After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Chapter 121 You'd better be okay

The rear office of the General's Mansion.

Li Gong pushed open the door and came in, his face beaming with an undisguised smile.

Jiang Ji was sitting in front of the charcoal brazier drinking tea when he saw him and asked, "Is it done?"

Li Gong strode forward and said, "It's done! Marquis of Dingxi, rest assured, my men have returned."

Jiang Ji put down his teacup and asked, "Was the Crown Prince harmed?"

Li Gong waved his hand: "Lord Dingxi, please rest assured, our people know what they're doing."

Jiang Ji felt relieved and said, "That's good. Tell me the details."

Li Gongcou excitedly said, "My men ambushed north of Shimen Village for two hours and sure enough, they saw the Crown Prince's entourage resting at the post station. Taking advantage of the darkness and the heavy snow, they crept over and then saw a scout come out to explore."

"Our men wanted to scare him, so they fired an arrow. Who would have thought that the scout was so stupid? He didn't even know how to dodge. He crouched down and ran back with his butt sticking out, and as a result, he got shot in the buttocks!"

Jiang Ji frowned and said, "The Crown Prince doesn't even have a reliable scout by his side; how can he go to war!"

Li Gong hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Marquis of Dingxi. When our men withdrew, they deliberately threw a few Mongol robes on the ground. I estimate that the Crown Prince was frightened and would definitely go back."

Jiang Ji nodded in satisfaction: "Well done."

No sooner had he finished speaking than hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Commander Sun Gui burst in, pale-faced and panting, shouting, "Marquis of Dingxi! Marquis of Dingxi!"

Jiang Ji frowned: "What's the panic?"

Sun Gui swallowed hard and exclaimed, "The Crown Prince—the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Jiang Ji's hand trembled, and the teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

"What did you say? The Crown Prince has arrived?"

Li Gong was stunned, his smile frozen on his face: "This shouldn't be!"

Sun Gui stamped his feet anxiously: "The scouts just reported that the Crown Prince's army is less than five li from Shanhaiguan. You must prepare to welcome him!"

Jiang Ji turned to look at Li Gong.

Li Gong's face turned even paler, his lips trembled, and he was at a loss.

"What are you all standing there for? Welcome us!"

Jiang Ji glared at him and strode out.

Li Gong stood there, stunned for a long while, before he came to his senses and chased after her.

Outside Shanhaiguan.

The wind and snow lessened a bit, but it was still bitterly cold.

At the city gate, Marquis Jiang Ji of Dingxi was the leader, with civil and military officials lined up on either side.

A group of people slowly approached from the front, with the Imperial Guards leading the way. In the middle of the group was a carriage with its curtains tightly closed.

Behind the carriage followed a long caravan of supplies.

As the group drew closer, Jiang Ji's heart pounded faster and faster.

He was mentally calculating how he should speak to the Crown Prince later.

The carriage had already stopped in front of us. The curtain was lifted, and a boy jumped down.

Jiang Ji hurriedly kowtowed: "Your subject, Marquis Jiang Ji of Dingxi, along with the civil and military officials of Shanhaiguan, respectfully welcomes His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The crowd behind him all bowed in unison.

The boy suddenly took two steps back, avoiding the crowd's bowing.

Jiang Ji's heart sank, realizing something was wrong. Was he about to be dealt with directly?

Just as he was lost in thought, another person stepped off the carriage.

This person was younger and wore a black python robe.

"Lord Dingxi, gentlemen, please rise!"

Jiang Ji realized that this was the Crown Prince!

But who was that person just now?

Riding in the same carriage as the Crown Prince is definitely not a simple matter.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhu Houzhao walked up to Jiang Ji with a smile on his face and said, "You are all pillars of our Great Ming Dynasty, guarding the passes for the Great Ming for many years. You have worked hard."

Jiang Ji quickly bowed: "We, your subjects, are entitled to the emperor's bounty and should therefore serve him faithfully. Your Highness, however, has traveled a great distance, braving the snow; you are the one who has truly endured hardship!"

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "I'm not tired, I came by carriage. It's those Imperial Guards and laborers who have to drive the carriages in the wind all the way, that's what I call hard work."

Jiang Ji smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Your Highness is kind and benevolent."

