The Azure Mountain

Chapter 125: Misunderstanding

"Hey, wake up!"

"Chen Ji, wake up!"

Chen Ji's shoulder was heavily patted by someone. In his sleep, he subconsciously turned around and grabbed that palm, forcefully twisting the other party's right hand behind their back.

The captured person cried out in pain: "It hurts, let go quickly!"

Chen Ji jolted awake in shock. This was not the Inner Prison, not the sea of fire beside Peony Bridge, and even less that peril-ridden city gate tunnel.

In his breath, there was the heavy scholarly scent of canonical scrolls and the smell of pine soot ink within Zhixing Academy. Here, there were only rows upon rows of bookshelves, without the killing intent of sabers and swords.

Chen Ji hurriedly let go. When he fixed his eyes to look, he was startled to discover that the person he had just captured was surprisingly Zhang Xia, dressed entirely in fiery red.

This was bad.

Why did he capture this person!?

While rubbing her own wrist, Zhang Xia frowned and said: "What kind of habit is this of yours? Sleeping while standing is one thing, but hitting people after waking up?"Chen Ji explained: "My apologies, my apologies. I was sleeping in a daze. I was just having a nightmare of being hunted down, so when I was patted awake, I subconsciously wanted to resist."

Zhang Xia suspiciously sized up Chen Ji.

Recall that scene just now, she only felt that the other party's speed was extremely fast. She was completely unable to react before her right hand was captured, unable to move a single bit.

Chen Ji asked with polite courtesy: "Second Miss Zhang, how about you return with me to Taiping Medical Clinic later? I will ask my master to prescribe some medicine for traumatic injuries for you to apply."

However, Zhang Xia waved her small hand: "No need, I am not that delicate!"

Chen Ji asked again: "Second Miss Zhang, was there something the matter for you to call me just now?"

But Zhang Xia said straightforwardly: "Previously it was I who misunderstood my father's words, thinking that we two were going to be betrothed. Under an impulse, I ran to you and said some Baffling words. I was originally looking for you just now to apologize to you, but seeing as you twisted my arm today, we can be considered even!"

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Apologize?"

Zhang Xia responded with an "Mm": "If you really want me to apologize, it's no harm for me to apologize."

Chen Ji sized up Zhang Xia. The other party's pair of phoenix eyes were like two willow-leaf scalpels, unbelievably sharp and decisive.

He thought for a moment and said: "It was just a misunderstanding previously, there's no need to apologize to me. It's fine once we've talked it out openly. Wishing Second Miss Zhang to find a good match."

Zhang Xia looked at Chen Ji: "Weren't you angry previously?"

Chen Ji didn't want to get overly entangled: "I wasn't angry. Let's just turn the page on this matter here."

"Alright," Zhang Xia, seeing this matter turned over, yet spoke again: "Why are you late today? Why do you look like you haven't slept all night?"

Chen Ji didn't answer.

Zhang Xia changed the topic: "I heard my father say you and Lord Chen are having conflicts, and you are unwilling to return to the Chen family again. But since you have the ambition to establish yourself independently, and now you even have the opportunity to study with Mr. Wang, you naturally ought to cherish it well. Why must you Giving Up on Oneself?"

Chen Ji said seriously: "I truly had important matters to attend to. Being late was not my original intent."

Zhang Xia asked suspiciously: "What matter?"

"My apologies, I cannot say."

Zhang Xia said solemnly: "Today is the first day of enrollment. Even if it's an incredibly huge matter, it should be pushed back. This is not only being responsible for your own future and destiny, but also a form of respect towards Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang is of noble character and high prestige; ordinary scholars find it difficult to even meet him once. I still hope you can rectify your attitude and study diligently with him."

Chen Ji said softly: "Being late on the first day of enrollment was indeed my mistake. I will apologize to Mr. Wang face-to-face later."

Looking at the bloodshot streaks in his eyes, Zhang Xia said suspiciously: "You didn't really go to the gambling den like the rumors say, did you?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "Whatever Second Miss Zhang wishes to think."

As soon as his voice fell, a voice was heard from the side saying: "If he didn't go to gamble, why would he be late?"

...

...

Chen Ji looked over, only to see Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao coming out shoulder to shoulder. Chen Wenxiao continued speaking with a sneer: "Zhang Xia, he definitely went to gamble last night. You must be extremely careful. In case Lord Zhang truly wants to marry you to..."

Zhang Xia suddenly interrupted Chen Wenxiao: "How can you be so arbitrary without evidence? Who I marry or don't marry, what does it have to do with you?"

Chen Wenxiao was momentarily stunned.

