APSIL -Chapter 59 The Country Boy Enters the Capital

Volume 2 Residence in the Capital

You’an Gate, Yongding Gate, and Zuo’an Gate.

A handsome young man leisurely rode his horse back and forth between the three gates of the Outer City, making a complete circuit and wasting at least a quarter of an hour.

Naturally, countless officials, merchants, and commoners entering and leaving the city kept glancing back at him, and the soldiers guarding the gates became equally alert.

The young gentleman, however, was not alone.

By the time he began his second lap, several guards had already ridden up behind him. Moments later, an exceptionally beautiful “young noble”—clearly a woman disguised as a man—caught up as well.

Faced with such a sight, the sarcastic remarks and mocking laughter people had been ready to voice became noticeably more restrained.

As for the sharp-eyed gate guards, the moment they recognized the attendants of the Zhao State Duke’s residence, they wisely withdrew without a word. Then, after realizing that the stunning “young master” was none other than the Zhao estate’s eldest young lady, they only dared steal occasional glances at the handsome youth beside her.

The gossip that had swept through the capital some days earlier now stirred beneath the surface like an unseen current.

Before long, the same piece of news had spread among every guard stationed at the three main gates of the Outer City.

The Zhao State Duke’s future son-in-law has arrived in the capital!

Zhang Shou couldn’t care less if people mistook him for a country bumpkin visiting the capital for the first time.

After all, he really was from the countryside.

Besides, his mother, Madam Wu, had ultimately decided not to accompany him to the capital today, so he didn’t have to worry about being scolded over such embarrassing country-boy behavior.

Looking at Yongding Gate, whose gate tower was almost identical to the reconstruction he remembered from his previous life, and then at the familiar names of Zuo’an Gate and You’an Gate, he couldn’t help feeling deeply moved.

It wasn’t the Zhu family’s dynasty…

Yet the nation’s name was still Ming.

It wasn’t the Zhu family’s capital…

Yet these city gates still bore the same names, and Yongding Gate was almost an exact replica.

Then the three gates of the Inner City…

Their names should also match what he remembered.

Sure enough, after following the bustling streets packed with carts and pedestrians to the Inner City wall, he entered through Chongwen Gate, exactly as expected.

Watching the other villagers, accompanied by Zhu Hong, pay taxes and register their goods before entering the city, Zhang Shou recalled the bits of history Zhu Ying had casually shared with him over the past few days.

The Founding Emperor had risen during the spectacular White Lotus Rebellion.

He had become Han Shantong’s son-in-law.

After conquering the realm, he established his capital directly in the former Yuan capital and named the dynasty Ming.

Claiming that immortals had appeared in his dreams, he completely rebuilt the capital over several years, finishing both the Inner and Outer Cities.

More astonishingly, these stories were openly discussed among the common people without violating any imperial taboo.

In fact, from the very first day of his reign, the Founding Emperor himself had publicized these very tales to soldiers and civilians alike.

“A-Shou.”

As Zhang Shou admired the buildings lining Chongwen Gate Avenue while rapidly piecing together all this information, Zhu Ying’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.

“The Rice Market Street is just north of Dongdan Archway. Zhu Hong can accompany everyone else there. Every shop along that street buys grain. With him around, those black-hearted merchants won’t dare force the price down.”

After habitually condemning dishonest businessmen, Zhu Ying looked up and asked frankly, “Could you come home with me first?”

Zhang Shou considered it briefly before nodding.

“The Zhao State Duke’s residence is certainly on my itinerary.”

Then he shook his head.

“But I’d rather pay my respects to my teacher first.”

“I asked Lu Sanlang to look after Cuiyun Pavilion for me, and I heard that Zhang Lu and the others went ahead and printed my teacher’s handwritten manuscripts into books without consulting anyone.”

“Since I’ve come to the capital, I should explain the matter to him.”

“More importantly…”

Seeing Zhu Ying suddenly look inexplicably nervous, he smiled.

“I can’t very well arrive at your house empty-handed, can I?”

Ever since agreeing to accompany Zhu Ying to the capital, Zhang Shou had already prepared himself mentally.

Still, visiting the Zhao State Duke’s residence immediately upon arriving carried a very different significance.

After all…

Even an ordinary prospective son-in-law making his first formal visit would bring gifts.

If he went straight there today…

What should he bring?

Surely he couldn’t pick a few of the warhorses captured from the Linhai Camp rebels and present them as gifts?

Without realizing it, the young man who had once resisted the engagement and tried to keep his distance from Zhu Ying had already begun thinking like a future son-in-law.

Zhu Ying’s face immediately lit up.

