Chapter 1749 – Coming Storm
Qian Su’s thoughts weren’t entirely unfounded.
Xiangyang had a strict set of rules; even the illiterate could manage to say a few words about them.
The Common People might not be able to read, but after living here for nearly a decade, these regulations had long infused into their very bones, creating a unique spirit within the populace.
Upon entering the city, Qian Su was momentarily under the illusion that she had stumbled into a paradise.
Xiangyang’s layout was different from other cities; there were roads for people and roads for carts, making the thoroughfares exceptionally wide, accommodating five horse-drawn carriages side by side. Every five hundred paces, there stood a barrel about half a person high, and the Common People occasionally tossed something into them.
The streets were spacious, clean, and orderly, making even a wealthy person like Qian Su feel an inexplicable pinch of awkwardness.
Hmm…
That awkwardness felt like an illiterate stumbling into an elite scholar’s circle.
Feng Zhen, wearing a long-lost expression, enthusiastically explained to Qian Su.
“What are those barrels for?”
“They’re for tossing waste, including cow and horse droppings. This stuff can’t be on the road; if it’s not dealt with and one gets caught, they’ll be fined.”
“What about those strange carriages?”
Qian Su spotted a two-horse carriage passing nearby, completely open except for a roof. A quick look revealed that the carriage was divided into three sections, with six stools, and inside sat six Common People dressed in relatively clean clothes.
Feng Zhen glanced at it and said, “That’s a public carriage operated by the cart and horse organization.”
“According to the old rules, one carriage for commoners, two for scholars, three for officials, four for nobles, five for lords, and six for the emperor.” Qian Su furrowed her brows, looking rather displeased as she remarked, “By their attire, they’re clearly commoners. How do they qualify for this?”
“True, but one horse can’t pull six people.” Feng Zhen stated, “Initially, there was indeed opposition from scholars, but our Lord’s nature has always been one that bends to soft measures rather than hard ones. The cart and horse organization also benefits the Common People, so what’s wrong with two horses pulling a carriage?”
As Xiangyang grew, so too did its population, spanning great distances from north to south and east to west.
Jiang Pengji established a cart and horse organization to accommodate the aging war horses, employing soldiers who had retired to drive the carriages.
This allowed horses to pull carriages, saving the Common People the effort of walking.
Of course, there was a fee to ride, but ordinary families could afford it.
Had it not been for Jiang Pengji’s decisive action, this cart and horse organization might not have taken off.
Because double horse carriages were a privilege for scholars, common folk organizations feared they would be accused of overstepping their bounds, so the cart and horse organization remained an official entity. To facilitate management, they even devised a license plate.
Due to high costs, the prevalence of horse-drawn vehicles was nothing like private cars in later times, and traffic congestion was still unheard of.
The Common People could wait for a carriage at designated stops, and if there was an empty one, they could board.
Interestingly, those who initially clamored against it later happily rode the public carriages.
After all, not everyone could afford to keep horses and carriages; most of the time, they relied on their own legs.
Since there were such convenient means of transportation available for the ordinary folk, why shouldn’t they use them?
Qian Su watched with keen interest, moving from shock to calmness, but her mouth had hardly closed the entire time.
“We’ve arrived—”
Feng Zhen disembarked, discreetly rubbing his sore lower back, then casually strolled over to another carriage.
“Ladies can bring the Young Master and Young Miss down now.”
As the carriage curtain lifted, Yan Shuyao and Yang Roujia stepped down with the assistance of maidservants, both cradling tightly wrapped babies.
Feng Zhen had requested to be reassigned to Wanzhou under the guise of official duties, but in truth, it was a convenient way to slack off.
Seeing Feng Zhen too happy, Jiang Pengji entrusted him to escort Yang Tao and Yan Lin’s wives.
Both Yang Tao and Yan Lin were family men, but the harsh conditions in Nansheng weren’t suitable for their wives and children, so Jiang Pengji suggested moving their families to Wanzhou for better settling. She simply cared for her subordinates, but to Yang Tao and Yan Lin, it felt like an implicit threat.
It wasn’t kindness; it was clearly a demand for them to hand over hostages.
Regardless of whether that was her intent, Yang Tao and Yan Lin had no choice but to comply.
This troublesome task fell on Feng Zhen, and Qian Su volunteered to lend a hand.
Though it was made to sound like assisting Feng Zhen, in reality, it was about secretly protecting the two ladies and their children from any potential threats.
Smart as Jiang Pengji was, she naturally understood the deeper implications behind these actions without needing to elaborate, letting these guys contemplate it themselves.
#This is a comedic tale where everyone is diligently scheming against each other, while the Lord just enjoys stirring the pot!#
“So we’ll be living here from now on? Where will Roujia stay?”
Yan Shuyao had been restless these past few days, and upon seeing the residence they were to occupy, her uncertainty crept in.
This treatment seemed a bit too lavish.
“General Yang and Military Advisor Yan are close, so the Lord intends for them to live nearby. After checking, this is the only vacant house that’s suitable. It’s in a quiet location, yet not far from the bustling market. This is General Yang’s residence, and the one opposite is Military Advisor Yan’s.”
As a house-building fanatic, their Lord had built over a hundred residences as soon as he took charge of Xiangyang.
Some were kept, some awarded to the initial team as rewards, and the rest were sold off at high prices to the immigrant gentry or wealthy merchants.
With their Lord being a shrewd merchant and Wei Ci the naval commander, houses here had skyrocketed in value.
Over the past two years, they had made quite a profit just from selling houses.
That one house they bought for a pittance was now worth countless times more.
If Yang Tao and the others knew their Lord had gifted them such a residence, they would only become more loyal.
“Thank you, Lan Ting Gong.”
Yan Shuyao let out a quiet sigh of relief, offering a bow toward the south, then nodding in thanks to Feng Zhen.
Feng Zhen smiled and said, “In a while, it will be the New Year’s lantern festival. If the two ladies have time, they could take the maidservants out for some fun and fresh air.”
In fact, Xiangyang was bustling a month prior to the New Year, with various merchants engaging in warm-up activities that resembled the early instincts of modern-day shrewd business practices.
Only in Xiangyang could one witness such scenes; for outsiders like Yan Shuyao, it was quite a rarity.
After Feng Zhen settled a few people, he finally returned home.
Little did he know, his son’s rebellious teenage phase had arrived, and the atmosphere was rather unique.
Thinking back on how he bragged to his colleagues about his son being exceptional and how well he raised him, he couldn’t help but mentally pummeled himself.
Oh dear, you’ve really put me in a bind!
Feng Yi’s secret letter successfully reached its destination and ended up in Jiang Pengji’s hands.
The reason it was called a secret letter was due to its utmost secrecy, with absolutely no more than a handful of people qualified to view its content.
Feng Yi and those little rascals were quite lucky; this letter went directly to Jiang Pengji.
“Feng Yi? Is this from the respected Rong Li of the Feng family? Could something have happened at Zhanjiang Pass?”
Jiang Pengji still had no idea that Feng Yi and Sun Lan had returned to the academy to continue their studies, thinking they were still toiling on the front lines.
As she tore open the wax seal, retrieving the thick secret letter inside, dusk had begun to fall, casting dim light in the room, leaving most of Jiang Pengji’s face shrouded in shadows.
Only her dark, sharp eyes resembled the gaze of an eagle, serious and fixed upon its prey.
