Tao and Heaven

Chapter 2: The Goddess Descends
The next day, the sun rose three poles.

Gu Wen woke up from his sleep, called the maid to wash up, and then asked someone to call his "right-hand man".

He was of thin stature, wearing a green brocade robe, with a small moustache, a shifty look, and his manners always revealed a hint of shrewdness.

His name is Jiang Fugui, a small shopkeeper whom Gu Wen met when he first entered Longqiao Night Market. He is mercenary and smart, a very standard and stereotyped businessman, but his abilities are sufficient.

Gu Wen sat at the table to eat. His breakfast was just Longqiao's most famous Zuixianlou Pearl and Red Date Porridge and Xiangyu Pavilion's white flour cakes, both of which were rare delicacies in this world.

The aroma made Jiang Fugui, who had just entered the room, drool. Gu Wen waved and said, "If you haven't had breakfast yet, sit down and eat together."

Jiang Fugui was thick-skinned. He sat down with a smile and picked up a white flour bun and said, "Even if I have already eaten, I can't miss Master Wen's meal. Oh, this white flour bun is really sweet. It is rare to eat it in a year of disaster."

Gu Wen smiled and said, "I haven't treated you badly on weekdays. You haven't gone without a few steamed buns, have you?"

"Master, you spend money generously, but we have elderly and young people to take care of. There are dozens of people in my family." Jiang Fugui stuffed his mouth full, and food crumbs kept falling on the table while he spoke.

"Besides, there has been a lot of chaos in the past two years, so we have to save a lot of money. We never know when Bianjing will be completely ruined and we will have to flee to the south."

War and chaos have almost become synonymous with this era.

There are barbarians all around Daqian Pass, and there are endless banditry and rebellions inside the pass.

Each time the imperial court would impose heavy taxes in the name of reorganizing the border troops, the heavy levies were so heavy that even many landlords could not bear it, and many of them eventually became bandits.

Landlords couldn't survive, which sounds absurd, but it really happened in Daqian and in front of Gu Wen. This is why he must stand firmly in the bureaucratic class, even if he is just a guest official of the royal palace without rank.

There are no scholars, farmers, merchants or artisans in the world. There are only scholars and common people. To put it more extremely, there are only masters in the capital and slaves from other places.

As far as Gu Wen knew, there was a bandit problem roaming around Qianjing County. Sometimes they robbed and killed wealthy merchants, sometimes they stole the imperial court's supplies, and even entered the city to rob the treasury.

Such banditry has been rampant in the Qianjing area for many years, longer than the current emperor has been in office.

The imperial court had thought about suppressing the bandits, but these bandits would either flee when they saw more officers and soldiers or besiege and devour them when they saw fewer. This frightened the imperial guards so much that they only talked about suppressing the bandits but did not actually do it.

In fact, everyone knew that Daqian was going to be destroyed. Even a small shopkeeper like Jiang Fugui was planning to flee south, which showed the people's hearts. Gu Wen bought some real estate in the south two years ago, and fleeing south has been his main goal in recent years.

But if there is a supernatural power, then everything will be hard to say.

"You can't go to the South whenever you want. Besides, if I eat the Ninth Prince's food for a day, I will naturally repay him for the rest of my life." Gu Wen shook his head and dodged the obvious disaster calmly.

There are daggers everywhere in his position, and it is possible that a servant in the mansion is a spy for the palace.

Outward loyalty must be absolute.

After dinner, Gu Wen wiped his mouth with a silk scarf and said, "Fugui, there have been a lot of strange things happening in the city recently. Go investigate it yourself and try to keep a low profile and don't cause any trouble."

Gu Wen repeatedly emphasized that since he was certain that there were supernatural powers in this world and that he was undergoing some kind of change, he did not want anyone under his command to get hold of anything dirty and bring it back.

Jiang Fugui was very confused, but as a subordinate he had no right to ask, just as Gu Wen could not refuse Zhao Feng.

"Young man, let's do it right now."

Noon.

Gu Wen was lying in a rocking chair while the servants in the mansion were working with their heads down. The occasional knocking on the door and crying from outside made the servants work harder and more meticulously.

Happiness comes from contrast.

Without going out to check, most people know why there is knocking on the door. It is nothing more than selling children to survive. It is not only to earn a living for the adults, but also to keep the children alive.

Gu Wen still accepted slaves a few years ago, but now there are more than a hundred people in his house. According to the law, he has no official position and can only keep fifty slaves at most. How many people can Gu Wen protect alone?

He was just a house slave.

Jiang Fugui entered the mansion from the back door, came to Gu Wen and whispered, "Master, the strange stories that have been spread recently have been surrounded by the servants of the rich families. It is impossible to find out or see anything."

"A servant of a wealthy family?"

"Yes, they are actually holding weapons in the streets of Beijing. Are they going to rebel?"

Jiang Fugui lowered his voice and looked doubtful. Even he could smell something unusual.

