newbobooks Chapter 199 Arrival at Sushui
Chapter 199 Arrival at Sushui
In ancient times, population movement was strictly controlled. If you wanted to go to other places, you had to report to the government, and you needed a pass to enter and exit. Lu Wensheng and his friends certainly didn't have these, but now it doesn't matter whether you see the pass or not, you just need to register to enter the city.
There were quite a lot of people in Lu Wensheng's group. As soon as they arrived, they were noticed by the people guarding the city gate. People cast scrutinizing glances at them from a distance.
After a while, a man dressed as a guard came over and looked at Lu Wensheng and the others, but his face did not show the fear and flattery that ordinary people would have when they saw the powerful.
The man first bowed, then took out a piece of cloth and handed it to Liu Jiqian, who was leading the group.
"There are some basic rules in the city. Only those who accept the conditions can enter the city."
After reading it, Liu Jiqian handed it to Lu Wensheng next to him. The content on it was roughly "Do not ride horses on the streets or trample on farmland", "Do not oppress civilians"... These things seemed normal to Lu Wensheng, but in fact they were rules to restrict the privileges of the powerful.
After reading it, Lu Wensheng handed it to the others, and everyone looked at it - logically, the leader should just accept it, and there was no need for everyone to circulate it. The guards were not clear about the composition of Lu Wensheng's team, and subconsciously thought that these people were expressing dissatisfaction and wanted to negotiate. They couldn't help but feel nervous and clenched their weapons.
"We are fine, can we enter the city?"
"Of course." The guard was stunned for a moment, then immediately nodded and watched them join the team entering the city.
Zheng Qiao and others were relieved to see that there was no conflict between them.
However, Lu Wensheng and his men were too outstanding and attracted a lot of attention. A rich man called his servant over, and Lu Wensheng remembered the role he played and pretended to stop him.
"I am here to say hello on behalf of our master."
The servant said this and bowed in the direction of the carriage. He, a servant, was dressed in silk and satin, which showed that the master's family was wealthy.
Liu Jiqian looked in the direction and made eye contact with the "master" who had lifted the curtain and was sitting in the carriage. He nodded, and he captured the noble flavor.
After entering the city with Zheng Qiao and the others, they decided to act separately. Yan Qingshu was asked to take the carriage and go look for Qi Zhaoshu and the others. Lu Wensheng wanted to wander around here first, and Liu Jiqian gave the horse to Tang He, obviously wanting to go with Lu Wensheng.
Tang He took the reins expressionlessly. Everyone had gotten used to Liu Jiqian's clinginess.
People were coming and going on the street. Although most of them were still pale and thin, they were dressed neatly, had smiles on their faces, and their dark eyes were exceptionally bright.
The vigor and vitality they exude makes it almost impossible to see any trace of hardship on their bodies, and the wrinkles on their faces seem to have become a thing of the past.
The road was planned and very wide, and there were even children playing on the road. Although their clothes were patched, their faces were rosy and they looked very healthy. With such a peaceful look, who would have thought that the world just across the wall was a chaotic world of constant war?
If the family is in financial difficulty, even the young children have to help out, so where is the time for them to play? It can be seen that the production of these children's families is enough to support the family's population. Looking at the toys in the hands of those children, it is obvious that the money also satisfies a certain degree of spiritual needs.
Zheng Qiao and the others had come through a difficult journey, and their eyes became warm when they saw this. The healthy and playful children brought them a lot of comfort, and an indescribable feeling filled their chests.
What was even more surprising was that these children who were chasing them were not afraid when they saw these "powerful and wealthy" people coming. The brave ones even ran closer to them. Lu Wensheng and the others could clearly hear these children singing.
"The emperor is not the only one who is high, even the grass and ants are proud of it. The gold and iron helmets shine in the world, while the rags and linen clothes are free. The ambition is like a rainbow through the sky, and the gathering of talents has higher ambitions. Everyone can be the emperor, and all things in the world are bright.
There is righteousness between heaven and earth, and those who share the same ideals will be loyal. They will not bend their backs for power, but seek the truth in their hearts. Together, we will create a new world and go to the future together. The supreme ruler of the world is not just one person, and the ultimate goal is universal harmony. "
Sometimes the nursery rhymes circulated locally can explain many problems. Zheng Qiao and others blushed and said excitedly several times, "It should be so."
Looking at the thriving town, Lu Wensheng also felt a sense of pride.
"This kind of scene was not very common when I was a child."
"I couldn't even get enough to eat at that time, so how could I have extra money to buy clay toys?"
"If it were still under our rule, I'm afraid this situation wouldn't exist. The places under our control are all in chaos..."
This scene did bring back everyone's memories. There was no nostalgia of the stories being revisited, but more of a hidden disappointment and loneliness - when they recalled Dayong, it did not bring them many good memories.
They hate the times and the powerful who can change their minds at will, and are afraid of the abyss beneath the glamour that abandons them like broken walls.
But they are people of Dayong. Even if they are saddened by someone's indifference and bow their heads to feudal principles, they are inevitably filled with sadness and nostalgia when they give a push to their crumbling country.
Liu Jiqian: "The change of dynasties is beyond human control. People of insight can only learn from the pain. Dayong is powerless to turn the tide..."
Because they were not from Dayong and could not understand that kind of sadness, Liu Jiqian's words were too rational and real, and those people immediately showed surprised expressions.
Zheng Qiao and others: (＃°Д°)Ah? You are so bold.
Seeing that Liu Jiqian hadn't finished speaking, Lu Wensheng coughed and tugged at his sleeve. Liu Jiqian immediately understood and showed an apologetic expression, but he used his sleeve to cover his hand and squeezed Lu Wensheng's hand - they didn't even have the chance to hold hands along the way.
No one noticed the little actions of the seemingly dignified and noble beauty, but Liu Jiqian received a firm glare from Lu Wensheng.
It has no lethality, but instead makes someone who is becoming more and more demanding feel itchy.
Liu Jiqian lowered his eyes slightly and acted innocent. Lu Wensheng had no choice but to turn his face away and pretend he didn't know - some people are becoming more and more skilled at using their faces as tools.
Everyone tacitly agreed not to continue the topic.
Zheng Qiao really couldn't help but look at these people a few more times - he felt something was wrong the moment he met them. They seemed to be unaware of many things. In this chaotic world, he inexplicably felt a sense of relaxation as if he was not part of it. The class boundaries in the world were not very clear either...
Especially that Mr. Lu, for some reason, it felt like he was inspecting something - and... Zheng Qiao knew very well that probing was not a good thing, so he quickly stopped the thoughts in his mind and pretended not to know.
Sometimes playing dumb can save you a lot of unnecessary trouble.
(Ahem, there will be a young couple sharing a room in the later plot, these few chapters are more serious, please bear with me - ahem, I will give Liu some meat when the time comes.)