Chapter 459: Chapter 448: The Scholar from a Farming Family
Shangjing is the capital city of the Tianlin Dynasty, incredibly prosperous, with people coming from all directions, and in the teahouse where Wang Zhaoxing and his group sit, one can hear a variety of accents, including those of blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.
Their arrival caused a bit of a sensation, as the three Xiuya sisters’ appearances were truly exceptional. Although their clothing was not very lavish, they possessed a unique aura, which was exactly what drew Xiao He’s attention.
Xiao He had just been respectfully addressed as Marquis by his subordinates, and he had a secret: he was reborn.
After his rebirth, he saved his grandmother and mother, and knew that in the upcoming days, cult followers would smuggle a batch of illegal gunpowder into the docks. It was this illicit gunpowder that caused an uprising during the Imperial Family’s heavenly ceremony. Although the cult followers couldn’t get close to the Imperial Family, they insanely threw the gunpowder into the crowd of onlookers, and at that time he was a guard of Shangjing. Due to the dense crowd and inability to dodge in time, he ended up with half of his face ruined and an arm injured.
And he was considered fortunate; those innocent people suffered casualties up to a dozen, and to prevent the tragedy from happening again, he had been vigilantly watching over the place for several days.
Ye Qiu and his group, with their outstanding appearance and distinctive temperament compared to those around them, immediately caught Xiao He’s attention, prompting him to have his subordinates check on them.
"Reporting to the Marquis, those are two scholars who came to Shangjing for the imperial examination and their family members. There’s nothing illegal in the boat, just some clothes and flowers."}
"Coming for the imperial examination? I recall that it’s only May." Xiao He expressed his confusion.
"Yes, I heard from others on the same boat that they plan to settle down, so they came a bit early."
"Hmm, have our people stand down." Xiao He nodded in understanding, then shifted his focus away, as he didn’t recall these two scholars from his memories, which means they either failed the exam or scored poorly, or perhaps because he became reclusive and unsociable after losing an arm in his past life, he didn’t know them.
Regardless, it should probably have nothing to do with him in the future.
About a quarter of an hour later, Ye Qiu returned to the teahouse where Wang Zhaoxing and others were taking a break, followed by a scholar of similar age and an old butler.
This scholar, named Liu Miao, originally from Yi’an County, had shared the same boat with Ye Qiu and Wang Zhaoxing before. Due to some family reasons, after completing the Scholar examination, he moved to Shangjing. Ye Qiu had also rented a courtyard with his help.
He was two years older than Ye Qiu, but after becoming a Scholar, he did not continue with the examinations and now inherited an antique shop. Because he had to observe mourning rituals continuously, he hadn’t married yet.
Possibly because of the mourning, his body appeared somewhat thin and his expression showed fatigue and confusion, as if continuous setbacks had worn down his fighting spirit.
However, he was very affable, greeting Wang Zhaoxing and others enthusiastically: "Zhaoxing, sorry for being late. This must be your wife; I wish you both a happy marriage. When you have a nephew, I will definitely give a generous red envelope."
"No need for apologies, we sped up the boat traveling." Wang Zhaoxing politely responded, "It really bothers you, not only to help rent the courtyard but also to come and meet us personally."
Liu Miao laughed heartily: "It’s no trouble, I was free anyway. Your wife and sisters must be tired; let’s go to the courtyard now. I had people clean it thoroughly yesterday, you can just move in."
"Thank you so much, we’re a bit busy today, let’s drink together tomorrow." Ye Qiu hugged his shoulder, brotherly.
"No problem, we haven’t seen each other for so long, it’s time to have a good gathering. If there’s anything you don’t understand or need clarification on, just ask me. Do not hesitate, I will help you unconditionally."
"Don’t worry, I definitely won’t hesitate."
Shangjing is divided into four squares: North, South, East, and West. The North Market is predominantly inhabited by nobles, normal people can hardly buy there, let alone rent. The East Market is where some officials reside, places like the Prime Minister’s Mansion and General Mansion are situated there. The West Market has some minor officials but is mainly occupied by businessmen and is the busiest trading square. Liu Miao lives here and the courtyard rented for Ye Qiu is also in this area. As for the South Market, although relatively impoverished, it’s still located in Shangjing, the most thriving part of the entire Tianlin Dynasty, so it’s not too impoverished.
When explaining their conditions to Liu Miao, Ye Qiu’s first requirement was size—it had to be large enough to house many people, and the second requirement was to not be too far from the city area. Other than that, there weren’t any other specifics.
Though it sounds simple, it was actually quite challenging to meet these requirements. Fortunately, Liu Miao is a person of warm heart, and Ye Qiu, not minding the silver, actually managed to find a suitable courtyard.
"Here we are," Liu Miao opened the courtyard gate, introducing them, "This is a courtyard with three sections. It should be no problem for your two families, although it might be a bit cramped for the servants. The owner was originally a merchant, but unfortunately, his descendants were not capable enough and gradually the family declined. However, they were reluctant to sell the house, so they moved to the South Market and decided to use this rent as household income."
Liu Miao led Ye Qiu and others around to see. Although the courtyard wasn’t very large, one could see the past affluence from the renovations. However, most of the valuable furniture had been exchanged for money, and now the furniture placed in the house was bought later by Liu Miao, which was more ordinary.
"I don’t know what you like, seeing you’re only renting for a year I didn’t buy anything expensive, just equipped the basics, anything you lack I can buy for you."
"This is really too much trouble, immeasurable gratitude. If there’s ever a need you have, I, Ye Qiu, will definitely not refuse." Ye Qiu stated solemnly.
Liu Miao carelessly waved his hand: "Hey, we were classmates after all, it’s expected. Plus, you two are scholars now, and perhaps Advanced Scholars next year, I, as a merchant, might truly rely on you!"
Ye Qiu and Wang Zhaoxing no longer spoke, only bowed seriously. Arriving unfamiliar in Shangjing, if not for Liu Miao, they could have been in disarray; they would forever remember this kindness in their hearts.
Knowing that Ye Qiu and others still had many arrangements to make, Liu Miao showed them around the courtyard then left with the old butler.
"Young master, why don’t you ask your friends for help? The revenge for your lord father and lady mother..."
"Don’t speak of it anymore." Liu Miao promptly stopped the old butler, "Grandpa Fang, what use is there in saying it now? My two friends are only scholars now, against that family... it would be like throwing eggs against a rock."
After listening, the old butler sighed, harboring hope, "I really hope your two classmates secure good results next year."
Grandpa Fang hoped, and how could Liu Miao not hope the same? He wished more to avenge by himself, but if he went for the imperial examination, wouldn’t he just face harsher suppression from that family?