Jiang Zhi suddenly realized: "No wonder the journey has been so peaceful!"
Diaoyu City is not in Jincheng Prefecture, but in Yuzhou Prefecture. It is a defensive fortress of Yuzhou Prefecture and can be said to be the throat of the entrance to Ba County. It is a legendary place.
This is also due to the fierce battle that King Zhou fought in Yuzhou Prefecture a few years ago. However, at that time it was just a minor internal conflict, but now it is an external enemy, so it is different.
Yuzhou Prefecture stationed troops to fight, and Jincheng Prefecture immediately dispatched troops, making the official roads along the way very peaceful.
But it's all too calm, just like the passerby next to me, who also looks completely calm when talking about it.
It's probably because... the barbarians coveted this land and came to harass us quite often, so even if we couldn't defeat them, we still wanted to try.
The war is going on anyway, so what's the big deal about having a lot of debts?
This time, Jiang Zhi and Er Rui traveled by post station carriage. They spent extra money to make arrangements, and their food and lodging were quite good. They even encountered no trouble when crossing Longquan Mountain.
At first, I thought it was because of the post stations, but now I realize that it was also because soldiers and bandits came and went along the road and needed to lay low.
After all, these bandits knew how to survive; they would block the road and demand tolls, only after money and not to kill.
Because they hadn't been informed, Li Laoshi and his group had no idea that he was coming.
Now, one can no longer take a post station carriage into the city; one needs to hire another vehicle and find a way.
Standing by the roadside, Jiang Zhi and Xu Errui discussed how to get there. Last time, Pang Hu led the way, so they didn't have to worry about it. This time, they would have to figure it out on their own.
Where there is demand, there is a market; naturally, people will make money in the bustling Jincheng Mansion.
A large group of people stood at the city gate, shouting in a southwestern Mandarin to those entering the city: "Lead the way! Lead the way!"
"Liulichang!"
"Qingyang Palace!"
"Baihua Pool!"
Jincheng Prefecture, which has been the capital of the Shu Kingdom since the Qin Dynasty, is a bustling commercial city with a large population. It is normal for outsiders to get lost when they enter the city, which has led to the emergence of a profession: guide!
These people were all native to Jincheng Prefecture and knew every street and alley.
Jiang Zhi and Er Rui stood by the roadside. Although their clothes were clean, they could not hide the weariness on their faces, and they were obviously travelers from out of town.
Errui, in particular, was so shocked by the three-story-high city wall that his jaw almost dropped, as if the words "country bumpkin" were etched onto his forehead.
Soon someone came over to ask questions.
"Auntie, brother, are you going into town? Which way are you going? I'll take you in!"
The man was a thin, small young man with a shrewd face and a very professional smile. He had a badge hanging from his waist that looked like a license or something similar, with several rows of small red characters on it.
Jiang Zhi glanced at him a few times but didn't say anything.
The man immediately handed over the wooden plaque: "Don't worry, don't worry! I, Liu San, have a plaque, it's registered with the government, I'm not a fraudster or a swindler!"
These were professionals, and the city guards were just a few steps away; he dared not lie.
Jiang Zhi asked, "How much will it cost to get to the Prince's residence?"
Liu San casually said, "To Wangfu Street, I'll give you 300 coins for the directions and a ride."
Jiang Zhi didn't agree. Instead, she turned and walked towards the other guides. She compared prices at three different places and found that 300 was a bit too high.
Liu San quickly followed: "Wangfu Street is in the city center. It takes almost half an hour to get into the city by carriage. I promise to take you there before I leave. Three hundred coins is not expensive!"
Jiang Zhi wasn't unable to pay the money; she just didn't want to be taken advantage of.
Once you enter the city, you might not know what the rules are, and it's possible that you'll have to pay extra halfway through.
This is obviously the most common occurrence, and there are regulations that stipulate that other guides should not steal business; instead, they should help Liu San negotiate the price.
Jiang Zhi thought 250 sounded bad, so the final price was set at 260 coins.
After agreeing on the business deal, Liu San registered with the city guard officer next door before setting off.
He also complained and explained, "The price you offered is really not high. You see, we have to pay money every time we bring in a customer here."
It seems these people have to share their earnings with the city guards when they look for business at the city gate, but Jiang Zhi feels more at ease.
