Chapter 24

"Grandpa Zhou is a man of letters; sending him gold, silver, or jewels would be too vulgar and might not please him! I think there are a few ancient books in the study. Uncle Zhong, could you check if they are suitable? As for Miss Zhou... " Li You hesitated for a moment before deciding to get to know her first, "I remember she loved painting when she was young. Why don't we send her the painting of court ladies by the famous artist Pei Kai from the previous dynasty? As for the other small items, you can decide on them!"

"Master, you've chosen well! Scholar Zhou and Miss Zhou will surely like these!" Uncle Zhong, an old family retainer, was respectful but not overly formal in front of Li You. After praising him, he continued, "Rest assured, I'll take care of the rest in the next few days! Recently, we've acquired a few fine writing tools at Jiyazhai. I'll collect them and send them along with the items you mentioned, plus some ginseng and polygonum for the old lady. No one will have anything to say about it!"

"Alright, let's settle on that!" After purchasing gifts, preparing the travel gear, and giving Li You detailed instructions on what to pay attention to after arriving in the capital, another five or six days passed before Uncle Zhong reluctantly saw them off.

This trip to the capital was quite a grand affair. Xu Guang led the entourage, which included Xiaozhao and Shuang'er, two maids, as well as dozens of guards and servants. They brought two boats full of gifts.

"Master! This old servant wishes you a smooth journey and a quick succession to the title!" At the dock, Uncle Zhong bowed. He had to stay behind to manage the viscount's estate, so the task of accompanying Li You to the capital fell to Xu Guang.

"Uncle Zhong, you're old, no need to stand in the wind at the dock! Go back and rest! Don't worry about the Imperial Academy; with Mr. Xu, there won't be any problems!" Thinking about the upcoming journey, Li You was quite excited. After a few words with Uncle Zhong, he ordered the ropes to be untied and the sails to be raised.

"Master, we'll first sail down the Jia River and reach Qiantang in seven days, then travel along the Grand Canal. It will take about a month to reach the capital! The Imperial Academy won't start for two months, so we have plenty of time!" Xu Guang, who had accompanied the old viscount to the capital many times, knew the route well. "If you want to go ashore and enjoy the cities along the way, you can, but don't stay too long!"

During the day, they sailed, and at night, they stayed at inns. On the boat, Xiaozhao and Shuang'er played music to entertain him, and when they went ashore, the servants had already arranged quiet accommodations and local delicacies. Xu Guang had planned the entire journey meticulously!

Although it was a bit slow, it was much more comfortable than modern travel! Li You was quite satisfied with the arrangements, but the journey was too peaceful. There were no bandits or corrupt officials to rob or extort them, which made him feel a bit bored.

When he asked Xu Guang about it, Xu Guang laughed, "Master, you don't understand!" He pointed to the flag flying at the bow of the ship, "With this flag, the officials along the way will know you're from the Viscount of Jia. They'll be eager to curry favor, not to disturb you! As for the bandits, they're cowards. With so many strong men on our ship and our obvious status as officials, they'd be asking for trouble if they provoked us. Even if they envy our ships, they'll have to hold back for their own safety!"

Oh? Li You was even more curious. If the officials were eager to curry favor, why hadn't they come to visit? Xu Guang was happy to explain, "Master, you may not know, but the court is divided into three factions: the aristocracy, the nobility, and the commoners. We, of course, belong to the nobility. The areas we've passed through are either controlled by the aristocracy or commoners who rose through the imperial examinations. They're not on our side, so they can't be too friendly!"

"However, when we stay in the cities, they send messengers with invitations. The four-gill salmon you had yesterday was sent by the magistrate of Lanxi County!" Xu Guang stroked his beard, explaining, "On the way, we'll pass through several noble territories. They'll send people to invite you to their estates. The second boat is full of gifts for them!"

Factional issues! Li You suddenly understood. He realized that the political struggles in the Great Wei Dynasty were quite severe. They were so cautious with a young man who hadn't inherited the title, he wondered how they would deal with officials from other factions in their work. The efficiency of governance was not promising!

As they traveled, he saw that the people on both sides of the Jia River often looked malnourished, suggesting they often went hungry. If the richest area of the Great Wei, the Jiangnan region, was like this, he could only imagine how bad it was in the poorer northwest and northeast. Li You shook his head, but he was proud that the people of Jia had a better life thanks to the old viscount's care.

After a few days, the fleet finally reached Qiantang. According to Xu Guang's plan, they would visit the local noble, the Marquis of Changhua, the Qian family, upon arrival.

"The current Marquis of Changhua, Qian Sa, was a classmate of the old viscount at the Imperial Academy. After leaving the academy, they both served in the northwest army and later became sworn brothers," Xu Guang explained as they approached the dock, "The Marquis is now in high favor, not only governing Qiantang but also overseeing the Grand Canal. With his help, your affairs in the capital will be much smoother!"

The position of the mayor of Qiantang and the head of the Grand Canal management was significant even in modern times! Li You wondered how he would be received in Qiantang.

As they spoke, they could see the dock outside Qiantang. From a distance, they heard someone shouting, "Is this the young master of the Viscount of Jia?"

Hearing this, Xu Guang stood up, looked out from the bow, and returned, "Master, the eldest son of the Marquis of Changhua, Qian Hua, has come to greet you. According to our relationship, you should call him brother."

Qian Hua? What a good name, it sounds like he's not short of money! Li You straightened his clothes and walked to the dock, bowing from a distance, "This is your humble brother Li You. Is that you, Brother Qian Hua?"

By the time he spoke, they had already reached the dock. Li You walked down the deck and saw a man in his mid-twenties, with a handsome and noble appearance, smiling at him.

He knew this was Qian Hua and hurried forward to bow, "Your humble brother Li You greets you, Brother Qian!"

"Ha ha! It's been years, and now you've grown into a fine young man, Brother Wenyang!" Qian Hua called Li You by his courtesy name, returned the bow, and led him to a carriage, "Father has been waiting for you at the estate. Let's go back and talk there!"