Chapter 484: The Academy and the Envoys [Many thanks! Bowing again! 38k words owed]

In the latter part of the sixth month,

the sky was overcast with rain.

At the end of the Chen hour (9:00 AM), west of Zhou Wansheng Gate in Chengxi,

by the roadside of Shenbao Temple,

a line of capable guards sat mounted on horses,

while Chai Chai Zhengzheng, seated inside an exquisite carriage, gazed through the thin gauze at the scenery of the nearby Hulong River.

"Croak, croak."

"Croak, croak."

Frogs in the pond or river were calling out joyfully after the rain.

A moist summer breeze blew into the carriage,

"Patter, patter, patter."

The sound of raindrops striking an oil-paper umbrella rang out.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng withdrew her gaze from outside the carriage,

and a moment later,

Yun Mu, whose clothes had been dampened by raindrops blown down from the trees, lifted the carriage curtain and entered.

"How did it go?"

Hearing Chai Chai Zhengzheng's question, Yun Mu said with a troubled expression, "Miss, I found the Temple Master, but no matter how I pleaded, the Temple Master did not nod in agreement."

"Did you mention how much incense oil money our family would add?"

"I did, but the Temple Master still shook his head."

Inside the carriage, the maid Miss Miss Fuyi said, "Miss, which noble family is this? They actually managed to get ahead of ours."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly looked at Yun Mu: "Did you ask which family secured the first incense stick for that day?"

"I asked, but the Temple Master just smiled and shook his head."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a hint of regret.

"Miss, since we have no chance to offer the first incense stick, should we still remain here?"

Miss Miss Fuyi asked cautiously.

Yun Mu looked at Chai Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Miss, do not be too distressed! Earlier this month, we already made offerings and prayed for blessings at the Shrine of Cui Jia Fujun; failing to offer the first incense stick at this Shenbao Temple is actually..."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Let us go."

Yun Mu called out to the outside of the carriage,

and the line of carriages and horses began to turn around, heading back toward the city interior.

Passing through the tall gateways of the Outer City and Inner City,

when Chai Chai Zhengzheng's carriage reached the cross-street south of Xingguo Ward, she instructed: "Go to Xingguo Ward; let us visit the Lady Ningyuan Hou Fu."

"Yes, Miss."

After Miss Miss Fuyi responded, she lifted the carriage curtain and spoke to the Chai family guards following along,

and soon one rider quickened his pace, galloping toward the Gu residence.

Upon arriving at the second gate of the Gu residence,

Chai Chai Zhengzheng saw Gu Gu Tingyi standing at the entrance and smiled as she alighted.

"Why have you suddenly come to my home?"

Gu Gu Tingyi, holding Chai Chai Zhengzheng's hand, walked toward the courtyard while asking with a smile.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng said, "This morning I intended to go to Shenbao Temple to secure the first incense offering, but it had already been reserved by someone else."

As she spoke, she shook her head with some disappointment.

"Oh!"

Gu Gu Tingyi responded with an exaggerated expression.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng noticed and glanced at Gu Gu Tingyi: "What is wrong?"

Gu Gu Tingyi pressed his lips together and said nothing.

A thought stirred in Chai Chai Zhengzheng's heart; she tightly grasped Gu Gu Tingyi's hand and said, "Could it not be that the Hou Fu reserved it?"

Gu Gu Tingyi took a deep breath and said, "In a way, yes. Two days ago, Mother was already planning this matter, but unfortunately, she went twice and the Temple Master would not allow it."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng: "Oh? Then how..."

Gu Gu Tingyi glanced at Chai Chai Zhengzheng: "It was when Eldest Sister-in-law returned to her natal home that she heard from Lady Xu Hou that the Daoist priest of Shenbao Temple, knowing that Brother Jing would take the provincial examination in the eighth month, sent the opportunity for the first incense stick to the Xu family."