The Daqian Emperor forbade the private possession of weapons. During the previous emperor's time, there was a rebellion in the Bianjing area, and the rioters almost invaded the capital. So the court ordered that "anyone who possesses prohibited weapons will be sentenced to one and a half years in prison."

It is very common to privately carry weapons these days, but it is rare to see them in public, especially a large group of people carrying weapons in the street.

It is worthy of being the Daqian under the reign of my holy monarch.

"What about Fenghuang Road and Dragon Bridge?"

Gu Wen asked.

Fenghuang Road was built with a special track for driving in order to improve the efficiency of cargo transportation. It connected all the major markets, and even the food, clothing and daily necessities of the imperial palace were transported through this road.

And recently I heard that a tree grew there. Could it be that it can also surround the road?
Longqiao is an important hub connecting the east and west urban areas, and it is impossible to encircle it.

"The tree on Fenghuang Road has been surrounded by the Imperial Guards. Now freight carriers have to take small paths or even go half a circle around Bianjing City to enter through other gates. I went to see the Dragon Bridge, but I'm too stupid to see anything magical about it."

It seems Zhao Feng is not the only one.

This is normal. If a prince like him can find an immortal, then it is not impossible for other noble families and the palace to find one. But why did it appear only recently?
A word emerged in Gu Wen's mind: spiritual energy revival.

"No need to ask any more."

Instead of rushing around, it’s better to take a look at the immortal that Zhao Feng mentioned.
-
Three days later.

Gu Wen received another order that the palace would welcome the immortal on the day of Grain Rain. In order to be in line with the style of the royal family, six rituals needed to be prepared.

That is, welcoming, offering, tea, food, accommodation and seeing off.

As the biggest steward in the palace, he was also in charge of Longqiao Night Market. Apart from the first courtesy of welcoming and seeing off guests, the rest fell on his head. Gu Wen called his subordinate Jiang Fugui, gave him a few instructions, and then set off to visit restaurants in Longqiao Night Market one by one. Based on the closeness of the relationship and the thickness of the red envelope, he "bid" to Yuehualou.

Hundreds of taels of silver went into Gu Wen's pocket. Procurement bidding has always been a lucrative job since ancient times. Gu Wen knew that it was the result of Zhao Feng's loyalty a few days ago, otherwise Zhao Feng would not have given him this job.

Carrots and sticks, there must always be carrots.

Gu Wen was being entertained by the shopkeeper of Yuehualou. They had just finished discussing business, and both the host and the guest were having a great time. Suddenly, the shopkeeper of Yuehualou asked in a low voice:

"Marquis Wen, I heard that His Highness the Ninth Prince is hosting a banquet to entertain the immortals."

The word "immortal" was whispered very quietly, but Gu Wen, who was sitting next to him, heard it clearly and his action of picking up food paused.

"Who told you?" "These past few days, people from the Ninth Prince's palace have been boasting in all the major restaurants and brothels that the Ninth Prince is going to receive an immortal, and some even say that the Ninth Prince has a destiny."

Take the opportunity to build momentum.

Gu Wen suddenly realized. He thought it was those good-for-nothings in the mansion who were up to no good again, but when he heard the last sentence, he knew it was Zhao Feng himself who ordered it.

Now that the position of crown prince was vacant, anyone could become the crown prince. Zhao Feng was the most ambitious one among them, so how could he miss this opportunity?

"Your Highness the Ninth Prince certainly has a destiny. Whether he is an immortal or not is not a matter for a merchant like me."

Gu Wen laughed and said, "The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. The less you talk, the fewer mistakes you make." He had not received the task of spreading the news, but he could sense the increasingly restless undercurrent.

Merchants have a slightly higher status than ordinary people, but they have never been the core of society. When they know some things, it means that many things are beginning to be put on the table and the masters begin to need them.

Gu Wen was a little drunk, and then went to the largest opera troupe in the capital. There were people kneeling densely on both sides of the road in the roadside market, with grass stuck behind them and prices on the ground in front of them.

Sell ​​yourself into slavery.

Successive years of famine have fattened up the Yashi market, which specializes in human trafficking, and brought this slave market, which should have been hidden in the dark, to the forefront.

Daqian issued an explicit decree prohibiting the keeping of private slaves. The legal system of servants was similar to the employment system of the Song Dynasty, more precisely, long-term workers. The law also stipulated that slaves could not be punished or killed privately, and the most serious punishment could be exile for 3,000 miles.

But nowadays, all the maids in the palace are bought with money, and many women who have exceeded the deadline have not been released. Every year, some escape and are executed.

As the saying goes, leaders lead by example. If the superiors do not treat others as human beings, the subordinates will naturally not treat them as human beings.

Several eunuchs in palace robes walked by, pulling a group of men and women. Gu Wen's carriage stopped aside to make way, and he watched everything coldly.

People who have been castrated can show off their power, but those who work hard to farm can only sell themselves into slavery.

"Master, do you want a maid?"

A woman came over with her daughter. The girl was fourteen years old, of ordinary appearance, with a scar on her face and an ordinary figure. She was commonly known as a maid.

