Chapter 65: Twenty-second on the Fledgling Tiger Monument, Encountering an Old Acquaintance in the Moon-Embracing Tower

For Chen Zhi'an, there was actually no difference between Qihuang Street in Sunan Prefecture and Fusang Street in the Suspended Sky Capital.

For four consecutive days, Chen Zhi'an did not step out of his residence, choosing to cultivate strictly within the estate. Even his meals were delivered by men dispatched by that steward.

Logically speaking, this eunuch steward—who managed Princess Shangqiu's properties along Fusang Street—should not have been so attentive.

Even though Chen Zhi'an had slipped him two taels of gold, for a steward with a degree of power, two taels of gold was neither a negligible amount nor enough to warrant such meticulous service.

The real reason lay in the matter of delivering meals: there was profit to be made in it.

Princess Shangqiu had previously given strict instructions to satisfy this Mr. Chen's requests to the utmost. Moreover, since there was no fixed budget for daily meals, delivering food from luxury establishments like the Splendid Abode, Brocade-Clad Guest House, or Orchid Pavilion counted as delivery, and so did delivering meals from ordinary shops.

How much silver he claimed to have spent was entirely up to him to fabricate.

Consequently, Chen Zhi'an dined exceptionally well over those few days. Every meal unfailingly featured five or six diverse and exquisite dishes, prompting him to sigh that the world's common saying was indeed true: "The Suspended Sky Capital is a golden abyss of indulgence; a hundred taels of gold buys but an inch of a man."

In the Suspended Sky Capital—one of the most prosperous cities in the entire realm—as long as you had gold in your hands, you could live as grandly and loftily as your heart desired.

By approximately dusk on the fourth day, someone came knocking on the courtyard gate once again.

Chen Zhi'an had originally intended to ignore it, simply because starting from the third day, a succession of stewards, estate managers, and young masters and misses had continuously arrived to pay their respects, seemingly eager to commission paintings from him.

Chen Zhi'an was certainly not someone who considered himself above worldly affairs or unwilling to bow to gold and silver; it was just that the pigments he had brought with him from Sunan Prefecture had already been exhausted after painting a few pieces, while the Imperial Household Department had not yet produced a fresh batch. Even if he wanted to paint, he simply could not.

Therefore, he had long since instructed the gatekeeper to turn away all visiting guests on the subsequent days under the pretext of lacking the necessary pigments.

Only today, the gatekeeper knocked somewhat urgently. After a moment of thought, Chen Zhi'an finally opened the gate.

"Young Master Chen, we have a guest..." The gatekeeper exchanged a significant look with Chen Zhi'an, lowering his voice, "The visitor is holding a Cehai token from the Censorate; we dare not treat him negligently."

"The Censorate?" Chen Zhi'an peered out cautiously and caught sight of a familiar figure.

A smile surfaced on his face. After a brief pause, he carefully secured the courtyard gate and walked out to the entrance of Fusang Street.

"Chen Zhi'an." Jiang Taiping was evidently observing his rest day today; he was dressed in casual plainclothes, and whether his Guiyin long saber had been left behind or stored away using some profound profound-gate cosmic treasure of his, it was nowhere to be seen at his waist.

"It's barely been a month, and you've already moved into this little courtyard within the imperial city." Jiang Taiping clicked his tongue in wonder. His speech was unhurried, yet it still triggered a series of coughing fits.

Chen Zhi'an could not help but ask, "Brother Taiping, are you injured?"

Jiang Taiping waved a hand dismissively and said, "It's nothing. Since you've come to the Suspended Sky Capital, I must act as the host. Let me take you out for tea."

Chen Zhi'an smiled. "Since you've come to my door, I ought to entertain you within my own courtyard. However, this courtyard is merely borrowed, and even if I wanted to host you properly, it is hardly convenient."

Jiang Taiping patted him on the shoulder. "I had no idea that aside from your extraordinary talent in cultivation, you also painted such exquisite works. To arrive in the Suspended Sky Capital for the very first time and manage to secure a position in the Inner Court, transforming overnight into a court painter—truly impressive."

Curious, Chen Zhi'an asked, "How did Brother Taiping know I had come to the Suspended Sky Capital, and how did you know I had become a court painter?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly recalled that Jiang Taiping was a Earth-grade Cehai envoy of the Censorate, an institution whose very duty was to monitor the hundred officials and keep abreast of affairs across the entire Great Yu dynasty.

If they had been unaware of such a matter, that would have been the truly strange thing.

Seeing Chen Zhi'an's expression, Jiang Taiping knew the latter had already figured out the answer, and thus offered no further explanation.

