Chapter 89 Night in the Forbidden City

Jun Tao arrived late, and the group checked their equipment. Xiao Zhi strapped on his Dragon Eagle compass, Yan Shan carried a small pouch, and naturally, Luo Gan packed his psychic spirit wine into his bag.

Liu Bu Wen, dressed neatly in a scholar’s attire and wearing a scholar’s cap, rode his horse as if heading for the imperial examination. Both Xiao Zhi and Yan Shan wore simple, homespun garments, covering themselves with coarse cotton and linen. Curiously, Luo Gan was also clad in plain clothes, not bringing any of his previously fine garments.

Liu Bu Wen questioned Luo Gan, “Brother Luo, why not bring more elegant clothing? This outfit… tsk tsk, it seems rather unseemly for you.”

Luo Gan replied, “When traveling far, propriety is the least of my concerns. If we run into bandits, the best-dressed is the first to be stripped, and who knows, you all might finish me off to keep your own secrets.”

Xiao Zhi responded with a hint of disdain, “Bandits don’t rob clothes, they go straight for the money. Though they’ve turned to a life of crime, they have no interest in men’s bodies.”

Yan Shan looked at him with admiration, “Brother Zhi, you truly know your stuff!”

As for Liu Bu Wen, he insisted on carrying bamboo scrolls for the journey, claiming he wished to broaden his horizons. Luo Gan recalled Dong Qichang’s words, “Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles”; surely, this was meant for someone like him.

When Jun Tao’s carriage arrived, the four horses set off together, and with the carriage, five horses rode abreast, nearly occupying the entire road.

Upon leaving the city gates, a rain began to fall, despite the day being deemed auspicious for travel.

Xiao Zhi remarked, “Brother Luo, didn’t you check the almanac? Wasn’t today supposed to be a good day to set out?”

Luo Gan slapped his thigh and repeated the question to Liu Bu Wen, “Bu Wen, didn’t you say the almanac favored travel today?”

Liu Bu Wen’s scholar’s cap was soaked through, and the group was caught off guard, scrambling toward the city gate for shelter.

Liu Bu Wen explained, “The almanac did say it was a good day to travel, but the whole world reads it—where could bad luck not strike?”

Jun Tao poked her head out from the carriage, teasing, “It’s hardly unlucky. Rain on the road means good fortune may be encountered.”

“And what about a sunny departure?” Luo Gan asked curiously.

“A sunny journey brings calm and uneventful days,” Jun Tao replied with a gentle smile.

Luo Gan was surprised by Jun Tao’s composure. “So, in your view, it’s always good, and the weather depends on you.”

“It isn’t about the weather, but people’s attitudes. When the heart is calm as water, there’s neither joy nor sorrow,” Liu Bu Wen laughed.

Their conversation somewhat lifted everyone’s spirits.

Perhaps Zhang Ji Feng felt guilty, knowing Luo Gan and the others were heading on a long journey, so he did not come to guard them. Instead, he sent someone with straw raincoats, bidding them farewell as if sending away a plague god, hoping no ill would linger.

On the road to Chang’an, there was both a waterway and a land route. Those in a hurry for business took the Grand Canal northward, reaching Chang’an in a few days.

Not far from Chang’an, the group, weary from their journey, saw signs of a country long troubled by war. Yet now, it seemed the current emperor finally sought peace within.

Along the way, they encountered many gentlemen adorned with jade pendants, sometimes in groups of hundreds, all heading toward Chang’an.

Luo Gan remarked, “How strange, travelers nowadays dress so elaborately?”

Jun Tao replied, “They don’t look like ordinary folk. Their attire is quite refined, with servants in tow.”

Liu Bu Wen took one look and understood. “The emperor is wise these days, reforming the selection of officials. He has ordered the Vice Minister of Personnel to appoint talents, and all worthy men may try for positions at the Ministry of State Affairs. Truly a grand undertaking!”

Xiao Zhi, intrigued, asked, “How does the selection work? What do they compete in?”

Liu Bu Wen continued, “Still, it’s for those of virtue and talent. Years of war have depleted Tang’s gifted men. Now, with threats outside and troubles within, too many officials and too few men, the provinces are in chaos. How could the emperor not be anxious?”

Yan Shan rolled his eyes, as if scheming another idea. Luo Gan noticed and teased him.

“What’s this, Yan Shan? Thinking of trying your luck? With your wits, you might just become an official!”

“The president is jesting. What could I possibly accomplish?” Yan Shan scratched his head, smiling sincerely. “But truly, your talents are more than enough. If you became an official and displayed your prowess, wouldn’t that be even better?”

Luo Gan paused, realizing he’d never valued becoming an official—his only aim was to complete game tasks. Yet ironically, he’d gained much friendship, and a sense of achievement he’d never felt in twenty years, giving him a strange sense of belonging to this world.

Looking at Yan Shan, Xiao Zhi, and Liu Bu Wen, Luo Gan often wondered what lives other contestants might be leading—did they meet these same people, or were they living entirely different lives? The thought amused him.

“To be an official!” Luo Gan raised his head, swaying with his horse’s gait, “I never considered it. Perhaps it’s just not my fate.”

Xiao Zhi said, “Brother Luo, my Chong brother always says, ‘Are kings and nobles born to it?’ Who can say what fate holds? No one is destined for any particular thing.”

Luo Gan patted Xiao Zhi’s shoulder, “Interesting—so you all know the story of the Daze Township Uprising. In the future, Xiao Zhi, you could be a scholar or a thinker.”

Yan Shan asked, “What’s a thinker?”

Luo Gan pondered how to explain, “A thinker? Simply someone whose ideas are ahead of their time, remembered through the ages. Learned beyond measure, gifted beyond compare!”

Xiao Zhi replied, “Ideas? Well, how is that different from my woodcarving? Still earns no money and is still scorned.”

Jun Tao, intrigued by the men’s conversation, asked, “Is Mr. Luo holding another private school session?”

Luo Gan pulled the reins, drawing alongside Jun Tao. “Hardly. Just idle chatter.”

Jun Tao raised her brows, looking at Luo Gan with a teasing and gentle gaze. “Not so simple—Mr. Luo could be a master of discourse, a guardian of the nation.”

Luo Gan understood her playful tone, guessing she found their endless talk somewhat noisy, disrupting her rest.

The sky was a deep blue, thick with clouds. The sunset, though not warm, shone on them, lifting their spirits. They could already see Chang’an in the distance, as the gatekeepers urged travelers to hurry.

Upon entering the city, the group was immediately awestruck by the scene before them. The main street was exceedingly wide, at least a hundred and fifty meters across, with neatly arranged drainage ditches lining both sides.

The daylight had dimmed, and without street lamps, darkness soon fell. An armored cavalryman patrolled back and forth. Seeing Luo Gan and the others, he rode over to question them.

“Hey! Where are you all from?”

Luo Gan replied, “From Anping County. After several days and nights, we’ve finally reached Chang’an.”

The cavalryman looked over the group and said, “Find lodgings quickly. Nightfall brings the curfew—any violators will face severe punishment!”

With that, he rode off. Luo Gan watched the departing cavalry, still somewhat bewildered.

Liu Bu Wen explained, “Brother Luo, that was a military marshal. Chang’an has a night curfew—by dusk, we must be settled, or we’ll be arrested!”

As his words faded, the dusk drumbeat echoed through the streets, urging everyone to hurry home.