Outside the east city wall, the crowd was as dense as a school of fish, bustling and moving, turning autumn into summer. Those who were weak did not move much but were squeezed to move around and sweated.
If the official road had not been heavily guarded on both sides, the common people and scholars on both sides would have blocked the road long ago. Even so, people were still squeezed onto the road from time to time.
The soldiers frowned. The noise and chatter of so many people was like boiling water, making their heads explode.
Li Fanming and others stood on the East City Wall early, looking at the white Yangtze River on the north side, then looking at the earth-colored road between the blue sky and green fields, and staring at the continuous convoy gradually approaching.
The convoy stopped ten miles away and was greeted by Governor Dong Wencong, Minister of Rites Nie Changju and others.
Normally, only a few officials would be needed to welcome the emperor ten miles away, but Nie Changju brought a large number of Xiangzhou Qing officials to welcome King Qing, and had warm conversations with the officials of Qing State, making them look more like a family than with Dong Wencong.
Dong Wencong remained expressionless from beginning to end and greeted the guests in a very polite manner.
Not far away, scholars from various countries were frowning, and the officials in Xiangzhou were all acting as if they had seen their family members. Some of them could even be described as servile and fawning, like pugs.
Li Fanming sighed and said, "I finally understand the resistance Fang Yun encountered in Xiangzhou, and I finally understand why Xiangzhou is divided into Qing officials and Jing officials. With such officials around, you can imagine how the people's lives are."
Yao Zhifu said: "The strength of a country depends not only on the cohesion of the people, but also on the determination of the officials. If the officials of a country do not want to strengthen their country, but only envy foreigners and praise other countries, it means that this country can only eradicate this phenomenon quickly through a major reform from top to bottom. Of course, judging from the current situation of Jingguo, as the national strength gradually improves, the younger and more confident generation will replace those pedantic and ignorant old bureaucrats and those useless people who are immersed in humiliation and cannot move forward, and the effect of a major reform can also be achieved. Bowing to the strong, but not surrendering, is the true human race."
"The question is whether Jingguo can hold on until that day. Yaoman will not give Jingguo this opportunity, Qingguo will not give Jingguo this opportunity, and Liushan will not give Jingguo this opportunity. He will also not allow anyone to obstruct his path to sainthood and his path to sub-sainthood."
"We can only rely on heaven, or... our luck." Governor Yao sighed.
"Look, the team from Qingjiang Commercial Bank welcoming Qing Jun has already left the city gate. I have to say that Qing Jun has a very good handwriting, almost at the third level. The four characters 'Duanmu Legacy' have the style of a great master."
"The private seal of 'The Emperor of Jishan' was also made by him personally, with the style of a famous master. As for Qingjiang Commercial Company, except for Ge Baiwan, the rest are all clowns, mediocre and unfit for important use." Li Fanming criticized Fang Yun's enemies without any hesitation.
"Fang Xusheng has probably already left the provincial government office, and his private soldiers should have arrived in Baling from the capital a long time ago. The three parties will gather together, and the show will start before the literary gathering even begins.
"Governor Yao, when are we going to compete for the number one restaurant in the world?" asked a scholar.
Prefect Yao smiled but said nothing.
Li Fanming said unhappily, "Do you really think that Governor Yao is here to compete for the title of the best building in the world? This so-called building competition club is just a club for watching the fun. Think about it yourself, what can we use to compete with Fang Yun? Even if Fang Yun wins this literary gathering, can't Fang Yun and Zhang Longxiang's poems and essays surpass Yellow Crane Tower for three years and take first place for a while?"
"Hehe, I really thought we had to compete with Fang Xusheng for the No. 1 restaurant in the world, and I was just looking for a chance to sneak away, but I didn't expect that we don't have to compete at all." The honest scholar touched his head and said.
The readers nearby laughed.
Soon, the people on the city wall turned towards the city.
"Fang Xusheng is here!"
