After leaving the Li Residence, Lin Ce realized for the first time that they didn’t even have a carriage. Considering the Lis were close to the Emperor and enjoyed his favor, it was surprising to see them living in such poverty. Even Lin Ce couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.
The two walked toward Xunan Ward. Fortunately, Lin Ce had recovered somewhat—if he hadn’t, another relapse could have made things troublesome. Even so, by the time they reached Xunan Ward, his face was already quite pale.
“Brother, are you too tired?” Li Jiayin’s expression remained calm, but there was concern in her eyes. Lin Ce had always been weak since childhood and was used to traveling by carriage. Naturally, he hadn’t suffered this sort of hardship before. Not wanting her to worry, he forced himself to shake his head.
“Where are we going?” Lin Ce asked. Since they were holding a poetry gathering, they would likely need a large enough venue.
Xunan Ward was one of the most prosperous areas in Bianjing. The streets were filled with vendors, and inns and taverns were everywhere. It was bustling with activity. Rumor had it that land here was incredibly expensive—even the cheapest inn cost at least one tael of silver per night, and that was for the most basic room. Anything fancier cost even more.
“Just ahead—Moonview Tower,” Li Jiayin replied as she held Lin Ce’s arm. It appeared intimate, but in truth, she was subtly supporting him.
She hadn’t originally wanted to bring Lin Ce out, but this had been Li Jingchun’s request. Since Lin Ce was to enter court and the Spring Imperial Examination had passed, the only path left was through recommendation. Given the Lin family’s unique status, they also had to gauge the Emperor’s and the court’s attitude toward him, which meant Lin Ce needed to make public appearances. This poetry gathering was the perfect opportunity for Lin Ce to build his reputation.
“Moonview Tower… I remember it was opened by some wealthy merchant, right? It’s been over a decade, and no one knows who’s behind it. It’s become one of Bianjing’s mysteries.”
Lin Ce smiled faintly as he and Li Jiayin walked toward Moonview Tower.
The two most famous buildings in Xunan Ward were Moonview Tower and Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion. One catered to young scholars aiming to enter officialdom, while the other entertained officials and nobles. The owners of both establishments were highly mysterious. Lin Ce had only recently learned that Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion was owned by the Lin family. As for who owned Moonview Tower, no one could say.
“I heard just a cup of tea at Moonview Tower costs several taels of silver. Do you even have money?” Lin Ce asked Li Jiayin with a peculiar look.
He had seen the situation at the Li Residence—it was clear they had no extra resources. Whatever silver they did have was likely already spent by Li Jingchun at Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion. Both Li Jiayin and Jia Xifeng lived very frugally.
“The one hosting the poetry gathering today is the son of the Prince of the Southwest. He enjoys refined pursuits and often invites scholars to Moonview Tower. I’m one of his regular guests, so I don’t have to pay.” Li Jiayin smiled faintly. Get faster updates on novelping dot com.
Her reputation as a talented woman had already spread throughout Bianjing. Many young scholars admired her greatly. In such gatherings, she usually didn’t need to pay—there were always countless men eager to cover her expenses.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ce frowned slightly.
In his past life, he remembered that the Prince of the Southwest’s son, Xiao Xuan, would be leaving Bianjing in a few days to head southwest, but he would be assassinated en route and die in the attack. The rumor among the common folk was that it was orchestrated by the Emperor. Enraged, the Prince of the Southwest raised an army in rebellion against the Great Zhou Empire.
The chaos that followed plunged the entire southwest into misery. Under the Emperor’s iron-fisted suppression, the rebellion was finally quelled, but not before hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians perished—rivers of blood flowed.
Back then, Lin Ce hadn’t known much about the details, but he had learned a few things behind the scenes. The assassination wasn’t carried out by the royal family, but by a mysterious force lurking in the shadows. Even until the day of his death, Lin Ce hadn’t discovered who they really were.
“In that case, I must meet him.” Lin Ce took a deep breath. He didn’t have much of a connection with the Prince of the Southwest’s son, but if this man survived, he might prove useful later.
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of Moonview Tower. Just as they were about to enter, a carriage suddenly sped toward them.
“Move aside! Are you all blind?”
A loud shout came from within. Many pedestrians scrambled to dodge, but the crowd in Xunan Ward was too dense. Several vendors didn’t have time to move their stalls and were run over, left in miserable states. Wherever the carriage passed, wails and cries followed.
“How could this happen? Carriages aren’t even allowed on this street!”
“Who’s that? So arrogant?”
“That carriage doesn’t look like it belongs to any official…”
The street buzzed with discussions and protests, but no one dared step forward to stop it. Anyone who could act so brazenly in Bianjing clearly wasn’t someone ordinary folk could afford to offend.
When the carriage stopped in front of Moonview Tower, the driver quickly jumped down and dropped to his knees. The curtain was lifted, and a young man in a purple brocade robe stepped out. He had average features but an unmistakable air of nobility. Hanging from his waist were four pieces of jade, each of considerable value.
The young man stepped onto the driver’s back to get down, then swept his cold gaze across the street. “A bunch of lowly commoners—daring to block my way? Seeking death!” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
After speaking, he ordered the driver, “Go slap them a few times and shut them up!”
Such arrogance made Li Jiayin unable to remain silent. She stepped forward and snapped, “Wang Gui, who gave you the right to cause trouble here? Don’t you know carriages are forbidden inside Xunan Ward? You hit people and didn’t even apologize—you have no regard for the law!”
The young man’s eyes lit up when he saw her. “So it’s Miss Li. His Highness the Prince of the Southwest invited you again?” Wang Gui laughed loudly, then his gaze fell on Lin Ce. His expression darkened.
“Isn’t this the eldest grandson of the Prime Minister? Young Master Lin, didn’t your grandfather already retire and return home? How dare you show your face in Bianjing?”
Lin Ce thought for a moment and recalled who he was. This was the son of Wang Nian, the records officer of the Imperial Library Pavilion.
This man was arrogant and cruel, known for bullying men and women alike in Bianjing. His father held a powerful post—Imperial Library Pavilion was responsible for collecting and summarizing military, criminal, tax, and other reports from across the nation for the Emperor. Even though the Six Ministries prepared them, they all had to be archived here before being reported, making it a lucrative position.
Wang Nian, the records officer of the Imperial Library Pavilion, held considerable authority, and his son acted with impunity because of it. Most people in Bianjing didn’t dare voice any complaints about Wang Gui.
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Lin Ce responded calmly. He had no fondness for Wang Gui, but he harbored deep killing intent toward Wang Gui’s father.
Wang Gui was one of the names on Lin Ce’s must-kill list after his rebirth.
“Hmph, a country bumpkin. Are you here in Bianjing to beg for food?” Wang Gui sneered as he stared at Lin Ce, seemingly trying to see through him. But his shallow cultivation gave him no ability to sense the murderous aura hidden in Lin Ce.
“Huh? Why is your face so pale?”
“Don’t tell me you’re scared after seeing me?”