Zhang Xia said disdainfully: "Even if I truly betroth myself to him, that is a matter between him and me. It's fine for me to criticize him, but not for you. Don't think I don't know how you got your Autumn Examination Jingkui position! I begged my father to copy a few of your essays. Chen Wenzong and Lin Chaojing are worthy of the name, but that 'Strategy for Governing the State' essay you wrote was completely nonsensical dog farts! I don't even know what you've learned at Donglin Academy these past three years!"

Chen Wenxiao's face instantly flushed crimson: "You... how can you not know good from bad? I was just helping you speak."

"Do I even need you to help me speak?" Zhang Xia sneered: "I heard you've been attending banquets everywhere recently, accepting people's congratulations. I advise you to stay at home honestly instead, to save people from laughing their teeth off when discussing essays with them!"

Chen Ji was also stunned. This Second Miss Zhang had an incredibly sharp tongue.

The other party didn't target him exclusively; instead, she fairly and equitably looked down upon every single person without learning!

At this time, Commandery Princess Baili and the Prince Heir had precisely bidden farewell to Wang Daosheng. Just as they walked into the front hall, they saw Zhang Xia aggressively saying something.

Baili stepped forward to block in front of Chen Ji, raising her slender eyebrows and saying: "Zhang Xia, what do you want to do again?"

Zhang Xia looked at Baili, then looked at Chen Ji, and lightly let out a sound of surprise.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, a carriage stopped at the doorway.

Zhang Zhuo lifted the carriage curtain, leaning his body out and greeting everyone in the front hall: "Everyone is here."

The Prince Heir, Baili, Chen Wenzong and the others cupped their hands and bowed one after another: "Lord Zhang."

Zhang Xia came to the door and asked curiously: "Father, why are you here?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed cheerfully: "Just passing by. I'm here to pick you up to go home."

Zhang Xia frowned: "I am not small anymore, no need for you to pick me up! If others saw it, they would think I'm pampered and spoiled!"

"It's just along the way. A father picking up his daughter is perfectly justified, others won't say anything." Zhang Zhuo jumped off the carriage, bypassed Zhang Xia's figure, and pulled Chen Ji to the side.

Everyone in the front hall Looking at One Another. Looking at her father's absent-minded back figure, Zhang Xia suddenly felt that the other party wasn't here to pick her up at all, but rather used it as an excuse to come find Chen Ji!

Behind a bookshelf, Zhang Zhuo lowered his voice and asked: "Do you need me to explain a thing or two to Wang Daosheng?"

Chen Ji gave Zhang Zhuo a bizarre look: "When did Lord Zhang discover my identity?"

Zhang Zhuo triumphantly stroked his beard: "This official has photographic memory. Just by looking at a person's walking posture, or even simply hearing a person's footsteps, I can recognize them."

Chen Ji sighed inwardly, cupping his hands in obeisance and saying: "I still hope Lord Zhang will help keep it a secret."

Zhang Zhuo smiled: "Rest assured, rest assured."

As they spoke, Zhang Zhuo's expression darkened somewhat: "It's just a pity that you failed to take the orthodox path of the Imperial Examination, otherwise coming to assist me after next year's Palace Examination could have made me like a tiger that has grown wings. Now that you've entered the Directorate of Ceremonial, once in the Eunuch Faction, you belong to the Eunuch Faction for life. Those civil officials will never accept you again."

"Many thanks for Lord Zhang's good intentions, it's not a hindrance."

Zhang Zhuo asked: "Regarding the matter of your lateness today, do you need me to go explain to Wang Daosheng?"

"No need," Chen Ji shook his head: "I will go apologize to Mr. Wang myself. Lord Zhang shouldn't linger here either, it will easily arouse people's suspicions."

"Alright," Zhang Zhuo turned and walked outside, taking Zhang Xia's wrist and getting into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Xia sized up her own father: "You weren't here to pick me up, were you? You clearly made a special trip here to find Chen Ji!"

Zhang Zhuo thought for a bit and explained: "Yesterday you acted recklessly, running off to say a bunch of nonsensical things to Chen Ji. I naturally had to go explain things to him."

Zhang Xia hurriedly said: "Father, rest assured, I have already made it clear to him. There is no marriage contract between him and me. However, this Chen Ji is also very strange. He was late on his first day of enrollment. No wonder everyone says he is mud that cannot support a wall."

Zhang Zhuo was momentarily lost for words.

He gently lifted the carriage curtain, looking at Chen Ji standing at the academy entrance, preparing to watch the carriage disappear into the distance.

Clearly this youth had established supreme merits last night, saving thousands of households of commoners before the west city gate, yet he could not speak of it with the people around him.

Zhang Zhuo sighed gently with emotion: "The taste of being misunderstood is probably hard to bear."

Zhang Xia said strangely: "Father, what are you saying?"

