Chapter 554 (1/2)
First Entry Into the North
Feng Yu Heng sat in the carriage and gently lifted the curtain. A snowflake immediately entered with the wind. Even if it was her, she pulled her neck in from the cold.
Magistrate Lu glared at her, and Feng Yu Heng quickly lowered the curtain. Madam Lu was currently eating a pastry. Over the past two months, they had mostly been passing their days in the carriage. Even if they stopped, they would go directly to the inn to rest. Over the course of the entire day, all they did was eat and sleep. After two months, she had become quite a bit chubbier.
Feng Yu Heng asked her: “Madam, how much longer until we reach Guan Zhou?” She spoke while holding herself, “It’s so cold.”
Madam Lu also felt cold, but she was chubby and had plenty of fat, thus she did not think that it was particularly unbearable. After finishing the pastry, she took a sip of water before saying: “Roughly two more days. This is your first time coming to the North. You must be careful about your manor of speaking. This place is different from the central region, as the people here are fierce. There are times when buying a steamed bun will result in a fight breaking out.”
Feng Yu Heng pretended to be shocked: “Really?”
Reality proved that this was indeed the case.
Two days later, the Lu family’s carriage stopped outside of Guan Zhou. Feng Yu Heng was the first to get out of the carriage. The driver helped magistrate Lu, while she helped madam Lu.
How could they have known that when madam Lu got out of the carriage, there happened to be a roasted sweet potato vendor just outside the city that was placing the remaining sweet potatoes into the stove. One of them slipped and rolled over, stopping under madam Lu’s foot. She did not see it and stepped on it. She leaned sideways and nearly fell over. Fortunately, Feng Yu Heng and magistrate Lu worked together to hold her up. Only then could they manage to stabilize her body. Madam Lu looked down and took a look at the sweet potato. Raising her foot to take a look, she casually said: “What a group of unruly people.”
Her voice was very quiet, and not even the driver just ahead of her heard it, yet the sweet potato vendor happened to hear it. In addition to madam Lu having kicked the sweet potato, this person immediately lost it. With a thick northern accent, the vendor asked: “Who are you talking about? Who are you calling unruly? Do you think that I’m happy that the sweet potato rolled over here on its own? You even kicked it. This is something that people eat. Is that foot of yours made of gold?”
“You,” No matter what was said, madam Lu was the madam of an official’s family. She was unable to do something like openly cursing at someone in the middle of the road. But her not doing it did not mean that others would not, as she grabbed magistrate Lu and pushed him forward, quietly saying: “A grown man should step forward at a time like this. What sort of situation would it be for you to hide behind me?”
Magistrate Lu also felt that he should step forward, thus he pointed at the sweet potato vendor and fiercely said: “Impudent! A lowly commoner dares to stop an official’s carriage. Even if this official beat you to death today, there would not be anyone to stand up for you!”
Feng Yu Heng secretly laughed to herself. A lowly magistrate really viewed himself as some sort of high-ranking official. But the commoners of the North truly were ferocious and brave. The Lu family’s carriage could not be considered good; however, it was definitely not something that was common. Someone that sold things outside the city’s gates would naturally become accustomed to seeing people coming and going. He should have the most basic ability to make judgments on large and small families; however, he still dared to speak to madam Lu like this. Aside from the nature of the people of the North, there had to be some other reason.
The sweet potato vendor immediately shifted his anger upon seeing magistrate Lu appear. He was not in the slightest scared by the words “this official.” Instead, he pointed at him and said: “A lowly official that’s little better than a sesame seed dares to throw his weight around. Just look at your clothes then look at your carriage. As I see it, you’re at most a sixth rank official, and you don’t have any real power. What are you acting so high and mighty for?”
Feng Yu Heng nearly suffered internal injuries from holding in her laughter. His eyes really were sharp!
Magistrate Lu’s face also turned red from being insulted, as he heard the sweet potato vendor continue: “You don’t even stop to look at what sort of place Guan Zhou City is. This is the southern entrance to the North! After passing through Guan Zhou and continuing North, you will reach Song Zhou. That is where great leader Duan Mu resides. Every year, at this time, there are so many officials that come to celebrate great leader Duan Mu’s birthday that it’s impossible to keep count. Officials of all ranks have been seen, and which of them isn’t more powerful than you? I will tell you that the cost of kicking my sweet potatoes is five taels! Pay up! If you won’t pay, just stay here. Counting the days, it should not be long until leader Duan Mu’s birthday. I really want to see if attending leader Duan Mu’s birthday is more important or if five taels are more important.
Magistrate Lu was completely convinced. The people of the North were all brave people. Did a single one of them know how to be reasonable? Was there any justice?
But his anger was just that. It was as the person had said. There were not many days left until Duan Mu An Guo’s birthday. If they did not quickly depart, he feared that they would be late. Moreover, since he had brought the conversation in that direction, the people that were coming and going all heard this. If he continued to cause a fuss, that would mean that he did not take leader Duan Mu seriously and that he was not even worth five taels.
This accusation was quite good. Even if magistrate Lu was unwilling to accept, he still needed to obediently hand over the money. Only then could he successfully enter the city.
Guan Zhou had a rule that one had to get out of one’s carriage or dismount one’s horse when entering or exiting the city. After being inspected by the guards, they would be allowed in. Especially during this time, the original residents of the three northern provinces had to keep the identification plates that were provided by the government on them at all times. Those that came from the outside needed to have a visitor’s pass before being allowed to enter. Also, there was a limit to the number of servants and attendants that people that had come to celebrate the birthday could bring. Each master was limited to two.
This sort of rule was far more strict than what the capital would have, but the people were happy to follow it because the local ruler, Duan Mu An Guo, would indeed allow these people to enjoy many benefits. Nowadays, Qian Zhou had rebelled, and the three northern provinces were the entry point into Da Shun. Duan Mu An Guo’s position immediately shot up in the eyes of others. Even if the third prince had become worthless, the people still believed that the Emperor would not touch the Duan Mu family. After all, touching them would be touching the very foundation of the North.