Chapter 160: A Big Figure is Coming

The howling cold wind carried heavy snowflakes, blanketing the world in white. During this Minor Snow solar term,¹ anywhere in the Huainan region was a scene of pure snow-covered landscapes.

Mu Sheng, wearing a felt hat and a thick cotton coat, glanced at Gu Ning’an, who was dressed as usual in a thin green robe, and couldn’t help but ask, “Master Gu, aren’t you cold at all? Just looking at you makes me feel cold.”

Gu Ning’an smiled and replied, “Not at all. That felt hat suits you well.”

A few days ago, Mu Sheng had thoroughly washed off the soot and grime on her face, and now she looked like a completely different person.

With her flawless, fair skin and those clear, bright eyes, she was the picture of youthful beauty.

Hiding her short hair under the felt hat, she resembled an innocent, well-behaved girl-next-door. It was no wonder that the “relatives” of the old woman who had taken her in had tried to sell her off… and no wonder Mu Sheng had resorted to smearing her face with soot.

After all, in this world, being too attractive without the ability to protect oneself could invite all kinds of trouble.

The cold wind had left a constant blush on Mu Sheng’s cheeks, and she gave a radiant smile. “Yeah, this hat is so warm. Next time I see that traveling merchant, I’ll make sure to thank him properly.”

“How will you thank him?” Gu Ning’an asked with a chuckle.

“If he won’t take money, I’ll perform funeral rites for him… Oh, but they’re always on the move. If something happens to him, we wouldn’t even know where to find him.” Mu Sheng spoke with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an couldn’t help but ruffle the felt hat on her head. “You… if Fan Yong heard that, he’d probably cough up blood.”

Mu Sheng replied nonchalantly, “I don’t perform funeral rites for just anyone, you know.”

Gu Ning’an merely smiled and didn’t respond further. Gazing into the distance, he spotted the silhouette of a city wall hidden under the snow at the end of the official road.

“That’s Shanyang County up ahead. Let’s pick up the pace and try to reach the city before nightfall.”

…

“Sir, I’ve never seen so many soldiers guarding a county’s gate before. Are they preparing for war?” Mu Sheng asked.

“Definitely not a war. Look at their armor—it’s all shiny, clearly polished recently. And the red decorative balls hanging on the gate tower, along with the people constantly sweeping the snow by the gate…”

“This is clearly because some important figure is coming, so they’re putting on a show.”

“An important figure…” Mu Sheng murmured before asking again, “But won’t that important figure see through the pretense? Surely this isn’t how things usually are.”

Gu Ning’an smiled and said, “They want the important figure to notice. Otherwise, all their preparations would be in vain.”

Mu Sheng looked puzzled. “Wouldn’t that just annoy the important figure? Pretending like this is just deception.”

“It depends on the person,” Gu Ning’an replied calmly. “Even if they dislike it, they wouldn’t say anything. After all, at least they made an effort at the last minute. It’s better than doing nothing at all.”

As they conversed, the two of them approached the city gate.

A soldier in armor stepped forward to block their path, handed a piece of paper to Gu Ning’an, and said, “Study this carefully.” Then, stepping aside, he allowed them to enter.

After opening the rice paper and scanning the content written on it, Gu Ning’an smiled and said, “As expected, a big shot is coming. This document clearly advises the citizens to be especially disciplined and law-abiding in the coming days…”

“Does it mention who the big shot is?” Mu Sheng asked curiously.

“Imperial Preceptor.”

“Ah, the Emperor’s teacher, that indeed is a big shot,” Mu Sheng remarked, pointing to the dozens of Tiao Lang Clan² members clearing the snow and sighing, “But they are in for a tough time. In this heavy snow, just shoveling snow will almost take half their life.”

Gu Ning’an nodded, “The world is like this; there’s nothing we can do about it…”

Sighing deeply, Mu Sheng then changed the subject, “Sir, when we are a month away from the place where you plan to bury your student, you’ll need to inform me ahead of time.”

“We’ll need to prepare the coffin and stone tablet in advance. If we wait until the last minute, it might be difficult to find the right materials.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Ning’an nodded, “So, we can start preparing now. We can buy everything here in the county.”

“No need for the stone tablet, but we will need the coffin. Can you make one?”

Mu Sheng nodded, “Of course!”

Gu Ning’an asked, “How long will it take? Should we wait until you’re done before leaving?”

After calculating the time, Mu Sheng responded, “It’ll take about twenty days to finish… No need to wait for me to finish. Though the first few days require uninterrupted work…”

“Alright, then let’s rent a small courtyard. If we stay at an inn, the noise from making the coffin might disturb others.”

…

Spending three taels of silver, Gu Ning’an rented a small courtyard with only three rooms.

Three taels of silver aren’t too expensive, but they’re also not cheap, considering the courtyard is quite small.

However, since Gu Ning’an and Mu Sheng only planned to stay for three days and were in a hurry, he didn’t bother to haggle much with the “landlord.”

After settling in simply, boiling some hot water for tea, and having a few bites of dry food with the tea, Gu Ning’an and Mu Sheng went out.

In winter, it gets dark very early. Even though it was only around 5 PM, the sky was already completely dark.

Nighttime in Shanyang County was very different from the daytime.

During the day, as they walked, many shops had their doors closed, and the streets looked cold and empty.

But by night, all the shops that had been closed during the day were now open!

In a building called “Lingering Fragrance,” the lights were bright, and the sounds of flirting and teasing from the young women drifted with the wind.

In front of the open, carved wooden doors, a dozen women in brightly colored thin clothes, heavy makeup, and revealing dresses were calling for customers in the cold wind.

As Gu Ning’an and Mu Sheng walked past, they attracted the women’s eager “invitations.”

However, when the women noticed Gu Ning’an’s indifferent expression, they quickly lost interest and left.

“Sir, don’t they feel cold in such little clothing on such a cold day?” Mu Sheng asked, her face flushing as they walked farther away.

“They must feel cold.”

“Then why do they still…” Mu Sheng stopped herself. She suddenly understood—if given the choice, who would want to stand in the cold night wind, smiling to attract customers?