A raincoat wind and snow to the small garden

Chapter 3 Going to the Capital (Part )

Xiang Xiaoyuan woke up from an endless nightmare.

She sat up suddenly, sweating profusely. The coarse cloth was stuck to her back, like a piece of skin, pricking her painfully.

Xiang Xiaoyuan blinked her almond-shaped eyes, which were stinging from sweat, and looked around.

In front of her was the old bed curtain she had used for eight or nine years, a small table with a limp leg, a wardrobe with a door panel missing and could only be covered with a piece of cloth... They were all old things she was familiar with. She was not trapped in a nightmare, she was still in her aunt's house.

Xiang Xiaoyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, the wooden door was pushed open, and the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict brought a bowl of medicine with a smile and handed it to Xiang Xiaoyuan.

"Oh, Miss Xiang, you're finally awake! We've come all the way from the capital to congratulate you on passing the exam to become a coroner in the Xuanqi Division. Although it's only an eighth-rank official, it's a position under the Emperor. You have a promising future and are incredibly honored! Considering that you've just recovered from a serious illness, I'll allow you to kneel on the couch and receive the imperial decree."

The eunuch Fusheng is the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, and is usually in charge of the Eastern Palace affairs. This time he went to the prefecture near the capital to convey the imperial edict, entirely on the orders of the Crown Prince Xie Yunxue. He came in advance to inform the new batch of young men selected for the Xuanqi Division and to get acquainted with them.

This time, the selection process for the Ministry of Internal Affairs was unusual. To foster close ties with the various military governors, the Imperial Family issued a decree inviting the children of the military governors' families to train within the Xuanqi Ministry. These children were all fifteen or sixteen years old. After three or four years, once they had completed their coming-of-age rites, they would be able to serve in the capital, holding a position within the imperial court and assisting the Emperor.

That being said, each step has a deeper meaning.

The first reaction of the military governors in various places was that the emperor was trying to find fault with them and force them to send their own children to the capital as hostages. If anyone disobeyed the order, the emperor would definitely assume that they had rebellious intentions and order the elimination of the rebels.

The emperor never recovered the military power of the local military governors, but his mind was deeper than the sea, and he still weakened the military forces of the local vassal states.

If someone really wanted to go against the emperor at this critical moment, the military governors would be angry and might not accept the military order and help to kill the treacherous minister. After all, they knew the principle of "lips and teeth are cold" and would not hurt their own feelings.

But the emperor was also treacherous. If he had added another decree - "Any minister who kills the enemy can take over the jurisdiction of their state after victory", it would have been hard to say.

In this way, the ambitious military governors will definitely train their troops and kill each other in order to legitimately own that piece of land... Whoever is the first to stand out will have his good days come to an end.

Therefore, the military governors dared not disobey the emperor's order. Not only would they obey the order, they would also choose a young man with a pure character and good conduct from among their own legitimate sons and send him to the capital under the emperor's nose for surveillance, to show their loyalty and surrender.

In other words, Xiang Xiaoyuan would not only be employed in the capital for training, but would also have to spend every day and night with a group of spoiled children from aristocratic families. She was a commoner with no family background, but the world was strict about hierarchy, and the girl expected to suffer a lot.

This is also the reason why Fusheng treats Xiang Xiaoyuan with such tenderness. The young lady will have to endure many more grievances in the future!
Fusheng's words were passed on, and he and Xiang Xiaoyuan set a time to take a boat to Beijing from Liuchang Ferry three days later. He also left Xiang Xiaoyuan a pension allocated by the court for his family.

A total of one hundred taels of silver was enough for a small family to buy a house and live a carefree life for more than ten years.

Xiang Xiaoyuan thanked the eunuch and took the money.

As soon as the officials left, my aunt came into the house, supporting her sprained waist.

The aunt glanced at her niece with a sly look in her eyes, and her greed was hard to hide in her words: "Xiaoyuan, how much silver did the official give you?"

Xiang Xiaoyuan didn't say anything.

Her aunt knew she was going to Beijing in two days, and she had become a phoenix. But if this cash cow was gone, what would happen to her and Sister Qiao in the future?
The aunt was so angry that she became bolder. She knew that Xiang Xiaoyuan was respectful to the elderly and kind to the young, and would definitely not disobey her, so the aunt grabbed Xiang Xiaoyuan's sleeve and kept searching through all the young lady's clothes where she could hide money.

However, this time, she really underestimated Xiang Xiaoyuan.

