachman to go faster.
As the carriage drove past, Prince Jing stood in the wind it stirred up and asked with a smile, "How many people do you think are in this carriage?"
Chen Ji recalled what he just saw. The carriage just now wasn't large, yet the horses were pulling it with some difficulty. He reckoned there were at least two, perhaps even three people inside.
Who was the other person in the carriage? Consort Yun.
At this exact moment, Prince Jing was 'gravely ill,' yet Consort Yun took advantage of the night to quietly leave the prince's estate. This matter could be viewed as highly significant, or completely insignificant.
Chen Ji sidelong-glanced to observe Prince Jing's expression and said cautiously, "Your Highness, I cannot judge how many people are in the carriage."
Prince Jing laughed. "Playing sly."
Watching the receding back of the carriage as it rushed into the dark night, he chuckled softly. "Even the general hasn't dismounted his horse, yet everyone is rushing toward their own futures. Let's go, we still have proper business to attend to."
...
...
Tongji Street in Luo City was a place where wealthy merchants gathered, and also the place where Chen Ji had assassinated Shopkeeper Yuan.
The entire long street had forty-eight courtyards. The first twelve covered vast areas, and every single one had hired garden artisans from the Jiangnan water towns to build them, boasting every kind of pavilion, terrace, and tower imaginable. They were jokingly referred to by the commoners as the 'Heavenly Leaders.'
The latter thirty-six were much smaller and were jokingly called the 'Earthly Leaders.'
However, whether Heavenly Leader or Earthly Leader, their owners' rise and fall, honor and disgrace, changed continuously like flowing water; only the pavilions, terraces, and towers remained the same forever.
At this moment on the bluestone-paved Tongji Street, carriages and horses were parked in a neat, overlapping row. Coachmen and young servants, with their hands tucked into their sleeves, gathered in twos and threes under the gray-tiled walls, boasting and chatting about women.
Today was the grand wedding of the eldest legitimate son of Squire Lin, one of the 'Heavenly Leaders.' The street was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, and a red "Double Happiness" character was pasted with paste on the bluestone-paved road every five steps.
Guests gathered like clouds inside Squire Lin's courtyard, with dozens of tables set out for the continuous banquet alone.
Standing in front of the Lin Residence's gate, Prince Jing looked up to confirm the horizontal inscribed board and smiled at Chen Ji. "This is the place."
Having said that, he lifted his foot and was about to walk inside.
Chen Ji grabbed him and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, are you just going to swagger in like this? The Lin Residence is full of people and prying eyes. What if someone recognizes you?"
Prince Jing said in an annoyed tone, "What's there to be afraid of? You're a young man, how come you act more lethargic and spiritless than me? This Squire Lin runs brothels and gambling dens, with a gang of local ruffians following him. Officials and nobles would never lower their status to attend his family's wedding banquet. Since there are no officials or nobles, how could anyone possibly recognize me?"
Chen Ji hurriedly replied, "Even so, that won't do. What if an accident happens in this mixed bag of a place? How would I explain it to Bai Li and the Prince Heir?"
Prince Jing lifted his foot and walked toward the Lin Residence's gate. "Brat, I hired you to be a guard, not to manage me. I have an important matter today, and I absolutely must go inside."
Chen Ji had no choice but to brace himself and quickly follow.
Upon arriving at the door, the housekeeper welcoming guests stood in front of the high threshold and politely cupped his hands with a smile at the two of them. "You two guests have unfamiliar faces. May I trouble you to ask if you have my master's invitation?"
Prince Jing said carelessly, "The two of us are traveling merchants passing by. Seeing the lively private theatrical performance being held here, we simply decided to come offer our congratulations and mix in for some alcohol and food."
The housekeeper was stunned. He had never seen someone mooch a meal so righteously and confidently.
He looked at Prince Jing's and Chen Ji's completely empty hands and handled it skillfully without hesitation. "You two, today is a day of great joy for my Lin Residence. We have only invited some relatives and close friends—"
Prince Jing interrupted with a smile, "Please forgive us, master of the house. The two of us came in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a modest gift. But since today is a day of great joy for the Lin Residence, the two of us offer thirty silver taels to express our congratulations."
With that, Prince Jing looked at Chen Ji. "Give it to the housekeeper."
Chen Ji, "?"
He had originally been watching the show from the side, but as he watched, he suddenly realized he was the one being schemed against.
Seeing Chen Ji hesitating, Prince Jing urged again, "Thirty taels."
Chen Ji was utterly astonished and baffled. "Thirty taels? Me giving it?"
Prince Jing said gently, "Didn't you bring it? Hurry up and take it out; don't make this housekeeper wait anxiously."
