Chapter 161 A Deal

The deserted Taiping Medical Clinic suddenly became noisy.

Prince Jing is like a whirlpool, carrying with him years of rotten leaves and dead branches, and drawing all the visible and invisible right and wrong into it.

The strong servants brought by Concubine Yun were scattered in the yard, looking at them eagerly, making the yard seem a little crowded.

There was a strong servant standing behind Concubine Yun, looking at this simple courtyard with contempt: the snow had not been cleared away, there was still moss in the cracks between the blue bricks, the large water vat in the corner was missing a small corner, and the bamboo broom leaning against the wall was bald.

Only the apricot tree in the yard wrapped in red silk cloth looked better.

A strong servant reached out to touch the red cloth on the branch, but Liang Maoer grabbed his wrist and said in a muffled voice: "Don't touch it!"

The servant struggled several times before pulling his arm back, muttering, "Who cares?!"

At this time, Xibing was leaning over and frantically winking at Chen Ji behind Concubine Yun, signaling him to step away quickly.

However, Chen Ji did not retreat. He just leaned on the whale knife and said, "Madam Yun Fei, stop. You cannot go in now."

Yun Fei looked at him expressionlessly: "Do you know what you are doing?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Madam, I know what I am doing. My master is giving acupuncture to the prince right now, and I can't be distracted at all. This matter concerns the prince's life, I hope Madam will forgive me."

Concubine Yun sneered: "How do I know if you are plotting to kill the prince? Get out of the way!"

After saying this, she walked straight into the house as if no one was around, ignoring the traces in front of her as if they were nothing.

Concubine Yun was much more domineering than Concubine Jing. Every time she took a step forward, Chen Ji had to take a step back.

Seeing that Chen Ji was about to be forced back into the house, he whispered, "Madam, I have some kind advice. I wonder if you are willing to listen."

Yun Fei slowly stood still, only one step away from Chen Ji.

She waved her robe sleeves, causing the servant to step back a few steps, then stared at Chen Ji and asked in a low voice: "Who are you talking to me with?"

An apprentice in a medical clinic, or a spy of the Jing Dynasty?
Chen Ji said: "Madam, don't worry about my identity. Just judge for yourself whether my advice is useful."

Concubine Yun raised her chin slightly and said, "Tell me about it."

After considering his words, Chen Ji lowered his voice and said, "On the way back from picking up the princess, the prince met a man with a Buddha tattoo on his wrist. The prince didn't pay much attention to it at first, but later the prince told the prince that this man had visited Bai Li many times, and the prince's face turned unhappy."

Concubine Yun remained calm: "What does this have to do with me? Don't make up some nonsense to hold me back."

Chen Ji said seriously, "If this incident had never happened, I would never have made it up. If Madam knows this person, you should inform him to leave Luocheng as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the prince wakes up, the whole city will probably want him, and he won't be able to escape."

Concubine Yun's expression changed slightly.

Chen Ji knew that he had made the right bet. The man did have a secret connection with Concubine Yun!

But he couldn't be happy even though he won the bet, because Concubine Yun's reaction led his guess to the worst result, which was the truth that the princess was unwilling to bear.

Concubine Yun frowned slightly: "How can I know whether what you said is true or not?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "If you don't believe it, you can ask the prince, or ask the prince."

Concubine Yun remained expressionless and silent. The next moment, she flicked her sleeves and turned to leave.

After walking two steps away, Concubine Yun suddenly turned back and asked, "How is the prince?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "My master just told Concubine Jing that the prince has at most three months left."

At this moment, outside the Taiping Medical Clinic, there was a dense sound of footsteps and the friction of armor, which made people's scalps numb. The front and back walls of the gate were surrounded by the guards of the palace.

Chen Ji stood on the steps of the main house and looked up, only to see Feng Daban, dressed in cloth, walking towards him with big strides. He showed no intention of stopping even when he was in front of Chen Ji.

Feng Daban was a man planted by the Imperial Household Department to be close to Prince Jing. The other party surrounded the Taiping Medical Clinic with his troops and broke in, making it impossible to determine their intentions.

In an instant, Chen Ji raised the whale knife and slashed it towards Feng Daban. It was not until this moment that Feng Daban finally stopped and calmly avoided the blade by a hair's breadth.

When the blade passed in front of Feng Daban, he just flicked his finger on the side of the blade. With a humming sound, the whale knife vibrated violently.

Chen Ji felt a numbness in his palms and took a step back with a solemn expression.

Feng Daban smiled and praised: "It didn't break at all, what a great sword!"

Chen Ji gripped the hilt of the knife again and held the whale knife horizontally in front of him.

Seeing that he was still unwilling to retreat, Feng Daban smiled softly and said, "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, but when it grows horns it becomes afraid of people. Young man, you don't know the seriousness of the situation."

Chen Ji said calmly: "It has nothing to do with the severity of the situation."

Feng Daban smiled indifferently and continued walking towards the main house.

The atmosphere between the two was like a taut string that could break at any time.

She Dengke and Liu Quxing stood up nervously involuntarily, and Liang Maoer also quickly moved closer to Chen Ji, but it was too late.

When Feng Daban came in front of Chen Ji, he gently raised his right hand and pressed his palm towards Chen Ji. His movements were obviously very slow, but Chen Ji had the illusion that a tsunami was coming.

