Chapter 26
In addition to staying indoors and chatting, many people also helped pick up some things nearby while the weather was still warm.
Wen Yi put down the scroll in her hand. This was something she had bought back. She had planned to copy it and study it at the same time, but there were too many damaged parts and traces of moths.
Shan helped to untie the rotten strings on the bamboo slips, laid them out on the paper in order, and gently wiped away the stains on the surface with a rag. If the edges were difficult to clean, he would carefully scrape them off with the newly made knife and pen in the workshop.
A sufficient number of spears had been produced before, and there was not much demand for replacing farm tools in winter, so the metal workshop turned to making some things that could be used in daily life.
In the manufacture of weapons, artisans have explored filtering, including quenching and tempering. The former is to improve the wear resistance and hardness of the material by exceeding the critical cooling rate, but tempering is required, that is, reheating the quenched metal to maintain its temperature and eliminate the stress during the cooling process.
The knife in Shan's hand is an experimental product of the workshop, and it is sharper than the copper alloy dagger.
Wen Yi also had a dagger on him, which was brought by Amu and the others. He didn't know when they had gone to the iron smelting site again. After reminding them to be careful, Wen Yi did not interfere.
She had put safety first when planning, and the craftsmen who had been doing this for generations naturally understood this.
There was no wind outside today, so it was not that cold. There were more people outside, some carrying baskets to buy food at the grain store, and some watching the soldiers training outside the parade ground.
There were also children who tried to imitate those movements, but because they were not up to standard and no one corrected them, they soon fell down with a cry and were thrown aside to play with.
After Wen Yi greeted a few people, he got up and went for a walk outside. His body felt a little stiff after sitting all day.
"I wonder when the helpers Yao Wenjun mentioned will arrive..."
He sighed, thinking about how slow the journey would be at this time, not to mention that those letters might not even reach him.
But soon, the person who was guarding the city gate came to report that he saw the carriage frame outside and it seemed that someone wanted to talk.
Yao Wenjun was still in the training ground. When the soldier saw Wen Yi, he came over and reported.
"I see. I'll go with you to take a look."
Wen Yi nodded. It was training time now, and suddenly going over to disturb them would disrupt everyone's training today. He had some free time now, so it would be appropriate for him to go over and deal with this matter.
Outside the city wall.
The young man on the carriage looked at the city wall with some curiosity, but did not ask any questions. He just stood below, waiting for the guards to come and talk to him.
There seemed to be someone discussing something on the frame.
"...Rotten! Although rituals and music are broken, we should still follow them and use our bodies to influence those around us. This is what we should do!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man in sackcloth, and the one arguing with him was a child who looked only about ten years old, with a somewhat brittle voice:
"When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette. Forcing those who lack food and clothing to follow those rules, do you want everyone to starve to death just to follow those rules in your eyes?"
When Wen Yi and several soldiers came out, they heard this and nodded.
She agreed with the child, but the middle-aged man's words could not be considered wrong in this era. It could only be said that he was forced by the times.
Being able to make such a wise statement from a child, Wen Yi felt that the difficulties of the times would indeed make people grow up quickly.
When I was still living in the mountains, I felt that in this chaotic era, children grew up much faster than I remembered. Sometimes I felt a little dazed when I saw Amu and Wen Yi. They were so small when I first saw them, but they had grown so tall in the blink of an eye.
The old man sitting on the side listened very attentively and nodded from time to time, as if he was not bored at all by the waiting.
The discussion came to an abrupt end only when Wen Yi and his companions came closer.
The young man who was originally standing in front took a step back. When he saw Wen Yi, he seemed a little surprised, but still did not speak. He just turned to look at his teacher.
The old man stood up with a smile and walked down from the carriage:
"I guess you are the one who is familiar with Wenjun. I received a letter from Wenjun. Thinking that I haven't seen you for a long time, I came to see you." After saying that, he took out the bamboo tube from his sleeve.
Wen Yi had seen the letter Yao Wenjun wrote, and his initial vigilance was somewhat reduced.
"Since you have come from afar, please come in."
Before entering the city, the weapons were temporarily placed in the house at the city gate. The guarding servants were a little reluctant, but the old man nodded and did not insist. After confirming that there were no long weapons on him, he opened the inner city gate.
What came into view was a neat road and trees still covered in yellow leaves and fruit. Faint shouts could be heard from the west.
But they wouldn't go there right now. Wen Yi led the group along the main road and brought them to the inn where merchants and other people stayed. There was a restaurant next to it. If they wanted to eat something, they could have it delivered to their room for a little money.
Wen Yi helped order some simple food and told the patrolling soldiers to come here after Yao Wenjun finished today's training.
Seeing that she was going to wait here with him, the child who had been hiding behind the old man poked his head out and broke the silence:
"So what do you think of our previous discussion? Which side are you on?"
The child seemed to want to determine whether Wen Yi was a friend or foe, and then determine what attitude he would adopt towards this person. Wen Yi shook his head, his tone flat;
"I don't know your problem, so it doesn't make sense to ask me which side I'm on."
