Han Yunong sighed and smiled bitterly: "There is Murong in the south, and Xiling is also occupied by the rebels. If there are still remnants of the rebels like the Queen Mother Society in this pass, if the Queen Mother Society cannot be stopped and extinguished as soon as possible, they will take over.
If you even act collusion, the empire will...!" He hesitated to speak, and finally did not continue.
Qin Xiao had no intention of taking care of Southern Xinjiang. He just thought about Yuwen Chengchao going into the tiger's den alone, and he still couldn't feel at ease.
"Captain, do you think the Queen Mother has any conspiracy?" Qin Xiao said thoughtfully: "Tonight is the first time they have met us. They don't know our details at all, and they haven't even seen us.
Since the Queen Mother's Association is a secretive organization, and they are eager to recruit people to join them, they should act cautiously. How could they be so hasty? Are they really not worried that we are the imperial court?
people?"
Han Yunong nodded slightly and said: "This is what I find strange. Logically speaking, such an organization would not recruit people into the group so hastily, let alone reveal one's identity easily without knowing the details of the other party."
"Captain, is Zhao Shengtai really the brother of that great scholar Zhao?"
Han Yunong shook his head and said: "I don't know either. I only know that when the imperial court issued a decree, Zhao Yankuo formed a party and conspired to rebel. All the officials were executed, and his family members were also involved in the rebellion. At that time, I followed the general in Xilingdu
I am on duty as a protector, and there are many rumors in Kyoto. I am just a soldier, and I don’t have much interest in court affairs. I am not sure whether those officials were executed, or whether any of their family members escaped death."
"It's useless to say anything now." Qin Xiao sighed: "The eldest son has left with them. I can only hope that everything goes well for him."
Han Yunong just nodded slightly and didn't say much.
After a night's rest, Du Hongsheng had recovered a lot. Although he was still a little weak, he didn't want to delay his trip to Beijing because of himself.
After he woke up, he naturally found that Yu Wen Chengchao was nowhere to be seen.
Han Yunong knew that Yuwen Chengchao's whereabouts were naturally known to as few people as possible. After all, he concealed his identity and entered the Queen Mother Association. If people from the Queen Mother Association knew that Yuwen Chengchao wanted to join the association to collect information, Yuwen Chengchao would definitely be put in danger.
within the environment.
Although Du Hongsheng was from the imperial court, Han Yunong had already negotiated with Qin Xiao before he woke up. He did not need to tell the truth about Yu Wen Chengchao's sneaking into the Queen Mother Association. Instead, he had already prepared his words and only said that Yu Wen Chengchao
I discovered that there was a group of evil cults that were harming people, so I followed the traces of that group of people and wanted to find out their lair before reporting it to the government. As for the existence of the Queen Mother Society, I didn't mention it.
Head to Kyoto to meet up.
Du Hongsheng didn't ask any further questions. At dawn, the three of them packed up and left the village.
The journey took more than one day. We traveled all the way east, crossed the Fen River, and left Yongzhou. Within a few days, we had reached the capital area. After another two days of traveling, we finally arrived at the capital of the Qin Dynasty.
The imperial capital was so majestic. When Qin Xiao saw the imperial capital for the first time, he was amazed in his heart. The thickness and concentration were far beyond what he had seen before.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the capital was built here. More than two hundred years of vicissitudes have given this giant city a rich heritage.
To the west are strong mountains with endless peaks. The Luoshui River comes from the southwest and runs through the ancient capital. To the east, it is blocked by Guyun Mountain. It is majestic and majestic. The Shence Army of the Imperial Capital, one of the three elites of the Tang Dynasty, is stationed at the foot of Guyun Mountain.
, Guyun Peak is steep and tall, and 30,000 Shence troops guard Kyoto, which is enough to ensure the safety of Kyoto.
The mountains are like a cluster, and the view is like a tower. Walking in the Luoshui River, I wandered into the capital.
Surrounded by mountains and beautiful waters, Kyoto is a majestic and earthy city, making it the undisputed number one city in the world.