Zhu Houzhao suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Marquis of Dingxi, are Mongols frequently seen around Shanhaiguan?"

Jiang Ji's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm as he replied, "Your Highness, that is indeed the case. Beyond the pass lies the grassland, and every autumn and winter, small groups of Mongol cavalry often come to raid. They are few in number, come and go like the wind, and are impossible to guard against."

Zhu Houzhao nodded: "No wonder."

Jiang Ji's heart pounded, and he tentatively asked, "Why does Your Highness say this?"

Zhu Houzhao casually replied, "Oh, last night when I was resting at Shimen Village, I encountered a small group of cavalry. They charged over, shot a few arrows, and then ran away."

Jiang Ji's expression changed, and he hurriedly asked, "Your Highness was attacked? Are you injured?"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head: "No, they weren't many. They couldn't break in. They fired a few arrows and then retreated."

Jiang Ji's expression shifted, but he forced himself to remain calm and knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness was attacked outside Shanhaiguan; it is my fault for failing to defend the territory! I am guilty!"

The officials behind him also knelt down in unison.

Zhu Houzhao looked down at him and suddenly laughed: "Marquis of Dingxi, what are you doing? Get up quickly."

Jiang Ji remained kneeling, unmoved: "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths—"

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "It's none of your business. Didn't they say the Mongols come here often? If we run into them, we run into them. You can't just surround the entire area outside the Great Wall."

Jiang Ji raised his head, his face full of gratitude: "Your Highness is so kind, your subject—"

Zhu Houzhao interrupted him: "Alright, alright, it's the New Year, kneeling in the snow is too cold. Let's go into town!"

After saying that, he turned and walked into the city.

Jiang Ji got up, brushed the snow off his knees, and was about to follow when he suddenly saw an old man being helped along, limping towards him.

The old man walked up to him, stopped, and stared at him for a moment.

His gaze was chilling, making Jiang Ji feel inexplicably uneasy.

He wondered to himself, "Who is this person?"

Why does Your Highness bring a disabled person with you on your trip?

The old man suddenly spoke up: "Marquis of Dingxi, have you kept clear accounts of the provisions and pay for your garrison duties over the years?"

Jiang Ji was taken aback, and tentatively asked, "May I ask who you are—"

The old man raised his chin, exuding official authority: "Wang Zongli, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed respectfully: "So it's Imperial Censor Wang! My apologies for my rudeness!"

Wang Zongli waved his hand, accidentally aggravating the injury on his buttocks, causing him to wince in pain. Despite this, he maintained his official demeanor and stared at Jiang Ji, saying, "Marquis of Dingxi, I'm asking you a question: are the accounts clear?"

Jiang Ji's heart was pounding, but he put on a smile: "Imperial Censor Wang, rest assured, the accounts at Shanhaiguan are checked every year, and they are crystal clear with absolutely no errors."

Wang Zongli stared at him and said, word by word, "It'd better be without mistakes!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Jiang Ji stared at his limping figure for a long time, utterly puzzled.

What's wrong with this old man?

It's like I owe him money —

As he was thinking this, Li Gong leaned up from behind and whispered, "Marquis of Dingxi, things are bad!"

Jiang Ji turned to look at him: "What's broken?"

Li Gong's face turned pale, and he whispered, "Wang Zongli is definitely here to check the accounts!"

Jiang Ji's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a calm expression: "What are you afraid of? Have you already finished the accounts?"

Li Gong swallowed hard: "It's done—it's done."

Jiang Ji stared at him: "Are you sure you've got it done? No problems?"

Li Gong quickly replied, "No problem! Marquis Dingxi, rest assured, I had someone recopy it overnight. Any mistakes have been smoothed out and repairs added. There's no way to tell the difference!"

Jiang Ji breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt uneasy. He lowered his voice and said, "Let me tell you, if they find out there's a problem, we're all finished!"

Li Gong patted his chest confidently: "Lord Dingxi, rest assured, you absolutely won't find any problems!"

Jiang Ji nodded and turned to walk into the city.

He took two steps, then stopped, turned back, and asked, "Whose ass did you just say you shot?"

Li Gong realized something was wrong, and with a pained expression, dared not speak.

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