Chapter 271 Young Master, would you like your fortune told? (Seeking monthly votes)
The visitor was none other than Liu Hong, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shu Prefecture, also known as Liu Gongmo.
When Chen Yi lifted the carriage curtain, he saw him stepping down from the carriage.
Beside him stood a scholar dressed in a scholar's robe, none other than Zhao Liu'an.
What a coincidence!
When Liu Hong turned around, he met Chen Yi's gaze, and a smile instantly appeared on his serious expression.
The two then greeted each other.
One person nodded gently, while the other bowed apologetically.
The carriages passed each other.
Liu Hong watched the carriage turn into the south street of the town before turning his gaze away and sending another older middle-aged man to deliver the visiting card.
He thoughtfully adjusted his sleeves, "Chen Qingzhou..."
Upon hearing his voice, Zhao Liuan belatedly looked towards Zhennan Street and whispered:
"Sir, was Chen Yi sitting in that carriage just now?"
Liu Hong nodded slightly. "It's him."
"Strange, why would he choose to leave the Marquis's residence at this time?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuan slightly raised his head, glanced at him, and carefully replied:
"Perhaps he's going to teach calligraphy at Guiyun Academy?"
This was supposed to be a very ordinary agreement, but to everyone's surprise, Liu Hong shook his head and said, "Not today."
Zhao Liuan was stunned for a moment, and almost blurted out, "How do you know so much?"
After realizing what had happened, he carefully chose his words and said, "This subordinate did not know."
Liu Hong hummed in agreement, turned his head to look at the Xiao family's gate, and whispered the instructions:
"You should pay more attention to Chen Qingzhou in the future."
Just as Zhao Liuan was about to ask for the reason, Liu Hong continued to explain:
"The Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture has been highly favored by the Emperor in recent years. If the brothers Chen Xuanji and Chen Xuandu didn't have some ability, how could they have remained in power in the court?"
"And do you think these two people would allow their descendants to marry into the Xiao family, or would they choose a less respectable reason like being ostracized by Madam Liu?"
Zhao Liuan realized what was happening, "Sir, you mean Mr. Chen... Qingzhou came here..."
He pointed northeast, "Where did the orders come from?"
Liu Hong nodded noncommittally, "Chen Qingzhou's recent performance also confirms this."
"only……"
He saw the head steward of the Marquis's mansion appear inside the door, paused for a moment, and then quickly finished speaking:
"However, the things he did always seemed a bit deliberate to me, and didn't seem to be in the best interests of the Chen family in Jiangnan Prefecture."
For powerful and influential families, everything is based on "profit," the expansion and growth of the family, and the continuation of their lineage.
Marriage alliances were formed for this purpose, factions were formed for this purpose, and even taking the imperial examinations, engaging in commerce, and farming were all for this purpose.
Therefore, Liu Hong thought that once Chen Yi joined the Xiao family, he should be single-mindedly focused on climbing the ranks.
But the truth is—for the past six months, he has remained a marginal figure in the Xiao family.
Even if he were a teacher at Guiyun Academy, it would be the same.
He remained uninvolved in officialdom and the military, living like a carefree hermit, untouched by worldly strife.
How could Liu Hong not have doubts about such a person?
After listening, Zhao Liuan responded softly with a "yes," and then followed Liu Hong into the Xiao family home.
He silently kept Chen Yi's matter in mind, then composed himself and prepared to visit Lord Xiao.
“Those bandits from Vaishsa yesterday were fine.”
"With what happened to Asutai today, I'm afraid even you, sir, will find it difficult to persuade the old Marquis to remain unmoved..."
...
On the other side.
Liu Si'er drove the carriage, his mouth never stopping.
“That Provincial Governor Liu came yesterday and came again today. He must be afraid that the Marquis will petition the court to request the Tiger Tally.”
"Mr. Qingzhou, do you think he's overstepping his bounds by doing this?"
Chen Yi gave a noncommittal "hmm," but his eyes remained fixed on the passersby outside the window, refusing to respond.
Who in the Xiao family doesn't know Liu Hong's intentions?
He didn't need to say anything more.
However, there was one thing that bothered him.
Will the old master take this opportunity to legitimately mobilize the Dingyuan Army?
I'm guessing... that's unlikely.
Chen Yi sighed inwardly.
The old man ultimately cherished his reputation and was too bound by rules and regulations. Unless he was forced into a corner, he would hardly take the initiative.
Just like before, when he went to Liu Hong to discuss the matter of "Liu Wen".
Seeing that he didn't respond, Liu Si'er muttered to herself, "I'm getting less and less understanding of this 'young bird' now."
once Upon a time.
He sees the "baby bird" as if it were a naked child, and he can see through it all.
Now, when he looks at the "baby birds" again, he always feels as if there is a layer of gauze between them, and he can't see them clearly.
Only two or three months have passed, and the "young bird" has no cultivation whatsoever.
After much thought...
Liu Si'er can only attribute it to the growth of his character after the "young bird" mastered the art of calligraphy.
