Chapter 36: Beyond the horizon stands a splendid city

The autumn in the north was bright with sunshine, the sky azure, and moving house and relocating the mansion was just right.

Bai Li Jing woke up early and was already being tossed about, having put on the prince's formal attire; everything was ready, and the little king lifted his small head and slowly walked out of the sleeping chamber. Behind him followed two young eunuchs, one holding Bai Ze, the other holding Weini.

The little king took firm little steps, his aura imposing as he mounted his personal carriage, lifted his chubby little chin, and declared, "Set off!"

At a command, the troop set off. The two hundred cavalry at the front cleared the way, and now they were using the stirrups and horseshoes that the little king had funded at great expense. As they moved, the clip-clop of hooves rang out, making their march on the road extraordinarily imposing.

Behind the cavalry came a company of infantry guards, then the little king's carriage frame, surrounded on all sides by a group of attending palace maids and eunuchs; behind them were more infantry, then several wagons carrying the little king's belongings to be moved. At the rear of the procession were the remaining soldiers of the Guard Battalion, with three hundred cavalry bringing up the rear.

When the little king arrived, part of the Guard Battalion had already entered the city ahead of time, standing a few steps apart on either side of the road to escort the newly arrived little king—after all, it was reassuring to have one's own people. The people of Youzhou hadn't thought the little king would bring so many, but now seeing the troop they felt it was extraordinarily mighty and imposing.

Actually, three thousand troops in a border prefecture are nothing; if three thousand enemies could hold out until border reinforcements arrive, that would already be an extraordinary effort. But the impoverished people of Youzhou had never seen soldiers so neatly dressed and marching so imposingly.

The little king watched the Guard Battalion drill every day, and there was some improvement; now the Guard Battalion looked capable of more.

When the little king came to Youzhou, the onlookers in the street had been selected; many of the city's poor commoners had no chance to see his entourage, but today anyone who was free came, and after watching they felt they had gained considerable knowledge.

Is this the pomp of a prince!

All these soldiers followed the little king to the northern suburbs; could they also leave the city?

Qian Dayong and his three siblings were also in the crowd watching the street, and Qian Xiaobao stared at the neatly marching cavalry, his eyes turning starry.

"How mighty! Sis, when I grow up I want to be a cavalryman by the little king's side!"

Qian Xiaomei was busy looking at the palace maids in crimson robes behind the entourage, or else Qian Dayong chimed in, "The little king is a good person; being his guard is a good job—you'd have to fight tooth and nail to get it."

"Sigh..." the two brothers sighed together.

Clad in uniform black armor, each tall and sturdy, surely they could eat their fill! Not a few of the townsfolk thought so.

The troop quickly passed through the streets, but the populace couldn't get enough—such a spectacle might happen only once in a lifetime. Many followed the procession out of the city; better to tag along to see it fully, and then quite a few witnessed a scene they would never forget.

Beyond the horizon stands a splendid city.

Its towering walls and magnificent architecture left the whole city's populace in awe.

This is no exaggeration; they learned for the first time that houses could be built like this.

The southern gate of the New You Prince's Mansion is the main gate, and its gate tower is of the highest specification. There are gate towers, pavilion towers, and the east and west que towers; later, besides stationing the Guard Battalion, officials of the mansion conducting business, or holding a gathering, the space can accommodate any number of people.

It is majestic and splendid, comparable to the gate tower of a prosperous metropolis, soaring into the clouds, grand and imposing; above it the three characters '【You Prince's Mansion】' shine brightly in the sunlight.

Its architectural style differs from all the palaces Bai Li Jing has seen; it is apparently based on a design issued by the 'Prosperous Dream' office, and this mansion blends the essence of ancient architecture with the refined craftsmanship of later ages.

The gate tower's summit is covered with black glazed tiles, double eaves and a hip roof, red windows and white walls. When the lights came on at night, the patrolling guards who had come could barely move their legs. Though they were from Chang'an and had seen the world, Chang'an's palaces lacked such later-era lighting design.

