The setting sun was gorgeous, but the street scene was still beautiful.
When the carriage and the guards passed through the streets of Hangzhou, the sun was shining down from the west. Pedestrians in twos and threes hurried by. There were Jianghu people with swords and sabers, traveling doctors with banners, and farmers with poles. They walked with their heads lowered. Occasionally, they would stop at the corner of the road, waiting for the carriage to pass by.
The willow trees by the river had yellow leaves, swaying in the wind. When the leaves of the parasol trees fluttered over the eaves above the road, the boatman of the black awning boat pushed the boat forward quickly along the small river in the city.
Ning Yi looked at the black awning boat for a while. The small boat and the carriage traveled side by side for a while. Then, the carriage turned onto the stone bridge. The small boat passed under the bridge and parted ways with the carriage at the corner of the water ahead.
The city of Hangzhou was crisscrossed by waterways. From Fine Willow Street to the Four Seasons Temple in the middle of the city, one had to take a relatively busy road. There were courtyard walls of various sizes and eaves of various heights. Many shops had already opened. As people walked through the streets, it looked rather prosperous. Of course, what caught his eyes were actually all kinds of soldiers. Ever since the fall of Hangzhou, the Revolutionary Army had surged into the big city from all directions. Some came in large groups, while others came in twos and threes. There were newbies and veterans. They were like a thin stream wrapped in waves, flowing into the sea.
After a short street, they could see four or five groups of soldiers walking or sitting. They appeared in their field of vision and were soon driven away by the carriage. These people were dressed in uneven clothes, and their weapons were not complete. Their physical qualities were not good either. When they saw the carriage coming, they waited by the side of the road. Some raised their heads and held their sabers as they walked slowly in front. The carriage stopped for a while. These soldiers were usually from the Revolutionary Army, which was slightly famous.
"This is the Moon Holding Army. His general is called Wu Jun. I heard that there are nearly two thousand people under his command. They are quite powerful."
When the carriage stopped, Lou Shuwan pointed and commented on the soldiers on the road. She had already commented on five or six groups of people along the way. Today, she was going to participate in the poetry meet. She was dressed in men's clothing in white, looking handsome and elegant. Waving a folding fan in her hand, she talked to Ning Yi as if she was talking about her family's treasures along the way. Unexpectedly, there was a hint of a carefree and unrestrained aura in her voice.
It was rare for a woman to have this kind of ability. Even if they could manage the family's affairs in an orderly manner, the structure was usually limited to the small circle of the family. Lou Shuwan, on the other hand, gave off a feeling of grandeur. In this day and age, even if a woman could accomplish great things, she would usually need to be more scheming than an ordinary person. However, at this moment, she seemed as if she knew everything and spoke to Ning Yi without holding back. She poured out everything she knew, causing the image of a strong woman to have a sense of familiarity and mischievousness. Even Ning Yi, who was extremely cautious when interacting with others, couldn't help but have a good impression of him.
"Miss Lou has really put in a lot of effort into this."
"With the current situation in Hangzhou, we have no choice but to work hard."
Lou Shuwan smiled, her lips curling into a crescent moon. In her interactions with Ning Yi, she didn't hide the difference between her and most women. She also didn't hide the part of her that was stronger than others. Nowadays, most men might hope that their women were gentle and delicate, but that was only for the women in their families. Her relationship with Ning Yi wasn't like that. She might be able to arouse his feelings more if she appeared to be independent enough.
When a situation persisted for a long time, people would always find all kinds of justifiable reasons for themselves. Lou Shuwan didn't feel that there was anything wrong with her liking Ning Yi. She had always felt that she was a person with a hard life, so she didn't ask for much. She liked him because he was outstanding enough. For a capable man like him, perhaps an independent woman could arouse his desire to conquer. On the other hand, from Lou Shuwan's point of view, Ning Yi was talented and capable, but he was married into her family. Even if Su Tan'er treated him with respect, there would definitely be many unpleasantness when compared to other men. Her image was similar to Su Tan'er, but she could do things that Su Tan'er couldn't do.
