Green Mountain-Chapter 741 - 592: Stepping Off the Chessboard

Jiao Tu gazed at the side profile of Chen Ji who was resting with his eyes closed, while the overwhelming rustling sound of the reeds echoed in her ears,

she found herself momentarily confused, unsure whether Chen Ji was truly fearless and believed that neither the morning reports nor the salt permits could function without him, or whether with Bai Li's departure, he had really given up all hope and desired nothing anymore.

She had seen too many people vie for power and profit, too many pretending to be indifferent. But those people always had something on their faces, whether it was unwillingness, calculation, or the fierce determination to rise again. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Yet Chen Ji had none of that. He sat on a simple rattan chair without the imposing aura common to those with high authority, weightless, as if he didn't exist in this world.

It seemed that in the next moment, he would disperse with the wind.

Jiao Tu drew closer with a smile: "Sir, you belong to the Top Three, could you confide in me? Is the Prime Minister coming back? I heard you went to the Jiefan Building last night, what did the Prime Minister say to you?"

Chen Ji did not raise his eyelids: "I'm not Binghu."

Jiao Tu laughed lightly: "Alright, alright, you're not Binghu. Sir, you know what Wu Xiu desires. Now that the Ritual Supervision has undergone a change, he wants to grasp all that can be held. Those who listen are his people; those who don't are the Prime Minister's. Counteracting him at this moment brings no benefit, pretending to compromise is harmless... But if you don't wish to go for Yingmao, not just the morning reports and salt permits, even Brother Pao's ruffians might not stay. Whether you're Binghu or Hai Dongqing, Viscount Wu Xiang or Marquis of Wuxiang, these things will all be erased."

Chen Ji paid no attention.

Jiao Tu smiled again: "Sir, in this vast Imperial Capital, some vie to be players, some vie to be pieces. Being out of play for long, one risks being consumed. By then, even becoming a piece on the board will be a struggle. If you don't wish to partake in court affairs, do you have other plans? Perhaps Yun Yang and I could assist."

Chen Ji pondered for a long time: "I might study medical texts, perhaps open a Medical Hall in the future."

Jiao Tu was stunned and then rose to take her leave: "In this matter, I can't assist, but if you have any tasks, feel free to call. Yun Yang and I usually reside in the Eagle House Office."

She and Yun Yang walked towards the reeds' edge, glancing back as they were about to leave, Chen Ji still sat at the dock's end, his bamboo pole unmoving.

Jiao Tu suddenly asked with curiosity: "Do you think he truly wants to open a Medical Hall or is he just saying it casually?"

Yun Yang, expressionless: "After so much effort to earn power, it's not easy to relinquish it, simply setting a value on it."

Jiao Tu mused: "I guess his fishing line has no hook."

Yun Yang was startled: "What?"

Jiao Tu rolled her eyes: "Never mind, let's go back and report."

...

...

In front of the Jiefan Building, Wu Xiu's Over the Shoulder Python Robe finally changed from blue to black.

He stood where he had countless times before, looking up at the window above.

In the past, sometimes he had to wait one hour, sometimes four hours. He never complained, simply stood there, keeping every trace of expression cleanly off his face.

Now, the person inside that window should already be on the way to Changping, and this Jiefan Building was his.

Behind Wu Xiu, nineteen out of the twenty-three Chief Eunuchs from the Twelve Imperial Supervisors, Four Divisions, and eight stores stood with their hands at their sides, the Divine Palace Supervisor Xu Wenhe went to Changping to guard the tomb, three were coincidentally out of the capital for tasks and had not returned.

The Jiefan Guard's two household heads, Changxiu and Wang Zhao, also stood on both sides.

At this moment, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Official Supervision cautiously queried upon seeing Wu Xiu unmoving: "Sir?"

Wu Xiu returned to his senses, lifting his gaze to the wooden sign engraved with "Jiefan," penned personally by Emperor Ning.

He then glanced at the empty Taishi Chair inside the Jiefan Building, softly asking: "Where's the mountain bull?"

Changxiu, with hands inside sleeves, bowed slightly: "Reporting to you, sir, mountain bull left the Court Appearance Ivory Card of the Twelve Signs and accompanied the Lord Prime Minister to guard the tomb."

Wu Xiu did not turn around: "Did the Divine Palace Supervisor leave any words as he departed with the Prime Minister?"

Changxiu contemplated: "He said merely that the building is stuffy, remember to open the windows for ventilation often."

Wu Xiu looking at the Taishi Chair before him, asked casually: "Aren't you one of his? Why didn't you go?"

Changxiu laughed: "Sir, this Jiefan Building is personally bestowed by Your Majesty. Whoever can relieve Your Majesty's burdens is the master of Jiefan Building. I am the household head of Jiefan Guard; whoever the building's master is, I am naturally their person."

Wu Xiu finally turned around, facing this neat-looking little eunuch.

Changxiu stood there, hands inside sleeves, smiling broadly, resembling a harmless little fox.

Wu Xiu observed Changxiu for a long time: "No matter, you, I, he, we all serve to relieve the burdens for Your Majesty."

Changxiu bowed and said with a smile: "Your disposition and grace, sir, explain why you can take charge of the Jiefan Building. The Divine Palace Supervisor once said, sir, your quality is concealed and not shown, you are a man of inner talent."

