Qingzhou Prefecture

 

They didn’t waste time exploring the streets and, being considerate of other travelers, they didn’t want to be late for their ride. On the way back, they spotted a street vendor selling large meat buns with a lively atmosphere. Hearing that the vendor had many regular customers, Jing Yi stepped forward and bought thirty large meat buns along with a few servings of pickled vegetables, all packed to go.

 

Jing Yi thought about what time they might arrive in the prefectural city in the afternoon and decided it would be good to have something to eat if they got hungry. They continued without stopping, and when Xiao An, Xiao Shan, and Xiao Jiang saw a vendor selling melon seeds by the roadside, they used their own pocket money to buy three bags. Jing Yi didn’t stop them; these young boys were showing some initiative, which was a good thing.

 

When they reached a temporary rest stop, they noticed that shopkeeper Huang, and the others hadn’t returned yet. Jing Yi took the three boys to a nearby tea stall and spent ten copper coins to fill their bamboo tubes with hot water. He also filled Xiaxia’s little pot.

 

When shopkeeper Huang and the others returned, Jing Yi went over to him and greeted, “Brother Huang, come, I had some exceptionally delicious lamb soup in the city. I couldn’t bring the soup back, but I brought you two pounds of lamb to taste.”

 

Shopkeeper Huang, had a smile on his face and replied, “I know that place! You’re really good at enjoying food, Brother Jing. Big Brother won’t stand on ceremony with you!”

 

To be honest, he had treated a few escorts to lunch earlier, but he had to consider their tastes, and he didn’t get to enjoy the meal much himself. Jing Yi truly was his confidant.

 

Jing Yi thought to himself, “There’s no need for confidants.”

 

After returning, he gave each of the two coachmen five meat buns, which earned him a stack of heartfelt thanks.

 

They set off again, continuing their journey. The afternoon’s travel was relatively smooth, but it was undeniably boring. In the cold winter of December, it was freezing outside, and there wasn’t much to see. Even opening the windows would invite chilling gusts of wind. They could only chat, munch on melon seeds, have a couple of meat buns when hungry, and take a short nap when tired.

 

As it got dark, they still hadn’t reached the prefectural city, and the restlessness among the three young boys was becoming evident. Fortunately, they sped up for another quarter of an hour and finally arrived in Qingzhou City.

 

Now, the sky was almost completely dark. There were several other caravans ahead of them in line. Jing Yi opened the window and looked towards the brightly lit area ahead; that was the city gate.

 

Qingzhou truly lived up to its reputation as the third-largest city in the Dayuan Dynasty. The city wall stood seven to eight meters tall, with enough width for two people to patrol side by side.

 

The gray-white walls exuded a majestic aura. Recently, due to the influx of disaster refugees, there were many stories circulating about the city.

 

The gate inspection was extremely thorough, checking residence permits and guide certificates. Even the youngsters who were about to turn thirteen were meticulously examined, which caused a significant delay.

 

Once inside the city, shopkeeper Huang arranged for his servants to take care of the caravan guards and then accompanied Jing Yi and his family to “Good Hostel,” which was one of his family’s properties in the city.

 

Shopkeeper Huang had some knowledge of his family’s various businesses, and “Good Hostel” was considered a mid-range establishment in Qingzhou. It had an excellent location, cleanliness, and, for the same price range, offered the best value for money.

 

Furthermore, with the backing of the Huang family, it was a “safe” place to stay, and nobody dared to cause trouble in the inn.

 

Before parting ways, Jing Yi also gave each of the cart drivers fifty copper coins as accommodation allowance for their trip. They agreed to rendezvous at “Good Hostel” around one o’clock the next afternoon, and a carriage would be provided for them.

 

In reality, this was more like a gratuity because when they rented the carriage, they had clarified that the cart and horse business also had a branch in the city, and their own cart drivers could stay there for free.

 

Jing Yi booked three standard upper-level rooms at the inn for a total of four nights. Accommodation prices in the city were high, with a standard upper-level room costing two hundred copper coins per night. It was said that high-end upper-level rooms started at one or two silver coins per night, and the top-tier suites, including a small garden, began at five silver coins.

 

Of course, there was an option for standard rooms that were much cheaper, costing only fifty copper coins per night. The inn’s staff spoke eloquently, discouraging esteemed guests from choosing the lower-priced option, emphasizing the subpar quality.

 

Regardless of the truth, Jing Yi couldn’t bear to have his family endure discomfort, so he thought it would be better to spend a little more money and avoid any inconvenience.

 

The wealth gap drives progress, and Jing Yi teared up at the thought.

 

He settled the accommodation fees at the front desk on the ground floor. Other expenses would be settled upon departure.

 

He had the inn’s staff bring three servings of hot water to their rooms and decided not to bother with the others. After a quick wash-up with Chuxia, he rested; this day had been exhausting.

 

As he was about to sleep, he could hear Xiao An coming out of the room on the left. After wishing the twins and Lin’s father good night, he returned to his room. The soundproofing in these upper-level standard rooms wasn’t the best.

 

The next morning, after breakfast in the inn’s lobby, everyone returned to their rooms to discuss the plans for the next three days.

 

In fact, they had already discussed most of it before coming. On the first day, they would explore the prefecture, visit teahouses and taverns. The main goal was to understand the current situation and trends in the city. In ancient times, one had to follow the prevailing winds to get by, so they didn’t want to be clueless.

 

On the following day, they would handle official matters at the government office. On the last day, they planned to pay a visit to the head of the Huang family in Qingzhou before preparing to rest for a night and then head back home.

 

Qingzhou Prefecture was located to the north of the capital city, right next to it. Due to its excellent geographical location and the main Qingzhou River flowing to the east of the prefecture, Qingzhou was one of the important transportation hubs of the Da Yuan Dynasty.

