Chapter 110: Entering The Capital
Wu Fei rode a giant ship along the waterway for the final one hundred li northbound with the Imperial Envoy.
The eighty-meter-long wooden sailboat first followed the river downstream toward the Divine Capital, then, under the pull of rope-pullers, passed a stretch of upstream travel before the large ship finally slid steadily into the canal leading to the Yao Capital.
The journey had arrived.
As they approached the outskirts of the Capital City, Wu Fei saw the life of the princes and young nobles enjoying boat outings.
On the multi-story ship, a group of beautiful dancing women danced for the princes, their brilliant headdresses and fiery earrings gleaming even from a hundred paces away.
Xuan Chong stood at his own ship’s railing watching, after all, the streamers from before his transmigration didn’t dance this well.
However, this posture of looking up and commenting drew a cold snort from the big shots on the ship, but upon seeing the Imperial Envoy’s royal banner in Wu Fei’s unassuming team, they didn’t flare up and turned back into the multi-story ship.
Just as Xuan Chong was getting excited, he heard someone from the multi-story ship commenting: “As expected of barbarians from the Southern Border, utterly lacking in manners.”
Xuan Chong was stunned: “How am I lacking in manners?” After using provocation to ask Deputy Envoy Qian Zheng, he learned that staring so fixedly at another family’s concubine was presumptuous.
Xuan Chong was astonished: “They allow her to dance on the canal, but I can’t watch with my legs crossed?”
But after observing others, he found that apparently everyone except him was quite reserved.
Xuan Chong suddenly recalled a joke from his previous life: The most obvious way foreigners distinguish compatriots is that they dare to stare at soldiers at the entrance of a US military base with the gaze one uses for monkeys. And they stop to watch, not standing with hands behind the back, but with one leg propped up and the other slanted; from behind, this stance screams “civilian.” This is actually a manifestation of lacking the concept of hierarchy.
At this, Xuan Chong felt quite apologetic; he was used to the era of “standing up” in his previous life, and in this life in the Southern Border, he specialized in cutting down all sorts of arrogant types; for classes without knives in hand or whose knife-handling wasn’t as steady as his own, he offered not a shred of respect.
Xuan Chong silently retorted in his mind: “I understand the class system, I get it, but it’s really hard to respect them.”
He understood the situation, but Xuan Chong wasn’t about to indulge them—”just watch, just watch.” So he fetched a table and bench, sat down with legs propped on the table, and watched. Meanwhile, his piercing gaze swept over those Capital City bigwigs.
On the other ship, as the princely young nobles returned aboard, the dancing women began washing up on the ship. A woman with bright eyes and white teeth, wearing fiery earrings, smilingly tossed a basin of dirty water from the ship, which just happened to drench the rope-pullers below. When the rope-pullers stared fixedly at her, she covered her mouth and smiled sweetly, as if bestowing a reward.
Xuan Chong gazed at all this, his expression changing from watching a streamer dance to seriousness, and asked quite puzzled: “What exactly makes you close attendants’ lowly maids think they’ve become great ladies?”
Wearing gold and silver won the favor of nobles, but it also helped the nobles spread their debts.
…The canal waters flowed murmurously, the passing ships stirring up murk…
As the endpoint neared, Xuan Chong looked up at the palace buildings of Da Yao emerging amid the clouds, revealing the expression of every country bumpkin visiting the capital region for the first time. This expression satisfied the others in the Imperial Envoy’s team, who thought smugly: “The country bumpkins from the southern barbarians are awestruck.”
Xuan Chong was indeed awestruck, shocked by how this ancient level of management sustained such a massive city. The Divine Capital lacked the stacked pigeonhole buildings, but all sorts of multi-level structures were densely packed; there were no trees inside the city, and the population density was extremely high.
Xuan Chong took notes: The Divine Capital’s various districts must have mechanisms to control population flow. Because without twenty-first-century subway and bus systems for dispersal, nor multi-story malls to accommodate transient populations, with ancient production capacity, if people gathered at some marketplace in the city, stampedes would inevitably occur.
Things like twenty-first-century pop stars holding concerts were impossible here.
Even concerts from his previous life caused severe traffic jams and required security to maintain order.