"Oh!"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng nodded in a light-hearted tone, then added, "Is it because Fifth Young Master of the Xu family saved people outside the temple before?"

Gu Gu Tingyi hummed in affirmation and continued, "Therefore, Lady Xu Hou invited Mother, Princess Princess Pingning, and the Eldest Lady of the Wang family from the Sheng residence to go together to Shenbao Temple to offer incense."

"Will Younger Sister join us?"

Hearing the question, Chai Chai Zhengzheng seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded: "Mm! I also wish to pray for blessings for my brothers."

Gu Gu Tingyi looked at Chai Chai Zhengzheng with a smile: "Which brothers?"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng feigned confusion and replied, "Eldest Brother, Jing-ge, Second Brother, and Bo-ge."

Gu Gu Tingyi: "Oh!"

At noon,

at the Sheng residence,

in the academy courtyard,

though the morning had been overcast and rainy,

At noon, the sun had already frequently emerged from behind the clouds.

A single cloud blocked the sunlight in the courtyard,

while a refreshing cross-breeze blew through the interior of the schoolhouse.

Tutor Zhuang sat behind his desk, holding the 'mock examination papers' of Xu Xu Zaijing and others, nodding occasionally as he said, "Not bad, not bad."

Speaking thus, Tutor Zhuang picked up his brush and wrote a character on the exam paper.

Afterwards, Tutor Zhuang picked up another exam paper and continued reading.

In the schoolhouse, Xu Zaizhang, Hearing Qi Heng, and the others all watched Tutor Zhuang's expression with concern.

Leaning his back against Sheng Changfeng's desk, Hearing Qi Heng whispered, "Sheng Changfeng, whose answers were on that paper the tutor just nodded at in approval?"

Sheng Changfeng, who was responsible for collecting the papers, scratched the corner of his eye, leaned forward, and whispered, "It seems it was mine."

"Oh!"

Hearing Rulan, hearing the commotion from the side, propped her chin on her hand and looked at the two with sleepy eyes.

Minglan, standing behind Hearing Rulan,

glanced toward Xu Xu Zaijing on her right but said nothing.

If she remembered correctly, that paper should have belonged to Jing Biao Ge.

Xu Xu Zaijing naturally heard the conversation between the two; he did not interject, merely gazing silently at the flowing clouds in the sky outside the window.

After watching for quite a while,

"Jing Ge'er, Jing Ge'er?"

Sheng Changfeng called out softly from the side.

"Hmm?"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked over.

Sheng Changfeng jerked his chin toward Tutor Zhuang to signal him,

and Xu Xu Zaijing glanced forward, seeing Tutor Zhuang frowning as he looked at the paper in his hand.

"Jing Ge'er, that one is yours!"

Sheng Changfeng whispered.

Hearing Qi Heng also looked toward Xu Xu Zaijing, nodding repeatedly.

"Oh? It seems I still have room for improvement."

At this moment,

the sound of footsteps came from outside the room,

and Nurse Liu entered leading a group of maids carrying lunch.

After arranging the dishes and rice, Nurse Liu led her people away, while Tutor Zhuang ate while grading papers.

As Tutor Zhuang graded, he suddenly took a deep breath, shook his head, put down his rice bowl, and walked over to lie down on a Luo Han chair nearby.

Hearing Rulan turned her head and whispered to Minglan, "Sixth Sister, did Jing Biao Ge's paper anger the tutor so much he couldn't eat?"

Minglan shook her head: "Perhaps it is just the hot weather; the tutor may have no appetite."

While the two Lans were speaking,

Seeing Mo Lan, sitting at the very front, pretended to drink tea as she stood up and glanced toward the desk.

But a cool cross-breeze blew, causing the papers to flutter about, so Seeing Mo Lan could not see clearly.

Before long,

Tutor Zhuang began to snore lightly.

Having finished lunch, everyone else began to feel sleepy from eating; some rested their heads on their desks, while others lay down on the reclining chairs they had brought for their midday rest.

