Grant's Fall from Grace and Rise to Power Chapter 8

Just as he finished speaking, Owen You came out and looked at him with a smile: "I am honored to see you, Lord Ji." Ethan Ji turned around and raised his chin slightly: "The weather is not very good, it's gray." Owen You said: "Thank you for your promotion, I came here specially to thank you." Ethan Ji smiled and said: "Why don't you thank me at the Ministry of Rites? It's such a long way, aren't you tired?"

Owen You said: "I didn't expect the emperor to demote Lord Ji, otherwise Zi Wang would not have submitted the memorial."

Ethan Ji didn't look at him: "You're not the only one who would do such a thing as crossing a river and then destroying the bridge. There's no need to pretend to feel guilty." Having said this, he turned around and smiled: "If you weren't such a person, I wouldn't have chosen you."

Owen You squinted his eyes and looked at the sky, saying: "It looks like it's going to rain, let's find a place to hide?" Ethan Ji nodded, shook his patched clothes, and walked into the city. Owen You followed him.

Soon, the sky above Chang'an was covered with dark clouds. A few lightning flashes passed by, making the muddy waves bright gray. The vendors closed their stalls and the number of pedestrians gradually decreased. A jade river flowed across the capital, with circles and dots on the water surface.

There are several boats beside the shore and a small shed on the shore.

Owen You walked to the small shed, removed a few straws hanging from the top, and waved to Ethan Ji: "Master Ji, I am sorry to stay here for now." Ethan Ji shook his head, said something to a boatman on the shore, and threw a few silver coins into his hand. The boatman stretched and put the oars on the edge of the boat. Ethan Ji jumped on easily.

Owen You jumped up and gave the boatman some silver.

A girl's head popped out from the boat awning. She had two curved crescent-shaped eyebrows and a pair of almond-shaped eyes. She quickly swept her eyes across Ethan Ji's face and called out to the boatman, "Dad, are there any guests?" The boatman responded. Ethan Ji bowed and said, "Would it be convenient for me to take a short rest?" The girl nodded quickly and pulled open the straw mat hanging on the boat awning.

The two of them went in and sat down. The air was slightly damp. There was a small table in the room, with a chipped bowl of wine on it and a jar of fermented glutinous rice wine at the foot of the table. The girl moved the bowl aside and said, "My father drank it." Ethan Ji crossed his legs and adjusted his clothes: "Girl, you don't know how to drink?" The girl thought for a moment and said, "I know a little."

Owen You glanced at Ethan Ji and then looked outside.

It was raining heavily outside, and the tent roof was crackling with the rain. I opened the small window and saw ripples on the river. It was cool outside the boat, but hot inside.

Ethan Ji said, "That's a pity. I was planning to invite you to a drinking contest." The girl blushed slightly and said, "A little is fine." Ethan Ji smiled and saw her pour a bowl of wine. She took it and drank it all. The girl held the bowl, glanced at Ethan Ji, and slowly drank the wine.

They didn't stop until the jar of wine was empty. It happened that the rain was much lighter. Ethan Ji wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and laughed: "It's not mellow or spicy, but it has a unique taste. I have never seen a woman who can drink so much. You are amazing."

The girl's cheeks were flushed, and after he said that, she even lowered her head: "There are still many on the boat. If you like, you can take a few pots back."

Ethan Ji shook his head: "Good wine goes with good times, too much is as bad as too little."

The girl nodded, not quite understanding. Ethan Ji opened the curtain and walked out from behind. The cool rain fell on his hair and his pants were slowly soaked. The Xuanwu Gate had long disappeared in the river mist, and the two banks were full of white flowers.

I laugh when I am drunk and feel sad when I am sober.

It was getting dark, the water marks on the stern were still wet, and his knees were completely cold. Ethan Ji frowned slightly, walked over and sat down, covering his joints with his hands. After a while, even his hands were cold.

"Master Ji, there are no stars or moon. Are you sitting here in the cold wind and looking at the buildings?"

Ethan Ji withdrew his hand that was pressing on his joints, turned around and teased: "When a young man sees youth, everything is charming. If you don't appreciate the beautiful scenery, you will get moldy by staying in the tent." Owen You glanced at his knees, shook his head, and went back to the tent.

Ethan Ji put his hand on it again.

After a while, Owen You came out again, holding a white towel with steam rising from it. Ethan Ji smiled and said, "Master You, are you in the mood to enjoy the scenery?" Owen You sighed, squatted beside him, and rolled up his trouser legs. Ethan Ji retracted his legs and said, "Look at the beautiful scenery, not the beautiful legs."

Owen You chuckled: "Rain and rheumatism. Lord Ji, do you still want to go to court tomorrow?" Ethan Ji was silent for a long time before he said word by word: "You Bangyan is so capable that he can even 'see' that I have rheumatism." Owen You rolled up his trousers to his knees and tapped his index finger joints twice: "It's red." He then applied a hot towel to Ethan Ji's joints.

Ethan Ji screamed and tried to pull his legs back, but was held down by Owen You. The pain in his legs became less and less, and the warmth of the towel seemed to reach his bones and heart. Ethan Ji smiled and said, "Zi Wang is amazing, it really feels good."

Owen You wrapped his legs with a towel and whispered, "My mother had this disease." Ethan Ji said, "So when you saw someone suffering from rheumatism, you were so filial that you even donated a towel." Owen You said calmly, "She died a long time ago." Ethan Ji was dumbfounded. Owen You frowned slightly, then raised his head and said gently, "Master Ji, take good care of yourself."

The smile on Ethan Ji's face gradually faded, and then he smiled again.

The next day, Ethan Ji went to court, but Owen You did not go. There was no big event in the morning court. Reed Chang praised the top three candidates for a few words. After the court, he said he would go to Owen You's house to visit him.