The road is vague

Chapter 290 Reunion with Wang Feng
Li Mo was somewhat curious about this young man from Yuancheng, an official who had traveled a great distance to Qingming Mountain to marry a female cultivator from the Ye family.

From his current perspective, the reason why Wang Feng's family arranged for him to marry the little-known Ye Xuan must have some deeper considerations behind it, and things are not that simple.

What makes the Ye family so special?

With some doubt in his mind, Li Mo looked at a middle-aged man wearing a curved robe who was passing by.

This person wore a green jade crown, a brocade robe with a curved hem, a gold and jade belt around his waist, white-soled black boots, and carried a snuff bottle with a beautifully painted spring scene inside, as well as a sandalwood folding fan. He walked with his head held high and strides, his confidence and pride practically written all over his face.

"Sir, do you know how to get to Shang'an District?"

When Li Mo stepped forward, bowed, and blocked his way, a hint of displeasure flashed across the man's face. However, when he heard Li Mo inquiring about Shang'an District, his expression immediately changed.

"This is the Treasure Zone. Is this your first time in Yuan City? Hehe, Shang'an District is the inner city, generally the residence of officials and nobles. If you're not in a hurry, you can take a spirit carriage and tour the area. If you are in a hurry, you can use the teleportation pavilion to get there..."

The people of Jingzhou are proud of their identity.

Even ordinary people in Jingzhou are born with an air of superiority, and some even say that they would rather be in the mortal world of Jingzhou than in the immortal mountains of the Eight Provinces.

People here like to address each other respectfully as "Mr."

The term "先生" (xiānsheng) can refer to one's father or elder brother, someone older than oneself, or more broadly, a learned elder, a person of high moral character, or even a teacher.

"Thank you."

After saying goodbye to the man, Li Mo stood on the street for a moment, then looked at a shop not far away.

This is actually a shop that specializes in selling candied hawthorn berries.

He walked over with a curious look on his face and found that there were many kinds of candied hawthorns here. They were not only hawthorns, but also various kinds of spiritual fruits, which were beautifully packaged and placed in the window for people to choose from.

"Hello, how much is this string of candied hawthorn berries?"

A shop assistant dressed in a light pink silk dress walked over, her hair styled in a high bun and adorned with exquisite hair ornaments, making her truly radiant.

"Sir, one string costs fifty coins."

Even though Li Mo was mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but twitch when he heard the price.

A string of candied hawthorns costs eight coins in Hua'an Town, fifteen coins in Anle City, and a staggering fifty coins in Yuancheng, Jingzhou.

"Thank you."

Li Mo did not purchase it.

After he turned and left, he looked at the many wooden oxen and flowing horses on the street.

These wooden oxen and flowing horses come in different styles; some are large and used to carry goods, while others are small and used for transportation.

Yuancheng was a prosperous place, and even the vast majority of commoners could afford the daily spirit stone consumption of the wooden ox and flowing horse. When he was an apprentice in Hua'an Town, he could never have believed that such a wonderful place existed in the world.

He then noticed that some of the wooden oxen and horses had signs that read "Carriage and Horse Shop".

Previously, Master Danqing had ridden such a wooden ox and flowing horse away, so he followed Master Danqing's example and waved by the roadside, and soon a wooden ox and flowing horse stopped.

"Hey, where are you headed, Daoist Master?"

Li Mo could hear the friendly, teasing, and relaxed tone in the other person's words. He already knew that in Yuancheng, local cultivators and some high-ranking cultivators from other places were called "Immortal Masters," while some obviously low-ranking cultivators from elsewhere were jokingly called "Daoist Masters."

"Wang Family Mansion on Chunxi Road, Shang'an District".

"okay."

The driver of the carriage and horse shop was very eloquent, driving the wooden ox and flowing horse along the wide streets.

"Master Dao, your friend seems to be quite extraordinary. In the sixteen districts of Yuan City, Shang'an District is a proper district for officials. When the Holy Emperor wanted to introduce the special imperial examination system, many old noble families jointly opposed it, almost causing an internal strife in Yuan City. The situation was almost out of control. As a result, the Holy Emperor was furious and personally wiped out more than a dozen thousand-year-old families. It was truly a bloodbath. The remaining families who had a better attitude were all relocated to Shang'an District..."

