Chapter 28: The Spring Wind is in High Spirit
Leaving aside Pei Guanli's cunning in the Marquis's mansion, Chen Yi and his group traveled south along Bashan Street after leaving the mansion, and then turned east at Sishui Street in the city.
It was summer, and the weather was getting warmer.
Most of the pedestrians coming and going in Shuzhou City have changed into summer clothes.
Especially for some wealthy families, their light brocade clothes were so light that they seemed weightless, requiring a belt to be tied around their waist.
Those who come from afar are different.
The people of Vaishsa remained completely covered inside and out, with only their colorful eyes showing, and the stains on their face coverings were easily visible.
The people from the mountain tribes dressed similarly to Pei Guanli, in brightly colored clothes, and wore ornaments on their necks, heads, and hands, which jingled as they walked.
Occasionally, one could see a few burly men—far taller than the guards of the Marquis's mansion—with their hands bound, being whipped and driven toward the East Market.
When Xiaodie saw them, she tugged at Chen Yi's arm repeatedly, excitedly shouting, "Young master, young master, look over there! They are the barbarians!"
Chen Yi could see it clearly, and because of his improved cultivation, he could even see the hidden energy within the burly bodies of those barbarians—it was indeed as rumored, comparable to a ninth-grade cultivator.
However, he could also see that these bound barbarians had whip marks on their bodies and brand marks on their faces.
Barbarian slaves?
Before long, he confirmed his guess: these barbarians were actually a group of merchants disguised as Vaishsa, who had been shouting in a strange accent along the way:
"Strong southern barbarians, very strong! I don't want fifty taels, I don't want thirty taels, fifteen taels each, my friend."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi grinned, and his curiosity about the barbarian slaves lessened somewhat.
In fact, not only him, but most of the onlookers also laughed, along with several well-dressed city guards responsible for maintaining order.
"Stop the hell crowding around here. What's so interesting about these barbarian slaves? They're just a bunch of livestock that are only fit to pull millstones and till the land for us."
“I don’t want this kind of animal. A few days ago, some barbarian slaves rebelled in Jiaozhou and almost slaughtered the whole family.”
“You don’t need them, there are plenty of people who do. Those big and powerful families need these barbarian slaves who work hard for free.”
"The world is going to the dogs. When did we start bringing barbarians into our business?"
"These bandits from Vaishya, there's nothing they won't sell, damn it..."
As the carriage passed by, Chen Yi listened to the idle chatter of the loud-voiced people beside him, which gave him a more realistic understanding of the situation in Shuzhou.
Last time I went to the south of the city, I only saw the fireworks and willows of Shuzhou.
Today, as he strolled through the bustling streets near the East Market, he gained a deeper understanding of ordinary people, local gentry, mountain tribes, Vaishsa, and barbarians.
To paraphrase a profound statement—everyone is trying their best to live.
At this moment, Xiao Wuge asked, "Brother-in-law, where are we going this time?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then pulled back the curtain to look at the sky. "Let's go around in circles first, turn north from the front and take a look over there."
Xiao Wuge exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, you want to join in the fun too?"
"What? You know what's going on there today?"
"The story of the third-ranked scholar parading through the streets has spread throughout Shu Prefecture in the past two days. Uncle Liu even came to see my grandfather, saying that the third-ranked scholar wanted to visit him."
After Xiao Wuge finished speaking, Xiaodie nodded repeatedly, "Young Master, I thought you already knew."
Chen Yi looked embarrassed. "I've been so focused on practicing martial arts these days that I haven't paid attention to these things."
Xiaodie seemed to understand, leaned forward and glanced at his profile, then asked in a low voice, "Young Master, are you still regretting not participating in this imperial examination?"
Chen Yi shook his head. He had just figured out how to write Wei Qing's name and knew nothing about the essays and parallel prose required for the imperial examinations.
"I just went there to join in the fun."
Seeing his calm expression, Xiaodie decided to believe him for the time being.
