Chapter 399 Qingyang City
However, Mr. Mo Wen was already quite old. Although he had traveled all over the world in his youth, he had never left the State of Song since he turned forty.
Mr. Mo and Xie Yunchuan seem to have absolutely no connection, but Xie Yunchuan is so confident, could there be some inside story?
Sheng Sheng asked Zijuan, "Zijuan, do you know if your brother has any connection with this Mr. Mo?"
Zijuan shook her head: "Princess, I have never even heard of Mr. Mo Wen's name before, nor have I heard that the Imperial Concubine or the Second Prince had any dealings with him."
Sheng Sheng rested her chin on her hand and thought for a while, but couldn't come up with any clues.
"Alright, then let's not worry about it. We'll know when we meet Mr. Mo Wen."
As long as they can find out about Mr. Mo Wen as soon as possible and meet him quickly, they should also be able to learn the contents of this letter.
As for the next few days, let's cherish the last moments we have with our eldest brother.
*
Five days later, the matter at Zhennan Pass was largely resolved, especially since Xie Yunli's health had fully recovered, and he was able to stand alone even if the barbarians launched a near-death counterattack.
So, after the three siblings had their last breakfast together, Sheng Sheng and Xie Yun once again embarked on their long journey.
The two carriages swayed and bumped along the road again, but this time they were heading to a foreign country.
Sheng Sheng was quite looking forward to it. Although many people had told her about the dire situation in Song, perhaps because it was Pei Ji's hometown, Sheng Sheng was always very excited.
I want to see what kind of country Pei Ji's brother's country is.
As the carriage traveled along the road, Sheng Sheng often wondered if Pei Ji had also taken this route when he left his homeland as a hostage to go to the State of Yu.
Pei Ji's journey must have been filled with confusion, loneliness, hardship, and helplessness.
But he persevered, persisting until she came to his side and until the two became good friends.
To be honest, besides being a friend, Sheng Sheng also greatly admired and respected Pei Ji, because Pei Ji had come to a completely unfamiliar country thousands of miles away when he was only a few years older than her, and as a hostage of a defeated country.
Pei Ji only had one servant by his side.
Sheng Sheng often wondered if she, as a child, could have persevered if she had only taken Zijuan to the Song Kingdom.
She thought it was probably impossible, because she felt she wasn't as strong as Pei Ji.
Therefore, Sheng Sheng had always wanted to see the route Pei Ji had taken.
As the autumn wind howled and deep winter approached, the group finally arrived in the State of Song.
Fortunately, Mr. Mo was well-known, and it didn't take much effort to find out where he was.
That's good news, but the place where Old Master Mo Wen is... is a place called Qingyang City.
Qingyang City was not the capital of the State of Song, and it was quite far from the capital of Song, Songjing. What pleased them most was that Qingyang City was located on the shortest road from the State of Song to the State of Jin.
Following their route, it will take about ten more days to reach the destination.
However, although Qingyang City was not at the center of the power vortex like Songjing City, it became a hallowed hall for scholars because of Mr. Mo Wen.
Where there are scholars, on the surface there are only scholars, but in reality there is a complex situation where various different forces coexist.
Because among these scholars, there is a high possibility that some of them will appear in the imperial examinations in the future. The Song Kingdom is a complex and highly competitive place with many different forces. In order to win over the future pillars of society to their own side, each force has already secretly sent people to infiltrate every corner of Qingyang City.
The various forces here are engaged in extreme competition, yet a strange peace has also been created.
Therefore, the water in Qingyang City is much deeper than it appears.
The group was prepared for this, but they were still taken aback by the unusually strong atmosphere of division in Qingyang City after entering it.
At first glance, the city seems no different from other places, with shops lining the streets and people coming and going.
It's just that there are many more scholars than elsewhere; half of the people coming and going on the street are scholars carrying books.
The other half consisted of shop owners from various stores frequented by scholars.
This gives people the illusion that the shops and restaurants in Qingyang City were opened specifically for these scholars.
But a closer look reveals that the crowds on the street are clearly divided into distinct groups.
In the teahouse, several tables were pushed together, and the people sitting there were all scholars dressed in similar blue robes. They spoke with high spirits and confidence, and although they did not say a word to anyone other than their classmates, it was as if there was a wall between them and everyone else.
Ordinary people, compared to these scholars, seemed inferior.
However, upon closer inspection, these seemingly similar scholars can be divided into two different types.
One of them was focused on discussing scriptures and doctrines, yet his face revealed a thirst and love for knowledge.
The second type is those who remain wary during conversation.
Sheng Sheng observed the whole way, then lowered the curtains, extremely puzzled: "Why do some classmates seem less like classmates and more like competitors? Although they're smiling and discussing academics on the surface, their eyes always seem a bit strange. Are they afraid that I'll surpass them? That doesn't make sense. True friends wouldn't act like that; they would only hope that their friends will get better and better."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunyang snapped out of her reverie and looked at Shengsheng with a serious expression: "Shengsheng, you've observed very carefully. Because they're not just classmates, they're real rivals."
He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, before continuing to explain: "Qingyang City is a sacred place for scholars, and also a chessboard for various forces to vie for power. Those with wary eyes are mostly people planted by various forces, or scholars who have already chosen a side and want to curry favor with the powerful."
Their goal wasn't scholarship; the former sought to cultivate relationships with promising allies or gather intelligence on rivals to serve their own interests. The latter, foolishly, yearned to be chosen by a particular power, hoping to achieve rapid advancement before the imperial examinations even began—a shortcut to success.
Sheng Sheng was stunned. Although she sensed that something was wrong, she never expected there to be such a complicated situation behind it.
Scholars should be the purest and most sincere people, but in this Qingyang City, they have become the complete opposite.
Xie Yun sighed and rubbed his forehead. "That's why I always feel tired when I'm in the court. You never know what the people in front of you are thinking behind their masks. If it were just about doing practical things or assisting my father in governing the country, what an honor it would be for me. But, too much clarity leaves no room for fish. Sometimes, you have to wear a mask and deal with them. But I... I really hate it."
Sheng Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, and she stepped forward to hug him: "Brother, Sheng Sheng knows. Before, in Heshan County, when you and I pretended to deceive that Prefect Tang, you were already fed up with it just by using threats and kindness to manipulate him."
Some people might think this is pretentious.
But it's like some people don't like scallions, and some people don't like cilantro.
Some people dislike cilantro to the point that they won't eat it on their own initiative, but they can accept it if they have to eat it.
But for others, even the smell of cilantro makes them feel nauseous.
For example, some people love spicy food, but their bodies have a very low tolerance for spiciness.
Xie Yun has done very well. He has always enjoyed a carefree life, and because of Empress Zheng's wrong coercion, he has come to deeply despise these hypocritical and deceitful practices.
But as long as he remains the crown prince, he will persist.
Xie Yun smiled and patted her reassuringly.
"Then... what about those who genuinely seek knowledge?" she asked instinctively.
“They are innocent pawns, and the most vulnerable group in this game, even though they have their own selfish motives.” Xie Yunyang’s voice lowered a few decibels. “Their talents may be exploited, and their future may be ruined because they chose the wrong side.”
He looked out the window at the gradually bustling streets, his eyes sharpening: "So, Sheng Sheng, from now on, we must not only find Master Mo Wen, but also be careful at all times. In Qingyang City, any seemingly harmless scholar could be someone's spy."
"Yes!" Sheng Sheng nodded vigorously.
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