Qin Xiao and the other three entered from the west gate of the Nine Gates of Kyoto. They were heavily interrogated. Qin Xiao and Han Yunong were carrying swords. When they entered the city, the Kyoto guards in black armor saw the two men carrying swords and immediately took them aside for questioning.
Du Hongsheng and Han Yunong both announced their identities, but the guards did not pay any attention to them. They still disarmed and took away the sabers of Qin Xiao and Han Yunong.
Although Du Hongsheng is a county guard in Xiling, in Kyoto, a small county guard is really not worth mentioning.
The soldiers and horses guarding Kyoto are the Kyoto Military Guard Battalion, which is under the control of the Nine Gates Guards Office. The Military Guard Generals of the Nine Gates Guards Office have always been selected by the South Academy through discussion and then decided by the emperor. Although they are just generals, they are in charge of the Nine Gates of Kyoto.
The position is extremely important. Not only does the Southern Court need to deliberate on the candidate, but the person must also win the emperor's trust.
The Wuwei Camp guards the city of Kyoto, so there is some arrogance in their bones from top to bottom. Except for the Dragon Scale Guards who guard the imperial palace, the Wuwei Camp has never paid attention to the three elite armies of the empire.
Therefore, the city gate guards did not care whether Du Hongsheng was a county guard. Even if it was true, he was just a local official who came from other places and was not worth mentioning. In the eyes of the guards, Han Yunong, a captain of the captain's palace, was
, then it means nothing. There was no discussion at all when collecting the weapons.
Although Qin Xiao was a little angry, when he first arrived in Kyoto, everything was unfamiliar, and it was impossible for him to argue with the guards before entering the city.
Entering the city, Qin Xiao felt the grandeur of this ancient city for the first time.
Although Qin Xiao came to Kyoto for the first time, he had heard about Kyoto City when he was in Xiling. He knew that this was not only the largest city in the world, but also that it had been the capital since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.
Over the years, this city has actually been the loyalty and brain of the entire empire. Countless government orders of the empire have all been issued from this city.
This ancient city has witnessed too many glories of the Tang Empire.
More than 200 years ago, Emperor Taizu, the founding emperor of the People's Republic of China, marched into Kyoto, ushering in the glorious years of this ancient city. Countless foreign envoys went through hardships and were all proud of being able to enter this city to pay homage to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
This ancient city has never disappointed those foreign envoys. Anyone who can enter the city to pay homage to the emperor will definitely return with a full load when they leave.
Over the past two hundred years, the city of Kyoto has been expanded and repaired several times. Although it has experienced years of hardships, this majestic ancient city has always stood here and became the center of the empire.
The roads in the city are criss-crossed, but they are extremely wide. There are many shops, row upon row, and the streets are bustling with people and cars.
Qin Xiao rode a horse and walked on the wide street, looking left and right, feeling the prosperity and prosperity of the empire.
No matter who is here, it is easy to forget the existential crisis of the empire and be infected by the prosperity and excitement of Kyoto City.
The high city wall of the capital seemed to divide the Tang Empire into two worlds.
One is the world inside the city, and the other is the world outside the city.
The streets were full of freshly dressed horses, neatly dressed, and a dazzling array of goods, which showed that the empire still had abundant wealth, which was completely different from the poor people Qin Xiao saw in the bitter cold land of Xiling.
Passing through streets, Du Hongsheng led Qin Xiao and Han Yunong on horseback by the Luoshui River.
Du Hongsheng was an official assigned to Xiling from Kyoto. He spent a lot of time in Kyoto in his early years, so he was very familiar with Kyoto.
Although Du Hongsheng was tired after a bumpy journey, he became energetic once he entered the capital.
