Perhaps sensing Zhan Feiyu's low spirits, Yin Wuyan took his people out directly.
"Big brother, don't you need to disguise yourself?" Zhan Feiyu glanced at Yin Wuyan's unusually stern young face. Previously, when Big Brother appeared by her side, he had always used a disguise to look like a middle-aged man in his forties.
"It's fine." Yin Wuyan was not worried about anyone recognizing him. This was Qianzhong Dao, far from the capital.
As for those lurking in the shadows, what if they recognized him? The identity of the Commander of the Imperial Dragon Guard would only make them tremble with fear. They would be the ones to avoid him. Since the old master dared to try and kill Little Yu, Yin Wuyan had to increase her value.
Perhaps due to the wind and grass rustling alarm of the past few days, the streets today appeared much livelier. The pampered young masters, who had been cooped up at home for days, were calling their friends to ride their horses through the streets. Coupled with the passersby, at first glance, it had a festive and lively atmosphere akin to the New Year.
"Shopkeeper Zhao received a batch of fabric at the beginning of the month, transported from Jiangnan. I originally planned to come and see it a few days ago, but who knew..." The woman's voice paused, and she smiled sheepishly at her companion. Some things were best left unsaid, after all, the guards at the city gate had not yet been withdrawn.
"I also plan to tailor a few autumn clothes. This autumn rain brings autumn cold. I hope this fabric hasn't been sold yet," her companion chimed in with a smile.
The children at home hadn't even gone to private school for the past few days, and neither had they. The shopping was done by the maids. The rumors had finally passed, and now they had all come out together.
Passing by the fabric shop, Zhan Feiyu nervously touched her nose. "Big brother, the Tianjing Lake is just ahead. Let's hurry over."
Those more than a hundred items were secretly transported out by Zhan Feiyu using her invisibility cheat. This fabric shop was only half a street away from Hesheng Xuan, which was an Imperial Dragon Guard stronghold with a secret room inside.
The previous thorough search by the authorities had still not found this secret room, and the Imperial Dragon Guard was also searching in secret. This was the effect of "hiding in plain sight." Who would have thought that the items were placed right on the Imperial Dragon Guard's own territory.
Upon receiving the news, Yin Wuyan rushed to Qianzhong Prefecture overnight and immediately arranged for Chongguang and others to transfer the items outside the city. By the time the authorities sealed the city, the items had already been sent out in advance.
Afterwards, Minister Tao severed the Dragon Pendant with a knife, committing a grave offense of disrespect. The Imperial Dragon Guard escorted the person back to the capital and also took the items from outside the city with them.
In previous years, every autumn, Tianjing Lake would attract many literati and scholars, and even ordinary people liked to stroll and wander around here.
Today, however, it was a bit different. The people of Qianzhong Prefecture had closed their doors for several days. So, in the early morning, the women came out to shop, and the children gathered in twos and threes to chat. Tianjing Lake, on the other hand, was sparsely populated.
"Tianjing's scenery is unique, autumn resembles spring in Jiangnan..."
As Zhan Feiyu approached the lake, she heard exclamations of praise. She looked up towards the hexagonal pavilion and saw a group of scholars in green robes admiring the scenery and reciting poems. Another person was under the pavilion, wielding a brush and ink, presumably to capture the people and scenery of the day in a painting.
"The person in the middle is the youngest son of Prefect Jiao, Jiao Lianyu. The one holding the brush on the right is his friend Qi Changlin. I met him once before at the Xiang family's mourning ceremony," Zhan Feiyu whispered to Yin Wuyan, introducing them. "The one sitting alone drinking tea is the third son of the Qiu family, Qiu Huaixin."
The remaining seven or eight people were unfamiliar faces. They were likely either classmates of Jiao Lianyu or their close friends. All of them were around twenty years old, full of scholarly spirit and ambition, making the occasional passing women blush shyly.
Qiu Huaixin was not a dissolute person, but he had little interest in reciting poetry or painting. However, compared to the dissolute young masters like Jiao Lianping who favored romance, he preferred to associate with scholars like Jiao Lianyu.
Scholars who could enter the Qianzhong Prefecture official school were at least possessed of the Xiucai degree. Some might be proud and aloof, or they might seek connections, but they were measured and adhered to the way of the gentleman.
In contrast, Jiao Lianping's group of cronies were all children of officials. However, when faced with someone of Qiu Huaixin's status, they were fawning and obsequious. In one absurd instance, they even tried to offer their expensive courtesan to Qiu Huaixin for his enjoyment, nearly making Qiu Huaixin vomit his dinner.
His gaze inadvertently swept over and when he saw Zhan Feiyu, Qiu Huaixin immediately stood up.
"Huaixin?" Jiao Lianyu, who had just recovered from a serious injury, was wearing a white long gown today, which made his complexion appear even paler. He had been appreciating his classmate's poem, but when Qiu Huaixin stood up, Jiao Lianyu noticed.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu standing with her side facing the pavilion, Qiu Huaixin knew she didn't intend to come over. It was likely that Zhan Feiyu had dealings with that dissolute young man Jiao Lianping, and naturally disliked the refined.
