"Bang!"
"You scoundrel, where do you think you're going?"
A wooden window on the second floor of a restaurant in Youzhou City was smashed, and several figures leaped from the second floor, landing on the street to continue their fight.
"You little brat, each of my fine horses is worth at least a hundred diao, and you're only offering ten diao? Are you trying to bully me, thinking I don't know the market?" a Hu man, of unknown origin, roared at a shop assistant.
"A hundred diao? A fine horse doesn't even sell for a hundred diao in the south. This old, mixed-breed nag of yours, ten diao is already too much. Don't believe me? Go ask around, who in this capital dares to pay ten diao a horse? Are you selling or not? If not, get out of here quickly. You're affecting my business, and you'll regret it!" The assistant, despite being grabbed, showed no fear and retorted fiercely.
"Bang!"
The Hu man, enraged, punched the assistant square in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Ouch, master, the wind is blowing from the chest, and the backside is coming to cause trouble!" The assistant scrambled to his feet and ran into the shop, shouting loudly.
"Who has no eyes to recognize the mountain and dares to cause trouble at my establishment?" a stout Hu man in a satin-lined leather robe, flanked by several burly house guards, boomed as he strode out.
"Ah? I was blind and didn't recognize your esteemed presence, my lord. I offended you, please forgive me, forgive me!" The stout Hu man exuded an imposing aura, but the horse seller was just a humble herdsman. Seeing this, he immediately cowered, took off his hat, held it to his chest, and bowed repeatedly in apology.
"Beat him for me!" the Hu man lord commanded without mercy.
And so, clubs rained down, and the herdsman rolled on the ground.
"Chupu time, Chupu time!"
"First, pay the ante. Place the hundred items to the side, and throw the coins on the spot. If you get a winning combination, take the item and go. Do you dare, honored guest?"
"Why should I not dare?"
"Eight, eight, eight!"
"Haha, eight-fork, I win! I admit it, I admit it!"
"You good-for-nothing, you dare to cheat?"
"Ah? Don't let him run!"
And so, a group of people chased after one person, beating him severely.
"Master, young sir, honored guest, please come in and have a look! We have girls from both within and beyond the passes, and even fresh and tender beauties from Jiangnan." Several heavily made-up brothel madams were soliciting customers along the street.
"Catch the flower-stealing rogue!"
"Stop him, don't let him escape!"
A squadron of Yan army patrols and constables, carrying spears, ran by, knocking over many stalls.
"..."
Markets, classified by who operated them, included official markets, prison markets, military markets, palace markets, and border markets. Classified by operating time, they included morning markets, main markets, evening markets, and night markets.
Youzhou in the Yan capital certainly had markets, including morning, main, evening, and night markets. Now, with the sun setting, it was the evening market. After dark, it would transition into the night market.
In the evening market, various restaurants, wine shops, entertainment venues, tea houses, and shops were open. Small vendors hawked their wares loudly along the street, and there were also many performers playing suona, musical instruments, singing, and performing acrobatics. There were also many tourists and customers. Compared to other regions of Yan, the Youzhou market was relatively lively. However, compared to Xia in the south, the Youzhou market was like a tiny glowworm next to a bright moon, utterly outshone. Moreover, for some unknown reason, perhaps because the Xianbei were not skilled at managing markets, disputes and fights were endless in the evening market, turning a good market into a place for brawls.
Walking on the street, Zhou Fugui, dressed as a Hu man lord, couldn't help but reveal a cold, mocking smile on his lips.
"Regent Zhou, what kind of expression is that?" Murong Xiaoxiao, Princess Jinglian of the Great Yan, dressed as a maid, asked curiously.
The Hu man lord and the attendant maid were of course Zhou Fugui's suggestion. Murong Xiaoxiao found it exceptionally fun and readily agreed, sending all her guards, eunuchs, and palace maids back. She then "served" Zhou Fugui on a "private visit incognito"...
"Nothing, I just find it rather bland," Zhou Fugui replied, shaking his head.
"Bland?" Murong Xiaoxiao asked in surprise, "Isn't it lively here? Isn't the market of my Great Yan the liveliest market in the world?"
Zhou Fugui found it bland, but Murong Xiaoxiao found it extremely interesting and fun. All along the way, she looked around with great excitement.
This was a real market in Youzhou, much more interesting and fun than the fake market her father, Emperor Murong Xi, had set up in the Yan Palace.
"The liveliest?" Zhou Fugui smiled faintly, "You know why the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, the merchants and peddlers, are here?"
"You mean the people? I don't know exactly who they are," Murong Xiaoxiao shook her head.
"The Three Teachings refer to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; the Nine Schools refer to Confucianism, Taoism, Yin-Yang, Legalism, Mohism, School of Names, School of Diplomacy, Eclectics, and Agrarianism, and so on. Mastering the Nine Schools and Three Teachings, knowing all eighty-four thousand subsidiary branches, also refers to people from all walks of life in the world. Merchants and peddlers refer to small traders and constables. The market is a gathering place for people from the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, merchants and peddlers. Count the types of people here yourself," Zhou Fugui said.
