On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the day was under the divine jurisdiction, a lucky day in the almanac.
It was suitable for sacrifice, prayer for blessings, making alliances, and eting with relatives and friends.
A carriage from Qi Country erged from the ferry crossing at Zhu River headed slowly towards the council hall.
This road had been considerably widened, and places previously pockmarked with ditches and potholes had been repaired in advance. Now, with the noise of peace talks between the two nations reaching a peak, the atmosphere grew tense upon the arrival of the Qi advance officials.
"Governor, the council hall is near."
"Is that the council hall?"
Feng Jingteng had just lifted the curtain upon hearing the discussion when he heard an exclamation of surprise.
"So grand?"
He focused his gaze and was sowhat astonished as well.
In less than half a month, the Qi side had assud that this council hall would be hurriedly finished—rely for show.
The Jin side wanted money, nothing more than a pretext for extortion. They truly didn’t believe a decent hall could be constructed.
However, the council hall before them...
It was majestic and spacious, luminous and broad, without a doubt unique.
Devoid of intricate carvings and painted beams, as well as pavilions and watchtowers, the council hall was quite simple. It did not show off flamboyant colors nor did it waste materials—just a plain combination of grey tiles, bricks, stone, and timber, with even raw boulders as the foundation.
Yet, it was miraculous.
With such a simple structure, it embodied a visibility imposing and grand.
"Huh..."
The pressure in Feng Jingteng’s heart dissipated.
"It seems that the Jin Court highly regards the peace talks and built with care."
This way, it would be easy to report to the Emperor upon his return.
A servant said, "Feng Shi’er Niang was able to build such a house."
His tone was one of amazent, but it quickly subsided.
"She rely took the lead, but it was the craftsn who were thoughtful."
Feng Jingteng knew Feng Yun was in charge but didn’t believe she had the ability to influence these matters.
"How could a young lady raised in a sheltered ho understand such things?"
The servants remained silent.
They all knew Feng Shi’er Niang to be slow-witted and warm, with less than exemplary conduct—a rare piece among the daughters of noble families, far from the favor Feng Jingteng held for her sister. They knew when to keep their mouths shut.
-
"Governor, we’ve arrived."
Feng Jingteng let down the curtain, straightened his attire, and sat upright, waiting.
Yet after a considerable wait, there was still no one coming to greet them.
Jiang Da began to complain.
"How can they not know the proper etiquette?"
It was one thing for the Jin Court not to send out anyone, but even the guards at the gate of the council hall, seeing their carriage, made no move to announce them. They stood erect, like wooden stakes.
Feng Jingteng felt displeased, and finally decided to disembark from the carriage himself.
Dressed in his official attire, he strode towards the towering pillars of the great doors.
Only then did the guards show so reaction.
"Is the guest from Qi Country?"
Of course, Feng Jingteng wouldn’t pay respects to a guard. He stood with his hands behind his back, motionless and silent.
Jiang Da said, "Indeed, it is our Governor. Why has no one from your side co to receive us?"
The guard replied, "The Great General has instructed us that he has already inspected the council hall, and there is no need for further discussion. Since Qi Country is uneasy, let the Qi Envoy inspect it himself."
Feng Jingteng’s brows slowly furrowed.
Putting aside his current role as the envoy from Qi Country, considering Pei Jue married his daughter, he was Pei Jue’s father-in-law. The younger generation should not neglect their elders like this.
Indeed, what a brusque warrior!
Feng Jingteng felt a surge of anger in his chest, unable to vent it.
His face was swept with embarrassnt, and the servants also felt aggrieved.
But outside the council hall, a group of guards stood in strict formation, ard and armored, clearly not planning on showing them the courtesy they were due...
They couldn’t possibly fulfill their mission by arriving at the council hall without conducting an inspection and then skulk away, could they?
Feng Jingteng pointed at the speaking guard.
"You, lead the way ahead."
The guard, without a glance aside, said, "Craftsn are inside making final touches; the Governor may enter on his own."
Not only lacking any sign of respect, but he also clearly did not hold him in high regard.
Feng Jingteng took a breath, huffed, and lightly shook his official robe, "Let’s go."
Before entering the council hall, they had assud that, at best, it was built just sufficiently—external grandeur was expected, perhaps better workmanship.
But they had not at all expected the council hall, shaped like the character "回," to have a stream ingeniously incorporated, resembling a water dragon circulating in the shape, clear and clean.
Beyond that, the entire council hall was filled with an abundance of novel, unfamiliar, yet very convenient arrangents.
After Feng Jingteng walked through the central hall for discussions and examined the wing rooms and covered rooms, he beca even more convinced that these had nothing to do with Feng Yun.
He knew his daughter well, stubborn and unyielding, lacking any real skill.
"Stead buns for sale, stead buns for sale, freshly made at buns!"
"Egg pancakes, egg pancakes, crispy and fragrant egg pancakes here!"
"Rice syrup and porridge, five copper coins a bowl, buns and egg pancakes, ten copper coins each, cheap and fine, specially provided by Yutangchun of Andu County, once you leave this village, there’ll be no such shop!"
Feng Jingteng’s spine stiffened slightly.
"Where is the hawking from?"
He asked Jiang Da.
How would Jiang Da know?