Li Mo had also heard Wang Feng recount this history.

Since Qian Yuan Shengjun was given the title of a strengthened divine cultivator, he has made fewer and fewer moves. Among the few times he has made a public appearance, there were those who were trying to obstruct the reform by eliminating the old aristocratic families.

It should be noted that among all the Lingmu Sect, only the Ye family can be considered a thousand-year-old family.

However, the Holy Lord Qian Yuan wiped out more than a dozen aristocratic families of this size in one go, not to mention the countless smaller aristocratic families that followed. Judging from what this coachman said, the people living in Shang'an District are all such ancient aristocratic families.
If that is the case, although these powerful families are not as powerful as they used to be, daring to openly challenge the imperial authority, they are still an important force in the Great Qian Kingdom today.

"Tsk tsk, to actually get the Holy Monarch to take action personally... I remember the last time the Holy Monarch took action was two hundred years ago when he killed the Thunder Elder of Tianyuan Highlands, right? This person was known as the number one in thunder techniques in the world, yet he dared to come to our Great Qian Kingdom to steal treasures, and in the end, he angered the Holy Monarch and was killed by the Holy Monarch himself."

"That's true, but I heard from a rumor that although the Holy Lord killed this late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he failed to retrieve the ancient demonic blood lost at the auction, which is quite a pity..."

Li Mo enjoyed the scenery along the way, chatting with the coachman as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Chunxi Road in Shang'an District.

Unlike Wubao District, the streets of Shang'an District were unusually quiet.

There are almost no pedestrians here, and the vehicles coming and going are all exquisite and luxurious, but there are more flying cars and magical birds traveling in the air.

"Hello, that'll be eight hundred coins in total."

"kindness."

Although Li Mo is now quite wealthy, he still feels the pinch of the high prices in Yuancheng. After the coachman drove away, Li Mo glanced at the door plaque, confirmed that it was the address left by Wang Feng, and then walked forward with a smile, looking at the servants standing guard next to the stone lions in front of the door.

"Please inform Wang Feng that his friend Li Mo from Qingming Mountain requests an audience."

The servant in red frowned, scrutinizing Li Mo.

"Master Wang Feng is extremely busy. Do you have a formal visiting card?"

“Wang Feng, Ye Xuan, and I are old friends who haven’t seen each other for many years. You can go ahead.”

However, after waiting for a long time in front of the door, no one came out to greet him, which made him angry. He looked at the red-clothed servant from before.

"You made me wait here for so long! Did you even go and report it to me?!"

Upon hearing this, the servant in red immediately looked aggrieved.

"Master Wang Feng has just taken office as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and concurrently as the Deputy Examiner of the Monthly Assessment. He is visited by a constant stream of people every day. Since you have neither an official position nor a formal visiting card, I can only report the information truthfully to the steward, who will then report it to the higher authorities as appropriate. As for whether the steward has already reported it, I do not know." The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works is a fifth-rank official with the authority to review and approve engineering projects in various regions.

As for the monthly evaluation, it was a way for scholars to gain reputation by having famous people publicly comment on their talents and virtues at the beginning of each month. It was also known as the "Pure Opinion" and was once a popular system for selecting officials in the early days of the Great Qian Dynasty. Later, it was gradually replaced by the recommendation of filial piety and integrity and the special examination, but it still maintained an extraordinary status.

According to Li Mo, Wang Feng's appointment as the deputy examiner of the Monthly Appraisal Committee was even more important than that of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

"The future is bright."

Li Mo finally understood his friend's true strength; he was definitely not just some nobody he had described.

The fact that such a person would go to Qingming Mountain to marry into the Ye family made Li Mo even more curious. Was it because of the Ye family that he had such a successful career?

Li Mo looked helpless.

He then took out a waist token with the words "Jingzhao" clearly written on it. The red-clad servant was startled and looked at Li Mo with a shocked expression.