After all, the workings of heaven and earth are mysterious and unpredictable, so it's normal that he can't see through them.
Thinking about all this, Liu Si'er looked at the passersby on either side and made conversation by saying, "Young master, there seem to be more people on the street today than usual?"
Chen Yi casually replied, "You're in a hurry to buy grain, aren't you?"
Even though he wasn't listening carefully, the conversations of the travelers around him were all about the Kingdom of Vaishsa and the son of the barbarian king.
Some were surprised, some were excited, and some were afraid.
However, most people are taking precautions.
For ordinary people, when war comes, their first thought is to live a peaceful life.
Phrases like "dying on the battlefield" and "dying on the battlefield" are thoughts of scholars or those who possess martial arts skills.
Their primary concern has always been the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and medicine.
"That damned crook!"
"A single bushel of fine grain is priced at a staggering ten taels! They're practically robbing people in their time of need!"
"Let's go, let's go to the yamen to file a complaint!"
"These scoundrels won't let us live in peace, we can't let them continue to act so lawlessly!"
As the carriage approached the East Market, Chen Yi could vaguely hear the commotion coming from there.
Some people tried to mediate, pleaded for mercy, and said that there was nothing they could do about the situation in Shu Prefecture.
Many people ignored these voices and bargained with the grain merchants, calculating how much grain they could buy with their money.
Amidst all the turmoil.
Chen Yi could see the surging crowds outside the East Market from a great distance.
It was almost packed with people.
Even Liu Si'er's carriage couldn't squeeze in, making him feel a little embarrassed.
"The carriages of the Xiao family, disperse immediately!"
"Don't block the way!"
Liu Si'er, feeling embarrassed after being stopped several times, raised his whip to lash the horse's rump.
Chen Yi spoke up at the right moment, saying, "Stop the car, Fourth Brother."
Liu Si'er stopped moving and hesitated, "Young Master, it's still a few steps from here to Jishi Pharmacy. Would you... would you like to wait a little longer?"
"Besides, there are too many people here. What if we encounter danger..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yi had already lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage beside him, smiling as he said, "It's alright."
He looked at the people nearby and, seeing the fear on their faces, waved his hand and said:
"You go back first, I'll return home by myself later."
Liu Si'er was taken aback for a moment, but seeing his resolute attitude, she had no choice but to say:
"Young master, please be careful. If anything happens to you, the family will not let me off the hook."
Chen Yi nodded, then gently gestured to the frightened people before squeezing into the crowd.
He walked and stopped frequently, taking a quarter of an hour to reach the Jishi Pharmacy, a short distance of only one mile.
At this time, the area outside the pharmacy was also crowded with people.
However, most of them were not sick; they were just people who came to buy some medicinal herbs to keep at home.
Many more came specifically for the tea.
Even with all the staff from Jishi Pharmacy present, it was still difficult to maintain order at the entrance.
This made the accountant, Liu Quan, so agitated that he stood at the door and shouted, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, our pharmacy really doesn't have many medicinal herbs available. Please go to another pharmacy."
"Wanjia Pharmacy, Fangjia Pharmacy..."
Even so, the crowds were still huge.
Looking at the scene before him, Chen Yi couldn't help but feel a strange unease.
Although he had anticipated that this plan would affect the people of Shuzhou, he had not expected it to have such a great impact.
Or rather, he underestimated the influence of the barbarian Left King Muhag on the people within the territory of Shuzhou.
After all, when the news of King Randhu of Vaishsa spread yesterday, there was no panic like today.
However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense.
Even Xiao Wan'er lost her composure upon hearing Muhag's name, so it's normal for ordinary people to react the same way.
Thinking about all this, Chen Yi sighed.
“I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me.”
This time, he will definitely make the people of Shuzhou suffer for a while.
In order to achieve his goal once and for all, he had to harden his heart.
"It's better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. We'll find a way to make it up to these people later."
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then glanced around and his gaze fell on a place further away from the entrance of the East Market.
To be precise, it was a pharmacy there called Xinglinzhai.
Just like Xinglinzhai on Zhennan Street, the signboard at the entrance also reads "Xiaochengshudao".
Amidst the shimmering light of youthful blossoms, the three large characters "Xinglinzhai" are clearly visible, reflecting the ever-flowing crowd below.
Indistinctly.
Chen Yi could also see a familiar figure in the inner hall—Liu Zhaoxue.
Behind her were several servants bustling about.
One of the maids, petite and pretty, caught his eye a few more times.
"Ling'er of the Five Poisons Sect, Liu Zhaoxue?"
"I never expected them to be here today..."
Chen Yi subconsciously used his Qi-gathering technique to look around again.
The auras of those people were then revealed before his eyes.
"Martial arts fifth rank, upper level; fifth rank, middle level; sixth rank, middle level; fourth rank; fourth rank... upper level?"
Chen Yi's gaze fell on a middle-aged swordsman dressed as a guard at the entrance of Xinglinzhai.
