First Arrival in Chaoge

Lu Chuan suppressed a laugh and asked respectfully, "May I ask, sir, when is Mr. Jiang's auspicious wedding day?"

Song Yiren pondered. "I've already paid the betrothal gifts. Rather than pick a day, why not make it today, little brother... What do you say?"

"No, no, today won't do, big brother. It's too soon, far too soon..."

Jiang Ziya shook his head like a rattle drum. He hurriedly counted on his fingers inside his sleeve, then quickly said, "Besides, today's divination says it's inauspicious to marry."

"If today won't do, how about tomorrow?" Song Yiren asked.

Jiang Ziya counted again, but after finishing this time, he could only smile bitterly and say nothing.

Song Yiren had spent many years in business and was exceptionally skilled at reading people. One look at Jiang Ziya's expression was enough to tell him what was going on.

"Fine. I'll decide your wedding, little brother. We'll hold it tomorrow."

Song Yiren made the decision on the spot. After settling the wedding date, he said to Lu Chuan, "Go tell your father to make preparations. We're holding a wedding at the mansion tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Lu Chuan smiled obediently and turned to run off.

"Xiao..."

Jiang Ziya raised a hand, wanting to call Lu Chuan back, but Lu Chuan had vanished in a few quick steps. All he could do was shake his head and smile helplessly.

Though Song Yiren wasn't his biological brother, he treated him even better than one. Jiang Ziya wasn't a three-year-old child; naturally, he couldn't refuse Song Yiren's kindness.

And so, the marriage was settled.

Song Yiren nodded with a smile. "Now that Xiao Chuan's come around, he's turned into an honest, hardworking boy. Not bad, not bad."

Jiang Ziya cupped his hands and said gratefully, "In that case, thank you, big brother."

Song Yiren pulled Jiang Ziya toward the main hall, laughing as they walked. "Why thank me, when we're brothers? Come, such a happy occasion calls for a celebration. We must drink. Little brother, you'll have to toast your matchmaker three cups. 😾🐺  ൠ✌"

Jiang Ziya said, "Not just three cups. I'd owe you even thirty..."

"Dad, Dad..."

After leaving the front courtyard, Lu Chuan quickly found Lu Liang and said with a grin, "Dad, the master says you should make preparations. There's another happy occasion at the mansion."

"A happy occasion?" Lu Liang asked in surprise. "What happy occasion?"

"It's like this..."

Lu Chuan quickly told Lu Liang what had just happened.

"So Mr. Jiang's wedding is coming up? He's been a benefactor to us both. We must make sure everything is done properly."

Lu Liang thought for a moment. "I'll go tell the kitchen what's needed and what we're short of, then report back to the master... We may also have to go into Chaoge City."

"Chaoge?" Lu Chuan's eyes lit up. He hurriedly said, "Dad, I want to go too. I've been awake for so long, but I haven't even stepped outside once..."

Chaoge was the capital of the Great Shang Dynasty, its lifeline and nerve center.

The legendary King Zhou and Daji lived in the Royal Palace inside the city.

Now that he had come to this world, how could he not go and take a look?

Looking at his son's eager, hopeful expression, Lu Liang realized that, as Lu Chuan had said, he still hadn't left the Song Mansion since waking up.

After a moment's thought, Lu Liang said, "All right. Go wait for me by the gate."

"Thanks, Dad." Lu Chuan went off with a grin.

"This kid..."

Lu Liang smiled and headed toward the kitchen.♛🍮  ☟🐯

Song Mansion stood in Song Family Village, thirty-five li outside Chaoge South Gate.

The village had more than a hundred households, though not many of them were actually surnamed Song. The only Song family was Song Yiren's.

Still, there was no doubt that Song Yiren was the wealthiest man in Song Family Village.

Lu Chuan stepped outside and looked around. Song Mansion was the biggest home in the village, with the finest buildings.

He waited by the gate for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Then Lu Liang came out with a bundle on his back, while another man drove a horse-drawn cart toward the gate.

Lu Chuan was delighted at first when he saw the cart, but the smile slowly faded from his face.

The cart approaching them wasn't the kind with a carriage cabin he'd seen on television. It was just a flatbed wagon.

He was a little disappointed, but a cart was still much better than walking all the way to Chaoge.

