As the first light of dawn broke, the city of Luoshui awoke to the sound of a night watchman’s gong. Li Tan and the other hardworking, simple-hearted citizens had already begun their labor. Since there were no farmlands within the city, most residents were merchants, tidying their goods and preparing for the morning market to open.
The Great Xia Dynasty valued martial prowess over commerce, believing that commercial activities would lead many into an overly comfortable lifestyle, causing them to abandon their pursuit of martial cultivation. As a result, merchants generally held low status in the Great Xia Dynasty. For instance, all merchants were required to strictly adhere to prescribed times for conducting business; otherwise, they would face severe punishment.
The enforcement of this regulation radiated outward from Luoshui, the core city of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the extent of this enforcement correlated with the dynasty’s power.
Take Linjiang and Fan City as examples. Both were far from Luoshui, the political center of the Great Xia. Therefore, influential families in these areas often ignored the regulation to some extent for profit, although they usually exercised some restraint to avoid giving the authorities a pretext for intervention. The Great Xia maintained a generally indifferent attitude toward these distant regions, focusing instead on major cities.
Another exception consisted of the deeply entrenched sects, which often outwardly complied with the rules but secretly disregarded them.
The Great Xia found itself relatively helpless against these sects. After the dynasty reached its peak, various sects formed alliances through treaties to protect themselves. Destroying one sect would invite interference from other factions, potentially escalating into devastating internal conflicts and allowing foreign powers to benefit.
Therefore, in many cities, it was common for sects to conduct business outside the designated morning market hours, though Luoshui was an exception, where everything strictly followed the laws of the Great Xia.
“Father-in-law, I have come to bid farewell.”
In the grand hall of the Cheng residence, Cheng Ducai and his wife sat on the dais. Li Tan stood respectfully, bowing slightly. His nominal newlywed wife, Cheng Xuan, stood timidly beside him, her head lowered even further than his.
Madam Cheng said, “Dear Tan, why must you leave so soon? There’s still some time before the Imperial Academy begins accepting new students. Why not stay a few more days?”
Li Tan replied, “I still have many matters to attend to in Luoshui. I appreciate your kind invitation.”
Madam Cheng fell silent, gazing at Cheng Xuan with a hint of sadness. Cheng Ducai coughed twice, feigning cheerfulness as he spoke, “There’s no need to rush off. I’m getting older, and I wonder when I’ll get to see my grandchild.”
Upon hearing this, Li Tan’s lips twitched. With a hint of sarcasm, he replied, “Father-in-law truly loves his descendants. I’m sure Xuan’er has received much of your care as well.”
His words carried multiple meanings. On the surface, he was complimenting the elder, which was what Cheng Ducai, unaware of Li Tan’s true knowledge, believed. More deeply, Li Tan was expressing his own dissatisfaction. Loves his descendants? He didn’t even consider how badly Cheng Xuan had been treated.
Cheng Ducai awkwardly coughed again. His question hadn’t achieved its intended purpose, as Li Tan had skillfully evaded it. He couldn’t press further now, for his true intention had been to ask: Have you slept with Cheng Xuan?
And not in the literal sense. His urgency to send Cheng Xuan away stemmed from a simple reason: fear of scandal. If word got out that his daughter was pregnant before marriage, aside from the damage to their reputation, there would certainly be those who would seize the opportunity to make trouble. Thus, Li Tan couldn’t really determine who was right or wrong in this situation. He felt pity for Cheng Ducai; the girl had been like a caged golden pheasant since childhood, constantly yearning for freedom, making her susceptible to deception. As for Cheng Ducai, there was little to say—he was perfectly rational from his perspective, an ideal family patriarch and court official, but a complete failure as a father.
Leaving with Cheng Xuan, Li Tan encountered no obstacles. Back on the street, the bustling crowds continued their daily routines, with no trace of yesterday’s excitement from the throwing of the embroidered ball, as if it had never happened at all. Li Tan felt a sense of unreality.