Zhang Zhuo dropped the window curtain, saying absent-mindedly: "Daughter, when looking at a person, do not listen to what others say; you must go understand them yourself."

Zhang Xia said: "Who cares about him! Anyway, from now on, Well Water Does Not Interfere With River Water between him and me. What kind of person he is is none of my business."

Having said that, she actually jumped off the carriage and shouted loudly: "Zaozao!"

The next moment, a jujube-red fine horse galloped out from a small alley.

When Zaozao passed by Zhang Xia, its footsteps didn't stop. The young girl was seen grabbing the saddle with keen eyes and quick hands; with a light leap, she vaulted onto the horse's back: "Father, go home by yourself! In the future, absolutely do not come pick me up!"

Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Zhuo looked at the young girl's back figure as she spurred her horse into the distance, and said faintly: "Daughter, you've spoken too soon."

...

...

In the front hall of Zhixing Academy.

Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao had already gotten into their carriage and left.

Baili gently tugged at Chen Ji's sleeve: "I inquired with my mother yesterday. That Zhang Xia is just a lawless crazy girl; you absolutely must not take her words to heart. In her early years, she audited at the Imperial Academy in the Capital City, and ended up angering quite a few erudite scholars inside the Imperial Academy. But as it happens, Elder Xu dotes on her, and that Vice Director of the Imperial Observatory, Xu Shu, also spoils her; no one can do anything about her."

Chen Ji smiled: "It's fine. Will the Commandery Princess and the Prince Heir please return to the princely estate first. I still have to go apologize face-to-face to Mr. Wang."

The Prince Heir shrank his neck: "Then you must be somewhat careful. Mr. Wang is extremely strict, and we can't help you either."

As he spoke, the Prince Heir pulled Baili and walked outside.

Baili frowned: "Brother, don't pull me! Let's go help Chen Ji plead for leniency."

The Prince Heir lowered his voice and said: "What are we going for, going over just to get scolded together? Mr. Wang has found me an eyesore for a long time!"

Listening to the voices gradually moving further away, Chen Ji adjusted the clothes on his body and raised his foot to step into the backyard.

The backyard was clean and neat. A plum tree was planted in the southwest corner; at this time, flower buds had already formed, ready to bloom.

That Mr. Wang wearing a blue scholarly robe held a canonical scroll. The other party had a pure white paper flower pinned to his chest, and was standing abstractedly under the plum tree.

Chen Ji halted his steps from a distance, cupping his hands and bowing: "Mister, last night due to some matters, I..."

Wang Daosheng didn't even turn his head, merely looking at the plum blossoms and asking calmly: "Was it a very important matter?"

Chen Ji said seriously: "Yes."

Wang Daosheng said indifferently: "Do you think enrolling on time today is more important, or accomplishing that matter is more important?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment: "Accomplishing that matter is more important."

Wang Daosheng said calmly: "Then that is sufficient."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Mister?"

Wang Daosheng's gaze slowly swept over: "This Zhixing Academy of mine cannot provide officialdom prospects; it can only teach some principles of conducting oneself in the world. But even heaven-shakingly great principles cannot match one's original heart. If one's original heart is flawless, simply following one's original heart will suffice."

Chen Ji cupped his hands and bowed again: "Understood."

Wang Daosheng walked towards the main room, but before entering the room, he changed the topic: "But you must remember, if you break the rules, you must be punished. The rules of the world are like this, and the rules of my Zhixing Academy are also like this. The next time you are late again, just be prepared to receive your punishment."

"Understood."

Chen Ji looked at the already empty courtyard, then looked at that plum tree, only feeling that this Wang Daosheng was somewhat strange. Different from Zhang Zhuo, and also different from Chen Liqin.

Like an unorthodox and rebellious reader of books, who only spouted his own principles.

Chen Ji took a deep breath, turned and walked outside.

But right as he stepped out the door, he was stunned. He saw Jin Zhu wearing a bamboo hat, squatting across the street, his eyes glancing at the breakfast shop next door every now and then. In the oil wok in front of the shop, vegetable dumplings and fried dough sticks were tumbling and frying.

Chen Ji sized up the left and right of Anxi Street, and then quickly arrived in front of Jin Zhu: "Lord Jin Zhu, we've only been separated for a few Chen-shi, there's no need to miss me this much, right?"

Hearing the voice, Jin Zhu abruptly raised his head, bright glints bursting from his eyes: "Did you think I wanted to always come find you? Your cultivation Pathway has been delivered to Luo City ahead of time! How peculiar and strange. The letter where I requested merits for you should have just arrived in the Capital City yesterday; how could the cultivation Pathway be delivered over today?!"

(End of Chapter)