Chapter 176

The carriage raced by, bumping incessantly.

Fortunately, Jiang Sheng had prepared in advance by stuffing several layers of quilts under her bottom.

Alas, the cheap carriage was inevitably shoddy. The few layers of quilts could only mildly alleviate the soreness on her rear, but did nothing to soothe Chang Yan’s sickly pale complexion, much less make Wen Zhiyun swallow back down the bitter fluids he had vomited.

Zheng Ruqian was truly reluctant to see them suffer, so he slowed down the pace.

But at this rate, it would take them months to reach Fengjing.

"Second brother, I'm fine," Chang Yan said with great difficulty. "Please, go faster. Fourth brother and I can sleep."

Having said that, he collapsed face down on the quilt.

Jiang Sheng was faring slightly better, not because she was hardier, but because Auntie Zhang held her in her arms, using her legs as a buffer.

But that was not a viable long-term solution either, as Auntie Zhang's arms and legs would eventually grow numb as well.

Jiang Sheng obediently hopped down to lie side by side with her fourth and fifth brothers, closing her eyes to feign sleep. "I'll sleep too."

After a brief nap, when she opened her eyes again, it was already dark.

The carriage had stopped; Zheng Ruqian had found them an inn and was negotiating with the proprietor.

With their group of six, they needed two rooms - one for Auntie Zhang and Jiang Sheng, and one for the four brothers.

A stable hand led the carriage horses away to feed them, and the weary travelers could finally lie down on soft beds to sleep until daylight.

The next morning after breakfast, they continued northwest.

Lying in Auntie Zhang's lap, Jiang Sheng lamented, "Just three or five days in the carriage was unbearable for me. I really don't know how Third Brother rode all the way to the northern borderlands on horseback. When he dismounted, were his arms and legs still in their original positions?"

Xu Mo couldn't help laughing. He stood up to switch places with Zheng Ruqian and said, "Don't worry, his arms and legs didn't get twisted around." Jiang Sheng sighed aloud.

Fortunately, after just a few days, they passed through Hanzhong Commandery and arrived at the border of Fengjing.

As the geography changed, so did the temperature and air. The most obvious change was slightly wrinkled skin and dry breathing - Wen Zhiyun even got a nosebleed.

As a doctor himself, he took his own pulse and knew it was nothing serious, just discomfort from the excessively dry air.

Jiang Sheng pressed her lips together, as if wanting to say something, but when she turned her head and saw the undulating mountain ranges, she was struck speechless. "What's that?"

Majestic peaks and valleys rose and fell at varying distances and heights, blended and shaded as if by divine craftsmanship.

The sprawling ridge seemed ready to ascend to immortality at any moment, flying away on the wind.

The layered greens imbued it with life, while the staggered silhouettes veiled it in mystery.

"That is the Kunlun Mountain Range, the dragon vein of the entire Dayu Dynasty," Chang Yan suddenly spoke up quietly. "When the Dayu Dynasty's ancestors chose this location for their capital, it was because of this dragon vein."

The Son of Heaven was the true dragon emperor, so naturally his capital also required a dragon vein.

With the Kunlun Mountains shielding its back, Fengjing would always have an unvanquishable foothold.

Everyone gazed into the distance, with longing, awe, and in one case, a trailing nosebleed in their eyes.

Two days later.

The carriage halted before the gates of Fengjing.

Compared to Anshui's naturally formed cluster against the mountainside, Fengjing's city gates were more magnificent and refined.

The rounded stone pillars framed the heavy wooden doors, flanked on both sides by city walls that stretched like mountain ranges, the stacked tiles and bricks climbing to dizzying heights. Dozens of soldiers bearing long spears stood guard at the gates, inspecting the belongings and vehicles of the commoners passing in and out.

Compared to Anshui's cursory checks, Fengjing's soldiers were far more meticulous, even probing the bulging sleeves of passersby, as if fearing concealed weapons.

"As the Son of Heaven's domain, Fengjing naturally has extremely high security standards," Chang Yan explained.

Jiang Sheng nodded.

When their carriage reached the gates, the soldiers came over for the customary inspection. Zheng Ruqian cooperatively pulled back the curtain and presented both the identity papers from the Anshui magistrate as well as their luggage for checking.

Finding nothing amiss, the soldiers glanced over their unfamiliar faces and stepped back to let them through.

The carriage lightly clopped into Fengjing, familiar official proclamations filling the air.

In his corner, Chang Yan lifted his head, limbs icy cold but mind surprisingly clear. After three years, he had returned to this city.

This time, he was simply Chang Yan, an ordinary youth with older and younger siblings.

Suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered his own, accompanied by Jiang Sheng's complaining, "Fifth Brother, why are your hands so cold? Are you cold?"

Warmth steadily transmitted over, heating his hands and feet, calming and relaxing his heart as well.

"Is that so? Is Little Five cold?" Wen Zhiyun, who had just wiped the blood from his nosebleed, hugged his feet. "Fourth Brother will warm you up."

Xu Mo smiled as he watched his family's affectionate interactions.

Only Zheng Ruqian outside glanced at his own thin clothing, the scorching sun, and the sweat beading the brows of the commoners hustling about.

Cold in the sixth or seventh month of the year?

Upon first arriving in Fengjing, lodging was the first issue to resolve.

Considering Fengjing's steep prices, the siblings unanimously agreed to rent housing.

But the rental prices also left them shocked.

Xu Mo was a successful imperial examination candidate, so he should enter the Imperial College to study in preparation for the placement exams. Thus, it was best to choose a house near the College.

Zheng Ruqian had his eye on a small two-courtyard residence and gingerly inquired about the price. "How much is this courtyard?"

The agent lazily picked at his fingernails and drawled, "One hundred taels."

Zheng Ruqian blanched.

Back in Xiayang, a similarly sized courtyard had cost only ten taels, which he had still found exorbitant at the time.

Later in Anshui, the enormous Zihuaxiao manor cost only twenty-five taels a year to rent.

How could a tiny two-courtyard residence in Fengjing require a hundred taels of silver to rent for a year?

Zheng Ruqian was baffled, and more so indignant, with a heavy sense of powerlessness.

The overinflated self-confidence upon leaving Anshui slowly deflated in this moment as he recalled the two thousand taels he had considered a fortune, now barely enough to make ripples in Fengjing.

"What, find it too expensive?" The agent suddenly sneered contemptuously, an aloof superiority on his face. "One look and I can tell you're just a country bumpkin from some backwater. Everything about you screams poor and shabby. Did you really think Fengjing is like your little villages? This is the capital, under the Son of Heaven's feet. If you don't have money, go beg on the streets with the other paupers instead of wasting my time."

Having said that, he slapped Zheng Ruqian to the ground, striding over his chest as he left.