Chapter 145: Journey to the North (2)

On the fourth day of the second month, the Great Liang delegation entered Youzhou territory of Northern Wei. The Wei Emperor dispatched Minister of Rites Ge Zhaofu to welcome them.

Qi Ying, having overseen the Imperial Secretariat for many years, was well-acquainted with the factional struggles within the Northern Wei court.

Just a few months ago, the Minister of Rites in Great Wei was someone else—Jiang Changhong, if he remembered correctly, a member of the Gu family faction. However, following their recent defeat, signs of the Gu family’s decline emerged. First to be eliminated were their protégés and allies. The Wei Emperor had dismissed Jiang Changhong and promoted Ge Zhaofu, a student of Zou Qian, as his replacement. From this, it was evident that the civil-military factional strife within the Great Wei court had reached its peak.

This was naturally welcomed by Great Liang—the Gu family posed a far greater threat to Jiangzuo than the Zou family. If the Gu family fell, there would be an opportunity in ten years for the Southern forces to cross the natural barrier and achieve greatness.

These thoughts lingered in Qi Ying’s mind, but not a trace was visible to outsiders. The officials from the Wei court who came to greet them only saw the solemn and quiet demeanor of the Southern officials, all bowing their heads as they awaited the descent of a man from the carriage. That man, surrounded by admiration like stars around the moon, possessed a pair of exceptionally beautiful phoenix eyes, with pupils as dark as ink. His presence exuded a noble and serene grandeur akin to vast mountains and rivers, making one feel instantly inferior upon seeing him.

Great Liang, Qi Jingchen.

This name was already well-known among the officials of Great Wei, and after the northern campaign, it became a household name, a nightmare for the people of the north. Though Ge Zhaofu harbored deep hatred for this Great Liang man, he also felt profound respect. He stepped forward with clasped hands and said, “Lord Qi.”

This title was rather interesting.

In Great Liang, most officials referred to the Chief Minister as “Young Lord Qi,” placing more emphasis on the Qi family and viewing Qi Ying as subordinate to the family. However, the people of Wei did not buy into the prestige of aristocratic families and cared little for the so-called Three Surnames of Jiangzuo. In their eyes, the name Qi Jingchen commanded more respect than the Qi family itself. It was because of him that the Qi family gained renown in the north. Thus, they directly addressed him as “Lord Qi.”

The officials of Great Liang understood this implication, but Qi Ying showed no reaction. He exchanged greetings with Ge Zhaofu and other Wei officials, then inquired about the subsequent itinerary arrangements. Subsequently, he followed them into Youzhou City to await the audience in Shangjing the next day.

Northern Wei’s Shangjing differed from Southern Liang’s Jiankang. Though both were capitals under the emperor’s feet, their atmospheres were vastly different. Unlike Jiankang’s splendor and magnificence, Shangjing exuded a sense of majesty and solemnity, with a unique desolate grandeur characteristic of the north. However, due to their recent defeat, the expressions of the common people on the streets were heavy with sorrow. Upon seeing the arrival of the Southern delegation’s carriages, there were numerous complaints and grievances.

This was Shen Xiling’s first visit to Shangjing.

She sat inside the carriage, carefully peeking through the gaps in the window at the outside world. For the first time, she truly witnessed the appearance of the northern imperial city. From the architecture of the buildings to the attire of the pedestrians on the streets, everything was different from Jiangzuo, filling her with curiosity.

Qi Ying patted her shoulder. She closed the window and turned back to look at him, hearing him say, “Later, I have to go to the Wei Palace. Will you wait for me at the envoy’s guesthouse?”

He was asking for her opinion.

Shen Xiling looked at him and nodded, then asked worriedly, “…You won’t have any trouble, will you?”

He smiled faintly and shook his head.

Indeed, Northern Wei had just suffered a defeat and was seeking peace. How could they dare to harm their Great Liang envoy?

Shen Xiling felt reassured and sweetly smiled at Qi Ying, obediently saying, “Then I’ll wait for you to come back.”

From then on, Qi Ying became very busy.

During the day, he frequently visited the Wei Palace to negotiate peace talks with Wei officials. At night, upon returning to the guesthouse, he continued discussions with officials from the Privy Council  (Imperial Secretariat) and the Honglu Temple. Occasionally, he even had to write memorials to send back to Jiangzuo for the emperor’s review—it was overwhelmingly demanding.

Shen Xiling had always known that this person was very busy, but in the past, his busyness usually took place at the family estate or government offices, rarely in front of her. Now, in the envoy’s guesthouse, they were together every day, and she finally witnessed his exhausting routine, day and night.

It was indeed very tiring; she felt weary just watching him.

She couldn’t do much to help him, so she focused on taking care of his meals. At mealtime, she insisted on forcing him to spare at least fifteen minutes to eat properly. Qi Ying found this somewhat frustrating, while Qingzhu was quite satisfied, and his attitude towards Shen Xiling improved daily.

After only four or five days in Shangjing, Qi Ying had noticeably lost some weight. Naturally, Shen Xiling was deeply distressed by this, but he remained calm and consoled her, saying, “This is the last time. Afterward, I will never be this way again.”

That day, he seemed to be in good spirits, perhaps because the peace talks were proceeding smoothly. He even planned a life of seclusion with her, which made Shen Xiling happy and temporarily forgot her worries about his busyness, eagerly looking forward to the days ahead.

The next day, after Qi Ying left the guesthouse, Shen Xiling was compelled to go out as well.

This wasn’t a big deal.

