Leaving aside Pei Guanli's cleverness within the Marquis's mansion, Chen Yi and the others left the mansion and headed south along Bashan Street, turning east onto Sishui Street in the city.
It was nearly summer, and the weather had begun to warm.
Most pedestrians coming and going through Shuzhou City had changed into summer clothes.
Especially those families with a little wealth—their light brocade garments floated as though weightless, requiring a sash tied around the waist.
The travelers from elsewhere, however, were different.
The people of Poshushuo Kingdom were still wrapped tightly from head to toe, exposing only pairs of multicolored eyes. The cloth covering their faces bore stains visible at a glance.
Those from the mountain tribes dressed similarly to Pei Guanli, in a riot of colors, with ornaments around their necks, on their heads, and on their hands. As they walked, they either clinked and clattered or jingled and chimed.
Every so often, they could even see several burly men—far taller than the Armored Soldiers of the Marquis's mansion—with their hands bound, being whipped and driven toward the East Market.
When Xiao Die saw them, she repeatedly tugged at Chen Yi's arm and cried out excitedly, "Son-in-law, Son-in-law, look over there! Those are the Barbarian Tribe people."
Chen Yi naturally saw them clearly. With his improved cultivation base, he could even make out the hidden currents of force within those sturdy bodies—just as the rumors said, comparable to ninth-rank cultivators.
Yet he could also see whip-made wounds across the bodies of those bound Barbarian Tribe people, as well as branding marks on their faces.
Barbarian slaves?
In a moment, he confirmed his guess. Following those Barbarian Tribe people was a group of merchants dressed like people from Poshushuo Kingdom, shouting all along the road in strange accents:
"Strong Southern Barbarians, plenty of strength! Not fifty taels, not thirty taels, fifteen taels each, oh friend."
Chen Yi could not help baring his teeth. The thread of curiosity he had felt toward the Barbarian slaves faded somewhat.
In fact, it was not just him. Most of the travelers watching nearby laughed, along with several neatly dressed City Guard soldiers responsible for maintaining order.
"Get the hell out of here, all of you! What's so interesting about Barbarian slaves? They're just beasts fit to grind grain and work the fields for us."
"I wouldn't want that kind of beast. A few days ago, several Barbarian slaves in Jiaozhou rebelled and nearly slaughtered an entire family."
"If you don't want them, plenty of others do. Those big households need Barbarian slaves like them, who work hard without costing money."
"The world's morals are declining day by day. Since when could Barbarian Tribe people be dragged out and sold?"
"Those bandits from Poshushuo will sell anything they dare. Bah..."
As the carriage passed by, Chen Yi listened to the idle chatter of the loud-voiced people nearby and gained a more tangible understanding of the state of affairs in Shuzhou.
The last time he had gone south of the city for a cursory look, he had seen only Shuzhou's willow-lined Yanhuaxiang.
Today, having come to the lively streets beside the East Market, he gained a deeper understanding of ordinary people, local wealthy families, mountain tribes, Poshushuo people, and the Barbarian Tribe.
To borrow a profound saying—everyone was struggling to live.
At that moment, Xiao Wuge asked, "Brother-in-law, where are we going this time?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then lifted the curtain and glanced at the sky. "Let's circle around first, then turn north up ahead and go take a look over there."
Xiao Wuge gave an ah. "Brother-in-law, do you want to join in the lively scene too?"
"What? Do you know what's happening there today?"
"The Third Place Scholar Parade. It spread all over Shuzhou two days ago. That Uncle Liu even specially came to see Grandfather, saying that Third Place Scholar wanted to visit his old man."
After Xiao Wuge finished speaking, Xiao Die nodded repeatedly. "Son-in-law, I thought you knew."
Chen Yi looked embarrassed. "I've only been focused on practicing the Martial Path these days. I didn't pay attention to such things."
Xiao Die seemed to understand. She leaned forward, turned her head, and caught sight of his profile before asking softly, "Son-in-law, are you still regretting not taking part in this Imperial Examination?"
Chen Yi shook his head. He had only just learned to write Wei Qing script properly and did not understand a thing about the policy essays and parallel prose of the Imperial Examination.
"I'm purely going over to join the lively scene."
Seeing how calm he looked, Xiao Die provisionally believed him.
