Before Wen Yu could speak, Xiao Li beside her said, “Of course it’s useless. I told you to find out about troop movements and battle news, yet you’re asking about whether some worthless Military Commissioner is looking for beauties or not. What does this have to do with traveling merchants?”

Hearing this, Xiao An scratched his head in embarrassment. “That does seem pretty useless, unless our Yongzhou also submits to that Pei Song. Then it could at least remind Sister A’Yu never to wear a veil when going out from now on.”

He thought he was making a joke, but Wen Yu’s fingertips hidden in her sleeves had already turned white from clenching.

She forcefully suppressed the turbulent emotions churning in her heart, and a gentle smile bloomed on her face, as if her earlier terrible expression had been just an illusion. She said, “Then it is still useful. Thank you for your trouble, Young Brother Xiao An.”

As she spoke, she was about to take out two coins to give him.

Xiao An quickly waved his hands. “I was joking. This isn’t news that could bring money-making opportunities, so Sister A’Yu, you don’t need to pay me.”

Xiao Li stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, clearly seeing the changes in Wen Yu’s expression during those few moments. His long eyes narrowed slightly, looking thoughtful.

When Xiao Huiniang heard that other prefectures were even interrogating girls wearing veils, she said, “A’Yu, remember to apply the medicine I gave you morning and night. Once the rash marks on your face fade, you won’t need to cover your face when going out.”

Wen Yu responded with a yes, but in her heart she understood that she absolutely could not let her appearance recover in the short term, or it would only invite disaster.

Pei Song commanded two hundred thousand troops. He was among the first batch of Military Commissioners to rebel, and currently the traitorous official with the most powerful military forces. There would inevitably be prefectures that, intimidated by his might, would submit to him.

She and her trusted confidants had disguised themselves as a merchant caravan traveling to Southern Chen, firstly to deceive others and evade pursuers, and secondly to prevent falling into the hands of prefectural officials who already harbored rebellious hearts and becoming their pledge of allegiance when defecting to Pei Song.

Now her trusted confidants still hadn’t found her, and she didn’t know how long Yongzhou could hold out.

If Yongzhou also became Pei Song’s territory, morale at Fengyang would only become even more depressed, and her journey onward to Southern Chen would become increasingly fraught with danger.

She had to contact her trusted confidants as quickly as possible. She just didn’t know what other methods there were to get messages out…

As she was concentrating on thinking about these matters, she suddenly heard Xiao An say “Eh,” and then pick up that volume of historical romance from the long bench by the fire pit, looking toward Xiao Li. “Second Brother, why did you dig out this copy of ‘Records of the States’?”

Hearing this, Xiao Li glanced over and said, “I was going to use it to start a fire.”

Xiao An quickly brushed off the ash that had fallen on it and treasured it against his chest. “If you don’t want it, give it to me. And here I thought you’d run into some troubling matter!”

Wen Yu listened somewhat bewildered, not understanding how this storybook could be connected to that hoodlum having troubling matters.

But last night, that hoodlum’s mood did indeed seem poor?

Xiao Li distributed the buns Xiao An had bought to everyone, blocking Xiao An’s line of conversation.

After simply eating this breakfast, Xiao Huiniang had arranged for several widowed women to come to the house today to do embroidery, so she stayed at home.

When Wen Yu followed Xiao An out the door, she asked him, “Does your Second Brother really enjoy reading books?”

Xiao An made an “Ah” sound, scratched his hair and said, “I suppose so, but Second Brother can’t read. He always has me tell him the stories.”

A flash of surprise passed through Wen Yu’s eyes. She asked, “You’re literate?”

Xiao An grinned and said, “How could that be? I discovered that Second Brother really likes listening to ‘Records of the States,’ but he’s usually too busy and doesn’t have time to go to Old Man Ge’s place. So whenever I have some free time, I go listen to Old Man Ge tell stories, memorize all the stories from ‘Records of the States,’ and when Second Brother wants to listen, I tell them to him! That book of his was collected from a gambling-addicted scholar when collecting debts before.”

Only then did Wen Yu learn that the hoodlum actually had a hobby of listening to storytelling. So last night when he asked her to read, he wanted to hear storytelling?

She asked in confusion, “Then why did you say your Second Brother has run into some troubling matter?”

Xiao An no longer had any wariness toward Wen Yu now, and said honestly, “Every time Second Brother is in a bad mood, he likes to hear people tell ‘Records of the States.'”

Wen Yu’s expression took on a somewhat strange quality. “He has such refined interests?”

Xiao An interlaced his ten fingers and placed them behind his head, walking as he spoke. “Second Brother says that when his mind is troubled, listening to these things can calm his heart.”

Wen Yu truly hadn’t expected that the hoodlum, who looked like a rough person, would actually have such insight and temperament.

She said in a low voice, “What a pity.”

With such perceptiveness, if like the sons of aristocratic families he had been taught poetry and books from childhood, perhaps he could have become a pillar of the nation.

But now, that hoodlum could only show off his fists in this marketplace.

