Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 1: Arriving in the Capital

Jingzhe.

Electric light, like a chaotic python, breaks apart the gloomy sea of clouds, turning the earth into rivers and marshes.

Amidst the raging thunder and rain, a black oil-paper umbrella floats along with a covered boat, passing through the water gate of Linhefang in the capital.

On both sides of the river, the wind and rain stir up the three thousand willows in the city.

Zuo Lingquan stands at the bow of the boat, gazing at the varied and scattered buildings of the capital, feeling that the scene before him is very much like the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" from his memories.

Having been in this world for seventeen years, Zuo Lingquan's past memories have long become blurred, but he can confirm that this is not the era of scholars and romance.

This is Donghua City, the capital of the Great Dan Dynasty.

Seventeen years ago, Zuo Lingquan was born in Qinghe County of the Great Dan Dynasty, the legitimate son of the wealthy Left family in the area. With abundant wealth and thousands of fertile fields, he was considered lucky to have been born into a good family.

When he first arrived here, Zuo Lingquan thought that he could live his life as a foolish son of a landlord, enjoying a carefree life of indulgence. But when he took his first unsteady steps, he discovered that this world was somewhat different.

The people here are very powerful, capable of flying through the sky, moving mountains, and changing the course of rivers. Animals are also extraordinary, with stories of foxes repaying kindness and spirits transforming into different forms widely circulated.

Although Zuo Lingquan has never seen these extraordinary people and events in his life, he can still catch a glimpse of the mysteries and vastness of this world from the fragments of ancient books.

In his two lifetimes, Zuo Lingquan has always wanted to soar to the top of the world and see the true nature of this world from the mountaintop.

Unfortunately, despite his abundant wealth, he was born with blocked meridians, making him an ordinary person in this extraordinary world.

This time, he came to the capital because of his outstanding appearance and was selected to compete for the position of the princess's husband.

Born with no worries, but with no way forward.

Zuo Lingquan doesn't know if his background is fortunate or unfortunate.

In an instant, the covered boat docks by the street.

Zuo Lingquan collects his thoughts, flicks his finger, and tosses a silver ingot to the boatman, stepping onto the stone-paved street of Linhefang.

The boatman catches the silver ingot, surprised and honored, saying, "Young master, you've given too much."

"It's a reward for you."

Zuo Lingquan waves his hand casually and walks straight into the rain curtain.

The boatman holds the silver ingot, full of gratitude, about to push the covered boat away from the riverbank. Suddenly, he hears a splashing sound followed by a woman's scream from the shore.

Looking up, he sees a young woman in a pearl hairpin and cloth skirt standing at the entrance of a tavern, holding a wooden basin in her hand, looking frightened.

The mist fills the street, and Zuo Lingquan, who has only taken a few steps, stands still in the fog.

The boatman's eyes widen in surprise. He didn't expect this young master to be so handsome. Afraid of a conflict between the two sides, he quickly tries to mediate:

"Tang, the boss, the young master has just arrived in the capital, and you've already splashed him with bathwater. Look at how handsome the young master is, wanting to greet him, but not in the way you did."

Upon hearing this, the customers in the tea and wine shop burst into laughter.

Zuo Lingquan raised his umbrella to cover his head and looked towards the wine shop.

The wine shop had a yellowed wine flag hanging outside, with only the word "Tang" written on it.

A small woman holding a wooden basin stood under the eaves. She wore pearl hairpins and a simple and clean cloth skirt. Her clothes were bulging, and her face was as white as tofu. Her widened eyes, filled with fear, added a unique charm.

However, the small woman seemed quite fierce. Upon hearing the boatman's teasing, she immediately glared back and said, "What nonsense are you talking? Didn't you see that it was an accident?"

After speaking, the small woman looked at Zuo Lingquan with an apologetic expression and said, "Young master, I'm really sorry. It's raining so heavily, and I thought there was no one on the street. This is boiling water for making wine, not bathwater."

Boiling water?

It might as well be bathwater.

Zuo Lingquan looked at the white mist covering the ground and wanted to scold her, but considering that she was a woman from a respectable family, he decided to say, "Be more careful next time. If you splash an ordinary woman or child, it would ruin their appearance."

"Young master is right."

The small woman nodded awkwardly, then looked up and saw the young master in front of her. He was wearing a tea-green robe with a belt adorned with a double fish pendant. His long hair was tied up with a black hairband, and he had sharp eyebrows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and a handsome and upright face. He also had a sword hanging from his waist, making him look like a disaster for the country and the people.

However, because he had moved his umbrella to block the splashed water, his cheeks and brocade robe were stained with raindrops.

The small woman blinked her eyes and felt embarrassed for turning such a handsome young master into a drenched chicken. She spoke again, "Young master, why don't you come inside the shop? I'll find a towel to wipe you off."

Zuo Lingquan had traveled a long way and hadn't had lunch yet. He smelled the fragrance of wine in the shop and didn't refuse. He folded up his umbrella under the eaves and walked into the Tang family's wine shop.

The wine shop was not big, with four small tables and a wine jar and a stove for warming wine in the corner.

Two customers were already sitting at the table inside, wearing black fish scale armor and carrying knives by their sides. One was old and the other was young, looking like patrol officers from the Linhe District.

Zuo Lingquan entered the wine shop and sat down at the table by the window. The small woman hurriedly ran into the backyard to find a towel.

The old patrol officer at the neighboring table spoke when he saw this, "Jingruan, you should change your impulsive nature in the future. Today, thanks to the young master's good temper, otherwise you would have to compensate him for this cloud-patterned brocade robe, and you would have wasted your efforts for the first half of the year."

