The capital had always been an affluent place where everything was available, regardless of which dynasty it belonged to. It was teeming with wealthy, including officials, nobles, and emperor's kinsmen. Anyone walking down the street had a high social rank.
That was not a lie, even if it was a bit of an exaggeration. Even Xu Ran warned the two brothers not to antagonize anyone in the event of difficulty. Tangtang and Guoguo drove a carriage for a month and arrived at the capital city's entrance at noon. They could feel the difference and prosperity of the capital city just by looking at the tall gate outside the city, let alone within.
Many people were waiting up to enter the city gate, some carrying items and others empty-handed. Some arrived on horseback, while others in horse-drawn carriages. Some were clad in tatters, while others were resplendent.
There were a wide range of persons present. Tangtang and Guoguo stood silently in line, waiting to enter the city. It wasn't because they didn't want to chat, but because they had just arrived and didn't know what to expect. They were terrified of saying something inappropriate, so they decided to enter the city first.
They had to wait a long time at the gate before they could enter the city. When they arrived in the city, the first thing they did was find a place to reside and arrange the carriage and luggage so they could get acquainted with the bustling and colorful capital.
Taking the carriage, the two of them meandered aimlessly down the street. They came across a number of inns that appeared to be nice, but they were all booked. Of all, with less than ten days until the Spring Exam, there must be a large number of students travelling to the city to take part in the examination.
Therefore, the two of them led the horses around helplessly, hoping to find an inn with rooms available.
"Hey, Guoguo, look at an inn called Xian... Sigh, sorry, I didn't see you coming over. I'm really sorry."
"Brother, what's wrong?" Guoguo hurriedly walked over from the other side of the carriage.
He was just looking about when he heard his brother call out to him, but before he could respond, he heard his brother apologize to someone, so he walked over.
Tangtang was approached by a young man who stood in front of him. He wore a brocade suit and was in his early twenties. He appeared tall, robust, and good-looking, with a fat face like jade. Tangtang had just passed by an inn, but it was too far away to see the complete name, so he decided to go over and take a look. He was not paying attention to his surroundings and accidentally ran into the person.
Three attractive teens stood together, with a carriage next to them, taking up quite a large space, capturing the attention of many pedestrians on the road, and many Ge'ers blushed with delight at the sight.
Shen Qingling wanted to walk around the block today since he felt tired. He ran into someone as soon as he stepped outside, not seeing where he was going. Then he heard a soft voice apologize. He didn't mind being bumped, but he was curious about the individual who had hit him. He assumed that the possessor of such a pleasant voice must be a really attractive person.
Seeing Tangtang confirmed his guess. The people he bumped into were really good-looking, and to his surprise, such a good-looking person should have a twin brother.
Shen Qingling's lips curved into a smile, then he said, "It's fine and I didn't watch the road either. Do you come to the capital for the examination?"
He was obviously trying to strike up a conversation, but Shen Qingling appeared to mean no harm, and Tangtang had just bumped into him, so Guoguo replied, "Yes, we just arrived in the capital today, but we seem to be late and can't find a place to live now, so we are wandering on the streets."
Hearing this, Shen Qingling's smile deepened. He received a favorable impression of these two people, thus he should have more interaction with them. He could assist them because they hadn't found a place to dwell.
Shen Qingling said, "I live in the city, if you can't find a place to live, I do have one. But it's a private house, not an inn. I wonder if you are willing to pay to rent a residence?"
Tangtang and Guoguo exchanged glances after hearing Shen Qingling's words. Finally, Tangtang nodded and said to Shen Qingling, "Brother, we'd like to rent a private residence. There are more than ten days until the examination, and we still have to wait for the results, so we'll be in the city for more than a month. It's much more convenient for us to live in a residence than an inn. If you can help us find a residence to live in, we'd be grateful."