During this period, she no longer worried about Son-in-law fleeing marriage again, and she could tell that he had settled down peacefully in the Marquis's mansion. But the Imperial Examination was a matter every student dreamed of.
If she were Chen Yi, possessing such learning and ability, she would likewise want to take the Imperial Examination and embark upon an official career.
Xiao Wuge, beside them, looked at the two of them and said with partial understanding, "Brother-in-law, once Second Sister comes back, I'll ask her to arrange something for you in the army."
Chen Yi froze. "No, absolutely not!"
Such "treasonous" words made a chill run down his spine. They were even more frightening than the Hidden Guard Liu Si'er currently driving the carriage in front.
Only after much persuasion did he make Xiao Wuge abandon the thought of pulling strings for him.
Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself that everyone in the Marquis's mansion needed guarding against.
Fortunately, only Pei Guanli had discovered his Martial Path cultivation base so far. If Second Uncle Xiao Xuanshuo, Old Master, or the others noticed his progress in the Martial Path, they would probably drag him straight into the military camp.
By then, if he wanted to return to the Marquis's mansion, return to Chunhe Garden to fish and drink tea, it would exist only in his dreams.
In a moment.
After taking in the bustling, prosperous streets of the eastern city, Liu Si'er drove the carriage northward toward the academies and taverns said to gather talented scholars, beauties, literary men, and refined guests.
All along the way.
Liu Si'er remained expressionless, yet his ears were pricked as he clearly listened to every word Chen Yi and the others said inside the carriage.
When he heard Xiao Wuge say he wanted to arrange an official position for Chen Yi, his expression shifted slightly.
But after hearing Chen Yi's persuasion, his two brows furrowed tightly enough to pinch a chopstick between them.
Liu Si'er found it hard to understand Chen Yi's thoughts. Clearly he possessed such talent, so why had he become so calm after arriving at Xiao Manor?
Could it be that, because his attempt at fleeing marriage had failed, he had simply given up on himself?
That was hardly good news for him.
"Fourth Brother."
At that moment, Ge Laosan, seated beside him, bumped his elbow and waggled his brows as he jerked his chin to the side.
"See that? I'm afraid all the talented scholars and beauties of Shuzhou City have come today."
Liu Si'er followed his gaze and saw scholars in fine clothes walking along a narrow path paved with costly, smooth bluestone, chatting and laughing with spring breeze written across their faces.
Some young ladies who had clearly not yet married held little round fans over half their faces and followed close behind.
Judging by their appearance, anyone unaware of the truth would have thought they were heading to the capital for the Imperial Examination.
Liu Si'er gave a cold snort. "It isn't their parade. Making such a fuss is truly incomprehensible."
Ge Laosan rolled his eyes at him. "Who was asking you about that? Didn't you see those young ladies?"
"So what if I saw them? Would they take a liking to rough men like us?"
"Just imagine it..."
Listening to the conversation in front, Chen Yi gained a new understanding of Liu Si'er.
No wonder he had managed to hide in the Marquis's mansion for so many years without being discovered. With such dedication to his undercover duty, with such rigid integrity that he did not even glance twice at women, wouldn't it have been better for him to do something else?
With that thought, Chen Yi openly lifted the curtain and looked over the singing girls along the street. They truly possessed a distinct charm of their own.
If he had to describe it—perhaps it was this: youth knew not the taste of sorrow, and their eyes overflowed with young longing.
Every pair of bright eyes gleamed with spirit, clearly untouched by life's twists and turns.
Chen Yi looked a few times and was just about to lower the curtain when the corner of his eye swept ahead, and he heard hoofbeats far crisper than those of the Marquis's mansion's carriage.
Clip, clop, clip...
Amid those soft, crisp sounds, a graceful young master dressed in a bright crimson robe came into everyone's sight, sitting upright with his back straight upon a white horse.
Chen Yi raised his brows and stared. A line of poetry immediately surfaced in his mind, perfectly fitting.
"Proud in the spring breeze, his horse's hooves flew swift; in one day, he saw all Chang'an's flowers."
Though Shuzhou did not boast such a blaze of flowers, the young master riding the white horse indeed had a smile overflowing across his face.
"Thank you all for coming. Huaigu is deeply grateful..."
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