The convoy traveled nonstop, pausing only for three meals a day. Shen Xuan was locked inside the carriage and could not leave except for eating and relieving himself.
Only in the evenings would the convoy find an inn to rest. Shen Xuan had considered escaping from the inn, but the Xue family brought many people, and there were always guards outside his room, leaving him no opportunity.
After two days, Shen Xuan learned from the servants that the old woman's surname was You, and the Marquis's household staff called her Mama You. Both she and Steward Zhao were confidantes of the Marquis's Madam.
However, observing their interactions, it seemed Mama You was closer to the Marquis's Madam than Steward Zhao, as Steward Zhao would consult her when he was indecisive.
The Xue family, being a Marquis's mansion, certainly lived up to its name, even its servants had quite the bearing.
Throughout the journey to the capital, Shen Xuan noticed that Steward Zhao and Mama You's living expenses and attire already surpassed the standard of lecturers at Lezhou Academy.
It's worth noting that the lecturers at Lezhou Academy all held the title of Juren (recommended person) or higher, earning twenty taels of silver monthly, which was considered affluent in Lezhou.
Yet, a few prominent servants of the Xue family earned more than these lecturers, highlighting the immense wealth and prestige of the Xue family as a Marquis's mansion.
One day, the convoy stopped in Jizhou, a large city renowned for its beautiful jade. Mama You only went out for a short while, and when she returned, she had a white jade hairpin with excellent translucency in her hair and a pair of purple jade bracelets on her wrist, clearly newly purchased.
Such high-quality jade items would cost at least over a hundred taels of silver in Lezhou, and even if cheaper in Jizhou, they would still be seventy or eighty taels.
Mama You could unhesitatingly spend so much money on jewelry, indicating how affluent her purse was.
Shen Xuan had been hawking his wares on Jinli Street for so long and had seen many aristocratic families in Lezhou, but none had servants with such dignity.
***
Two more days passed, and the convoy finally reached the gates of the capital. Shen Xuan lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the capital truly lived up to its name as the Great Jin's imperial city.
Even its city walls were much taller than those of Lezhou. A troop of soldiers stood on the city wall towers, and armored imperial guards stood in formation at the gate, inspecting the identities of all incoming vehicles and pedestrians.
A plaque hung above the gate tower, with the three large characters "South City Gate" written in gold lacquer, the calligraphy stark and imposing, appearing especially grand.
Although Shen Xuan had lived in the capital until he was eight years old, he was young and a Ger so he rarely went out.
He had no memory of the capital at all. Because it was the Marquis's carriage, after the guards at the gate asked a few questions, they registered the vehicle and Shen Xuan's name.
After that, the convoy smoothly entered the city. Shen Xuan curiously looked out of the carriage window. The capital's city walls actually had a canal running through them, and not far from the city gate, there was a pier and a market.
This market was incredibly lively, with an endless stream of boats, carriages, and pedestrians.
Many laborers continuously moved goods to and from the shops along the street, and there were also many small stalls targeting workers and commoners, creating a bustling commercial scene.
The Great Jin had vast disparities in wealth; while rural commoners were poor, large cities had developed to be incredibly prosperous.
Southern cities like Lezhou already had mature commercial sectors, let alone a central city like the capital.
"Candied hawthorns for sale, ten coins a skewer!"
"Meat buns, big and fresh meat buns, eight coins each!"
"Vegetable-filled wontons, only six coins, don't miss out!"
The shouts of the roadside vendors echoed in Shen Xuan's ears.
The market at the South City Pier was considered one of the more down-to-earth places in the capital, but prices were much higher than in Lezhou.
Shen Xuan listened around and found that prices here were only slightly cheaper than those on Jinli Street, but twice as high as in Lezhou's South City.
This showed that the cost of living for capital residents was much higher than elsewhere.
However, such a high cost of living did not deter the influx of so many people, indicating that the income of the capital's residents was also far higher than in other places.