Shen Qingling had been in this realm for many years, and he was accustomed to the way the scholar here spoke. The comments of the person in front of him, on the other hand, sounded quite pleasant. Aside from the "brother" he called, this person's conversational style was similar to his. S
hen Qingling had a cheerful expression on his face. He had suggested renting a house, and now that they were interested, he would take them to look at it.
"Since you are interested in the house, I will take you to see it. If you like it, you can rent it, or I will help you find another house."
"Thank you, brother. If it's not suitable for us, we can live in the inn. In this huge capital, we're sure to find an inn with rooms available."
"Haha, of course, let's go now!" After saying that, Shen Qingling led the way ahead, Tangtang and Guoguo followed behind him, leading their carriage.
Shen Qingling introduced some of the famous buildings to Tangtang and Guoguo as they walked. Tangtang and Guoguo knew nothing about this place, and now they were willing to be introduced to it, so they listened with interest.
After walking for a while, Shen Qingling suddenly turned around and said, "By the way, I don't know your names, I'm Shen Qingling, work in the Ministry of Works of this dynasty."
Tangtang and Guoguo were taken aback when they heard Shen Qingling's introduction. They remembered Dad telling them that if they had problems in the capital, they could go to the Ministry of Works.
They had no idea, however, that the first person they met in the capital would be Shen Qingling. They didn't respond much, except than being astonished. "Hello, Brother Qingling. My name is Xu Qing, and this is my younger brother Xu Mu. We've heard that the guy in charge of the Ministry of Works is a young man, but I never expected that Brother Qingling is so young. You are very youthful and promising!" Tangtang said.
Knowing Shen Qingling's identity, Tangtang addressed him as Brother Qingling rather than Lord Qingling. Shen Qingling began to develop a positive impression of this guy from the bottom of his heart. He had considered giving up his identity, but he truly wanted to make friends with these two people, so he informed them who he was, and now he felt it was the correct thing to do.
Hearing Tangtang's praise, Shen Qingling smiled humbly, and then said, "You're exaggerating, Qing brother. It seems that you're younger than me, but you're here to take the examination for the Ginger. If you pass the exam, you are much better than me. Oh, Qing brother, you won't mind me calling you like this, will you? "
Tangtang replied, shaking his head, "Of course, I don't mind. I'm just here to see if I can pass the exam. As for what will happen in the future, no one knows it. Even if I do pass the exam, I definitely won't be able to become a minister at such a young age as Brother Qingling."
Shen Qingling shook his head and said, "Qing brother, let's stop praising each other. It's a little awkward and let's continue on our journey!"
Tangtang nodded and stopped talking. Not only Shen Qingling, he felt awkward too.
Later on, they didn't say much. Occasionally, Tangtang said a few words to Guoguo.
Shen Qingling remained silent the entire time. He had a sinking feeling in his chest that this guy would have a nice relationship with his brother in the future.
He had no idea how fantastic their connection would be. Guoguo was thinking about Dad and how Daddy requested his brother to come to the capital and take a Ge'er that he liked back, and he believed that no matter how good the Ge'er was, he would not take him back. His brother liked the minister, but no one in this capital would be younger or more talented than him. But, sadly, he was not a Ge'er.
Guoguo thought in his heart and the three of them walked to their destination slowly.
Standing in front of the door of a courtyard, Shen Qingling pointed at the yard and said, "It is here. I don't know if you like it."
From the outside, the yard looked similar to the one they lived in in Yanzhou, but it wasn't as big as that one. There were only two of them, so it was big enough.
Looking at the yard, Guoguo felt it was good, then he asked Shen Qingling," Can we enter and take a look? If it isn't too bad inside, we will rent this house."
This was the first thing Guoguo spoke to him. Shen Qingling had initially questioned whether he had offended this person, but it now appeared that Guoguo was simply a guy who didn't want to chat. Their personalities were very different as twin boys.