When Seeing Seeing Qingcao, who had been sleeping with her head on her knees at the very back of the schoolhouse, lifted her head, her face marked with impressions from her hair and the folds of her clothes, the tutor had already resumed his seat behind the desk.

After sleeping on her knees, Seeing Seeing Qingcao lifted her head, her face marked with impressions from hair strands and clothing folds, only to find the pedant already seated behind the desk again.

just as Tutor Zhuang held the graded papers, preparing to review them,

Sheng Changfeng flashed a proud smile and raised an eyebrow at Xu Xu Zaijing.

Behind the desk, Tutor Zhuang picked up the first paper and, wearing a relieved smile, said to Xu Xu Zaijing, "Han Wulang, your essay is well done! I have marked the places that need revision for you."

Xu Xu Zaijing rose, walked to Tutor Zhuang's desk, bowed with clasped hands, and accepted the paper: "Thank you, Tutor."

Holding the paper as he walked back to his seat, Xu Xu Zaijing smiled at the stunned Sheng Changfeng.

The tutor still wore a smile: "Sheng Changbai."

Sheng Changbai stood up and accepted his paper.

Afterwards, Tutor Zhuang's smile vanished: "Xu Zaizhang, your essay..."

When it was Sheng Changfeng's turn, Tutor Zhuang looked at Sheng Changfeng standing before the desk and frowned: "After classes end, Sheng Changfeng, stay behind."

With an embarrassed expression, Sheng Changfeng accepted the paper covered in Tutor Zhuang's markings, bowed, and said, "Yes, Tutor."

Seeing Mo Lan, sitting at the very front,

hearing Hearing Rulan behind her mutter, "He said it was Jing Biao Ge, but it turns out it was Third Brother himself,"

cast an ugly sideways glance at Sheng Changfeng,

and fanned herself even faster with her fan.

In the rear courtyard of the Sheng family,

at the entrance of Jin'an Studio,

Nurse Liu, beaming with a smile, ushered Sister Sister Xiaodie, dressed as a married woman, inside.

Seeing Seeing Seeing Qiujiang standing dazed in the courtyard, Nurse Liu smiled and waved her hand: "Hurry and tell Wei Xiaoniang that Miss Sister Xiaodie has returned."

Watching Seeing Seeing Qiujiang standing dazed in the courtyard, Mother Liu smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Hurry and tell Wei Wei Xiaoniang that Miss Sister Xiaodie has returned."

Seeing Seeing Qiujiang nodded and walked quickly into the house.

When Sister Sister Xiaodie and Mama Liu arrived at the doorway,

Wei Wei Shuyi, dressed in summer clothes, walked out with a smile.

"Wei Xiaoniang, Miss Sister Xiaodie has just come from kowtowing to the Old Lady and Wu Da Da Niangzi."

Wei Wei Shuyi smiled and nodded to Mama Liu as she spoke, then firmly supported Sister Sister Xiaodie's body as she attempted to kneel; scanning Sister Sister Xiaodie from head to toe, she said, "You look much better than the last time you returned!"

Sister Sister Xiaodie's eyes were full of laughter as she looked at Wei Wei Shuyi with some shyness.

"Come, enter the room."

"Mm!"

Sister Sister Xiaodie nodded and followed Wei Wei Shuyi into the room; looking at the quarters which had changed considerably since she left after her marriage, Sister Sister Xiaodie sat on an embroidered stool and curiously looked around.

Seeing the account books, abacus, wooden boxes for storing silver and cash, and other items that had appeared in the room, Sister Sister Xiaodie said nothing.

"Miss Sister Xiaodie, you and Wei Xiaoniang sit; I will go to Wu Da Da Niangzi's place, and shortly Seeing Seeing Qiujiang will bring you a cup of tea."

"Troubling you, Mama Liu; please attend to your duties," Sister Sister Xiaodie said as she stood up.

"Ai!"

After Mama Liu smiled and performed a formal bow, she left the room.

