Next, Jing Zhe and Pei Yunxi spent two more sweet days in the carriage, chatting and laughing, and their relationship took another step forward.
They originally thought they would arrive in Jiangling in five days, but Jing Zhe and Pei Yunxi were so inseparable, like newlyweds, that they lingered on the road for another day. It wasn't until the morning of the seventh day that they arrived outside Jiangling City.
It was already March, and although there were signs of spring in northern cities such as Jingzhou and Ruzhou, the air was still chilly. However, when they arrived in Jiangling, they could clearly feel a humid heat in the air.
Unlike the tall city walls of the north, the city walls of Jiangling are not very high, but they are built with exquisite craftsmanship. Each city wall pavilion has a plaque with poems carved on it, but because of the distance and the small size of the characters, they are not clearly visible.
Above the main city wall hangs the Jiangling plaque. The two characters "Jiangling" are written in a magnificent and imposing style, comparable to the various modern fonts written by Jing Zhehui. This shows that the calligrapher's skill has already reached a superb level.
Before even entering the city gates, a wave of artistic flair washed over me.
Jiangling has been prosperous since ancient times, producing many literary figures. This is why Emperor An wanted Jing Zhe to come to Jiangling as his first stop. Because of the large number of scholars here, the local customs are more open, making it more difficult to open a branch of a newspaper here. However, Jing Zhe is not afraid, as he loves doing challenging work.
The people entering and leaving the city gates were dressed much more lightly than them, and the breath of spring was in the air. Jing Zhe jumped out of the carriage first and smiled as he reached out to Pei Yunxi: "Fourth Sister, come down!"
Pei Yunxi peeked out from behind the Jiangling city wall, her eyes darting around with a complicated expression: "We've arrived so quickly?"
His words were filled with reluctance.
Seeing that no one was around, Jing Zhe quietly leaned closer and chuckled, "Fourth Sister, don't worry. Anyway, it's just you and Third Sister in the city, and Third Sister isn't clingy. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time alone together. Hehe, by then, Fourth Sister's period will be over..."
At this point, Jing Zhe grinned mischievously. Pei Yunxi blushed and glared at him, refusing to get out of the car. Instead, she lowered the curtain and climbed back into the car.
Sitting alone in the car, Pei Yunxi muttered to herself, "You think only Third Sister is in Jiangling? You'll find out soon enough whether you'll have time for me. Otherwise, why would I be in such a hurry to come out of Kunlun County with you alone? Because once we're in Jiangling, you'll be very, very busy..."
After saying that, Pei Yunxi rested her chin on her hand and stared blankly: Should she tell him or not?
...
As the carriage entered Jiangling City, Jing Zhe truly experienced the city's prosperity.
The Yunling River flows through the city, its surface shimmering with light. Tour boats glide by, and the banks of the Yunling River are bustling with pedestrians. Street vendors call out their wares incessantly, and the teahouses and taverns along the street are thriving.
The teahouses and taverns near the riverbank, much like the night markets of later times, had tables and chairs set up along the river railings. People sitting there drinking and sipping tea would watch the pleasure boats on the river and the women singing and dancing on them, their flowing sleeves and graceful movements accompanied by the sounds of music, creating a unique atmosphere.
Most of the people drinking wine and tea looked to be in their forties or fifties, and they appeared to be scholars, albeit middle-aged ones. They swayed their heads and muttered to themselves as they listened to the music, clearly showing they were quite learned. It seemed that what they had heard before was true; anyone they could randomly pick from Jiangling City could recite a few lines of poetry.
The only strange thing was that, apart from these middle-aged people, I didn't see many young people reading on the street.
"Fourth Sister, come and see!"
Jing Zhe, like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, excitedly shouted into the car.
Pei Yunxi then got out of the car.
If Kunlun County is at the beginning of spring, then Jiangling is full of springtime, with peach blossoms and willows everywhere. Coupled with the sounds of zithers and lutes on the pleasure boats, it is truly delightful.
Seeing that Pei Yunxi was also captivated by the scenery before her, Jing Zhe sincerely remarked, "I heard back in Jingzhou that any scholar with some talent would make a trip to Jiangling, because you could find a talented person anywhere in Jiangling."
Pei Yunxi nodded and said, "Jiangling is located in Jiangnan, built along the Yunling River. It has a spring-like climate all year round, and the land is fertile. The people are well-fed and clothed and do not have to worry about making a living. This naturally provides them with the conditions to study and learn to read. It is understandable that Jiangling has many scholars. However, in my opinion, it is not very useful."
It wasn't that Pei Yunxi looked down on scholars, but rather that martial artists weren't particularly interested in poetry or literature.
After hearing this, Jing Zhe laughed and said, "Fourth Sister, your words are sweeping generalizations! Your brother here is a scholar too!"
"You are useful."
Pei Yunxi thought for a moment and then said seriously.
"hey-hey."
After hearing this, Jing Zhe seemed to have thought of something and gave a sly smile: "Fourth Sister has good taste. Of course I'm useful!"
Pei Yunxi rolled her eyes at him and pouted, "You're useful when you don't make me angry, but useless when you do."
Seeing Pei Yunxi's adorable pout and sullen face, Jing Zhe couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek. Unusually, Pei Yunxi didn't dodge. She didn't even have the thought of dodging. Perhaps in her heart, she had already decided that Jing Zhe was her man. Even her... had already been tasted, so what was the point of this cheek-pinching gesture?
The two walked forward and talked for a while, when suddenly a noisy sound came from behind them.
"Make way, make way!"
"Hey, don't push! Let's go together!"
"What's the rush? Young Master Feng and Miss Lin are definitely not here yet!"
"That's why you're in such a hurry! If Young Master Feng and Miss Lin arrive first, will you still be able to grab a spot?"
"Brother, you're right! Let's run!"
"..."
Jing Zhe turned around and saw a group of young men in long robes, looking scholarly, running towards him from behind. He quickly pulled Pei Yunxi back to prevent her from being bumped by these scholars. He thought to himself, "I was just wondering why I didn't see any young scholars in Jiangling City. Turns out they're all here!"
At the same time, I was curious about what all these scholars were running off to.
"Brother, may I ask...?"
"Don't stop me!"
"Young master, I..."
"Get out of the way!"
"..."
He tried to stop several people but couldn't. Seeing their hurried and anxious manner, as if they were rushing off to some event, Jing Zhe became even more curious.
Pei Yunxi, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, listening to the snippets of conversation among these people, and looking thoughtfully at the spot where they had disappeared.
————
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