Chapter 8: That Blooming Flower

Yang Xin did not actually take four days.

The Fengh River of this era was effectively a branch of the Yongding River, or what was now called the Lugou River, also known as the Hun River. Below the Lugou Bridge, the Lugou River split into two branches, both flowing southeast and ultimately joining the Sanjiaodian. However, the left branch split again at Gu’an; one part went east at Yuanjiakou to join the Huitong River, or the Daqing River, and then flowed into the Sanjiaodian, while the other part passed directly through Yongqing into the Sanjiaodian. The right branch captured the Liangshui River and then split again at the Hongren Bridge, also called the Majuqiao; one branch continued east and joined the Grand Canal at Zhangjiawan, and the other went south to connect with the Fengh River, which then flowed south into the Sanjiaodian.

This was the current Yongding River system.

Yang Xin only needed to paddle his boat to Majuqiao and then change direction.

“What place is that?”

He asked, gazing into the distance towards the east.

There was a tall wall stretching across the land, but due to neglect, it looked more like a ruined and decaying garden. Inside, he could vaguely see raised pavilions. The river water beneath their feet flowed out from a sluice gate there, only it split into two courses: one went east, and the other went south, joining the Fengh River they had come from further downstream. The water was murky, only slightly less so than the Yellow River. In fact, common folk called this the Hun River.

“Nanhai Park, the emperor’s family garden. The wall alone stretches for a hundred and sixty li,” Huang Ying said.

This was the Nanyuan.

The Liangshui River ran through the Nanyuan and exited its eastern wall. The Fengh River originated directly from the Nanyuan and exited its southern wall.

Since it was a royal park, not just anyone could enter freely. It had to be enclosed by walls, just like the Yuanming Yuan. Commoners could only gaze at it from outside the walls. If they wanted to go inside, they would need the Emperor’s immense grace.

Otherwise, they would have to wait until invaders slapped our Emperor in the face.

Or they could do it themselves.

Yang Xin looked at the Nanyuan, a park larger than the Beijing city itself, with a sigh of emotion. The small sampan under his feet slowly passed under an elegant stone arch bridge ahead. This was the origin of the place’s name. It was built by Zhu Qizhen, but during his second reign as emperor. South of this stone arch bridge, soldiers belonging to the Hongren Bridge inspection station sat lazily on stools, holding their long spears and watching them. Behind them stood a large temple. Yang Xin subconsciously touched his smooth face. In just four days, the wounds on his face had disappeared without a trace. After four consecutive days of overeating, even his originally somewhat emaciated body had swollen up like soaked sterculia seeds. His once thin cheeks now had some flesh.

Huang Ying looked at him with complex emotions in her eyes.

Clearly, after being fattened up, Yang Xin was like a completely new person, handsome by any measure.

Just a bit dark.

In this aspect, the two of them were quite similar, both having a healthy complexion, or one could say a wheatish tone, though Yang Xin’s was deeper. After all, he couldn’t shed his old beggar’s skin like a snake…

Although he was indeed shedding skin.

For example, the old scars, big and small, and the calluses from years of hardship were all peeling off due to the rapid changes in his body. One could say that at this point, even if Yang Xin still had facial scars, if he walked up to someone like Xiong Tingbi, who had only seen him a few times, they would have a hard time recognizing him immediately.

“My lady, should we get something to eat?”

Yang Xin said with a smile.

“We’re out of money!”

Huang Ying said irritably, throwing her small purse at his feet.

Yang Xin shook out the last copper coin inside. He pinched the coin and held it up before his eyes, looking through the square hole in its center at the riverbank, following a dark blue sedan chair as it moved. The sedan chair had just emerged from that temple. It was being carried slowly onto the Hongren Bridge by four bearers, accompanied by two young maidservants and four servants. Probably some official’s wife was inside.

“Then I’ll go borrow a little from someone. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

He said.

“I mind!”

Huang Ying said.

She certainly knew what Yang Xin meant by “borrow.”

“Isn’t even robbing the rich to help the poor allowed?”

Yang Xin said, still watching the sedan chair.

The sedan chair was now on the bridge, and their sampan was about to pass beneath it. But at that moment, accompanied by panicked shouts, two angry yellow oxen came charging one after another from the opposite direction, chased by several farmers.

“Get back quickly!”

A frightened shriek immediately sounded from above.

The sedan bearers scrambled to retreat, but this bridge had nine arches and was twenty-five zhang long. Behind them, two donkey carts had also already come onto the bridge.

“Climb over the railing!”

Amid the chaos, a sharp, feminine shout rang out.

Then, a young woman lifted the sedan curtain. The bearers hurriedly set the sedan down. The ox had already charged onto the bridge surface. Bearers, servants, and maidservants screamed and ran to the bridge railing, climbing over it. The young woman also climbed over the stone bridge railing, standing on the narrow stone ledge outside it, which could only accommodate half a foot. The two yellow oxes charged forward next, toppling the sedan chair with a crash. The falling sedan chair struck the young woman’s left hand, which was holding the railing. She cried out in pain and pulled her hand back, but her footing slipped completely, and she plummeted downward. Fortunately, her right hand still clung to the railing, leaving her dangling in mid-air. She turned her head and looked down in terror at the murky river surface nearly one zhang below…

“Quick, save her!”

Huang Ying said, hastily poling the boat forward.

The sampan immediately reached beneath her. Yang Xin looked up and extended his arms. Almost simultaneously, the young woman’s right hand slipped from the railing. Then Yang Xin saw an exquisitely embroidered long skirt blooming like a flower above his head. Before he could even see what was at the flower’s heart, it descended upon him like a falling rafflesia…

Under Huang Ying’s dumbfounded gaze, the young woman looked down in confusion at her own skirt.