Soon after Seeing Seeing Qiujiang served the tea, Wei Wei Shuyi also dismissed her.

Once only the two of them remained in the room, Sister Sister Xiaodie relaxed considerably.

"Wei Xiaoniang, I never expected that you would be managing the household for the Sheng family,"

Sister Sister Xiaodie said with a sigh full of emotion.

Wei Wei Shuyi shook her head with a smile and, looking at the new items in the room, said, "I did not expect it either."

Sister Sister Xiaodie glanced toward the door and whispered, "Hmph! It is only because I was not by your side, Wei Xiaoniang; otherwise, I would certainly have found a way to control those few people in Lin Qige and let them experience our days in Yang Zhou!"

Thinking of their past days made Sister Sister Xiaodie angry, and she continued resentfully, "Back in Yang Zhou, they tried to crush us to death!"

Wei Wei Shuyi nodded while looking out the window and said, "I still remember those days! In truth, my ability to manage the household is merely because the Sheng and Wang families need to give Hou Fu some explanation; everything requires approval from the Old Lady and Wu Da Da Niangzi, so it will not last long."

"Besides, with the master's favoritism, if Lin Qige suffers even the slightest mistreatment..."

Sister Sister Xiaodie nodded in agreement: "For every fraction of hardship suffered from mistreatment, Lin Xiao Niang can cry out ten times the difficulty."

Wei Wei Shuyi said, "Let us not speak of those matters; how have you been during this time at the Ni family?"

The corners of Sister Sister Xiaodie's mouth lifted in a smile, and she nodded, saying, "Good! With relatives helping, I rented a shop on the street."

Slightly surprised, Wei Wei Shuyi asked with a smile, "Oh? What kind of business?"

Pouting her lips slightly, Sister Sister Xiaodie said, "Just some sewing, washing, starching, and mending business, along with selling some embroidery works made by women in the manor."

Nodding with gratification, Wei Wei Shuyi said, "Then what was the purpose of the embroidery pieces you previously requested from me?"

Smiling, Sister Sister Xiaodie said, "The use is that when others ask me for high prices, I take out Wei Xiaoniang's embroidery and say, 'If you possess such embroidery skills, I will buy them at a high price.'"

Hearing this, Wei Wei Shuyi laughed: "Has that been achieved?"

Sister Sister Xiaodie nodded: "Yes, but too few! By the way, Wei Xiaoniang, I have also seen the embroidery of a Yang Yang Xingshou!"

"That Yang Yang Xingshou seemed to be returning from outside the city; they stopped by the shop, looked around, and then took out their own embroidery to ask about the price."

Seeing Wei Wei Shuyi's curious expression, Sister Sister Xiaodie continued, "Their technique still has some gap compared to mine."

Looking at Sister Sister Xiaodie's proud appearance, Wei Wei Shuyi smiled and then earnestly admonished her, "For these business dealings involving women, you may appear in person, but for other matters, it is better to find a trustworthy Guan Guan Pozi."

"Wei Xiaoniang, I know; with my brother's comrades-in-arms present, no one will be able to bully us! And also, I..."

Sister Sister Xiaodie glanced at Wei Wei Shuyi with some shyness.

After being stunned for a moment, Wei Wei Shuyi laughed and said, "There are movements in your belly?"

"Mm, over a month."

Wei Wei Shuyi gave another round of instructions.

Time flowed,

It had already reached the seventh month,

At Yongtai Gate in Jingcheng,

On the tall gate tower,

The gate tower blocked some of the blazing sun, allowing the Imperial Army soldiers by the city wall to fight in the shade; at this moment, within the soldiers' field of vision, a long convoy was slowly entering the outer city like a snake.

The weather was scorching hot,

Beside the convoy were riders who had removed their hats, their hairstyles clearly different from those of the Great Zhou commoners.

The horses they rode were mostly fine steeds chosen one in a thousand.

