Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Zhuangyuan Street. Yun Wan alighted with Sui in tow.
The Great Qi dynasty was known for its open customs, where people lived in peace and prosperity. The capital bustled with life, dense with crowds and abundant goods. Women, like men, could stroll the streets freely without veiling their faces.
Yun Wan chose a renowned stationery shop to enter.
The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up at the sight of her. Dressed in fine brocade, adorned with pearl hairpins, and followed by servants, she was unmistakably a lady of noble standing. He greeted her warmly:
“Madam and young master, what would you like to purchase today?”
Yun Wan glanced down at Sui and said, “My son will soon begin his schooling. I’d like to pick out suitable brushes and ink for him.”
The shopkeeper beamed. “You’ve come to the right place, madam! Our brushes and ink are second to none in the capital—no one dares claim otherwise!”
“Please, follow me, madam and young master. Take your time choosing—I guarantee your satisfaction!”
With a welcoming gesture, he led the way.
In the inner hall, shelves were neatly organized with all manner of scholarly tools—brushes, inksticks, paper, inkstones, brush washers, and ink boxes—displayed in dazzling variety.
Yun Wan released Sui’s hand and said softly, “Pick whatever you like, Sui.”
The shop was quiet at this hour. Sui wandered about for a quarter of an hour before making his selections.
Yun Wan was surprised to see that he had chosen only the essentials—brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone—and nothing else.
“Just these? What about a brush holder or a book bag?”
Sui shook his head, his hair ribbon swaying. “The ones you made for me are perfect, A’niang. I don’t need anything else. These are enough.”
Yun Wan nodded, respecting his choice. She knew Sui had his own mind—if he said he didn’t need something, he truly didn’t want it.
After a moment’s thought, she added, “Then let’s pick a book chest to carry your books and important things. That’s something A’niang can’t make for you.”
Sui considered this reasonable and trotted off to the book chest section, eventually selecting a small, square ebony chest carved with intricate wave patterns.
While waiting, Yun Wan added a few more items to a wooden tray.
As she prepared to pay, she felt a tug at her sleeve.
Sui pulled gently and said, “A’niang, I’d also like to buy some books.”
Yun Wan scanned the shop but saw no bookshelves. Remembering the shop’s name—a “book studio”—she inquired, “Shopkeeper, do you have books here?”
“Ah.” The shopkeeper hesitated. “Yes, on the second floor. The stairs are to the left—you may browse at your leisure.”
He added cautiously, “But please keep your voices low. There are patrons reading in the private rooms, and they prefer quiet.”
Yun Wan inclined her head. “We’ll come down once we’ve made our selections.”
The moment they stepped onto the second floor, the atmosphere grew hushed.
Only a handful of customers were browsing, along with a couple of attendants tidying the shelves—no more than seven or eight people in total.
At their arrival, the patrons glanced over briefly before returning to their activities.
Yun Wan couldn’t help but notice that none of them looked like scholars.
Their features were rough, and one even seemed to be holding a book upside down.
But that was none of her concern—perhaps it was just their way of reading.
The wooden floor creaked faintly underfoot as Yun Wan circled the room. She settled on a round stool by the window, letting Sui roam freely to pick his books.
Sui’s eyes sparkled the moment they reached the second floor. Faced with rows upon rows of bookshelves, he was like a fish released into the sea, scurrying off on his short legs to find his desired reads.
Yun Wan wasn’t worried. Though Sui was only four, he already recognized more characters than most children twice his age. She had a good guess what he’d choose.
Sure enough, after a short while, Sui returned with an armful of books, his fair cheeks flushed from the effort.
“A’niang, I’ve picked them!”
Yun Wan took a few from him and glanced at the titles—the Four Books, all annotated by Grand Scholar Xu.
It was clear how much Sui admired the Grand Scholar.
“Huh?”
Sui flipped to the second page of one book and gasped.
Yun Wan frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Sui pointed to the bamboo price tag tucked inside and whispered, wide-eyed, “A’niang, these books are so expensive! One costs a whole tael of silver!”
Yun Wan agreed it was steep, but—
“Grand Scholar Xu’s annotated editions are naturally pricier.”
After all, Grand Scholar Xu was a renowned Confucian scholar of the era, a man of profound learning who had served three reigns and tutored emperors. His insights into the classics were unparalleled, and his works were treasured by countless scholars. The high price was understandable.
But Sui, young as he was, had already learned from his mother the value of hard-earned money.
He frowned like a little old man. “But this is too much! Ordinary books cost just a hundred coppers—this is several times that!”
Shaking his head in disappointment, he whispered, “A’niang, let’s not come back to this shop.”
“Why not?”
Sui’s expression turned grave. “Because the owner here seems like a swindler…”
Yun Wan burst into laughter, pinching his cheek. “Do you even know what a swindler is?”
“Someone like this!” Sui puffed out his chest and pointed accusingly at the price tag.
Indignant, he declared, “If Grand Scholar Xu knew his annotations were being sold for such outrageous profits, he’d be furious!”
Yun Wan chuckled. “Whether Grand Scholar Xu would be angry, A’niang can’t say. But I’m certain the shopkeeper would be livid if he heard you. So we shouldn’t say such things—especially not in his own shop. Understand?”
Sui nodded hastily, whispering, “I’ll only say it to you, A’niang.”
He added fervently, “When I grow up and become an official, I’ll crack down on merchants like this! I’ll make sure everyone in my jurisdiction can afford books!”
Yun Wan smiled. “Good! My Sui has grand ambitions. A’niang believes in you.”
“It’s getting late—let’s go downstairs.”
Heartened, Sui carried the books down to pay.
Behind a concealed door in a secluded tea room, the air was thick with the fragrance of tea, warm and soothing—yet the attendant standing nearby felt as though he were trapped in the dead of winter, trembling with dread.
Rustle—
The turning of a page shattered the silence.
“Jiang Fusheng, do I resemble a swindler?”
Emperor Jingxuan reclined lazily on the divan, his legs casually crossed, his wide sleeves pooling on the floor. His tone was light, almost amused.
Jiang Fusheng wiped the cold sweat from his brow and forced a smile. “Your Majesty, children speak without thinking—pay it no heed.”
That young master of the Lu family was truly a troublemaker! Yesterday, an “assassination attempt,” and today, calling the Emperor a swindler—though, of course, outsiders didn’t know this bookshop belonged to His Majesty. Ignorance could be forgiven.
But—
Why did His Majesty have to overhear it?
Originally, the Emperor had left the palace on a whim, seeking diversion. Finding little of interest, he had stopped at the bookshop to rest—only to be treated to this childish rant.
Emperor Jingxuan smirked. “Heh.”
A brash, inexperienced youngster dares to be so arrogant, even becoming an imperial official. Never mind whether he can smoothly participate in the imperial exams—just passing the academic assessment organized by the Hongwen Institute in three months is far from certain.
When the time comes, let’s see if he doesn’t fail miserably and go sniveling back home.
Emperor Jingxuan sneered.
With a sharp snap, he shut the book and rose to leave.
Seeing their master emerge, seven or eight disguised guards hastily returned the books they were pretending to read, dropped the rags they had been using to wipe tables, and fell into step behind him.
