Daqian has a profound history spanning thousands of years. Although it has suffered from wars and turmoil, it has remained prosperous through several dynasties.
Among these, the capital city of Nanjing was the most prominent.
In the southern district of Jinling City, there were countless wealthy and powerful families. They were always accompanied by carriages and horses, and their food and drink consisted of the finest delicacies.
In previous years, the most bustling embroidery garden in the south of the city was filled with one opera after another, performed from morning till night, and from night till dawn.
Of course, the most eye-catching thing is not those grand dramas.
What the young nobles loved to watch were the graceful dancers in their light red gowns, their plump, fair legs half-concealed as they swayed their lithe bodies.
A red string was tied to her delicate jade feet, and when the bell on the string jingled, it captivated countless eyes and stole countless souls.
This exhausted the actors, but the rewards were generous. With real money in hand, what did the hardship matter?
If an official takes a liking to them and brings them into his household, their career will soar to new heights, and their fate will be completely changed.
Every year, the number of people in the Embroidery Garden increases, but the last two years have seen the most, with many more beautiful women joining the garden.
Now that the year is drawing to a close, it is usually even busier than usual, and there is no time to steal even a half-day of leisure.
However, since the past two days, fewer people have come to the pear orchard.
In the past, the most common sight was elegantly dressed young men with their servants, standing in groups of three or five below the stage, craning their necks and staring intently, fanning themselves with folding fans inscribed with "leisurely and elegant sentiments" in the winter sun.
Now, these people can only stay at home, the dull-witted complaining, the wise trembling with fear, each with their own thoughts and ideas.
But one thing is beyond doubt.
The curfew in Nanjing was extended, and the screening of people entering and leaving the city gates became more stringent.
Once the curfew is in effect, even a minute late, no one is allowed to enter the city.
It was truly a scene where the drums of the six streets had ceased and no pedestrians were seen, and the nine thoroughfares were desolate with only the moon shining brightly.
"Hey! You have no idea! If all these dead people were piled up, they wouldn't be able to fit on five streets!"
Unlike the quiet and bustling south of the city, the north of the city, where the most ordinary people live, is as noisy as ever, or rather, even more lively.
Inside a teahouse, a middle-aged man in a t-shirt described the scene of the battle at Yanlu Mountain to the person in front of him with a look of great joy.
He continued, "Good heavens, the barbarians from the south marched in with great force last month, hundreds of thousands of them! Look at that!"
At this point, he peeled open a peanut, put the two red kernels into his mouth, and continued:
"It was gone in just one bite."
"No, it was wiped out in World War I."
The thin man in front of him nodded upon hearing this and said:
"Indeed, quite a few people died."
The burly man peeled open another peanut and continued, "Hey, that's not all."
"Even General Zhongwu died in battle, and of the 200,000 troops he led, not a single one returned."
As he spoke, he shook his head, "Tsk tsk tsk, I don't even dare to think about how many people were involved, but they really were wiped out in just one battle."
"How can this possibly stop it?"
The thin man nodded, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and only after the warm tea had entered his stomach did he cautiously speak:
"This... first Tongwei City, then Anyang County, and now the imperial court has sent troops, even barbarians, but they have all been defeated."
"It seems he's quite formidable. Could the troops he commands be celestial soldiers or generals?" He spoke in a very low voice.
The burly man agreed wholeheartedly. He brushed the peanut shells off his sleeve and said in a deep voice:
"Who can argue with that?"
"The barbarians fought against us a few years ago. Putting everything else aside, they were indeed a group of brave and skilled warriors. If it weren't for General Huwei defeating them back then, we wouldn't be where we are today."
"Ha, the imperial court can only muster these barbarians to fight..."
He paused, then continued, "Well, this is something to be happy about. Even so, they were still wiped out completely."
"Let alone this year, even in previous years, there wasn't such a large-scale war, was there?"
The skinny man shook his head, biting his lip, and said, "Well, no."
"It seems that the current imperial court is truly unable to cope with this situation."
"Over the years, those who were capable and skilled in battle have either been stripped of their power and dismissed from their posts, or... What should we do now?"
The burly man lowered his head and whispered, "I think they'll be attacking soon."
"It seems unstoppable right now!"
The thin man didn't speak. After a long silence, he whispered, "I heard that people in Beiliang are doing much better than before."
"The fact that Anyang County has been captured seems to be alright."
"Honestly, I was thinking, it's fine to just let him call."
Just as he finished speaking, a voice as clear as a copper bell rang out.
"Dad, Second Uncle, what are you talking about? Who is he? Tell me." A young boy with yellowed lips crept over without anyone noticing.
He was not very old, about ten years old, holding a shuttlecock in his hand, with a string of shiny snot hanging from his nose, and staring at the table without blinking.
The burly man waved his hand: "Go away, you little rascal, you even managed to come to a teahouse. Go home and have some fun."
The child sniffed, grinned, and approached the table. "Dad, what are you whispering about? I want to know too."
The skinny man beside him stroked his chin and said, "You're still young, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
The child placed his hand on the table, frowned, and said, "Second Uncle, I definitely won't understand if you don't tell me, but maybe I will understand if you do."
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