Chapter 3, Encounters

Yes

Having said this, she did not wait for Uncle Lu and the others to ask, but waved her hand and said: "That will be all for today, everyone can leave."

On this night, Liu Jing did not sleep at all. She first used a branch to draw in the mud, then walked back and forth under the moonlight, and afterwards ground ink to write for a while. Until the early hours, Uncle Lu still saw her deliberately elongated figure, elevated, silhouetted against the screen window.

Liu Jing has grown up, and I truly never expected that a man could be so handsome. Especially considering that he is only wearing a simple blue cloth robe typical of commoners. If he were to wear a golden crown and have his hair tied up, adorned with white jade, I wonder what kind of elegance he would possess

No one knows the significance of what Liu Jing is doing, yet every day she listens to these individuals report on matters in great detail. When she hears certain key points, she instructs them to pay special attention to specific issues or individuals next time

After spending most of the day wandering, Liu Jing had also secured a rental for the courtyard. Li Yang truly lived up to its reputation as the administrative center of Yangzhou, as the housing was quite expensive. Liu Jing rented it for three months, paying a total of ten taels of gold.

A group of people entered Liyang City

On the 20th or so, she arranged for them to be placed in the most bustling and crowded areas of Liyang City. Some sought out the brothel madam to work as temporary gigolos, some were hired into tea houses as tea doctors, some mingled in the four major markets of Liyang, aimlessly wandering around all day, and some entered the docks as casual laborers

In summary, there were over twenty individuals, each assigned to a specific location. The task of these individuals was to record everything they heard and saw on that day, and then report back to Liu Jing in the evening.

The place she headed to was Liyang City, the administrative center of Yangzhou. Liyang is the most prosperous city in Yangzhou, serving as the residence of the Yangzhou governor. It is a hub of culture, with numerous Confucian scholars and countless merchants, making it the most coveted city among all the people of Yangzhou

After settling down, the group began to follow Liu Jing's arrangements the next day

She cherished the jade pendant that her mother regarded as her lifeline, which her father had borrowed extensively to avoid using, and it was exchanged for fifty taels of gold. When hiring those twenty people, a deposit of ten taels was paid, and another ten taels were spent here. The expenses for food and travel along the way amounted to five taels, leaving only twenty-five taels of gold in hand. This is just the beginning; she still needs to stay in Liyang for two to three months. I truly do not know if this amount of gold will be enough to support her until the end

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, emperors have placed great importance on military achievements and prowess, valuing strength as a form of beauty, dominating the world and asserting their power in all directions. Although Confucianism and literary culture have begun to flourish in modern times, the ideologies that have persisted for hundreds or even thousands of years remain deeply ingrained in the hearts of individuals. At this moment, the crowd, including Liu Jing, gazes at the frail and delicate men and women filling the streets, instinctively feeling a sense of disdain, believing that the people of Liyang are overly delicate, completely forgetting that they themselves are not particularly robust or tall.

Liu Jing has been cherished and spoiled by her parents since childhood. Being a girl, if her family were not facing difficulties now, she would not be in a position to be insulted and to apologize cautiously. Therefore, although she accompanies the formalities with a gentle and refined demeanor, both her expression and tone subtly reveal a hint of grievance.

The next day, Liu Jing summoned everyone and instructed the more than twenty individuals to cease their scattered activities, instead remaining in three designated areas to assist her with minor tasks. At the same time, she assigned two of the roguish individuals who had experience with boats to serve as temporary crew members, urging them to quickly learn how to operate a cargo ship

Upon seeing the towering Liyang City Gate, Liu Jing instructed the ox cart drivers to stop. She took out some gold from her bosom and handed it to the hired drivers. After watching them leave, she turned to the group of rascals and said loudly: "Gentlemen, we have now arrived in Liyang. After I have rented a courtyard, I kindly ask each of you to take your respective places."

Everyone hurriedly returned the greetings in a disordered manner, each responding cheerfully: "Rest assured, young sir." "This is a trivial matter." "This task is quite easy."

In Yangzhou, there are numerous waterways. Traveling from Yanghe County to Liyang, one can choose the waterways to save some time, although it will not be for long before one has to travel along the official roads again

No one paid him any attention, and everyone allowed the servant to cry as he wished. He stood there in a state of confusion, clutching the person in the straw hat, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace

In a moment of mutual gaze, Liu Jing was taken aback. Although the person wore a bamboo hat and was dressed in a simple blue robe, his appearance was exceptionally handsome. This kind of beauty was truly indescribable; it seemed both cold and serene, yet also exuded an extreme sense of flamboyance and superiority. Strangely, these various impressions intertwined yet harmonized in a peculiar way, and when paired with his clear and gentle gaze, it only made one feel that the young man before her was an exceedingly gentle and affectionate person

Although the Liu residence has been mortgaged, the date promised by Liu's father for repaying the debt has not yet arrived, so Liu Jing has not made any arrangements for her family. The current situation is that if she can earn the money to repay the debt within three months, everything will be fine; if she cannot earn it, then any arrangements will be of no use.