There was a flash of silver light, and the whistling sound of the blade was approaching her face. A piece of black hair was cut off, and the cold blade just brushed past my aunt's temples.

It turned out that Xiang Xiaoyuan took out the butcher knife hidden under the pillow, and shaved off half of his aunt's hair with a skillful technique!
"Xiang Xiaoyuan! Are you crazy?!" The aunt held the side of the bald man's face and screamed in fear.

Xiang Xiaoyuan got up and went to the field, holding the purse in one hand and the butcher knife in the other.

She said, "Aunt, I'm not crazy. This knife is to repay you for the bullying and humiliation you've suffered over the years, and these fifty taels of silver are to repay you for your kindness in raising me."

He threw the silver note into Xiaoyuan and left without looking back.

My aunt wanted to pick up the money, but because her hair was messy, she couldn't go out and let the neighbors laugh at her, so she had no way to catch up with Xiang Xiaoyuan.

She was thinking about the other fifty taels in Xiang Xiaoyuan's hand, but then she thought of the butcher knife he was wielding with such vigor and energy, and she felt that the girl was skilled in martial arts and that she was no match for him. If she provoked the county magistrate again, she would be in big trouble.

My aunt was so angry that she was at a loss as to what to do.

Xiang Xiaoyuan has the support of the official, so my aunt no longer has the courage to go up and get into trouble.

From then on, Xiang Xiaoyuan finally escaped from this cannibalistic house.

Rather than feeling relieved, Xiang Xiaoyuan felt more confused.

From now on, she has another path to take.

She remembered that her biological parents died at the hands of the emperor, and she wanted to avenge them.

Even if I am just an ant, I can still slay the dragon with the knife in my hand.
-
Before leaving for Beijing, Xiang Xiaoyuan bought two pigs. She slaughtered the pigs herself and asked a famous chef in the town to prepare a pig-killing banquet.

Xiang Xiaoyuan not only sent pig's trotters to the county magistrate's home, but also invited all the familiar villagers to a pork banquet.

During non-holidays, we are all ordinary people and don’t have many opportunities to eat meat.

When they heard that a little girl named Xiang Xiaoyuan was going to be an official in the government office in the capital, and that she was in the Xuanqi Division under the emperor, everyone gave her a thumbs up and felt proud of it.

They didn't eat for free either. They each brought dried meat, baked naan, and even cotton shoes that fit Xiaoyuan's feet, as well as loose cotton coats and skirts.

Xiang Xiaoyuan accepted the gifts from the uncles and aunts, and even shared some of the leftover pork offal with the elders in his family. Some of the old men loved to drink and enjoyed it with stir-fried pork liver and pork belly with garlic.

The inkstone bought from Xiaoyuan was finally delivered to Liu Juncheng.

She was very grateful to Liu Juncheng for teaching her to read and write. If it were not for Liu Juncheng's help, she would not be where she is today.

Liu Juncheng was polite and gave Xiang Xiaoyuan the rare autopsy book he had read before as a farewell gift.

"It is my honor as a teacher to have a disciple of Xuanqisi. It is the wish of every teacher to have students all over the world. Now I have a student working in the capital, I am satisfied."

Xiang Xiaoyuan's eyes burned as she listened, and she nodded heavily. The people who were most reluctant to let Xiang Xiaoyuan go were actually Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu.

Although Xiang Xiaoyuan worked as an assistant at the Liu family's butcher shop, Liu Juncheng, intent on studying, refused to inherit his legacy. Uncle Liu taught Xiang Xiaoyuan all his pig-killing skills, loving her like his own daughter. Uncle Liu even thought that if Xiang Xiaoyuan could marry into his family, he could put the butcher shop under her name.

Not to mention Uncle Liu, even Aunt Liu felt it was a pity.

What a pretty girl! There is no girl in the whole town prettier than Xiang Xiaoyuan. It's a pity that she didn't become my daughter-in-law.

Aunt Liu placed a jade bracelet, inherited from her daughter-in-law, on Xiang Xiaoyuan's hand, patted her, and said, "Xiaoyuan, keep this bracelet. It's a family heirloom passed down from my ancestors. It will protect you from misfortune in the future."

Xiang Xiaoyuan was extremely anxious and kept waving his hands, trying to return the treasure in his hands.

"The jade bracelet is too valuable. I can't accept it. Aunt, please take it back."

Aunt Liu held Xiang Xiaoyuan's hand tightly, her eyes red as she said, "As a young girl going to such a distant capital, it would be reassuring if you had something to wear with you. Be good, keep it, and don't take it off."