Xiao An didn’t hear clearly and asked, “What?”

Wen Yu’s long lashes lowered slightly as she said, “Nothing.”

She changed the subject. “After we finish buying ink and brushes, you should also take me to see the storytelling stall.”

Yongzhou was extremely close to those prefectures that had submitted to Pei Song. She couldn’t stay long. If she temporarily couldn’t contact her trusted confidants through the secret emblem on the embroidered handkerchief, she had to try to see if she could pass messages to her confidants through storybooks and storytelling.

Xiao An thought she had also become interested in storytelling and said happily, “Great! If we’re lucky, we can even listen to a segment before going home!”

When they arrived at the stationery shop, because the embroidery pattern given by the Xu family was indeed complex, and to make it convenient for outlining, Wen Yu bought an extremely fine wolf-hair brush. Seeing her buy that brush, the shopkeeper guessed she was going to use it for painting, and very enthusiastically took out a goat-hair brush as well, saying that if she bought this set, he would give her some rice paper for free.

Wen Yu had originally intended to politely decline, but then thought that if she had free time to paint a few orchid or ink bamboo paintings to sell for money, it would at least be some income.

That hoodlum could already guess she was literate. If she could also paint, she should be able to explain it away. At most he could guess that her previous family circumstances had been fairly comfortable.

Previously concealing her abilities was to avoid attracting attention and inviting trouble, but after spending these past few days with the Xiao family mother and son, she discovered that the mother and son were not bad people, so she wasn’t as guarded as before.

Right now she couldn’t contact her trusted confidants. The urgent task was to think of ways to earn more silver to keep with her.

She bought two brushes. When the shopkeeper cheerfully wrapped up the paper and ink together and handed it to them, Xiao An asked somewhat painfully, “Embedding some hair on a wooden tube as thick as chopsticks costs over a hundred coins. If I knew how to make brushes, I’d set up a stall selling brushes!”

The shopkeeper smiled and said, “Young brother, you speak of this, but all pursuits are lowly, only study is exalted. Since it’s one of the four treasures of the study, it’s expensive for good reason.”

Xiao An said very indifferently, “Anyway, it’s not something ordinary families like us can afford to use.”

The shopkeeper smiled again. “If a family produces a scholar, passes the imperial examinations and enters officialdom, won’t that bring blessings to three generations!”

Wen Yu’s hand receiving the brush box paused slightly as she suppressed the ripples rising in her heart.

She had often heard people say that common marketplace folk were crude and ignorant, unable to recognize poetry or books, unable to distinguish the great way, like summer insects—mediocre and muddling through, finishing their lives before even knowing why they were busy.

But after truly walking among the common people, she finally understood—when hunger and warmth were still difficult to satisfy, how could one speak of recognizing poetry and books, distinguishing the great way?

Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were luxury items even for ordinary families, not to mention tuition fees for school.

That common people were illiterate—those who should be ashamed were not them, but those who sat high in the court halls.

Wen Yu had never so urgently hoped for the rebels to be swiftly suppressed.

Only when all under heaven was settled and her royal father ascended the throne could benevolent governance be vigorously promoted among the people.

Without the massive expenditures on military supplies, the state treasury might not be so strained. Then taxes and corvée labor could be reduced or exempted, and the common people could catch their breath and properly live their own lives.

When the state treasury became more abundant, if the court allocated funds to establish county schools throughout the land, waived tuition fees, and greatly promoted the imperial examinations, how could they fail to carve out a path to success for poor scholars?

But thinking about these things during this time of drifting mountains and rivers was truly too distant.

Now even mountain bandits could raise flags and proclaim themselves kings and emperors. Heroes from all sides were fighting over territory. The Great Liang’s rivers and mountains were already shattered, and ordinary people asked for nothing more than to stay alive.

Carrying a belly full of concerns, Wen Yu followed Xiao An to Old Man Ge’s storytelling stall. From a distance, she could see a crowd of people gathered around.

Xiao An said in puzzlement, “What is Old Man Ge telling today that’s drawn so many people to listen?”

Using his small stature to his advantage, he squeezed forward with all his might. “Let me through! Let me through!”

Wen Yu followed Xiao An as he squeezed forward, only to discover that the storyteller wasn’t Old Man Ge, but a scoundrel wearing coarse clothes with shifty eyes.

That scoundrel had one foot on a long bench and the other on a table, loudly saying to the surrounding crowd, “Twenty years ago, Lan Hui, the top courtesan of Zuihong House who was famous throughout Yongzhou City—everyone knows about her, right?”

“She wanted to latch onto a wealthy merchant with all her heart. Ha! She even bore that wealthy merchant a son, but still couldn’t latch on!”

He let both hands droop, his expression full of contempt and schadenfreude. “Later, relying on the fact she still had some looks, she wanted to enter the He family’s door as a concubine. Who in Yongzhou City doesn’t know that Master He is henpecked? When the news reached Madam He’s ears, Madam He brought a crowd of family servants to storm into Zuihong House. She held down that prostitute and slapped her face from both sides. Two slaps landed on her face, beating it swollen like a pig’s head. Then she ordered people to strip off her clothes and had her own family servants humiliate her in the street!”