Shen Qingling assured him that they might enter the residence at any time. They couldn't enter by the main road, though, since Shen Qingling didn't have the key to the courtyard; he needed to go home and acquire it. They only wanted to look at the house, so they wouldn't wait until he got home to grab the keys.
As a result, the minister hopped over the wall with Guoguo and proceeded into the yard, while Tangtang stood outside watching the carriage. Tangtang had the impression that Shen Qingling was not as trustworthy as he appeared when he recommended flipping the wall. Guoguo and Shen Qingling began to explore the yard after entering it. Shen Qingling had been here before, so he told Guoguo about it as he traveled. The daily essentials were all there, so they could move in right away.
Guoguo was not a picky person, just like his family, so he was very satisfied with the house.
Guoguo said to Shen Qingling, "The house is very good. I'll talk it over with my brother, if he agrees, we'll move in today. But whose's this house? Do you have the key and how much should we pay for it?"
Guoguo asked, one question after another, causing Shen Qingling to laugh softly, "You have so many questions and which one do you want me to answer first?"
His teasing tone made Guoguo look at him carefully, then he said flatly, "You may answer one after another! But you have to answer every question."
.Shen Qingling continued to smile, he nodded and replied,"That's right. I should answer all your questions, but I wonder why your temperament is completely different from your brother's."
Rolling his eyes at the sky, Guoguo said, "Of course, we're different. I'm me and my brother is my brother. But I can tell you clearly that I'm married and my brother hasn't gotten married yet."
Shen Qingling was more interested in Guoguo's words and asked, "Why are you already married but your brother hasn't yet? Could it be that no one likes your brother?"
Guoguo looked at Shen Qingling like he was looking at an idiot, he said with disdain, "What makes you think that? Not to mention anything else, just my brother's appearance could charm a large group of Ge'ers! As for why I told you, I think you will thank me in the future. So it doesn't matter if you can figure it out now."
How could Shen Qingling, a man of great intelligence, not grasp what he was saying?
Furthermore, he comes from a far more advanced place than this one.
He could figure out what Guoguo meant by saying this with only a little consideration. However, he had no idea how Guoguo perceived it. He only uttered a few things to his brother before leaving. He had a soft spot for his brother, but he wasn't going to force it. Despite the fact that this was a man's world, there were still men and Ge'ers.
Shen Qingling has never considered marrying a Ge'er after living here for so long. He'd been pressured to marry for a long time, but it was merely an impulsive move.
He still denied it deep inside inside. He desired to marry a man who was similar to himself, rather than a Ge'er. It would be preferable if he married someone who loved him. He had never encountered such a person in his twenties, he realized as he grew older. Shen Qingling wondered if he would be alone like this for the rest of his life.
Today, he was lucky! As soon as he went out, he bumped into two interesting people. And the younger brother of the person who he wanted to date told him that his brother was not married yet.
Shen Qingling couldn't help but laugh again. It was really interesting. Perhaps this time, he should take it seriously. If he missed out on such a person in front of him, he would regret it.
Seeing Shen Qingling's smile, Guoguo suddenly regretted that he had spoken too much.
Guoguo assumed that because Dad had mentioned this minister, he would be an excellent official. And because this person did not conceal his name when chatting with them on the road, he felt compelled to make friends with him. And, like the word Dad frequently used, love at first sight, his attitude toward his brother was pretty evident.
He might not have noticed it before, but now that he was married, he was much more sensitive to such things. This person, on the other hand, was not that evident, and his brother was a little clumsy.
Shen Qingling was an excellent person, if he could be married with his brother, his brother would be an official in the capital in the future, then his family would be relieved, Guoguo thought.
Clapping his hands, Guoguo said, "As long as you are sincere, Dad won't object. My Dad always made the decision at home, but if my Dad doesn't agree, there is no chance for you and my brother, so you can take it yourself! By the way, my Dad is a sensible person and he is just a little protective."