Besides Qi Ying, several other officials from Great Liang resided in the envoy’s guesthouse. Everyone needed to eat, so it was inevitable that someone would need to go out to buy grains and other necessities. Although Shen Xiling was actually the proper wife-to-be of Young Lord Qi, she publicly bore the reputation of a servant. To avoid drawing attention and suspicion, she inevitably had to take on more chores. That day, she was tasked with going out to buy fruits.

Shen Xiling didn’t mind this. After all, staying in the envoy’s guesthouse was quite boring. Going out was beneficial; she could see the local customs and entertain herself—it was a good idea.

She wandered around the streets, buying fruits and paying attention to the prices of other goods. This was probably a merchant’s habit—calculating automatically upon seeing money and goods, more meticulously than anyone else.

She discovered that many things in Shangjing were more expensive than in Jiankang. Take textiles, for example—silk and hemp were significantly pricier than in Jiangzuo. Cotton textiles were even more expensive and scarce, still considered novel items. Medicinal herbs, books, carvings, fruits, and vegetables were also more costly than in the south.

Upon reflection, it made sense. The north had always been less prosperous than Jiangzuo, and Wei did not prioritize commerce as much as Great Liang. Even among the aristocratic families in Jiangzuo, there were those involved in trade, whereas Northern Wei still held merchants in low regard, focusing solely on agriculture. Over time, this naturally hindered the circulation of money and goods, leading to higher prices.

Being of merchant origin, Shen Xiling found this situation quite intriguing. She thought that if someone could bridge the gap between the north and south and open up trade routes, they could sell off the accumulated goods in hand. Even with a 20% price increase, it would still be cheaper than the current market prices in Shangjing. Wouldn’t that be a win-win solution?

Moreover, the silver earned could be donated to those who had collapsed by the roadside…

Shen Xiling sighed.

She continued wandering around and noticed that grains in the north were slightly cheaper than in Jiangzuo, with plump kernels and superior quality, likely due to Northern Wei’s fertile soil and agricultural traditions.

Finding this highly interesting, she asked the shopkeeper about the selling method of this rice.

The shopkeeper was a rugged northern man, extremely coarse in appearance and temperament. Upon seeing Shen Xiling, he frowned deeply, scrutinized her, and gruffly asked, “Little girl, are you from Great Liang?”

Shen Xiling was startled and instinctively nodded.

As soon as she nodded, the shopkeeper’s frown deepened even more. With a wave of his large hand, he gruffly said, “Then go away! I won’t sell to you!”

Shen Xiling blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. Gradually, she realized what had happened.

Her accent from the Jiankang area was easily recognizable. Now that Great Wei had just suffered a defeat, even ordinary citizens harbored deep resentment towards Great Liang, extending their hostility to all southerners. She had become a target of displaced anger.

Feeling speechless but unwilling to argue, Shen Xiling said nothing and moved away from the shopkeeper. Even after walking a considerable distance, she could still hear the shopkeeper telling others, “What bad luck.”

She pursed her lips.

Continuing her exploration of the streets, Shen Xiling gradually noticed more differences between Shangjing and Jiankang.

For instance, the beggars on the streets.

Though she had witnessed numerous tragic scenes on her journey north, Jiankang, as the capital of Great Liang, was prosperous and peaceful, with few beggars seen along the streets. In contrast, Shangjing had a noticeable increase in beggars, each clad in tattered clothes and emaciated.

There was a little girl, about five or six years old, weak and frail, holding a broken bowl and sitting timidly by the roadside, too scared to beg. When she noticed Shen Xiling looking at her and perceived her kind face, she mustered the courage to approach and ask for food.

Shen Xiling’s heart softened.

Looking around, she spotted a bun shop nearby and led the little girl over. Taking out some money, she said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, please give us two meat buns.”

Unluckily for her, the two shopkeepers she encountered that day were both ill-tempered and prone to displaced anger. Upon hearing her accent, they immediately frowned, even more rudely than the previous one, saying, “Go away! I’d rather feed these meat buns to dogs than sell them to you southerners—leave quickly!”

Momentarily speechless and unwilling to argue with the shopkeeper, Shen Xiling handed the money to the little girl beside her and turned to the shopkeeper, saying, “These buns are for her. She is not from the south. Surely, you wouldn’t refuse to sell to her?”

However, the shopkeeper neither looked nor listened, persistently trying to drive them away. Shen Xiling had no choice but to lead the child to the neighboring steamed bun shop, only to encounter another cold reception. After walking the entire street, not a single person sold anything to her.

Shen Xiling was genuinely upset, feeling that these people were being utterly unreasonable. Even if they harbored resentment towards southerners, how could they be so indiscriminate? Moreover, what fault did the beggar girl beside her have? Why must they make things so difficult?

Seeing Shen Xiling return empty-handed after a round trip, the bun shopkeeper felt quite smug, looking at her with a mocking expression. Unable to suppress her temper, Shen Xiling said to him, “Shopkeeper, bullying women and children is impressive. But where were you during the war between the north and south? If you truly despise the south and wish to serve your country, why not enlist? Killing enemies with a sword would surely be more satisfying. Bullying people here seems like a waste.”

Shen Xiling was not one to lose her temper easily. The few times she did were always on behalf of others, such as Master Feng the last time, and now this unknown little beggar girl. Even when angry, she remained composed, her words clean but her expression filled with disdain and indifference, conveying her contempt.

But the shopkeeper was not a reasonable person. Upon hearing such mocking words, he became enraged, his face turning red. Likely driven by shame and anger, he picked up a rolling pin and swung it at Shen Xiling!