Some things were shameful to think about, but they were indeed hidden in the depths of her heart. In her opinion, Ning Yi could even treat her as a substitute for Su Tan'er. He could hold her in his hands and conquer and ravage her. This was something that he couldn't do with Su Tan'er. However, she could maintain the image of a strong woman and be obedient in front of him. It didn't matter. If Ning Yi really did that, she would only feel his power.
During this period of time, she had been maintaining such a state of mind, displaying her original talent in front of Ning Yi. For her, this was also very relaxing and joyful. Of course, the result was a little strange. She could tell that Ning Yi did admire her a little, but she couldn't see much in that admiration. He actually didn't have any prejudice against a woman like her, and he even had some indifferent acknowledgment of her. The men she had met in the past, even if they could approve of her showing her face in public, it was as if she had done something extraordinary. However, he seemed to be used to it — to seek acknowledgment. She actually didn't need this kind of acknowledgment.
However, this kind of indifference from being used to storms fascinated her even more. She couldn't see through what this man was thinking. She didn't know if he wanted to do something to her behind that gaze, but this kind of unpredictability made her feel even more powerful. It didn't matter. Anyway … things had just begun.
Of course, she wasn't infatuated, and she didn't think about these things all the time. She would only seriously think about these embarrassing thoughts occasionally when she was dreaming at night. At this moment, when she was traveling with Ning Yi, she only played the appropriate role of a friend, giving pointers and chatting in the carriage.
On the journey from Xiliu Street to Four Seasons Sect, there were naturally many people accompanying the carriage. Ning Yi only had one follower. It was a young soldier from the Tyrant's Saber Camp named Liu Jin. His position wasn't high, and he was young. When Ning Yi went out, he followed him as a manservant. Lou Shuwan had many people with her. Hangzhou wasn't peaceful at the moment, and she always went out. Other than the seven or eight servant girls and retainers who followed her, there were also two people from the underworld who had sought refuge with the Lou Family.
The two people were a man and a woman. The man was a fierce-looking monk with a head of hair. He was about forty or fifty years old, and there were two scars on his face. His weapon was an iron staff, and people called him Master Qin. According to Lou Shuwan, this Master Qin was quite infamous in the martial arts world. He was called Tiger-killing Monk Qin Gulai. The woman was a swordswoman in her thirties. It was said that she wasn't married, but she wasn't good-looking. She had broad shoulders, round legs, and thick arms. She had a square face and looked righteous. She was perfect as a bodyguard, and her nickname and name were pleasant to the ears.
When Ning Yi first met them, he introduced himself, "Nice to meet you. I am Ning Liheng. People in the martial arts world gave me the bandit title of 'Bloody Hand Butcher'."
"… This is the Fairy of Mount Lingshan, Wei Lingxue."
Ning Yi was stunned for a few seconds. He decided not to introduce himself with these people anymore.
The martial arts world was just Ning Yi's pastime and bad taste. Naturally, he wouldn't take it too seriously. The group passed through the market and soon arrived at the Four Seasons Temple. The Four Seasons Temple faced the river. It was formed by three nearby buildings, and there was a large yard behind it. This used to be one of the largest antique collections in Hangzhou City. It collected all kinds of antiques and cultural relics. At the same time, it collected all kinds of calligraphy and paintings, and sold books and literature. Ning Yi used to read all kinds of legendary novels and had come here once or twice. However, when the city was invaded, the Four Seasons Temple was ransacked. Later, it was bought by someone else, and now it was opened as a restaurant. The name didn't change. The current owner was called Chen Bainian.
