Chapter 139

Chapter 139

When Lu Yao received the letter from the Capital City, it was already the twelfth lunar month.

He regretted not giving more silver to Ma Kuan, the courier, and was anxious to go to the Capital City himself.

At this point, he was nearly four months pregnant. His body showed little change, except for his belly, which had swelled a bit more than before. It was barely noticeable under his thick clothes.

Once he got past the nausea and fatigue of early pregnancy, Lu Yao felt a burst of energy and noticed that his hands and feet were no longer cold.

Preparations for Xiao Chun’s wedding were complete, set for the twenty-sixth of February the next year, right after the imperial examinations. Xiao Nian’s dowry was nearly ready, with the wedding scheduled for the sixth day of the sixth month.

With everything at home settled, Lu Yao planned to make a trip to the Capital City.

*

"No, it’s too far, more than ten days by carriage, and the roads are still covered in snow," Zhao Beichuan rejected the idea immediately without a second thought.

"Why not? I’ve spoken to people from the merchant caravan. The official road from here to the Capital City is in excellent condition. The snow has been packed down all winter."

"You’re pregnant. I can’t feel at ease letting you travel so far."

"We can travel slowly; it’ll be fine."

"No, it won’t be. We’ll go when it’s warmer next year."

"Huh."

Seeing Lu Yao’s expression change, Zhao Beichuan tried to soothe him, but Lu Yao turned and left, not speaking to him for three whole days.

This was the most serious disagreement they’d ever had. Though Lu Yao understood Zhao Beichuan’s concern, he couldn’t help but feel upset, as if the baby had become more important than him.

Seeing him like this, Zhao Beichuan felt uneasy and, having no other choice, yielded to Lu Yao’s wishes. He prepared the carriage, temporarily leaving the shop in the care of Xiao Nian, Xiao Chun, and Lu Miao, instructing them to close for the New Year’s holiday on the twentieth of the twelfth month. He then took Lu Yao to the Capital City himself.

The carriage was equipped with a warm stove and lined with soft cushions, two layers of wool blankets, and a thick cotton mattress on top.

Lu Yao sat on it, and his bottom sank three centimeters.

"Why so many layers?"

"To prevent you from getting jostled."

They had two carriages for the journey. One was for passengers, and the other carried their luggage and the gifts Lu Yao had bought. Upon arriving in the Capital City, it would be necessary to socialize with high-ranking officials, so it was better to be prepared.

Zhao Beichuan sat next to him, his hand protectively on his waist, his face cold and silent.

Lu Yao chuckled and rested his head on his husband’s shoulder. "Still mad?"

"What’s the use of me being mad?"

"Ah, I’m just worried about Xiao Dou. With the imperial examinations next year, how can I leave him alone in the Capital City with peace of mind?"

Zhao Beichuan hummed in agreement, though he too was worried. The Capital City was not like other places. There was a saying that if a signboard fell, it could hit ten people, and four of them might be officials. Ordinary people who accidentally angered the nobility might not even know how they died.

Beidou, though mild-mannered, is still young, and if something happened, it would be too late for regrets.

"Forget it, we’ll have to come sooner or later. It’s better to come early."

Lu Yao smiled and kissed him, knowing that Zhao Beichuan would always support him.

The journey was not too difficult. The carriage had a warm stove, and their thick clothes became too much to bear. When they were hungry, they warmed food over a small stove, making it convenient to share a bowl of warm food.

The soft cushion made sitting comfortable. During the day, Lu Yao leaned against it to read books. When he felt sleepy, he would rest for a while with his head on Zhao Beichuan's lap. When it got late, they would stop at a post station to rest.

It normally takes about ten days to travel from Ping Prefecture to Shang Jing, but they were in no hurry and took over half a month to arrive.

Entering the city was quite cumbersome. They had to show their household registration and documents, and the items in the carriage were thoroughly inspected to prevent any dangerous weapons from being brought in.

Since they came from Ping Prefecture, a minor official asked a few casual questions about the battle situation at the border. Ping Prefecture was quite close to Ying Prefecture, so they probably assumed Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan were wealthy merchants fleeing to Shang Jing.

Zhao Beichuan didn’t explain much, just shared what he knew, and they were allowed into the city.

As soon as they entered Shang Jing, Lu Yao's eyes widened. He was looking at this ancient capital city from a thousand years ago.

No matter how many times he had imagined it in his mind, seeing it with his own eyes was different. It was bustling and vibrant, with an ancient charm, as if he had stepped into a historical painting.

The monotonous grey-yellow clothes were nowhere to be seen. Young men and women in colorful ao robes filled the streets. They wore felt or cotton hats on their heads, fur scarves around their necks, and jade pendants at their waists, which jingled pleasingly.

