Chapter 8: Traveling Together

  "Brother Song, isn't that Shen Chongming?" A scholar who was bidding farewell to Song Qingyang pointed at Shen Chongming and said.

  "Heh heh, you don't know yet, the Shen family sold all their shops and land, and scraped together silver to buy him a spot at the Imperial Academy. As he spoke, Song Qingyang glanced disdainfully at Shen Chongming, who was surrounded by his family members. Someone like that will be kicked out of the Imperial Academy in less than three months."

  Everyone present burst out laughing at his words. One of them deliberately raised his voice and said, "How arrogant! Does he think the capital is a place that fools can just go to?"

  Shen Chongming furrowed his brow as he listened attentively to his parents' parting words, but didn't respond.

  "Gui Gui, it's time to hit the road." Yu Jinglun turned his head and said as he looked at the team of vehicles that had just exited the city gate. He heard that this was a team transporting tax silver, and following them to the capital would at least ensure their safety.

  "Uh-huh." Shen Chongming nodded, then tidied up his clothes and knelt down respectfully in front of the two elders, knocking his head and saying: "Father and mother, take care."

  It was agreed that the national supervisor would take good care of Shen Chongming. Song Qingyang looked at the departing convoy and cupped his hands, saying: "Farewell, gentlemen." "Brother Song, take care on your journey."

  This time, the people escorting the tax silver were a bit strange. Yu Jinglun originally wanted to show off his abilities in front of his father-in-law, but unfortunately, he didn't recognize anyone, and looking at these people's cold faces, he didn't have the courage to go up and talk to them. This time, it was thanks to the prefectural magistrate speaking on behalf of the face of finding silver that he let his younger brother-in-law follow them north.

  With a wave of goodbye, Shen Chongming set off on his journey riding a small donkey. Originally, Shen Qing had wanted him to ride the old horse from their home, but Shen Chongming calculated that the cost of fodder for the horse along the way would be quite considerable, and since he didn't know how to ride a horse, he insisted on buying a donkey instead.

  The donkey's speed was slow, but it could keep up with the horse team, and the longer it sat, the more comfortable it became. Song Qingyang was riding a horse, originally looking at Shen Chongming riding a donkey on the road, feeling very contemptuous in his heart. However, after rushing for half a day, Song Qingyang felt severe pain in his thigh roots, turned his head to look at Shen Chongming following behind him, and this guy was closing his eyes with a leisurely expression, Song Qingyang couldn't help but feel puzzled, stopped and waited for him to catch up to ask what's going on.

  "Halt!" The leading soldier raised his arm and shouted, the convoy of over a dozen large carts slowed to a stop, the soldiers sat down on the ground laughing and chatting as they rested, while the accompanying cooks busied themselves building fires and cooking meals.

  The man's voice was not small, and Shen Chongming, who was far away, felt like a thunderclap had exploded beside his ear, suddenly waking him up. Sitting on the donkey's buttocks was really too comfortable, and he had actually fallen asleep.

  He glanced at the several pots and pans being arranged, Shen Chongming stretched his waist and got off the donkey, unknowingly it was already noon, no wonder he had been dreaming of big fish and meat just now, it turned out to be meal time.

  Song Qingyang had originally wanted to wait for Shen Chongming to come forward, so he could ask him what was going on. But when he saw this guy sitting there eating and drinking from his dry rations and water skin, he dismounted his horse and walked over with his legs spread apart.

  "Brother Shen." Song Qingyang suddenly spoke in an unusually polite tone, looking at Shen Chongming who was holding a dry pancake in his mouth and lifting his head up, forcing a smile while enduring the pain in his thigh: "Don't you feel any leg pain?"

  Looking at him with his legs crossed, Shen Chongming couldn't help but laugh. He had long noticed that he was restless and fidgety, and it turned out that his crotch was caught.

  This guy actually remembers, it was that day by the river when he scolded himself, and on this journey, his contemptuous gaze had indeed been noticed, probably because their relationship had reached a certain point. At this moment, such an expression suddenly appeared in front of him, presumably to let him enlighten him.

  The journey was dull and lonely, Shen Chongming decided to tease him a bit, put down the water bottle, opened his mouth with a big smile and said: "Hehe, this mount of mine is not ordinary, it's a rare divine donkey that can be met only once in a thousand years. Although its legs are slow, riding on it is more comfortable than a soft sedan."

