Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Li Ji nodded in agreement, saying, "That's true, but today is a hunting trip, so let's not think about fighting."

"Occupational disease, occupational disease," Li Jing laughed heartily.

Looking at the civil officials, the situation is much worse.

They are used to riding in sedan chairs, but today, in order to comply with etiquette, they all have to ride horses.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui were relatively safe choices, after all, they had ridden horses when they were young.

The funniest one was Tian Feng. Despite his advanced age, he stood up straighter than when he was attending court. Every time the horse jolted, his cheek would twitch, as if he had a sour plum in his mouth.

He doesn't dare to open his mouth when anyone talks to him, for fear that he will shout out loud if he does, so he can only nod or shake his head.

Guo Jia simply lay half-reclined on the horse's back, closed his eyes to rest, and hummed a little tune with each bounce.

When someone asked him if he was alright, he waved his hand and said, "I'm fine, I'll get used to it after a while. It's more comfortable than riding in a sedan chair, and I can even soak up the sun."

Jia Xu was the most composed, leisurely riding his horse, squinting at the scenery, as if he were not going hunting but sightseeing.

He would occasionally comment, "This tree is growing well; it will definitely look beautiful when its leaves turn yellow in autumn. Planting some tea trees on this slope would also be nice."

Du Ruhui was adept at amusing himself; he held a small book in his hand, flipping through it as he read...

Fang Xuanling's legs were trembling slightly, but he still stubbornly told Xun Yu:

"Wenruo, look at this autumn scenery, isn't it wonderful? It's much better than reading memorials in the palace."

Xun Yu's lips twitched: "Xuanling, hold the reins tight first. Your horse is almost veering off course; it'll crash into the carriage in front of you."

Cheng Yu, standing next to him, went even further. He had his attendants bring over a soft cushion and tie it to his horse, then sat half-reclined, like he was in a sedan chair, humming a tune leisurely.

When Tian Feng saw it, his eyes widened in disbelief... "Is this even possible?" He immediately asked Cheng Yu if he could get one for him too.

Cheng Yu laughed and said, "Old Tian, ​​you should have said so earlier, I would have had someone bring an extra one."

Tian Feng was overjoyed: "Old Cheng is so righteous!"

Next came the children of civil and military officials, all between fourteen and eighteen years old, riding horses and carrying bows, chattering like birds released from their cages.

Children from military families are generally tall and strong.

Cheng Yaojin's eldest son, Cheng Chumo, was fifteen years old. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with arms thicker than the legs of the eldest prince, Liu Chen. He carried a composite bow on his back, and his quiver was filled with dozens of arrows. Upon meeting the princes, he would clasp his hands in a fist salute.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Today we'll have a hunt to see who can hunt more! The loser has to buy candied hawthorns for three months! Anyone who reneges is a coward!"

"Let's have a match! Who's afraid of who!" The Third Prince Liu Yao immediately accepted the challenge. The two exchanged a glance, sparks flying.

Guan Ping, Zhang Bao, Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Zhao Guang, Qin Huaidao and their gang also gathered around, all eager to get started.

Zhang Bao shouted, "My dad said if I hunt a lot, he'll get me a new gun!"

Qin Huaidao chuckled and patted him, "Don't fall off your horse yet. Let's get the bowstring steady first, so we don't miss."

......

The children of civil officials are relatively more refined, but not by much.

Fang Xuanling's son, Fang Yi'ai, was fifteen years old, tall and thin, wore small glasses, carried a compound bow on his back, and his quiver contained not only arrows but also several books... He carried it with him wherever he went.

Xun Yu's son, Xun Yun, was carrying a small notebook, making notes on the flowers, plants, and trees along the way, saying he would use them to write articles when he got back.

The brothers Du Gou and Du He got together to discuss which type of arrow would not damage the feathers of a golden pheasant, and even discussed whether using duck down as arrow fletching would be more stable.

