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墨書 Inktalez
Days passed as usual, and the people of Ten Li Pu gradually returned to normal after regaining their spirits.
The sun rose and set, and as time went by, Liu Qingxi and her companions traveled day and night, passing through one city after another. At this time, the government convoy played a significant role, and no one dared to trouble them.
The journey was relatively smooth, and after half a month, they finally arrived at the bustling imperial capital, the capital city!
At a glance, the city gate stood majestic and solemn, built in a brick fortress style. The city wall was about thirty feet high, with the central archway being the largest main gate, designed with five arches specifically for officials and dignitaries.
Above the platform was a two-story watchtower, constructed with gray tiles and green glazed edges. The tower had doors on all four sides both upstairs and downstairs, slightly higher than the platform to facilitate soldiers observing the surroundings.
The entire city gate tower appeared to be over ten feet wide, and the open gate revealed its depth.
On either side of the main gate in the center of the platform were two side gates for ordinary people to enter and exit; generally, the main gate remained closed.
The long line of Liu Qingxi's group attracted attention from those nearby; however, since they were part of the government convoy, no one dared to comment.
Looking at the towering watchtower before her, with its exquisite eaves and intricately carved mythical beasts on the doors above, it was evident that the imperial capital's splendor far surpassed that of Lingjiang Province.
Even before entering, one could feel its heavy sense of history and vicissitudes, exuding an aura of solemnity that commanded respect without anger.
This was Liu Qingxi's first encounter with an ancient imperial capital. Although she had seen many ancient cities in modern times, they were either renovated or constructed using advanced techniques. This city gate carried a palpable sense of history unlike any other.
This gate represented a nation's strength and wealth and indicated whether it could withstand foreign invasions.
Perhaps this was closely related to military strategies where capturing a city gate equated to taking over an entire city.
As they continued on their way, at the front of the convoy sat Liu Gonggong, members of the Wen Family, Yang Yichen, and Liu Qingxi. Fortunately, since the emperor had sent out large carriages, they became familiar with each other along the way, sharing laughter to alleviate boredom.
However, upon arriving in the capital city, everything had to be done according to protocol. Therefore, they returned to their respective carriages ten miles away from the city.
In front of this bustling city, perhaps no one except Yang Yichen was not astonished.
After her initial shock, Liu Qingxi regained her composure. This would be her place to strive for success; eventually, she would have her own territory here.
Liu Qingyan's resolve grew stronger; this place was a hundred times more prosperous than Ten Li Pu or Biqi Town. He understood that there were even more clever individuals here, so he needed to work twice as hard.
Ahead, Liu Gonggong's carriage cleared the way, allowing Liu Qingxi and the others to smoothly enter through the main gate.
As soon as they arrived in the capital, Yang Yichen followed Liu Gonggong to the palace to meet the sovereign, leaving the rest of them to arrange their own lives.
After all, in a place like this, one could easily encounter several officials just by stepping outside. It wasn't just Yang Yichen, who was newly appointed as the Fifth-Rank Minister of Works; even third and fourth-rank officials might not have an official residence.
Only those who had made significant contributions or were first or second-rank officials were granted residences by the emperor. For someone like Yang Yichen, there were plenty of others in similar situations who had to find their own accommodations.
Fortunately, Yang Yichen had spent some time in the capital before and had been staying at an inn. In secret, he had already purchased a few small courtyards—nothing large, but enough for living.
He left Anan to arrange things for them: "Madam, Miss Liu, let's go."
He led the way until the carriage stopped in a narrow alley closer to the city edge, where two courtyards at the back were tightly locked.
"Madam, this is it. The young master specifically arranged this place; it's quite secluded and not easily disturbed." The more crucial point was that Yang Yichen's choice indicated his stance in court.
On the surface, he would not align with any faction or form deep connections with anyone; this way, the Sovereign would feel at ease.
Of course, there was no need for the women to worry about these matters; he could handle it himself.
Liu Qingxi and Wen Family looked around and nodded in satisfaction; the environment was serene. As newcomers, such a place was most suitable for them.
"Let's go inside," Wen Family said as she looked around outside and nodded approvingly. Meanwhile, Anan efficiently opened the doors of both courtyards.
The courtyard followed a traditional two-entry layout. Entering through the right-side Crimson Door led to a long room on the left. After entering, they turned left, passed through a screen wall, and reached the inner courtyard.
Directly opposite was the main house facing south, typically where the owner resided. The side rooms provided accommodations for servants, while the east and west wing rooms were designated for children if there were many family members.
However, both Liu Qingxi's group and Yang Yichen's group had few people, making it quite spacious for them.
Liu Qingxi was very satisfied with this arrangement and couldn't help but admire Yang Yichen's thoughtfulness. Even after living two lives, she was still moved by his consideration, feeling a warm current rise within her heart—a sweetness that filled her soul.
Sometimes what girls dislike most is verbal concern or having someone worry about them only to leave all matters for them to handle.
When it comes to someone like Yang Yichen, arranging everything for you when you need it is the most heartwarming and likable thing.
Liu Qingxi couldn't help but gradually fall into this man's gentle trap.
"Aunt, you've worked so hard, you should go rest. I'll go inside and tidy up," Liu Qingxi said as she looked around and ran out to the Wen Family.
"Alright, you too!" With that, the Wen Family directed the servants to hurry the carriage inside and unload the luggage one by one.
On Liu Qingxi's side, from then on, the two families lived in adjacent courtyards and became neighbors.
"Summer Lotus, Aunt Xu, Uncle Liu, hurry up and get the things down and tidy them up. Although we've bought it, it hasn't been cleaned for a long time and is covered in dust. We can't move in right away."
The yard was covered with fallen leaves. On the way, they had already heard that after Yang Yichen bought the place, he only instructed the Pawnbroker to come by later to tidy it up and had paid some silver.
However, it seemed that the other party hadn't come for quite some time. Fortunately, when they opened the door, there wasn't much dust on the table.
"Sister, I'll help too." Liu Qingyan rolled up his sleeves; with his delicate features, he suddenly looked like a man.
"Alright, let's work together. You go help fetch some water." Just then, there was a well in the courtyard covered by a large wooden board. When they lifted it, the water level was just right for use.
They got to work, and suddenly the courtyard became lively with people wiping windows, cleaning tables, sweeping floors, and sprinkling water.
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