Chapter 44: Leaving the City (Part Two)

The next morning, just as dawn broke with a hazy gray light, the chilling air felt cold enough to freeze one's internal organs upon drawing a breath.

Early-risers among the common folk thus witnessed a rare spectacle.

The moment the ward gates swung open, columns of carriages and horses streamed out one after another from the Yongxing and Chongren wards. The rumble of wheels and the whinnying of horses blended with a ceaseless clamor of voices. Streams of vehicles wove through the city streets, occasionally intersecting—sometimes halting for brief, polite exchanges, and other times glaring angrily and shouting mutual reprimands.

Those well-informed individuals would then explain to the bewildered onlookers that His Majesty was banishing all those aristocratic scions who had caused an uproar at Qingyuan Temple the previous day, exiling them to suburban manors for self-reflection with strict orders forbidding their return to the city for several months.

Hearing this, the people clapped their hands in jubilation.

These good-for-nothing scions idled away their days, running rampant through the markets, bullying honest merchants and committing all sorts of outrages, yet no one dared to rein them in. The residents of Chang'an had long suffered in silence. With them gone, the city would surely usher in a hard-earned period of peace and harmony; even if it lasted only a few months, it was a precious respite.

Mounted on his horse, Fang Jun looked at the townspeople pointing and whispering along the sides of the street, feeling a bitter taste in his heart.

Although his planned goal for this stage was to "disgrace himself," seeing the citizens look as joyful as if they were sending off a plague deity still inevitably brought a sense of loss.

In his past life, he had been a star figure in his county. After graduating from a prestigious university, he had returned home to contribute to the construction of his native place. Who wouldn't give a thumbs-up and praise him as a fine young man?

Yet now, the entire populace viewed him as a malignant tumor, eager to be rid of him as quickly as possible. While he hadn't quite reached the point where everyone shouted "beat the rat crossing the street," it was not far off...

Fang Jun felt thoroughly depressed. He merely specialized in doing things that disgusted Emperor Li Er; he had never once committed any evil deeds that stirred up public resentment. Why on earth did these people detest him so much?

He just couldn't figure it out...

The Fang family's convoy moved at a snail's pace, and the curious onlookers naturally grew more numerous. Impatient, Fang Jun turned his head to shout a few words, intending to speed up the convoy. But taking in the bloated, cumbersome procession, he couldn't help letting out a sigh and abandoned the idea.

For this trip out of the city, Fang Xuanling hadn't asked a single question, but Lady Lu had taken it to heart entirely. Not only did she send along his personal maid Qiao'er and the emperor's bestowed imperial maid Wu Mei Niang, but she also provided four junior maids, five manservants, and even two cooks...

Upon hearing that her second brother was heading to the suburban manor, his little sister Fang Xiuzhu had made a fuss insisting on tagging along. Fang Jun had no choice but to bring her. As for the third brother Fang Yize, though he also looked on with yearning eyes, he shrank his neck in grievance and obediently stayed behind in the manor to study after receiving a glare from Fang Xuanling.

With the clothing and supplies for so many people, plus the bolts of cloth, grain, and oil distributed by the household to the estate tenants for the New Year, a full seven or eight large wagons were packed to capacity. It would be a miracle if they could move at any speed.

Fang Jun couldn't help feeling fortunate that he had chosen to ride a horse rather than sit in a carriage. Riding in one of those rickety wooden wagons—covered in iron plating with no rubber tires, no shock absorbers, and no suspension, clattering and banging all the way to Xihe County—would probably rattle a person's brains right out.

He wondered how Lu Cheng was progressing with the task assigned to him...

Pedestrians grew increasingly dense on the avenue before the Mingde Gate, forming a bustling, impassable stream of traffic and carriages.

Seeing the sun climbing higher, Fang Jun grew somewhat impatient. It was already the hour of Chen, and they still hadn't left the city; how on earth were they going to reach their destination before dusk?

He reined in his horse, moved forward a few paces, and raised his eyes to look. Rows of carriages and horses were jammed tightly in front of the Mingde Gate, waiting to exit the city.

Mingde Gate was the primary southern gate of Chang'an, built to the capital's highest standard as a "five-portal gate." Together with the Zhuque Gate of the imperial city and the Chengtian Gate of the palace city, it formed the north-south central axis of Chang'an. Aside from being the mandatory path for the Son of Heaven during sacrificial ceremonies, Mingde Gate was also an important venue where large-scale folk rituals were frequently held to ward off disasters—following the traditional custom that "in the event of prolonged rain, sacrifices are offered at the national gates."

Yet, although the Mingde Gate was towering and majestic with its five portals, only the two outermost portals were used for the passage of carriages and horses, while the secondary portals were for pedestrians. As for the central portal, it was an imperial thoroughfare reserved exclusively for the emperor.

The Tang dynasty followed the traffic rule that "all palace halls and city gates shall be entered on the left and exited on the right." Consequently, exiting the city with a convoy meant squeezing through that single rightmost portal.