The child slapped his head in annoyance, and his voice became inexplicably happier, although Wen Yi had no idea which part of his words it was because of.
"They were discussing whether etiquette should take precedence over other things."
Although rituals and music have collapsed now, people who value identity still seem to make major strategic changes due to related issues, and its influence still exists.
Wen Yi didn't answer, but turned around and glanced at the young man who had returned and answered the question. The man leaned over and seemed very interested in his answer.
"I have no objection."
"Um?"
The child and the young man both showed puzzled expressions. Wen Yi didn't want to answer, but the two seemed unwilling to give up until they got an answer, so they explained:
"I can't decide on this matter, and most of the conclusions I draw are based on what I have seen or experienced, without knowing what is really needed."
Although there is a small chance of success if you carry out unrealistic promotion based on your own ideas, it is more likely to lead to more and worse accidents.
What a screw needs to do is to play its own role instead of interfering in the overall situation from its own place. However, Wen Yi naturally did not say this out loud, as he meant to seek revenge.
Now she wasn't sure if what she was doing was right or wrong; perhaps letting things take their own course was the right thing to do. But in the new Pingyi, everyone was living a more comfortable life. Sometimes, children on the street would offer her a few roasted beans, and her initial uncertainty was suppressed. After all, they felt that things weren't so bad now, weren't they?
The old man smiled when he heard this.
The previous group of people were certainly good; they needed more thinking to reach higher positions. If one simply followed the flow, the greater likelihood was that one would be stuck in one place, unable to make any progress. However, not everyone had those aspirations, and that was nothing to argue with.
But in addition to the top talents who make decisions, it is still a large number of middle and lower-level talents who keep the entire country running. Many rules are introduced to restrain the wild ideas of this group of people, and this will still lead to many loopholes.
He had been hesitant when he first came over, but the moment he laid eyes on Wen Yi, he knew his seemingly bold decision was the right one. Wen Yi didn't remember, but he remembered seeing her working in the fields when they first passed through that village. The young man had even asked why he'd looked over there.
The uncertainty in her was already clearly discernible, but I didn't expect that among these students, Yao Wenjun would be the first to embark on this path.
*
When Yao Wenjun heard that someone was coming, he cleaned up a little and quickened his pace.
"teacher?"
She looked at the letter on the table with some surprise. It was originally sent out just to make up the numbers. She actually wanted to coax some of her junior brothers and sisters to come over. Unexpectedly, He Xuan, who was already half-hidden, also came over. She subconsciously began to tidy up her messy clothes.
They were really used to being casual, and Wen Yi and the others didn't care about these things. They just wanted to come over quickly.
He Xuan shook his head and smiled for a while, indicating that she could do whatever she wanted, after all, this was their territory.
Yao Wenjun thought about it and gave up. It was really not something he could fix in a short while. He simply knelt on the mat and said, "Teacher, come here. Are you going to help me?"
The young man next to him had just taken a sip of water to moisten his throat. When he heard these words, he almost choked on the water and coughed for a long time before he recovered.
"Why are you so surprised, Brother Nanxun? Could it be that you heard that I'm doing well and came here to get some free money?" She was much more casual when talking to young people, and even spread her hands to Wen Yi.
"you……"
"Alright, Senior Brother, you really can't resist teasing." Yao Wenjun's expression became more serious as he formally introduced the two parties.
"This is He Xuan, my teacher, and the one rumored to be extremely skilled at fortune-telling and judging people." He then turned slightly and raised his hand towards Wen Yi. "This is Wen Yi, the current head of Pingyi. Most of what you see is her work."
They had been curious about these things when they first entered the city. The utensils used in the dishes had been said to be extremely expensive, but judging by the attitudes of the people around them, they were merely consumables. Everyone's clothing and spirits were also excellent; they didn't look like people who had just settled down after fleeing.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wen Yi and Yao Wenjun left together. He Xuan and the others had been running around for several days and were now exhausted. It would be better for them to rest early. There was still time to talk about anything tomorrow.
After leaving the posthouse, Wen Yi turned his head and asked, "Is this the person you finally found after searching for so long?"
Although it was their first formal meeting, he was able to accept Yao Wenjun as his disciple despite the rumors, and he dared to arrive safely in the chaotic environment after the autumn harvest with only a letter. It is truly admirable.
"Although my senior brother has some problems, he is still a good laborer." Yao Wenjun did not feel guilty at all. Although this senior brother was brought up by the teacher, his original temper was hard to change. Before she left, she often "exchanged ideas" with this senior brother because of different opinions.
Although Nan Xun had received formal training in archery and horse riding, he was often beaten to the ground by the talented Yao Wenjun. However, he gritted his teeth and refused to admit defeat. In Yao Wenjun's words, he was just trying too hard to save face.
"Sometimes I can't understand why he still insists after everything has been explained clearly. But today he seems to be a lot calmer." If Yao Wenjun had interrupted him in the past, he would definitely stand up, pick up his sword, and mutter something.
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