The two of them walked side by side out of Fusang Street, traversed two long thoroughfares, and arrived at the Southern City of the Suspended Sky Capital.

"The imperial city's eight streets and thirty-two alleys, centered around the Suspended Sky Palace, are home to numerous high-ranking officials and noble lords, yet they lack commercial shops entirely and possess almost no worldly bustle.

The truly prosperous heart of the Suspended Sky Capital is, in fact, the Southern City."

As they walked down the street, Jiang Taiping casually introduced the area.

Chen Zhi'an glanced left and right, once again marveling at the bustling prosperity of the Suspended Sky Capital.

Dusk had already descended, twilight hung heavy, and festive lanterns were just being lit. The city was a sea of clamor. Crimson buildings and embroidered doorways lined the long streets row upon row; amidst carved beams and painted pillars, silks and satins fluttered softly in the breeze, reflecting myriad shifting lights.

A bustling crowd surged forward, shoulders brushing against shoulders. From time to time, high-ranking officials and nobles passed by, seated loftily in opulent carriages escorted by bustling entourages, while simultaneously countless ordinary citizens wove through the market alleys, lingering to sightsee or running to and fro for their livelihoods.

Wine taverns and teahouses stood in dense clusters, packed to capacity with patrons. Literati and scholars chanted poetry and composed verses, discussing past and present, while merchants gathered from all directions, their laughter and chatter endless.

The rich aromas of exotic delicacies permeated the air, causing many passersby to pause and look on in longing.

"The most flourishing place in Great Yu is the Suspended Sky Capital, and the most flourishing place within the Suspended Sky Capital is none other than the capital's Southern City."

Jiang Taiping smiled and asked, "Do you have any acquaintances here in the Suspended Sky Capital?"

Remembering Shen Haohao, Chen Zhi'an nodded and replied, "I do have an acquaintance, but her cultivation has reached a bottleneck and she is currently in seclusion to break through her realm. To see her, I am afraid it will take another seven or eight days."

He and Shen Haohao had corresponded long ago. Shen Haohao had stepped into the Upper Divine Essence realm quite some time ago, having already condensed six paths of divine essence; taking just one step further would allow her to condense the seventh.

The Divine Essence realm involved refining true essence and condensing divine essence.

Condensing a single path of divine essence already marked the entry level of the Divine Essence realm.

Upon condensing the fourth path, the divine essence underwent a qualitative transformation, qualifying as the Upper Divine Essence realm.

Once the seventh divine essence was successfully formed, it signified entry into the perfection of the Divine Essence realm, sufficient to knock upon the fifth barrier—the Uncut Jade realm.

This was precisely the reason why Chen Zhi'an had been in the Suspended Sky Capital for several days without seeing Shen Haohao.

"I am on leave today, so I正好 (just right) need to find a tavern and let me fulfill my duties as a host."

The two arrived at the banks of the Yellow Dragon River and entered a rather prestigious tavern named the Embracing Moon Tower.

Standing proudly on the banks of the Yellow Dragon River, the Embracing Moon Tower need not even be praised for its exterior of flying eaves and arches or its magnificent aura.

Stepping inside, one would immediately notice that the tavern's tables and chairs were all crafted from sandalwood with exquisite carvings, while the tablecloths were made of fine silk embroidered with delicate cloud patterns.

Carved wooden screens separated the private rooms on the second floor, each screen adorned with calligraphy and paintings.

Chen Zhi'an and Jiang Taiping ascended to the second floor, taking seats by the tavern's balustrade. Above, they could gaze upon the newly risen bright moon; below, they could take in the picturesque scenery of the Yellow Dragon River, where the lake shimmered with ripples, painted pleasure boats sailed leisurely by, and distant green mountains rolled in undulating lines.

"A meal at a place like this must cost a tidy sum of silver."

***

Chen Zhi'an inquired with curiosity. Jiang Taiping smiled at him and said, "When I come here to eat, it doesn't cost much silver at all. I happen to hold some dirt on the owner of this Embracing Moon Tower."

Chen Zhi'an's mouth twitched slightly. "You fleece merchants like this—is there still any imperial law?"

Jiang Taiping burst into laughter. "Even as an Earth-grade Cehai envoy, the official salary is actually quite meager. If the brothers don't find other avenues, how can we sustain our livelihoods?

Naturally, there are unwritten rules within the Censorate. As long as one isn't overly flagrant, digging up some dirt and squeezing the wealthy merchants of the capital, or officials from other provinces, is no great matter.

Besides, taking advantage of these filthy rich fat cats is far better than exploiting the common people."

While Jiang Taiping was speaking, the tavern manager had already personally stepped forward to pour tea for the two of them, bowing deeply as he asked, "Lord Jiang, shall it be the usual?"

