Chapter 337: An Outing with the New Bride

The sun was already three poles high. Outside the northeastern city gate of the Eastern Capital, the official road leading straight to Chenqiao Post Station was perfectly flat, and travelers coming and going were numerous—though all consciously gave wide berth to the two groups of nobles occupying the middle of the road.

With the towering, magnificent city of Kaifeng as the backdrop, the newly installed Worthy Consort Lady Zhe personally saw off her grandfather Zhe Congruan, reluctant to part.

"I already told you, no need to see me off. You've only just entered the palace; you must not draw too much attention..." Zhe Congruan swept his gaze over his granddaughter, who now carried the charm of a married woman, and shook his head, though his tone held a note of gratified relief.

Though she was still of a blossoming maiden's age, clearly Liu Chengyou had not let that stop him—what needed doing had been done. The young Lady Zhe had combed her hair up in a married woman's bun, wore only light makeup, and her delicate beauty still carried a hint of heroic spirit. Her form-fitting silk garments outlined a figure that was just right. In short, the maiden was a thing of the past.

Facing Zhe Congruan's sigh, Lady Zhe smiled and replied: "My coming to see Grandfather off was approved by His Majesty."

When Liu Chengyou was mentioned, a faint blush inadvertently crept across Lady Zhe's face. Zhe Congruan naturally noticed, and his heart relaxed slightly—it seemed the Son of Heaven treated his granddaughter with considerable favor.

But this was only to be expected. His granddaughter had looks, had talent and virtue, and possessed a spirited boldness rare among the women of the world—truly a remarkable woman. Add to that her identity as a daughter of the Zhe clan, how could the Son of Heaven not love her? And with the current Han palace holding only three consorts in all, with the Empress and Noble Consort both with child, the Zhe girl entering the palace was precisely positioned to receive sole favor.

Drawing his granddaughter slightly aside before parting, Zhe Congruan did not forget his earnest admonitions: "The palace is not like home. The Son of Heaven has shown our family great grace and favor. In the palace you must serve with all your heart, and must never act willfully or presume upon favor. As a Worthy Consort, you should be gentle and prudent, observing the rites, so as to live up to the name 'worthy.' Otherwise, should disaster befall you, none can predict it."

The young Lady Zhe was hardly an ordinary maiden of the inner chambers. Though young in years, she had her own thoughts and insights. Hearing the admonition, she bowed respectfully and said: "I will remember Grandfather's teachings and never dare forget them. But as I observe His Majesty, he truly loves my temperament, and His Majesty is also a magnanimous person, and the Noble Consort is prudent and humble..."

Seeing this, Zhe Congruan shook his head and lowered his voice: "In the palace, you must still be careful. But the women of my Zhe clan are not to be bullied either!"

The young Lady Zhe smiled with a flash of spirit and turned the admonition back on him: "Grandfather is going to take up his post in Yunzhou, arriving in a new place for the first time. You must be careful, and take every care of yourself!"

"Heh heh!" Zhe Congruan laughed heartily, his bearing quite confident: "It's only a few hundred li of road. I came up through perilous borderlands, weathering wind and rain my whole life. This time I go bearing the imperial staff—nothing to worry about!"

"Go back now!" Having said his piece, Zhe Congruan waved to the young Lady Zhe: "Standing here in the middle of the road, we're blocking the travelers!"

The young Lady Zhe looked around, gazing at the elms and willows planted along the left side of the road, their long willow branches swaying in the gently warm summer breeze. Her eyes brightened. She stepped forward quickly, reached out, and easily snapped off a small branch of willow leaves.

"Today I shall follow the ancients—breaking a willow branch to see Grandfather off!"

Zhe Congruan stroked his beard, deeply moved at heart. He stepped on the stirrup, mounted his horse, and under the escort of his retainers, cracked his whip and rode north.

She stood watching for a long while, until her grandfather's retreating figure was blocked from view by distant buildings.

"My lady! It's time to return to the palace!" A servant beside her reminded her in a soft voice.

She let out a heavy breath. The young lady's expression was no longer as light and carefree as it had been at parting. With Grandfather gone, this vast Eastern Capital now held only her alone. Between her brows gathered a maturity far beyond her years—after all, she had only just turned seventeen not long ago.

"Let's go back!" With a flick of her sleeve, the young Lady Zhe's words were short and forceful. Her temperament, combined with her status as Worthy Consort, naturally gave rise to an air of nobility and authority.

