Chapter 37: The Appointed Time

The Double Ninth Festival was celebrated throughout the entire city.

Crowds flocked to escort the Heir and the Princess toward the Prince's Mansion. Some commoners brought eggs and vegetables as gifts, while young women stood by the roadside, tossing flowers toward the Heir.

Not only was the Heir the center of attention, but even the two young masters of the Chen family were showered with petals, as if flowers were paving the road and magpies were building a bridge for them.

Amidst the crowd, Chen Ji spotted a young monk, about thirteen or fourteen years old. Dressed in moon-white monastic robes, with bright lips and white teeth, he possessed a handsome countenance. He must be the "Buddha Child" that Wu Yun had once mentioned, hailing from the Gening Sect of Yunzhou.

As this Buddha Child rode his horse past, he unexpectedly turned his head to look at Chen Ji. The boy froze for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.

In the procession, a girl riding a white horse asked curiously, "Little monk, who were you just looking at?"

She followed the monk's gaze, but the space beneath the eaves was already empty.

The little monk smiled and said, "Princess Baili, I saw a young lad whose heart was filled with bitterness, yet having slain two bandits, his heart holds nothing but obsession."

"Huh?" Zhu Baili grew puzzled. "Stop speaking in such riddles. What do you mean by 'two bandits'?"

"I was just speaking idly."

Chen Ji followed the crowd all the way back to the medical clinic. Old Man Yao was standing in the doorway, watching the spirited young men on horseback in the street. He said slowly, "Aren't those your two legitimate elder brothers? Why didn't you go say hello?"

Chen Ji replied with a smile, "Master, aren't you asking something you already know? They didn't even recognize me."

Liu Quxing leaned in, astonished. "Master, do you mean Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao beside the Heir? Those are the sons of the Luocheng Deputy Prefect; I saw them at Old Master Liu's birthday banquet... You're saying they are Chen Ji's legitimate brothers?"

Old Man Yao gave a noncommittal hum.

The clinic staff looked over and saw the two noble young masters of the Chen family dressed in exquisite white robes. Even the jade ornaments on their collars were of immense value. Instead of wooden or silver hairpins, they wore white jade ones. They were the very picture of dashing youths, dazzling and striking.

Liu Quxing looked at the two of them, then at Chen Ji, only to see that Chen Ji had changed into a freshly mended gray cloth robe, cinched with a coarse fabric belt, and wearing a pair of old cloth shoes...

"Chen Ji, you're from the same family as them?" Liu Quxing asked in shock.

Chen Ji gave a noncommittal hum in return.

He had expected Liu Quxing, a man of questionable moral depth, to take the opportunity to mock him. To his surprise, the other man suddenly spoke up in indignation on his behalf: "That legitimate mother of yours is far too biased! Even if a concubine's son cannot inherit the family estate, there should still be harmony between brothers and filial piety between mother and son. Isn't she afraid of being gossiped about for acting this way?!"

Chen Ji looked at Liu Quxing with some surprise.

Liu Quxing continued indignantly, "You never mentioned your family background all these years; I thought your family were merely tenant farmers. Do you have any idea? Just the jade pendants on their collars are worth ten years of your schooling fees!"

Chen Ji smiled and patted Liu Quxing's shoulder. "Senior Brother, don't be angry, don't be angry. I didn't expect you to speak up for me."

Liu Quxing was displeased. "What kind of talk is that? At least you and I are fellow disciples; they are all outsiders."

As he spoke, Liu Quxing cast a glance at the retreating group. "Bah! A crowd surrounding them like ants moving house!"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Senior Brother, your mouth has certainly inherited about half of Master's skill."

Liu Quxing turned to Old Man Yao. "Master, he just insulted you too."

Old Man Yao slapped him on the back of the head. "You're the one who loves to stir up trouble! Stop looking. That's another world; it has nothing to do with you lot."

As everyone returned inside the clinic, Chen Ji said with a smile, "I passed a roast chicken shop on the way and bought two chickens. Master, Senior Brothers, come and eat together."

"Wow," Liu Quxing finally noticed the lotus leaf bundle in Chen Ji's hands. He took it and unwrapped it on the counter. "Chen Ji, did you strike it rich?"

"I picked up a bit of broken silver," Chen Ji explained.

"Picked up silver?" Old Man Yao casually tossed six copper coins onto the counter. While performing a divination, he teased, "You didn't pick up silver. This trip of yours caused two unlucky souls to end up in prison... Tsk tsk, quite the grand gesture!"

Chen Ji hurriedly scanned his surroundings. Seeing that Liu Quxing and She Dengke were focused on eating their chicken, he finally relaxed.

He whispered suspiciously, "Did you calculate that, or did the crow see it?"

"Don't worry about that," Old Man Yao said in a low voice. "Let me ask you: was it indeed you who sent the tip to the Liu family?"

Chen Ji fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "It was me."

Old Man Yao let out a light huff. "Why do you dare to tell me the truth now?"

"Because I feel that you have no ill intentions toward me, and I intend to treat this clinic as my home from now on. You are my only elder."

"Don't try to get cozy with me," Old Man Yao ignored the sentiment. "Did anyone find out it was you who sent the tip?"

"No."

"Then it's fine," Old Man Yao stroked his beard. "Do whatever you want. Your legs are your own, and I can't control you, but don't you dare implicate me!"

"Will do!"

Old Man Yao looked at him and finally added, "If you want to live a long life, do not be ostentatious. Those people outside in their fine clothes and spirited horses may look triumphant, but only those who make a fortune in silence can laugh last. In the future, you will find that as long as you live long enough, you can watch your enemies die one by one."

Chen Ji said seriously, "Master, I understand the logic, and I will try to keep a low profile. But I cannot wait that long for my revenge..."