“Grandmother never cares about such formalities.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

“I’ll simply have someone prepare the customary four-gift boxes.”

“Absolutely not!”

Zhang Shou hurriedly stopped her.

“A gift doesn’t need to be expensive, only heartfelt.”

“But having someone else prepare it for me is completely different.”

“You accompany me to buy a present for my teacher first.”

“Afterward, we’ll choose something for your grandmother.”

“All right.”

As someone who had grown up poor, Zhang Shou had felt somewhat embarrassed when the Dowager Lady of the Zhao residence had previously sent him such valuable gifts, while he could only reciprocate with newly harvested rice and fresh vegetables.

Then again…

Having eaten and lived off their generosity since childhood, he already owed them more favors than he could ever repay.

So for his first formal visit, he had no intention of buying something merely because it was expensive.

The same held true for his teacher, Ge Yong.

Among the tuition gifts the young nobles had presented him were plenty of valuable items.

But Ge Yong had served as a high-ranking official for decades.

How could such things possibly impress him?

After learning from Zhu Ying that the old man loved sweets, Zhang Shou had asked Aunt Liu the previous night to make two boxes of osmanthus cakes.

He had also packed more than half of the pre-Qingming tea Zhu Ying had previously “confiscated” from the Zhao residence.

Finally, he brought along the thick notebook he had compiled after studying one of Ge Yong’s mathematical manuscripts.

Now, after browsing through a bookstore recommended by Lu Sanlang, the two of them gathered every newly published book bearing Ge Yong’s name.

In a place filled with people coming and going, either one of them alone would have attracted countless glances.

Standing together, quietly discussing books from time to time, they naturally became the center of attention.

Customers poured into the little bookstore one after another.

Soon it was packed shoulder to shoulder.

Every pair of eyes kept drifting toward the remarkable young couple.

The shop assistant, overjoyed by the sudden surge in business, became so flustered while settling the bill that he cheerfully quoted them an utterly ridiculous price.

Six volumes…

Half a string of cash.

As for what the books normally cost…

Neither Zhu Ying nor Zhang Shou had the faintest idea.

When the two emerged from the bookstore, each carrying three books, Zhu family’s guards had to struggle with all their might just to push through the crowd gathered outside.

Compared to them, A-Liu merely shifted his shoulders slightly before effortlessly slipping through first.

He naturally took the books from Zhang Shou’s hands…

Then accepted Zhu Ying’s books as well.

With her hands suddenly empty, Zhu Ying finally noticed the crowd surrounding the shop.

She couldn’t help complaining,

“Uncle Hua is so strange.”

“He’s always appearing and disappearing.”

“He hid himself when he came before, and now that I’m returning to the capital, he’s staying behind in Rongshui Village.”

“He’s really impossible.”

“Masters always have their own peculiarities.”

Zhang Shou smiled.

“Besides, we have A-Liu.”

Then he noticed something that gave him a headache.

Even though the young women surrounding them had clearly heard Zhu Ying’s unmistakably feminine voice, none of them left.

Instead, even more men began crowding over.

What happened next caught him completely off guard.

Stepping forward, Zhu Ying raised her voice.

“Would everyone please make way?”

“My husband is accompanying me home to pay respects to our elders.”

“If we’re delayed any longer, we’ll miss lunch.”

“…”

In an instant, Zhang Shou watched countless expressions turn into obvious disappointment.

As the Zhao family’s guards hurried forward to clear a path, the women retreated, scattering the men standing behind them.

Only after finally reaching the guards and mounting his horse did Zhang Shou look helplessly at Zhu Ying.

“When did I become your husband?”

“Didn’t I say we were visiting my teacher first?”

“We are visiting Grandpa Ge.”

Zhu Ying smiled so brightly that her eyebrows arched with delight.

“But he’s not only your elder.”

“He’s mine too.”

“Besides…”

“My father raised you.”

“If you’re not part of my family, whose family would you belong to?”

…

That was…surprisingly difficult to argue with.

Unable to win against the young lady, Zhang Shou could only continue riding.

After all, without Zhu Ying leading the way, he would probably have to ask for directions all the way to his teacher’s residence.

Eventually they turned onto a broad avenue.

Lining both sides of the street stood a succession of imposing stone memorial archways.

At a glance, there were at least five or six of them.

Curious, Zhang Shou asked about them.

Smiling, Zhu Ying immediately explained, “Grandpa Ge holds countless titles and has received so many imperial honors.”

“He’s also a native of the capital.”

“So these memorial archways have become one of the city’s famous sights.”

“Anyone who comes to the capital to take the imperial examinations always visits this place first.”

“They come to bask in Grandpa Ge’s scholarly aura and borrow a little of his literary good fortune.”