This was Aunt Liu's thoughtful gesture. Thinking of the years they had spent together day and night, Xiang Xiaoyuan decided not to keep refusing and hurt their feelings.

She used tea instead of wine to toast all the relatives and friends present as a practice.

Three days later, Xiang Xiaoyuan, carrying a thick bag, boarded a carriage heading to Liuchang Ferry.

After about six hours' drive, Xiang Xiaoyuan finally arrived at his destination at night.

There were no other boats at the ferry, and it was surrounded inside and out by local soldiers in armor.

Xiang Xiaoyuan jumped off the carriage, showed the documents for joining Xuanqisi, and the soldiers let him go.

The eunuch Fusheng saw Xiang Xiaoyuan from afar. He waved at her and called her over.

The wooden poles supporting the candles at the ferry crossing had been destroyed by a tsunami a year earlier. The lanterns could no longer burn, so the soldiers had to hold up torches to provide light.

Gazing out into the small garden by the light of the flames, which were blown into flaming banners by the wind, I saw a group of elegantly dressed young men in the center of the circle of soldiers and officers. Carrying bundles on their backs, they sat on mahogany boxes, complaining discontentedly. I imagined these were the high-ranking children of the Jizhen family that Fusheng had mentioned.

Xiang Xiaoyuan came from a humble background, and her future role within the Xuanqi Division would certainly differ from theirs. Not wanting to cause trouble, she didn't approach them, instead staying alone in a corner.

However, Xiang Xiaoyuan did not make friends, and others were surprised by her dressing like this with a straw hairpin and a cloth skirt.

He looks like a poor family.

There was even a noble lady who didn't want to carry the heavy baggage anymore, and she called out to Xiaoyuan impatiently: "Hey, come here!"

Xiang Xiaoyuan turned around and didn't see anyone behind her. She frowned in confusion and asked, "Are you calling me?"

"Yes." The noble lady raised her lips and hooked her little finger at her, "It's you. Come and help me carry my bag, and I'll give you a golden hairpin!"

Xiang Xiaoyuan didn't say anything, she just walked over with her head down.

Just as she was about to reach out and take the bundle handed to her by the noble lady, a sharp silver leaf shot out, pierced through the wind, and with a rustling sound, it cut open the noble lady's narrow sleeve.

The lady was startled, the bag fell to the ground, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

She was certain that if she raised her wrist an inch higher, her arm would be cut off by the silver leaf!

"Who is it? I am Lin Qing, the daughter of Youzhou Jiezhen! Who is so audacious as to dare to assassinate me?!"

The noise made by the noble lady Lin Qing scared the young men so much that they looked around for the murderer, fearing that they would be the ones to be murdered.

However, they did not find any suspicious figures, but in the distance, a clear and distant young man's voice came on the wind.

"The leader of the Xuanqi Division's twelve secret guards, Huai Yu."

When Shulang's voice fell, everyone looked up.

I saw a young man who called himself "Huai Yu" standing on the shaky wooden lamp stand blown by the wind.

He wore a round-necked robe with dark cloud patterns and a jade belt around his waist, which tightened to highlight his narrow waist. His hair was sharp as needles, rustling in the wind. In his arms he held a long sword with a bright moon pattern, and on his face was a half-covered green ghost mask from the Nuo opera.

Although Xiang Xiaoyuan couldn't see his face clearly, judging from his cold eyes and thin lips, he must have a very good appearance.

Lin Qing didn't expect that the person who attacked her was the famous leader of the Xuanqisi secret guards. This person might even be her immediate superior in the future. She was a little angry, but helpless.

Lin Qing was furious and couldn't help but jump up and down, "What does the financial transaction between me and this maid have to do with you? Why do you meddle in other people's business?"

After he finished speaking, Huaiyu did not respond immediately.

He jumped down towards the snow that was like fine salt. The young man was very light and graceful, but in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Lin Qing.

His unsheathed sword flew out of the wind and pointed directly at Lin Qing's nose.

Even without the murderous sword blade, Lin Qing was still shocked by this killing move.

She was sweating profusely and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Huaiyu twisted his wrist and stood between Xiang Xiaoyuan and Lin Qing.

This position gave Xiang Xiaoyuan the illusion of being protected.

Huai Yu looked at Lin Qing indifferently, his tone was icy, without any sympathy for her.

He said calmly, "She is also an official of the Xuanqi Division, not your slave. If she does it again, she will be punished for bullying her colleagues."

(End of this chapter)