The small woman named Tang Jingruan came out with a white towel and said irritably, "The young master is gentle, knowledgeable, and reasonable. He looks like a scholar who knows how to reason. Not everyone is like you, spouting vulgar words and taking advantage of others, right, young master?"

Zuo Lingquan responded calmly to this praise, "Auntie, you're too kind."

Auntie?

Tang Jingyun's radiant smile froze for a moment. She hesitated with her lips, clearly wanting to scold a few words, but in the end, she held back and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Young master, I'm not married yet, how can you call me auntie? My name is Tang Jingyun, you can call me Sister Tang, or if you don't want to call me sister, you can call me Xiaoyun."

Zuo Lingquan was slightly surprised, looking at the appearance of the young woman in front of him, she was mature and charming, definitely not young in this world.

However, it was not appropriate for him to inquire about a woman's affairs, so he changed his words and said, "Madam, what do you have to eat here?"

Tang Jingyun smiled and quickly introduced the appetizers in the tavern.

The old constable, seeing that there was nothing else to do, finished his drink, placed five large coins on the table, and walked out with the young constable.

Tang Jingyun turned around and called out, "Old Zhang, not drinking?"

The old constable, carrying a yellowed old knife in its scabbard, walked out of the tavern and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, I've been drinking here for over ten years, not to mention touching my butt, not even my hand, your business is not honest."

Upon hearing this vulgar remark, Tang Jingyun showed no sign of embarrassment and immediately retorted, "Pah! This is not a brothel. If you want to be touched, go to the alley in front. I'm afraid you're too old..."

When she realized that Zuo Lingquan was sitting in front of her, Tang Jingyun quickly restrained her sharp words and smiled shyly, "Old Zhang is a constable from Linhe District, he's not a bad person and has great skills, but he has a foul mouth. Young master, please don't mind."

Zuo Lingquan found it quite interesting and naturally didn't mind.

After a while, Tang Jingyun brought a pot of wine and two plates of side dishes, placing them on the table.

Just as Zuo Lingquan picked up his chopsticks, a boat docked at the pier outside the tavern.

This time, it was a large boat with maids and servants gathered on the deck.

As the gangplank was lowered, more than ten young gentlemen in their prime came down from the boat, all dressed in luxury. Among them, a few had beautiful eyes and eyebrows, and their appearances attracted many admiring glances.

There were no other customers in the tavern. Tang Jingyun stood at the door and watched the excitement. When she saw these young gentlemen from out of town, she spoke up, "These young gentlemen from the southern four counties must be here to compete for the Princess Chang's embroidery ball, right?"

The southern four counties were the granaries of the Great Dan Dynasty. Zuo Lingquan came from Qinghe County in the four counties and should have taken this official boat to the capital. He glanced outside the window and nodded, saying, "Yes, we were supposed to arrive a few days ago, but the heavy rain caused the river to rise, delaying us for a few days."

"Oh?" Tang Jingyun, seeing Zuo Lingquan's understanding, pondered for a moment. She turned around and sat at a nearby table, propping her chin with her hand, curiously asking:

"The day after tomorrow, the princess will choose her husband. Eligible young men from prestigious families from all over the country have been summoned to the capital. I see that you, sir, have an exceptional temperament. Could it be that you have come for this as well?"

Zuo Lingquan came here indeed at the behest of his elders for this matter.

But with his immense wealth, even if he couldn't travel far and wide in this lifetime, indulging in luxuries and pleasures would be effortless. How could he be interested in becoming a husband who cannot take concubines?

Zuo Lingquan hesitated for a moment before responding ambiguously, "I came alone, without even a servant. Does it seem like I'm here to compete for the position of husband?"

Tang Jingrui carefully assessed Zuo Lingquan and couldn't tell if it was a compliment or not. "In that case, the princess is out of luck. If you show up the day after tomorrow, none of those people outside will matter. The princess will definitely choose you."

"..." Zuo Lingquan put down his wine bowl and looked at Tang Jingrui. "Why?"

Tang Jingrui pursed her lips and smiled, pointing at the group of refined young men outside. "Sister, I have a bit of insight. Look at those young men, all refined and delicate, covered in powder. They need maidservants to help them onto a carriage. They are more precious than young ladies from wealthy families, lacking any trace of masculinity. If it were up to me to choose a husband, I definitely wouldn't choose them."

Zuo Lingquan didn't want to be associated with those people, precisely because he couldn't stand their effeminate behavior. Hearing Tang Jingrui's words, he jokingly said with a smile, "If Miss Tang were to choose a husband, would you choose someone like me?"

"..." Tang Jingrui's smile froze for a moment, realizing that she had been led astray. Faced with this sudden flirtation, she didn't show any signs of disgust, but instead stood up and walked towards the backyard, humming lightly, "Young sir, you are quite young but have quite a lot of thoughts. It seems that sister made a mistake just now."

Zuo Lingquan laughed it off and continued to enjoy his food and wine.

Outside the window, the rain poured heavily, making a pattering sound. Tang Jingrui returned to the back room to prepare food and wine, without saying another word.

However, before the wine in the pot was finished, there was suddenly a loud noise from outside, as if a house had collapsed. It was particularly eye-catching in the rain.

Boom—

Tang Jingrui was startled, almost cutting her finger. She hurriedly ran out from behind the curtain, asking, "What happened? Whose house collapsed... huh?"

The wine shop was empty, and Zuo Lingquan, who had just been sitting there, had already leaped out of the window, leaving only a figure behind.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to leave a government note on the table, with a face value of one hundred taels.

Tang Jingrui's eyes lit up, quickly tucking the silver note into her collar. Then she leaned out of the window, ready to ask if he was still looking for the money.

But what she saw was a scene that made the charming and graceful woman's face turn pale.

(End of this chapter)