Lu Yu was having a terrible morning. Without much more than a wink of sleep and a sip of water, he had been stuffed into a cabbage sack and thrown aboard Uncle Shen's vegetable cart. Despite the situation, he was in no position to protest, since he had been the one who willingly climbed into that burlap bag. Now, he regretted it wholeheartedly. As the vehicle rocked, his face rubbed against the limp, leafy mass beside him, both his legs were numb, and so was his entire left side.
Six years ago, he'd left the capital with his father's body, traveling hundreds of miles south to the Lu family's ancestral home. Initially, he planned to stay for only the three-year term of mourning but ended up studying under Master Yang's tutelage for six full years. It was tormenting, especially during the last few years before the provincial exam.
While Lu Yu was spilling rivers of ink, perfecting his essays, his sisters had returned to the capital, leaving him to fumble over his studies. In their letters from home, they wrote of gatherings, banquets, festivals, and even enthusiastically described the young women they befriended. Lu Yu could only read about the excitement, as he sat at a desk two provinces away.
The contrast between the world in their letters, and Lu Yu's unfavorable situation made for a bitter experience. That's why after passing the provincial exam with flying colors, he wrote back, bragging of his extraordinary achievements in retaliation. Thinking back to that moment now, Lu Yu wanted to slap himself. The day after he sent that letter, it was notified that the state exams would be brought forward half a year, since the date coincided with the Grand Empress Dowager's 60th birthday ceremony. Lu Yu could only hold back his tears, as he read his sisters' mocking replies.
It had been nearly six years since Lu Yu had stepped into his birth city. Like many others participating in the imperial exams, he had left for Chang'an in high spirits, however, upon laying down under the pile of cabbages, for some reason, his enthusiasm ran thin. He began wondering what calamity could he have caused to deserve such treatment in this life.
Closing his eyes, Lu Yu tried to ignore the sense of claustrophobia that was setting in, but after being confined in a bag for a good hour, it seemed that he was nearing his limit. Just as he was about to burst out for a breath of fresh air, the cart began to slow.
'Finally, we're here.'
The cow grunted as Old Shen pulled tightly on its reigns. They had reached the capital's eastern gate, the "Merchant's Gate". Famous for its low taxes and proximity to the Eastern Market, merchants would line up before the crack of dawn to be the first to enter the city. Here, everyone was in a hurry so no one would think to thoroughly check the goods, giving Lu Yu the chance to be smuggled in, and avoid the identity check.
"Move to the side! You wanna get trampled to death?"
"Line up! Line up! Hey you, the line's back there!"
"Merchants with trading passes, come over here! Civilians go to the Southern gate!"
"What? We have our identification tablets! Why can't we go in?"
"Yeah, it's gonna take half a day's time to travel from here to the Southern gate!"
"Don't bully the ones who haven't been here before! I come here every autumn, and there is no such rule!"
A few travelers were arguing with the guard. After being told to reroute to the Southern gate, they replied with indignance and began protesting with loud voices. Lu Yu sighed internally, hoping the conflict would end quickly. Fortunately, it did.
Unfortunately, Lu Yu was implicated in the process.
Unable to fight one mouth against ten tongues, the guard resorted to violence, effectively silencing the crowd, but also throwing the people into a frenzy.
Bang! Caught completely unprepared, the cart of cabbages came crashing to the ground, with Lu Yu in tow. The feeling in his legs came back with this abrupt movement, just in time for him to appreciate the embrace of the muddy ground. He clenched his teeth, trying not to let any sound escape his lips. After the pain passed, a series of thoughts crossed his mind.
They mainly consisted of well-wishes to the brute's ancestors, and a few curses to Uncle Shen as well for putting him in this situation, although it wasn't his responsibility at all. Before he could get too carried away with his thoughts, Old Shen reacted with a fitting response.
"****! My cabbages! **** your sister! You donkey-eared, frog-ass turtle! Your 18 generations of ancestors-"
"Sir, he'll be handled by us. Get back in line please."
A superior official came out to investigate the situation. Sensing that he was someone easy to talk to, Old Shen continued,
"Get back in line? My cabbages have turned into pieces of ****! What do I need to get in line for anymore? Huh?"
"Sir there's nothing we can do-"
"Pay me. It's not expensive for your wages. I'll even discount you. 1 silver piece for all the damages. How about that?"
"What? They look fine-"
"So you'll buy them? Wonderful!"
"No!"
"Well then, I won't put you in a difficult position." The official smiled in relief. It quickly slipped away when Old Shen placed a firm hand on his shoulder, leaned forwards, and whispered,
"Just help me get inside. Waive the fee for now. I'll get some cash from loading bricks or something, pay yall on the way out, and be on my merry way."
"Wait, that's not-"
"Thank you, dear benefactor. What's your name, young man? Your future prospects will be wonderful! Such a bright lad. A model Confucian gentleman."
"Wait- Aiya, alright. Clean up and come with me."
The guard finally relented. Hurriedly, the young official jogged back to the gatehouse to approve the necessary documents. Without missing a step, Old Shen followed behind him, his weathered face breaking out into a wry smile. Snickering, he thought,
'Ya little twerp. Play mind games with me?' After reveling in a moment of glory, Old Shen went back to sort out his cabbage cart.
With a grunt, Lu Yu felt himself being lifted, then thrown once again. Luckily, this time he landed some straw, softening the fall, but despite that, he could still feel a tingling sensation in his calves that was slowly crawling to his torso. To add to the injury, the displaced cabbages now rested their entire weight on his body, battering him with every jolt of the cart. It only took a few turns after departing from the Eastern gate until he could no longer stand the annoyance, tapping on the wooden boards to be let out.