In the twenty-fourth year of the Jianning era, the venerable old monk “Chan Zhao” from the Northern Kujuo Temple traveled to the capital of the Ning Dynasty, where he was summoned by the Ning Emperor at the Huangji Palace.
During this time, something unknown occurred, for the court suddenly ordered the Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Observatory, Hu Junyan, along with Deputy Superintendent Xu Shu, and Zhang Li, the top disciple of the Huangshan Dao Sect, to rush into the palace late at night.
Zhang Li had long secluded himself at the City God Temple in Chongnan Lane.
Hu Junyan usually stayed at the Imperial Observatory to practice spiritual refinement, but that morning he had already entered the palace early.
Yet Xu Shu’s whereabouts remained a mystery; searches went unanswered.
Eventually, the Secret Spy Division found Xu Shu drunken to the point of stupor in Baishun Alley and carried him back into the Forbidden City, only to carry him out again after midnight...
Therefore, Chen Ji was not the first to dare drunkenly enter the palace to face the emperor.
But to be drunk and still fall asleep soundly outside the Renshou Palace—that was Chen Ji’s unique feat.
The grand ministers and departmental heads inside the Renshou Palace quietly turned their heads to watch this scene.
For a time, no one spoke a word.