I come to see Bai Yujing today

Chapter 58 Miss Si Family Huanglong River
It is raining heavily in Xuantianjing today.

This is the first time that it has rained so heavily in Xuantianjing since the beginning of summer.

Countless towers in Xuantianjing became dim in the wind and rain, and many people who came out to make a living fled in panic because of the sudden heavy rain.

The ninth daughter of the Si family, Si Yao, went out against the wind and rain with a maid and a teacher.

This young lady from a wealthy family was holding an oil-paper umbrella. The heavy rain was blown into the umbrella by the slanting wind, but a hazy aura naturally emanated from Si Yao's body, blocking the rain.

"He is just a painter. All you need to do is write a letter and send it to the inn.

Why bother Miss to go and invite him personally?"

The maid following Miss Si Yao did not have the skills to shelter from the wind and rain. What's more, the rain was too heavy today, so even holding an umbrella was of no use.

The rain fell on the maid, making her look quite embarrassed.

Si Yao frowned and walked in front. She seemed confused as to why the old lady insisted that she come in person.

Instead, the middle-aged gentleman in scholar's gown following behind Si Yao said with a smile: "The imperial court festival is approaching, and these painters have become even more reserved. I'm afraid that a letter won't be enough to invite a famous painter."

"But the painter that the old lady specifically asked us to invite doesn't seem to be very famous. I have never heard of his name in Xuantianjing." The maid was a little puzzled.

Si Yao turned his head and glanced at her, saying, "The old lady asked us to go and invite them, so we just go and don't say anything more."

The maid stuck out her tongue and said no more, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes, and she thought to herself: "My Si family is the residence of the Shangshu and the general. The Si family sent a letter, how can the painter not respond, how dare he not agree?

The old lady thinks too highly of these literati painters."

The middle-aged gentleman glanced at the maid, as if he saw through her thoughts, and said with a smile: "My family is a noble family, so we should be more generous. It would be good if the news of Miss inviting this painter spreads out. It is a courtesy to be courteous to the wise and humble no matter where you are."

The maid's thoughts were guessed by the middle-aged man, and she quickly lowered her head.

She was quite favored by her mistress and did not have as many rules as other maids in her daily life. But she was naturally aware of her status. If she spoke too much and made the mistress unhappy, she would inevitably feel frightened.

The middle-aged man's words also calmed Si Yao down a lot.

She also didn't understand at all. She was the young lady of the Si family, the daughter of General Rongtian and Marquis Shafo. Even in Xuantianjing where there were many nobles, she had a first-class status.

With her status, she actually had to invite a painter in person. She couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards the old lady.

What kind of painter should she be asked to invite in person?
Thinking of this, even Si Yao became a little curious and walked much faster.

Until we reached Ganlu Street in the east of the city, we could see the inn called "Qingke" from afar.

"I said, this painter is really not famous. Famous painters would have made a lot of money already, so why would they live in such a shabby inn?" The maid thought to herself.

A maid in a wealthy mansion is naturally accustomed to the world after following her mistress.

As the young lady's personal maid, she was extremely favored and naturally had a lot of money on hand.

Therefore, in the eyes of this maid, any accommodation cost below ten taels per day was naturally considered shabby.

Qingke Inn is actually not shabby. It has a five-story courtyard. From the outside, it looks like an elegant place with green bricks and green tiles. The cost of accommodation per night is three or four hundred coins.

If it were in a poor provincial capital, many small vendors would probably not earn more than three or four hundred coins in half a month.

The three of them approached the inn.

I just saw that there were many people from wealthy families in front of the inn.

Many carriages stopped in front of the inn, and many stewards and maids from wealthy families gathered around a middle-aged man and talked.

"It's not that I didn't report it. It's that Mr. Chen just put down his luggage and went out directly."

"I am just a shop owner, how dare I ask you where you are going?"

"Sir, why don't you wait in the store first? Don't let the rain get your clothes wet."

"I'll ask my little one to prepare some hot soup..."

The middle-aged man bowed and nodded, apologizing repeatedly.

Si Yao turned his head and looked at the middle-aged man: "The painter we are going to hire is named Chen, right?"

