Chapter Four, Hanlin City.

The doubts in Feng Kaiyun's heart are growing larger and larger. He asked, "Wait! May I ask the gentleman to present your official documents? I need to prepare for official business." The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Li Qiang's most urgent matter now is to find someone, anyone will do. He has been walking in the primeval forest for many days. Along the way, all he sees are towering trees, dense undergrowth, and gloomy darkness. Often, after walking for miles, he cannot see a trace of daylight, but he frequently encounters some unknown wild animals and birds.

Chunxiang, the servant, pays respects to the master.

At the city gate, Li Qiang was stopped by four soldiers with long knives hanging from their waists.

From the way these people are dressed, Li Qiang cannot determine which dynasty of ancient China they belong to. What can be certain is that it must be the Ming Dynasty or earlier, because Li Qiang is very familiar with the clothing of the Qing Dynasty from watching TV dramas.

His chief steward, Cheng Zizhong, also bowed his head in contemplation.

Old Master, let's go together.

Cheng Zizhong never expected that Mr. Li would behave like a child, not only lacking in propriety but also speaking without any restraint. Having visited countless government offices and met numerous officials, Cheng had never encountered such a person before, and found it quite amusing.

The purple flame carried by the Full Sky Star Armor emerged again, and in an instant, Li Qiang's clothes turned into ashes, which was caused by the anger.

Li Qiang didn't say much, but what he said was authentic Hangzhou dialect. Here, Hangzhou dialect is the exclusive language of the royal aristocracy. It cannot be learned or spoken by anyone who is not a member of the royal family or aristocracy. Li Qiang didn't realize this until later.

Yes, sir. Chunxiang couldn't wait to go back, slowly left the study, turned around and ran away.

How much is it?Li Qiang asked, feeling a bit uneasy: "Oh no, I don't know what kind of currency they use here."

Quickly, let her come in!

Li Qiang is wearing coffee-colored mid-waist hiking boots and jeans, a dark red shirt jacket, and a vest. He carries a backpack on his back and walks towards the city gate with an excited and restless mood.

The yamen soldiers slowly surrounded.

Autumn Fragrance, please don't drag me along. We're just going out for a walk. What's there to be nervous about?

Feng Kaiyun let out a long sigh and said, "Master, my mind is in chaos. You must help me get a grip on it."

Li Qiang is also carefully observing this highest official of Hanlin City, with a square face, two pitch-black eyebrows, thin lips with three long strands of beard, a hooked nose, and obviously a very cunning person. He wears a blue official uniform, a jade belt around his waist, and two official wings swaying flatly behind his hat.

Rubbing his eyes, Li Qiang couldn't believe what he saw, a city.

Chunxiang knelt on the ground and replied, "Master Li wants to go out. Sister Qiuxiang is currently dragging him to talk. This servant does not dare to make decisions. May I ask, sir, what should we do?"

Li Qiang found it too funny. He went up and scared the yamen soldiers with his first words. "Ha ha, you must be Brother Feng Kaiyun Feng! I'm Li Qiang, nice to meet you!"

Walking into a ready-to-wear clothing store, Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh at how meager the supplies were compared to the large supermarkets and shopping malls on Earth.

The shopkeeper shrank his neck in fear, thinking to himself, "Oh my, it's the government coming. If I don't give them money, I might as well throw myself into the river." He was extremely worried.

Li Qiang understood that the Kingdom of Song must have been established by people who migrated from Earth during the Song Dynasty. Other countries and ethnic groups should be the same.

Li Qiang smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, I want four sets of autumn clothes and four sets of winter clothes." He pointed to four little maids and said, "It's for these four little sisters. If there are ready-made ones, that's the best. If not, measure their sizes and make them and deliver them." His gaze swept over the clothes rack and he said, "Bring me the black fur-lined cloak."

Li Qiang also learned that in the most fertile land of the Green Basin, which is like a heavenly star, the three kingdoms have been constantly at war. Every decade or so, wars break out, and each country wants to eliminate the other and unify the Green Basin. However, for various reasons, they have never succeeded.

