A Swift Horse on a Spring Breeze

Leaving aside Pei Guanli's cleverness in the marquis's mansion, Chen Yi and the others exited the mansion and headed south along Bashan Street, turning east at Sishui Street in the city.

At this time, it was early summer, and the weather was turning warm.

Pedestrians coming and going within Shuzhou City had mostly changed into summer clothes.

Especially some families with a bit of wealth, whose light brocade garments were as weightless as if they had no mass, required a sash tied around the waist.

Those visiting travelers from elsewhere, however, were different.

The people of the Poshushuo Kingdom were still wrapped up tightly inside and out, revealing only a pair of multicolored eyes, and the cloth veils on their faces immediately showed stains upon them.

People from the mountain tribes wore clothing similar to Pei Guanli's, with colorful hues, and wore ornaments on their necks, heads, and hands, walking with sounds that were either clanging or tinkling.

Occasionally, one could see several sturdy men-far taller and bulkier than the marquis's armored guards-with their hands bound, being whipped and driven toward the East Market.

Xiao Die caught sight of them, repeatedly tugging at Chen Yi's sleeve and shouting with inexplicable excitement, "Son-in-law, Son-in-law, look over there! They're barbarian tribe members."

Chen Yi naturally saw clearly, and even because of his improved Cultivation Base, he could perceive the vital energy hidden within those robust barbarian bodies-truly as the rumors said, comparable to a ninth-grade cultivator.

However, he could also see that these bound barbarians had whip scars on their bodies and branding iron marks on their faces.

Barbarian slaves?

Before long, he confirmed his guess; following these barbarians was a group of merchants dressed in the guise of the Poshushuo Kingdom, shouting all the way with strange accents:

"Sturdy Southern Barbarians, with strength to spare! Not for fifty taels, not for thirty taels, fifteen taels each, my friend."

Hearing this, Chen Yi grinned, and the trace of curiosity he held toward the barbarian slaves in his heart faded somewhat.

In fact, not only he, but the surrounding onlookers mostly laughed, along with several neatly dressed City Guards responsible for maintaining order.

"All of you mothersuckers, stop gathering here! What's so interesting about barbarian slaves? Just a bunch of beasts fit only for turning millstones and farming fields for us."

"I certainly don't want this kind of beast. A few days ago over in Jiaozhou, a few barbarian slaves rebelled and almost slaughtered an entire household."

"If you don't want them, there are plenty of people who do. Those with big families and grand estates are the exact ones who need these free-selling, hardworking barbarian slaves."

"Times are truly declining. Since when can even barbarian tribes be brought out for buying and selling?"

"These bandits from Poshir-there's nothing they wouldn't dare to sell, damn it all..."

As the carriage passed by, Chen Yi listened to the idle chatter of the loud-mouthed people nearby, gaining a bit more realistic understanding of the conditions in the Shuzhou region.

During his previous trip to the south of the city to skim past like looking at flowers from horseback, he had only seen Shuzhou's Yanhuaxiang.

Today, as he came to the bustling streets beside the East Market, he gained a deeper understanding of ordinary people, local squires, mountain tribes, Poshushuo, and barbarian tribes.

To borrow a profound phrase-everyone was striving hard 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 make a round first, turn north from ahead, and go take a look over there."

Xiao Wuge uttered an ah, "Brother-in-law, do you want to go join in the excitement too?"

"Why? Do you know what's going on over there today?"

"The Third Place Scholar Parade! It spread all over Shuzhou over the past two days, and that Old Liu even came specifically to find Grandfather, saying that the Third Place Scholar wants to pay a visit to the old master."

Once Xiao Wuge finished speaking, Xiao Die nodded repeatedly. "Son-in-law, I thought you knew."

Chen Yi wore an embarrassed expression. "I've only been focused on practicing the Martial Path these days and didn't pay attention to these matters."

Xiao Die seemed to understand, leaning forward to glance sideways at his profile, and asked in a low voice, "Son-in-law, are you still regretting not participating in this Imperial Examination?"

Chen Yi shook his head; he had just figured out how to write the Wei Qing script and was completely clueless about the parallel prose and policy essays of the Imperial Examination.

"Purely going over to join in the excitement."

Seeing his expression calm, Xiao Die tentatively believed him.

