The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 405

The capital city hadn't changed much since his last visit, which Linghu Chong found quite novel, looking around curiously.

Jiang Ning hadn't visited Chen Qingyuan's residence when he last came to the capital, but he knew where it was. After asking a passerby for directions, he headed towards Chen Qingyuan's mansion.

Chen Mansion.

Looking at the magnificent mansion before him, Linghu Chong exclaimed.

"Prefect Chen's house is even more luxurious than his house in Hanzhong Prefecture."

Jiang Ning stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The gate was opened, and a servant opened it, looking at Jiang Ning and his companion with a puzzled expression.

"Who are you?"

"Please inform Minister Chen that Jiang Ning from the Huashan Sect has come to visit."

Jiang Ning smiled.

The servant looked puzzled: "Huashan Sect? Jiangning? What...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the servant's expression changed from confusion to shock.

"You must be Master Jiang?"

Jiang Ning nodded.

The servant quickly opened the door and invited Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong in.

"Master Jiang, please come in, please come in. Last year, our master instructed us to invite you into the mansion immediately if you arrived. I didn't remember this just now, so please forgive me."

The servant was very respectful to Jiang Ning.

Chen Qingyuan had previously told them that if a man named Jiang Ning ever came to their door, they must treat him with utmost respect, even more so than they would treat Chen Qingyuan himself. Now, upon seeing Jiang Ning in person, the servants dared not show the slightest negligence.

"My master hasn't finished his mission yet, Master Jiang. Please wait a moment, and I will send someone to the Ministry of Revenue to inform my master."

The servant greeted Jiang Ning as he entered the room.

"Thank you."

Jiang Ning nodded.

The servant was flattered. "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

After welcoming Jiang Ning to the main hall, the servant gave some instructions to the other servants and then went to the Ministry of Revenue himself.

Household Department.

Chen Qingyuan is handling Ministry of Revenue affairs.

"Money, money, money, we all need money! Where is the Ministry of Revenue going to give you so much money?"

Chen Qingyuan looked at the various expenditures sent by different departments, all of which required money, and with a dark face, he refused to approve any of them.

After an unknown amount of time, a sound came from outside.

"Master, master."

Chen Qingyuan looked at the servants in his mansion and was taken aback. He then reprimanded them in a deep voice.

"What are you doing here?"

The servant hurriedly said, "Master, the Jiang Ning you mentioned last year has come to the capital. He's in the manor now. Master said that as soon as he comes to the capital, no matter when, you must let me know immediately. That's why I came."

"what?"

Chen Qingyuan sat up abruptly.

"he came?"

"Ah."

The servant nodded repeatedly.

Chen Qingyuan hurriedly left his seat and walked outside, saying to the servant at the same time.

“Go back now and tell Young Master Jiang to wait a moment. I will finish my official business and go back immediately.”

Before the servant could finish speaking, Chen Qingyuan had vanished.

He needed to rush to the palace.

Chapter 545: Reunion with Zhu Shou

Chen Mansion.

Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong were still waiting for Chen Qingyuan to return.

"When will Prefect Chen return?"

Linghu Chong kept glancing outside the hall, feeling somewhat bored.

Jiang Ning reminded him, "Now he's not a prefect anymore, he's been promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue."

Linghu Chong chuckled: "I'm used to calling you that."

While the two were waiting, a woman walked in, followed by a maid.

"Young Master Jiang, you really came?"

The woman who was walking ahead had her eyes light up when she saw Jiang Ning.

Upon seeing the woman, Jiang Ning stood up and smiled, "Miss Chen, how have you been?"

Chen Jin looked at Jiang Ning with a look of surprise and delight.

"I just heard from the people in the manor that you, Young Master Jiang, have arrived in the capital and are staying here, so I rushed over, and it is indeed true."

Jiang Ning smiled but did not answer, instead looking at the maid behind Chen Jin.

How are you doing these days?

This maid was the same girl Jiang Ning had met when he last came to the capital; she was the one who wanted to sell herself to bury her father.

The maid was also very excited when she saw Jiang Ning. Upon hearing this, she quickly said, "Thanks to the young master, I am now serving the young lady in the manor. The young lady treats me very well."

Jiang Ning smiled and nodded.

The conversation between the group left Linghu Chong, who was standing nearby, stunned.

He felt that Jiang Ning had quite a few acquaintances in the capital.

"Who is this?"

Chen Jin looked at Linghu Chong standing to the side.

Linghu Chong's expression was a bit strange.

Because he had met Chen Jin before, the other party had obviously forgotten him.

Jiang Ning explained, "This is my senior brother, Linghu Chong. My fellow disciple and I met Miss Chen when we first visited your residence."