The scoundrel, speaking to this point, had a trace of excitement in his shifty eyes. “The prostitute’s son protected his mother, found a fruit-cutting knife, and stabbed it into the family servant’s chest. This caused a murder case. He was imprisoned and sentenced to seven years of hard labor. After he came out, having nowhere to go, he entered a gambling house to collect debts for a living. Now he’s made it big, putting on airs, bought property on your South Third Lane, trying to play at being a great master…”

Hearing this, the crowd couldn’t help but discuss among themselves.

“Hey, spent seven years in prison, works at a gambling house, and lives on our South Third Lane—isn’t that the guy surnamed Xiao?”

“That Xiao family mother and son moved to this street several years ago. Aside from her son not doing any proper work, collecting accounts for the gambling house and mixing with scoundrels and ruffians, that woman usually stays indoors. She doesn’t seem like someone who came from those pleasure quarters…”

“Isn’t staying indoors all the more suspicious? Once the courtyard gate closes, who knows what goes on inside?”

…

Hearing these discussions, Wen Yu couldn’t help but frown.

Only by combining what that girl had said the other day could she make out that the prostitute’s son the scoundrel was talking about seemed to be Xiao Li.

But Xiao Huiniang… had actually once been Zuihong House’s top courtesan?

She had heard Chen Laizi curse Xiao Li as a “bastard born of a whore” before. At the time, she had just taken it as foul language, never imagining that Xiao Huiniang truly came from the pleasure quarters.

No wonder when Chen Laizi had said that if they didn’t keep her, he would sell her to a flower house, Xiao Huiniang had relented and kept her.

Wen Yu was grateful for this kindness from Xiao Huiniang. After spending many days with her, she also knew deeply that Xiao Huiniang was absolutely not the kind of opportunistic person the scoundrel described.

These scoundrels deliberately publicizing this past here, exposing people’s old wounds—they were clearly targeting the Xiao family mother and son, intentionally smearing their names.

Thinking of this, Wen Yu was about to shout to stop them.

“Go to hell!”

Unexpectedly, Xiao An suddenly roared loudly, threw a basket over to cover that scoundrel’s head, then charged across and kicked him in the abdomen, kicking him off the long bench.

His eyes were red with rage as he straddled the scoundrel and started throwing punches. “You damned dog thing, dare to gossip about my auntie and Second Brother? I’ll kill you!”

But that scoundrel clearly hadn’t come alone to cause trouble. Several accomplices mixed in the crowd saw this and quickly came forward to restrain Xiao An.

Seeing they outnumbered him, Wen Yu hurriedly called out, “Xiao An, run quickly! They have accomplices!”

But it was already too late.

Xiao An was grabbed by the arm by one scoundrel and pulled back. He immediately took a punch to the face.

The corner of his mouth was beaten bloody, yet without the slightest hesitation he swung a punch back, spat out the blood in his mouth, and said fiercely, “Come on! Even if there’s more of you, I’m not afraid!”

He fought with several people with an almost desperate posture, but in the end he was just a thin youth. Two fists couldn’t match four hands. He was quickly pressed to the ground by several people and kicked viciously with punches and feet.

Wen Yu’s heart felt like it was boiling in oil as she shouted, “Stop! What kind of skill is it to beat a child?”

But no one listened to her.

She turned to the crowd of onlookers for help. “Everyone, please help pull them apart! If they keep beating him, someone will die!”

Although the crowd had gathered in a circle to watch this excitement, they kept their distance, afraid these scoundrels’ troublemaking would implicate them, much less come forward to break up the fight.

Seeing Xiao An’s nose and mouth bleeding from the kicks, Wen Yu became extremely anxious. She could only shout loudly, “The constables are coming! Run!”

The place was already packed tight with spectators watching the excitement. Suddenly hearing someone shout that constables were coming, they were all afraid of getting involved in trouble and quickly scattered like birds and beasts.

When the scoundrels heard the constables were coming and saw the spectators all running away, they believed it and quickly abandoned Xiao An to flee.

Only then did Wen Yu step forward to help Xiao An up, asking anxiously, “Xiao An, how are you?”

Xiao An was collapsed on the ground, his face covered in nosebleed, almost unable to get up, yet his eyes still showed fierceness. “…Dare to talk about Second Brother… I’ll kill them…”

Wen Yu didn’t understand why this youth was so stubborn. She said, “There were many of them. You shouldn’t have just charged up like that…”

She draped one of Xiao An’s arms over her shoulder to help him up, saying with pity, “You’re injured like this. Let me first take you to see a physician.”

Xiao An could only stand steady by leaning entirely on Wen Yu. A few coughs escaped from his thin chest. He wiped the nosebleed that was still gushing out and said in a muffled voice, “Sister A’Yu, don’t tell Second Brother about this.”