Just on this one street, the pier market, any small stall didn't have to worry about business. Looking at the foot traffic at these stalls, they could probably earn about a guan of cash per day.
This showed that in the capital, as long as one was diligent and not particularly foolish, earning over ten taels of silver a month was not a problem.
While such income was only typical for ordinary citizens in the capital, it was enough to rent a house and support an entire family, with plenty left over at the end of the year.
Many people would work in the capital for a few years, then take their saved silver back to their hometowns to buy a few acres of fertile land, allowing them to live comfortably as local gentry without worries.
***
While Shen Xuan was contemplating ways to make money in the capital, the carriage left the market, and the roads on both sides gradually became quieter.
The convoy continued north, and the houses on both sides also changed. The north of the city was where the capital's prominent aristocratic families resided; the former Duke Shen's mansion was also located here.
An hour later, the carriage passed a very grand gate, with a human-sized bronze lion standing on each side. One male and one female, their forms majestic.
The wooden gate was deep red, with brass-wrapped corners and a pair of gilded jiaotu (a mythical creature) biting on the door knockers.
The wooden gate was a full zhang (about 3.3 meters) wide, topped with flying eaves. In the center hung a black plaque with gold characters that read "Xue Mansion."
'This is the Xue Mansion?' Shen Xuan thought.
Amidst his thoughts of awe, a faint sense of familiarity arose; he had probably been here when he was very young.
The convoy passed the main gate and entered through a smaller side gate. After stopping in a courtyard with stables, Mama You, Steward Zhao, and the others disembarked.
"Shen Ger, the Marquis's mansion has arrived," Mama You said, opening the carriage door and letting him out, carefully observing the expression on Shen Xuan's face.
Shen Xuan had grown up in a Duke's mansion and later transmigrated to a modern prominent family, so he wasn't particularly impressed by the Xue family's lavish residence.
He also knew that this courtyard was just for receiving the Xue family's servants and carriages, and true masters and distinguished guests would not alight here.
However, he noticed Mama You secretly observing him. After a moment's thought, he immediately put on a timid, country Ger fresh to the city demeanor.
Mama You said nothing but led him through a painted corridor. The corridor was typically used to receive guests, with intricately carved openwork windows on both sides.
In the corners, there were a pair of painted plum vases with gilded threads, placed on tall stools. The plum vases looked like they were fired in official kilns, with extremely exquisite craftsmanship.
Such-sized colored vases would cost at least a hundred taels a pair on the market, yet they were simply placed in the corridor.
Shen Xuan pondered, then deliberately looked at the plum vases with an envious gaze and said, "Such beautiful vases, why are they just left out here? Wouldn't it be a shame if someone accidentally broke them?"
As expected, no sooner had he spoken than a hint of disdain flashed in Mama You's eyes. She opened her mouth and said,
"There are countless such vases in the Marquis's mansion; they're not considered anything special. Shen Ger, have you seen the plum tree outside the corridor?"
"That's a Qishan plum tree that our master specifically dug up from Qishan. Every winter, it blooms and fills the garden with its fragrance. These plum vases are simply meant to complement these plum blossoms."
Listening to Mama You, Shen Xuan naturally put on an expression of exaggerated astonishment, his mouth agape.
Mama You led Shen Xuan to a guest courtyard and settled him into a room. Although this room was only for ordinary outside guests, it was exquisitely decorated.
The furniture in the room was all made of fine elm wood, shining brightly. Each piece of furniture was also carved with intricate patterns.
Even the bed curtains were made of fine gauze embroidered with orchid patterns, and the sheets and duvet covers were all made of finely spun cotton from Huzhou.
"This... is this where I'll be living?" Shen Xuan deliberately stroked the carved jujube flowers on the headboard, his face full of overwhelmed delight.
Seeing him behave so unrefined, Mama You sneered, curling the corners of her mouth. She thought to herself,
'He's making such a fuss over a mere guest room; he truly is a country Ger who hasn't seen the world.'
Mama You: "Shen Ger, this is just a guest room in the Marquis's mansion; nothing in it is considered good quality."