"Fang Zhenguo's private guard of honor is here!"
"How impressive! You use the Demon Marquis as a soldier. Would Qing Jun dare to do that? If the Demon Marquis farts, Qing Jun will definitely crawl under the car and tremble.
"Lord Qing's motorcade looks good, but it's weak and looks like a bunch of eunuchs without balls. Look at our governor, he's really domineering!"
Everyone looked at the city curiously, and saw four ten-foot-tall horse barbarians holding flags. The four horse barbarians had human heads, torsos and arms, and the bodies and limbs of horse demons. They were half human and half horse, wearing black iron armor, with longbows, giant axes and short swords hanging on their backs. They looked like they had just returned from the battlefield, looking very majestic.
Behind the four horse barbarians came Fang Yun’s dragon horse chariot. Eighteen dragon horses pulled the large carriage slowly past.
Behind the carriage were the Jing Kingdom’s demon cavalry, followed by some barbarians and human private soldiers, and finally some officials from Baling City.
The style of the entire team is more like marching on a battlefield, and wherever they go, it is enough to stop children from crying.
The people on both sides cheered, especially the young scholars who came here because of its reputation, who even shouted themselves hoarse.
When the scholars of the Zhenglou Society in Qing State saw this scene, they all sighed.
"At this moment, Fang Xusheng, whether in terms of his status among the people or in history books, is no less than that of the famous Confucian scholars of all ages. He has already completed the three immortals and has almost completed his words. The only thing left is to establish virtue."
"A few days ago, I really wanted to compete with Fang Xusheng for the tower, but today when I arrived in Baling City, I realized how insignificant I am. So many people have come from afar for him, and so many people are calling him. How can we compare with him?"
"I don't envy his literary fame or achievements. What I really envy is the love that the people of Baling City have for him. I can only describe it as fanatical. I don't ask for a name to be passed down through the ages, but as long as I can leave a name in a place and let the people there be grateful to me, I will have no regrets in my life."
There were people standing on the city walls, on both sides of the roads, and even on the roofs. Amid the cheers of countless people, Fang Yun's guard of honor drove out of the city.
Fang Yun and Qing Jun's teams were walking towards each other. Fang Yun's team was obviously slower. After a while, Qing Jun's team arrived at Sanliting first. Qing Jun and others got off the car and waited.
Many officials of the Qing Kingdom and Xiangzhou were extremely dissatisfied and kept criticizing Fang Yun for neglecting Qing Jun. However, Qing Jun did not care and waited with a smile.
Soon, Fang Yun's convoy caught up with the Qingjiang Trading Company's team that came to welcome Qing Jun, and arrived at Sanliting almost at the same time.
"I, Hua Qingniang, beg Lord Qing to take charge and bring justice to Yingfang Pavilion!" Hua Qingniang suddenly rushed out of the team, shouting at the top of her voice, and then knelt down in front of the Qing team.
Qing Jun's guards rushed to the front to protect Qing Jun. Their swords were unsheathed with crisp sounds and flashes of silver light, which made it impossible for the people nearby to open their eyes.
Dong Wencong originally stood with Qingjun's team, but now he and some officials slowly retreated away from Qingjun's team.
Dong Wencong looked coldly at Hua Qingniang and the Qingjiang Trading Company's team, then walked towards Fang Yun's team with an expressionless face.
"Jinshi Ge Yiming, please ask Qing Jun to uphold justice for us, the common people of Xiangzhou!"
"Please, Mr. Qing, seek justice!" Qingjiang Trading Company shouted along with Ge Yiming.
The area within a few miles was filled with people, but at this moment there was complete silence.
The people of Jing asked Lord Qing to seek justice. Nothing could be more disgusting to the people of Jing than this kind of thing.
The Longma luxury carriage stopped, and Fang Yun got off the carriage, his robe fluttering. He stood firmly and looked forward.
Fang Yun and Qing Jun looked at each other.
.(To be continued.)