Below the gate tower,

Within the convoy of the Northern Liao envoys,

Zhao Zhao Weigan, the legitimate fifth son of the Lu Long Zhao clan of the Northern Liao aristocracy, rode a divine and handsome horse; looking up at the majestic Jingcheng city wall, he gently shook his head.

Zhao Zhao Weigan withdrew his gaze and looked at the roadside with great interest, where vendors were selling Moheluo, Water Floaters, Grain Boards, and other trinkets due to the approaching Qixi Festival.

Noticing his companion's gaze, Liu Jun, born of the Changping Liu clan, spoke up: "Brother Gan, stop looking; according to our elders, once we enter the inner city, these things will be even more exquisite!"

Zhao Zhao Weigan uttered an "Mm" and looked forward.

After traveling for a long time,

Turning right again and passing through the gate tunnel to enter Pan Lou Main Street in the inner city,

Zhao Zhao Weigan looked at the even more bustling streetside and turned his head to say, "What Brother Jun said is no falsehood!"

Shielding his eyes from the glaring sun, Liu Jun said, "My elders have served as envoys to the Great Zhou countless times; many people of Jingcheng may not be as familiar with Jingcheng as my elders are."

Listening to the street vendors' cries, the music from Pan Lou, and the clamor,

Looking at the towering five-story wooden building, the busy commoners on the street, the wealthy households riding horses or sitting in carriages, and the idle men rushing through the streets carrying food boxes to deliver dishes

And on the wooden tower to the side, courtesan musicians dressed in thin silks had already come out early to conduct business,

along with horse-drawn carts bustling through the streets, transporting goods and ice.

Zhao Zhao Weigan sighed, "Truly, hearing about it does not compare to seeing it with one's own eyes! Compared to Xijin Prefecture and the Central Capital, this place... tsk... is truly prosperous!"

After walking for quite some time longer,

turning a corner and crossing a bridge,

the long caravan finally arrived at the Northern Liao relay station.

Once inside the courtyard, a group of young masters from Northern Liao noble families dismounted with swift efficiency and hurried into the wooden tower of the relay station.

In the spacious hall,

everyone felt the coolness brought by the ice and collectively let out comfortable sighs.

At this moment, the official leading this Northern Liao delegation to congratulate the Great Zhou Emperor on his birthday stepped to the center and spoke in a clear voice:

"All of you are talents of our Northern Liao. The most important matter after entering Bianjing is something I believe you have heard much about along the way; here, I shall reiterate it."

"Great Zhou is not Northern Liao. There are certain individuals in Bianjing whom you must not provoke. If trouble truly arises and someone seizes upon our fault to claim the moral high ground, we envoys may not be able to protect you."

Observing the expressions on everyone's faces, the official continued, "The former Prince of Bai Gao serves as proof of this; please keep it firmly in mind."

"My lord, surely there can be no harm in us going to play polo?"

Zhao Zhao Weigan asked with a smile.

"Heh heh heh, let us see the level of polo in this Bianjing."

Han Han Honglie, one of the two Hans among the Northern Liao noble families, said with a laugh.

The official nodded, "Polo alone is certainly permissible. I have heard that the team with the best record in the Bianjing polo grounds nowadays also bears the surname Han and consists of sons from ducal families."

"Oh?"

Han Han Honglie exchanged glances with several others: "Everyone, while we are rivals in Northern Liao, here in Bianjing, we must work together in full cooperation."

"Then we must take good care of our mounts; otherwise, it would diminish my combat strength!" Speaking thus, Zhao Zhao Weigan walked outward.

Everyone followed promptly,

"I wonder if Bianjing has any fine horses; we certainly must not be outshone!"

"Hahaha!"

Listening to the laughter of the crowd,

Liu Jun, a scion of the Liu family of Changping whose household had many elders previously serving as envoys to Great Zhou, exchanged a look with the Northern Liao official: "Uncle, does Bianjing possess any fine horses comparable to our mounts?"

(End of Chapter)