Not a sentimental person by nature, Li Tan didn’t dwell on this feeling. He simply said, “Let’s go,” and slowly walked forward with Cheng Xuan hiding behind him.
Perhaps it was the first time Cheng Xuan had walked on the street with a man, or maybe the first time she had ventured out not for a visit, so she felt uneasy and out of place.
“What’s the name of your ideal gentleman?” Li Tan asked.
Cheng Xuan had fallen asleep too quickly the previous day, so this detail had been forgotten. Now asked, she answered, “Xu Jie.”
Li Tan’s expression turned odd. “What?”
Thinking Li Tan hadn’t heard clearly, Cheng Xuan deliberately raised her voice: “Xu Jie!”
Now certain he had heard correctly, Li Tan felt even more speechless. He began to question whether Cheng Xuan truly had any sense.
Xu Jie was the stubborn young man Li Tan had met at a teahouse the day before yesterday upon his arrival in Luoshui. For Cheng Xuan to see him as an upright gentleman showed how deeply she had fallen.
“What’s with that expression?” Cheng Xuan, noticing Li Tan’s strange look, asked in confusion, “Do you know him?”
“Sort of. He knows me, but I don’t know him.”
“That’s normal. He’s a great scholar.”
The words “great scholar” shocked Li Tan again, prompting him to question Cheng Xuan’s literary abilities.
Although he wanted to say something, Li Tan refrained, considering it might be seen as defamation. Soon, they arrived at a grand mansion.
“This is the residence of Xu Zhongzheng,” Li Tan said. “Your gentleman is probably still asleep.”
“Then what should I do now?”
Li Tan shrugged indifferently. “Just tell the guards who you are and that you wish to see him. I can’t go in, so I’ll wait here. When you see him, tell him you’ve escaped from me and wish to be with him forever. Whether he’s a gentleman or a scoundrel will become clear. If he truly is a gentleman, it won’t matter if you stay with him. Oh, right, be sure to mention that you’re no longer a virgin.”
Cheng Xuan’s face turned slightly red. “Can I leave that last part out?”
Li Tan shook his head firmly. “No.”
Without that clarification, considering Xu Jie’s despicable nature, he might verbally agree first, then try to deceive Cheng Xuan into his bed before abandoning her.
Though somewhat reluctant, Cheng Xuan didn’t object. Everything must follow my instructions, Li Tan had insisted the previous day.
Thus, Cheng Xuan entered Xu’s mansion. Li Tan, already anticipating the outcome, sat across from Liu Mansion Street in advance to think about his next move. However, this was something he was least skilled at, and the more he thought, the more his head ached.
Before even a stick of incense had burned, Cheng Xuan rushed out of Xu’s mansion, ran straight to Li Tan, and threw herself into his arms, crying bitterly.
“Don’t cry, really. I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen.”
Li Tan tried to comfort her, but Cheng Xuan only cried harder. To avoid being seen by Xu Jie, which might cause more trouble, Li Tan gently picked up the still-crying Cheng Xuan and slowly left.
At noon, Luoshui’s Tiance Inn remained crowded with people. In a second-floor room, Li Tan sat silently while Cheng Xuan, no longer crying, remained lost in sorrow, her expression gloomy.
After a long silence, Li Tan finally spoke softly, “This afternoon I’ll take you back and explain everything.”
Cheng Xuan, her head lowered, seemed lost in thought, only shaking her head. When Li Tan asked again, she still shook her head.
Sighing, Li Tan asked helplessly, “If you don’t go back, what else can you do?”
Cheng Xuan clenched her teeth, staring at Li Tan, her face slightly flushed: “Marry me and take responsibility for me!”
Li Tan nearly spat out the water he was drinking and hurriedly replied, “I already have someone I love.”
Cheng Xuan seemed determined. “Then I’ll be your concubine.”
“You really don’t want to go back?”
“I’d rather die outside than return. Even if I explain, my father won’t accept it. If I go back, it’ll be as if I’ve been cast out by my husband’s family.”
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