The carriage sped along, bumping and jolting.
Fortunately, Jiang Sheng was prepared and had placed several layers of quilts under her bottom.
Unfortunately, the cheap carriage was of poor quality. Several layers of cotton quilts could only make his bottom feel a little better, but they could not ease Chang Yan's pale face, nor could they make Wen Zhiyun swallow back the bitter water he had spat out.
Zheng Ruqian couldn't bear it any longer and slowed down.
At this rate, it will take them several months to reach Fengjing.
"Second Brother, I'm fine," Changyan said with difficulty. "Let's hurry up, Fourth Brother and I can go to sleep."
After saying that, he collapsed onto the quilt.
Jiang Sheng was slightly better, not because she was physically strong, but because Aunt Zhang held her in her arms and cushioned her fall with her legs.
But this can't go on forever; Aunt Zhang's arms and legs will also go numb.
Jiang Sheng sensibly jumped down and lay down next to her fourth and fifth brothers, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep, "I'll sleep too."
If you sleep like this, it will be dark when you open your eyes again.
The carriage had stopped, and Zheng Ruqian had found an inn and was negotiating with the owner.
There were six of them in total, so they needed to book two rooms. Zhang Xianglian and Jiang Sheng would share one room, while the four brothers would share the other.
A servant led the carriage down to feed the horses, and the weary traveler could finally lie down on the soft bed and sleep soundly until dawn.
The next day, after breakfast, they continued heading northwest.
Jiang Sheng leaned on Aunt Zhang's lap and exclaimed, "I couldn't stand sitting in a carriage for three to five days. I never imagined that Third Brother would ride a horse all the way to the Northern Frontier like this. When he landed, were his arms and legs still in the same place?"
Xu Mo couldn't help but chuckle, and got up to switch roles with Zheng Ruqian, saying, "Don't worry, the positions of the arms and legs won't be reversed."
Jiang Sheng sighed.
Fortunately, they arrived in Huizhou County in just a few days. With his silver tongue, Zheng Erge not only managed to get through the entire county correctly, but also bought the famous sesame seed cakes from Huangshan County and the tofu from Changmao in Shexian County.
The hardships of the journey faded away at this moment, and the joy of eating and the satisfaction of gaining knowledge were things that could never be obtained by living peacefully in Xiyang County.
In the following counties, Henan, Jiangxia, and Jiang Sheng, they encountered various cultural landscapes, delicious foods, and local customs.
Even Zhang Xianglian was astonished, "I never knew the world was so big."
A month later, they finally crossed Hanzhong County and arrived at the border of Fengjing.
As the geographical location changed, the temperature and air also changed. The most obvious result was that the skin became a little wrinkled, breathing felt dry, and Wen Zhiyun even had a nosebleed.
He is a doctor himself, and he knew from feeling the pulse that there was no major problem; it was just that the air was too dry and he was not used to it.
Jiang Sheng pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but when she turned her head and saw the rolling mountains, she was stunned. "What's that?"
The majestic mountains and rivers vary in height and distance, their colors and shades perfectly harmonious, as if crafted by nature itself.
Its sprawling body reaches the sky, as if it could ascend to immortality at any moment and drift away with the wind.
The layers of emerald green give it life, while the staggered arrangement shrouds it in mystery.
"This is the Kunlun Mountains, the dragon vein of the entire Dayu Dynasty." Chang Yan sat up at some point and said quietly, "The ancestors of the Dayu Dynasty chose to locate the capital here because of this dragon vein."
The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the capital city must also have a dragon vein.
With the Kunlun Mountains as its natural barrier, Fengjing will always be invincible.
Everyone looked into the distance, their eyes filled with longing, amazement, and a trail of blood running down their noses.
Two days later.
The carriage stood at the entrance of Fengjing.
Compared to the naturally formed city gates of Anshui County nestled against the mountains, Fengjing's city gates are more magnificent and exquisitely beautiful.
The rounded stone pillars are fitted with heavy wooden doors, and on both sides are city walls that stretch like mountains. The layers of bricks and tiles are stacked to an insurmountable height. Dozens of soldiers with long guns stand guard at the gate, checking the luggage and vehicles of the people coming and going.
Compared to the cursory inspection in Anshui County, the soldiers in Fengjing were much more thorough, even searching the bulging pockets of the common people, as if afraid they might be hiding some lethal items.
“Fengjing is, after all, right under the emperor’s nose, so the security requirements are extremely high,” Changyan explained.
Jiang Sheng nodded.
When the carriage arrived at the city gate, the soldiers came over to check as usual. Zheng Ruqian readily lifted the curtain, took out the identity document given to him by the prefect of Anshui, and finally opened his luggage.
After checking and confirming everything was in order, the soldier glanced at the group of unfamiliar faces, then stepped back and let them pass.
The carriage chugged lightly into Fengjing City, and familiar Mandarin shouts flooded my mind.
Chang Yan raised his head from the corner, his limbs were cold, but his mind was unusually clear.
Three years later, he returned to the city.
This time, he was just a young man at Changyan, an ordinary boy with an older brother and a younger sister.
Suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered hers, accompanied by Jiang Sheng's complaint, "Fifth Brother, what's wrong? Why are your hands so cold? Are you cold?"
The warmth from his body gradually calmed his hands and feet, and also calmed and relaxed his mind.
"Really? Is Xiao Wu cold?" Wen Zhiyun, who had just wiped the blood from his nose, hugged his feet. "Fourth brother will warm you up."
Xu Mo smiled as he watched his family members enjoying each other's company.
Only Zheng Ruqian outside glanced at his thin clothes, the scorching sun, and the sweat on the brows of the people rushing about.
Is it cold in June and July?
Upon arriving in Fengjing, finding accommodation is the first thing to do.
Considering the high cost of living in Fengjing, the siblings unanimously agreed to rent a house.
However, the rental price also shocked them.
Xu Mo was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), and he should have studied at the Imperial Academy before the metropolitan examination. Therefore, it would be best to choose a house near the Imperial Academy.
Zheng Ruqian took a fancy to a small courtyard house with two courtyards and cautiously inquired about the price, "How much is this courtyard house?"
The broker lazily picked at his fingernails. "One hundred taels."
Zheng Ruqian was shocked.
Think back to Xieyang County, a courtyard of the same size only cost ten taels of silver, and he complained that it was too expensive.
Later in Anshui County, such a large courtyard with flowers could be rented for a year even if it was only twenty-five years old.
Why is it that in Fengjing, a two-courtyard house costs a hundred taels of silver to rent?
Zheng Ruqian was puzzled, but more than that, he was angry and felt a strong sense of powerlessness.
The confidence he had when he left Anshui County gradually dissipated at this moment. He remembered that the two thousand taels of silver he regarded as a huge sum of money might not even be worth a drop in the ocean if he threw it in Fengjing.
"What, you think it's too expensive?" The broker suddenly sneered, his face showing condescending indifference. "You look like a country bumpkin from a small place, you're poor from head to toe. Do you really think Fengjing is like your small place? This is the capital, under the emperor's nose. If you don't have money, live in a dilapidated temple with beggars. Don't waste my time."
After saying that, he slapped Zheng Ruqian to the ground, stepped over his chest, and left.
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