Upon hearing Liu San's complaint, he immediately smiled and said, "As long as you deliver us safely, I'll make up the difference."
Liu San was overjoyed: "Then thank you very much, Auntie. Don't worry, I will take good care of you two."
As he spoke, he led a small horse-drawn carriage over from the side. The horse pulling the carriage was as thin as him: "Auntie, don't underestimate this thin horse. It knows every road in the city. It knows when to go fast and when to go slow. It can even hear the sound of the gong clearing the streets. When the gong sounds, it will stand still and refuse to move!"
The deal was done, and Liu San was very happy. He became more talkative, and while preparing to help move the boxes, he praised his livestock.
His hand had just touched the box when Errui stopped him: "I'll carry it myself."
Because the wooden crate needed to be moved, Errui had wrapped it in a layer of cloth so it wouldn't be torn off.
Liu San didn't mind; whatever the guest said, he did. He helped carry the large package for Qin Shi, while Jiang Zhi carried her own bundle onto the car, which immediately became packed.
Compared to her gloomy mood when she went to the city with Nie Fantian to look for her relatives last time, Jiang Zhi was much more relaxed this time. She sat in the carriage, constantly looking at the scenery on both sides.
Since Liu San is a professional guide, he naturally avoids crowded main streets and only takes small streets and narrow alleys, passing through various residential areas.
At that time, Jincheng had no tall buildings. Apart from the main street, most of the houses were green-tiled bamboo houses, closely connected to each other.
Because of the daily rain in summer, the street corners are covered with green moss, and bamboo and willow trees complement each other.
The most abundant flowers are found everywhere in every household and courtyard, creating a riot of color, with bees and butterflies flitting about.
Even the carriages passing by the flower bushes were covered in butterflies.
Errui wasn't interested in these flowers and butterflies; they were the only things he saw most often in the countryside.
Only the crisscrossing streets and waterways of Jincheng Prefecture, the crowded carriages and horses, and the leisurely crowds enjoying the flowers and scenery surprised him: "Mother, these people don't grow crops, how do they support their families?"
Jiang Zhi couldn't answer this question either, but Liu San, who was leading the way, said: "There are 100,000 households in the city, and they do all kinds of business. As for food, of course, it is the land outside the city that feeds them."
Neither drought nor flood, water can be found by digging three feet into the ground, and everything planted will yield a harvest.
Speaking of the plain outside the city, Xu Errui's eyes almost bled with envy, saying that the place was really too good, almost the same as the Qin family back then.
Whenever Xu Errui brought up business, Liu San would casually mention that he knew where to find antiques at bargain prices, where to find good and cheap silk quilts, and where to find silverware blessed by Buddhist temples, asking Jiang Zhi if she wanted to go take a look.
Whether you buy or not is irrelevant; the guarantee is that it's a legitimate business operating on the main street.
Xu Errui immediately said, "No, no, we have important business to attend to, we're not buying anything."
Liu San was still lobbying.
Jiang Zhi was speechless; these shady tour guides who sell jade to everyone they meet are truly everywhere.
"I'm not going anywhere. You should hurry up and take us to the Prince Zhou's residence. Someone is waiting for us!" Jiang Zhi stopped wasting words with him and urged him directly.
Liu Sangang mentioned a calligraphy and painting shop, but upon hearing that they were going to the Zhou Prince's Mansion, he quickly turned around to confirm: "You're not going to Wangfu Street, you're going to the Prince's Mansion?"
Jiang Zhi said, "We're going to the Prince's Mansion. You'd better hurry. We agreed on a time, so we have to be on time. If we're too late, the people from the Prince's Mansion might come to the city gate to meet us."
Liu San fell silent and noticeably increased the speed of his horse. After passing several intersections, they finally saw the Prince's Mansion with its red walls and black tiles.
Instead of going to the main gate, Liu San walked along the high wall for a while and arrived at the side gate of the Prince's Mansion.
He stopped the carriage two zhang away and said to Jiang Zhi, "Auntie, wait a moment, I'll go and inform the gatekeeper of the Prince's Mansion for you."
They eat at various places and need to have a wide network of connections. If given the chance, they would like to get to know some of the guards and gatekeepers in the Prince's mansion.
Of course, he wouldn't go alone; Errui took out his identity and travel permit and followed.
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