After receiving their promise, Liu Jing took the lead towards the city gate. Closely following her, the servant Lu Shu, whom she brought from the Liu residence, whispered, "Young Master, what are you planning to do?"

Upon hearing Uncle Lu's question, Liu Jing shook her head and replied softly, "You will know when the time comes." Although she said this, her expression was somewhat weak. Uncle Lu suddenly recalled that this seemingly decisive and opinionated young master was actually just a young lady waiting in the boudoir. Moreover, the Liu family was in deep debt, and to earn the enormous sum needed to repay it within just three months was simply impossible. She was most likely just hoping for a stroke of luck; how could she truly have any concrete plans?

The next day, Liu Jing set off from Yanghe County with several old servants from her family, along with twenty hired rascals, in a grand procession

Regardless of whether it is Uncle Wang or several servants including Uncle Lu, they have been loyal servants to Mother Liu for many years. Since both Father Liu and Mother Liu have treated them with respect and courtesy, Liu Jing has regarded them as elders from childhood to adulthood

On the fortieth day since the group entered Liyang, as more than half of the three-month deadline had passed, that evening, after a man had just mentioned a few words about the news he heard at the dock, Liu Jing suddenly raised her hand and said, "Wait a moment"

This grievance caused the leader of the group, who was about to stride away, to lift his hat slightly, and as he glanced towards Liu Jing, she happened to be looking at him as well

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were thirteen provinces in the realm, and Yangzhou was one of them, with Liyang City serving as its administrative center. One can only imagine the prosperity of Liyang. Observing the bustling traffic before her, along with the slender and fair-skinned youths and maidens, each embodying the distinctive characteristics of the Jiangnan region, Liu Jing took a deep breath. She turned her gaze away and murmured, "I wonder how prosperous Chang'an and Luoyang are?"

As she walked and looked around, Liu Jing's steps became somewhat disordered. While walking, her foot stepped on someone's robe, and then a voice of reprimand came, "Are you blind?"

He was referring to the servant who had just scolded Liu Jing. The servant was taken aback, suddenly looking up at the young man, his eyes reddening as he was about to cry

Three days passed in this manner, and then the fifth day arrived

Since the emergence of Yanghe County, Liu Jing has been very silent. She stands at the cabin, quietly watching the rushing river outside, her brows never relaxing. Although the group of wanderers is hired by her, as the world becomes increasingly peaceful, these admirers of chivalry, who wholeheartedly aspire to be like Guo Jie, find it difficult to make a living. Moreover, the great chivalrous figures like Guo Jie have always upheld the principles of 'a promise is worth a thousand gold' and 'willing to sacrifice one's life for loyalty and righteousness.' Therefore, although Liu Jing is their employer, these men still show her respect and obedience, truly acting like loyal family guards, fulfilling their duties with great diligence.

After the crowd randomly ate some food from a small stall at the street corner, Uncle Lu and the servants were busy renting a courtyard. Meanwhile, Liu Jing strolled through the bustling crowd, observing the novelty of the city while paying close attention to every person she encountered

At that moment, he sighed and no longer pursued the matter

The scolding voice was extremely arrogant. Liu Jing quickly turned her head, retracting her steps while not even catching a glimpse of the person. She politely and gently apologized, saying, "It is the rudeness of a small person."

As everyone raised their heads in unison, their gazes fixed intently upon her, Liu Jing clasped her hands and took a few steps around the room, retrieving a stack of paper from one side. This paper recorded the matters they had collected over the past forty days, which she believed might be of some use. After glancing through it briefly, Liu Jing brought her hands together, closed her eyes, and murmured softly, "Perhaps, this matter is feasible"

After traveling day and night, the group finally arrived in Liyang after half a month

She gazed at the crowd and said gently: "Whether it is at the flower houses and taverns, the major markets, or outside the docks and the governor's residence, everyone should follow my arrangements on the road, stay alert, and listen and observe carefully. You only need to remember one thing from me: your task is to remember every word you hear that day, paying special attention to those distinctive individuals. Keep in mind, whether it is as trivial as a fight between women or as significant as officials entering the country, everything must be recorded, and by evening, you must report to me." She paused, smiled, and continued: "When I chose you in Wu County, it was because I knew of your exceptional memory. Now that we have arrived in Liyang, I hope you will all assist me with your utmost effort!" After saying this, she bowed deeply.

As Liu Jing looked up at his face, her gaze slightly startled, the man cast a faint glance at her, nodded slightly, and lowered his hat again. As he walked away, he gently said: "Go back, there is no need to come again in the future"

Behind them, Liu Jing stood still, furrowing her brows as she murmured, "It seems a bit familiar." Having muttered this, she did not dwell on it any longer and continued to walk forward.

A bow can only be drawn forward, not backward. No, it should be said that this is her last gamble, a gamble where success is the only option and failure is not permitted. The twenty-five taels of gold she has at hand must be turned into fourteen to fifteen hundred taels within two months to resolve the difficulties at the Liu residence