Green Mountain

Early morning.

Chen Ji returned to the Silver Apricot Garden with a shoulder pole.

Xiao Man came out holding the Little Black Cat, rubbing his eyes, and asked, "Young master, what do you want to eat today?"

Chen Ji stood under the apricot tree with the shoulder pole, answering irrelevantly, "Xiao Man, what is the next festival? The Imperial Palace will also participate."

Xiao Man was puzzled, "Why is the young master suddenly asking this?"

Chen Ji urged, "Just answer the question."

Xiao Man thought for a moment, "It should be the Spring and Autumn Sacrifices, in mid-spring and mid-autumn, when His Majesty sends officials to sacrifice to the Supreme Sage. At this time, His Majesty also personally goes to the Xiannong Altar to till the land and perform the ceremonial plowing. It's quite a hassle, with the Jiefan Guard, Yulin Army, and the Five Cities Military Department clearing Zhengyang Street in the outer city thoroughly, leaving no room for common folks to walk on the street."

Chen Ji pondered, "Not this, what other festival?"

"What do you mean not this, not that, what exactly does the young master want to know," Xiao Man tried hard to recall, "Then at the beginning of March, the Empress leads all the Sixth Rank officials' female family members to the Ancestor Silkworm Altar outside Anding Gate in the north to sacrifice to Wanyu, and conduct the grand mulberry-picking ceremony to encourage silkworm rearing. All the ladies from the Imperial Capital's officials will be there, competing in elegance, it's very lively. People say they're going to pick mulberries, but really they're going for a spring outing. At that time, the Dao Court also sends many people to pray for favorable weather."

Indeed.

That's it.

Chen Ji used sixty thousand taels that didn't belong to him to buy the little monk's freedom, making Bai Long finally promise last night to create a chance for them to meet.

But this meeting opportunity must be constrained by rules. Since Chen Ji can't enter the palace ban, he can only find an opportunity to let Bai Li leave the palace ban.

The early March sacrifice to the Ancestor Silkworm Altar is the only time that can relate to the Dao Court and the aunts at Jingyang Palace.

Chen Ji silently calculated the time... more than twenty days left.

At this moment, Xiao Man muttered beside, "I heard second master returned to Qingzheng Garden yesterday and broke a lot of things. The main shopkeeper of the grain shop was beaten to death on the spot, the fat guy from the salt shop got fifty strokes, but it was by the second house's people. Despite that, after fifty strokes, he could still get up and walk…why not just beat him to death."

Xiao Man continued, "I heard Sister Duanwu say that the fat guy had a very resentful gaze when he left. Young master, you're still thinking about festivals at this moment; you'd better think of a way to deal with them."

Chen Ji walked into the side room with the shoulder pole: "Thinking is useless. That fat guy's accounts are clean now, and I have no good way to deal with him. But since they hold grudges, they'll definitely act again, and when they do, there'll be flaws."

He poured the water from the bucket into the jar: "By the way, if gifting something to a young lady, what's suitable? Something small and easy to carry."

Xiao Man looked curiously, eyes sparkling: "Is young master going to gift me something?"

Chen Ji casually explained: "No."

Xiao Man's face fell: "Could it be for Third Miss Qi? Then give her a hairpin; no girl dislikes having more hairpins."

Chen Ji murmured: "Then it's a hairpin."

Just then, footsteps were heard from outside.

Chen Ji turned his head to see a servant leading a little monk to the door: "Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji's eyes lit up: "So soon?"

It seemed no matter who was behind Bai Long's mask, as long as they promised something, it would definitely be done, and quickly.

The request he made last night, and even before the 5 to 7 AM, the little monk had already been brought over.

The little monk, wearing a moon white kasaya and carrying a small bundle, was full of joy: "Recently, you said to find a way to get me out of Yuanjue Temple. I didn't expect you to have such a great ability to actually get me out."

Chen Ji curiously asked, "Tell me the process."