He hesitated for a mont, and then a craftsman tinkering with a wooden screen turned his head around.
"Walk fifty steps out the door in the direction of Mingquan Town, and you’ll find Changn Restaurant."
Yutangchun was a property owned by Feng Jingteng, a na he was naturally familiar with.
However, hearing it again after so many months felt remarkably poignant.
A group of people strolled up to Changn Restaurant, only then realizing that along both sides of the road, there were two rows of shops, like a newly constructed little street extending the architectural style of the eting hall, with simple lintels, square and upright shops, spacious and bright.
Most of the shops were closed.
There were restaurants, tea houses, and general stores.
What was even more outrageous was that there was even a cobbler’s shop.
At the entrance of the restaurant stood a young girl with her hair done up in a gathered bun.
Her skin was fair, her looks beautiful, and with a bright smile, she asked:
"Would you like to dine, sir? To celebrate our opening, we have a buy one, get one free offer."
Feng Jingteng asked, "What’s the price?"
"Rice milk and porridge are five big coins for a bowl, stead buns and egg pancakes are ten big coins each."
"From Yutangchun?"
"Yes, yes, sir, you have a good nose."
Feng Jingteng frowned, "Since when did Yutangchun charge such high prices?"
This price was unheard of even in the Yutangchun of Andu County, let alone in such a desolate place?
If it weren’t for the presence of a eting hall, there would hardly be any passersby here.
Selling at such a high price, even with a buy one, get one free offer, is nothing short of extortion.
Unexpectedly, the young girl just laughed when she heard this.
"Such good prices are only available today, sir. Once the negotiations begin in a couple of days, you won’t be able to enjoy these prices anymore..."
With that, she glanced at Feng Jingteng and then at the servants around him, as if she had thought of sothing.
"You all are envoys from Qi Country, aren’t you?"
Under the gaze of the beauty, Feng Jingteng puffed up his chest, slightly swept his sleeve behind him, "Precisely."
"Then there’s no buy one, get one free for you," the young girl said. "Our boss said that the envoys from Qi Country have money and should pay the original price."
Feng Jingteng felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
The stears on the wooden counter contained Yutangchun’s buns, but here he was, the owner, and he had to pay the full price...
He snorted.
"Where is your boss? Have her co out to see ."
The young girl gave him a disdainful look.
"Who are you to demand to see my boss?"
Feng Jingteng: "I am her dear father?"
"Is that so?" That young girl was actually Nan Kui; upon hearing this, she took a good look at Feng Jingteng, exchanged a knowing look with a fellow worker beside her, and watched him with a smirk that was not quite a smirk.
"Back from the dead? My boss said her dear father died a long ti ago. Drowned in a cesspit, with his mouth filled with dung, the undertakers took two days to clean him out and still couldn’t get it all..."
"Shut up!" Feng Jingteng couldn’t contain his anger.
"Where is Feng Shi Er Niang? Have her co to see at once."
"You an the wife of the General?" Nan Kui had recognized Feng Jingteng already.
It was Feng Jingteng himself who had picked her and her sisters from Yutangchun to be presented to Pei Jue; she couldn’t possibly forget the Governor’s face.
Too bad that Feng Jingteng, having seen so many beauties, had forgotten her.
Nan Kui said, "It’s really difficult for , an envoy, I’m just a little girl selling buns, where can I summon the wife of a General?"
And then she turned and shouted back into the interior.
"Boss, soone is looking for you."
Alou erged from inside, stunned for a mont upon seeing Feng Jingteng.
He had arrived in Mingquan Town just that morning, afraid that Feng Yun was shorthanded, and purposely brought so people over to help out.
And yet, upon arrival, he ran right into the old master.
Feng Jingteng also recognized Alou.
"So you’re the boss? When did Yutangchun fall into your hands?"
Alou bowed, "The master has misunderstood, I’m just following the young master’s orders to open and run the business. How could I dare claim Yutangchun?"
A servant dares to use "I" in front of him?
Feng Jingteng glared at Alou.
He noticed this dog of a servant had grown taller and more upright since he had last seen him; he spoke as if he had backbone now, showing no trace of respect towards him anymore.
"Where is Shi’er Niang?"
Alou looked at Feng Jingteng doubtfully.
"Doesn’t the master know? The lady is now the wife of the General. She’s currently in Xinzhou. If the master wishes to see her, I’m afraid..."
He chuckled, "You’d need the Great General’s permission."
Feng Jingteng trembled with rage, "Preposterous, how can it be that a father needs his son-in-law’s permission to see his daughter? Fetch Shi’er Niang to see ."
Alou pursed his lips and exchanged a smile with Nan Kui.
The other employees at the entrance joined in with loud laughter.
They were thoroughly amused, as if they had heard an extrely funny joke, and couldn’t stop laughing for quite so ti, so even exaggeratedly holding their bellies.
Alou, while laughing, rubbed his cheeks, almost choking from laughter.
"If the master has co to eat, he may simply pay for his food. If he wishes to see the wife of the General, unfortunately, we can’t make that decision."
"You..."
"Please leave."
Alou tilted up his chin, looking at him.
Feng Jingteng stood dumbfounded, his lips quivering, seemingly in disbelief.
The lowly servants who used to tremble at the sight of him now dared, actually dared to mock him like this?
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