The cloak costs 715 taels, and the eight sets of clothes and pants cost 47 taels and 4 qian. In total, it is 762 taels and 4 qian of silver.

The population of Song country is about 70-80 million. Among the three major countries in the "Green Basin", it is relatively weaker in terms of power. The other two countries are "Li Tang country" and "Da Han country". Among these three countries, the national strength of Da Han country is the strongest.

Li Qiang kept exclaiming, the environment without any pollution, the wonderful scenery, made him very pleased.

The soldier also told Li Qiang that the prefect of Hanlin City is named Feng Kaiyun, who was born as a juren. He was probably demoted to this remote city for offending someone. The commanding officer is named Tong Fangzhen, who was promoted based on his merits and was born in the ranks.

Put on the new clothes and pants sent by Feng Zhifu, and hurriedly prepare to go out. He was very curious about everything. When he saw four little maids blocking him, Li Qiang couldn't help but joke with them.

Li Qiang looked up and saw two rows of yamen runners holding water and fire sticks. In front, four people were holding "silence" and "avoidance" signs respectively, and a group of four people slowly carried the official sedan chair. Li Qiang almost laughed out loud, thinking, "Wow, this is too exaggerated. Such a grand scene, I feel like I've really gone back to ancient times."

Feng Kaiyun exclaimed, "How dare you! Pretending to be a royal noble, what do you do?"

Because only members of the royal family can cultivate the "heart armor," and it has always been kept secret. He thought to himself, "Alas, this time my head is in danger."

Oh, he is the master of this prefecture, Cheng Zizhong, also known as Cheng Lao Fu Zi.Feng Kaiyun breathed a sigh of relief and asked him to accompany him. He said with a gesture of respect, "Since Mr. Li is eager to inspect this city, this prefecture will not force you. Cheng Lao Fu Zi will accompany you on the way. This prefecture has some official business to attend to and will not accompany you. We will welcome you and bid farewell in the evening."

Feng Kaiyun was taken aback and dared not be negligent. He said, "I didn't know that Lord Li had arrived. It was a mistake not to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" He thought to himself, "Why does his court language sound so awkward?"

The shopkeeper took off the black fur cloak and said, "Sir, this cloak is made of the skin of the 'Biqi Beast'. Your discerning eye is truly remarkable. This is the best cloak in our shop."

Sir, you understand the difficulties of your servants. Sister Chunxiang said that the master will be here soon. Could you please wait a little longer?

Feng Kaiyun arrived outside the distinguished guest room and stopped. He turned around and waved his hand to signal Master Cheng to go in first. Master Cheng nodded and was about to enter when a burst of laughter came from inside the room. Both of them stopped their steps involuntarily.

Li Qiang touched the fur and didn't think it was that good: "What is a 'Biqi Beast', what is it?"

Li Qiang is not an unreasonable person. Once he moved into the guest room of the prefect's yamen, he no longer cared about Feng Kaiyun's rudeness. Although he didn't quite understand why Feng Kaiyun was so afraid when he saw the Full Sky Star Armor, he was still satisfied that it could eliminate the hostile state. After all, fighting was very troublesome and went against his original intention of freely exploring the Heavenly Court Star.

Chunxiang, you go back first and tell Master Li that this office will arrive shortly.

Li Qiang's next move almost scared the yamen soldiers to death.

Quickly say, what's the matter?

The shopkeeper grinned and said, "Oh, this old gentleman is quite knowledgeable."

A moment of confusion. The four little maids felt like they were dreaming. They had never been treated so kindly before in their lives, and they were overwhelmed with gratitude.

Feng Kaiyun was a little afraid to meet Li Qiang. Cheng Zizhong encouraged him, saying, "Your Excellency, no matter what requests Mr. Li makes, agree to them first. Let's be careful in serving him and not offend him again. I don't think Mr. Li will stay for long."

Finally walked out of the forest.

Li Qiang was excited for a moment. You should know that he had studied in Zhejiang and spent a full four years in Hangzhou. He can understand almost all the dialects in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region.

Li Qiang turned his head and asked Cheng Zizhong, "Is there a jewelry store here?"