She lifted it with the fastest speed.

“Miss, you were frightened!”

Yang Xin, seeing daylight again, said with a gentle expression.

The young woman’s brain was probably completely blank at that moment.

“May I put you down?”

Yang Xin tilted his head to avoid the object pressed directly against his face and continued gently.

“Ah!”

Feeling the foreign object on her thigh, the young woman suddenly let out a scream…

Three minutes later.

“You won’t silence me to cover this up, will you? I didn’t see anything,” Yang Xin asked the young woman with an anxious face.

The latter had already straightened her clothes and regained the grace and elegance of a well-bred young lady from a respectable family. She stood on the riverbank, watching the servants deal with the sedan chair wrecked by the ox. But upon hearing his words, her pretty face immediately flushed red. At the same time, her eyes emitted a murderous intent, though her trembling hands showed her efforts at restraint. Clearly, she was mentally tearing Yang Xin to pieces over and over, or perhaps replaying the scene repeatedly in her mind.

She gestured with her eyes.

“Thank you for your help, elder brother. If not for you today, my young mistress would surely have been injured. If you ever find yourself in difficulty in the future, you may come to the Fang Residence at Fang Village outside the Yongding Gate and look for me. My name is He Xiang,” the young maidservant beside her said gratefully.

After the rather tactless little sister He Xiang finished speaking, the young woman beside her took a deep breath. Yang Xin could see that something, which had just been pressed against the top of his head, was rising and falling rapidly beneath the beautiful silk. Once He Xiang finished, the young woman turned and left without hesitation. The little maidservant hastily bowed slightly to Yang Xin and hurriedly chased after her.

“And that’s it? And she’s supposed to be a well-bred young lady? Not even a thank you. I haven’t even eaten today!” Yang Xin complained from behind.

The young woman stumbled in her step, then turned around and glared angrily at him. She threw a money purse hard at him, then turned and ran off, disregarding a young lady’s elegance.

“Let’s go. We have money for food now!” Yang Xin said contentedly, tossing the money purse.

But Huang Ying didn’t move.

“What’s that expression for? Doesn’t your heart stir even a little when I tease a young and beautiful lady like this?” Yang Xin leaned over from the front to look at her.

“The Fang family! The Fang family!” Huang Ying said, keeping a face full of shock.

“Which Fang family?”

Yang Xin asked, puzzled.

“Grand Secretary Fang, the current Chief Grand Secretary. Fang Village outside the Yongding Gate,” Huang Ying said.

“Huh? The hardworking Fang Congzhe? So that was his granddaughter?”

Yang Xin said.

“His granddaughter naturally lives in the Grand Secretariat Elder’s residence inside the city. How could she live outside the city? Fang Village is his ancestral home. Naturally, it’s where his brothers live. His elder brother teaches in the village, the famous Elder Fang. Scholars all over Shuntian Prefecture dream of studying under him!” Huang Ying explained.

“Ha, nice business. Fang Congzhe serves as Chief Grand Secretary, and his brother teaches students at home. Whoever studies under his brother becomes part of Fang Congzhe’s reserve forces. Does it matter how well his brother teaches? What’s most important is being able to stand before Grand Secretary Fang and let him know of one’s loyalty. So, wouldn’t the local gentry desperately send their sons and grandsons to his brother? They can even send gifts to Fang Congzhe with a clear conscience — ‘This is for the teacher, not for the Chief Grand Secretary.’ That’s how all the Shuntian gentry unite under Grand Secretary Fang’s banner,” Yang Xin said.

“Nonsense! Elder Fang is truly learned. His students pass the provincial examinations year after year,” Huang Ying retorted angrily.

“Naturally! With his students flashing that connection, the examiners would instantly have them pre-selected! Speaking of which, how do you know so much? Could it be you…”

Yang Xin said with a suspicious look.

“I heard it from my brother’s teacher!” Huang Ying quickly said.

“You have a brother?”

Yang Xin said, drawing out his words.

“What do you think Father and I endure the wind and rain for, traveling all the time? To earn more money so my brother can pass the Xiucai examination! Don’t tell anyone. My brother is fostered at my uncle’s house. To outsiders, he’s said to be my uncle’s son. In our line of work, who knows when trouble might strike. If it implicates him, it’s all over. Our family’s hopes rest on him. He’s already a Tongsheng and passed the prefectural exam. With one more exam, he can try for Xiucai. If only he could study under Elder Fang,” Huang Ying said wistfully.

“Uh, can’t you just buy a Xiucai title?”

Yang Xin asked, confused.

“Nonsense! How can you buy a Xiucai? What you can buy is Imperial College Student status, for several hundred taels of silver. Moreover, buying it only gets you a Purchased Student Status. Unless you keep spending money, you can’t become an official. You’d need to spend thousands of taels to get a minor official post. Powerful families might buy Imperial College Student status for their sons, hoping for promotion later with connections. Rich families can keep spending money to buy their way. What use is it for ordinary families like ours to bankrupt ourselves buying Imperial College Student status? Better to work hard. With luck, if Heaven is kind, one might pass the exams and earn a rank. Even just a Xiucai would mean not having to pay taxes later. Even when our boat passes a customs checkpoint, we wouldn’t have to pay a single coin,” Huang Ying said with boundless longing.

“You have big dreams in that little head of yours!”

Yang Xin said with emotion.