During this period, she didn't worry about her son-in-law running away from the marriage anymore, and she could see he was staying peaceably in the marquis's mansion, but the Imperial Examination was a grand event dreamed of by every scholar.

Were she Chen Yi, possessing a body of talent and skill, she would likewise want to participate in the Imperial Examination and step onto an official career.

Xiao Wuge beside them glanced at the two of them and said with a half-understanding look, "Brother-in-law, when Second Sister comes back, I'll have her arrange a position for you in the military."

Chen Yi was startled. "Don't! Absolutely not!"

Such "treasonous" words spoken aloud truly made his spine chill, making him even more frightening than Liu Si'er, the Hidden Guard driving the carriage in front.

With much persuasion, he finally managed to make Xiao Wuge abandon the notion of helping him pull strings through the back door.

Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief, silently thinking that the people in this marquis's mansion were all ones against whom he must guard.

It was thanks to the fact that only Pei Guanli had discovered his Martial Path Cultivation Base; otherwise, if Second Uncle Xiao Xuanshuo, Old Master, or the others perceived his Martial Path advancement, they would probably bundle him directly off to the military camp.

At that time, if he wanted to return to the marquis's mansion and go back to Chunhe Garden to fish and drink tea, it could only happen in his dreams.

Before long.

After viewing the bustling, prosperous streets of East City, Liu Si'er turned the carriage northward, heading toward the academies and wine shops where talents, beauties, scholars, and literati were said to gather.

All along this road.

Liu Si'er remained expressionless, yet he pricked up his ears and clearly heard the words of Chen Yi and the others inside the carriage.

Upon hearing that Xiao Wuge wanted to arrange an official post for Chen Yi, his expression twitched slightly.

Yet after hearing Chen Yi's dissuasion, his two eyebrows furrowed so tightly they could have pinched a chopstick.

Liu Si'er found it hard to understand Chen Yi's thinking; possessing such talent, why was he so placid after coming to the Xiao Manor?

Could it be that because his initial attempt to escape the marriage failed, he had simply given up in despair?

To him, this could hardly be considered good news.

"Fourth Brother."

At this moment, Ge Laosan, sitting beside him, nudged him with his elbow and poked his chin toward the side with a wink.

"Look at that. I'm afraid all the talents and beauties of Shuzhou City are here today."

Liu Si'er followed his gaze and saw that on the path beside the road paved with expensive, smooth bluestone, scholars dressed in fine attire were smiling and chatting radiantly.

Some maidens who clearly had not yet left their boudoirs held small rush-leaf fans half-covering their faces, following closely behind step by step.

Judging by their appearance, anyone who didn't know would think they were on their way to the capital for the imperial examinations.

Liu Si'er gave a soft hum and said, "It's not even them parading; being this lively is truly incomprehensible."

Ge Laosan cast a sideways glance at him. "Who asked you to mention that? Didn't you even look at those maidens?"

"So what if I saw them? Could they take a fancy to rough men like us?"

"Just imagine..."

Listening to the dialogue ahead, Chen Yi gained a new understanding of Liu Si'er.

It was only right that he could remain hidden in the marquis's mansion for years without being detected; with just this dedication to acting as an undercover agent, and this uprightness where he barely spared women a second glance, wouldn't it be better to do something else?

Thinking this, Chen Yi generously opened the curtain and gazed at the warblers and swallows along the street, which indeed possessed a distinct and unusual charm.

If he had to describe it-perhaps it was just being young and knowing no sorrow, with eyes overflowing with youthful admiration.

Those pairs of bright eyes were full of spirit, clearly untouched by setbacks.

Chen Yi glanced for a few moments, and just as he was about to drop the curtain, his peripheral vision swept across the front, and a sound of horse hooves, far crisper than the marquis's carriages and horses, reached his ears.

Clack, clack, clack...

Amidst the gentle, crisp sounds, an elegant young master dressed in bright red robes, sitting upright on a white horse, came into everyone's view.

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and gazed fixedly, a line of poetry instantly welling up in his mind, fitting extremely well.

"A swift horse on a spring breeze, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day."

Although Shuzhou lacked that sort of brocaded splendor, the face of the young master riding the white horse was indeed overflowing with smiles.

"Thank you all for coming; Huaigu is endlessly grateful..."