Feng Kaiyun paced back and forth in the study, twirling his beard between his fingers. Even now, he is still afraid. Fortunately, Li Qiang did not blame him, otherwise, he wouldn't know how to handle this dangerous situation.

What is your surname, sir? Li Qiang wanted to get closer.

Chunxiang, kneeling on the ground, couldn't help but want to laugh. She had never seen a guest like Master Li before. He was young and handsome, followed by four little maidservants who called him "sister" or "little sister" without any sense of hierarchy. He had no airs at all, which was very amusing. He even gave them candies that they had never seen before, which were really delicious. Licking her lips, she thought about the bag of candies in her arms and wondered when she would have the opportunity to ask someone to bring them home, so that her parents and siblings could also taste such good things.

Feng Kaiyun's expression appeared slightly flustered. Butler Cheng Zizhong said, "Master, remain calm. I don't think Mr. Li is the kind of person who is difficult to talk to."

He stood for a long time, feeling like his tears were about to fall. Looking at the city from a distance, he felt a strange yet familiar feeling. The style of the city wall unexpectedly resembled that of ancient China, with blue bricks, square holes for arrows, arched round gates, and flying eaves of the bell tower. There were pedestrians walking on the distant main road.

Li Qiang felt puzzled and asked, "What official document? I don't have any official document, strange."

Feng Kaiyun was so scared that he was sweating profusely and kneeling on the ground. He knew he had caused a big trouble.

Li Qiang's face is sometimes thin-skinned and sometimes thick-skinned. When he saw Feng Kaiyun coming in, he deliberately wanted to provoke him. Unexpectedly, he greeted him with a smile, reached out and grabbed his hand, and said, "Big brother, you finally came. I want to go out for a walk. Some little sisters insisted on waiting for you. Are you ready to accompany me?"

Li Qiang's most urgent need now is information. Yutong Jian only recorded things related to the cultivation world, with no information at all about the mundane world. "Brother Hua, what's the name of this city?" Li Qiang began to gather the information he needed.

Li Qiang thought for a moment and felt that it would be better to disguise himself as a tourist. He took out a large backpack, stuffed it haphazardly with things, and tied his long hair with a long ribbon.

Hmm, why are you all kneeling down?

Four maids, Chunxiang, Qiuxiang, Juxiang, and Lanxiang, followed Li Qiang and Cheng Zizhong cheerfully. They whispered and laughed, not expecting that Li Qiang would actually take them shopping.

Li Qiang suddenly understood that the hierarchy here seems to be strict. It is really unpleasant to hear soldiers calling each other "little people". People who have grown up in modern society are already accustomed to the concept of equality for all.

I've said it so many times, don't call me "old master", call me "brother" and listen, I love to listen.

The soldier named Hua thought to himself: "So this is why everyone calls this person 'Big Brother' when they see him. No wonder he calls me that too."

The prefect is here! Soldiers are reporting.

As Li Qiang walked to the city gate, he felt even more strange. Looking around, there were dozens of men, women, and children following him, staring at him as if watching a monkey show. Li Qiang kept nodding and smiling, but as soon as he approached them, without waiting for any questions, these people scattered like startled rabbits. However, after walking a few dozen steps away, they followed him again, constantly pointing and laughing.

Oh, no need to be polite, no need to be polite. Li Qiang was extremely puzzled and thought, "I didn't say anything just now. The difference in attitude before and after is too big."

Seeing Li Qiang reach out his ghostly claws again, Feng Kaiyun was really annoyed and quickly said, "Please go ahead, sir."

Feng Kaiyun felt his bones go numb and thought to himself, "This Mr. Li is so frivolous and disrespectful of etiquette. This is just too much." He couldn't do anything about it, but he couldn't bear to listen any longer. With a cough, he pulled Cheng Zizhong back into the room and closed the door.

He stepped forward and patted Feng Kaiyun's shoulder, smiling and saying, "Don't be polite. Excuse me, I just want to go into the city and take a look. It's alright, Feng Brother, you don't need to accompany me. Just tell me where the hotel is."

The main reason is the intervention of the cultivation world. Every royal and noble family in each country, every famous ethnic group, has a close connection with the cultivation world. Among these royal and noble families, many of them are cultivators.