"Serve up some of your best today; I have a guest with me." Jiang Taiping paused here, then added, "Rest assured, I'll pay for the extra silver myself."

The manager nodded and bowed as he withdrew.

Jiang Taiping explained further, "Although we hold dirt over him, the owner of the Embracing Moon Tower is considered a prominent figure in the capital and has cultivated ties with many high officials and nobles.

Therefore, even when extorting, you must know when to stop. If you go too far and influential figures step in to mediate, you won't be able to shake them down anymore."

"You've even turned extortion into an art form?" Chen Zhi'an could not help but give him a thumbs-up. "Still... Brother Taiping, I notice your aura is withered, your complexion pale, and your speech feeble—you've clearly suffered severe injuries."

Jiang Taiping took a sip of tea and smiled. "Didn't I snatch a wisp of acquired primordial breath from that young master of the Si family, Si Hougui? As it happens, two of the Heaven-grade Cehai envoys in the Censorate hail from the Si family."

Chen Zhi'an instantly understood, looking at him with a trace of worry.

Jiang Taiping shook his head offhandedly. "Although I am merely the son of a fisherman, I have clawed my way up through the Censorate over many years, and with Lord Chu's protection, they dare not kill me."

Chen Zhi'an looked him up and down, feeling that his aura was like a candle flickering in the wind—he had indeed suffered grievous wounds.

"You've sustained such heavy injuries, yet you still insist on putting up a tough front." Chen Zhi'an thought for a moment, then retrieved eighteen or nineteen slices of crimson ginger from his sleeve. "Brewing tea with this is immensely beneficial for the circulation of true essence. Compared to ordinary medicinal decoctions, drinking ginger tea daily is never too much, and its efficacy will not be compromised... Brother Taiping, you had best heal your wounds as quickly as possible, lest you take another brutal beating and genuinely end up dead."

Jiang Taiping stood on no ceremony, though he looked somewhat surprised as he smiled, "We are merely acquaintances who met by chance; can you really bear to part with such a treasure?"

*Treasures like this? I have as many as I want.*

Thinking thus to himself, Chen Zhi'an said, "Uncle Chu saved my life. Since Uncle Chu trusts you, giving you a few slices of crimson ginger is no great matter."

At this, Jiang Taiping sighed and shook his head. "Living in the capital is terribly difficult! That saying isn't meant for ordinary folk; it holds just as true for those serving as officials in the Suspended Sky Capital.

Crushed step by step, looked down upon tier by tier, seizing a stroke of fortune requires taking risks.

For instance, back in Sunan Prefecture, Si Hougui happened to be without his Pole-Seizing Saber, and happened to possess the fortune of the acquired primordial breath.

That was why I took the gamble... Now that I have secured the acquired primordial breath, a few beatings are a small price to pay, so long as I survive."

"And..." Jiang Taiping's eyes flashed with an unfathomable brilliance, "Those two Heaven-grade Cehai envoys cannot possibly remain seated at the very top forever."

Chen Zhi'an acted as though he had heard nothing, and the two continued to drink tea, eat dishes, and enjoy the scenery.

After about half an hour, someone suddenly approached the private room where the two men sat against the balustrade.

The visitor was dressed in scholarly garb, looking to be of middle age. He stepped up to their table and bowed to the two of them.

"Mr. Chen." A genial smile graced the man's face, yet his tone held not a shred of politeness as he went straight to the point: "My master wishes to commission a painting from Mr. Chen. I wonder if we might trouble Mr. Chen to take up the brush?"

Chen Zhi'an recognized the visitor as well.

Yesterday, when he peered outside, wasn't this very middle-aged scholar standing right beside the Si family's carriage?

Paintings for the Si family?

A quiet smile touched Chen Zhi'an's heart as he shook his head and replied, "As it happens, the pigments Chen requires for painting have not yet been prepared..."

"There is no need for Mr. Chen to worry about such matters." The middle-aged scholar spoke with extreme politeness. "My master has already inquired with the Imperial Household Department; those pigments will be prepared by tomorrow. If the mister has leisure, the estate will naturally dispatch a carriage to fetch you."
"If the painting turns out well, we must also trouble Mr. Chen to paint another for our matriarch during the Morning Audience Festival."

At this, the smile on the middle-aged scholar's face grew even more brilliant. "Please rest assured, Mister. As a court painter who also wields the brush for Princess Linglong, your ink and brushwork are exceptionally precious.

My master is not an unreasonable man; for Mister to paint for our esteemed matriarch, the remuneration for your brushwork is naturally open to discussion."