"In the past, the Four Seasons Temple's Boss Guo had some dealings with the Lou Family. After the city was invaded, I don't know where he went …" As the carriage approached, Lou Shuwan frowned as she looked at the building. However, her frown soon disappeared. "However, I heard that Boss Chen was originally called Chen Wannian. When the volunteer army rose up, he sold food and called his shop Wannian Hall. I heard that His Majesty had visited it before. Food was indispensable everywhere. The greater the Revolutionary Army's influence, the bigger his business would be. However, after His Majesty became the emperor, he was afraid that he would overstep his boundaries. He quickly changed his name to Chen Bainian and his business to Hundred Year Hall. Because Hundred Year Hall was very close to the Four Seasons Temple, he bought this place and made it his first shop in Hangzhou. "
As they talked about these anecdotes about the Four Seasons Temple, the servant stopped the carriage by the roadside. The two of them walked towards the newly renovated entrance of the restaurant. The person who was hosting the banquet at the Four Seasons Temple tonight was called Zhu Yanlin. He was the newly appointed Hanlin Scholar of Fang La's Yong Le Dynasty. Speaking of which, the Hanlin Scholar was the pinnacle of scholars in every dynasty and generation. However, the situation was slightly different in the Yong Le Dynasty.
At this time, the imperial court had just been established. Capable generals and capable scholars had already taken up various practical positions. The Hanlin Scholar was just an idle position. Among the officials, it was neither high nor low. If one were to say that it was nothing special, one could be promoted at any time in the future. If one placed too much importance on it, they actually had no real power in their hands. Generally speaking, it was because the higher-ups felt that some people were capable and knowledgeable, but they didn't know where to put them. Since they had nothing better to do, they gave them the position.
Regardless, for a large number of advisors and scholars who couldn't even get an official position, the Hanlin Scholar position was still something that everyone wanted. Zhu Yanlin was a good poet. He had been in Fang La's military for a long time and had some connections. There were many people attending the banquet tonight. For example, Ning Yi's colleagues in the Wenlie Academy, Wang Zhizhen and Liu Xiyang, as well as Qu Weiqing and Guo Peiying, whom he had some conflicts with. As far as Ning Yi knew, they were also here today.
Ning Yi was relatively independent in the Academy. Moreover, he had invited Lou Shuwan today and didn't mention the banquet in the Academy. When he got out of the carriage, he looked at the people in front of him and saw Liu Xiyang talking to someone. When he walked over, Liu Xiyang also saw him. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then, he just cupped his hands in salute but didn't come over to greet him. He was a local of Hangzhou. He probably recognized Lou Shuwan, who was dressed as a man. He had a rough idea of the background of Ning Yi's confidante in the Academy. The Lou Family was rising rapidly, and Ning Yi had climbed up the social ladder. It was a bit shameful and … envious.
"Liu Xiyang …" Lou Shuwan glanced at him and said softly.
"You know him?"
"Not really, but I've seen him before. Mr. Liu is very knowledgeable. "
Lou Shuwan smiled. When the two of them reached the entrance, there were more people in front of them. At this moment, they heard some movement behind them. The two of them turned back. On the side of the street, there were people who had stopped their carriages and were walking towards them. Many people in front and behind them had already cupped their hands in greeting. Although most of the people who came were literati and restrained themselves, they could still feel the heat. The person who came was not of low status. Amidst the noise, Ning Yi could only faintly see a young man coming over.
"Who is that …" Lou Shuwan muttered to herself. Then, someone behind them said, "Excuse me, excuse me." Ning Yi and Lou Shuwan moved to the side and realized that the person who came out of the restaurant was the boss of the Four Seasons House, Chen Bainian. Lou Shuwan looked at the figure and then her brows relaxed. She patted her fan and said, "Oh, that's Lou Jingzhi. Prime Minister Lou's son … Liheng should have seen him before, right? "
"No." Ning Yi thought for a while and said with a smile, "Should I have seen him before?"
"Not really." Lou Shuwan tilted her head and smiled. "Isn't the master of the Tyrant's Saber Camp that Li Heng is currently in a woman? Although not many people talk about her, and some people even think that the master of the Tyrant's Saber Camp is a man called Liu Dabiao, I heard that this lady of the Tyrant's Saber Camp is engaged to Prime Minister Lou's son."
"Huh?" Not expecting to hear such big gossip, Ning Yi was slightly stunned.
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