There were also a few girls from other families, such as Zhao Yun's daughter Zhao Yue, who was dressed in riding attire and looked very dashing. She was chatting enthusiastically with Princess Liu Ying, and the two even made a pact to go fox hunting on the south slope later to see who would catch one first.

The moment the two sides met, a verbal battle immediately ensued.

"Cheng Chumo, stop bragging," Princess Liu Ying said, mounting her horse with such swiftness that several daughters of military officers applauded. "You lost to me three rings in the archery competition at the training ground last time, have you forgotten? You even said you'd win it back."

Cheng Chumo scratched his head, his face turning red: "Th-that was because I let you have it! I was afraid you'd cry!"

Liu Ying rolled her eyes at him: "Do I need you to let me have it?"

The Third Prince, Liu Yao, added insult to injury: "Even if my sister lets you shoot with your left hand, you still can't win, and you still have the nerve to say you let her win. I think you're just being stubborn."

Fang Yi'ai slowly interjected, adjusting his glasses: "Actually, according to the Ministry of Works' newly published 'Introduction to Ballistics,' with a wind speed of level three and a distance of one hundred paces today, Your Highness's arrow weight is two qian too light. The wind deviation correction should be adjusted to the left by half a point..."

"Shut up, Fang Glasses!" Cheng Chumo and the Third Prince Liu Yao said in unison.

The Fifth Prince Liu Yan muttered to himself, "These two have finally reached a consensus."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Liu Ce heard this from the front, turned around and glanced at the group of teenagers, his lips twitching... Well, the second generation have automatically divided into teams: the military faction, the royal faction, and the civil official/technical faction, quite a complete group.

This will likely lead to the court being divided into three factions; how interesting.

At the very end of the procession were the carriages of imperial concubines and the wives of civil and military officials, one after another, with the curtains half-lifted and laughter occasionally drifting out.

Cai Yan led the way in the first carriage, followed by Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Zhen Jiang, and Zhen Mi. Behind them were Du Xiuniang, Zou Yu, the other sisters of the Zhen family, and the wives of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, Guo Jia, and others.

The carriage was lined with cushions and set out with tea and snacks, instantly transforming the atmosphere from "unleashed mischievous kids" to "a ladies' tea party."

The carriage swayed and rattled as its wheels rolled on the official road.

Xiahou Qingyi (Zhao Yun's wife) spoke first, pointing to Cai Yan's jacket: "Sister-in-law, the material of your jacket is really good. Is it a new tribute from Jiangnan? It looks so light and thin, and you walk like you're floating."

Cai Yan smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over Zhen Jiang beside her:

"There were some leftovers from last year's tribute, so I made an autumn outfit out of them. It's mainly lightweight and convenient for horseback riding. Third Sister's pomegranate red outfit today is really eye-catching; it complements her skin tone perfectly. It's clearly a carefully chosen piece."

Zhen Jiang, being as shrewd as she was, immediately retorted, "Sister is just teasing me. I love bright colors, unlike you who is elegant and refined. Besides, this fabric was a gift from my sister, so we can't let it go to waste."

The two chatted back and forth, polite yet warm, while the ladies around them chimed in, praising one's good complexion and another's exquisite jewelry, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.

As we chatted, the conversation drifted to houses.

Xiahou Qingyi smiled and said, "By the way, Madam Fang, I heard that the price of houses in the newly opened 'Scholar's Lane' in the south of Luoyang has risen to 800 coins per square meter? Is that true? I heard that the place is next to the Royal University, so it will be convenient for the children to go to school in the future."

Madam Fang's eyelids twitched; this was her husband's territory. She quickly whispered:

"A little over seven hundred, but not quite eight hundred. The main reason is that once the plan to make Luoyang a secondary capital came out, merchants from Kaifeng and Chang'an all flocked to Luoyang to buy property, leading to an imbalance between supply and demand, which caused the price to rise a bit. We ourselves didn't get involved, so don't listen to the rumors outside."