Green Mountain

Prince Fu rode up to the gate of the Zhang Mansion, climbed the stone steps, and hesitated several times with his hand on the copper ring of the vermillion door, unsure of how to knock.

After a long while, he took a deep breath and knocked forcefully on the door.

The vermillion door opened, and the gatekeeper’s servant stood at the threshold, puzzled as he looked at Prince Fu, almost failing to recognize him.

Prince Fu’s eyes were bloodshot; his official robe was tattered, his face smudged with soot marks, and his hands covered in charcoal grime, looking nothing like a prince.

It wasn’t until the gatekeeper’s servant saw the golden crown on Prince Fu’s head and the entourage of people and horses behind him that he hurriedly bowed and said, "So it’s Prince Fu..."

Prince Fu interrupted, "Please inform Madam Zhang and Second Miss Zhang that I wish to see them."

The gatekeeper’s servant opened the door wide: "The Madam and Second Miss are both at home, please come in."

Prince Fu shook his head: "I won’t go in; I’ll wait here."

The gatekeeper’s servant dashed into the residence, and shortly thereafter Madam Zhang and Zhang Xia hurried over upon receiving the news. Madam Zhang sized up Prince Fu with hesitation, "What has happened to Your Highness?"

Prince Fu bowed deeply, "Today, assassins attempted to strike at the Qi family. Chen Ji sacrificed himself in the fire to save me... I... can’t distinguish which body is his. I ask that Second Miss Zhang assist in identifying him."

At these words, Prince Fu’s voice choked, almost unable to continue.

As soon as he finished speaking, Madam Zhang’s legs nearly gave way, but Nuanchun supported her, preventing her from falling.

Madam Zhang caught her breath, steadied herself, and commanded, "Quick, send someone to inform the master... prepare the carriage, I must go to the Qi family!"

She turned to Zhang Xia: "Axia, you..."

"I don’t believe it!" Zhang Xia had already whistled for Zaozao, mounted her horse, and galloped straight toward the Qi family.

Not yet at Fuyou Street, Zhang Xia could see from afar columns of white smoke rising into the sky and could smell the scent of ashes in the air from a street away.

Zhang Xia patted Zaozao: "Zaozao, faster!"

In front of the Qi Mansion on Fuyou Street, a crowd of townsfolk gathered and gossiped.

She rode through the long street, not dismounting even when she reached the Qi mansion’s gate, driving Zaozao up the stone steps and into the Qi family, only dismounting once she reached the mourning hall.

Standing before a dozen disfigured corpses in the mourning hall, Zhang Xia hesitated, unable to move forward.

Qi Zhaoning, seeing Zhang Xia under the mourning tent, was startled: "Zhang Xia, why are you here?"

Today, during the chaos, Chen Ji had sneaked into the mourning hall among Prince Fu’s entourage, and he had perished alongside a tiger demon in just a few breaths’ time while the prince silently identified Chen Ji’s body.

Qi Zhaoning did not know what had truly happened, nor who had died.

But now that Zhang Xia was here... Qi Zhaoning seemed to realize something and suddenly looked at the bodies: "Chen Ji is in there? Are you mistaken? Speak!"

Zhang Xia recovered her senses.

Ignoring Qi Zhaoning, she approached and examined each body meticulously, afraid of missing any detail.

As Zhang Xia passed by the dozen or so corpses, she finally halted and then threw herself onto a thin body, weeping uncontrollably, and those watching felt heart-stricken.

Qi Zhaoning slumped to the ground, murmuring to himself: "Li Changge is dead... Li Changge is dead?"

Before long, Prince Fu, Madam Zhang, Zhang Zhuo, Xu Shu, Zhang Zheng, Xiao Man, the little monk, and others all arrived, standing at a distance watching Zhang Xia crying her heart out, everyone stood frozen in place.

Madam Zhang still did not believe it. Supported by Nuanchun, she approached and repeatedly asked, "Axia, are you sure it’s Chen Ji? Really Chen Ji? Say something to your mother!"

Xiao Man stood beside Zhang Xia, tilting his head and bawling, "Young Master!"

Standing by, Xu Shu, feeling restless, suddenly looked at the monks from Yuanjue Temple, who were chanting softly at a distance, and flared up in anger, "Why didn’t you step in to save anyone?"

Old Fang Zhang slowly lifted his eyelids, "Master Xu Shu, all things are subject to cause and effect; we came to the Qi mansion only to pray for the departed souls, not to extinguish fires."

Xu Shu replied sternly, "Even when someone dies before your eyes you don’t help? Is this what your practice amounts to?"

Old Fang Zhang met Xu Shu’s gaze, "Master Xu Shu, haven’t you, too, been avoiding cause and effect all these years?"

Xu Shu was stifled, unable to respond for a long while.

Zhang Xia lay on the body, crying for an hour, until Prince Fu sent someone to bring a coffin to collect the body, at which point Madam Zhang stepped forward, embracing her shoulders and helping her step back a few paces.

Zhang Xia, unable to stand firm through her tears, relied on her mother’s embrace to sob.

Zhang Zhuo could not bear to see her cry any longer; he softly instructed, "Take her away, she can’t be allowed to just look at Chen Ji’s body like this; she’ll cry herself to death. Xiao Man, you all mustn’t mention Chen Ji in her presence for the next few days; take turns accompanying her."

Madam Zhang hurriedly led a stumbling Zhang Xia away, getting into the Zhang family’s carriage.

Just as the curtain fell, Zhang Xia steadied herself, wiping away her tears, "Chen Ji isn’t dead."