The vendors' calls were also different. The accent in Shang Jing was more drawn out compared to Ping Prefecture. A few old men could tell they were from out of town and crowded around saying, “Need a place to stay, sir? Three hundred wen a day, including hot water and three meals!”

“Stay at our place, only two hundred and eighty wen a day.”

“Ours is two hundred and fifty wen!”

Lu Yao couldn't help but smile, reminded of the time he took Xiaodou and the others to Ping Prefecture city.

Zhao Beichuan put his arm around him protectively and said, “We’re not staying at a hotel. We’re here to visit relatives. Could you tell us how to get to West Ward?”

As soon as they heard this, the others lost interest and left, except for a young man who stayed behind and said, “I know West Ward well, sirs. If you don’t mind, I can show you the way.”

“Good.” Lu Yao happened to be short of a talkative guide and let him sit on the edge of the carriage to lead the way.

“What’s your name, young brother?”

“I’m the fifth child in my family, so everyone calls me Fifth Fang or Xiao Wu. You can call me that.”

“Are you soliciting customers for someone else or for your own business?”

Fang Xiao Wu laughed, “Sir, you’re joking. If my family owned a shop in Shang Jing, why would I be doing this?”

Lu Yao smiled and said, “How much can you make in a day doing this?”

“It varies. On a good day, I can make three to five hundred wen, but there are times when business is sluggish, and I don’t make a single wen for half a month.”

“This is our first time in Shang Jing. Could you introduce us to the city?”

“Are you planning to do business here?” Fang Xiao Wu was quite sharp-eyed and quickly realized that Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan were businessmen.

“Yes, we are.”

Fang Xiao Wu began to introduce Shang Jing. He was born and raised there, and since he could run, he had been wandering the streets. He could name almost every place.

“The main streets of Shang Jing are divided into four main streets and four auxiliary streets. The main streets are East Street, West Street, South Street, and North Street. The corresponding auxiliary streets are Zhangtai Street on the east, Xiangshi Street on the west, Doumen Street on the south, and Mawang Street on the north.

These eight main and auxiliary streets adhere to the principle that north is superior and south is inferior. Of course, the royal family lives in the north. It’s best if you two don’t go there.”

Lu Yao nodded in understanding.

“Many high-ranking officials also live on Mawang Street in the north. The housing prices there are sky-high and often unobtainable. For ordinary people like us, it’s a place we could never afford to live in, even if we worked our entire lives.”

“East Street has many shops, primarily selling spices, cosmetic products, jewelry, jade, and antiques and calligraphy. Zhangtai Street is also home to officials and wealthy merchants. There’s a particularly large estate there, which is the residence of the Northern Pacification Prince. The emperor ordered its construction, and it’s said to have pavilions, terraces, towers, artificial hills, and lakes, all modeled on Suzhou. It’s incredibly beautiful!”

Fang Xiao Wu also introduced the rest of West Street and South Street. West Street was where the hotels and inns were concentrated, and it was home to merchants and ordinary families. South Street, on the other hand, was known as a place for the lower classes. Fang Xiao Wu's family lived there.

By the time they were speaking, the carriage had already stopped in front of the inn.

Zhao Beichuan went inside to inquire and found out that they had already moved. Ma Kuan, being meticulous, had left a message before leaving, telling them that the newly purchased house was on Zhangtai Street. They would need Fang Xiao Wu's help to guide them there again.

"Going to Zhangtai Street? Then we'll have to head back. Zhangtai Street is in the eastern part of the city."

Lu Yao asked him some more about the prices in the capital, and Fang Xiao Wu answered all of them. However, when it came to deeper matters, like the Shangjing Commerce Guild, he couldn't answer.

Fang Xiao Wu smiled and said, "Sir, you're making things difficult for me. With my status, how could I possibly come into contact with those nobles?"

Lu Yao didn't push him further. "You've used a lot of words along the way. Take this to buy some tea to moisten your throat." Saying that, he threw a piece of silver his way.

Fang Xiao Wu caught it with both hands, his face lighting up with joy. "Thank you, sirs! Thank you, sirs!"

The carriage stopped at the entrance to Zhangtai Street. Fang Xiao Wu jumped down. "I'll be at the east gate looking for customers. It’s not far from here. If you need anything, feel free to let me know!"

Zhao Beichuan nodded at him and drove the carriage forward.

Zhangtai Street was a side street of East Street. Once inside, you could see several alleys. After asking some passersby, they quickly found the address left by Ma Kuan. This place was called Zhangwang Alley, and the entire alley contained only three households. One belonged to the family of a Ministry of Revenue official, another to the wealthy Xu family of Shangjing, and the last was Zhao Beichuan's family, who had just moved in.

The carriage stopped in front of their door. Zhao Beichuan went up and knocked. Soon, footsteps could be heard from inside.

The door opened, and Lu Bing exclaimed in surprise, "Master, you're here!" He quickly removed the threshold, opened the door, and guided the carriage in.

