So what happens when there are two princes in a single place? Especially one prince away from his power base and the other being a useless vegetable? Kill two birds with a stone.
Rather than granting 'our' eldest brother an advantage of ambushing both of us in the same spot, Ji Liang, being the expert strategic schemer, left quickly in the morning. Spouting some polite garbage about having ensured that I am safe, in faux brotherly concern.
One could not help but sense his slight disappointment that the mo beasts failed to kill Ji Feng yet again.
Such brotherly love. I could get used to this.
One curious thing was that Ji Liang had pulled a drinking all nighter with Yingwen, unaware that Zaixing was occupying his body. Oddly, Zaixing did not turn up today.
Was he buried somewhere in yet another assassination attempt? Oh well, Zaixing is a deity and Death will flee if it spots him. An occasional stalker or two, courtesy of Yingwen, lurked around, waiting to pounce without warning. So that told me a lot.
At least no assassination attempt was made on me. Not when royal daddy lent me his best bodyguards.
Next question - what happens when you leave a 13-year-old alone with a carriage and two bodyguards plus a shitload of moolah, sweet sweet gold currency? All at his command. And other boys tell him that there's a fair in the city selling everything and anything?
You get a happy brat - me.
Happily skipping to my hover carriage for a day trip to Youdu with my heavy pouch of royal allowance - a load of gold spade shaped coins.
Xuanjing and Xuanyi. My two bodyguards could only snicker at my excitement.
They were dressed in disguise, as my companions in their fine gowns. My storyline is that I am a noble man's youngest son - the one with the least value because of an elder brother or two.
Not a heir but a spare. Like Wugang.
Princes were different. So no mentioning my status for safety reasons.
To their relief, I had no intention of venturing near that red-light district of Youdu again. One time is more than enough.
***
"Give us your pass," the guard at the main gate, north of the city, demanded curtly outside our carriage.
A loud smack could be heard outside and some talk about not offending someone they cannot afford to offend.
Carriages were not that small, slightly around the size of Earth's Toyota Rav4 SUV 4WD vehicle. Give or take.
Mine was the ultra luxury version of all carriages.
My carriage had a special emblem which is recognisable only to the guards of all city gates. They cannot enter the carriage without my explicit permission under the threat of capital punishment. The very carriage which Cangtian and gang used me to get to that accursed brothel on my first visit.
Xuanjing handed the pass. Again, this was not just any ordinary pass.
It was the one that screamed VIP.
It was quickly handed back with profuse apologies about the traffic jam ahead. Fair related jam. Like Earth, big event means traffic chaos.
"Don't bother," I said. "I am patient. I can wait."
"Don't worry, your lord ship, we will endeavour to clear the way for you as soon as we can," another guard spoke.
I lifted my curtain slightly for a peek.
Other occupants were made to get out of their hovering carriages.
Lingyu had three classes which made up the rich - Royal/Aristocracy, Sect leaders (top ones only) or wealthy merchants.
All the carriages were the standard wealthy merchant class transport. Some looked in curiosity at ours, probably guessing who could be inside. To my amusement, I spotted Wenyi and her family in that line.
Farther behind those merchants and their hover carriages stood a long snaking queue of common citizens patiently waiting to be checked at the secondary gate. Together with their carts. Squawking, honking, oinking livestock were transported by a makeshift cart pulled by a beast of burden. Mostly oxen. Two horses and one braying donkey were the exception.
Yes, Lingyu had animals which look exactly like Earth's.
The carriage started moving forward. Manoeuvred expertly by Xuanjing into the noisy thoroughfare. The bargaining calls of traders could be heard as the carriage slowed to a very slow cruising speed.
I looked out intermittently as the volunteered, unasked-for commentary of Xuanyi droned on.
The wooden shop houses, reminiscent of the ones seen in historical streets of China and Japan, lined the wide dusty road. Carriages were passing through at times with equally curious faces peeking out.
"Oh, do you need swords? They have them there."
Really.
Royal daddy has a fine collection of rare swords in the capital armoury and my bodyguard chooses to tell me about street made swords.
Good going.
"Books. I want books."
Knowledge is power.
Right now, I am powerless with a dependency on Ji Feng's memories.
A young mollycoddled prince whose only interest was cultivation. Not the world around him.
That's partially what got him killed. Naivety.
"Fine, fine… let's see if there's a book store."
Duh. Ahead of you.
I fumbled for the folded map and instructions in my sleeve pocket. Took it out and gave it to him.
"Directions are there. Book alley."
Yes. Each part of Youdu's shopping streets was divided into shopping categories.
The shopping streets were like a mega department store on Earth, minus Starbucks, uniform decor and air conditioning. Shoe department - shoe alley, female clothes department - female clothes alley, so books department was book alley. The fair only increased the vendors.
Xuanyi looked at it with interest and then asked, "It is not those, um… books, is it? Those painted um… parts of females… and males… um…"
I glared at him. He shrunk back. That's how much authority my position held.
Is he referring to Lingyu's version of a porn magazine?
Wait, the olden Japanese on Earth used to have shunga, ala 'spring art', the Edo period version of male-female mating 'positioning'. Still, WHAT THE F**K was his mind thinking.
Then a ruckus as a turn was made.
A loud thud outside the carriage.
Angry men's voices.
Sounds like a tussle was going on.
The carriage stopped.
Xuanyi nudged me. "Don't look outside, just a fight among city folk."
"We are stuck until this circus clears up. Option is to fly over. This carriage has the authority but… might not be good to attract unnecessary attention," Xuanjing advised caution.
I nodded and pushed the curtain slightly aside to watch.
Free show.
Fight club.
I am not going to miss this for the world.
The commotion was outside a very big but dilapidated looking insect eaten wooden two level rest stop, standing out amongst the well maintained wooden shops. If the second level has not collapsed by now, it would collapse very very soon.
A group of ten men surrounding the figures of two persons, a meter from my carriage. Other passing people had gathered around to gawk.
"What Xuanlong sect? We don't care," someone in that group yelled.
"Your father owes us money for this shop… pay up or your sister goes to Flower street."
A girl could be heard crying piteously, begging. A tussle again. A scream.
"PLEAAASEEE DON'T KILL MY BROTHER… I WILL GO."
Wow. Lingyu Kingdom has loan sharks like Earth does.
Flower street… isn't that the red-light district? Don't things ever change - why do girls have to bear the brunt of family debts even in the new world? I was a woman in my previous life. Why the hell do I have to watch my previous species suffer again when I have the power of a prince?
Time to bully back.
I closed the curtain and said loudly, "She isn't going anywhere."
Xuanyi and Xuanjing looked like they were about to have a heart attack.
"WHO IS THAT IN THE CARRIAGE?"
"Oi, brother Lu, look at the carriage. Step away. This isn't the ordinary type," another man muttered.
Damn straight. Mine is a Lingyu's version of Earth's Rolls Royce for Royals.
"How much do they owe? And I want to talk to the one who owes you money and the proof of debt."
Xuanyi facepalmed in dismay and got out of the carriage.
"Our master only wants to see the one who owes the money. Not anyone else," Xuanyi raised his voice over the dissatisfied murmurs.
"My father is very sick in bed… can I take his place?"
Hold up. That voice.
Where have I heard it before?
"What's your name? I will ask," Xuanyi said.
"Surname Ye. Name Jian. Clan Yue," the voice spoke softly.
*Phew* Nobody I know.
Xuanyi's head popped in to check, and I nodded. "Bring the girl along."