The middle-aged man nodded gently: "The old lady personally asked someone to inquire, and this Mr. Chen just came to Xuan Tianjing today.

I thought it was early for us to come before noon, but I never thought there would be so many people waiting."

"Who is this painter?" Si Yao frowned.

"The Palace of the Governor of the Capital, the Palace of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the Palace of the Minister of Justice, the Palace of the Minister of Personnel, the Palace of the Supervisory Office..." The maid had sharp eyes and recognized many carriages that had been to the Si Family's Palace before: "So many big palaces are waiting here."

The middle-aged gentleman shook his head and said with a wry smile, "I have also checked and asked several of my peers, but they have never heard that there is a great painter named Chen in Sunan Prefecture."

"This is a bigger scene than those by great painters. No wonder the old lady asked the young lady to come in person to invite them." The maid was amazed.

Si Yao thought about it and then went into a restaurant opposite Qingke Inn.

"The old lady never orders me around on weekdays, but since she specifically asked me to come here today, I can't let her down. Let's wait in this restaurant until Mr. Chen comes back."

-

Chen Zhian took the official ship sent by the Southern Jiangsu government, passed through the Qingshui River and entered the Tongtian Grand Canal, all the way to Xuantianjing.

The ship traveled very fast and arrived in just seven or eight days.

When Chen Zhi'an was about to leave, even Governor Wei of Sunan Prefecture and Zhao Chuanji came to see him off in person. They were trying to find out, intentionally or unintentionally, why Prime Minister Song personally signed the letter of honor, and why Princess Linglong urgently invited him to the capital.

Chen Zhian laughed it off, pretending that he didn't understand what the two Sunan Prefecture parents meant by their official language.

The food and drinks on the official ship were all very good. Chen Zhian even had a separate room from which he could see the scenery outside, so the journey was quite comfortable.

When he arrived in Xuantianjing, the Sunan Prefecture government had already booked an inn for him for a month, saving him more than ten taels of silver.

Chen Zhian naturally knew that the reason why the Sunan government office was so comprehensive was because of the face of Prime Minister Song and Princess Linglong. These adults who were able to achieve the fourth or fifth rank of officials had extremely keen senses.

It is too common for them to spend some money and make some appropriate investments.

So Chen Zhian didn't hesitate and checked into the Qingke Inn.

After checking in, Chen Zhian borrowed an umbrella and walked alone in Xuantianjing.

Xuantianjing is worthy of its name, the City Hanging in the Sky. Even in such a heavy rain, one can still clearly feel the hustle and bustle here.

Many luxurious carriages were traveling freely, and laughter and noise could be clearly heard in the restaurants along the street. This was probably what they meant by "the city is filled with pearls and jade, and the houses are filled with silk and satin."

He walked along holding an umbrella. Even in the daytime, he could see bright lights on many buildings, the majestic eaves on the green tiles and red walls, and the fluttering flags of countless shops. The crowds and bustling flow of people in disarray due to the heavy rain all proved that this was an extremely prosperous city.

Chen Zhian was amazed and walked all the way to the Huanglong River in the east of the city.

Because of the rain, the Huanglong River is particularly turbulent today, and is blocked by the deliberately raised river banks.

The Huanglong River in the rain is surging and rolling away, like an arrow shooting straight into the distance.

Chen Zhian opened his eyes wide and looked at the river carefully, lost in thought.

About half an hour passed quietly, the heavy rain gradually weakened, and suddenly a young man in brocade clothes rode past on his horse. A street vendor carrying a load on his shoulder dodged in a hurry, lost his balance, and was about to fall to the ground.

Chen Zhian took a glance and kicked a stone at random, hitting the basket, and the basket fell steadily to the ground.

The vendor fell to the ground and cried out, but when he saw that the goods in his basket were fine, he felt relieved and stood up, carrying his load and walked away.

"According to the plot in the storybook, the young knight not only has to save the victims, but also has to teach that rich young man a lesson, right?"

Suddenly, a voice came to Chen Zhian's ears.

The voice sounded quite old, but also had a hint of smile.

Chen Zhian turned his head and saw an old man standing by the river in the distance, gazing at the Huanglong River from afar.