Qiu Huaixin had no intention of making peace between them. At this moment, he smiled and said, "I'll be right back."
Seeing Qiu Huaixin leave the pavilion, the others also stopped talking. Even the most proud and aloof You Shijia was paying attention to Qiu Huaixin's every move.
Even if he was a commoner, this was the young master of the Qiu family. Not to mention what Qiu Huaixin would achieve in the future, as long as Minister Qiu said a word, these people could soar to great heights or be suppressed and never recover.
Qi Changlin followed the gazes of the others, frowned slightly, and put down his brush. "That must be Zhan Feiyu."
"What?" Several surprised voices sounded simultaneously. The gazes of several people instantly shifted from Qiu Huaixin to Zhan Feiyu. This was the young girl who made countless scholars envy and jealous, the only disciple of the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
As for Zhan Feiyu's achievement of winning the "Little Triple Crown" in Nanxuan Prefecture after only two years of initial study, it was seen by the outside world as having hidden tricks. Scholars were jealous of each other. Who would be willing to study diligently for decades only to be surpassed by someone who had studied for two years, especially when this was a young girl from the countryside? In comparison, they felt like blockheads, stupid as pigs!
"Afang's palace danced with silken sleeves, Golden Valley's famous garden rose with jade towers, Sui Dynasty's ancient willows moored dragon boats... Heartbreak for Qin and Han, the people's suffering, a scholar's long sigh." You Shijia's recitation did not reach outside the pavilion, but the few people standing beside him heard it clearly.
This piece depicted the extravagance and eventual downfall of the past, and the last line, "a scholar's long sigh," conveyed loneliness and helplessness.
Qiu Huaixin, the young master of a high-ranking official, dressed in brocade and jade, actively befriending a young girl like Zhan Feiyu, made You Shijia's sigh filled with more resentment and unwillingness. This resentment was directed at Zhan Feiyu, and perhaps also at Qiu Huaixin.
After all, even if they ascended to the imperial court one day, the top three scholars could only gain seniority in the Hanlin Academy, while the rest would be assigned by the Ministry of Personnel to be minor county magistrates of the seventh rank. How could they be as lucky as Zhan Feiyu and Qiu Huaixin!
Qiu Huaixin was completely unaware of the deep-seated jealousy of his friends behind him. He looked at Yin Wuyan in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze. With just one glance, Qiu Huaixin sensed that the person in front of him was of extraordinary status. This "arrogant and indifferent" nobility definitely indicated a significant background.
"Big brother, this is the third young master Qiu." Zhan Feiyu spoke with a smile, but did not mention Yin Wuyan's identity. She continued, "He heard that I encountered trouble in Qianzhong Prefecture. Big brother only arrived from the capital last night."
Qiu Huaixin's first reaction was that this man, who was not much older than himself but had a chilling aura that inspired fear, must be a member of the Gu family, sent by Scholar Gu to support Zhan Feiyu. After all, Zhan Feiyu was just a young girl.
However, upon further thought, he realized he was mistaken. The Gu family of Nanling, like the Qiu family, was a noble family of centuries-old lineage and scholarly tradition. But the Gu family was even more esteemed than the Qiu family.
This was partly due to Scholar Gu, and partly because the Gu family's in-laws were all equally prestigious noble families. As for the Qiu family, in Qiu Huaixin's generation, there was only Qiu Jingyuan, a daughter, and she had broken off her engagement with Jiao Lianyu. Coupled with the relationship of the third branch, she could at most marry a poor scholar.
Do not underestimate these in-laws. Throughout the Great Qing Dynasty, if the Qiu family were to encounter trouble, besides Minister Qiu's old acquaintances, most would be those who would kick them when they were down.
But if the Gu family encountered trouble, these in-laws would unite as one to protect the Gu family. They were an unbreakable backing, sharing prosperity and adversity.
Qiu Huaixin did not sense the scholarly nobility in Yin Wuyan. The chilling aura made Qiu Huaixin suspect that he came from a military or noble background.
However, Yin Wuyan did not possess the domineering sharpness of a martial artist. Instead, there was an indescribable coldness, as if a single glance or breath could take one's life. But seeing Zhan Feiyu speak to Yin Wuyan with such intimacy, Qiu Huaixin stopped thinking and cupped his hands in a salute, "Greetings, brother-in-law."
Yin Wuyan merely nodded and did not speak. Zhan Feiyu felt a bit awkward and glanced at Shi Song standing not far away, changing the subject. "Can the third young master go out now?"
It wasn't that Zhan Feiyu was gossipy. Previously, there had been a traitor among the Qiu family's guards, who had almost killed Qiu Huaixin. The fact that he could leave the mansion now indicated that the matter had been investigated.