Chapter 420 - 263: An Autumn Cleansing
Chapter 420: Chapter 263: An Autumn Cleansing
Although Chen Yi had no intention of appearing in Shu State as "Chen Yu" anytime soon, he simply had no suitable subordinates for the task.
Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao were adequate for following orders, but they were not fit for important tasks.
Liu Lang, on the other hand, was capable of handling major affairs, but his ability to improvise was too poor. If he ran into people from the Ji State Trading Company, he would almost certainly be exposed.
As for the remaining disciples of the Celestial Sect, Chen Yi had yet to discover anyone who possessed both excellent character and ability.
Thus, he had no choice but to resort to this suboptimal plan.
’Now that "Chen Yu" has made an appearance, I wonder how the old master and the others will react.’
Of course, Chen Yi wasn’t particularly worried about the Xiao Family coming to find him.
The ones he needed to be wary of were the people inside Yunqing Building, across from Hundred Herbs Hall—Cui Qingwu and Chen Yunfan.
The two of them had previously sensed that "Liu Wu" was in the West Market, so there was no guarantee they wouldn’t make the connection to "Chen Yu."
’Things have already come to this. I can only take it one step at a time.’
Though a million thoughts raced through his mind, Chen Yi’s expression remained impassive as he told Xiaodie, "Let’s have breakfast."
"Yes, Young Master! As it happens, the kitchen made your favorite steamed pork with rice flour today. I’ll go bring it over right now."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. As he watched Xiaodie trot away, his gaze naturally shifted toward the courtyard.
Overcast clouds obscured the sun, making the courtyard seem a little dim.
The wet bluestone slabs were clean and smooth. Drops of rain pattered lightly against them.
A distant pavilion stood by the pond, shrouded in a thin mist born from the mingling rain and water, giving it a hazy appearance.
It was like a living painting titled "Misty Rain over Jiangnan."
"The endless evening rain sprinkles river and sky, washing the clear autumn clean..."
’It may be a pond instead of a river, but the sentiment fits.’
Chen Yi muttered to himself, the phrase "a golden-scaled fish is no creature of the pond" inevitably coming to mind.
This seemed to reflect the Xiao Family’s current circumstances.
’Heh, whether it fits or not, it will have to...’
Just then, Xiaodie came in carrying his bowl and chopsticks. Urging him to eat, she asked with a smile,
"Young Master, what were you saying about whether something fits?"
Chen Yi collected himself and sat down at the table. Shaking his head without answering, he asked a different question instead:
"The Double Ninth Festival is almost here. Does the household have any arrangements?"
The ninth day of the ninth month was the Double Ninth Festival.
Back in Jiangnan Prefecture, grand events were held every year on this day, such as dharma assemblies by the Buddhist Sect, poetry gatherings for scholars, or performances by the courtesans of the Qin Building.
He wasn’t sure what to expect here in Shu State.
A smile spread across Xiaodie’s face. She spread her hands wide and gestured as she said, "Lots and lots... of fun things."
"But here in the Prefecture City, it’s more or less the same every year—poetry gatherings, temple fairs, and that sort of thing."
"But many of the Mountain Race people have all kinds of different festivities. The most interesting are the horse races and the sacrifices to the Road God."
"The Road God?"
A look of realization dawned on Chen Yi’s face. "You mean the people from the Horse Gangs, right?"
Horse Gangs were similar to the Cao Gang.
The only difference between the two was that the former traveled the Ancient Tea-Horse Road from Great Wei to the Western Buddha Country, while the latter traveled by water, navigating ships along rivers and lakes.
The Road God was the deity worshipped by the Horse Gangs.
Seeing that he understood, Xiaodie nodded eagerly. "Every year, people ride piebald horses through the streets and alleys, followed by lots of floats made from colorful paper. They’re so beautiful."
"I remember the year before last, the Eldest Miss had Sister Huatang take us out to enjoy the festivities. I ate so many Double Ninth cakes..."
Chen Yi’s expression relaxed as he ate his breakfast and listened to her chatter.
It wasn’t that he wanted to attend poetry gatherings or celebrate the festival. He was merely asking about the household’s arrangements to avoid any scheduling conflicts.
After all, the task ahead of him allowed for no carelessness. Since he couldn’t be in two places at once, caution was paramount.
A short while later, he finished his breakfast.
Chen Yi retrieved a painting from his study, gave Xiaodie a few instructions, and went straight to Jiaxing Garden.
At this time, Xiao Wan’er had also just finished her meal and was in the middle of drinking her medicinal soup.
Seeing Chen Yi arrive, she rose to greet him with a gentle smile. "I was just about to send Huatang to find you."
Chen Yi looked at her, slightly surprised. "Is there news from Tonglin Town already?"
Xiao Wan’er nodded, her pale face wreathed in a smile.
"Uncle Kang just sent word. After the people from the Prefecture City arrived yesterday, they finished surveying the academy grounds on the very same day and adjusted the blueprints."
"These are the new blueprints. Have a look."
Chen Yi placed the painting scroll he was carrying on the table, took the blueprints, and gave them a quick scan. He then shook his head with a smile.
"This is a job for professionals."
"With these adjustments, the whole academy’s layout is much more logical, especially with the new addition of the Observatory Platform."
Chen Yi himself was blessed by his Medical Dao’s Mental Realm and had the highest principles of the medical arts etched into his heart. He could determine the solar terms and the positions of stars without relying on external tools.
His Qi Observation Skill was a Medical Skill he had honed on this very foundation.
However, students new to the Medical Dao, or even those whose Medical Skills were still unrefined, would need to learn some fundamentals when first studying the "Five Qi and Six Cycles."
The Observatory Platform was an essential structure to help them survey solar terms and celestial alignments.
Xiao Wan’er hummed in agreement. "Once I send my reply, they’ll begin construction."
"With Uncle Kang overseeing it, I’m confident it can be completed before spring."
Chen Yi smiled. "The preparations took a while, but the actual construction will proceed much faster than the work on the Mutual Market."
The Wu Mountain Mutual Market, after all, was a marketplace in the middle of nowhere. Plus, it would hold all sorts of valuable goods, so its structures needed to be sturdier.
Once the storefronts and warehouses were built, they might even need to erect a defensive wall to facilitate protection and management.
But the Medical Dao Academy was a different matter.
Aside from buildings with specific functions—such as the Observatory Platform, the library, and the herb storage—the remaining structures merely needed to provide shelter from the elements.
Xiao Wan’er put the blueprints away. Her eyes fell on the painting scroll on the table, and she couldn’t help but ask, "What’s this?"