Chapter 26 Meet

“I hear that the first emperor in Dazhou rose from a rural area and founded the country only depending on his passion. Now more than two hundred and fifty years have passed as it went through the ups and downs.”

“Every emperor in the history of our county is talented. For example, an emperor refused the marriage alliance with the Southern Wei Country even in crisis and didn’t send a princess abroad. Although the battle after that was fierce, it was worthwhile anyway.”

“Our current emperor is more amazing indeed. Although there are non-stopping battles these years, our country has more territory. His Majesty is looking for a husband for the princess in Shaoliang City. If I were born twenty years earlier, I would have a try. Maybe the princess loves such a talent like me.”

…

Although Li Fuyao was aware of the inborn sense of pride of the people in Dazhou and was in touch with them for many years, Baiyu Town was too remote, and few of the common people in the town who didn’t see a lot could say something like that. However, when he came to Shaoliang City, the capital of Dazhou, Li Fuyao suddenly found that the people in this city were prouder. They left the hotel and found a place randomly to have breakfast, ordering some soup steamed buns, the city’s specialty. Before he ate the bun, he heard the customers around talking, which made him feel speechless. He put the chopsticks on the bowl and stated with self-mockery, “I stayed in Baiyu Town for so many years and thought I got accustomed to the sense of pride of the people in Dazhou from nowhere, but when I come to Shaoliang City, I find that I haven’t got accustomed. The people in this city are the most boring in the world. I remember faintly that even nobody from Yanling in Luoyang City was so boring. These people from Dazhou don’t forget to brag about their emperors in the history even when they are having breakfast.”

Qing Huai who sat across from Li Fuyao was still dressed in black clothes, but today she rarely wore a black skirt of thin silk. This girl from the demonic land glanced at him several times and grabbed a bun to put in her mouth. After taking two bites, she expressed impassively, “Li Fuyao, if you can’t see the emperor of Dazhou today, let’s continue to go to the north tomorrow. Shaoliang City is far away from the Sword Mountain. If you don’t hurry up, I swear that you won’t see the mountain you dream about before I leave you alone.”

Since Qing Huai threatened him with the Sword Mountain, Li Fuyao shut up sensibly in an instant. It was something insignificant to see the emperor, but it was important to go to the Sword Mountain. He knew which he should choose between the two.

All of a sudden, Qing Huai turned to glance at Li Fuyao with a weird expression, but she didn’t speak, which made him tremble for no reason. He stared at her and said cautiously, “Just tell me what you are not happy with. I will try my best to satisfy you…”

Before he finished, Qing Huai stated calmly, “More buns.”

The shopkeeper had long ears and quickly answered. After the hot buns were served, Qing Huai took it for granted and declared, “You will pay for them.”

It made Li Fuyao purse his lips, and he thought, “That’s what you want?”

After breakfast, Qing Huai went back to the hotel alone. She didn’t want to get in touch with strangers, nor did she worry that somebody would kill Li Fuyao in Shaoliang City under her eyes, so she let him hang out in the city alone. Anyhow, Li Fuyao was at the first stage of swordsmen. If he were murdered by the warriors or peddlers in the city, even Chen Sheng might laugh his head off, let alone Qing Huai.

Li Fuyao who didn’t carry the machete on his back wandered on the street and asked somebody randomly about the direction of the imperial palace. After he leisurely walked to the palace, he couldn’t help but shake his head. This palace looked large-scaled, but he had stayed in Luoyang City for a few years. The mansion of an honorable nobleman in Luoyang City was just a little smaller than this palace. And anybody knew that the imperial palace of the Yanling Empire, one of the three great empires in the human world was unmatched at first glance. How could this imperial palace in Dazhou be a match for that one?

After buying some sugarcoated haws on a stick far away from the imperial palace, Li Fuyao slowly walked around the palace, wondering whether he would be killed inside by the guards under their knives if he rushed in. Would he become the first swordsman killed by the warriors?