"Oh, it seems there aren't many people, Regent Zhou. Does a crowded market mean a lively market?" Murong Xiaoxiao looked closely and felt Zhou Fugui made sense, so she asked again.
"That's only one aspect," Zhou Fugui nodded. "Besides people, markets need to have a complete range of industries, competing in excellence. They should have stalls as shops, forming a market, and be orderly. This is conducive to the circulation of goods."
"Look at what this place is," Zhou Fugui then pointed at the Youzhou market and shook his head.
"Oh, Regent Zhou, you seem to know everything?" Murong Xiaoxiao nodded.
"I dare not. Of all the things in the world, I can barely grasp a fraction," Zhou Fugui shook his head.
"..."
Yan Imperial Garden
The green leaves in the garden were lush and verdant. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The moonlight was hazy, the breeze was gentle, and a faint fragrance spread through the garden like flowing water.
"Regent Zhou, are you finding it boring with me? Are you feeling bland too?"
After Zhou Fugui and Murong Xiaoxiao's "private visit incognito," Murong Xiaoxiao surprisingly led Zhou Fugui to the Yan Palace's imperial garden. In the garden, Murong Xiaoxiao said to Zhou Fugui.
The inner palace of the Xianbei was not as heavily guarded as that of Xia. Without a decree, outsiders were forbidden from entering the palace. The Yan Palace, in contrast, was much more relaxed.
"I dare not..." Zhou Fugui clasped his hands and said, "It is late, and this humble servant will take his leave."
Zhou Fugui truly found being with Murong Xiaoxiao bland. If Murong Xiaoxiao hadn't insisted, Zhou Fugui would have already wanted to slip away.
Not only that, but Zhou Fugui also found his stay in Youzhou bland and wanted to leave immediately to reunite with his family.
Zhou Fugui was eager to return home, but the Yan court's decree was long overdue.
Zhou Fugui even felt that being on the battlefield would be more interesting than this leisurely life in Youzhou.
"Stay and talk with me for a while longer," Murong Xiaoxiao's expression turned somewhat forlorn, her eyes filled with tears as she said softly, "Otherwise, I will die."
"Ah? Your Highness, what do you mean by that?" Zhou Fugui asked, greatly surprised.
"After my mother, Eji, passed away, I..." Murong Xiaoxiao said in a low voice.
Murong Xiaoxiao was the daughter of the former Empress of Yan. After the former Empress died, Murong Qing succeeded her as Empress and became Murong Xiaoxiao's mother. How could a stepmother care for her as much as her own mother?
Although Murong Qing did not trouble Murong Xiaoxiao, she paid her no attention.
As the mistress of the harem, Murong Qing's treatment was mirrored by other imperial consorts. Murong Xiaoxiao's father, Emperor Murong Xi, was either busy with state affairs or indulging in pleasure, leaving him with little time for her. Her own brother, Crown Prince Cheng of Yan, was busy with falconry, dog fighting, and cricket fighting, indulging in pleasure and completely ignoring Murong Xiaoxiao.
Murong Xiaoxiao grew up in such a cold and desolate environment.
A caged bird, no matter how noble, lost the freedom to soar in the sky, even if it lacked nothing for food and drink.
"I see," Zhou Fugui nodded after listening to Murong Xiaoxiao's story and asked, "Princess, may I sit down?"
"Mmm, call me Xiaoxiao. It's just the two of us here, so there's no need to call me Your Highness." Murong Xiaoxiao said softly.
"Alright..." Zhou Fugui nodded, then swaggered to a stone bench and smiled, "Murong Xiaoxiao? What a beautiful name! Xiaoxiao, would you like to hear a story?"
"Yes, tell me, tell me quickly!" Murong Xiaoxiao said happily. She moved closer on the stone bench, almost leaning against Zhou Fugui, her hands propping up her chin, her bright eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
"A long, long time ago, there was an orphan," Zhou Fugui began slowly. "When he was very young, his mother died of illness, and his father, consumed by grief, also died of illness. From then on, he became an orphan. An orphan, of course, is someone who has lost both mother and father, and has no relatives left in the world."
"How pitiful! What happened to him later?" Murong Xiaoxiao became more and more interested and asked Zhou Fugui, looking at him.
Compared to this orphan, Murong Xiaoxiao felt her own situation was much better, and her own feelings of desolation lessened slightly.
"Having lost his parents at a young age, he yearned for family affection from childhood. He particularly envied families with both parents, and children who were loved by their parents. But such a life was a luxury for him. The days after losing his parents were imaginable, begging from one household to another, and starving sometimes and eating well other times, like a stray ghost."
"What happened next?" Murong Xiaoxiao's interest grew, and she leaned closer and closer to Zhou Fugui, asking him.
"Later, he met a good person, a teacher," Zhou Fugui replied.
"Mmm... a teacher? A good person...?" Murong Xiaoxiao looked up at the starry sky.
"Yes, a good person, a great philanthropist who sought no worldly gain," Zhou Fugui nodded.