Wu Xiu acknowledged, lifting the hem of his Python Robe as he walked inside: "Leave Changxiu of Jiefan Guard, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Official Supervision stays, the rest disperse, attend to your tasks."

Inside the Jiefan Building, the fragrance of ink and pine mingled intimately, dense and firm.

Wu Xiu entered the familiar room and looked at the familiar screen, and the familiar python depicted on it.

He walked around the screen and stood silently behind the desk.

The desk was large, made of purple elm wood, with its edges polished smooth. Several stacks of official documents were placed on the desk, with the top one spread open, its pages yellowed, and the ink long dry.

Beside it was a Duan inkstone, with cracked remnants of ink congealed in the ink pool, and a brush resting on a stand, its tip stiffly pointing upwards.

Wu Xiu stood there, looking down at the open document.

It was an old file on the river transport, its edges densely annotated with small characters. The handwriting was fine, somewhat scrawled, indicating haste. Several sections were circled, with arrows drawn pointing to another attached page.

His eyes paused on one annotation, which consisted of only two words: "Check again."

The ink was somewhat faded, as if it dried mid-sentence, then rewetted and completed.

Changxiu had appeared at the doorway at some point, hands folded in his sleeves, not speaking.

Wu Xiu bent down and opened a drawer under the desk. Inside, dozens of notebooks were neatly arranged, with years marked on their covers.

He picked up the top one and opened it; it was last year's diary.

Each day recorded the time of waking and sleeping, who was seen, and what memorials were processed, densely packed. Some days had small red circles marked beside them for significance, while others had nothing written.

Wu Xiu flipped through the pages, reaching the end: "Why weren't these taken away?"

Changxiu explained: "He said it would be convenient for you to know what the Ritual Supervision has done over the years and what to do next."

Wu Xiu asked again: "So why are some days empty? I see there are no records after the ninth day of last September."

Changxiu smiled and said: "The diary records official matters; naturally, personal matters are not written... Sir, should this room be tidied up and replaced with new items?"

Wu Xiu looked around the room: "No need, leave everything as it is."

He turned to look at the Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office: "The salt permit and morning paper were handed to you earlier; how are they doing?"

The Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office appeared uneasy: "Not too well."

Wu Xiu stood behind the desk, staring at him: "Why?"

The Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office explained softly: "The morning paper used to be sold by ruffians from the Red Gate, carrying backpacks and selling as they walked the streets. Although the Marquis Wu Xiang indeed handed over the morning paper, even when we print it, we can't sell it like they did, and it's all piling up in the warehouse..."

Wu Xiu interrupted: "How many copies were sold today?"

The Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office's voice lowered further: "Over three hundred copies."

Wu Xiu frowned for a moment: "Bring me today's morning paper to see."

The Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office nervously took two bamboo paper sheets from his sleeve and handed them to Wu Xiu: "Please have a look, sir."

Wu Xiu glanced over them: "Originally, there were thirty-two pages, and now there are only eight? Also, what happened to the two pages of 'Benefiting the Nation and the People'? Your paper now only has praises and auspicious omens from different regions, which are not what the common people or His Majesty wants to see."

Sweat began to form on the Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office's forehead: "I usually only manage internal supply, jewelry, grain storage, and icehouses in the palace. You could ask me to supervise the making of umbrellas, fans, and bedding, but this matter is truly beyond my capabilities. Not only do we lack enough manpower to sell this burden of a morning paper, but the 'Benefiting the Nation and the People' sections were all penned by the Marquis Wu Xiang himself. Without him, I truly do not know how to benefit the nation and its people. As for the pages on officials' promotions and transfers, I went to the Ministry of Personnel to find Lord Zhang and waited for a full six hours without even catching a glimpse of him."

Wu Xiu glanced sideways at him: "Don't panic. It's not your fault. I will not punish you. If you had such skills, you would be taking the imperial examinations, not working in the palace."

The Director of the Imperial Eunuch Office slowly exhaled.

At this moment, footsteps sounded outside, and Jiao Tu and Yun Yang arrived at the door, respectfully saying, "Sir, we have returned."

Wu Xiu calmly said: "Come in... What about Chen Ji, is he really sick?"

Jiao Tu and Yun Yang entered one after the other, clasping their fists: "Sir, Chen Ji is not sick; he is presently fishing in the reeds beside the Mountain and River Altar. I have conveyed your words to him. As long as he is willing to return under your command, both the salt permit and the morning paper businesses can continue under his management."

Wu Xiu replied nonchalantly: "After all, the businesses of the salt permit and the morning paper are his hard work. What did he say?"

Jiao Tu hesitated for a moment: "Sir, he said he doesn't want them anymore."

Wu Xiu tapped his fingers on the desk's documents, making a dull sound, and then asked: "Does he truly not care for these two businesses, or is he waiting for a better price?"

Jiao Tu hesitated again: "I believe he truly doesn't intend to keep them."

Wu Xiu raised an eyebrow: "What does he want to do?"

Jiao Tu recalled for a moment: "He said he wants to open a Medical Hall."

Wu Xiu laughed: "I originally thought Mr. Chen wanted to become a powerful minister; it turns out he wants to leave this chessboard, neither wanting to be a chess piece nor a player."