After inquiring, Xuan Chong learned that the city had curfew at night, and during the day, aside from nobles’ carriages and horses, commoners were not allowed to cross neighborhood boundaries. Of course, even so, when a major city fell, there would absolutely be masses of commoners crossing boundaries to other wards for a taste of “looting.”
This is why, after Eastern sieges, they had to suppress the “local ruffians” looting on the streets; where did so many “local ruffians” come from? They were all old hands from the city.
Xuan Chong began thinking further: After occupying a major city, how to maintain governance?
The giant ship arrived at the dock, where porters soon waited nearby. Wu Fei observed that near these dock workers, there were some burly men maintaining order, bantering crudely among themselves.
Wu Fei pricked up his ears to discern their conversation, learning they belonged to the Golden Bridge Hall of the Windbreaker Gang.
In a flash of realization, Wu Fei understood: The labor in this area was controlled by the gang; more precisely, the population in each area was collaboratively controlled by gangs and officials.
The Divine Capital’s government offices seemed to pay salaries to constables and officers, but in reality, ninety percent of the silver they received was gray money.
Xuan Chong noted: Constables are civil servants in modern society; but in the Eastern ritual law dynasty system, the government just gave them a title. These officers thrived on their own abilities among all walks of life; which households went out from their neighborhoods today, which merchants could trade—all depended on them.
Porters like those at the dock mostly came from out-of-town folks seeking livelihood outside the Capital City; constables and local gangs together controlled these able-bodied men.
Wu Fei spotted a constable chatting and laughing on the neighboring restaurant, confirming these officers were themselves martial world people. —In short, if the army took this city and wanted it to keep functioning, they could stabilize it by controlling the local government offices.
Of course, if the constables couldn’t stabilize the chaos, instability arose, it was often handled by having soldiers “hardcore reduce the population.”
Wu Fei nodded and recorded in the system’s reserved memo: When capturing a major city, be sure to set up the related slave camps properly.
…Entering the city…
Wu Fei’s team had halberdiers clearing the way ahead, so along the road, idle miscellaneous people kept clear, with no contact from all walks of life.
After settling at the Xianliang Shrine, Wu Fei bid farewell to Gong Qian. Gong Qian: “Brother Yuan Chang, please wait a few days; Your Majesty will summon you soon.”
Wu Fei nodded, eyeing the streets and alleys outside the Xianliang Shrine with keen interest. Just as he was about to ask if Gong Qian was free that evening to grab a meal at a restaurant together, Gong Qian had already left. Losing his conversation partner, Wu Fei felt a bit lonely.
That afternoon, Wu Fei wandered the streets, watching the street performers. —As an out-of-towner, Wu Fei encountered two or three waves of pickpockets in the short half tea-cup time watching street acts.
Wu Fei grabbed a small hand holding a little knife, saying helplessly: “As unavoidable as summer mosquitoes.”
After grabbing the thief, it didn’t make him restrained; instead, this thirteen-year-old little thief glared ferociously and accused Wu Fei of brandishing a white blade in public. —And he shouted loudly.
No one around stepped up righteously; seeing the onlookers’ expressions, Wu Fei suddenly understood—this was the treatment of “out-of-towners.” As for why this pickpocket didn’t think himself a “big shot”? Because even incognito, big shots in the marketplace had personal servants. But Wu Fei’s steps weren’t proper, suddenly speeding up then slowing, wandering east and west—no sign of having servants.
After a constable arrived and heard Wu Fei’s accent, he initially stood before the pickpocket, falsely accusing Wu Fei of public robbery with a white blade.
This white blade was the little thief’s knife for cutting clothes, utterly inverting black and white without scruple. It made sense; local pickpockets who survived here had backers who paid filial piety to the officials.
After Wu Fei mentioned he was a new guest at the Xianliang Shrine, they toned it down a bit, but the constable still firmly stated: “You come with me first; wait for your master to come claim you.” —His words treated Wu Fei as a servant brought by some outer official.
The little pickpocket cursed gleefully: “Take a good look; under the Son of Heaven’s feet, is this a place for you out-of-towner to throw a tantrum? Arrest Elder me?! If you can catch Elder, Elder will take your surname.”