"To speak of what's most exquisite in the mansion, that would be our Marquis Xue's eldest young master, Xue Fenglin. All the furniture in his room is made of golden nanmu, priceless. Everything he eats and uses is the most expensive in our mansion."
"But you don't need to worry. In a few days, once you two are married and become one family, won't all of this be yours?"
Shen Xuan listened to Mama You without refuting. Instead, he appeared both surprised and delighted.
After a brief moment of thought, he lowered his gaze and pretended to be shy, shaking his head and saying,
"Young Master Xue and I have too great a status difference. I imagine he won't be willing to acknowledge a husband like me. If I force him, I will surely be disliked, and then where would I have a place to live in the mansion?"
He spoke with a mix of truth and falsehood, his acting truly masterful. He didn't immediately deny the marriage to Xue Fenglin. Instead, he revealed a hint of apprehension about his unknown married life.
Shen Xuan's painstaking performance was mainly because he had shown too much resistance in Yunshui Village before.
The result was that not only did he fail to escape the marriage contract, but he also deepened the Xue family's vigilance against him.
He was closely monitored throughout the journey, preventing him from finding any opportunity to escape.
Mama You listened and believed him mostly, relaxing her guard against Shen Xuan somewhat.
She thought to herself, 'Of course, a poor Ger like Shen Xuan would want to marry into a Marquis's mansion. He was unwilling before because he was worried that Xue Fenglin wouldn't like him.'
However, the more Xue Fenglin disliked him, the more Bai Shi wanted him to marry the other party as a husband. So, she rolled her eyes and comforted Shen Xuan, saying,
"What are you afraid of? You have a marriage contract, and besides, you have the Marquis and Madam in the mansion to support you. Out of respect for their parents, the eldest young master wouldn't dare treat you badly."
"Madam can really help me?" Shen Xuan blinked at this point, pretending to be naive and asking, "But I still find it strange. With my status and appearance, and having been married once, how could the Marquis's mansion possibly look favorably upon me as The Shizi's husband?"
"Of course, our Madam is kind-hearted. Because you already have a marriage contract with the eldest young master, she can't bear to see you homeless. If you are sensible and willing to listen to our Madam, you will naturally be able to marry the eldest young master and enjoy the riches and glory of this mansion," Mama You said, seeing that Shen Xuan still had concerns, and painted a promising picture to appease him.
"Auntie, although you say so, I still feel uneasy," Shen Xuan said, seeing that Mama You was determined to marry him to Xue Fenglin, testing her again.
Hearing Shen Xuan still making excuses, Mama You's expression darkened, and she spoke with a hint of ruthlessness, "If you cannot become the eldest young master's husband, then you will be useless to our Madam."
"Given your status, neither the eldest young master himself nor his maternal family, the Ye family, would likely want you to exist in this world."
"Ah? Mama You, you don't want me to exist in this world? Do you mean... I'll be in danger?" Shen Xuan saw Mama You giving him a stick and then two carrots (a Chinese idiom meaning to use both threats and inducements).
She was actually starting to threaten him, so he immediately put on a frightened expression.
"That's exactly what I mean," Mama You said coldly.
"There are quite a few people who disappear without a trace in the capital every year, and you have no relatives. If you go missing, no one would probably look for you." Seeing Shen Xuan shiver, his eyes trembling with panic, he just mumbled,
"From now on, I will obey all of Madam's arrangements. Whatever Madam tells me to do, I will do, as long as Madam supports me and protects my life!" Mama You curled her lips, thinking that her goal must have been achieved.
She then comforted Shen Xuan for a few more sentences before going to the inner courtyard to report to Bai Shi.
Meanwhile, as soon as Shen Xuan registered his identity at the South City Gate, the Ye family received the news.
Lady Ye was burning with anxiety and was already on her way to the Xue family's mansion. Ye Chen, upon hearing the news, sent someone to the Imperial Academy to inform Xue Fenglin, who was preparing for the imperial examinations there.
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