Chapter 165 Escape
Tuogu.

The deepest trust between men.

A person solemnly entrusts the person he cherishes in his life to another person.

From then on, no matter war, disease, poverty or wealth, the other person would wade through three thousand miles of swords and three thousand miles of sea of ​​fire without looking back.

Is it worth it? Is it reasonable?

No one has considered whether it is worth it or reasonable.

In front of the Eight Immortals Table, Chen Ji and Prince Jing looked at each other in silence.

The heavy atmosphere was not eased until the waiter from the Fulou Teahouse placed tea, candied fruit and melon seeds between the two of them.

After the waiter left, Chen Ji picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Prince Jing: "Prince, why me?"

Prince Jing took a sip from his teacup and said, "In terms of strength, you are not even a congenital one. There are many people under my command who are stronger than you. In terms of intelligence, although you have a sharp mind, you are not someone who can plan far away."

Prince Jing continued, "But you seem to be different from others. You distributed the profits of the cement you worked so hard to make without any hesitation; you jumped into the civil uprising that others tried to avoid; you did not escape from Longwangtun, where there was a narrow escape. Sometimes, I am not sure whether you are smart or stubborn."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Prince Jing stared at the remaining tea in the cup, then glanced at Chen Ji and said, "I left so much wealth to Bai Li, which may not be a good thing for her. Although I really don't want to praise you, and I am even a little annoyed with you now, but I have to admit that if someone else were to protect her, I would not feel at ease. If it's you, it's okay."

Chen Ji wondered, "Why is the prince bothering me?"

Prince Jing grabbed a handful of melon seeds and glanced at Chen Ji: "Go if you want."

Chen Ji did not dwell on this question, but asked casually: "Didn't the prince make any plans for the prince? You never mentioned the prince from beginning to end."

Prince Jing was silent for a moment: "He has his own way to go."

Chen Ji thought for a long time, and finally mustered up the courage to ask: "What exactly is the prince going to do? Why did he entrust his son to someone else? What role does the prince play in the Liu family's change? Is he suppressing the rebellion or plotting a rebellion?"

Prince Jing did not answer this question, but said calmly: "The storyteller is here, let's listen to the storytelling."

At this time, a middle-aged man with gray hair was seen taking a deep puff of welding smoke from the audience, and then knocking out the ashes in the pipe with the sole of his shoe.

He walked slowly to the table, slammed the gavel heavily, and spoke out his opening words in a sonorous voice:

"Life is like this, day after day, day after day, year after year. The rich have it, the poor have it, the poor have it. Promotion and wealth, get it, get it, and it's over!"

"Stories and operas persuade people, and the three roads lead to the middle. Good and evil will be rewarded in the end, and the right path in the world is vicissitudes!"

"It is said that in the winter of the 31st year of Jianing, during a Buddhist and Taoist debate at Luhun Mountain Villa, a young man suddenly appeared, sat in the Yin-Yang fish and asked the Buddhist disciples, if there is no self, who is in reincarnation, and who needs liberation?"

Chen Ji was stunned. This storytelling actually pushed himself to the opposite side of Buddhism from the very beginning, leaving no room for turning back.

Prince Jing cracked melon seeds and gloated, "Is it a surprise? Now on Anle Street, nineteen of the twenty-one teahouses are telling this story. The story was written by a master, and as long as the storyteller tells it once, he can get a hundred copper coins."

Chen Ji was shocked. Someone was trying to use him to debate scriptures to destroy the reputation of Buddhism. "Who did it... It's unnecessary to ask this. It must be the work of Dao Ting."

"You guessed it right," Prince Jing laughed. "After the debate, Zhang Li led a group of young Taoist priests from the Laojun Mountain Taoist Court to Luocheng. They stayed at the Yingxian Inn and wrote the storytelling book overnight. Not only did they pay the storyteller to tell the story, they also found a bookstore to print the storytelling book."

Chen Ji frowned.

Prince Jing threw down a melon seed shell and said with a cheerful smile, "I guess that within two months at the latest, storytellers from north to south will have to tell the story of your debate every day. By then, Buddhists will have a headache when they hear the word 'Chen Ji'... Hey, you don't seem to be panicked at all?"

Chen Ji lowered his head and felt the fire in his body, which was clearly beating wildly.

The Dao Court used him to suppress the Buddhist sect, but he also benefited from it. If it is true as Prince Jing said, this story will be spread all over the country in the future, and I am afraid that his furnace fire can be transformed into bright yellow.

"Boy, what are you thinking about? Aren't you afraid that the Buddhist sect will trip you up?"

Chen Ji raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, I'd better survive this disaster first. The Liu family now regards me as a thorn in their side, and it's not the turn of the Buddhist sect to dislike me."

Prince Jing sighed: "You are not burdened by too many debts."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of orderly military footsteps was heard outside the Fulou Teahouse. The tea drinkers in the teahouse looked outside and saw a team of lightly armored infantrymen holding long spears passing by the door.

Chen Ji's pupils shrank slightly. Liu family's army entered the city!

He turned to look at Prince Jing: "Your Majesty?"

"Once the Liu family no longer hides their private army, they will have to make everything public. Let's go, it's time to go back," Prince Jing stood up and walked out.