"There are three big rivers in the capital, Luoshui, Gushui and Raoshui, all of which are introduced by natural water." Du Hongsheng said with a smile: "As early as in the previous dynasty, Kyoto built many channels based on Luoshui, and transportation was very convenient. It is convenient. There are squares in the city, and there are rivers in the squares, and the rivers and canals are connected with each other." Looking at the Luoshui River on the side, he continued: "The waterways can transport goods to the city. In addition, you can also travel along the river. There is a saying that goes like this: Northerners ride horses and southerners paddle boats. Southerners are not good at riding horses. When they arrive in Kyoto, they prefer to take a boat trip on the river. Look, there are two small boats over there, and the ones holding the boats are boat girls. The guests above should be from the south."
Qin Xiao could see clearly that the boat was a black-paneled boat, not big. The boat ladies who were punting the boat were all very slim and their movements were very skillful. He rarely took a boat in Xiling, so he couldn't help but ask: "Master Du, is the shipping fee very expensive?"
"That's not expensive." Du Hongsheng no longer had to endure the bumps on the road, and he seemed to feel much better. He explained with interest: "These boat girls take guests along the river and can help them explain the scenery on both sides of the strait. As you all know, Kyoto has been the capital since the former dynasty, and has a history of more than three hundred years. Almost every street in Kyoto has a story. These boat girls know the anecdotes and wild things that happened in Kyoto by heart, and know some allusions. It's enough to speak eloquently to the guests. Moreover, most of the boat girls are pretty good-looking, and the boat fare is not expensive. However, once the guests are in a good mood, they will also give some rewards because the boat girls are eloquent and good-looking. Relying on these incomes, they can barely You can make a living.”
Qin Xiao nodded slightly. He knew that as long as the man was outside and the woman was the housewife, as long as the family's life was decent, it would never be possible for women to earn a living outside. These boat girls came out to make a living by punting boats. It must be because the family was in a difficult situation. It was not a last resort. Naturally this will not be the case.
"Follow this river and you can reach Kyoto East Market." Du Hongsheng seemed to know the situation in the capital very well: "It is also the most prosperous place in Kyoto now, where merchants gather and it is very lively. If you look back, you will If you have free time, you can go to the East Market. There are a lot of goods in the streets we passed just now, but the East Market is even more dazzling, and dignitaries from Beijing often appear there."
"Master Du, since there is the East Market, is there also the West Market?" Qin Xiao asked.
Du Hongsheng smiled and said: "That's right. Speaking of the West Market, more than 20 years ago, it was still the busiest place in Kyoto City. It was much more prosperous than the East Market back then." Then he sighed and said, "But now the West Market is It has withered away and has long been no longer as prosperous and lively as the East Market."
"Why is that?"
"The Wutuo people." Du Hongsheng said: "The Tang Dynasty once dominated the world, and all the barbarians from all directions bowed to it. At that time, the Wutuo Khanate had not yet become a leader, and it also professed its vassalage to the Tang Dynasty. Naturally, it did not dare to stand in the way of the Tang Dynasty. The trade routes of the countries in the Western Regions, so merchants from the countries in the Western Regions would come to Kyoto City at that time. Our Tang Dynasty was open to all rivers and had a grand spirit. Not only did it allow foreign merchants to do business in the capital, but it also built a special Western Market. The countries in the Western Regions, The Bohai Kingdom, the Utuo Khanate, the East China Sea countries, and even the Tusun people in the north would appear in the Western Market. It is no exaggeration to say that the Western Market at that time had all the goods in the world. Whatever you think of, it was in the Western Market. You can buy it in every city." He raised his hand to stroke his beard and sighed softly: "I still remember that at that time, the annual tax revenue of the West Market was already an astronomical figure. Business was prosperous, and the Tang Dynasty's treasury was also extremely full, with money. , The empire has strong soldiers and horses. The stronger it is, the greater the trade between foreign countries and us. If it were not for the Wutuo Khanate...!" He shook his head with a wry smile and did not continue, but Qin Xiao and Han Yunong both understood what he meant. .
Without the Wutuo Khanate controlling the trade routes, the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions would still have trade exchanges, which would be a good thing for both parties, and the Tang Dynasty's treasury would not suffer a serious blow due to the interruption of trade routes.