Green Mountain

On the official road, Yangyang rode off, raising dust, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Zheng cheerfully rode next to Chen Ji's carriage and teased, "Yangyang, the legitimate son of the Yang family, a commander of a thousand households in the Longevity Army. The Yang family is said to own half of Jinling; they rarely come north, don't enter the cabinet, only holding on to their modest land in the south."

"This Yangyang ran away from an arranged marriage early in his life, made a false household registration and secretly joined the Divine Machine Camp. Later, in the camp, because his superior Li Qianhu became forward with a good family girl while drunk, he beat up this commander and prepared to escape back to Jinling, but was favored by the General of the Longevity Army who recruited him."

Chen Ji raised his eyebrows: "Isn't anyone held accountable for forging household registrations?"

Zhang Zheng shyly replied, "My father helped him fake it; as long as enough silver was given, it's not a problem."

Chen Ji mused, Lord Zhang Zhuo's business scope is quite broad...

Zhang Zheng raised his whip, pointing to the direction Yangyang left, "Haven't you seen such inexplicable provocation like this before? Haha, you're new to the Imperial Capital and don't yet know the fame of the rouge tiger. Yangyang is only the first but certainly won't be the last. Perhaps at the foot of Fragrant Mountain today, you'll encounter others."

Zhang Xia glared at him: "What nonsense are you saying?"

Chen Ji smiled, glanced at Si Caogui's back, then turned to Zhang Xia: "Are you also going to the spring hunt?"

Zhang Xia nodded: "We are not participating in the spring hunt, just going to observe. The Crown Prince sent invitations half a month ago, and again seven days, three days, and one day before, sending four invitations in total."

Zhang Zheng added from the side: "Others usually only receive three invitations."

Chen Ji pondered.

At this moment, Qi Zhaoning was staring at Zhang Xia, dazzling atop Zaozao. Suddenly, she lifted her skirt, jumped off the carriage, and strode towards Chen Ji's carriage.

Once at the carriage, she said nothing, got in by herself, and sat down. Only after sitting did she bring up an old topic: "Chen Ji, our carriage is too crowded, not just with our Qi family members, but also two sisters from the Qian family. Your carriage is quite empty, can I sit here for a while?"

Chen Ji replied calmly: "It doesn't matter."

Qi Zhaoning laughed: "It's fine then."

After speaking, she lifted the curtain slightly, calling out loudly: "Let's go, we need to reach the Red Leaf Villa at the foot of Fragrant Mountain before evening. It's said that tonight the Crown Prince will host a troupe from the Music Performance Department to perform 'The Immortal Shows the Way', a play the Imperial Music Bureau hasn't staged in a long time, so don't miss it."

She let the curtain fall, leaving only her and Chen Ji in the carriage.

But before the curtain fell completely, they saw Zhang Xia jump off the horse, say to Chen Ji: "You ride the horse, I'll rest in the carriage for a bit."

Chen Ji nodded, exited the carriage, and took the reins from Zhang Xia.

Qi Zhaoning, uttering an "eh" sound, reached out to stop Chen Ji. But before she reacted, Zhang Xia grabbed her half-extended wrist, bringing a breath of the cool morning into the seat opposite her.

Qi Zhaoning was stunned in her seat.

Outside the carriage.

Chen Ji gently touched Zaozao's cheek, and Zaozao responded affectionately, a reunion of long-lost friends.

In the morning, he sent Xiao Man to find Zhang Xia to strategize on whether there was a Seeking Dao Realm Grand Official among the Zhang Family's Death Soldiers to counteract any possible subsequent pursuit by Si Caogui.

Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng had originally not planned to partake in the spring hunt yet came temporarily, with Zhang Xia specifically switching Zaozao to him.

This was Zhang Xia's hint: if things went wrong, ride Zaozao to escape. Once Zaozao galloped on the official road, even a Seeking Dao Realm Official couldn't catch it.

Chen Ji sprang onto the horse, and Zaozao galloped joyously as Si Caogui silently watched, raising his whip to urge his carriage.

Inside the shakily moving carriage.

After entering, Zhang Xia closed his eyes to rest, his lips moving, muttering 'Shrouding Cloud.'

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Zhaoning finally couldn't bear the silence, forcing cheerfulness as she shared, "Hey, do you know the Qi and Chen families are getting married? I might be marrying by the end of the year, and I'll send you an invitation then, you must come."

In the dim carriage, Zhang Xia slowly opened his eyes, quietly watching Qi Zhaoning, still muttering words without speaking.

Qi Zhaoning, under his gaze, shrank back a bit: "What do you want?"