Guoguo moved up to the wall and leaped out after completing his sentence. Shen Qingling stroked his chin, thinking for a time. He was curious how his bigger brother would react to being read by his younger sibling. Shen Qingling was unaware of it at the time, but he would undoubtedly be aware of it in the future. He didn't understand, though, why the person who was harmed was him.
Tangtang saw Guoguo coming out and asked him immediately, "Guoguo, how's the house?"
Looking at his brother's rare anxious expression, he smiled, "Brother, it's really rare." As for what was rare, he didn't say it. Tangtang could also realized his eagerness.
Guoguo continued, "Brother, the house is good. As long as you have all the questions you want to ask, we can move in. And brother, there are three rooms in this house, which is enough."
"Three rooms? Guoguo, even if we sleep separately, we only need two. Why do we need three?"
"Brother, there will be guests." Guoguo said with a smile.
Shen Qingling also heard the two of them talking, but they did not go up from behind. It was not until the two brothers finished that he slowly walked over.
"How is it? Have you two dicided yet? Do you want to live in this house?"
Guoguo strolled to the other side of the carriage, blinking at Tangtang, and continued to appear as if he had just spoken to them alone.
Tangtang remembered the questions Guoguo had reminded him to ask, so he asked Shen Qingling, "Brother QingLing, since we still don't know who owns this house, can we live in it? There is no key now, and we can't always flip the wall!" Tangtang felt a little helpless when he said the word "flip the wall," because he had never heard anyone seeing a room like this before.
Shen Qingling thought about that he had not answered these questions in the house, it seemed inevitable now, so he could told them the truth, "Qing brother, this courtyard is under my name. The key is in my house. I just need to go back and get it. As for the rent, you can pay the market price! I will not change it."
It would be perfect. But Tangtang did not expect that this house was actually Shen Qingling's own.
Tangtang smiled and said, "That's great, then I'll trouble you to make a trip. We still have a carriage here, so we need to put it in first. It's already noon. We've been looking for a place to live since we entered the city. We haven't had lunch yet, so we are hungry now."
Shen Qingling was surprised that Tangtang, who appeared so polished, would say such a thing. He did, however, appear to be more interested in him. His smile widened as he reflected on this concept.
Shen Qingling said, "Since that's the case, I'll go back and get the keys now. You can just wait at the door for a moment. I'll be back soon."
Shen Qingling turned around and left. He walked so fast and Tangtang kept his eyes on his back.
After he left, Guoguo came out and said to Tangtang, with a positive tone,"He knows kung fu."
Tangtang nodded in agreement, "I see it too, and he should be good at it. We might not be able to beat him, so we'd better be careful."
Guoguo believed his brother was incredibly dull as he looked at the sky. He was puzzled as to how they could be twins. "We really have to be careful. Although Dad claimed that he had helped Uncle before, it was a matter of the court. Maybe it was good for him to offer help. We don't know much about it, so it's best to be on guard. After all, few people introduce houses when they first meet," Guoguo said.
Hearing Guoguo's words, Tangtang felt that he was reckless. He should not agree to live, with his brother, in the home of a new acquaintance, even though he would pay for it.
He had completely forgotten that his brother was the same age as him.
As a result, when Shen Qingling returned with the key, Tangtang struck him as odd. He even spoke more cautiously than he had before leaving.
He began to wonder if it was because he had kept them waiting for so long due to his absence. Of course, this notion had nothing to do with reality.
Tangtang and Guoguo were residents of Shen Qingling's yard. And for dinner, Shen Qingling took them to a restaurant. He had offered to introduce them to other nicer restaurants in the capital, but Tangtang had declined.
It was preferable for them to cook on their own now that they lived in the house. Even if it was a little inconvenient, they would feel more at ease. As a result, they inquired of Shen Qingling about a few places where they could get meals.
When Shen Qingling found out they were going to cook, the first thing he asked was if he may come to dinner in the future.
The two brothers couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when they heard this. What a fascinating minister he was.
11.12.21