Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Please see Chapter 21, Objective Section.

Jiangning Prefecture was much larger than Jiang Xun had imagined.

As the carriage rounded the last bend in the mountain valley, the city wall suddenly came into view.

The gray-blue city gate towers high, with upturned eaves and copper bells hanging under the eaves. When the wind blows, the bells ring out and can be heard from afar.

Jiang Xun sat on the carriage shaft, craning his neck and staring intently.

The city wall wasn't the gray, earthen wall like those in Jiangzhou; it was made of blue bricks, a full three zhang high, and when the sun shone on it, it gleamed with a faint blue light, looking very sturdy.

The flow of people coming and going at the city gate was several times more bustling than at the Jiangzhou Wharf.

People carrying loads, pushing carts, riding horses, and walking were all crowded together, their shouts rising and falling.

Several soldiers stood on either side of the city gate, dressed in uniforms, leaning on long spears, their eyes scanning the area.

"How is it?" Li Tang poked his head out of the carriage and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Jiang Xun's naive and unsophisticated look. "It's better than your run-down mountain village, isn't it?"

Jiang Xun didn't have time to argue with her.

He stared at the city gate, with only one thought in his mind—how many people would he have to steal from to buy a house in the city?

"Jiangning Prefecture, also known as Longyuan Capital, was the secondary capital of the previous dynasty." Li Che sat steadily in the carriage, smiling as he introduced the city to him. "After the founding of this dynasty, it was renamed Jiangning Prefecture, but the older generation still prefers to call it Longyuan Capital. The city walls were built by the previous dynasty, and they are still very sturdy, almost two hundred years old."

The horse-drawn carriage slowly entered the city with the flow of people.

After passing through the city gate, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before us.

The cobblestone streets were wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to run side by side. Shops lined both sides, their signs crowded together: cloth shops, grain stores, restaurants, teahouses, pawnshops, pharmacies... one after another, dazzling the eyes.

The people on the street were a diverse bunch.

There were young masters in silk robes waving folding fans, vendors carrying bamboo baskets shouting their wares, old ladies haggling over prices with baskets in their arms, and wandering swordsmen with their heads held high.

There were also a few foreign merchants dressed in traditional clothing, leading camels slowly along, the bells around their necks jingling.

Jiang Xun's eyes almost popped out.

He used to think that Jiangzhou was the biggest place in the world, but now he realized that compared to Jiangning Prefecture, Jiangzhou was like a village.

"You've never seen the world." Li Tang covered her mouth and laughed from behind, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Jiang Xun ignored her.

He was staring at a foreign merchant's money bag—the bag was bulging and hung from his belt, swaying back and forth like bait, making him itch with desire.

Itchy hands.

My hands are so damn itchy.

He took a deep breath and forcefully pulled his gaze away from the money bag.

No, I'm rich now, I can't go back to my old ways. At least... I'll wait until the money runs out.

Perhaps noticing his restless expression, Li Che suddenly spoke up: "The peace and tranquility of Jiangning Prefecture is related to one person."

Jiang Xun turned his head: "Who?"

"The Duke of Wei," Li Che said, "is a founding hero of this dynasty, who followed the emperor in conquering the country. His fief is in Jiangning, where he has been stationed for many years. With him here, the garrison in Jiangning is exceptionally fierce, and petty thieves dare not easily cause trouble."

Jiang Xun nodded.

The Duke of Wei sounds like a very important person.

But what does it have to do with him? He's not planning on causing trouble.

He has already retired from his criminal activities.

At least until the money runs out.

"Brother Jiang," Li Che's voice came, "we're almost there."

The carriage turned into an alley and, after traveling a short distance, stopped in front of a house.

The house was small, and the facade was ordinary, with blue bricks and gray tiles, without even a plaque.

Two stone drums, polished to a shine, squatted by the entrance, clearly quite old.

But when Jiang Xun glanced at the door, his heart skipped a beat—the door was made of ironwood, thick enough to block a knife.

A plaque hangs above the gate, bearing the words "Mu Mansion".

Li Che stepped forward and knocked on the door.

An old servant opened the door, saw Li Che, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly ushered him inside.

"Young Master has finally arrived! Madam has been talking about him for days!"

Li Che smiled and turned to Jiang Xun, saying, "Brother Jiang, this is my uncle's house. My sister and I will stay here for the time being."

Jiang Xun nodded and stood at the door without moving.

Li Tang tugged at his sleeve: "Come in, what are you standing there for?"

Jiang Xun shook his head: "No. My mission is over once you arrive at the destination."

Li Tang looked disappointed: "You're really not coming in? We're already at the door."

Jiang Xun shook his head again.

He's the kind of person who hates dealing with rich people.

There are so many rules, it's tiring to talk to people, and you still have to put on a smiling face.

It's more comfortable to be alone.

Li Che didn't press the matter, and took out a money pouch from his pocket and handed it to him.

"As agreed, the remaining one hundred taels."

Jiang Xun took the money pouch and weighed it in his hand.

It's really heavy.

"Alright, then we'll part ways here." He stuffed the money pouch into his pocket, turned around, and left.

"Hey—" Li Tang called out to him from behind, "Where do you live? How am I supposed to find you now?"

Jiang Xun didn't turn his head, but waved his hand.

"We'll talk about it another time."

…………

Jiang Xun walked down the street, in a very good mood.

The two hundred taels of silver in his arms weighed heavily on his chest, and with each step he took, he could hear the silver clattering in the bag, like singing.

Two hundred taels.

He did the math in his mind again, very carefully—enough to buy a small courtyard in Jiangzhou, enough for Ali and the others to eat their fill for several years, enough to buy two new outfits for each of Shiliu and Xiaoqi, and still quite a bit left over.

He was happily making plans when he suddenly smelled a fragrance—not of food, but the warm scent of soapberry mixed with hot water, wafting from the roadside.

Looking up, I saw a bathhouse by the roadside with a banner hanging at the entrance that read "Qinghe Bathhouse." The banner swayed in the wind.

The curtain was lifted, and steam billowed out. Several men were walking out from inside, their faces flushed and their hair still wet, looking extremely comfortable.

Jiang Xun stopped.

He looked down at himself—the leather coat he was wearing had been worn for three months, and after rolling around in the mountains for so many days, it had an indescribable, pungent smell that even he found repulsive.

Her hair was even worse; it was tangled and clumped together, feeling like felt to the touch.

He tried to clean it with his fingers, and found that his fingernails were full of dirt.

He swallowed hard and stepped inside.

"Sir!" A young waiter greeted him at the door with a smile, but the smile froze halfway through. His eyes swept over him twice, his nose twitched involuntarily, and he looked disgusted. "What are you doing here—"

Jiang Xun took out a small piece of silver from his pocket and slapped it into his hand, quick and decisive.

"bath."

The young shop assistant looked down at the silver coin, then looked up at him. His expression immediately changed, and a smile returned to him. This time it was a genuine smile, with wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.

"Alright! Please come in, sir!"