Formal Settlement

The carriage rolled along at a leisurely pace for the better part of an incense stick before finally leaving the Xie Family's territory.

Shen Chongsan gazed at the bustling street, then glanced at Chen Ye's silent profile and couldn't help sighing. "We earn every copper the hard way. No matter how hard we work, we can't compare with those nobles and powerful families. Their ancestors left them a fortune, so they're born to fine clothes and rich food. A little that slips through their fingers is enough to feed ordinary people like us for half a lifetime. There's just no comparing."

Chen Ye could hear the envy in Shen Chongsan's words. He stayed silent and didn't respond.

As they passed the Xie Family's gates, he quietly memorized the location.

Before long, the carriage passed through the city gate.

Once they reached open ground, Shen Chongsan handed the reins to Chen Ye and let him drive, testing his mettle in the process.

Fortunately, Chen Ye had been paying close attention. With Shen Chongsan's guidance, he practiced for a while, and soon grasped the essentials without giving himself away.

After leaving the city, they followed the Liu Family Steward's instructions and raced along until the city's silhouette blurred in the distance and the horses began to tire. Only then did they gradually slow down.

Chen Ye noticed that the Liu Family Steward seemed especially concerned about the carriage's sturdiness. He had them take it over sandy ground, stone roads, and even shallow water, inspecting it over and over until he was sure there were no problems. Only then did he call it a day.

They were busy until the afternoon, when Shen Chongsan brought Chen Ye to the Liu Estate to settle the remaining payment for the carriage.

At last, the escort job was over.

"How do you feel? Can you handle it?" Back at the carriage house, Shen Chongsan finally got a brief rest. Sitting in the wooden chair in his office, he sipped a cup of tea.

Chen Ye nodded. "It's all right. Not too difficult."

Shen Chongsan gave a slight nod.

He'd watched the young man throughout the day.

Though Chen Ye looked plain and didn't say much, he was quick-witted and sensible, and always knew what needed doing. He was more than capable of working as a carriage escort.

Shen Chongsan made his decision on the spot. "Starting tomorrow, you'll work at the carriage house. Your monthly pay is one tael. Any tips the clients give you while you're on the road are yours to keep. How much you earn depends on your ability."

Chen Ye didn't haggle.

When he'd been a servant in the Qinghe Gao Family, his monthly allowance had been two taels.

Now that he was in the Capital City, he was earning less than before.

But he needed their help right now. What room did he have to negotiate?

Chen Ye cupped his hands and accepted. "May I ask if the carriage house provides a place to stay?"

Shen Chongsan pointed outside. "There's a storeroom by the gatekeeper's quarters. It's been used to pile up odds and ends. You can stay there for now if you don't mind. Once you've received your pay, you can move out."

"Thank you, Steward Shen."

After explaining a few more rules of the carriage house, Shen Chongsan led him to the storeroom.

Chen Ye pushed open the door, and a wave of damp air hit him in the face.

He fetched some clean water and set to work. After a long while, he'd managed to clear enough space to make the room barely livable.

Just as he was about to go out and buy necessities, an old woman came in carrying a food box and some bedding, which she handed to him.

"Steward Shen said you're new here, so he saved you some food. You can use these things for now, too. Make do with them for a few days, then return them."

Chen Ye opened the food box. There was no rare delicacy inside—just a dish of chili and a dish of mashed garlic on the top layer, with four or five hearty steamed buns underneath.

Even so, he thanked her sincerely. "Sorry for the trouble, ma'am."

Over the next few days, Chen Ye would get up early each morning and practice his stance quietly in the storeroom before the carriage house grew busy, tempering his qi and blood.

Now that he knew improving his cultivation could extend his life, he was even less willing to let his martial arts go to waste.

After finishing his practice, he would be ravenous. Only then would he head to the breakfast stall outside the carriage house and, out of habit, order a bowl of wontons to fill his stomach.

That was how he officially began each day.

The diners around him sat close together in the wonton shop, and their casual conversation drifted clearly into Chen Ye's ears.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, a young master from the Liu Family went to the Cui Family to ask for the hand of their third young lady, Pei Xijun. Guess what happened?"

"What?"

The people nearby were clearly intrigued. They pricked up their ears to listen.

The diner continued, "He didn't even get to see the Cui Family's third young lady. Their second young lady tossed him right out the door with a single move. Oh, it was a sorry sight... Tsk, tsk, tsk. I heard he broke his tailbone."

"Hahaha... That really happened?"

"That Liu Family young master should've known his place. The Cui Family is a dignified second-rank noble house. Why would they marry their legitimate daughter off to him? A toad dreaming of eating swan meat!"

Chen Ye listened with great interest.

Listening to people gossip was one of the few diversions he had each day.

After filling his stomach, Chen Ye returned to the carriage house as usual to await instructions.

By now, he'd figured out how things worked for a carriage escort there.

When there was work, he went out with the carriage and did his job properly.

When there was no carriage to escort, he waited in the hall and helped with odd jobs like serving tea and pouring water.

It was an easy job.

That day, while he was waiting in the hall, a burly figure strode through the door.

The newcomer looked to be in his early thirties, with a leopard-like head and round eyes. He was tall and powerfully built. It was none other than Zuo Dongxi, the deputy steward of the carriage house.

They said he was a respected enforcer in the Capital City's Patrol Horse Gang, with influence on several streets in South City and quite a fearsome reputation. He'd helped the carriage house scare off plenty of petty troublemakers.

Zuo Dongxi went straight to Shen Chongsan and explained why he'd come.

"The Feng Family needs to put together a convoy at short notice to escort a batch of silk and ceremonial vessels to Luoyang. They're short a few carriages. I remember the carriage house has several that were just finished, doesn't it? Let the Feng Family have them. They'll pay the going rate."

"The Feng Family also needs one of your men to go along as a carriage escort. Find me someone dependable."

Shen Chongsan was in a bind.

It was spring, when the weather in the north grew warm and the flowers bloomed.

At this time of year, the young masters and ladies of the Capital City loved taking carriages out on spring outings. It was one of the carriage house's two busiest seasons.

They were short-handed everywhere and truly couldn't spare anyone.

As Shen Chongsan hesitated, his gaze shifted and landed on Chen Ye, who was waiting nearby. He pointed at him. "Let him go."

"Is he reliable?" Zuo Dongxi looked him over, his tone doubtful.

Shen Chongsan immediately smiled and introduced him. "He was recommended by my uncle-in-law. He's a Martial Master with incredible strength. The round trip from the Capital City to Luoyang takes three to five days, and there are bandits and tigers and leopards along the way. He's just the right person for it."

Zuo Dongxi was rather surprised when he heard that. "A Martial Master working as a carriage escort for you? What a waste of talent. Fine, he'll do."

As he spoke, Shen Chongsan led him over to Chen Ye.

He got straight to the point. "The Feng Family has just bought some carriages from the carriage house, and they need an escort to accompany them to Luoyang. The round trip should take about three days. You'll go on this job."

Zuo Dongxi held up four fingers and waved them in front of Chen Ye. "Come with me on this trip. If you get the job done and make it back, I'll give you an extra four taels of silver."

Chen Ye knew little about Luoyang and couldn't picture the place, but with silver on offer, he thought it over briefly and accepted.

He was short on money right now.

Any chance to earn was worth taking.