  "Top-grade divine donkey?" Song Qingyang looked at the coarse-haired donkey tied to a tree and eating tender grass with some disbelief.

  "Haha, as the saying goes, 'don't judge a person by their appearance', this applies to donkeys too. Truly great people are always low-key." Seeing Song Qingyang's skeptical expression, Shen Chongming enthusiastically continued to persuade him.

  "Really?" Song Qingyang couldn't help but nod his head, this statement indeed made some sense.

  "Haha, you little brat is quite good at talking nonsense. What 'extreme divine donkey', isn't it just an old and worn-out mixed-breed donkey?" The leading soldier had somehow appeared beside the two of them.

  Looking at the man's attire and behavior along the way, Shen Chongming knew he was the leader of this group of soldiers. Although he didn't know if he was an official or not, following the principle that more courtesy can't be wrong, he stood up and clasped his fists in respect: "Sir."

  Song Qingyang slightly nodded his head, for him, interacting with these rough and unrefined warriors was truly a humiliation to his status.

  Jun Han seemed to have not noticed, looked at Shen Chongming's fallen big pancake on the ground and laughed: "Little boy, how can you eat these? Come and drink a cup with your brothers."

  To be honest, eating cold rice cakes was really hard to swallow. Being able to eat a hot meal was something Shen Chongming couldn't ask for, and he didn't decline the offer either. He agreed with a sound and started packing up his dry rations, leading the donkey as he followed the soldier away. Song Qingyang looked on, then mounted his horse, straddling it with his legs apart, and also followed along.

  Upon arrival, Shen Chongming felt a sense of unease. Seven or eight people sat on the ground, staring at him with expressionless faces, their gaze sending chills down his spine.

  Killing aura? The word suddenly popped up in Shen Chongming's mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was true. These soldiers nowadays are not like those of later generations. In this era of mountain bandits and constant foreign invasions, they were truly fighting for their lives with real knives and guns, and some killing aura was unavoidable.

  "Hey, kid, sit down." Jun Han pulled Shen Chongming to sit down and directly handed him a wine bowl. He looked at Song Qingyang who also sat down and smiled slightly, ordering someone to pour another bowl of wine in front of Song Qingyang.

  Song Qingyang didn't take it and pushed it away, saying: "Thank you, I never drink alcohol, haha."

  The man opposite frowned and was about to get angry, but the soldier just glared at him without saying anything and drank up the wine in his bowl.

  Shen Chongming watched as others drank in the same manner, and he too wanted to drink a mouthful. However, the strong liquor made him cough violently as soon as it entered his mouth. He hadn't drunk much, but during the commotion, he spilled wine all over his clothes, including his crotch area, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

  Song Qing, who was beside him, frowned slightly, looking somewhat angry. Although the two had a bad relationship, they were both sons of officials in the imperial court, and now he was losing face in front of others, making himself feel ashamed as well. It really wasn't right for him to have followed over just now.

  However, other military officials looked at Shen Chongming with a different eye. This man was not pretentious and didn't have the usual annoying air of a scholar.

  Shen Chongming, riding a small donkey, accompanied the leading general as they marched on. "Sir, since Jiangnan has well-developed waterways and canals that lead directly into the city, wouldn't it be better to transport goods from Shaoxing to the capital by boat?"

  Shen Chongming raised his doubts, so many large boxes need to be rushed to the capital city, at the current speed, it's impossible in less than a month. But taking a boat and traveling by waterway day and night, it can be done in half a month at most. This matter is really puzzling.

  "Hehe, little brother has good eyesight, but the heavenly secret cannot be revealed, you'll know when the time comes." The leading soldier started to sell his suspense, seeing that he didn't want to say more, Shen Chongming also didn't dare ask further, and could only hum a small tune as they continued on their way. "I have a little donkey, never ride it..."

  "Lord Liu, it's Mount Tongguan up ahead." A scout on horseback who had been exploring the road ahead hastily returned and pointed to a mountain peak with lush trees.

  Mr. Liu nodded, looked at Shen Chongming who had run to the back again, and smiled: "Tell your brothers, when we fight later, take care of that little brother."

  The mountain is getting closer and closer, Shen Chongming, who was walking at the end, gradually discovered that something was wrong. The soldiers, who were originally slack, now looked serious, each holding the hilt of their knife, with a look as if they were facing a great enemy!