Hearing the sound, Lu Jia also came out from inside. "We thought you wouldn’t come until after the New Year."

Zhao Beichuan helped Lu Yao down from the carriage. "We originally planned to come after the New Year, but your master insisted on coming. I couldn't persuade him, so we came."

Lu Yao smiled and got off the carriage, looking around. "This courtyard is really nice. Where's Beidou?"

"Young master went to Guozijian. He should be back soon. Manager Ma went out. I heard he bought a shop in Shangjing, and it's being renovated these days."

"He bought it!" Lu Yao said in surprise.

Lu Jia didn't know the internal reasons and thought it was Lu Yao who asked Ma Kuan to buy it. "I don't know. Manager Ma should be back soon. You can ask him then."

Lu Yao nodded and followed Zhao Beichuan to the main house.

The layout of this courtyard was similar to the one in Ping Prefecture, though a bit narrower. However, given the high housing prices in Shangjing, a smaller place was acceptable.

The main house was not fully furnished yet. There was only a canopy bed, seemingly prepared in case they arrived and had nowhere to stay.

The two side rooms were well-prepared. Currently, Beidou was living in the east wing room, while Ma Kuan was staying in the front guest rooms with a few servants.

Lu Yao said with a smile, "This kid is too serious. We're going to be family soon, yet he still treats himself like a servant."

Zhao Beichuan smiled. "That's called having good judgment and knowing when to step forward or step back. He's looking much more pleasing now."

Perhaps a brother-in-law's view of his sister's husband is naturally critical. He always felt this guy didn't deserve his precious sister.

But Ma Kuan was indeed capable. At least after marrying Xiaonian, they wouldn't have to worry about their future.

Before long, Zhao Beidou returned from Guozijian. In the morning, he went with Ma Kuan by carriage. When he came back, the coachman was already waiting at the door.

After his brother-in-law arrived, Zhao Beidou's quality of life improved significantly. He now had a carriage to pick him up and drop him off at school.

Entering the courtyard and seeing the carriage, he knew his elder brother and sister-in-law had arrived. He couldn’t maintain his composure for even a moment and ran towards the main house.

"Elder Brother! Sister-in-Law!"

The door opened, and the boy darted in, excitedly pulling Lu Yao's arm and saying, "When did you arrive? I thought you weren’t coming!"

Zhao Beichuan scolded, "Don’t disturb your sister-in-law; she’s not feeling well."

Xiaodou immediately let go, asking, "Sister-in-law, are you sick?"

"No, don’t listen to your elder brother’s nonsense."

Zhao Beichuan coughed and said, "Your sister-in-law is expecting."

"Ah? I’m going to be an uncle?!"

"Yes."

"Hahahaha, I’m going to be an uncle! Oh wow!" Zhao Beidou clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his enthusiasm no different from his elder brother's.

He had grown up with Lu Yao, considering him almost like a second mother, so his joy was understandable.

Zhao Beidou knelt in front of Lu Yao and said, "Little nephew, little niece, you must grow up strong and healthy. When I pass the imperial exams and become a high official, I’ll support you."

Zhao Beichuan, both amused and exasperated, lifted him up and said, "Let your sister-in-law rest. Come with me to organize the things from the carriage."

Actually, Lu Yao wasn’t too tired, just a bit stiff from the journey, so he joined them to help organize.

There were quite a few items taken from the carriage, especially the glassware, which needed to be checked for damage to avoid giving broken items and embarrassing themselves.

The food needed to be taken out and stored properly to prevent rats from getting to it. This time, Lu Yao planned to spend the New Year in Shangjing, so he had brought a lot of food from home.

Smoked and cured meats, homemade pickles and small salted fish, as well as sea intestine powder (a flavor enhancer) and cumin powder, all ground by themselves.

The gifts were sorted and placed in the west wing room, while some of the food was taken to the kitchen and the rest stored in jars outside to freeze.

By the time everything was settled, it was already late, and Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan hadn’t eaten. Just then, Ma Kuan returned.

Lu Yao said, "Let’s not cook at home tonight. We’ll eat out and try some of the capital’s delicacies."

Ma Kuan took the initiative to lead the way. He had visited many restaurants in Shangjing recently to compare their dishes with their own. As he walked, he said, "Currently, there are six or seven famous restaurants in Shangjing, but only one is renowned for its cuisine: He Yan Zhai. You need to make a reservation in advance, and we can’t go today. However, I’ve already made a reservation for tomorrow afternoon."

"Tonight, let’s eat at Chang He Ju. Their lotus-steamed crispy pork and lotus leaf rolls are very famous, and the crab roe stuffing is also excellent."

"Alright, you handle it." Lu Yao was very satisfied. Someone like Ma Kuan would surely reach the position of CEO even in modern times. He is incredibly useful!