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The west side of Tongguan is similar to the east side, with a market built along the pass, but it is half the size.
It was not easy to pass through Tongguan. Many merchants who got up late often could not enter the pass until the afternoon. At this time, it was too late to travel, so they rested by the city wall for the night. As a result, a market was formed over time. However, the merchants who lived here wanted to travel to Beijing as soon as possible and did not want to stay for a long time, so the scale of this town could not be compared with the one on the east side.
It was not yet noon when Qiu Yizi and others entered the pass, so they only rested for a while in the town and had lunch, just in time to avoid the scorching sun at noon, and then continued to head west.
After passing through the town, there is an endless green wheat field. A road twice as wide as the Youyan official road stretches straight through the wheat field, all the way to the distant horizon. Looking at this magnificent scene that is completely different from Youyan, Qiu Yizhi realized that he had finally set foot on the 800-li Qinchuan, which is known as the "Golden City of Thousands of Miles, the Lifeline of China".
Since ancient times, there has been a Chinese proverb that "whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world, and whoever controls Guanzhong controls the Central Plains." Whoever can occupy the fertile land in Guanzhong can be called the orthodox Chinese and can establish a dynasty, thus creating unprecedented achievements.
When Taizu of our dynasty founded the Han Dynasty for two hundred years, he saw the gap when the previous dynasty was mobilizing all its forces to suppress the rebellion in the south, and attacked Dasanguan Pass with a desperate determination and broke through it in one fell swoop. With the assistance of countless counselors and generals, he broke through the capital Luoyang before the previous dynasty's army came back to help. When Luoyang was broken, the emperor of the previous dynasty burned the palace to ashes, and he himself disappeared in the fire. From then on, the military and political power of the previous dynasty was leaderless, and warlords rose up in various places and attacked each other. Taizu took this opportunity to improve politics, encourage agriculture and mulberry, stockpile food and grass, and train the army internally. Externally, he adopted the strategy of making friends with distant forces and gradually eliminated other forces. It took him twelve years to finally unify China.
Emperor Taizu understood the principle of taking a rest with the people and cherishing their strength. Although Luoyang was the capital of the previous dynasty, its structure was still there and it had been operated for a long time. Therefore, he did not build another capital, but expanded it on the basis of the previous one, which is the current capital Luoyang.
Therefore, the Jinji area where Luoyang is located is the base of the Han Dynasty court. All military and political affairs are directly governed by the six ministries. For example, the promotion and transfer of officials is directly ordered by the Ministry of Personnel, local taxes are collected by the Ministry of Revenue, and the provincial examinations are presided over by the Ministry of Rites. As for the garrison troops, they are all organized as imperial guards. In name, they are under the command of the emperor himself, but the current emperor Zheng Yong is tired of government affairs, and the actual power of the imperial guards is held by his second son Zheng Yao.
Kinki was managed so strictly and tightly that the area was naturally very peaceful. There were no bandits or robbers to be seen. Even the official road that was directly built and maintained by the Ministry of Works was very wide and flat.
This road was easy to travel on and there was no need to climb mountains or wade through water. Qiu Yi and his group traveled much faster than before. They only rested for two nights on the way and arrived at the city of Luoyang early the next morning.
Luoyang was the capital of the Han Dynasty. It was nine li long from north to south and five li long from east to west, which was the number of the supreme ruler. The city was surrounded by a seven-zhang-high wall with twelve gates on all four sides. They were: the east wall from north to south had three gates: Jianchun, Dongyang, and Qingyang; the south wall from west to east had four gates: Jinyang, Xuanyang, Pingchang, and Kaiyang; the west wall from north to south had three gates: Helu, Xiyang, and Ximing; and the north wall from west to east had two gates: Daxia and Guangmo.
These twelve gates have different rituals. For example, the Pingchang Gate in the south is used for the army to enter the city and present prisoners when it returns victoriously. The Dongyang and Xiyang gates can only be opened when the princes are ordered to enter the capital. The Jianchun and Helu gates lead directly to the imperial city and are usually not opened.