"Go and report it."

"Yes Yes."

After a while.

An old man, accompanied by more than a dozen servants, hurried over. Upon seeing Li Mo, who was dressed simply in a crane-feather cloak, he immediately offered him a deep bow and solemnly returned the waist token.

"Please forgive me, sir. My master is currently in the manor discussing important matters for tomorrow's monthly review. He has neglected you. Please come inside and rest for a while!"

"kindness."

Li Mo didn't say much and followed the steward into the mansion.

After about half an incense stick of time.

As dusk fell, Wang Feng followed the butler to the guest room. Upon seeing Li Mo, he was first stunned, then burst into laughter and ran over.

"Li Mo, it's been more than ten years! You've finally come to Yuancheng to see me!"

Li Mo stood up and smiled slightly.

Over the years, Wang Feng has gained a lot of weight and grown a beard.

"I have urgent business to attend to and have been ordered to come to the capital. I won't have any news for a couple of days. I have nowhere to go right now, and since you once said you would take me out for food, drink and entertainment, I came here to bask in the glory of your position as a Grand Secretary."

"Hahahaha!"

Wang Feng pointed at Li Mo and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

However, after more than ten years apart, Li Mo could tell that Wang Feng had undergone tremendous changes. He was no longer the carefree and lazy disciple he once was on Qingming Mountain.

"Is Sister-in-law Ye Xuan alright?"

"Of course, but although Yuancheng is wealthy, it can't compare to the health and wellness of Qingming Mountain. Over the years, we have tried our best, and last year we finally managed to barely advance to the Foundation Establishment stage. But we can forget about the Great Dao. When I'm less busy with work in a few years, I will resign and return to the mountain."

Say it.

Wang Feng grabbed Li Mo and said with a big smile, "Now that you're in Yuancheng, treat this place as your home. Come on, brother, let me show you around!"

Next.

Li Mo and Wang Feng rode in a spirit bird carriage and arrived at a hundred-zhang-tall tower in Yuancheng. There, they enjoyed the night view of Yuancheng while savoring delicious food and reminiscing about their past at the training hall.

As they talked, the two started talking about Zhao Xiaonan.

This is a good friend of his cousin Zhu Yidan, whom he had even planned to introduce to Li Mo.

"Her."

Li Mo smiled and shook his head.

"After graduation, I went to work in Bai'an County, where Zhao Xiaonan was also. Later, I introduced her to one of my childhood friends. Now they have a son and a daughter and are living a happy life."

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng couldn't help but sigh.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two rode in a spirit bird carriage to another brightly lit tower, where there was a huge natural spring.

Amidst the milky white aura, Wang Feng and Li Mo immersed themselves in the spiritual spring, letting out beautiful sighs.

Li Mo couldn't help but ask a question.

"By the way, why did you go to Qingming Mountain to marry Ye Xuan?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng, who was enjoying himself immensely, slowly opened his eyes, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Regarding this matter, it was a forced arrangement by my family at the time, and I don't know much about it. Actually, I was unwilling at first, but in recent years, I have vaguely sensed some connections, which seem to be related to the palace, but I cannot tell you the specific reasons."

At this point, Wang Feng couldn't help but show a look of curiosity.

"And what about you? The Jingzhao Rank is no ordinary thing. How did you obtain it?"

"It was obtained by chance after I made a meritorious contribution. It was said that it was a memorial to the emperor that went directly to the central cabinet."

Li Mo shook his head, not paying any attention to it.

"I have no reason to go to Yuancheng to submit a petition."

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng stood up.

"It seems you haven't quite figured out the ins and outs yet, brother. The fact that you have this Jingzhao magistrate's decree means that someone in the court is strongly supporting you. Therefore, you will definitely be transferred to Yuancheng in Jingzhou in the future. This is a hundred times easier than me accumulating prestige as the deputy examiner of the Monthly Criticism Examination!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Mo couldn't help but think of Lord Si Mingzhong of the Road Guiding Division.

Sima Fu certainly understood the reason, but he never spoke of it.

(End of this chapter)