After finishing a recitation of 'Shrouding Cloud,' Zhang Xia calmly said: "Why are you so afraid of me?"

"When was I afraid of you?" Qi Zhaoning said, flushed with anger, "By the way, doesn't your Zhang family have a carriage? Why don't you ride it yourself and let others go out and suffer the cold wind?"

Zhang Xia leaned back a bit: "The one outside in the cold wind hasn't complained. We swore as brother and sister, no need to pay outsiders any mind."

Qi Zhaoning, seeing Zhang Xia's calm demeanor, inexplicably welled up with anger.

Suddenly, she put on a smile and said with interest: "Sworn brother and sister? If that's true, why did you switch him out? Miss Zhang, we girls can't hide our little thoughts from each other."

Zhang Xia glanced at her: "You're overthinking."

Qi Zhaoning pointed at the silver hairpin on her head, showing off: "This plain silver hairpin was a gift from Chen Ji. He even engraved eight characters on it for me. Do you want to see what they say?"

Zhang Xia looked Qi Zhaoning up and down, responding evasively: "Dressed in Yun Jin's skirts, wearing jade earrings, your entire outfit screams noble young lady, yet you wear a plain silver hairpin on your head, completely out of place. It doesn't suit you; you might not deserve it."

Qi Zhaoning smiled: "What gives you the right to say I don't deserve him? I'm a legitimate daughter of the Qi family, and he's the bastard of the Chen family..."

Zhang Xia casually said: "I'm talking about the hairpin, what are you talking about?"

Qi Zhaoning's face darkened slightly: "You..."

Zhang Xia stared directly into Qi Zhaoning's eyes: "If you think a hairpin can annoy me, you're underestimating me and overestimating yourself. Qi Zhaoning, you don't actually care much about him; you're just like a child wanting to grab the prettiest thing. I'm not like that; I don't take things from others."

Qi Zhaoning retorted sarcastically: "Don't think I don't know; isn't that the way your mother married your father? Your mother liked Lord Zhang even when his first wife was still alive! When Lord Zhang didn't agree to Official Xu's proposal, Official Xu demoted him to the Hanlin Academy to work as an Academy Secretary alongside Wang Daosheng!"

Zhang Xia calmly said: "Hold out your palm."

Qi Zhaoning instinctively turned her palm up, extending it towards Zhang Xia.

Zhang Xia smiled but did nothing.

Qi Zhaoning realized something was off, quickly clenched her fist, and glared at Zhang Xia: "Do you still think you're a Doctor of Divination from the Imperial Academy, wanting to slap my palm?"

Zhang Xia closed his eyes again: "You're my worst student."

Qi Zhaoning contained her anger and smiled, "Second Miss Zhang, I am different from you. I guessed why you swore brotherhood with him and also guessed why you treated him with courtesy. But I'm not as generous as you; the most beautiful things must be in my hands, Qi Zhaoning's hands. Otherwise, it is better to destroy them... Remember to come to my wedding with him at the end of the year."

Zhang Xia said calmly, "Alright."

The convoy traveled from dawn to noon. When passing Fengtai Posthouse, Qi Zhaoning couldn't wait to jump out of the carriage, leaving Zhang Xia alone inside.

Qi Zhaoning came to her carriage, lifted the curtain, and took a glance, "Qi Zhenzhu, it's too crowded here. You go to another carriage. This tigress Zhang Xia, I can't bear to stay with her for a moment longer."

Qi Zhenzhu, wearing a veil, replied in a low voice.

At this moment, an escort team temporarily staying at Fengtai Posthouse was counting goods. The escort masters were pulling carts out of the posthouse's backyard, preparing to set off.

When Qi Zhenzhu got off the carriage, the breeze lifted her veil, catching the eyes of several tripsters.

She walked over to the Chen family's carriage and asked softly, "Second Miss Zhang, may I come in?"

Zhang Xia lifted the curtain and silently gestured for her to enter.

Qi Zhenzhu was a bit startled; this Second Miss Zhang didn't seem that hard to get along with?

As the convoy left Fengtai Posthouse, the Posthouse Governor stood respectfully at the door to see them off. After the convoy had gone far, he exchanged a glance with the escort leader standing at the posthouse's entrance. The escort leader nodded silently, then gestured for the escort masters to hitch up their carts and continue on their way.

The Posthouse Governor watched the escort team leave and then returned to the posthouse's backyard to retrieve a gray pigeon from a coop.

He wrapped a piece of black cloth around the pigeon's leg and tossed it into the air, watching it fly away.

...

...

After leaving Fengtai Posthouse, the road led west for seven miles, then north for thirty miles to reach the foot of Fragrant Mountain. Along the way, seven or eight fast horse teams galloped past, each carrying their hard bows and arrow quivers, their origins unknown.

