Chapter 49: Three or Five People on the North City Official Road

Chapter 49: A Scattered Few on the Northern Highway

Perhaps due to the persistent rains of the past several days, Shuzhou Prefectural City felt considerably refreshed.

Along Kangning Street in the north of the city, the individual slabs of green bluestone paving allowed passersby to discern clearly the lotus motifs carved upon them, evoking the auspicious notion of every step giving rise to a lotus.

Scholars were most fond of courting such good omens, whether in pursuit of high honors in the imperial examinations or for a path to wealth and officialdom.

In short, the visage of Kangning Street possessed the most refined and elegant air in all of Shuzhou City.

It stood in stark contrast to the willow-lined lanes of the courtesan quarters in the south, where the flagstones were entirely carved with portraits of court ladies, as if utterly terrified that outsiders might remain ignorant of what manner of trade was conducted within.

To all this, Chen Yi remained indifferent; no matter how fine the ornamentation within the city, it could at best elicit from him an appraisal of being "quaint and antique."

Of late, however, things had improved somewhat; he had read a great deal of literature and gained a considerable understanding of Shuzhou's local customs and etiquette, enough to discourse on the particulars now and then.

This was especially true regarding the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones with which he frequently came into contact.

At the very least, Chen Yi now knew that Yunsong paper originated from Guangyue Prefecture, fashioned from the singular pines and cypresses native to that region.

There was also the soot ink of Jiangnan Prefecture, the wolf-hair brushes of the Northern Province, and Jingzhou, which was rich in the exotic stones used to fashion inkstones.

Though he possessed only a general understanding, he still found himself astonished by the prices of these seemingly inconspicuous baubles.

Take the Yunsong paper he frequently employed, for instance—a single sheet measuring one foot square cost five copper coins, equivalent to the price of a catty of unpolished rice.

Yet this was merely because he resided within the residence of the Marquis of Dingyuan, a member of the Great Wei Dynasty's topmost aristocracy, whose standard of living naturally differed from that of ordinary folk.

Scholars from common families could scarcely catch a glimpse of Yunsong paper, let alone utilize it; most of them made do with cheap wood-pulp paper.

Aside from these matters, the historical texts Chen Yi read most frequently had also familiarized him with the major events that had transpired within the Great Wei Dynasty over the past two centuries.

He had even unearthed some historical records of the previous dynasty, mostly to understand the shifting fortunes of Shuzhou and Jiangnan Prefecture over time.

Before long.

A carriage bearing the scarlet banner of the Xiao family of Dingyuan rolled out of the city gates, coming to a halt at the post station three miles distant.

Wang Lixing and Yan Hong, who were driving the carriage, looked left and right, their expressions betraying a touch of perplexity.

Outside the post station, no fewer than ten carriages of various sizes were parked.

Among them was another carriage that likewise flew the scarlet banner of the Xiao family, clearly indicating that another master from the residence had arrived.

Beside the official highway, more than a dozen officials clad in green and teal robes stood craning their necks in anticipation, and the man at their head was none other than the Prefect of Shuzhou, Liu Si.

The two drivers exchanged a glance, neither having any inkling of what Chen Yi had come to do on this excursion.

Particularly when they recalled the "mischief" Chen Yi had caused the last few times he ventured from the manor, their hearts felt as though scratched by a cat's paws, wishing they could immediately turn the carriage around and return home.

Fortunately, they spotted Xiao Dongchen of the second branch among the crowd of officials, reasoning that with him present, the young master-in-law would likely exercise some restraint.

"Have we arrived?"

At that moment, Chen Yi lifted the curtain to peer out, then led Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie down from the carriage.

Wang Lixing glanced at Xiao Dongchen, whose expression seemed somewhat peculiar, and leaned in close to Chen Yi's side to ask in a low voice:

"Young Master, what brings you here today?"

As Chen Yi smoothed the robes of his attire, he replied, "To receive someone."

"Could it be the very same individual those gentlemen over there are waiting for?"

"Presumably so."

Chen Yi looked toward the officials and, noticing that many of them had turned their gaze his way, he offered a smile and made a long, formal bow.

Fortunately, he still held the scholarly rank of a Xiucai, which spared him from having to kneel before these officials; otherwise, it would have been unseemly to approach them so closely.

Wang Lixing winced as if his teeth ached, feeling entirely uneasy in his heart; he gave a look to Yan Hong beside him, signaling for him to step forward and continue the inquiry.

Yet before Yan Hong could speak, Xiao Wuge, who had been observing his surroundings with curiosity, withdrew his gaze and turned to Chen Yi, asking:

"Brother-in-law, who is it you're here to receive?"

"Chen Yunfan."

"Oh, I think I've heard that name somewhere before."

Saying this, Xiao Wuge seemed to recall something. "I know, he's the one who doesn't get along with you, Brother-in-law, isn't he?"

Chen Yi smiled and shook his head. "One shouldn't dare say such things; if others were to overhear, they would think there is a rift between my elder brother and me."