The old man was there just now, but Chen Zhian didn't pay any attention to him.

"Father-in-law, you are joking." Chen Zhian grinned, "It's just some common tricks. It's okay to support the basket, but I'm afraid it's not enough to teach a rich young man a lesson.

Being able to ride a horse in the capital, he must have an extraordinary background.

If I don't know my own limits, I'll inevitably end up causing trouble."

After hearing what Chen Zhian said, the old man stepped forward and said with a smile: "Xuan Tianjing is good in every way, except that these young masters of noble families are too domineering. Galloping on horseback is just a small matter, and sometimes people get killed."

Chen Zhian said: "Since we are all sons of aristocratic families, we should be more domineering. Otherwise, wouldn't the word 'aristocratic family' have no meaning?"

The old man tilted his head to think for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed, aristocratic families themselves represent privileges... But you look quite young, so you should be indignant about this privilege and the way things are. How can you think it's normal? Are you also from aristocratic families?"

"Many things are not useful to ordinary people just because they are angry." Chen Zhian couldn't help but smile: "So many people in the court have tacitly agreed to this, so why should a commoner like me be angry? Even if I am angry, it won't change anything.

Rather than worrying about it, I might as well take a look at the rushing water of the Huanglong River, and maybe I can gain a lot from it. "

"It is indeed the job of the officials in the court to rectify the tyranny of the noble families." The old man frowned and said, "But without the support of ordinary people like you and me, where will the officials in the court get the strength to do things?"

"If you only want to rectify the tyranny of the aristocratic families, you will never be able to rectify the aristocratic families." Chen Zhian turned his head and looked at the rushing river again: "The aristocratic families are immortal and passed down from generation to generation.

Especially at this time of internal and external troubles, the aristocratic families are the cornerstone of the empire. How does Dayu fight against Daqian and Dali?
It is precisely because the imperial court needs them that these aristocratic families are so domineering.

The officials in the court wanted to make reforms, but they were restricted in every way. They could only promote the commoners and divide resources to help them rise up."

"But...if the commoners compete with the noble families, even if they defeat the noble families, how can we guarantee that the commoners will not become the new noble families?"

"In this world, people despise each other, yet flatter each other; each wants to be superior to others, yet each grovels before others; each hates others, yet hopes to replace them."

"This is human nature, and it won't change unless there is a radical overhaul."

Chen Zhian spoke slowly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and asked, "Am I right, Prime Minister Song?"

The old man was slightly startled, then suddenly laughed: "Do you think I am Song Xiqu?"

Chen Zhian's face fell, isn't it?

When he first arrived in Xuantianjing, an old man came to discuss with him the views of the aristocratic families.

The only person he had contact with in Xuantianjing through Chu Muye was Prime Minister Song, so Chen Zhian naturally thought that the old man was Prime Minister Song who wanted to persuade him to do something.

But he seemed to have guessed wrong?
"People despise each other, but also flatter each other... You said these words very well. I didn't expect it to rain heavily today. I came to the Huanglong River to prevent it from flooding. I never thought I would run into such an interesting young man like you. What's your name?"

"Chen Zhian." Chen Zhian smiled awkwardly.

The old man nodded gently and said, "If you have time, you can come to Jiuguan Street to see me. My home is under the tallest and largest sycamore tree on Jiuguan Street."

Chen Zhian nodded, and the old man waved at him and left.

"Not Prime Minister Song?" Chen Zhian's mouth twitched a little: "He has an extraordinary demeanor but he is not Prime Minister Song. His words clearly show his dissatisfaction with the aristocratic families..."

"But it's just a general talk, so be cautious. It doesn't matter even if he is the head of a noble family."

He thought to himself.

At this moment, a few more horses came running from a distance.

"Mr. Chen!"

Two men in official uniforms dismounted and saluted.

"The nobles in the palace invite you."

ps: After reading everyone's messages and opinions, it seems that it should be updated at a fixed time. So let's update it when everyone gets off work or school, at noon and 6 pm. After it is put on the shelves, the additional update time will generally be in the evening or early morning.

(End of this chapter)