Chen Jin said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Young Master Linghu, my memory is not good, I can't recall it for a moment."

"Nothing, nothing."

Linghu Chong was magnanimous and waved his hand to indicate that he was fine.

After all, Chen Jin was preparing to commit suicide at the time, so it's normal that he didn't notice.

Jiang Ning was also watching Chen Jin. Based on his observation, Chen Jin should have already moved on from Tian Boguang's shadow.

This is a good thing.

"Young Master Jiang, how long do you plan to stay in the capital?"

Chen Jin looked at Jiang Ning with hopeful eyes, her tone carrying a hint of expectation.

"We should leave in a couple of days."

Jiang Ning didn't plan to stay long. In a few days, he would return to Mount Hua and tell Yue Buqun about what happened at Blackwood Cliff and what he had talked about with Abbess Dingxian, so that Yue Buqun could be prepared.

Chen Jin was somewhat disappointed.

"Can't you stay a few more days?"

Jiang Ning smiled and said, "There are still many things to do inside the sect, so I cannot stay any longer."

Chen Jin was disappointed. He talked with Jiang Ning for a while longer before leaving.

"Junior brother, junior brother."

After Chen Jin left, Linghu Chong came to Jiang Ning's side with a mysterious expression.

"This Miss Chen must have feelings for you, right?"

Jiang Ning turned to look at him in surprise.

"What makes you say that, Senior Brother?"

Linghu Chong wore a knowing smile: "Miss Chen's expression was so obvious just now, I saw it clearly. And the maid behind her, although she didn't say anything, her eyes were always on you. Isn't that a sign that she likes you?"

"Senior Brother, don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Ning smiled and shook his head, then turned and sat down to rest with his eyes closed.

"How did I say anything wrong?"

Seeing his expression, Linghu Chong was about to continue speaking, but when he recalled what Yue Buqun had said to him that time, Linghu Chong suddenly fell silent.

Linghu Chong became much quieter, and Jiang Ning was also happy to have some peace and quiet.

How could he not understand what Linghu Chong just said?

But his heart wasn't in it.

About half an hour later, the servant who went to the Ministry of Revenue to inform Chen Qingyuan returned. However, Chen Qingyuan had not returned yet. The servant said that Chen Qingyuan was still dealing with Ministry of Revenue affairs and could not leave, but he would be back soon.

Jiang Ning wasn't in a hurry and continued to wait. After a while, Chen Qingyuan finally arrived in a hurry.

"Young Master Jiang, Young Hero Linghu, thank you for waiting."

Chen Qingyuan started shouting before he even entered the room. He paused when he saw Linghu Chong, then quickly realized what was happening and said, "The Ministry of Revenue is just too busy."

Although Chen Qingyuan went to the palace, what he said was actually correct. The Ministry of Revenue was indeed very busy, and he was the Vice Minister of Revenue. Although there was a Minister above him, the Ministers of the Six Ministries normally did not handle affairs; it was their respective Vice Ministers who did the work.

"It's alright, we didn't have to wait long."

Jiang Ning stood up and said with a smile, "Vice Minister Chen, how have you been lately?"

Chen Qingyuan quickly replied, "Thanks to Young Master Jiang, I am doing very well now."

Thanks to me?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning frowned slightly.

He was a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world) and had no connections in the imperial court. What good fortune did he bring to Chen Qingyuan?

Chen Qingyuan realized he had spoken inappropriately and quickly corrected himself: "What I meant was, thank you for your concern, Young Master Jiang. I have always been well."

Jiang Ning looked at him and smiled, "Minister Chen, I have a good friend in the capital named Zhu Shou. He sent someone to Mount Hua to invite me to the capital for a chat, but he didn't tell me where he lived. He told me to find you after I arrived in the capital. You know what to do."

Jiang Ning got straight to the point, but Chen Qingyuan was at a loss.

“Young Master Jiang, last time you asked me if I knew Zhu Shou, I really didn’t know who Zhu Shou was, but I found out later, and now I will take you to see him.”

"Is this Zhu Shou so important that he wants my junior brother to meet him?"

Linghu Chong was displeased upon hearing this.

Chen Qingyuan looked at Jiang Ning with a troubled expression.

Jiang Ning nodded, not wanting to embarrass Chen Qingyuan, and turned to Linghu Chong, saying, "Senior Brother, it's alright for me and Minister Chen to go. You can wait for me here."

Linghu Chong pursed his lips.

"Ok."

Chen Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led the way.

A sedan chair was waiting as soon as I stepped out of the gate.

"Mr. Jiang, please."