Qiu Yizi did not have the status of a vassal king like Zheng Rong, so of course he could not enter Luoyang from Dongyang Gate in a grand manner surrounded by ceremonial guards like his adoptive father did many years ago when he came to the capital. Instead, he bypassed a quarter of the city and entered the city through the south wall of Luoyang according to the rules.
The three gates of Jinyang, Xuanyang and Kaiyang in the south were specially built for merchants to do business in Luoyang, and they also set up checkpoints to check the identities and accompanying items of people passing through the gates. Because there were three routes to Beijing, the number of merchants waiting was not as large as that at Tongguan Pass, so although Qiu Yi and his party did not use any tricks to jump the queue, they only waited for an hour before entering Luoyang through Kaiyang Gate.
However, the border inspection in the capital was extremely strict, and there was no way to bribe the officer in charge, so Qiu Yizi had to tie his precious sword to the bottom of the carriage, and then he could get through with fear.
The city of Luoyang is worthy of the atmosphere of a great Celestial Empire. Several straight bluestone roads divide the streets into neat and tidy areas, and groups of soldiers patrol the roads from time to time.
Each area has its own fixed functional regulations, which are divided into government offices, residential areas, restaurants and markets. This regulation has never been changed since the founding of the Taizu Dynasty and must be strictly followed. If a businessman builds a restaurant in a residential area, it is a serious crime of disrespect, and the serious case can be punished by death.
Qiu Yizi, Zhou Cijing and others were not residents of Luoyang, so they did not have fixed residences in the residential area. So He Jiugong held the reins and gently pulled the horse's head, and led the team into the commercial area near Kaiyang Gate.
The Han Dynasty was founded more than two hundred years ago, and the population has increased five or six times that of the early years of Emperor Taizu. The number of people who came to the capital to make a living is more than ten times the population when the city was founded. However, due to the ancestral system, Luoyang City and its various areas could not expand by half an inch. Therefore, both sides of this commercial street are densely packed with houses, and all kinds of shops have been opened along the street, and people are crowded.
In the crowded crowd, Qiu Yizi could no longer ride the horse, so he had to dismount and slowly move forward. However, in such a prosperous street, there was no sound of hawking, and even those who were bargaining for goods kept their voices as low as possible, as if they were whispering about something important. Most people walking on the street were silent, following the flow of people, occasionally looking up at the dazzling array of goods displayed in the shops on both sides, and even when they passed by acquaintances on the road, they just nodded to each other.
This situation was very different from the bustling horse market in Guangyang City. Qiu Yizhi felt as if several huge rocks were pressing down on his chest, and he was indescribably depressed. So he forced a smile and asked He Jiugong, "Don't people in the capital like to talk?"
He Jiugong also looked puzzled and said, "I have been to Luoyang many times. Although the government is strict, it doesn't seem to be so deserted... I advise you to follow the local customs. If others don't speak, we should also keep silent."
After hearing this, Qiu Yizi swallowed his saliva and stopped talking. Only his eyes were rolling around, watching the scenery of the capital city.
The group walked a short distance before stopping in front of a three-story building.
Qiu Yizi looked up at the plaque. On it were four characters written in thick and neat regular script. He was very familiar with this handwriting. It was the four characters "Guangyang Chamber of Commerce" written by Zheng Rong, King of Youyan.
Seeing this, Qiu Yizhi was suddenly startled. He handed the reins to Zhao Chengxiao who was standing beside him, and hurriedly got into Zhou Cijing's carriage. He asked, "Uncle, why are you staying here? Why don't you go to a restaurant or inn to rest for a while?"
Zhou Cijing replied, "Land is very expensive in Luoyang. I have long wanted to buy a piece of land in the market district of Luoyang and build a restaurant. Regardless of whether it makes a profit or a loss, it sounds better to say: 'My Zhou family also has property in Luoyang.' However, all the shops in Luoyang are century-old, and none of them are willing to transfer. As for this house, I don't know how many favors I have to ask for to buy it! I didn't dare to keep it to myself, so I donated it to be used as the office of the Chamber of Commerce in the capital. The prince was very happy when he heard about it, so he awarded this plaque! Therefore, it is not wronged for you to rest here today."