"This is the second time this year that I've stood on the streets of the Eastern Capital, seeing and hearing with my own eyes and ears the sights of the marketplace and alleys beneath the Son of Heaven's feet." Kaifeng's streets were growing livelier than ever, people coming and going, carts shuttling. Liu Chengyou stood beneath a memorial archway, feeling the clamor and noise around him, and sighed: "Only by seeing this scene with my own eyes does my heart find a measure of peace."

Liu Chengyou's party numbered over a dozen—servants and maids all present—with more than ten sturdy men forming a tight protective circle. The young man leading the group swept his gaze around, observing the surroundings, looking highly vigilant.

It was Zhao Kuangyin. As for this fellow, Liu Chengyou had done nothing more than transfer him into the Palace Command as a Commander, without excessively interfering in his development. But in the previous selection for imperial bodyguard duty, he had still stood out and become a close attendant of the Son of Heaven, bearing the duty of palace guard.

Liu Chengyou clearly had no sense of "traveling incognito." With this kind of entourage, standing on the street, he was bound to draw attention—though of course, no one with eyes in their head would actively cause trouble. That group under Zhao Kuangyin alone was enough to make people shrink back in fear.

Of course, Liu Chengyou's protection could not be limited to just these men. Though the display was considerable, he still tried his best to make it look like a noble young lord out on an excursion.

As the Son of Heaven's new favorite, the young Lady Zhe was fortunate enough to accompany him, in light makeup with a plain face, a thin veil covering her features, only a pair of bright, moving eyes visible. Hearing Liu Chengyou's sigh, she parted her lips and spoke in a clear, crisp voice, asking in puzzlement: "The markets of the Eastern Capital are prosperous as this—why should the young lord's heart be uneasy?"

Glancing at the new bride beside him, Liu Chengyou smiled but did not go deeper into the subject.

"I've heard you speak of the local customs of Fuzhou—what are the marketplaces of the borderlands like?" he asked in return.

"Mm..." A trace of nostalgia showed in the young Lady Zhe's delicate brows. She said: "It cannot compare with the splendor of the Eastern Capital, of course. The markets are very small, the shops and stalls crude, yet the streets are orderly. Though traveling merchants are few, the clans are many. There were times when hot-blooded warriors fought in anger, and afterward went to the prefectural office to accept their punishment..."

Of what the young Lady Zhe said, the last part especially surprised Liu Chengyou: "Fuzhou has long been subject to northern barbarian incursions, so a fierce and martial folk character is only natural. But from what you say, the people keep to the law themselves. In this age of incomplete legal systems and disordered hearts, for Duke Zhe to hold the border like this is truly no easy feat!"

Hearing Liu Chengyou praise her grandfather, a proud smile unconsciously spread across the young Lady Zhe's lips. What she had said was, of course, without any exaggeration—it was what she had seen and heard with her own eyes. Of course, that the people could achieve such mutual observance of the law was due in greater part to the immense prestige of Zhe Congruan.

"Your—my lord." As Liu Chengyou and the young Lady Zhe were conversing in low tones, Zhao Kuangyin approached and reminded him with a steady expression: "This place is a mix of all sorts, with many coming and going. For complete safety, I ask the young lord to move on."

The smell permeating the air was not pleasant—the stench of blood, the reek of filth, the odor of humans and livestock all mingled together...

This was the largest meat market in the Eastern Capital. Seventy or eighty families sold meat within it, and half of those had opened just this year. The main business was mutton, with beef and chicken and duck secondary. But with the court's promotion, pork had begun to gain a place on the table. When even the Son of Heaven loved to eat it and praised it highly, who could still call it base?

Liu Chengyou had already made a circuit of the meat market earlier, checking the market prices. Unsurprisingly, they were very high. In a time when grain and millet could barely keep people alive, without filling their bellies, this meat market's business was, oddly enough, looking quite good—very thriving indeed.

"Let's go!" Accepting Zhao Kuangyin's advice with an open mind, Liu Chengyou turned his head to the young Lady Zhe and said: "Let's not make Guard Zhao's job difficult!"

"Thank you, my lord!" Hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Zhao Kuangyin bowed.

"Where does the young lord plan to go next?"

The day was still early, and Liu Chengyou had already given it thought. He said directly: "We've seen the meat market—let's go look at the fish market..."