Before leaving, Prince Jing turned around to look at the storyteller in the teahouse. The light from outside the teahouse shone in from behind him, and he seemed to be standing in his own shadow. "Young man, what do you think will be said about me in the storytelling stories of future generations?"

……

……

At noon, the winter sun is shining brightly.

Old man Yao sat on a bamboo recliner in front of the door, covered with a blanket, swaying with his eyes closed. She Dengke, Liu Quxing and Liang Maoer sat on a small bench in the yard, cutting the whole medicinal herbs into small pieces with a guillotine.

The next moment, Feng Daban led the palace guards into the clinic in a hurry and finally stopped in front of Old Man Yao's recliner.

He looked down at Old Man Yao and said softly, "Doctor Yao, where is the prince?"

Old man Yao raised his eyelids and glanced at him slowly: "The prince is taking a lunch break now, so it's better not to disturb him. She Dengke, have some eyesight and bring a chair over for Feng Daban."

Feng Daban frowned: "Is the prince not in there?"

Old Man Yao sat motionless on the recliner in front of the door, and said in surprise, "Where else could the prince be if he's not inside? You've sent soldiers to surround the Taiping Clinic, can the prince still fly away? I confirmed it when I gave him acupuncture yesterday, the prince doesn't have wings."

Feng Daban glanced at the heavy cotton door curtain and felt something was wrong: "Dr. Yao, I'm sorry."

After that, he raised his hand and waved to the guards: "Please ask Doctor Yao to step aside!"

Several guards rushed forward and pretended to carry away Old Man Yao's bamboo chair. Liang Maoer stood up and shouted angrily: "Stop!"

But then Liang Maoer came rushing over with a burly figure, and with a push of his hand, he knocked the guard to the ground.

Feng Daban was not angry, he just said lightly: "Dr. Yao, you better ask him to stop. I am also concerned about the safety of the prince, there is no time to delay."

However, at this moment, Chen Ji supported Prince Jing and walked out of the house. Prince Jing said weakly, "Feng Daban, what's wrong?"

Feng Daban bowed quickly and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to take you back to your palace."

Prince Jing asked curiously, "Feng Daban usually looks calm and composed, why is he so anxious today?"

Feng Daban glanced at She Dengke and the others, then turned to Prince Jing and said, "Your Highness, this is not the place to talk."

Prince Jing smiled and said, "You can say whatever you want."

Feng Daban took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, the private army of the Liu family's Yanshi camp has entered the city. They have just surrounded the Luocheng government office and are now heading towards Anxi Street! It seems that the Liu family is going to rebel!"

In the yard, She Dengke, Liu Quxing and Liang Maoer looked at each other.

Liu Quxing's face turned pale: "Everything was peaceful yesterday, why did it rebel today?"

She Dengke said in a muffled voice: "What are you afraid of?"

Liu Quxing cursed: "This is a crime punishable by the execution of nine clans. I am one of them. Do you think I am afraid? You son of a bitch. I can't get any advantage from the Liu family on weekdays, but now I have to suffer from them when something goes wrong!"

She Dengke was stunned. He realized that if the Liu family's rebellion failed, Liu Quxing would also be implicated and beheaded: "Then...what if the Liu family succeeds?"

Liu Quxing subconsciously glanced at Prince Jing, and quickly twisted She Dengke's arm and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about..."

Feng Daban ignored the conversation between the two. He heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance and said earnestly again, "Your Highness, there is no time to lose. You should return to the palace with me first. We can send someone with the tiger talisman to summon the Qiansui Army. Maybe there is still a chance to save the situation!"

Prince Jing thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the palace."

At this time, Chen Ji suddenly said to Old Man Yao: "Master, the prince's illness cannot be cured without you, why don't we go to the palace together?"

Old Man Yao frowned and thought for a moment, then agreed: "Okay."

After saying that, they quickly packed up their things and walked out with Prince Jing.

As soon as they left the clinic, everyone looked back and saw a group of soldiers riding horses towards them, getting closer and closer.

She Dengke said in horror: "Hurry up, hurry up, they are coming for the palace!"

However, Chen Ji seemed to have just remembered something: "Master, you go first. I forgot to get something."

As She Dengke walked away, he looked back and saw Chen Ji rushing into Taiping Medical Clinic.

He angrily said: "Chen Ji, come with us! What are you holding at this time? What is more important than life?!"

She Dengke stopped and waited for a few breaths, but still could not get any answer from Chen Ji.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and went to look for Chen Ji, but Imperial Physician Yao grabbed his wrist and forcibly pulled him into Prince Jing's Mansion.

Before entering the palace, he was shocked to find that the first group of cavalrymen did not rush towards the palace, but surrounded the Taiping Medical Clinic first.

Everyone suddenly realized that these people were coming for Chen Ji!

In front of the Taiping Clinic, Liu's soldiers jumped off their horses, drew their swords, and rushed in murderously, searching everywhere. The kitchen, the bedroom, the main house, were all empty.

A soldier stood in the main room, looking around with a frown. He had just seen Chen Ji return to the clinic with his own eyes, so how could he disappear out of thin air?
While thinking, his eyes fell on the bed...

The next moment, the soldier pulled open the bed, revealing a dark tunnel underneath.

"Run away? Chase him!"

(End of this chapter)