Gu Wen shook his head. He already had enough servants at home.

The old woman said anxiously: "Only one tael of silver can feed my little girl well and feed her with wheat ears."

The market price of an ordinary maid is around eight taels of silver, a good-looking one costs fifteen taels, and a very pretty one can be sold for over a hundred taels.

To borrow a passage from the Northern Song Dynasty, the lower middle class families in the capital did not value sons, but cherished daughters as if they were holding a pearl. When they grew up, they would teach them arts according to their appearance and prepare them for the scholars and officials to pick up and entertain.

There are different names for them, such as so-called attendants, capable people, servants, needleworkers, hall attendants, miscellaneous actors, zither boys, chess boys, and cooks. The levels are quite orderly. Among them, the cook is the lowest, but only the extremely rich can use it.

There was no need for farming in Bianjing, as there were too many dignitaries. The military power of male adults could not be used, but having daughters was very useful.

"It's so cheap, why don't you just find a rich family?"

Gu Wen asked casually, but it seemed to hit a sore spot. The old woman wiped her tears and cried:
"I did look for them, but they all thought my daughter was not pretty. Nowadays, maids have to be pretty. Sir, please be kind and take my daughter in."

Gu Wen was silent. He didn't expect the world to change so quickly.

Even slaves have appearance requirements. There are too many people in this world who are forced to sell themselves into slavery. This is not a good thing. If the rioters invade Bianjing again one day, then the people kneeling here today will become cannibalistic evil spirits.

Furthermore, the crops in the fields are not grown by themselves, and these people will most likely become hidden households if they become slaves of wealthy families. The literati will not pay taxes honestly.

But what does this have to do with him? He is just a businessman.

"Let's go."

Gu Wen scattered some silver coins and pulled up the curtain of the carriage. The surroundings began to shake again, and an unusually piercing name could still be heard from the rear.

"Master Qingtian!"

I helped them, but they wanted to harm me.

He hated fame, which would do him no good but harm.
-
Grain Rain day.

The God of Spring leaves, and the rain brings forth crops in a continuous drizzle.

The palace was decorated with lanterns and ceremonial guards marched through three streets from Longqiao. Armed soldiers maintained order along the way. Countless people were eagerly discussing whether the emperor was going to go on a tour. The scholars and officials from the aristocratic families were already sitting behind the screen on the second floor of Longqiao Night Market, silently watching the empty road.

In front of the Ninth Prince's mansion, his family members gathered together. Zhao Feng stood there in a dragon robe and a crown, with the demeanor of a royal family that was indescribably noble. He held a broom tied with a red rope in his hand, as if to welcome guests.

Those with prominent families in the palace sat in the second row, welcoming the immortal together with the ninth prince.

Gu Wen couldn't stand in any of them, and couldn't even go to Longqiao today, because all of them were reserved by aristocratic families. Every store had a big family background, otherwise it would be impossible to open a store in the most affluent and luxurious area of ​​Bianjing.

He could only stand on the street opposite the Dragon Bridge with a group of merchants, looking at the huge arch bridge from afar, craning his neck.

Suddenly, a gap appeared in the dense clouds, and a golden beam of light fell from the sky. A snow-white figure slowly descended with the wind, and finally stood on the Dragon Bridge.

It was a person, a woman.

She had a slender figure, and looked to be about 1.78 meters tall. She wore a white hat so her face could not be seen, and a plain white, wide robe that completely concealed her figure, making it impossible to tell whether she was fat or thin.

He was holding a donkey in his hand, which was shaking its head and was restless, without any of the fairy-like aura of a fairy mount.

The entire Longqiao Night Market and even Bianjing were silent. The emperor, empress, and concubines sitting on the walls of the imperial palace, the scholars and officials living in the high-rise buildings, the yamen runners who maintained order, and the people kneeling on the roadside.
There was an almost boiling cheer, countless people knelt down, and princes and nobles trembled.

It was not known whether the goddess in white intentionally or unintentionally turned to face the direction where Gu Wen was. In an instant, everyone around her knelt down, not daring to offend her majesty.

Only Gu Wen was still standing. He looked up at her. That beautiful white figure seemed to be the only color in the gray and white world, and the white lotus full of withered lotus leaves was deeply imprinted in his mind.

Becoming an immortal is usually a beautiful thing.

After being tugged on the sleeves several times by the merchants traveling with him, Gu Wen came to his senses and knelt down. He was certainly not in awe of the immortal, but he just didn't want to get involved in trouble.

When he looked up again, the goddess had already led the donkey along the ceremonial procession away from the Dragon Bridge, and Zhao Feng and his family were coming to greet them in the distance.

He put a stone jade pendant on his chest, bowed his hands and said, "Zhao Feng, the ninth son of the Zhao family, respectfully welcomes the immortal family."

"Zhao family?"

The goddess tilted her head slightly, her elegant voice sounding somewhat doubtful, but when she saw the stone jade pendant emitting spiritual light, she stopped investigating.

Maybe it was renamed.

(End of this chapter)