15 days ago Author: Pig Heart Shrimp
Chapter 1: Gu Wen Bianjing, the capital of Da Gan.
Recently, this divine capital was not peaceful.
There were frequent occurrences of strange phenomena and the princes were restless.
On the twenty-third day of the first month, in the hour of the Ox, Gu Wen, who was in charge of the water house outside Long Bridge, was summoned by his master's family.
Gu Wen sat in the carriage, the servant meticulously urging the horse forward, the rhythmic sound revealing a hint of orderliness.
The carriage was steady, and the slight swaying made one drowsy.
On the streets outside, there were crowds of refugees huddling on both sides of the road, trembling in the cold wind.
Although the capital was not freezing people to death in March, the nights were still unbearable.
He asked casually, "There are many refugees recently. I remember hearing about a good harvest not long ago."
"Master, a good harvest is useless. Even if gold grows in the fields, it's not enough to pay taxes."
"Indeed, the taxes collected from the past ten years of arrears and the next ten years of land taxes have not yielded ten years' worth of food."
Although Da Gan was relatively peaceful, with the emperor's legitimate succession and consecutive good harvests, the common people were driven to despair by oppressive levies and taxes, leading to unrest and endless banditry in the two counties due to the policies of changing rice to mulberry and promoting horse breeding.
Gu Wen was about to say something when a sudden cough rendered him speechless.
His frail body, prone to illness, would have perished long ago if not for the job he secured at the Wang Family.
Fortunately, his constitution was weak, and there were no serious illnesses.
"Master, are you alright?"
"Just an old ailment."
He waved his hand and fell silent.
The air was filled with the shivering of the hungry people in the cold wind and distant sounds of revelry.
From Zhuque Gate to Long Bridge, a hundred steps into the night market.
The bustling crowd, with over a thousand vendors, lined the streets, and the brothels on both sides were brightly lit at sunset.
The boatmen pushed single-wheeled water carts through the alleys, shuttling behind various taverns, delivering barrels of water to the taverns, teahouses, brothels, or the mansions of officials and nobles, as well as the pleasure quarters of Changle Alley.
The taverns sold sea cucumbers, shark fins, bear paws, dried scallops, fish maw, deer tails, deer tongues, bird's nests...
Under the brothel's rolled-up curtains, there were courtesans, musicians, and performers.
At the gambling tables in Changle Alley, dice, cockfighting, quail fighting, and gambling were in full swing.
Although it was past midnight, most people had already gone to sleep, but for the profit-seeking class of Bianjing, the nightlife was just beginning.
They neither rose early for work nor rested for the work of the next day; they were born to enjoy life.
The abundance in households turned two meals into three, four, or even twelve meals.
Some raised beautiful concubines, male and female servants with gold, silver, and jewels, with sedan chairs for travel, maids for service, and mistresses for residence, even the dung collectors had dedicated personnel.
Some used candlelight to cut through the night, while others used curtains to block the morning sun.
Bianjing had been restless recently, but it had nothing to do with these dignitaries.
Prosperity was never specific to a particular place, but rather the path one walked.
Riding through the bustling streets, he unknowingly disturbed many dignitaries, literati, aristocratic children...
Some drunkards couldn't dodge in time, and the guards clearing the way ahead raised their whips, drawing attention with their howls.
The flower towers and jade courtyards on both sides constantly attracted gazes, catching a glimpse of the ordinary face sitting in the carriage, and those who had just entered Long Bridge couldn't help but inquire about which noble's son was making such a grand appearance.
Those who had spent some time in Long Bridge would only answer after the carriage had gradually moved away, "Gu Wen from the Ninth Prince's residence, the Millennium of Long Bridge."
Gu Wen, with an expressionless face, the dim yellow light outside the carriage window shining on his face, with an unremarkable appearance, blending into the crowd without attracting much attention.
He naturally enjoyed the benefits brought by power, had long been accustomed to stepping on others, tired of their awe, and had already become a monster that preyed on others.
The morality, civilization, and concepts of the past life only harmed oneself and others.
Feudal ethics were never just a concept; it was an inviolable deity.
You could only curse it when it died.
He was just a servant under this deity, half a step below those who could stand under the colorful lights, not a dignitary, not a royal relative, and certainly not a powerful official in the capital.
Bianjing, with a population of over three million inside and outside the city, sixty percent relied on the Taoriver tributaries flowing through Bianjing for their livelihood, while the rest relied on well-digging.
Yet, in the vast Bianjing, there were only two thousand wells, with over sixteen hundred being brackish water wells mainly used by commoners.
There were over three hundred fresh water wells used by officials and well-off families, requiring a monthly water fee.
The sweet water wells numbered only a hundred or so, known as "water gold mines."
Private individuals who dug sweet water wells in the city often sold water for a living, with shopkeepers using wooden single-wheeled water carts, filling the barrels, delivering them to buyers' homes, pouring them into water tanks, and then collecting payment before leaving.
Therefore, Gu Wen made a living from this, occupying the largest water house near Long Bridge, a water house that half of Long Bridge's shops relied on.
Every month, the money passing through his hands amounted to not just eight thousand taels, but even if there were not ten thousand taels of gold, it was close.
He was known as "Lord Wen."
-
Ninth Prince's Residence.
"Lord Wen, we have arrived at the Wang Family."
Gu Wen got off the carriage, looked up at the grand gate with stone lions standing tall, surrounded by high walls, and covered with green glazed tiles on the roof, with mythical beasts on the roof ridge, unmistakably a prince's residence.
Without waiting for the servants to lead the way, he walked quickly into the mansion.
