Lanzhi lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out, looking at the tall and magnificent city walls of Luoyang, which appeared exceptionally majestic and solid. In particular, the huge characters "Luoyang" above the city gate added a touch of majesty and imperial aura.
"Truly worthy of being under the emperor's nose, even the city gates are so bustling! It's so much better than our capital, Gaochang!"
Looking at the endless stream of people at the city gate, Lanzhi couldn't help but admire them.
From Gaochang Kingdom to the desert, and then to Jincheng, Lanzhi had seen quite a few cities along the way, but this was the first time she had ever seen such a prosperous city.
Seeing Lan Zhi's country bumpkin appearance, Zhang Xiu couldn't help but chuckle, a hint of arrogance on his face. "How can the capital of the Han Dynasty compare to the capital of your small country?"
Although it was Zhang Xiu's first time in Luoyang and he was shocked by the sight before him, he was much more dignified than Lan Zhi.
The commotion Lan Zhi made immediately drew the attention of everyone around her.
Wow, it's so beautiful!
A young man, upon seeing Lanzhi peeking out, froze on the spot, his mind momentarily blank, unsure how to describe Lanzhi's beauty.
"Hmph~ Haven't you seen enough!"
When Zhang Xiu saw the young man staring at Lan Zhi with a dazed expression, he immediately felt displeased and let out a cold snort.
"It was my rudeness!!"
Only then did the young man notice Zhang Xiu, dressed in the attire of a Imperial Guard, standing guard beside the carriage, and he quickly turned his head away.
Upon seeing this, Lanzhi, who was inside the carriage, pursed her lips, then lowered the curtain and sat back down.
Zhang Xiu then led the carriage, following the flow of people into the city.
"I've met this gentleman before. May I ask where you come from?"
A captain of the city gate guards saw Zhang Xiu approaching and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. He had never seen any Imperial Guards leave the city alone during his recent duty, so he came over to ask out of curiosity.
"My name is Zhang Xiu from Jincheng. I have recently been summoned by His Majesty to serve as a member of the Imperial Guard. I have come here to express my gratitude to His Majesty!"
Zhang Xiu politely returned the greeting to the guard captain, and then took out Liu Hong's summons edict.
"I see, please come in, sir!"
The captain, with envy in his eyes, handed the imperial edict back to Zhang Xiu, then stepped aside to make way for him.
"Thank you!!"
Zhang Xiu cupped his hands in greeting and then led the carriage into the city.
"Hey~ I have to say, the guards here are really something, daring to even check you, the emperor's personal guard??"
As they walked, Lanzhi lifted the carriage curtain again, complaining to Zhang Xiu while blinking and admiring the bustling scenery of Luoyang.
"Don't talk nonsense! His Majesty said that the guardians are sacred and inviolable! Even the Marquis of Dingbian has to return the courtesy when he sees them!"
Furthermore, this is right under the emperor's nose; they are guarding His Majesty's gates. Who is beyond their jurisdiction?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu gave Lan Zhi a good scolding, and then glared at her afterward.
"I was just saying it casually, and look how angry you are!!"
Seeing Zhang Xiu's stern face, Lan Zhi pouted in annoyance. It was the first time she had encountered such a rigid and formal soldier who kept referring to "Your Majesty" all the time.
"You must know that trouble comes from the mouth. This is the Han Dynasty, and there are some things you can't say carelessly!"
Zhang Xiu seemed unwilling to let her off the hook, continuing his stern and authoritarian reprimand.
"Alright, alright, I understand! I won't say anything more!!"
She rolled her eyes at Zhang Xiu, then ignored them and focused on the dazzling array of shops on both sides of the street, as well as the various vendors and pedestrians coming and going.
Although it was already deep winter, Lanzhi did not see a trace of misery on the faces of those people. Although their faces were red from the cold, each of them wore a satisfied smile.
"How wonderful it would be if the people of my Gaochang Kingdom could live such a happy life!!"
Looking at the smiling faces of the people on the street, Lanzhi couldn't help but think of the people of her homeland.
Zhang Xiu, who was riding on horseback, looked much like Lan Zhi. He had lived in the northwestern border region since childhood. Every winter, he rarely saw pedestrians on the street, and the only thing he saw were corpses frozen to death by the roadside.
However, since Liu Hong ascended the throne and Xun You took office, Jincheng, where he lived, has been changing all the time. Now the people of Jincheng have something to do and money to earn. The eyes of the pedestrians on the street are full of light, and they are no longer like walking corpses.
Although it cannot compare to Luoyang today, it is still much better than before. In addition, the cities he passed through along the way, although not as prosperous as those recorded in history books, were all full of vigor and vitality.
Zhang Xiu attributed all of this to the emperor he served.
Zhang Xiu looked up towards the palace, his eyes filled with reverence, and said in a deep voice, "With His Majesty here, sooner or later, everyone will be able to live such a life!"
Is that so?
Hearing Zhang Xiu's words, Lanzhi murmured softly, but what she saw before her made her believe it all. Thinking of how her father and grandfather had spent their entire lives failing to provide such a life for the people of their country, Lanzhi couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Looking around, Lanzhi suddenly noticed three people in Taoist robes walking by the roadside not far away. Their strange attire immediately caught Lanzhi's attention.
"Huh? What does he do? Why do so many people respect him so much?"
Then Lanzhi stretched out her hand and pointed to the three people in front of her. She looked at Zhang Xiu with a puzzled expression, because she noticed that everyone they encountered would take the initiative to step forward and bow to the three of them with a respectful expression.
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