During this time, she wasn't worried about her fiancé running away from the wedding again, and she could tell that he was staying peacefully in the Marquis's mansion. However, the imperial examination was a major event that every scholar dreamed of.
If she were Chen Yi, possessing exceptional talent and skills, she too would want to participate in the imperial examinations and embark on an official career.
Xiao Wuge, who was standing next to them, glanced at the two of them and said, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Brother-in-law, when Second Sister comes back, I'll have her arrange a place for you in the army."
Chen Yi was stunned. "No, please don't!"
These "treasonous" words sent chills down his spine, making him even more frightened than Liu Si'er, the "hidden guard" who was currently driving the carriage in front.
After much persuasion, he finally convinced Xiao Wuge to give up the idea of helping him get in through connections.
Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he should be wary of the people in the Marquis's mansion.
Fortunately, only Pei Guanli has discovered his martial arts cultivation so far. Otherwise, if his second uncle Xiao Xuanshuo or the old master had noticed his progress in martial arts, they would probably have sent him directly to the military camp.
By then, his dream of returning to the Marquis's mansion and fishing and drinking tea in Chunhe Garden would be just that—a dream.
In no time at all.
After seeing the bustling streets and alleys in the east of the city, Liu Si'er drove the carriage north, heading towards the academies and taverns where talented men and women, literati and scholars were said to gather.
Along the way.
Liu Si'er remained expressionless, but she listened intently to the conversation between Chen Yi and the others in the carriage.
When he heard that Xiao Wuge was going to arrange an official position for Chen Yi, his expression changed slightly.
But after listening to Chen Yi's advice, his eyebrows furrowed so deeply they could hold a chopstick between them.
Liu Si'er found it hard to understand Chen Yi's thoughts. He was clearly very talented, so why was he so calm after arriving at the Xiao residence?
Could it be because he failed to elope and then gave up on himself?
This is hardly good news for him.
"Fourth Brother."
At this moment, Ge Laosan, who was sitting next to him, nudged him with his elbow and winked at him, gesturing to the side.
"Look, it seems all the talented men and beautiful women of Shuzhou City have come today."
Liu Si'er followed his gaze and saw a group of well-dressed students chatting and laughing on the small path paved with expensive, smooth bluestone.
Some young women, clearly unmarried, followed closely behind, half-covering their faces with small palm-leaf fans.
Judging from their appearance, someone who didn't know better would think they were going to the capital to take the imperial examination.
Liu Si'er snorted and said, "It's not like they're the ones parading through the streets. All this fuss is just pointless."
Ge Laosan rolled his eyes at him, "Who told you to bring this up? Didn't you see those girls?"
"So what if they saw it? Do you think they'd be interested in rough guys like us?"
"Think about it..."
Listening to the previous conversation, Chen Yi gained a new understanding of Liu Si'er.
It's no wonder he was able to hide in the Marquis's mansion for so many years without being noticed. With his dedication to being an undercover agent and his uprightness in not even glancing at women, wouldn't it be better for him to do something else?
Thinking about it, Chen Yi boldly pulled back the curtain and looked at the beautiful women along the street. They did indeed have a unique and different appearance.
If I had to describe it—it would be something like this: young and carefree, their eyes brimming with youthful admiration.
Those bright eyes were full of spirit, clearly indicating that they had not experienced any hardships.
Chen Yi glanced at it a few times, and was about to lower the curtain when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sound of hooves that was much clearer than the sound of carriages and horses from the Marquis's mansion.
Tap, tap, tap...
Amidst the soft, clear sound, a handsome young man dressed in a bright red robe, sitting upright on a white horse, came into view.
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and gazed intently, a line of poetry immediately popping into his mind, perfectly apt.
"Riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, one can see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day."
Although Shu Prefecture wasn't as lavishly decorated as it was, the young master riding the white horse did indeed have a smile on his face.
"I am deeply grateful for your presence..."
(End of this chapter)
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