A five-hundred-mile urgent letter disrupted all plans.

Zhang Zhuo lowered his head and looked at the "Xunshou Tooth Plaque" from the Secret Service in his hand, which was engraved with "On behalf of the sky, he patrols the hunt, declares decisions on major matters, and makes decisions on minor matters."

He naturally knew that this was an ivory plaque that only Hai Dongqing could wear. Further up, there was the "Chaosan Tooth Plaque" for the twelve zodiac signs, which could enter and leave the Forbidden City and the six east and west palaces. It is said that there are separate tooth plaques for the three zodiac signs.

Outsiders have no chance to see it.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Zhang Zhuo weighed the dental plaque in his hand and sighed softly: "Chen Ji, what I just said to Mr. Chen was not a drunken lie."

Chen Ji asked in a low voice: "Master Zhang, are you worried about seizing the direct descendant?"

Zhang Zhuo shook his head: "When it comes to the border troops of the Jin Party, it is no longer as simple as seizing the direct descendants. It is the various contradictions between the imperial court and the border towns, the Jin Party and the Donglin Party that are intertwined. If you are not part of it, you will never be able to do it.

If you don’t understand. If you don’t understand something, try not to touch it.”

Zhang Zhuo continued to lower his voice and said: "I have never dealt with the prince, and I don't know his personality. But everyone says that he has a kind heart and is praised by the great scholars. In this world, a kind heart means weakness. Such people think

Investigating the murderous talents of the border troops will only kill the people around you."

Chen Ji lowered his head and thought for a long time, and finally said softly: "I understand what Mr. Zhang said, but I have a reason to go."

"Forget it," Zhang Zhuo warned, "I am an old acquaintance of mine in Guyuan. I will write a letter to you. If there is anything you can't solve, go to him. He should be able to send you out of Guyuan."

Chen Ji solemnly bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Zheng suddenly said from the side: "Father, I also want to follow Chen Ji..."

Zhang Zhuo said calmly: "Get out."

Zhang Zheng: "Oh."

Zhang Xia pulled Zhang Zheng and walked towards the inn: "Brother, please don't cause trouble to father. We have to rush back to the capital to celebrate New Year's Eve."

Chen Ji asked: "Miss Zhang Er, we are going to part ways tomorrow, so I will return the jujube to you."

Zhang Xia waved his hand without looking back: "No, no, I'll lend it to you first."

Zhang Zhuo looked at his children's backs and sighed: "It would be great if this boy was half as sensible as A Xia... Go back and rest early."

When I returned to the room, I saw Xiaoman sitting in front of the Eight Immortals table, resting his chin on his hand and taking a nap.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, she stood up in a daze: "Young master, you are finally back. I will ask the waiter at the inn to come over and wash your face with hot water."

Chen Ji said with a smile: "You'd better stop working, I can do it myself. Where is Su Zhou, has she eaten?"

Xiao Man rubbed his eyes: "She is still hiding in the box on the carriage. It is said that there are people from the Secret Service behind this inn. She doesn't want to come out and take risks. The food has been eaten, so I will give it to her when no one is around.

I gave you some snacks."

Chen Ji hummed: "Tomorrow I will go to Guyuan with the Chen family. You will go to the capital with the Zhang family. Please listen to Miss Zhang Er's arrangements on the way and don't make your own decisions."

Xiaoman's eyes suddenly widened: "Sir, do you want to drive me away?"

Chen Ji explained: "I'm not asking you to leave, but Mr. Zhang said that Guyuan is a mixed bag of fish and dragons, and it's not peaceful. It's also for your own good that I won't let you go."

The light in Xiaoman's eyes turned around a few times: "Then you should take me with you so that I can take care of you."

Chen Ji said casually: "You are a little maid, what can you do to take care of me? If you were an official, I would take you with me, but you are not."

Xiaoman was speechless: "I...someone has to take care of you anyway."

Chen Ji said without any doubt: "You just need to go with the Zhang family to take good care of Su Zhou and escort her to the capital."

Xiaoman said reluctantly: "Young master, when you go to Guyuan, remember to visit your aunt's grave and pull out some weeds for her. If possible, you might be able to see it yourself. Aunt Li knows what to say.

Is it true?"

Chen Ji was startled. Lu's tomb was actually in Guyuan?

He thought to himself that this Guyuan was a place where people from the Ning Dynasty and Jing Dynasty were mixed. Since there is an inn that can send people to the Jing Dynasty, there must be someone who can send people from the Jing Dynasty to the Ning Dynasty.

Lu Jin and his brother and sister may have entered the Ning Dynasty from here, forged household registrations, and suddenly became Guyuan people. The Ning Dynasty emphasized that after death, the fallen leaves return to their roots, so after the death of the Lu family, Chen Liqin would send them back to Guyuan for burial.

Thinking of the previous statement about the 'empty coffin', Chen Ji was surprised and wondered, could it be that the Lu family really didn't die at the beginning, but took the opportunity to escape in Guyuan and return to the Jing Dynasty?

But if that's the case, why doesn't Si Caogui know that the other party is still alive?

Chen Jiyou wanted to ask about the specific location of the tomb, but he couldn't ask. This was something he should know. If he asked, he might immediately arouse Xiaoman's suspicion.