Wu Fei couldn’t help glancing at himself; did he look like a servant?
Later, Wu Fei learned he was too young; at this age, he couldn’t be a high court official, and all the young masters in the Capital City were known to these constables.
So he seemed more like a minor attendant by some outer official; once shackled, when the official came to claim him, they could extort some silver money.
Just as the shackles were about to be clapped on Wu Fei, who had hidden countermoves ready to strike back.
A roar halted the constables; a knife-bearing constable stepped forward, berating these people blind to Mount Tai. —This man was sent from the Xianliang Shrine to tail Wu Fei, following two hundred meters back, rushing over at the commotion.
Seeing someone take over the conflict, Wu Fei ignored them and walked off. But after thinking, he led away that young little pickpocket. Because seeing his lost-soul look before the constables, if he didn’t step in, the kid would get beaten on return.
Wu Fei grabbed the child’s hand and said to him: “From now on, you’ll take my surname; you’ll be called Wu Juwang.”
The child tried to struggle free, but was gripped tighter.
…Secret Guard reports…
In the Golden Throne Hall, Emperor Shu, after a day of toil, reviewed the information reported by his Secret Guard at his feet.
Emperor Shu found the news from the Xianliang Shrine quite amusing.
After a long while, he recalled his confidante outside the palace whom he hadn’t seen in half a year, so he decided on a micro-incognito visit. But after thinking, he decided to wait a bit.
After all, Wu Fei had kept Emperor Shu waiting two years; an emperor couldn’t lose face.
The nearby eunuch silently attended, but this servant of decades instantly understood from his master’s expression: They needed to clear the area around the Xianliang Shrine, lest city dandies accidentally offend the imperial presence.
…Swimming Dragon plays with Phoenix…
Fifteen days after arriving in the Capital City, Wu Fei shopped from the West Market to the East Market, learning the city’s various martial world affairs under Wu Juwang’s lead.
Through martial world contradictions, Wu Fei inferred the trade situations of “horses,” “ironware,” and “granaries,” since behind gang conflicts lay fame and fortune; martial world fights arose where “profits” were high.
In certain movies from his previous life, “triad” gang bosses full of brotherhood gathered to talk, as if vying for financial lifelines, when really it was just fighting over street boxed meal stalls.
Through investigation, Wu Fei roughly estimated the Divine Capital’s population at around nine hundred thousand.
Wu Fei thus openly recorded the city, gunpowder workshops, horse markets, military factories, and the distribution of officials at all levels within the city. He drew a simple military sketch.
Throughout, Wu Fei always sensed someone tailing him. And the tails increased over these days.
In the marketplace, Wu Fei used the alias “Xuan Yuan Chang,” wandering teahouses to eavesdrop on the current Da Yao situation. Wu Juwang followed behind, freeloading meals and helping this out-of-towner avoid pitfalls.
Today, Wu Fei sat in the teahouse as usual, releasing his self-developed “magnetic cicada” magic—a flying eavesdropper—to learn the message flows among all walks of life.
For example, sixty paces away, a group of cart drivers squatting in the shade of a courtyard wall were “key-politicking” about the court’s northern troops.
Wu Fei listened with relish, occasionally tapping the table; suddenly he sensed something off—the tails around him had multiplied, but this time the center of surveillance wasn’t him. If it centered on him, Wu Fei would instinctively dodge the “focus” spot.
Soon Wu Fei pinpointed this “focus”; though not him, it was headed his way. At the teahouse entrance, a wealthy-looking middle-aged old man sat down with his servant’s support. The old man’s face was creased like orange peel, but this “middle-aged man” was clearly pampered and affable-seeming, yet his eyes hid thunder.
Wu Juwang was sensitive to the situation; the peanut-munching boy instantly stood to yield the way, positioning behind Wu Fei like a servant.
Wu Fei closely examined the servant by the old man—no beard on his face, movements effeminate; clearly a eunuch.
…Old and young both acting…
The old man asked: “Young brother, does it bother you if I sit here?”