A smile surfaced on Chen Zhi'an's face as well, and he nodded, saying, "Even within the Suspended Sky Capital, the Si family is a truly prominent and powerful clan; I naturally have no worries regarding the brushwork remuneration."

"However... I am currently occupied with pressing matters these days and have no leisure for painting. I must ask this gentleman to return and report this to your master."

"Three thousand taels of silver." The middle-aged scholar's smile remained unchanged, his eyes filled with absolute confidence. "Mister, even though the Morning Audience Festival occurs only once every decade and is supremely important, aside from the Secretariat Draftsmen and the Hanlin Academician Waiters, very few painters outside those ranks can command such brushwork fees.

Young Master Chen has achieved success at a youthful age, and your paintings happen to suit our esteemed matriarch's tastes. This price may be taken as our Si family treating Mister with exceptional courtesy."

"Three thousand taels of silver?" Jiang Taiping's eyes twitched at the side as he looked at Chen Zhi'an, only to find the latter remaining completely unmoved.

The territory of Great Yu was vast, and silver mines were abundant.

The overall productivity of this world was far superior to that of the ancient dynasties in the memories of Chen Zhi'an's past life.

The circulation volume of silver was also vastly higher than in those ancient dynasties he remembered.

Yet, the gap between the upper and lower strata had likewise been stretched infinitely.

Even in the wealthy Sunan Prefecture, the annual living expenses for many households amounted to no more than twenty or thirty taels of silver.

Yet these noble clans could casually offer three thousand taels for a single painting...

For Chen Zhi'an, the allure of silver was actually quite low.

He himself already possessed over seven hundred taels of gold, and furthermore, the medicinal herbs required for his cultivation were all products of the Kunlun Marshes.

With cultivation techniques and weapons in no short supply, even if he acquired more silver, it would serve no great purpose.

Besides... in this world, there were many things that could not be bought with status, standing, or the backing of a noble clan or profound gate.

For instance, heavenly merit and divine abilities; for instance, profound-gate treasures; and for instance, blades forged thousands or even ten thousand times.

***

Consequently, Chen Zhi'an shook his head once more.

The middle-aged scholar finally frowned slightly. "Does Young Master Chen know the identity of my master?"

"My master hails from the Ministry of War's Minister's estate and is the legitimate daughter of General Rongtian! Speaking of lineage, aside from the six great surnames of Great Yu, there are scarce few in the entire Suspended Sky Capital whose lineage surpasses that of my Si family!"

Chen Zhi'an understood the underlying meaning in the middle-aged scholar's words, yet he still shook his head.

The middle-aged scholar bowed his head in thought, though he lost none of his decorum, and bowed as he withdrew.

Jiang Taiping at his side looked on in sheer bewilderment. Until the middle-aged scholar had departed, he whispered, "Why not agree? That's three thousand taels of silver."

Chen Zhi'an thought for a moment and smiled. "I once bowed my head for two hundred taels of gold because I needed those two hundred taels.

Now, the gold and silver I have on me are already enough for my needs. The Si family's business—I will not do it."

As he spoke, he recalled the lines Chen Shuijun had written on paper: *“I have someone I yearn for, separated by a distant hometown.”* He thought of the pear tree Chen Shuijun had planted in the courtyard and tended to like clockwork for over a decade, and then he recalled the condescending gaze Si Hougui had given him upon their first meeting.

All of these left him feeling immensely uncomfortable.

Jiang Taiping turned his head, looked Chen Zhi'an over seriously, and nodded. "Not bad, you've got backbone. In today's world, those with backbone are usually scions of wealthy clans; common folk like us with any real backbone are few and far far between.

I only hope that now you've come to the Suspended Sky Capital, this backbone of yours won't be beaten flat."

He paused slightly here, adding, "And don't lose your life over this backbone, leaving your corpse exposed in the wilderness."

Jiang Taiping's temperament happened to mesh quite well with Chen Zhi'an's, and the latter nodded with a smile, "You didn't die after snatching Si Hougui's acquired primordial breath; how could a court painter living in the imperial city and commissioned to paint for Princess Linglong die so easily?"

Just as the two were chatting, a robust and hearty laugh suddenly drifted over from a nearby private room.

"Oh? Chen Zhi'an?"

Chen Zhi'an turned his head to see an elderly man standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the second-floor stairwell, gazing toward them.

It was precisely the old man he had mistaken for Prime Minister Song by the banks of the Yellow Dragon River that day.

The Si family's scholar and the Imperial Household Department Director Chang Weigu also turned to look, their expressions shifting drastically in an instant.

*(PS: Apologies, the scheduled publication was mistakenly set to six tomorrow morning. Fortunately, the author noticed it early.)*