The little monk explained, "Early this morning at the fourth watch, Lord Bai Long came with over a hundred spies to the door. We were having morning class, and he called the abbot out and said something to him. Right after, the abbot called me out and told me to follow Bai Long."

Chen Ji puzzled: "That simple?"

The little monk shook his head: "Not simple at all. The abbot's face looked terrible."

Chen Ji realized that the little monk has Telepathy, must have known what the abbot of Yuanjue Temple and Bai Long talked about, but couldn't say it outright, only hinting with "the abbot's face looked terrible".

Apparently, it took Bai Long some effort to bring the little monk out.

Strange, he didn't expect Bai Long to bring the little monk out today. Why did Bai Long do this overnight?

While pondering, someone passed by the door again.

Chen Lizhi, dressed in a brocade robe, stood outside: "Oh, quite lively here, how did my dear nephew bring a monk back for no reason?"

Chen Ji turned around with a salute: "Second Uncle, this is a friend of mine from Luocheng City, the Yunzhou Bodhisattva Rochusaga."

Chen Lizhi's expression froze: "It's him? He cannot stay at my Chen family."

Chen Ji asked back: "Second Uncle, why is that?"

Chen Lizhi couldn't think of a reason for the moment, glanced away from the little monk's eyes, and hurriedly left: "Never mind, let him stay then, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks. I have something else to do, so I won't chat with you."

Chen Ji looked back at the little monk, only to find him looking somewhat serious, as if he had seen something in Chen Lizhi's heart.

Xiao Man watched a bunch of servants surrounding Chen Lizhi as he left, couldn't help rolling her eyes.

She turned her head to look at the little monk again, only to find the little monk also looking at her, lightly sighing: "Miss, the curses in your mind are quite vulgar."

Xiao Man: "..."

...

...

Chen Family Salt Shop.

Seven shopkeepers knelt in a row in the backyard, including Chen Yue, who had just been punished with a beating.

Each shopkeeper held an empty bowl on their head, not daring to move.

Surrounding them were more than twenty men, their skin dark and faces stern, hands resting on their waist knives. Beside them was a small stove, and on the stove was a silver pot with boiling water inside.

Chen Lizhi sat opposite them on a wicker chair, holding a tea cup leisurely and said, "Recite the House Rules, from left to right, one line per person."

Chen Wende and Chen Yu stood silently behind Chen Lizhi, hands clasped together.

Chen Yue trembled as he said, "First rule of the Chen Family Salt Shop, the three no's for shopkeepers: no concubines, no visiting prostitutes, no private slaves."

Second Shopkeeper Zhou rasped, "Second rule, those dealing in private salt, cut off the right hand and expel, never to enter commerce. Carrying more than three stones of private salt, sink them into the pond."

A second shopkeeper surnamed Li tensed and said, "Third rule, discuss no production of the salt pool, violators will have their tongues cut; discuss no itinerary of the Salt Inspection Imperial Censor, violators will have their eyes gouged... Each room... Each room..."

Chen Lizhi waved his hand nonchalantly, and a man poured boiling water from the silver pot into the empty bowl on Second Shopkeeper Li's head until the hot water overflowed, scalding him, yet he was too scared to let the bowl tip over.

The boiling water flowed down his scalp, making the skin and cheeks painfully red.

Chen Lizhi pointed to the next person: "You."

The pointed second shopkeeper hurriedly responded, "Fourth rule, Ten Commandments of transport..."

When all the shopkeepers had finished reciting the House Rules, Chen Lizhi put down his tea cup: "On ordinary days, your visits to prostitutes and gambling I ignore, your secret dealings in private salt I also ignore, even as the Salt Shop is squeezed by the Eight Great Merchants to the point of having no salt to supply, I have tolerated you. After all, behind the Eight Great Merchants are the Hu Family, Xu Family, and Yang Family, no less powerful than our Chen Family."