Madam Zhang and Xiao Man were just about to exclaim in surprise, but Zhang Xia simultaneously covered their mouths.

Zhang Xia calmly said, "Chen Ji’s form is etched in my mind; even if he were reduced to ashes, I wouldn’t mistake him. He’s not there. Keep quiet; he has gone to great lengths to fake his death and escape; we can’t give it away."

Releasing them, Madam Zhang asked puzzledly, "Why would he fake his death to escape?"

Zhang Xia lifted the curtain a little to observe outside the carriage quietly: "He must have encountered a tricky problem that even he couldn’t resolve. This matter shouldn’t be leaked; the funeral has to be held, and it must be held meticulously so that no flaw can be perceived."

Xiao Man, with a tear-streaked face, asked in a low voice: "Where has the young master gone?"

Zhang Xia replied sternly: "Southward."

Xiao Man wiped his tears and nose with his sleeve: "Sister Axia, why do I feel like you are unhappy?"

Zhang Xia let go of the curtain, the sunlight flickering on her face, casting changing shadows: "I told him not to run, but he still ran. If I find him, I certainly won’t forgive him."

...

...

In a secluded alley in Chongnan Fang, Chen Ji sneezed.

The sneeze was so loud that he looked around front and back to make sure no one was disturbed, then continued to hurry along the road.

Passing by a well, Chen Ji took advantage of the absence of people and drew up a bucket of water from the well, washing away the soot marks on him, finally feeling much refreshed.

As he passed by a clothesline, Chen Ji ducked under and took a long shirt off the bamboo pole.

He removed his own tattered long shirt and put on the stolen clean clothes, not forgetting to note the household to reimburse with clothing money later.

When Chen Ji changed clothes, the stripes on his chest and abdomen became faintly visible; eight stripes faded away to leave only two, dark as ink.

As he walked forward, Wu Yun leapt into his arms and meowed: "Where to now?"

Chen Ji panted and said: "To Cao Yun Ferry, the ship departs at noon."

Wu Yun pondered and said: "Xiao Man and the others will surely be sad, won’t they?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "No, Zhang Xia will certainly notice something."

At this time, as pedestrians passed by, Wu Yun quickly hid in Chen Ji’s arms to avoid detection, while Chen Ji lowered his head and brushed past them.

The closer to Caoyun Pier, the livelier it became, bustling with noise.

Chen Ji passed through an alley, and as the view opened up, he saw lines of rice shops, brokers, inns, taverns, pawnshops, blacksmiths, and rope shops, with unoccupied porters squatting outside in the dead of winter with straw sandals, shouldering hemp ropes to take jobs.

When someone passed by, the porters would collectively stand to inquire if they needed porters. When refused, they’d curse and squat back down.

Arriving at Caoyun Pier, Chen Ji was stunned to see his sea arrest warrant posted at the entrance: Chen Ji, native of Shuntian Prefecture, age nineteen, height five feet nine inches, thin as a crane, with a sesame-sized black mole at the corner of his left eye. A reward of ten thousand taels for any informant upon proclamation.

Porters and canal workers gathered before the sea arrest warrant, the Outer City unaware of the news of Chen Ji’s "death."

Chen Ji walked across the wooden bridge into the depths of the pier, amidst the densely packed cargo ships seeking a twin-masted vessel with the crescent flag, but with masts like a forest, he couldn’t spot the one Aunt Ping mentioned.

At a loss, dozens of porters followed a middle-aged rugged man toward the pier, being instructed along the way: "Keep your eyes sharp today, the water is shallow with many sandbars, working against the current, though tough job, the pay is good. When we arrive at the ship, listen obediently to the Chief Captain’s arrangements."

The porters promptly agreed.

Chen Ji’s heart stirred, following this group into the pier, walking another hundred or so steps forward, finally seeing a twin-masted vessel with a crescent flag at the end of the wooden bridge. Canal workers were loading sacks onto the ship, while a man around fifty loudly directed something.

As the porters went to tie the hemp ropes, Chen Ji stepped onto the paddleboard, bowed to the old man: "May I ask if you are Captain Li?"

The old man sized up Chen Ji: "Who are you?"

Chen Ji explained: "I was introduced by Li Zhu from Chongnan Fang to seek a livelihood on the ship, named Chen Qi, nickname Jiu Jin."

The old man looked slightly disdainful: "Why introduce someone so frail? I’ll be direct; I take you solely for Li Zhu’s sake, running ships is hard work, if you can’t take hardship, better get off the ship soonest."

Chen Ji bowed again: "I am not afraid of hardships."

The old man indifferently uttered: "Just call me Old Li, go join the canal workers in moving stuff, don’t waste the time available."

Chen Ji turned to the canal workers carrying sacks: "Moving stuff?"

Old Li sneered: "Knowing a few words makes you great? Under me, even if you’re doing paperwork you still work. What, unwilling? Unwilling then roll off."

Chen Ji laughed: "Willing, willing."

He turned, disembarked, and joined the canal workers in carrying sacks onboard, Old Li stood watching from the deck for a while, noting he wasn’t slacking before continuing to direct the porters.

At noon, Old Li signaled the ship hands to hoist the two large sails and untied the ropes securing the vessel to the dock.

On the deck, Chen Ji silently gazed towards the Imperial Capital, lost in thought.

Just as the large ship was about to leave the shore, he saw a skinny old man jogging over from afar: "Wait, wait!"

The old man, though white-haired, moved sprightly, stepping on the paddleboard firmly boarding the ship. As he steadied himself on deck, his gaze swept across, finally landing on Chen Ji’s face, he smiled: "Made it in time."

...

End of Prologue, Volume Nine.