Expressionless, Chen Ji pulled three small silver ingots from his sleeve and handed them to the housekeeper. The housekeeper smiled slightly and tucked the silver ingots into his sleeve. "Please enter, esteemed guests. A servant will show you the way."
After entering the gate, a young servant led the two men toward the courtyard.
Chen Ji said intently, "You conduct business, and I spend the money. That's not appropriate, is it?"
Prince Jing chuckled happily. "How much money has Bai Li already spent on you? What's inappropriate about me asking you to spend thirty silver taels? Do you want me to calculate a detailed account for you?"
Chen Ji suffered a hidden loss.
After being silent for a long time, he finally asked quietly, "You didn't even consult me before saying thirty silver taels. What if I hadn't brought that much? Next time, you should at least discuss it with me first."
Prince Jing placed his hands behind his back and said unhurriedly, "No need. Your master told me that you carry thirty silver taels on you for emergencies."
"Fine, fine, fine..."
The young servant led the two of them and arranged a table at the very edge in front of the stage for the private theatrical performance.
The table was already covered in leftovers. Prince Jing didn't mind; he picked up food for himself while craning his neck to look at the stage.
Chen Ji followed his gaze toward the stage. "The person you are going to secretly meet with later is on the stage?"
Prince Jing gave him a strange look. "Secret meeting? What secret meeting?"
Chen Ji was puzzled. "Didn't you say you had proper business?"
Prince Jing explained patiently, "Squire Lin is hosting a private theatrical performance today, and he specifically invited Troupe Leader Meng of the Northern Zaju Theatre to sing 'The Tale of the White Boat.' You must know that Troupe Leader Meng was a famous actor renowned throughout the Capital City back in the day. It's not easy to hear him sing a scene. I came just to listen to the opera."
Chen Ji, "Huh?"
So the proper business you mentioned earlier was just listening to a play?
At this very moment, the Liu Family was scheming, Consort Yun was scheming, Consort Jing was scheming, and the Directorate of Ceremonial was scheming. Everyone was doing their utmost to win something amidst the changing situation.
Yet you, who are at the very center of the vortex, snuck into someone else's private theatrical performance to mooch a play as if it was nothing?
The Liu Family is about to rebel, your relatives from the prince's estate are rushing off to their respective futures, and the matters offstage are even more absurd than the matters onstage. Instead of hurrying to stem the raging tide and save the desperate situation, why are you listening to a play?
Just as Chen Ji was about to say something, he suddenly heard Prince Jing say, "Don't speak. This scene is about to begin."
The young man abruptly turned to look at the dimly lit stage. On the red stage, the sound of the side drums started, and an actor wearing heavy face makeup ran onto the stage. "The summer night is endless, the summer night is endless; crossing multiple mountain passes, rushing through the desolate outskirts, the youthful years in the Capital City were delayed in the world of mortals..."
In the play, the young man received orders in the face of danger and rushed to the battlefield.
He executed traitorous ministers, killed bandits, and pacified the northern borders. In the blink of an eye, his hair turned completely white. However, before he could return to the Capital City to be appointed prime minister, he was suspected by the Emperor and imprisoned in chains.
As the saying goes, peace is originally established by generals, yet generals are not allowed to witness the peace.
Chen Ji looked back at Prince Jing, only to see this regional prince with graying temples sitting properly and upright. However, his eyes were no longer focused on the play, and his thoughts had drifted to an unknown place.
It was as if the joys and sorrows onstage and the absurdities offstage had momentarily become somewhat indistinguishable.
After an unknown amount of time, the play ended.
Prince Jing looked at Chen Ji and smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Chen Ji felt deeply distressed. "You risked danger to go out tonight just to listen to this scene?"
Prince Jing teased, "Can't I just listen to a play? Who stipulated that a person must do a great deed to save the country and its people every single day of their life? How tiring would that be?"
Chen Ji was left speechless.
Prince Jing laughed heartily. "In the early years when the Northern Zaju Theatre was still thriving, the Empress Dowager once summoned Troupe Leader Meng into the palace to perform. What he sang at the time was exactly this 'Tale of the White Boat.' Back then, I was twenty-one and had just been enfeoffed as a prince, while Troupe Leader Meng's fame shook the entire region. Today, Southern Kunqu Opera has replaced the Northern Zaju Theatre, and Troupe Leader Meng has actually been reduced to singing plays in the residence of a merchant involved in running brothels."
Prince Jing looked at the now-empty stage and said with a smile, "They are all famous actors from an old era about to make their curtain calls. As for these plays... with every performance heard, there is one less to hear."
Chen Ji asked, "Your Highness, the play is over. Where to now?"
Prince Jing stood up and walked outside. "Let's go home."
(End of this chapter)