Chen Ji said calmly: "It's a pity that she entrusted this person to someone else. She can't be buried in the Chen family even if she leaves."

Xiao Man sighed: "Who says it's not the case? But according to my aunt's character, she doesn't want to be buried with those rotten scholars of the Chen family. It would be lively if they were buried together. My aunt can point at the ancestors of the Chen family every day underground.

Nose scolding..."

Wu Yun stood in awe: "Ferocious!"

…

…

The next morning, it was warm in the guest room of the inn. Xiaoman sat on a small bench and took a nap, drooling on his knees.

Chen Ji stood up gently without waking her up.

He went directly to the stable in the backyard to fetch Zaozao and combed its hair with a coarse-toothed comb. Zaozao felt comfortable, so he put his head on Chen Zu's shoulders.

A voice came from not far away: "Third brother woke up so early."

Chen Ji turned around and saw Chen Wenzong, wearing a white fox fur coat, standing on the steps of the inn, like a noble prince walking out of a storyteller.

Chen Ji bowed his hands and saluted: "Brother."

There was a hint of smile in Chen Wenzong's eyebrows: "You call me father, Mr. Chen, but you are still willing to call me brother."

Chen Ji smiled: "Brother has a noble character and deserves to be called an elder brother."

Chen Wenzong hesitated for a moment: "Father, actually..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Ji had already led Zaozao to the front door of the inn.

In front of the inn, I saw that the bodyguards had woken up early before dawn. Each of them squatted at the door of the inn with a bowl of mutton soup. He drank the hot sesame cakes, took a bite of the sesame cakes and a mouthful of soup. After drinking, he warmed his whole body, and then got up and gave it to the cow.

, the horses were put on the reins, and the ox cart and carriage were led out of the yard.

The clerk at the inn pointed at the ground and cursed: "Please pick up all the cow dung and horse dung on the ground. Otherwise, if you come back again, you won't even be able to live in the cowshed!"

Captain Liang quickly apologized and said, "I'll just pick it up!"

Chen Wenzong looked at the backs of the bodyguards and said with emotion: "The bodyguards squatted together early in the morning to drink hot soup and eat sesame cakes. This scene of city life is so smokey. Watching them eat makes me feel like I have a big appetite."

, In the past, I didn’t feel like I had much appetite when I had fine clothes and fine food at home. Third brother, would you like a bowl of mutton soup too?”

While combing Zao Zao's hair, Chen Ji joked: "Brother, the bodyguards stayed in the cowshed all night. If they didn't drink some hot soup in the morning, the tips of their toes would be cold. The soup base of the mutton soup only has two thin slices."

mutton, if they hear you say that, I'm afraid they will be eager to trade with you and eat the fine clothes and fine food you mentioned under the carved beams and wooden buildings."

Chen Wenzong was startled, and after a moment he said sincerely: "I have learned a lesson... Third brother has suffered a lot in the past two years, right? Fortunately, he is back home."

Chen Ji glanced at him: "Not really."

At this moment, Chen Liqin and Mr. Liang had led Chen Wenxiao into the carriage to avoid meeting Zhang Zhuo again.

Chen Ji stood in front of the door and called Zaozao, grabbed a handful of soybeans from his sack and fed it to his mouth. Dark clouds came out of Chen Ji's arms and nestled on Zaozao's head. Zaozao was not angry either.

When the Chen family's motorcade was already on the road, Chen Ji was in no hurry to get on the horse and set off.

He whispered to Zaozao: "Let's wait a little longer until your master says goodbye to you before leaving. Otherwise, she will definitely be reluctant to leave you after not seeing you for more than a month."

Chen Ji knew that Miss Zhang Er regarded Zaozao as a friend, so she would definitely come to say goodbye.

But he waited and watched, watching the Chen family's motorcade go away, but still no one was there.

"Not good!" Chen Ji turned over as if he had thought of something, and rode his horse to chase the Chen family's motorcade.

Arriving at the Chen family's motorcade, he drove Zaozao back and forth to check, but there were no Zhang Xia or Zhang Zheng in the dozen or so cars.

Chen Ji called to the maid named Hanlu on the bullock cart: "Open the box and see if there is anyone hiding inside."

Han Lu was confused: "What are you talking about, Third Young Master? The box is full of our belongings, how can we hide someone?"

Chen Ji insisted: "Open it and take a look."

Han Lu did as she was told, but just as she opened a crack in the box, she saw a hand reaching out from inside and closing the lid again...

Chen Ji: "?"

Han Lu screamed: "What?!"

Before they could open the box and check it again, they heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the alley beside the road.

Chen Ji turned around and saw Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng riding their horses to catch up.

He wondered: "You two are..."

Zhang Zheng said carelessly: "After staying in Luo City for two years, my mother did not allow my brother and sister to travel far. We almost cried out. She usually doesn't care about my eldest brother and eldest sister, so why is she always looking after us? Isn't that right?

, I secretly took my sister out and asked for two good horses from the inn, so I can go to Guyuan with you to have a look."

Chen Ji frowned: "This is not possible."

Zhang Zheng laughed: "You are not my mother, so you can't control our brother and sister!"

Chen Ji knew that what Zhang Zheng said was reasonable, and he really had no reason to restrain the other party, so he had to give up: "Miss Zhang Er, since we are out, let's change the horses and I will return the jujube to you."
To be continued...