Chen Ji frowned deeply, pondering something.

Zhang Zheng rode up beside him and said in a low voice, "Just now, one of the teams was our Zhang Family's Death Soldiers. They will stay in the woods at the foot of Fragrant Mountain, ready to act at any moment. Though there is no Seeking Dao Realm Grand Official, their dozen or so men coordinating with your skills might still manage to fight. By the way, where is that executive officer pursuing you, should we set a trap there?"

Chen Ji had earlier sent Xiao Man with a message, only mentioning a Seeking Dao Realm Grand Official, but not specifying who.

He deliberated for a moment, "Coachman."

Zhang Zheng was taken aback, controlling himself not to turn and look at Si Caogui, "What's the story with this coachman?"

Chen Ji didn't want to reveal his identity as a Jing Dynasty spy and could only explain, "Perhaps he was sent by the Chen family's second branch to seek revenge."

Zhang Zheng held his thoughts, "Understood, whatever needs to be done, discuss it with Axia. Our Zhang Family Death Soldiers will only listen to her, not me..."

By the time the convoy reached Red Leaf Villa, it was already quarter past 5 p.m.

Dusk was approaching.

From afar, everyone could see the red lanterns in front of Red Leaf Villa, like guiding lights.

This Red Leaf Villa was a Royal Family lodge, built by the mountain. Viewed from afar, the rows of houses rose successively, covering dozens of acres, with over a hundred rooms, each with a red lantern hanging in front, exuding a grand and majestic atmosphere like a starry sky.

Brilliantly illuminated.

Chen Ji dismounted in front of the gate and said to the guard at Red Leaf Villa, "Please announce our arrival: Qi Zhenzhu, Chen Ji of the Yulin Army, Qi Family's Qi Zhaoyun, Qi Zhaoning, Qi Zhenzhu, Zhang Family's Zhang Zheng, and Zhang Xia are here by invitation."

A guard cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, please wait a moment."

He quickly entered Red Leaf Villa, and after a moment, there were footsteps approaching.

Chen Ji looked up and saw the Crown Prince in a snowy white robe, personally coming to greet them.

From a distance, the Crown Prince called out loudly, "Brother Chen Ji, it's been a while."

Chen Ji cupped his hands, "Your Highness, I trust you have been well."

The Crown Prince arrived at the gate, his gaze swept over Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia's faces, then returned to Chen Ji and teased, "There are rumors in the Capital about your imminent good news with the Qi Family girl. Will I soon be able to drink at your wedding feast?"

Qi Zhaoning blushed, "What is the Crown Prince brother saying, don't joke about this matter."

The Crown Prince said warmly, "Our Ning Dynasty's atmosphere is not what it was years ago, with merchants thriving and the societal norms more open. A union between the Qi and Chen families is no secret, so why the need for secrecy?"

Chen Ji cupped his hands, "Since it is not yet settled between the two families, the Crown Prince should choose his words carefully."

The Crown Prince laughed, pulling Chen Ji's arm as they walked inside, "Alright, alright, let's not mention it for now. You saved my life in Guyuan before, and I haven't had the chance to thank you, so today we shall drink to our hearts' content."

Chen Ji could not see a trace of worry on the Crown Prince's face, entirely different from outside Renshou Palace.

Just as everyone was about to enter Red Leaf Villa, hoofbeats sounded from a distance: "Great victory!"

Chen Ji's heart sank, not expecting that even hiding at Fragrant Mountain, he couldn't escape this great news.

He turned back to see a Jiefan Guard riding towards them, with an ochre-yellow bundle on his back. Si Caogui, who was about to lead the horses to the stable, suddenly stopped.

The Jiefan Guard arrived at the entrance of Red Leaf Villa and asked loudly, "Where is the Crown Prince?"

The Crown Prince released Chen Ji and stepped forward to respond, "I am here."

The Jiefan Guard dismounted, untied the bundle on his back, and produced an ochre-yellow document, "Great victory, an imperial decree from the palace, you may read it yourself, no need for formalities."

The Crown Prince took the decree and opened it, his brows first furrowed, then relaxed.

Chen Ji's heart was in his throat, and not far away, Si Caogui's gaze was sharp, with deadly intent as if tangible.

He took a deep breath, "Your Highness, where is the great victory?"

No matter the outcome, he had to ask; if he dared not ask or show concern, it would be a flaw in itself.

The next moment, the Crown Prince laughed heartily, "Brother Chen Ji, allow me to keep you in suspense, and save the great victory news to enliven our drinking later!"