gnovel Chapter 39 It's hot, so you need to cover yourself with a blanket.
Chapter 39 It's hot, so you need to cover yourself with a blanket.
Shen Liushi originally thought that the world was at peace and there would be no more wars. She thought that since her eldest son had become an official, he would not be running around and could stay by her side. But less than a month later, he was going on another long journey, this time to Shandong. She had heard that there had just been a war there. Shen Liushi gestured to the map with her hand.
One gust, two gusts, goodness, that's two thousand miles!
As a woman, she couldn't say anything. Just like in previous years, she got up at four in the morning, sent away the servants who wanted to help, and went to the kitchen to start a fire, knead the dough, pull the noodles, and boil water. By the time Shen Ce woke up, a bowl of hot long noodles was already ready.
Shen Ce didn't mince words. He picked up the bowl and ate the long noodles in one go, scooping the broth from the bottom of the bowl into his mouth. He wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth with his hand and licked his fingers clean.
He stood up from the chair, took his mother's hand, and said, "Mother, we're not going to fight this time. We're going to offer them benefits. Hebei won't make things difficult for us."
Shen Liu was skeptical, her eyes darting up and down, her face full of disbelief.
"Oh dear, if there's any danger, will the Duke of Su bring his eldest son along?" Shen Ce, seeing that he couldn't hide it from his mother, quickly pulled Cheng Zhijie out as a shield.
Cheng Chumo hadn't even had a bite of hot noodles before he was about to be blamed: "Brother Shen, my father only sent me because there was danger. If there wasn't, I would have preferred to stay in Chang'an..."
Shen Wang was quick-witted; he took a steamed bun from the kitchen and stuffed it into Cheng Chumo's mouth.
Madam Shen turned to the side and waved her hand, saying, "Go, go, go, come back soon and try to spend the New Year at home."
There was nothing to be sentimental about. Shen Ce kowtowed to his mother and then pulled Cheng Chumo out the door.
Before leaving, he turned to Shen Wang and Pei Huan and instructed them, "While I'm gone, all the family businesses must cease operations. Do not take on any new students learning abacus and numerology."
Seeing the reluctant expressions on Pei Huan and Wan Bingwen's faces, he solemnly said, "Chang'an is a place that devours people without spitting out the bones. You two have no official positions. If others say they've swallowed you up, you won't even be able to find your corpse. Wait for me to come back."
As for the tea, we can roast it at home and send some to General Cheng and Supervisor Yan regularly. Meanwhile… After finishing his business, Shen Ce shouted into the house, and Shen Wang came out.
Shen Wang shuffled over, step by step, his head bowed, and said, "Big brother, why haven't you left yet? You're going to be late."
Shen Ce was furious. He stepped forward, grabbed the man's collar, pulled him close, and said angrily, "While I'm not home, you better take care of this house. Try to persuade your mother. If you haven't finished studying the Classic of Filial Piety when I come back, you can try living."
As they reached the door, Pei Huan chased after them, took a jade pendant from her bosom, handed it to Shen Ce, and whispered, "This was given to me by the Princess when I left the palace. You might find it useful on your trip, my lord."
Shen Ce took it, looked at the patterns on it, and seeing nothing special about it, he thought it was a kind gesture, so he accepted it and didn't bother with it anymore.
After giving a bunch of haphazard instructions, he mounted his horse and headed straight for Duting Post Station in Chang'an.
Duting Post Station, known as the No. 1 Post Station in the world, is located in Tonghua Ward. As soon as Shen Ce and his companion stepped into the ward, without even looking around, they could see a two-zhang-long gilded plaque hanging on a three-story pavilion fifty zhang away. Anyone passing by could see the name of the post station. After taking a few steps, the pungent smell of horse manure wafted in with the hot wind, making people cover their mouths and noses.
The group of more than twenty people was quite conspicuous in the small post station, which was only about a mile square. When Shen Ce stood on tiptoe and lifted the curtain of the carriage, Wei Zheng was already lying in the corner, barely breathing.
"Where is the physician? Where is the physician?" Shen Ce called out immediately upon seeing this.
"No need to look anymore, the physician has already examined you," Wei Zheng said, propping himself up with one hand and hooking his other hand around the window. "Come in and talk."
When Shen Ce noticed that Wei Zheng's complexion was even more rosy than his own, he had an idea and tentatively asked, "What did the physician say?"
"The cold has seeped into your body; you'll recover in eight or nine days. As for the matters on the road, I will leave them all to Vice Envoy Shen. What are your plans?"
I don't know where the chill in Chang'an in the seventh month of the lunar calendar comes from. In this weather, even if you go to the Tang Dynasty Never Sleeping City in the afternoon, it's so hot that hardly anyone will look at you.
Since his own official rank was low, he couldn't say anything when Wei Zheng resigned. He just rolled his eyes and said, "We usually travel at a fast pace, covering 120 li a day and passing through four post stations a day. We will rest at Weinan Post Station on the first day, and then at Tongguan on the second day. It is estimated that it will take eight to nine days to reach Luoyang."
Shen Ce realized what he had said as soon as he finished speaking, cursing the old man for being disrespectful. He turned around, got out of the carriage, and called Cheng Chumo over, saying to him, "From today until the mission is accomplished, you will be our chief envoy's personal guard. Wherever he goes, you will follow him, even to the outhouse. If anything goes wrong, I will hold your father responsible."
"Now take a blanket from the cart at the back and cover our envoy with it."
"You'll get so hot under the covers," Cheng Chumo said in a muffled voice, looking up at the sky.
"Didn't you hear we were getting chilled? Go quickly!"
After saying that, he ignored the man's surprised expression, handed his horse to the servant behind him, and asked him to lead it home. He then took the official documents to the stable in the backyard to choose a horse.
Wen Wuyin approached from afar, riding a particularly tall and imposing black steed. Seeing Shen Ce having his servants lead his fine horse back, he asked with considerable puzzlement, "Why not ride your own horse for such a long journey? It would be much more comfortable that way."
Shen Ce replied without turning his head: "Public vehicles can be used for private purposes, but private vehicles cannot be used for public purposes."
As soon as dawn broke, Shen Ce mustered his men, and the pure leather whip whistled through the air as he addressed them sternly:
Qin Chuan leads the column, Zhou Can guards the rear, their distance no more than thirty zhang (approximately 15 meters), rotating daily. Traveling one hundred and twenty li (approximately 50 kilometers) per day, no delays allowed, depart!
Wei Zheng has already authorized him, so there's no need to ask for permission again. He's the highest-ranking officer in the team now.
According to the rules, the principal officer and his deputy were not allowed to walk side by side, so he followed behind Wei Zheng's carriage and watched as the upright Cheng Chumo kept covering Wei Zheng with a blanket.
Once outside the XX gate, the horses began to gallop at their own pace. The official road of the Tang Dynasty, after long-term use, had become incredibly sturdy. Its foundation was made of rammed earth, so even if it was wet, there would be no mud underfoot. It was wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side. Weeping willows lined both sides of the road, and foxtail grass grew more vigorously in the gaps in the sunlight.
Even riding a horse near Chang'an City isn't fast. Many farmers from the surrounding area wear hemp cloths wrapped around their heads and carry loads on shoulder poles. The swaying of their goods blends seamlessly with their footsteps. As for shoes? Wearing shoes on the smooth official road would be a waste. Their feet are even more sturdy when carrying things than when they're wearing shoes. With that, they waddle and sway towards Chang'an City.
There's nothing hard about it; it's all just about making a living.
The longer Shen Ce stayed in the city, the more likely he was to develop the illusion that most cities in the world were like Chang'an, only slightly smaller in scale.