 

It held significant political and economic status.

 

The political and economic status of Qingzhou Prefecture was quite significant. The scale of Qingzhou Prefecture’s city was incomparable to the small town of Fuyang, and the urban development was well-done. Whether it was the main roads or small alleys, they were all paved with blue stone slabs, making them clean and tidy.

 

On the main roads, it wasn’t allowed to set up small stalls; business activities required proper shops. However, the restrictions were less stringent in the small lanes and alleys.

 

At this moment, it was just about lunchtime, and the blue stone streets were bustling with people, creating a lively scene.

 

The appearance of the city’s residents was vibrant, and their clothing was much more luxurious and in fashion compared to the town.

 

After having lunch at a local restaurant recommended by shopkeeper Huang, the group split into two.

 

Lin’s father and Jing’s father were responsible for going to tea houses and theaters, enjoying tea, watching plays, and catching up on the political news and gossip of the prefecture.

 

Jing Yi and Chuxia took the three youngsters to explore some of the renowned or well-known shops in the city, gaining valuable experience.

 

They first visited the rice and spice shops in the city to see if they could find any unique ingredients or fresh spices.

 

Surprisingly, Jing Yi managed to find Sichuan peppercorns and fragrant leaves, suggesting that the flavor of their hotpot could be enhanced even further. They might also experiment with different flavors of dishes.

 

Then they went to the famous clothing store in the city and purchased several pieces of brightly colored fabric that were hard to come by in the town.

 

Afterwards, they left the three younger siblings at a dessert shop to enjoy some sweet treats. Jing Yi accompanied Chuxia to browse the adjacent jewellery and cosmetics stores, making a few small purchases.

 

They couldn’t help but admire that Qingzhou was indeed a bustling city. Although the prices were high, the variety of quality goods was impressive.

 

After a full day of wandering, Jing Yi didn’t find exactly what he was looking for, but he felt more confident and assured for the day after tomorrow when he would meet shopkeeper Huang.

 

The next day was the day to purchase slaves from the government office, and the whole family set out.

 

The government office in Qingzhou was a state institution responsible for providing food to officials. Its storefront was located at the end of the main street running east to west in Qingzhou Prefecture. It was quite spacious, with the back part resembling several courtyards, all well-maintained and durable.

 

Though somewhat remote, the place was bustling with activity in the late morning.

 

“Excuse me, everyone, please stop. This is the government office,” a staff member called out.

 

At the entrance of the government slave market, a servant noticed the group of people, which didn’t seem like they were here for business, and quickly stopped them.

 

“Excuse me, sir, are you here for buying or selling? Land, shops, livestock, or servants?” The servant asked warmly upon seeing a respectable guest approaching.

 

“We are here to purchase some servants, specifically those who suffered from the recent snow disaster in the Central Plains and are unable to make a living. We’ve heard that our Qingzhou officials encourage people to do good deeds, so we specially rushed over from Fuyang Town,” Jing Yi replied with sincerity.

 

The servant, seeing that these were serious customers, smiled and agreed. He then enthusiastically discussed the Qingzhou Prefect with Jing Yi for a while before fetching a middle-aged manager.

 

“Uncle Liu, take a look; these are the esteemed guests,” the servant said to the middle-aged manager.

 

Uncle Liu examined the group without any peculiar expressions on his face, and he asked officially, “How many are you planning to buy? What’s your budget? Any specific requirements?”

 

“We plan to buy about ten people for now. Although we’d like to help relieve the worries of our Qingzhou officials, we have limited funds. As for requirements, we’re mainly interested in maids or housekeepers and laborers skilled in farming.”

 

The requirements were not high, and Uncle Liu nodded in agreement. He then affectionately patted the servant next to him on the head and instructed, “Go and inform the steward of Plum Courtyard. I will take the guests to choose. Bring them all to the courtyard.”

 

“Alright, Uncle Liu. I’ll make sure it’s done!” The servant grinned at Uncle Liu, then quickly ran off without saying goodbye to the guests.

 

Uncle Liu bowed to Jing Yi and his group, apologizing, “I’m sorry for the behavior of our young one. He’s a bit mischievous.”

 

“No problem at all.”

 

Plum Courtyard was a large compound within the Qingzhou government office dedicated to the purchase and sale of slaves. It was enormous, and by the time they arrived, it was already filled with people. There were an estimated two to three hundred individuals, roughly meeting Jing Yi’s initial request.

 

Men stood on the left, while women and their spouses stood on the right. Since these were people who were selling themselves voluntarily, not criminal slaves or lawbreakers, Qingzhou’s Prefect specially approved that relatives could stay together if they wished, and they wouldn’t be forcibly separated. Sales would also try to keep family members together.

 

The appearance of the disaster victims was far from good. They stood in the courtyard with their heads down, looking like livestock ready for selection, and the shock was immense.

 

Not only were Jing Yi and his group affected, but even Jing’s father and Lin’s father couldn’t bear to watch. Chuxia and the three younger siblings struggled to hold back their tears.

 

Jing Yi’s compassionate heart also found it difficult to breathe properly for a moment. Seeing these people dressed in rags, their exposed skin covered in frostbite, and their emaciated bodies was heart-wrenching.

 

Fortunately, he had mastered the art of concealing his emotions well. He didn’t show anything on his face, unlike Lin’s father and Jing’s father, who couldn’t bear to look, or Chuxia and the three younger siblings, whose eyes turned red as they fought back tears.

 

Uncle Liu, who had seen countless such scenes, remained unfazed. “All those who meet your requirements are here. Feel free to look around, and if you have any questions, you can ask me or anyone else.”

 

With that said, Jing Yi began the process of selecting people. He had his own method of choosing.