Eternal Saber

Not long after setting off, the Xiling Delegation faintly heard the sound of musical instruments playing ahead.

"Where is the sound coming from?"

The veiled woman inside the Da Wan Country’s carriage asked.

The maid following the convoy said, "The officials from the Daqian Ministry of Rites say that it is the Emperor of Daqian holding a grand performance in the Capital City. It reportedly started a few days ago and will continue until the end of the month."

"The Daqian officials say that the performances are even livelier at night, brightly lit, with as many as 18,000 musicians performing. The area spans 5,000 paces."

The maid couldn’t help but exclaim, "Daqian is indeed wealthy. Such a grand performance must cost a lot of silver. Our Xiling Countries combined probably couldn’t manage it."

The veiled woman was indifferent, and said blandly, "Merely the fat of the common people."

After another ten miles or so, the Xiling Delegation finally arrived at the Daqian Capital City.

The Capital City of Daqian is divided into the Inner City and the Outer City.

Once inside the Outer City, they saw a sea of people and an endless stream of carriages and horses.

On both sides of the street, all kinds of stalls lined up in rows, the vendors were extremely enthusiastic, with fresh fruits and vegetables, sweet pastries, exquisite silks, various porcelain... A dazzling array of goods overwhelmed the senses.

Exclamations of amazement were frequently heard from the Xiling Delegation.

Even the trees on either side of the street were wrapped with silk.

Even the most ordinary vendors wore splendid clothing.

Even the smallest street vendors selling vegetables used Dragon Beard Mats to cover the ground.

The shop eaves on both sides of Vermilion Bird Avenue were uniform in design.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites, who came to welcome the delegation, listened to the exclamations coming from the Xiling Delegation and felt proud, puffing their chests as they walked along the streets with the delegation, introducing the splendor of the Daqian Capital City.

The veiled woman sitting upright inside the Da Wan Country’s carriage lifted the curtain to look outside for a while and suddenly asked, "Lord Zheng, why are those people in the tavern eating and drinking and not paying?"

In the distance, a group of foreign men in a tavern were feasting and drinking heartily, and after being satisfied, they turned and left.

Lord Zheng chuckled, "Holy Daughter, you may not know, but we in Daqian are exceedingly wealthy, with abundant resources and warm hospitality. Whenever foreign friends come to eat and drink in the taverns of the Capital City, we do not charge a single coin. We welcome friends to visit often."

Eating without paying?

The members of the Xiling Delegation were all amazed upon hearing this.

The Xiling Saintess asked calmly, "If Daqian is so wealthy, why have we seen many hungry, emaciated people along the way here, unable to eat?"

"Well..."

Lord Zheng’s smile became stiff, hesitated slightly, and then replied with a laugh, "Holy Daughter, Daqian is vast, and inevitably there are some who are lazy and indolent. Nowadays, with the Emperor’s wise rule and auspicious omens, those who don’t have enough to eat have only themselves to blame."

"Oh."

The Xiling Saintess continued, "I am somewhat puzzled. If Daqian is so prosperous, why not use the silk that even wraps the trees on the streets to make clothes for the poor who are exposed?"

The officials from the Ministry of Rites exchanged awkward glances.

Lord Zheng forced a smile, "Holy Daughter, look around our Capital City; where are there any poor people?"

The Xiling Saintess lowered the curtain and said no more.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites breathed a sigh of relief.

Just a few words had already made them break out in a cold sweat.

Behind the Xiling Delegation was another convoy from the Wusun Country.

Besides Feng Xu, Mei Yingxue, Meng Liangyu, Ling Guang, Yan Qi, and others from Liangzhou, including Li Zhongmou and Li Shuhu, all disguised themselves as members of the Wusun Delegation and entered the city openly.

The people from Wusun Country were also amazed and astonished at the prosperity and wealth of the Daqian Capital City.

Although Feng Xu hadn’t been to the Daqian Capital City for a long time, a brief look showed him a lot.

He took Mei Yingxue and the others away from the Wusun Delegation and casually found an inn, booked several rooms, and ordered a table of food and wine.

"Boss, how much in total?"

Feng Xu asked.

The innkeeper quickly smiled, "We don’t charge anything. We in Daqian are wealthy and welcome friends to visit."

"Come, boss, let’s have a drink together."

Feng Xu invited.

The innkeeper couldn’t refuse and came over to drink a few cups with them.

Under Feng Xu’s persuasion, the innkeeper drank a few more cups until his face was red, gradually opening up and chatting with Feng Xu and the others.

Initially, Feng Xu chatted randomly with him, and after a few drinks, the innkeeper saw him as a close friend, impressed by his knowledge.

During the conversation, Feng Xu secretly handed over a silver ingot and said, "Take it, I know it’s not easy for you."

The innkeeper’s face showed a hint of bitterness, and he sighed softly.

Feng Xu asked, "Does the Court ultimately cover this expense?"

The innkeeper shook his head and said, "In name, it’s said to be covered by the Court, but in reality, we pay upfront, and even if they don’t pay, we don’t dare to ask for it."

"In the end, if they reimburse us for fifty percent, we must be grateful."

-----------------

Grand Commandant’s Mansion.

A black silhouette suddenly descended from the sky, appearing in an extremely secluded courtyard within the Grand Commandant’s Mansion, Agarwood Cottage.

It wasn’t until the black-robed man walked for a while that the dozen guards in the courtyard noticed.

"Who goes there!"

Someone immediately shouted.

Bam bam bam!

Chen Tang moved in front of the group of guards, sending them all to the ground with a few punches and kicks.