The guards stationed every ten steps along the way seemed to ignore him, making no attempt to stop him.
Gu Wen had been here before, but it was the first time he had been summoned to the mansion late at night, which surprised him.
What could be so important that required him to come to the Wang Family at this hour?
Driven by the urgency to uncover the mystery, he quickened his pace.
The mansion was still immersed in the slow night, silent to the point where one could hear a pin drop, making Gu Wen's footsteps even more distinct.
Even before reaching the study, the noble sitting inside had already noticed.
The pearl curtain, shimmering with a splendid light, was lifted by a eunuch, and Gu Wen entered the study.
A faint fragrance wafted from the censer, and the noble was bent over the desk writing, his bright yellow robe reflecting a faint light in the candlelight, his features handsome and noble.
Ninth Prince Zhao Feng, also a powerful contender for the throne of Da Gan.
Ten years ago, the crown prince drowned, and the current emperor had not appointed a new crown prince, leaving the court in turmoil as the aging emperor's reign faced uncertainties.
Gu Wen knelt down on one knee, as Da Gan did not require such formalities except in extremely official occasions, and even the court officials did not need to kneel before the emperor.
The only ones who needed to kneel were servants.
In any place, there were different classes, and where there were people, there were distinctions of high and low.
There were two types of servants: those from prestigious families with resources and those like Gu Wen, ordinary people without backing but with capabilities.
The former were ministers, who needed to be treated with respect by their masters, while the latter were slaves, subject to any treatment.
But wise masters would tacitly accept the rule of their servants kneeling while being friendly and informal.
"You've made a late-night trip to the Wang Family, Lord Wen."
Zhao Feng put down his brush, showing a degree of closeness.
This was another advantage of being a servant, being able to easily gain the trust of one's master and become a confidant.
Gu Wen was one of the trusted confidants of the Ninth Prince, consulted on all matters related to business.
However, it was unusual for him to be summoned late at night today, making him quite surprised.
What could be so important that required him to come to the prince's mansion at this hour?
Seeing Zhao Feng nod approvingly, Gu Wen couldn't help but smile inwardly.
This was nothing more than a mix of grace and power, constantly exerting pressure on those below, while also enjoying the pleasure of wielding power over others.
This was not a sophisticated tactic; he stood in this position, so he could easily overpower others.
The so-called imperial family was not divine or noble.
The so-called imperial mentality was just thinking of ways to turn people into ghosts.
Having grown up in such an environment, Zhao Feng might be grateful, but Gu Wen had a soul from another world, filled with knowledge that did not belong to the feudal ethics, and he would never give up that knowledge.
But everyone had to eat, and without enduring, could one really turn the tide?
After saying so much about "giving one's all," Zhao Feng stopped beating around the bush and said, "These phenomena are all real, and there are indeed immortal cultivators in the world. What you have seen and heard recently may be related to a certain great deity."
Gu Wen's breath hitched, his heart skipping a beat.
Due to his family heirloom, he often suspected the existence of extraordinary powers in this world.
But over the years, he had been unable to confirm it.
Now, with Zhao Feng holding his family heirloom, he had not seen him flying or disappearing.
But now, he was saying that immortal cultivators existed in the world, and they had been appearing near him recently.
"Why have I never heard of this before?" Gu Wen asked.
"Because it wasn't the right time. This world is like an orchard; only when the fruit is ripe will someone come to pick it." Zhao Feng's expression turned serious, but he didn't finish his words, turning to give orders, "Those outsiders are not something Da Gan can contend with, but Da Gan can benefit from them."
"I have made contact with an immortal, and the immortal originally wanted to meet you."
After digesting the vast amount of information, Gu Wen asked, "As a mere mortal, what merits and abilities do I possess?"
"Your family ancestors seem to have a connection to immortals, and that immortal should have been looking for you. Now that you have sold the token to me," Zhao Feng's words were sharp, piercing to the ears, but then he showed a degree of closeness, "With hundreds of people in this mansion, only you and a few others can make me feel at ease."
Gu Wen caught a glimpse of the calm expression on his master's face, which carried an unmistakable meaning of certainty, and he bowed his head in response, "Yes."
As a servant, he had no choice.
"Go, collect a thousand taels of silver from the treasury."
Zhao Feng casually tossed out enough money to feed and drink tens of thousands of refugees outside for half a year, but for this prince, it was just a casual reward.
Gu Wen left the Wang Family with a stack of banknotes, returned to the water house near Long Bridge in the night market.
The cold morning wind was still biting, and the refugees gathered in front of the porridge shop set up by the government, holding bowls of pale water.
Looking at the color, one would think it was porridge.
Gu Wen got off the carriage and glanced at them, then sneered inwardly, "These slaves, how many people are begging to be in their shoes."
If it were five years ago, he would have helped the refugees because he came from a civilized era.
He might have been just an ordinary person, but in Da Gan, his moral standards, empathy, and compassion were higher than those of this society.
He had crossed to this feudal kingdom from a modern era to save the people, spread the fire of civilization, and eliminate the reproductive isolation that had formed between the common people and the nobility.
Everyone had a stage in their hearts, and the stage and reality were like different realms, with some just a step away, while others were an abyss.
Before he could throw himself off the stage, Gu Wen had spent five years climbing down from the stage.
Back to helping the refugees.
He played the role of the great benefactor, but were the inactive officials "good"? Were the officials and nobles "good"? Was Zhao Feng "good"?
He, a servant merchant, what was he showing off?
"I do good, and the world becomes bad."
Gu Wen, supported by his servants and maids, entered the mansion shrouded in candlelight and gauze curtains.
Many books are hard to find now, so cherish what you have.