At that moment, while gnawing on a piece of chicken, Liu Quxing advised with his greasy mouth, "Chen Ji, you really don't know how to manage your life. You pick up a bit of broken silver and immediately buy roast chicken instead of saving it."

She Dengke cursed, "Then don't eat it! Don't be a chatterbox while eating someone else's food!"

"I'm just giving friendly advice!"

Chen Ji looked at Liu Quxing. This senior brother was an interesting person. If you called him a good man, his moral standards were low, he was talkative, and he was petty. But if you called him a bad man, he still had a line of integrity in his heart, making him much better than a true villain.

However, most people in this world were like this; they could not be judged simply as good or bad.

Chen Ji tore off a chicken leg and held it out. Wu Yun crawled out from his robes, grabbed the leg with both paws, and began to gnaw. Chen Ji then tore off another leg and handed it to Old Man Yao.

Old Man Yao curled his lip and said with reserve, "I'm getting old; I can't eat such greasy things."

Chen Ji stuffed the leg directly into his hand. "You were jumping around quite lively when you were whipping us with bamboo strips; you aren't old at all. Just eat it."

Old Man Yao glared at him, his beard bristling. "How dare you speak to your Master like that! No respect for elders!"

Outside the clinic was a bustling crowd; inside, the four of them shared a roast chicken. Chen Ji sometimes thought that it would be wonderful if life could remain this peaceful.

But he knew that what must come would eventually arrive.

...

...

At that moment, the girl known as Xibing arrived at the clinic, skipping along while delicately holding her skirt with her fingers. In the Prince's Mansion, she was poised and lovely, but outside, she let herself go, her hair ornaments swaying rhythmically.

She leaned against the doorway, peering into the clinic, and waved at Chen Ji. "Chen Ji, Chen Ji!"

Wu Yun hid behind a chair behind the counter, while Chen Ji wiped his mouth and went to meet her. "Miss Xibing, what is it?"

Xibing said, "My Lady's White Prajna is injured again! Her Ladyship sent me to ask you to come and take a look."

Chen Ji instinctively turned his gaze toward Wu Yun behind the counter, his mind filled with question marks: *Was it you?*

Wu Yun's eyes were clear and confused: *It wasn't me!*

The man and the cat's stories did not match!

In that instant, Chen Ji realized clearly: Consort Yun wanted to speak with him!

He had been speculating: who was the high-ranking figure connected to the Jing Dynasty's Intelligence Bureau?

While Consort Jing, being a member of the Liu family, was the most likely candidate, all clues pointed toward Consort Yun.

Recalling the instructions given by the Intelligence Bureau official, Chen Ji looked at Old Man Yao. "Master, I will go with Miss Xibing."

Old Man Yao thought for a moment and hinted, "Should you bring some ginseng just in case?"

Chen Ji: "...I probably won't need it this time."

If he spent ginseng on a cat, he feared Consort Yun would have him beaten to death.

Old Man Yao said with some regret, "Go on."

Chen Ji followed Xibing toward the Prince's Mansion. As they passed the "Open and Upright" plaque, he couldn't help but steal a glance.

Xibing showed her waist token to the guard. "My Lady summons the physician from the Taiping Clinic."

The guard lowered his halberd and allowed them through.

Inside the mansion, able-bodied servants and maids were busy, likely preparing for the evening banquet due to the return of the Heir and the Princess.

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Miss Xibing, who injured the White Prajna?"

"I don't know," Xibing said with a smile. "I haven't even seen it today. My Lady just told me to find you, so I came. Hurry up with the diagnosis later; there's an elegant gathering for scholars in Luocheng at Feibai Pond tonight, and I want to go watch. They say the Heir has invited many talented scholars."

The two hurried through the arched gate leading to the inner quarters and stopped at the entrance of Feiyun Court.

Xibing called out loudly, "Madam, I have brought Chen Ji from the Taiping Clinic."

Nanny Xitang walked over, glanced at Chen Ji, and said, "Follow me inside."

Chen Ji lowered his head and followed, using his peripheral vision to observe the courtyard of Feiyun Court. It was simpler than Wanxing Court, with only a single persimmon tree in the center bearing red fruit.

The persimmons were ripe, yet many had been left hanging on the tree unpicked.

Chen Ji suddenly remembered a story. The elderly often said that one should not pick all the persimmons, leaving some for the birds during winter. He wondered if Consort Yun leaving these persimmons meant the same thing.

Arriving outside the main hall of Feiyun Court, the building did not look like a place where a woman would live. It lacked ornate coffered ceilings or mother-of-pearl inlays; instead, it resembled a man's study, somewhat plain and somber.

At that moment, Consort Yun was listening to a young girl speak with a smile on her face, all about stories from the Donglin Academy.

Seeing Chen Ji arrive, she actually said to the girl, "Baili, take a rest for a moment. Mother is feeling a bit unwell and has called a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau to examine her. I will listen to your academy stories later."

Zhu Baili was startled. "Mother, where do you feel unwell?"

Consort Yun smiled gently. "It's nothing, just prone to breaking into cold sweats. Go change your clothes; there is a banquet tonight."

Zhu Baili stepped out of the hall, brushing past Chen Ji. She looked back at him with some confusion, feeling that this young physician looked somewhat familiar. And... he was already practicing medicine at such a young age?

Consort Yun sat upright in a grand armchair, wearing a brown cross-collared robe embroidered with a vibrant over-the-shoulder python pattern, stepping upon green waves.

Though called a python, the python patterns in the Ning Dynasty style were more akin to dragons.

Consort Yun dismissed Xibing. Once the room was empty, she asked in a low, heavy voice, "Today is the agreed-upon delivery date. Why has your Jing Dynasty Intelligence Bureau failed to appear?"

Chen Ji: "..."