The capital of the West Wind, Soland.
Under the sky with rolling clouds, there is an endless plain, and all the way to the boundary between the sky and the earth is green.
A big river meanders in the shape of an S across the plains, and in the middle of the bend is a magnificent city. On the city wall more than ten stories high, there is an arrow tower every hundred meters.
The dazzling afternoon sunlight shines on the city wall, and its color is as light yellow as the sand on the beach. The city wall, which has been exposed to wind and sun for many years, feels warm like the sun and has a granular roughness when touched. Occasionally, yellow-green moss can be seen in the gaps between the stone bricks.
If you stretch out your fingers and pick off a small piece of dry moss, you can bring out a trace of soil hidden in the cracks. Occasionally, when the wind blows, it will blow up some particles and dust on the ground of the city wall.
A few of the guards on the city wall were walking around in the scorching sun to avoid being criticized by the nobles in the city because no one was seen on the wall. Most of them hid in the arrow tower, after all, it was cooler there.
It cannot be said that they neglected their duties, because there was a wilderness outside the city wall. If an enemy invaded, it could be discovered from a long distance, and only a small number of people would be needed to observe on the city wall.
Perhaps they also went out on patrol every day a long time ago, but after a long period of peace, they gradually became lazy.
The tall walls of Soland surround the entire city, which is surrounded by water on three sides, with only the west side being an open field. Inside the city is a huge hill rising from the ground.
At the bottom of the hill there is a circle of walls, which are higher than the outer ones. Living within the walls are the great nobles of West Wind.
The hillside is surrounded by various courtyards with different styles, and there is a city wall near the top of the mountain. Inside this city wall is the palace of the West Wind. Snowflake-like white marble is built into an elegant and magnificent castle on the top of the hill. The tall towers are covered with colorful glazed tiles, and spires of various colors are dotted in between. Due to its location, the whole city can look up at the beautiful tower.
The descendants of Roland, King of the West Wind, live in these beautiful towers.
As the largest city in the westerly region and an important hub for trade between the north and the south, Solander is home to more than 3 million people. Every day, large quantities of cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, vegetables, fruits, and grains are transported to the city by boats on the river for consumption by the people.
The huge gate along the east river opened, and countless small boats began to move along the small river in the city. If the residents of the city saw something they liked, they would greet them at the riverside. The vendors rowing small boats would dock their boats on the shore and bargain with the housewives or the elderly, and finally reach a deal.
Of course, this is only part of the story. Most of the transactions in the city are still completed in the market.
Slender wooden poles hold up red, blue, yellow and other colorful canvases to block the scorching afternoon sun. Under the canvases are open wooden boxes filled with fresh fruits, specialties from the north and south, and some daily necessities.
Those who come to buy in the morning are often from wealthier families. As dusk approaches, the shopkeepers will sell the remaining, stale, and damaged items after the customers have picked them out at a discount. At this time, some people who are short of money will come out to take advantage of the bargains.
Although it is the same city and the same market, the rich and the poor seem to have some kind of tacit understanding and do not collide or intersect with each other.
As night fell, the shopkeeper turned over each box, shook out the dust, leftover leaves, rotten and crushed fruits, and poured the garbage into a small bucket. Then he went to the well in the market to draw a bucket of water and began to scrub the boxes and shelves.
After scrubbing, the garbage will dry overnight and new goods will be put on display tomorrow. Before the shop owners leave, a dilapidated carriage will come and empty the small buckets they have placed on the side of the road into the huge barrels behind the carriage, and then transport it elsewhere. The garbage may become fertilizer for farms outside the city, or it may become pig slop.
The main road in the city is about thirty meters wide, and large green stone bricks are paved on the ground. Each of these bricks is half a meter long, feels a little cold, and is very hard.
As time goes by, there are some potholes and dents on the surface of the stone slabs. Some yellow soil accumulates in the shallow pits, and as the horse's hooves pass by, a small amount of yellow dust is raised.
A group of cavalrymen rode white horses and galloped along the main road. They held white flags in their hands, scimitars were slung around their waists, and wore scale armor and leather robes. This kind of armor allowed the warriors to maintain great flexibility and was also relatively light.
This group of cavalrymen were skilled in horsemanship, easily avoiding carriages and crowds on the streets and maintaining a high speed. They passed through checkpoints and walls one after another, holding high their banners and revealing their coats of arms on their shoulders. The guards saw them and quickly made way for them, finally reaching the white castle on the top of the hill.
With the clicking sound of gears turning, the steel drawbridge was lowered and the cavalry entered the castle.
Thorand, Throne Room.
The current Lord of the West Wind is about forty years old. He wears golden bronze armor and a wide bright red cloak with white fur on the edge. He sits on the throne with his sword in hand, like a majestic lion.
Beneath the throne were nobles dressed in purple, most of them gorgeously attired. Among them were several generals in full armor, and some gray-robed scholars holding staffs. These scholars had sophisticated pocket watches hanging on their chests, as if they were some kind of symbol.
"Your Majesty, the envoy of the White Horse Tribe has arrived."
"Let them in." The Lord of West Wind nodded.
"yes!"
After leaving the scimitars at their waists to the guards for safekeeping, these warriors from the grassland walked into the hall and looked up at the king sitting on the throne.
"Your Majesty, I am Darren, the envoy of the White Horse Clan. The current Clan leader is my father."
"Now, the 50,000 warriors of the White Horse Clan have gathered according to your majesty's orders and are currently resting 50 miles downstream."
"Good." The Lord of the West Wind praised, and then asked the servants around him to give a reward, which was a sharp and exquisite dagger. The handle of the dagger was inlaid with a radiant ruby. It was obviously a gold-grade extraordinary creation.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. However... this reward is too generous. I feel unworthy to accept it."
"Why should I be ashamed? Bai Ma and I, Xi Feng, are brothers by blood and have been married for many years. You can be considered my nephew. Just accept me without worry, haha."
The Lord of West Wind laughed heartily, showing the demeanor of a wise leader, and other great nobles also praised and echoed him.
It can be said that the West Wind Country has always attached great importance to kinship and family, and is partial to relatives and friends. The nobles have long been accustomed to this, and use blood ties as a bond to bind various interest groups together. If you were born in a large family, the upper echelons of the country are basically your relatives. This can be regarded as a beautiful landscape of the upper echelons of the West Wind.
This bond of family and affection fostered unity in Xifeng's early years, allowing them to share joys and sorrows and show kindness to veteran officials. However, it also laid the seeds of trouble for the subsequent rule. Class solidification and numerous contradictions are a cause for deep regret.
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