Chapter 294: Chapter 215: An Unreasonable Request (Part 2)
But now, she had merely increased that power from ten percent to its full capacity.
As she mulled this over, Xiao Jinghong arrived at the familiar bamboo house, her gaze falling upon the horizon.
The dim, yellow light of the fiery sunset clouds shone through the cracks in the bamboo window, casting itself upon her and faintly revealing her somewhat slender, beautiful silhouette.
Delicate and fragile, yet as upright and straight as a Long Sword.
Xiao Jinghong’s eyes swept over the clouds as she silently took out several letters from home from within her robes.
She pinched a letter between her fingers, fanning them open like a fan and holding them before her face so the last rays of the setting sun struck the back of the pages.
The black ink seemed to be dyed with a layer of gold, shimmering brilliantly.
’My husband, please forgive me. Jinghong has broken her promise this time.’
Xiao Jinghong had promised Chen Yi she would return home before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
But now, with this sudden turn of events, she had no choice but to remain where she was.
’If love between two hearts can last, why must they be together day and night...?’
’One can only hope.’
...
「Shu State Prefecture City.」
It was just past the middle of the Hour of Shen, yet though the sky was still bright, the streets were already packed with people.
In the East and West Markets, the shops along the streets had opened their doors early.
This was especially true for the taverns and restaurants, where people came and went in an endless stream.
In addition to the patrons, temporary stages had been set up inside.
There were opera singers, ballad singers, and dancers—they had everything one could ask for.
At the very least, they had to invite some famous actors, courtesans, or, failing that, the top performers from Yanhua Lane.
It was partly to liven up the atmosphere, and partly because they were unwilling to be outdone by their rivals.
Out on the streets, wooden carts were parked in the middle of the stone-paved roads, propped up back-to-back to form stalls.
Most of these stalls displayed various prizes, each corresponding to a slip of paper covered in small writing.
This was all done under the festive name of "lantern riddle guessing."
Men and women, young and old, walked among them, their faces all wreathed in smiles as they chatted and squeezed their way through the crowds.
The most excited of all were the children, who had come out early carrying their lanterns, just waiting for night to fall so they could light them.
All in all, it was a scene of bustling prosperity.
However, the most prosperous and lively place in Shu State City today was still Kangning Street in the North City.
Every year, the places where talented scholars and beautiful ladies gathered would always attract a crowd of curious onlookers.
They came to see which tavern had hired the most courtesans, whose songs were the best, and which patrons were the most generous.
For the poetry gatherings held on Painted Boats, in taverns, or in pavilions, the rivalry was even more intense.
News of which gathering produced a masterpiece, or which scholar gave a dazzling performance, would be spread by word of mouth.
To put it simply, the young ladies competed in beauty, while the scholars socialized through literature.
And so, as the place in Shu State City where the most scholars and young ladies would gather tonight, Guiyun Academy already had people waiting outside long in advance.
Carriages arrived one after another, and the sight of a familiar face or two stepping out would stir up a buzz of discussion.
"Prefect Liu is here so early?"
"Early? If he didn’t come early, would he make the lords from the Governor’s Office and the Inspectorate Office wait for him?"
Upon hearing this, some of the better-informed people in the crowd cautiously changed the subject.
"I heard that Governor Liu Hong was punished by the Holy Emperor today. I wonder if he’ll still show up tonight as planned."
"Hard to say."
"Lord Liu was dragged down by a younger member of his clan. It’s truly an undeserved disaster for him."
"Exactly. Who would have thought that Liu Wen would dare to conspire with the Evil Demonic Dao to burn the summer grain of the Three Towns?"
"The fact that his entire clan wasn’t exterminated is already a sign of the Holy Emperor’s mercy..."
As they spoke, a few more carriages arrived. Even from a distance, they looked grand and magnificent with their ornate canopies.
"Whose carriage is that?"
Among the crowd was a well-connected and knowledgeable man who recognized the emblem on the carriage and said with a low laugh:
"The Assistant Governor of the Governor’s Office, Chen Yunfan."
"He’s also this year’s top scorer, the Imperial Top Scholar."
Others glanced over and recognized the clan emblem of the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family, which inevitably led to a few disdainful or mocking remarks.
"Since the founding of the Great Wei, every Imperial Top Scholar has been like the God of Literature descended to earth. Not only were their essays brilliant, but they were also humble and steady in character."
"But this one, ever since he came to Shu State, doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word ’steady’."
"I heard he’s not only a regular at Yanhua Lane, but he also caused quite a few embarrassing incidents when he was collecting the summer grain outside the city."
"He did plenty of things like rigging the scales and swapping the measuring buckets, which made a lot of common folk complain bitterly."
"Huh? But I heard he didn’t order that, and some people were investigated and punished afterward."
"Wasn’t that because Lord Xiao Dongchen is sharp enough to see every detail? After he found the culprits, he just gave the credit to him, right?"
"Officials really do protect their own..."
Chen Yunfan faintly overheard the surrounding chatter. He pursed his lips but said nothing.
He had indeed made a fool of himself before. A moment’s carelessness had allowed someone to play tricks right under his nose.
Although it didn’t really affect him, many people knew about it. The story was passed around, making his already terrible reputation even worse.
Some people even lumped him together with Chen Yi, who had just arrived in Shu State, jokingly calling them the "Twin Stars of the Chen Family."
They even came up with a saying: "First came the runaway groom who repented and saw the light, then came the Imperial Top Scholar who tested the law himself."
In short, they had nothing good to say.
Cui Qingwu had also heard some of the talk and offered a comforting smile.
"Brother Yunfan, you don’t need to take it to heart. Once they see what you’re capable of, they’ll naturally shut their mouths."
"Just like your brother, Chen Yi. Hasn’t his reputation improved now? He’s even respected."
Chen Yunfan waved his hand dismissively. "It’s just idle gossip. I’ve heard more than my share over the years."
"Let them talk if they want to. As long as they’re not stupid enough to say it to my face."
With that, Chen Yunfan lifted the curtain to look outside and muttered,
"Looks like Brother Yi isn’t here yet..."
Hearing this, Cui Qingwu glanced at him and chuckled softly. "Your brother can indeed afford to arrive a little later these days."
"That’s true. Come on, let’s go inside first and see which ladies have... erm, which scholars have arrived."
