Chapter 1785: Chapter 1723: Young Master Mo Jiu

Beiyan and Nanyue were originally one nation. After their split, over hundreds of years they have experienced cycles of unity and division. Now, the Great Northwest is governed by crossing the Yellow River, divided into two small Northwest regions. The area north of Shaanxi is Beiyan territory, while south of the river, from Shaanxi to the central southern area, is Nanyue territory.

Last year, Beiyan and Nanyue signed a treaty, opening the trade routes, and the number of traders traveling across the Northern Region or Shaanxi has steadily increased. As long as you can present an identity-confirming travel document issued by the Yamen, you can freely conduct business throughout the Great Northwest and cross the river without being mistaken as a spy.

Therefore, the Northern Region is much livelier than before, and the merchants traveling through can only be distinguished by their regional accents — whether they are Beiyan people or Nanyue people. After all, everyone’s ancestors belonged to the same family, and they are all Central Plains People, so their appearances do not differ much.

The local people are also accustomed to this. With the trade routes opened, they benefit in some ways as well. With more merchants and porters passing through, they can set up a tea house, sell some tea and pancakes, and thus help support their household, can’t they?

It was late May, and on the official road thirty miles outside the northernmost Gu County City in the Northern Region, a group of wealthy young men were resting at a tea house.

Though it was called a group, there were only two young men sitting there. One of them was dressed in a purple robe, wearing a jade crown on his head, with an ivory jade fan tucked into his waistband—truly a dashing figure.

Next to the man in purple sat a young man in dark clothing, whose sharp gaze was alertly scanning the surroundings, wary of any sudden disturbances.

Surrounding the two were a dozen or so guards carrying swords, creating a formidable presence.

"Fatty Liang, shouldn’t you relax a bit? Your stance as if facing formidable enemies—is it to show others that we are no ordinary group?" The man in purple pulled out the jade fan and tapped it against the arm of the man in dark clothes.

"Prince... Young Master, recently the Northern Region is not peaceful, it’s better to be cautious." The man called Fatty Liang furrowed his brow and added, "Also, I am not fat."

"You were fairly chubby when you were young." The man in purple, or more accurately Ah Jiu, looked at him and sighed, "I’ve heard you got married. Did you lose weight because of that?"

Fatty Liang, whose real name was Liang Bang, was in fact the Princely Heir of Marquis Xuanping’s mansion, commanding as the Cloud Command Envoy in the capital, and was brought to the Northern Region by Ah Jiu. The two of them have been friendly profligates since childhood.

This time, heading to the Northern Region, they wouldn’t reveal their true identities. Ah Jiu was still posing as Young Master Mo Jiu who had come to conduct business, a collateral branch of the Mo Family from the east.

Liang Bang, face turning stern, gritted his teeth and said, "I’m a father now. You try dealing with children all day; not losing weight would be strange." He paused, then glanced at him again, "I almost forgot, Young Master, you seem to be married as well, so the day when you become a father is not far off, right? Now everyone in the capital is speculating on what kind of beauty the never-before-seen Princess Consort of Jin is, to make Prince Jin forsake the noble women of Beiyan and seek marriage across nations."

There was no concealment about the matter between Ah Jiu and Wufu. Ministry of Rites officials would spread the word. It started with one person, then it spread to hundreds; everyone knew that Ah Jiu had proposed to some County Lord from Nanyue, and rumor had it that a ceremony was even held.

Such a ridiculous marriage broke the hearts of all the noble women waiting to marry Prince Jin, hoping these were just rumors. But even the Empress Dowager didn’t say anything, and the Empress in the palace confirmed that Ah Jiu did indeed hold a ceremony, although they hadn’t had a grand wedding, but the marriage had become factual.

In no time, sour poems and lamenting songs emerged simultaneously, and everyone wondered what kind of monster this lowly person was, to have captured Prince Jin?

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