Li Fuyao didn’t know why he had so many strange thoughts. He shook his head and got rid of what was on his mind. Then he wanted to return to the hotel, but after he took two steps, he saw a shop selling white fungus porridge.

Li Fuyao sniffled and sensed the good smell. He thought for a while as he had just eaten some buns and didn’t want to walk into the breakfast shop, but when he passed by, he heard the shopkeeper yell hard, “When you pass by, don’t miss our food. We are a shop with a history of one hundred years, and we sell the best white fungus porridge in Dazhou.”

Perhaps the shopkeeper’s yell was exaggerated, and occasionally some passers-by merely glimpsed at him but didn’t talk with him. Li Fuyao who kept thinking why the people in Dazhou were so proud stopped in his tracks.

Earlier, he heard the idlers in the city brag about the emperors in the history, and now there was a shop which claimed to have the best white fungus porridge in Dazhou. Were the people in Dazhou not only proud but also conceited?

He stepped into the white fungus porridge shop, and the shopkeeper personally served him with a bowl of porridge. Then Li Fuyao started to look at the shop carefully. In fact, few people dared to do business in the neighborhood of the imperial palace. After all, the people passing by every day were high officials and noblemen. If they offended someone by accident, how could they do business? However, the people who dared to manage a shop here would have some background. Li Fuyao didn’t want to get to the bottom. The white fungus porridge was in front of him, and he didn’t pick up the bowl hurriedly but just stared at the middle-aged man dressed in clothes made of coarse material, asking with a smile, “Sir, is this really the best white fungus porridge in Dazhou?”

The middle-aged man smiled, “Not necessarily, but if you ask in this country, perhaps all people would nod.”

Li Fuyao joked, “I will know if it’s the best after eating.”

The middle-aged man nodded seriously, “It makes sense.”

Li Fuyao lowered his head and took a spoon. Before he put it in the mouth, he praised, “This white fungus porridge is really nice, but even if it’s so nice, is it necessary for so many people to stare at me eating?”

The middle-aged man sat down directly, without keeping him in suspense, and said gently, “You know that you can’t decide anything. When my ancestors opened this shop, they just wanted to make a living, but after so many generations, somebody would have other plans. Like now, I want to tell them that the white fungus porridge in my shop is the best not only in Dazhou but also the best in the world.”

Li Fuyao responded in a deep voice, “It’s not difficult to make a bowl of the best white fungus porridge in Dazhou, but it’s challenging to make the best in the world. There are so many old and famous shops in the world, and a few of them have a much longer history than yours. It’s not easy for the latecomers to become the first.”

The middle-aged man laughed, “It’s not that there is no way. It’s possible that we hire several good workers and make the white fungus porridge better.”

Li Fuyao put down the spoon and sighed with emotion, “I heard a saying in my hometown that an amazing man said that he can increase his property to ten times more in one hundred years. I always want to see that man.”

The middle-aged man sighed, “It’s a pity that he can’t live for one hundred years, so he can only depend on the next generation. Moreover, he is afraid that after he dies, his property would be divided, so he wants to find a friend, who’d better live much longer than him to take care of his property.”

Li Fuyao raised his head, “So all of you came to see me eating white fungus porridge?”

There was apology in the middle-aged man’s eyes, “I have no choice.”

Li Fuyao narrowed his eyes and expressed, “I haven’t asked your name.”

The middle-aged man replied peacefully, “My name is Ji Baiye.”

Li Fuyao smiled and shook his head, “I met a young master earlier who said his name is the same. Is this a common name in Shaoliang City?”

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly, “My child is naughty and spoiled. She is kind of out of control.”

Li Fuyao heaved a sigh, “I am clear that you know my name is Li Fuyao, and I know why you know I am Li Fuyao. I also know who told you my name, but I have no idea why you knew that I would come here. Are you a fortune teller apart from that you can rule a country?”