His cultivation level was at the upper level of the fourth rank, which was two minor realms higher than Yan Fusha's.
"Is he an elder of the Five Poisons Sect? Or the so-called altar master we heard about earlier?"
Chen Yi had no idea, and now was not the time for him to investigate these matters.
I've looked around.
He then made his way through the noisy and crowded people to the Jishi Pharmacy.
Liu Quan was about to unleash a torrent of curses when he suddenly saw the man's face, and quickly swallowed his words back.
"Shopkeeper, you've finally arrived."
"Please tell them quickly, the pharmacy is completely out of medicinal herbs."
"I don't know if those medicine merchants have gone mad, they actually took all the medicinal herbs to Xinglinzhai."
Chen Yi waved his hand, signaling him to be quiet, and then looked at the people outside the door and said loudly:
"Please forgive us, everyone. We don't have many medicinal herbs left at Jishi Pharmacy today. If you are not a patient, please leave now."
Seeing the hesitation of those around him, Chen Yi smiled and pointed to the nearby Xinglinzhai, saying:
"Right now, the only place in the entire prefecture with a sufficient supply of medicinal herbs is Xinglinzhai. You may go there and take a look."
"Moreover, I have heard that the physicians at Xinglinzhai are renowned medical masters, and are extremely rare."
"Whether you are here to treat patients or to buy medicinal herbs, you may go."
No sooner had the words been spoken than someone lowered their voice and muttered something.
"Everyone knows there are medicinal herbs there, but they're expensive."
“Mr. Qingzhou, that Xinglinzhai from Jingzhou is neither honest nor trustworthy.”
"The medicinal herbs sold at Xinglinzhai are 10% more expensive than those at Jishi Pharmacy. We really don't want to go."
Chen Yi paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled gently and patiently offered his advice:
"Today it's 10%, tomorrow it might be 20%."
"Not to mention far away, the grain price in the East Market..."
That's enough.
Those who consciously buy medicinal herbs in advance are certainly not fools.
Almost as soon as Chen Yi finished speaking, the people in line behind him all headed towards Xinglinzhai.
"Yes, the price of grain has increased more than tenfold. If medicinal herbs are sold like this, how are we supposed to survive?"
"Go, all of you go..."
Before long, the people who bought the medicinal herbs dispersed.
Those who remained were the sick and some casual customers who wanted to buy tea.
Chen Yi stopped interfering and instructed Liu Quan to keep an eye on things before turning and going into the inner hall.
However, the doctors in the pharmacy were all busy at this time.
Especially Ma Liangcai, whose medical skills became increasingly refined.
There were always two or three people surrounding him.
One person seeks treatment, two people wait, and there are apprentices behind them to keep others waiting.
At first glance, it can be considered a quiet place amidst the chaos.
Chen Yi listened to the sounds outside, but remained calmly seated in his chair.
This incident served as a wake-up call for him.
“An enemy is an enemy. If innocent people are implicated in this, it would be a terrible thing to do.”
Fortunately, he always kept his actions secret.
Apart from him and a few others like Liu Lang, it was almost impossible for ordinary people to know that he was the one who did it.
Therefore, it is merely that his conscience is impaired...
That's enough.
...
Just after noon, the chaotic and noisy crowds in the East Market finally dispersed.
Although those who couldn't buy food were unwilling, at this point, no matter how desperate they were, they had no better solution.
The pharmacy is experiencing a shortage of medicinal herbs.
Grain stores hoard and restrict the sale of grain.
Other items have also seen price increases, and some are being sold in limited quantities.
However, after spending half a day and gaining some understanding of the situation, Chen Yi proceeded according to his plan.
The sword was already drawn, leaving him no time to hesitate.
But right now he has something more important to do.
Chen Yi calculated the time, then calmly walked out of the inner hall and instructed Liu Quan and the others to prepare lunch.
He then went to the entrance and looked around at the East Market area not far away.
As far as the eye could see, most of the people were poor.
Even those dressed in fine clothes came and went in carriages as fast as the wind.
The artisans who used to make a living here all stayed in front of their stalls.
Some were performing for money, others were hawking their wares.
As Chen Yi scanned the area, wondering where Bai Daxian was, he suddenly heard a voice with a hint of laughter coming from beside him.
"Young master, would you like your fortune told?"
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback and turned his head to look at the person beside him.
He had black hair and a white face, and was so handsome he looked almost demonic. He wore a tattered Taoist robe with patches on it and held a cloth banner in his hand.
She was looking at him with a smile.
When will he come...?
Bai Daxian?
I don't know why.
Even though the young man in front of him was far from the legendary Bai Daxian, Chen Yi was certain that he was Bai Daxian.
The young Taoist priest noticed his dazed expression, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes, and continued to ask:
"Young master, would you like your fortune told?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi snapped out of his daze, pursed his lips, and turned to walk into the Jishi Pharmacy.
Fortune telling?
You son of a bitch!
(End of this chapter)
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