The main gate beneath the gate tower stands eleven zhang high, painted bright red with gilt studs, looking solid and sturdy. Indeed, all four grand gates of the You Prince's Mansion are bronze.

The outer wall, comparable to the city wall, is encircled by a wide moat; the little king's previous visit had no water, but now clear water flows within, reflecting the gate tower and the lofty wall's magnificent silhouette.

The little king nodded; seeing how high and sturdy the wall looked from outside, he was quite pleased.

The gate slowly opened, and the You Prince's entourage filed in; the onlookers who had followed to see the spectacle were deeply shaken by a glimpse of the carved beams and painted rafters. One can imagine that for a long time the hottest topic in Youzhou will be the new mansion on the northern frontier.

The Chancellor and Grand Tutor following behind the little king's carriage were no less shocked than the common folk.

Both are scholars, usually busy, and truly had no spare time to make a special trip just to admire the little king's new mansion.

A rumor in the city had it that a subordinate had told Chancellor Xue, who at first didn't think much of it, wondering what the people of Youzhou had ever seen; but they were right—the little king's new mansion covers a sizable area.

He never imagined it would be this big when completed; Your Highness, are you trying to reach the heavens!

Upon entering the mansion, he couldn't help but lift the curtain again; inside, the beams and rafters were even more ornate, resplendent with gold and brilliant hues.

When the little king's carriage halted before the main hall of the You Prince's Mansion, Chancellor Xue and Grand Tutor Xu hurriedly alighted, neither uttering a word; in a short while they had already learned to stay silent in awe.

Outside the main hall, the plaza is spacious enough for three thousand troops and a crowd of officials and palace staff to stand with room to spare. The ground is paved with even stone slabs, and around the plaza stand tall stone pillars carved with exquisite delicate patterns.

The main hall's roof is of a double-eaved hip-and-gable style, the ridge adorned with glazed ridge beasts, solemn and mysterious; the horizontal plaque bears the three characters '【Chengguang Hall】' in vertical script.

All right, he breathed a sigh of relief; the name was fine.

Since Chengguang Hall is the main hall of the You Prince's Mansion, its architecture solemn and steady, Chancellor Xue actually perceived in this hall a royal authority more imposing and noble than that of Jianzhang Palace.

His heart gave a violent thump.

But there was no need for his anxiety to last; the next second he saw their Highness leap down from the carriage with both feet together—note, it was a leap! Indeed, a leap.

Chancellor Xue thought he had overthought it; perhaps it was just a coincidence.

And this fellow has such ambition?!

Under the direction of Zhao Zhuge, everything was so beautiful and full of ceremony.

At the si hour exactly, the great bell on the northeast corner tower of the mansion rang on schedule, and the doors of Chengguang Hall slowly opened to welcome its master.

The little king led a crowd of officials inside to stroll about, brushed his backside on the throne and then ran off. The mansion is so big, with many fun places, who'd want to linger at work?

The little king met with Zhao Zhuge, who was waiting outside the hall, and the latter continued to show him around the mansion, his future home.

The layout of the You Prince's Mansion still followed propriety, divided into front court and rear inner quarters. The little king first inspected the place where he would later reside, Suiyu Hall—quite ordinary, merely about three times larger than the makeshift hall he had in the city.

The little king set Bai Ze and Weini down on the ground, insisting on taking them for a run around the spacious new home, ostensibly to relieve his previous feeling of confinement.

Bai Ze didn't want to be bothered by the brat, so it pretended not to understand and lay wherever it was placed. As for Weini, she was genuinely simple-minded.

The little king repeated it several times, but the bear still didn't grasp it; the little wit it had, when the little king poked it with his foot, it thought its master was angry. And then… the future king of the jungle burst into tears!

One doesn't know whether it was separated from its mother bear at birth, then nearly roasted alive by the cubs, never having known a good day; this poor thing is timid to the point of pity.

Its dark, round eyes welled with tears about to fall, a look of grudging wanting to cry but not daring to; the little king's own big round eyes stared back, not smaller, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Look! Weini is even happy to cry about moving to the new home!"

Bai Ze: ……

You say it is, then it is.