Can't escape!

Just as the palm was about to hit Chen Ji's face, Prince Jing's weak voice came from inside the room: "Is Feng Daban here? Come in."

Feng Daban's hand suddenly stopped in front of Chen Ji.

The wind created by this palm blew Chen Ji's hair backwards suddenly, and even the door curtain behind him was blown open, causing the oil lamp in the house to sway.

Feng Daban withdrew his hand and asked with a smile: "Young man, the prince has spoken, why don't you step aside?"

Chen Ji put down the whale knife and slowly stepped aside with an expressionless face.

Feng Daban looked at him deeply, then lifted the door curtain on one side and walked in with his head down: "Your Highness, are you feeling better?" As the door curtain was lowered, the sounds in the room were isolated.

Chen Ji leaned against the window and wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation inside, but found that he could not hear anything. It seemed that Feng Daban and Prince Jing had lowered their voices.

He turned his gaze back to the courtyard and watched Concubine Yun hurriedly leaving the clinic, then he let out a long sigh of relief.

She Dengke and others rushed over and asked, "Are you okay?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "It's okay."

He sat on the short stone steps in front of the main house and sighed, "What is going on?"

She Dengke hesitated for a moment: "Chen Ji, where did you get this knife? And the way you swung the knife just now looked very powerful, even more powerful than the men of the Cao Gang at the East Market Wharf..."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Brothers, go and have a rest first. I'll explain everything tomorrow... If you have nothing to do, don't go near Master's room for now."

After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes and sank into a dream of green mountains.

……

……

After an unknown amount of time, the door curtain of the main house was lifted.

Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes and saw Feng Daban hurriedly leaving with his head down.

The expert stationed in the palace by the Imperial Household Department did not even glance at Chen Ji, while the palace guards were still surrounding the clinic like an iron barrel, not moving a muscle.

Nowadays, not even a bird can fly into the Taiping Medical Clinic.

Prince Jing called from inside the house, "Young man, come in."

Chen Ji walked into the house and asked, "Why did the prince call me?"

Prince Jing sat on the bedside, and once again pulled out the silver needles from his body, and said unhappily: "Next time, don't tell me that your master is giving me acupuncture. Otherwise, every time you lie, I will be stabbed, and I will get sick even if I'm not sick."

Chen Ji also lost some respect and said unhappily: "My Lord, if I don't make this excuse, what other excuses can I make? If you didn't run around, why would I need to tell this lie?"

Prince Jing smiled and soothed him, "Alright, alright. I just asked you to guard the door, but you got so angry. Is there any food in the kitchen? Go get me another bowl."

Chen Ji said with emotion: "You really don't treat yourself as an outsider. There is no rice in the kitchen. If you want to eat, I will cook it now. It will take about three quarters of an hour."

Prince Jing said regretfully, "It's been too long."

As he said this, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Chen Ji carefully: "Young man, how about we make a deal?"

Chen Ji hurriedly said: "No!"

Prince Jing became interested: "Why? There are so many people in this world who want to do business with me, why do you avoid me like a snake?"

Chen Ji explained: "You are of noble status. I cannot take responsibility for anything that has anything to do with you. You should seek help from someone else. I think my master is a good one."

Old Man Yao glared at him and said, "You're quite good at making trouble for me!"

Prince Jing smiled and said, "I have to go out to do some things in the next few days under a disguised name, but I need a trustworthy guard. How about this, every time you go out with me, I will give you fifty taels of silver."

Chen Ji leaned against the door and said, "No. It's too dangerous to be your bodyguard. I want to live to be over ninety years old like my master."

Old Man Yao stroked his beard and said, "Given your personality, it might be a little difficult."

Chen Ji was suspicious: "Have you calculated it for me or are you just trying to scare me?"

Old Man Yao said slowly, "I can't predict your affairs now. I read your fortune a few days ago and it said that you will be cheated when you are over 900 years old."

Prince Jing touched his chin and said, "Did you drink the fake Meng Po soup?"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You are too inaccurate."

Prince Jing looked at him and said, "Master and disciple, please stop making jokes. Let's get back to the deal. You will be my bodyguard. If an official wants to kill me, you don't have to do it. How about that?"

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "My Lord, why me?"

Prince Jing also sighed: "Yes, why is it you."

Chen Ji was suspicious: "Huh?"

He always felt that there was something else behind Prince Jing's words.

Prince Jing smiled and spread his hands: "Young man, there is no one else around me that I can trust. Promise it. If something happens to me, Baili and Yunxi will be without a father, and your annual dividend of 2,500 taels of silver will also be gone."

Chen Ji narrowed his eyes and said, "How can I go back on my promise of dividends? Are you threatening me?"

Prince Jing laughed cheerfully and said, "Yes, I am threatening you."

Chen Ji was helpless: "How can a powerful vassal king be so shameless?"

Prince Jing said meaningfully: "Otherwise, how do you think I became a powerful vassal king?"

Chen Ji stood up and said, "I can be your bodyguard for the time being, but let me make it clear in advance that if any officer makes a move, I will turn around and run away immediately."

"Don't worry." Prince Jing pulled open the bed and walked towards the tunnel.

Chen Ji was startled: "Leaving now?"

"Yes, let's go now."

(End of this chapter)