Wu Fei paused: “I’m Xuan Yuan Chang; you sitting here is fine, but this kid has only about ten copper coins; if Elder wants me to treat you to a cup, forgive my empty pockets.” Then he gave Wu Juwang twenty cash to go play elsewhere.
The nearby eunuch wanted to speak but was held back.
They all just sat dryly, but Wu Fei wasn’t impatient; he took out a thumb ring with wind-listening magic and slowly rotated it on his finger. This thumb ring could receive conversations within a hundred paces. Wu Fei tuned it like an old radio knob.
Twenty paces away, cart driver: “At Shamen Pass, our Border Army suffered a major defeat, tsk tsk, heads rolling!”
Cart driver 2: “Real or fake?”
Cart driver 3: “My brother works in the horse stables; the Border Army’s messenger horses all returned with arrow wounds.”
The cart drivers chattered intelligence.
In the teahouse, Wu Fei ordered a dish of beans, tuning the “radio” to twenty paces out.
The old man eyed the cart drivers, killing intent flickering in his brow.
The nearby eunuch wanted to speak but couldn’t interject, anxious.
After one tea-cup’s time, the cart drivers had work and shifted to Lord Li hiring an opera troupe.
Wu Fei lost interest in the topic, gathered his beans into his lunchbox, preparing to change venues—his divination copper coins would guide him to the next hot topic spot for gossip.
But this time, the old man asked: “Young brother, very concerned about Da Yao’s military affairs?”
Wu Fei: “Mm, just catching the wind and shadow.”
The nearby eunuch hurriedly interjected: “Since you know it’s catching the wind and shadow, why do we see you listening so eagerly?”
Wu Fei smiled without speaking, eyeing the eunuch; as if dissected by Wu Fei’s gaze, the eunuch couldn’t speak further. Emperor Shu knew Wu Fei actually knew, but for now everyone could pretend ignorance, so he smoothed it over: “My family servant lacks discipline; forgive the amusement, young friend.”
Wu Fei: “No matter; your family servant, well, cares for the nation.” Then responded: “The reason for catching the wind and shadow is that within an airtight barrier, if parrots in a cage just echo questions and answers, it’s hard to hear a bit from the outside world.”
“Da Yao’s foremost civilized land is too peaceful and stable. Compared to other places under heaven, it’s a different scene. Thus, though nine out of ten martial world rumors from cart drivers and walkers are false, as a shut-in who can’t move about, I still must gauge the winds and rains.”
Emperor Shu stroked his beard: “Then young friend thinks this under heaven, as these vulgar folk say, is amid stormy seas?”
Wu Fei: “With our dynasty’s Son of Heaven above, though there are some waves, there won’t be major chaos. The vulgar exaggerate. I listen for fun.”
Emperor Shu couldn’t help nodding, smile brimming: “And after this dynasty’s Son of Heaven passes in a century?”
At this, surrounding teahouse guests hearing the topic hurriedly paid and left. The teahouse boss wanted to shoo them (Wu Fei’s table), but was blocked by Secret Guards in the corner, and after they flashed waist tokens, he slumped aside waiting.
Wu Fei glanced at the sky, slowly saying: “Heavenly matters, ask the heavenly people; down here I can only see today’s sky.”
After speaking, Wu Fei waited a bit, then said to Emperor Shu: “Elder, may this kid go now?”
Emperor Shu eyed Wu Fei, smiling: “Young friend, wander the city a few more days; I think we’ll meet again.”
With his little scheme seen through, Wu Fei smiled awkwardly.
If Emperor Shu had nodded face-to-face agreeing to “let go,” then Wu Fei would have “received the decree” and could sneak off the next day; even if caught, he could say he’d received the decree.
…Young people are still too green…
Watching Wu Fei’s departing figure, Emperor Shu said in a tone with a hint of admiration: “How many years has it been since someone dared remonstrate so directly with Us?”
Then he rose, instructing: “Back to the palace. Send things to Wan Xiu, tell her I can’t come lately.”
Wan Xiu was the local flower queen; in recent years during micro-incognito outings, Emperor Shu’s habitual “female internet celeb” to reward. This time he felt it was en route to meet the idly wandering poor Wu Fei on the street; of course, with Wu Fei spoiling the mood, he didn’t want to go.