At this early hour, there were no pedestrians coming and going, and the inbound carriages entering from outside the city were merely a trickle of one or two. Thus, there arose a peculiar phenomenon where only the rightmost portal was jammed to the point of immobility, while the other four portals remained cold and desolate.

Just then, Fang Jun suddenly heard someone shouting: "Second Lang!"

Following the sound, he saw Li Siwen standing on the shaft of his own carriage, waving and greeting him.

Fang Jun turned back to instruct his manservants to gather the convoy and make sure not to get scattered when leaving the city, then spurred his horse into a trot toward the Li family's procession.

Compared to the Fang family's household, the Li family's convoy was even more extravagant. A full twenty carriages lined up in a lengthy dragon, stretching so far that the head and tail could hardly be seen. It was a magnificent scale indeed.

Arriving close by, Fang Jun clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "What on earth are you doing? Could it be that Uncle Li drove you out of the family and made you set up a separate household?"

Li Siwen looked rather speechless. "I wish he had, but my father won't agree!"

Fang Jun was struck speechless, thinking to himself that this fellow actually had such thoughts in mind?

In this era, setting up a separate household was an immensely major affair. Unless there were irreconcilable internal family conflicts or highly unusual circumstances, such a thing was virtually out of the question.

At that moment, a delicate, soft voice drifted out from the carriage behind Li Siwen: "Second Brother, who is it?"

Immediately following, a hand as fair as white jade gently lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a pure and pretty face. A pair of watery, autumn-water-like pupils looked directly toward Fang Jun.

Fang Jun couldn't help silently praising the sight: What a bright-eyed, white-toothed, exquisitely spirited little lass!

The young girl was probably not yet fifteen years old, her hair still styled into double buns. Her flawless face, smooth and delicate as a peeled boiled egg, was peerlessly pure and refined, with a pert nose and cherry lips. Especially that pair of spring-water-like eyes made anyone who looked at her sink deep within.

With this young girl poking her head out from Li Siwen's carriage, could she be...

Then he heard Li Siwen say: "This is my younger sister Yulong. Long'er, why don't you hurry and pay your respects to Second Brother Fang?"

Fang Jun broke out in a sweat. So she was Li Siwen's younger sister; he had thought...

Hastily cupping his fists from horseback, he said, "Ah, so it is Sister Long'er. This older brother greets you. I didn't know Long'er was also leaving the city with Second Brother Li, and unfortunately, I haven't prepared a gift. I shall definitely make up for it next time."

Li Yu Long gave a slight, graceful bow from her horse, her large, bright eyes fixed shiningly on Fang Jun. Her cherry lips parted slightly as she spoke in a sweet, soft voice: "So you are that fellow who fights dirty street brawls..."

Hearing this, Fang Jun nearly tumbled backward off his horse and crashed straight to the ground...

A dirty street brawler?

Fang Jun's face instantly darkened. Which unscrupulous bastard had spread such a rumor? Damn it, his image in front of this unbelievably pretty girl was completely ruined...

Li Siwen hadn't expected his sister to blurt out such words either, and he couldn't help looking extremely embarrassed. Although the tale of the "dirty street brawler" had already spread all over Chang'an city, uttering it right to Fang Er's face was simply too discourteous.

Li Siwen hurriedly glared and scolded, "Little girl, what nonsense are you babbling about? Hurry back into the carriage!"

Turning back with an apologetic smile toward Fang Jun, he said, "Well... my sister is young, Second Lang, please don't take offense, please..."

Fang Jun rubbed his nose speechlessly, thinking to himself that he would love to take offense, but how could he? Letting his gaze drift over Li Yu Long's delicate and pretty face, he mused that pulling down her trousers and spanking her with a paddle sounded like a rather decent idea...

Being stared at by Fang Jun like that, Li Yu Long felt her heart skip a beat for no reason. Unable to withstand his scorching gaze, she shrank her neck and murmured submissively, "Second Brother Fang, might I come to your family's manor to play with Xiuzhu another day?"

So she was his little sister's close little girlfriend after all. Fang Jun's mood instantly improved greatly: "Of course you can! Just let me know ahead of time whenever you plan to come, and Second Brother will prepare delicious treats for you."

Li Yu Long flashed a sweet smile and said coquettishly, "Thank you, Second Brother."

For some inexplicable reason, watching the smile his sister bestowed upon Fang Jun, Li Siwen felt a faint sting of jealousy. Why was she smiling so brightly anyway?

Right at that moment, the convoy at the city gate began to inch forward slowly, and shouts drifted over from the Fang family's procession. Fang Jun cupped his fists to Li Siwen and said, "Second Brother Li, whenever you have leisure time, come over to my place. The two of us shall drink until we're thoroughly drunk!"

Li Siwen replied, "Definitely, definitely!"

Yet inwardly, a wave of suspicion rose in his mind: You rascal, you aren't secretly harboring designs on my sister, are you? Damn you, Fang Er, you must think my sister is pretty. Hmph, when the time comes, I'll go by myself and won't bring my sister, so I won't let you look at her...