The father and son climbed aboard, and the hired hand drove them out of Song Family Village toward Chaoge.

The scenery along the road was beautiful, without a trace of modern pollution.

This was Lu Chuan's first time going out. Seeing landscapes untouched by modern development, he looked around excitedly the whole way, and his spirits lifted at once.

The man driving the cart was a stocky, honest-looking fellow in his thirties.

Seeing Lu Chuan gaze around at everything with curiosity and interest, Lu Liang began teaching him to identify the flowers, birds, insects, fish, and other things they saw along the way.

Lu Chuan already knew many of them. He simply didn't know what they were called in this world, so he listened carefully and learned.

Half an hour later.

The three of them had covered more than twenty li before reaching a high mountain. The journey had tired both men and horse, so they stopped to rest there.

"Is that... the legendary Chaoge City?"

Standing atop the mountain, Lu Chuan murmured as he looked down.

Below, a towering, immense city came into view. Its sheer size and magnificent architecture were beyond description.

The sight of the city gave him a profound shock.

Lu Liang came over with a smile and rested one hand on the shoulder of the boy, who was almost as tall as him.

With his other hand, he gestured as he explained, "Chaoge City is more than three thousand zhang from east to west and more than five thousand zhang from north to south. How's that? Big enough?"

Lu Chuan stared blankly at the magnificent city and nodded.

In this era, Chaoge was undoubtedly the largest and grandest city in the world.

After letting the horse rest for a while, Lu Liang checked the sky and said, "If you've rested enough, let's get moving. We still have to hurry back tonight after buying everything."

And so, they set off again.

"Make way! Make way! Those behind, hurry up and follow..."

Just as they neared the city gate, someone behind them suddenly shouted. People on the road scattered to either side.

The hired hand hurriedly drove the cart off the road.

Lu Chuan looked back and saw an armored general riding toward them, followed by a troop of about a hundred soldiers.

Their banner bore the character "Huang."

The general soon led his troops past Lu Chuan and the others.

"Those are soldiers under Martial Accomplishment King Huang Feihu."

The pedestrians returned to the road and watched the troops entering the city, speaking in hushed voices.

This was because the Nine-Tailed Fox had conspired with the treacherous minister Fei Zhong to falsely accuse Queen Jiang and bring about her death. Queen Jiang's father was none other than Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu, who guarded the eastern lands of the Great Shang Dynasty and commanded two hundred eastern vassal lords. He was one of the Four Great Vassals—

Fearing that Jiang Huanchu would rebel once the truth came out, King Zhou struck first. He tricked the Four Great Vassals into coming to Chaoge, then executed Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu and Southern Marquis, and imprisoned West Earl Ji Chang.

Ji Chang was King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou, who would overthrow the Great Shang Dynasty and establish the Zhou Dynasty, was his second son.

The sons of the two vassals who had been killed later inherited their fathers' titles and raised armies in rebellion to avenge them.

The world was already showing the first signs of chaos, so Huang Feihu had begun training his troops every day, making preparations well in advance.

Lu Chuan looked at Lu Liang.

Lu Liang lowered his voice and told them, "Watch what you say. Don't get involved in anything else. Just take care of our own business."

The hired hand nodded and drove the cart through Chaoge's south gate.

Inside the city, shops lined the broad avenue, and people crowded the streets. Calls from vendors rose and fell amid the bustling, prosperous scene. Lu Chuan was dazzled by it all.

Lu Chuan itched to explore and asked with a smile, "Dad, can I go have a look around by myself?"

"Not today. For one thing, it's getting late. For another, we mustn't delay Mr. Jiang's wedding arrangements."

Lu Liang shook his head. "In a couple of days, when I have some free time, I'll bring you back to Chaoge to explore. How about that?"

Lu Chuan thought it over. This really wasn't the time to go sightseeing, so he nodded.

There were many taverns in Chaoge that supplied Song Mansion. They went to one of them and bought the wine and food needed for the banquet. Then the group drove back the way they had come, bringing along one of the tavern's cooks as well.

But even though they hurried as fast as they could, it was already completely dark by the time they reached Song Mansion.

Lu Liang called servants to carry in the purchases, while Lu Chuan headed back to his room.