Is there not?

Even a gruff fellow like Wang Lixing did not believe it. Although he now understood the purpose of the trip, it was precisely the name Chen Yunfan that stirred a sense of foreboding within him.

Yan Hong beside him felt the same, his facial features twisting into a tight grimace.

The last time this young master fled his wedding, it had nearly cost him his life; surely things wouldn't escalate to such a degree this time?

Perhaps because Xiao Wuge's voice had been a bit too loud, it drew the attention of the officials ahead.

Upon seeing the young boy, Liu Si, who stood at the front, could not pretend to be blind; he led the officials behind him forward, bowing deeply as he said:

"We, your humble servants, pay our respects to the Young Marquis."

Xiao Wuge waved his hand with the air of an adult, smiling as he said, "Uncle Liu, there is no need for such ceremony; you were just at our manor a couple of days ago."

Hearing this, Liu Si's face brightened, clearly pleased by the remark.

"Wuge, what brings you out here today?"

"My brother-in-law said he was coming to receive someone, so I came along to watch."

"To receive someone?"

Liu Si frowned and looked at Chen Yi, seeing that he still maintained a smile without any sign of peculiarity. After a moment's thought, he nodded and said:

"The top scholar of the recent examinations, Chen Yunfan, is indeed your brother-in-law's elder brother; it is only proper that he should make this journey."

Xiao Wuge's eyes lit up. "The top scholar? Is he even more impressive than the third-place scholar?"

Liu Si hesitated for a moment before nodding, speaking with deliberate meaning: "He is now a counselor in the Provincial Administration Commission, holding the same lower fourth-rank status as myself."

"Whereas Fang Gui is merely a fifth-rank assistant counselor, lagging a step behind the top scholar in official rank."

Chen Yi naturally caught the underlying meaning in his words; this was a subtle warning to remind him of his own station and the occasion.

However, despite his thoughts, he merely feigned ignorance on the surface, smiling as he said, "Wuge, what the Prefect means is that Chen Yunfan is more formidable than Li Huaigu."

Liu Si's countenance instantly turned somewhat sour; he cast a glance at Chen Yi and flicked his sleeves, walking away in a huff.

He felt rather vexed in his heart.

Firstly, because Chen Yi's consecutive antics in Shuzhou City had displeased him.

Secondly, the relationship between Chen Yi and Chen Yunfan was clearly far from harmonious.

If they were on good terms, Chen Yi could have come alone; why must he bring along Xiao Wuge, the Young Marquis?

At this juncture, the other officials of Shuzhou, great and small, exchanged glances, bowed once more to Xiao Wuge, and followed after the Prefect.

Only Xiao Dongchen approached with a furrowed brow, staring at Chen Yi as he questioned in a solemn tone, "Second Master-in-law, your arrival today is hardly at an auspicious time."

He was several years older than Xiao Xuanshuo but well-preserved, his face smooth and clean-shaven; complemented by his green official robes, he possessed quite an air of authority.

Chen Yi nodded noncommittally, then drew a calling card from his breast and displayed it to him. "Uncle Dongchen, my elder brother has summoned me; I had no choice in the matter."

Xiao Dongchen cast a glance, his demeanor settling, yet he cautioned in a low voice:

"Don’t blame me for talking too much. Your brother has traveled a thousand miles from the Prefecture of Kyoto to take up his post as the Imperial Governor of Shuzhou; you must be well aware of the peculiarity of his position."

"What peculiarity?"

Though somewhat dismissive, Chen Yi still pressed the question:

"Uncle Dongchen, might you give a fellow a bit of an idea?"

Xiao Dongchen hesitated for a moment, leaning in and lowering his voice:

"The Deputy Governor of Shuzhou is already advanced in age and will likely step down within two years."

Chen Yi blinked, internally grimacing, wondering if this matter was connected to Chen Yunfan.

After all, the Imperial Governor is a provincial chief official, a second-ranked official.

And Chen Yunfan, being a top scorer, was an exception to be directly transferred to Shuzhou as a fourth-ranked attendant without having served in the Hanlin Academy.

To have him succeed as Deputy Governor of Shuzhou in two years... does the Emperor act so arbitrarily and autocratically?

Xiao Dongchen realized he had understood and continued:

"In times of special circumstances, one must be all the more cautious and prudent."

Chen Yi bowed:

"Thank you for the guidance, Uncle Dongchen."

Xiao Dongchen nodded, smiled, and nodded to Xiao Wuge before turning towards Liu Si and the others.

Wang Liheng and Yan Hongxin exhaled in relief; after all, the old master of the mansion truly understood the situation in critical times.

Beside them, Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die were only half-understanding.

"Brother, since the top scorer is your elder brother, he wouldn’t be someone opposing you, would he?"

Chen Yi glanced at him, then looked towards the end of the official road, smiling faintly:

"It should be so... who can say for sure?"

(Chapter End)