Qiu Yizhi finally listened to Zhou Cijing's boasting and said, "How dare I? I'm just afraid that there are many people I know in the Guangyang Chamber of Commerce. If they recognize me, I will inevitably be entangled in socializing. If the matter of donating money to get a job is exposed, it won't ruin the good thing, but it will be embarrassing."
Zhou Cijing lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "My dear nephew, what you said makes sense. If I follow your opinion, what should we do?"
Qiu Yi said, "I think it's still early now, why don't you go with me to visit the officials in the court first, and then I can find an inn to stay. What do you think?"
Although Zhou Cijing heard Qiu Yizhi calling him "uncle", he knew that there was a huge difference between their status and that the success or failure of his donation was all due to the face of his adoptive father, King Youyan, so he had to nod and agree. So he asked several of his servants to pick out the small, surprising and valuable items from the property carried in the car and put them in his car, and ordered them not to walk around or talk nonsense, and wait in front of the Guangyang Chamber of Commerce. He went to visit the court officials with Qiu Yizhi, Zhao Chengxiao and He Jiugong.
Everything was ready, but He Jiugong poked his head into the carport and asked, "Which master does the host want to visit first?"
Zhou Cijing listened, closed his eyes slightly and said, "Before setting off this time, I have already communicated with several officials in the court. Let's go to visit Wang Zhushi of the Ministry of Personnel first, and then he will introduce us to Liu Langzhong of the Ministry of Literature. As long as Lord Liu nods, we will go to the Ministry of Rites to make all the connections, and then this matter will be almost done." As he said, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to He Jiugong, "This is the address of Lord Wang's residence."
Qiu Yizhi, who was standing by, also took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "My dear nephew, I have another way. Could you please go and visit this gentleman first?"
Zhou Cijing then remembered that Qiu Yizhi also came here to buy an official position. How could a small businessman like him compare to the power of the dignified Prince of Youyan? Maybe he could skip the head of the Ministry of Personnel and directly meet with Mr. Liu, the doctor in charge of the appointment and promotion of officials, or maybe he could meet the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel or even the minister. At that time, he could also benefit from the Youyan Palace and get an official position smoothly, which would be worth the trip.
When Zhou Cijing thought of this, his eyes narrowed into a line, and he said, "He Jiu, why are you still standing there? Why don't you take the note and leave?" He then asked Qiu Yizi, "I wonder which master you should visit first, so I can make preparations early."
Qiu Yizi smiled slightly: "Uncle, don't be anxious, the answer will be clear when the time comes."
He Jiugong drove the carriage carrying Zhou Cijing, while Qiu Yizi and Zhao Chengxiao walked on the side, leading the horses. They turned around and out of the commercial district, and walked north along the street opposite Kaiyangmen again.
After walking for a while, the four of them arrived at the Imperial Avenue that runs through Dongyang Gate and Xiyang Gate. On the left is the red walls and golden tiles of the imperial city. When they got here, there were obviously more soldiers patrolling everywhere. The group did not dare to stay for long to admire the grandeur of the imperial city, and could only keep their heads down and keep moving forward.
Across the Huangdao Street, there is the area of government offices and official residences in Luoyang City. Zhou Cijing looked out from the small windows on both sides of the carport and saw that the streets were much quieter than before. There were no more people running around. Apart from the patrolling soldiers, there were only sedan chairs of varying sizes, swaying in the air as servants and attendants rushed in different directions.
Zhou Cijing had been here several times before. Seeing this scene, he regretted why he had forgotten to change to a sedan chair. It was too ostentatious to sit in a carriage in such a place where high-ranking officials gathered. He just hoped that he would not lose the big picture because of the small one and ruin his great cause of donating money to fill the vacancy. (To be continued)