Chapter 129: Journey to the West

With everything in Changgu properly arranged and Scholar Zhang having seen his fill of the place, it was time for Wei Renshi to set off for Chang'an.

Xi'er stared at Wei Renshi with teary eyes; she wanted nothing more than to accompany him, but knowing that the Lady could not be left without someone to attend to her, she had no choice but to stay behind.

Seeing her pitiful expression, Wei Renshi smiled and ruffled her hair. "Be a good girl, Xi'er. In six months at most, by next summer, we'll be together again!"

Xi'er nodded, tugging at the corner of his robe with great reluctance.

The carriage swayed away from Changgu and Fuchang. After Wei Renshi finished giving instructions to Sun Peng at the Yimeng Pavilion, and after Scholar Zhang lingered in Luoyang for a few more days, they continued their slow, rocking journey out of the city.

Snow began to drift down upon the imperial highway.

Flakes swirled through the air. Wei Renshi exhaled a puff of mist, rubbed his hands together, and lifted the carriage curtain to breathe in the crisp, cold air tinged with the scent of snow. A few snowflakes cheekily fluttered into the carriage, their chill landing on his cheeks and shaking him into alertness. The charcoal fire inside had been burning for so long that, even with the drafts leaking through the gaps in the carriage and the curtains, the stuffy air made one feel heavy-headed.

The entire highway seemed to have fallen into a deep silence, with very few figures to be seen. Coupled with the snow filling the sky, it brought to mind the verse: "From thousand mountains, bird flights have vanished; on ten thousand paths, human traces are erased."

"If you were to place your coal stove in here, I suspect the carbon fumes would be much reduced," Scholar Zhang said, taking a deep breath as Wei Renshi held the curtain open.

"That could be worth a try," Wei Renshi replied. "If we just scale down the current coal stove and make the ventilation pipe thinner and shorter, it could be installed right inside the carriage."

Scholar Zhang simply signaled the driver to stop. He climbed out of the carriage, scooped up a handful of snow from the roadside, and rubbed it against his face.

"Stay in there any longer and we’ll suffer from carbon poisoning," Scholar Zhang remarked after cleansing his face with the snow.

The group decided to take shelter in a roadside shed. It had originally been a place for selling bowls of water to travelers, but with the cold weather, it was currently vacant and unattended. However, the benches and low table remained, and Scholar Zhang’s attendants hurried over to wipe them down so the two could sit.

"They sell well water in the summer, but they could sell hot water in the winter," Wei Renshi remarked. "Travelers could drink a bowl of hot water to warm themselves. It would be a way to earn a little extra for the household; why leave it empty?"

"There are few passersby in the winter, and perhaps there are other reasons," Scholar Zhang said dismissively. He then asked, "I wonder if there is anyone in Chang'an who knows how to build a heated brick bed (kang). I saw the one in your home and it was truly comfortable. Having one of those would make winter much easier to endure!"

"Scholar Zhang, is there any reason you can't just speak your mind?" Wei Renshi rolled his eyes. "If you want me to build you a heated kang, just ask. Why all this beating around the bush?"

Scholar Zhang put on a mock-serious face. "That wouldn't do. You are a member of the nobility now; how would I dare to make such a direct request? I am only taking advantage of the fact that your rank isn't higher than mine yet to order you about in this roundabout way."

"Scholar Zhang, if you stop talking like that, we can still be good friends," Wei Renshi retorted. "Otherwise, the little boat of our friendship might capsize at any moment."

Scholar Zhang burst into laughter at Wei Renshi’s words. After his mirth subsided, he continued, "For the sake of that remark, I will give you a word of caution. You are from Changgu in Fuchang, belonging to Luozhou, under the jurisdiction of Henan Circuit. Even if the Imperial Court wanted to grant you a fief, they could easily have found a place within Henan Circuit to enfeoff you. Do you know why they chose Weinan County instead?"

"To make it more convenient for the tasks of reclaiming wasteland and building dams for siltation," Wei Renshi replied. "Since I was the one who proposed it, I naturally understand it best. By making me the Lord of Weinan, these two projects will be more secure. Should any issues arise, they can find me immediately to resolve or handle them."

Scholar Zhang stroked his beard and nodded. "That is only one reason. The second is that Weinan is in the Guannei region, part of the capital's territory under the Jingzhao Prefecture and Huazhou. It is over a hundred *li* from the capital, Chang'an. A fast horse can reach Chang'an in a few hours, and even a carriage takes less than half a day. It is a vital location near the capital. Nowadays, the granting of titles has become much stricter, and titles are rarely bestowed, especially in such close proximity to Chang'an. If I am not mistaken, by granting you a title and placing your fief so close to the capital, His Majesty is also testing you, wanting to see just how far you can grow. After all, there has never been a precedent in our dynasty for someone to be enfeoffed at the age of twelve—you are the only one. It seems His Majesty intends to keep an eye on you. After all, to possess such astonishing talent at the age of twelve is enough to make anyone suspicious."

Scholar Zhang's words left Wei Renshi stunned, but the scholar merely smiled at him again. "I have said all I can; I cannot say more. Think on it well."

When it had been laid out so clearly, was there even a need to "think on it"? The Emperor did not trust Wei Renshi, yet he desired to utilize his talents. Therefore, he was keeping him close by to watch him. If he served the Great Tang honestly and made contributions, all would be well. But if he dared to have other ideas or take unauthorized actions, he would be discovered instantly and would face a death with no place to be buried.

Wei Renshi’s expression grew grave. He raised his hands and bowed to Scholar Zhang. "Thank you for the warning, Scholar. I will surely keep it locked in my heart!"

Scholar Zhang nodded, smoothly changing the subject to other matters. "Once you arrive in Chang'an, have you thought about where you will stay?"

"I have a friend who has some property in Chang'an and a small, vacant courtyard where I can stay for the time being," Wei Renshi said. "Once the house in Weinan is built, I will move there."

"That is good," Scholar Zhang replied.

Jiao Haiqing’s family already had business in Chang'an, and they had now extended their spice trade there as well. Their next step was to begin selling coal stoves within the city. His family owned a secondary residence in Chang'an, which his eldest brother used when tending to business in the city. Though it was a bit small, it was enough for Wei Renshi. After all, including his attendants, Wei Renshi’s party consisted of only three people.

Old Man Shi and Zhang Changgui had remained in Changgu to look after the home, and as Old Man Shi’s grandson was still young, it was not suitable to bring him on a long journey. This time, Wei Renshi had only brought Ma Weilong and Gou Er along.

The carriage swayed and creaked, leaving two ruts and a trail of hoofprints on the imperial highway, stretching westward into the distance.