Chen Lizhi leaned forward, his fish-like eyes scanning the seven shopkeepers: "Now you have been easily overthrown by a young whelp, forcing me to take action to get rid of Ye Yumin, cleaning up after you. What, should I take your annual salaries too, since I'm doing all the work for you?"

Chen Yue supported the bowl on top of his head, enduring his pain, and kneeled forward to Chen Lizhi: "Second Master, I have not been neglectful. I even bribed Chen Ji's driver and sent people to watch the front and back gates of Meihua Ferry Crossing day and night, just waiting to catch him in a mistake to ease your worries."

Chen Lizhi kicked him in the face: "Speak if you want to speak, why come so close?"

Chen Yue leaned back, then quickly got back up: "I hope Second Master will give me a chance to atone for my sins."

Chen Lizhi sneered: "I want him disgraced and banished from the Imperial Capital in shame, can you achieve that?"

Chen Yue hesitated.

Chen Lizhi's gaze turned to the other shopkeepers: "Can any of you do it, whoever can will replace Chen Yue as the Store Manager of this salt shop."

The other shopkeepers exchanged uncertain glances, and Chen Yue gritted his teeth and said: "Second Master, I know what the boy has been doing these days. He has set up a so-called exchange at Meihua Ferry Crossing and enlisted scholars Shen Ye and Huang Que to gather small salt merchants from all over. He dissects the salt permits and sells them to these merchants, even allowing them to consign excess salt permits at Meihua Ferry, charging a commission from both buyer and seller, one per thousand."

Chen Lizhi stroked his beard, his eyes sparkled with interest: "One per thousand, what kind of money can that make? Does that brat know how to do business? No, he's shrewd, I can't underestimate him; I need to ruin this business."

Chen Yue hurriedly agreed: "Second Master is right, this business only brings in a few thousand taels of silver a year, I don't even know what he's after. But I have already found a loophole that could ruin him."

"Oh?" Chen Lizhi sat up straight: "What method?"

But just then, Chen Yu, standing behind him, suddenly spoke, "Father."

Chen Lizhi frowned and turned back: "What's the matter?"

Chen Yu bowed with cupped hands: "Father, I am a close friend of Chen Ji, and if I hear of the Store Manager Chen's plots, I won't be able to resist telling Chen Ji. However, doing so would disobey you, so I might as well not listen. I take my leave."

Saying this, without waiting for Chen Lizhi's response, Chen Yu strode out of the salt shop, leaving the seven shopkeepers looking at each other.

Chen Lizhi snorted: "An ungrateful little wolf cub."

Chen Yue hesitantly asked: "Second Master, should we still..."

Chen Lizhi slowly stood up: "Why be polite with those scheming people of the main family, just go and do it."

Chen Yue awkwardly said: "Second Master, I have no money left, and that boy has taken the salt shop's public accounts, please provide me with some silver so I can accomplish this."

Chen Lizhi gave him a sidelong glance: "How much do you need?"

Chen Yue silently calculated, then looked up and through gritted teeth, said: "150,000 taels."

Chen Lizhi raised an eyebrow: "Why do you need so much silver?"

Chen Yue whispered a brief explanation, and Chen Lizhi looked at him meaningfully: "You'd better succeed this time. If I lose another 150,000 taels, you can forget about being a shopkeeper of the salt shop; I've reserved a good spot for you by the pond beside Mountain and River Altar."

After Chen Lizhi left, Chen Yue dared to stand up.

But his legs had gone numb from kneeling, and he fell halfway up. If not for Chen Bin and Chen Ertong, two of his loyal men, supporting him, he would have dove face-first into the ground.

Once Chen Yue steadied himself, he rubbed his knees and softly instructed Chen Ertong: "Go find those borderline people who rely on the Chen family for a living and bring in the salt permits they have."

He then quietly instructed Chen Bin: "Find some clever salt shop workers, I have tasks for them."