Don't worry, don't worry, these few little sisters, I promised to take them out together. Big brother, do you have any objections?

This city is called "Hanlin", located next to the "Sighing Forest" (the forest where Li Qiang walked out of). It was the first capital built by the "Ancient Song Dynasty". The Ancient Song Dynasty moved its capital about 300 years ago. After the move, this city gradually declined, and its population decreased from over 700,000 at its peak to just over 200,000 today.

Cheng Zizhong exclaimed, "Is this the fur of the 'Biqi Beast'? It's famous indeed."

"Master, Chunxiang from the guest room requests an audience. She says she has something to report," said a young servant in a green robe, bowing.

There are some small countries in the Heavenly Court Star, which are located in extremely harsh natural conditions. Some of the more famous ones include the "Wangming Country" in the "Storm Plain" and the "Qingfeng Country" in the "Red Rock Petrochemical Mountains". There are also some famous ethnic groups, such as the Qin, Wu, Chu, Xia, and Shang.

"Who are you? Bring the 'road guide'," one of the leaders said. The four soldiers also looked curious and kept looking up and down at him.

Although unable to communicate with them, relying on his extremely acute hearing now, Li Qiang still heard their low whispers, which were dialects from the Hangzhou-Jiaxing area.

Feng Kaiyun almost had his nose crooked, and he quickly pulled his hand back.

Who is this person...? Li Qiang looked at Feng Kaiyun.

Cheng Zizhong didn't know what Li Qiang wanted to buy, so he could only stand there with his hands tied and watch.

Li Qiang called him "Brother Hua" repeatedly, which made the soldier feel at a loss and eager to spill out all the family secrets, answering every question asked. Li Qiang gradually learned some basic information.

Okay, I've bought them. I'll pack the eight sets of clothes you wanted earlier and deliver them to the magistrate's office.

These four soldiers were surprised. They huddled together and whispered to each other. One of them turned around and hurriedly ran towards the city. The leading soldier showed extreme respect and bowed, saying, "Honorable guest, please follow me and take a rest for a moment. I have already sent someone to invite the governor."

The leader soldier replied in a panic: "I dare not, excuse me, my surname is Hua."

Far away, the sedan stopped, the sedan carrier lowered the shaft, and the bailiff beside the sedan hurriedly lifted the sedan curtain. A middle-aged man walked out of the sedan. He leaned on the shoulder of a bailiff, stamped his foot, retracted his hand, pinched his beard, looked at Li Qiang, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, then a smile appeared on his face, and he slowly walked over with a dignified pace.

Feng Kaiyun understands Cheng Zizhong's meaning. As long as Li Qiang is satisfied in Hanlin City, it doesn't matter how much it costs. Once he is satisfied and leaves, there will be no more issues.

Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Great, I can understand you." Li Qiang shrugged and said with a smile, "I come from a faraway place and just passing by here to take a look at the city." He spoke in Hangzhou dialect.

Cheng Zizhong said, "This is a good thing. The 'Biqi Beast' lives in the swamp and is extremely difficult to capture. Its fur can be soaked in water without permeating, providing protection against rain and wind. When worn in winter, it is both lightweight and warm."

Cheng Zizhong saw that the expression on Feng Zhifu's face had changed. He quickly said, "Master Li, the Prefect and I have come to pay our respects to you. Also, the city's defense commander Tong Fangzhen wishes to visit you. We have no intention of neglecting you. Since Master Li wants to inspect the city, I will accompany you on behalf of the Prefect. How about that?"

Li Qiang is also popular: "Bastard! What the hell, when did I pretend? What I do is none of your business, damn it." The more he scolded, the more popular he became. Somehow, he became extremely popular.

The shopkeeper of the ready-to-wear shop is a big fat man, with a double chin and chubby face. His small eyes reveal shrewdness. He hurriedly ran out from behind the counter, with a smile on his face, saying, "Welcome, gentlemen. What would you like to see? I'll bring it to you right away." The shopkeeper turned his head and waved to call a waiter, saying, "Hurry up, bring out the goods, and call the child's mother too, there's a female customer."