Chapter 434

After passing through Peace and Health County, the Lu family and the scholars from Model Yang already had mental preparation: that the Northern Border not only had a way of building roads, but building city walls was even more impressive, until their convoy stopped outside the gates of Secluded Prefecture City.

After a journey of over a month, they finally arrived at Secluded Prefecture City.

The hot, dry weather meant they usually traveled in the early morning or late evening; hardship need not be mentioned. That day they set out at dawn and reached Secluded Prefecture before noon.

Outside the city gate, the crowds waiting to enter saw the Snow Cavalry return and hastily made way for them to go first.

The Lu entourage had seen the construction of Peace and Health's city walls, and had thought Secluded Prefecture would surely be decent, but they hadn't expected it to be this good.

The city wall stood several zhang high, appearing as a continuous layer of green stone blocks, solidly visible to the naked eye. And that gate tower? Was it perhaps overly exaggerated?

Lu Xiu had already stepped out of the carriage and sat beside the driver, his mouth hanging open for a while; only after a long time did he turn to look at his family behind him.

"Second Uncle, you didn't even tell me that Secluded Prefecture's city walls are this impressive!"

Lu Tong closed his eyes to rest, saying, "Don't make a fuss and show fear; when you see the Northern Border King's mansion, you won't fail to have your jaw drop. Didn't Lu Jia and Lu Xing write you letters bragging about Secluded Prefecture's construction?"

Lu Xiu: "…Who would have thought it was real? I thought they were just boasting."

This is hardly a border town; it's clearly a prosperous capital with deep foundations. Speaking of which, is this gate tower appropriate? The three-story gate towers of Long Peace aren't that high—he didn't believe it.

When the populace saw the Snow Cavalry make way, Changli also didn't stand on ceremony, stepping forward to hand the guard a roster of everyone in his party.

Lu Tong's carriage was up front, and the long list was being glanced at by Lu Xiu, who was hitching a ride, murmuring, "…Secluded Prefecture really runs a tight ship."

From outside, only a corner of Secluded Prefecture City could be seen, but upon entering the gate their shock only grew. In fact, the city wall was far wider than it appeared from afar—only by going inside did they realize how broad it was. "This city would be tough to assault…"

Just inside the gate lay a large square paved with stone slabs, opposite which stood an arrow tower bristling with windows. Lu Xiu had been briefed by the Snow Cavalry and hurried back to tell his uncles in the carriage: the tower housed archers, so if enemy forces breached the first gate they could be trapped in the square for a second volley.

"With Secluded Prefecture's walls like that, I doubt there'll ever be such a 'what if.' How long would it take to climb that height?" Let him attack the city; standing at its base he'd already be despairing.

Lu Tong despised this little nephew of his, this guy who couldn't keep his mouth shut, making them look utterly unsophisticated.

Lu Xiu's eyes lit up; ever since Model Yang had been besieged, he'd longed for a reliable city wall. "I really want to get up on that wall and have a look—surely it'd feel extraordinary!"

"Don't even think about it—only the city garrison can get on that wall… And don't say, 'If I ever become a close attendant of the Northern Border King, I could go up and see the whole city.'"

"Like Second Elder Brother and Third Elder Brother?"

"Those two? At most they're lackeys of the Northern Border King." Look at that letter they have, it's singing praises of the Northern Border King.

Lu Xiu: ……

They had just passed through the city gate when Lu Xin hurried over to greet them.

Xie Yuan was worried sick by the King that he had already forgotten about the Lu clan; only this morning did he remember to send someone to the academy to summon disciples to come greet them. Lu Xin, from his name you can tell, is a branch of the Lu clan, of the same generation as Lu Xiu.

He brought people rushing over, saying, "His Highness is not in the city; Mister is busy with affairs and cannot come in person to greet a few uncles, so he specially ordered Xin to come express his apologies to a few uncles."

Lu Tong almost rolled his eyes; back when he was kicked out of the Northern Border Academy, Xie Yuan was just watching from the sidelines, and now he's putting on a false show of politeness.

This didn't stop him from hailing Lu Xin onto the carriage; he's still quite curious about affairs in Youzhou.

"Where is the Northern Border King now?" As soon as he said that, Lu Hong stopped him, "Is that something you can inquire about?"

Lu Tong didn't care, "They're our own people, aren't they!"

Lu Xin: "It's fine; everyone in Youzhou knows that His Highness went out to inspect the drought situation."

Lu Tong incredulous: "He went out to inspect the drought under this blazing sun?"

Seeing Lu Xin nod, Lu Tong was a bit surprised; only Lu Xiu beside him chuckled, "Second Uncle, you seem unusually concerned about the Northern Border King?" Lu Tong gave a cold snort and turned his head to look out the carriage window.

Outside the window they had already entered the residential area; there were dilapidated houses that didn't match the orderly streets, as well as grand mansions with white walls and black tiles beyond their imagination; the rarest thing was that the streets inside Youzhou could be described as clean and tidy.

And there was no foul odor.

They had to admit, Youzhou had its own way of handling sanitation.

Unlike the old city district, the further north they went, the livelier it became. Once they passed the old city gate, the dilapidated houses disappeared from view, and street vendors began to appear.

People set up stalls along both sides of the road, calling out their wares; there were handmade baskets and fans of various kinds, as well as large bowls of tea and filling buns and steamed cakes.

Only, ahead there was a snow cavalry clearing the way; the vendors kept a low profile, even standing up to see the cavalry off. After the snow cavalry had passed and gone far away, leaving only the Lu family's endless convoy, they resumed their hawking.

The constant shouting filled their ears, giving the otherwise dull, hot summer day a hint of vitality, a scene of prosperity.

Lu Xiu finally regained his logic: "... Don't they fear a total crop failure this year? Youzhou looks perfectly normal, not like it suffered a disaster; isn't a drought supposed to lead to total failure this year? Our Fanyang land—don't they say it's definitely going to have a poor harvest this year?"

"Youzhou relies on the sea, it's not as dry as the west, and those engaged in trade don't have much land."

Probably Lu Xiu was staring too intently; the vendor selling large bowls of tea noticed him, and the stall owner called out, suggesting he buy a bowl of tea: "... Honored sir, buy a few bowls; here we're cheaper by one wen than the front Zhuque Avenue!"

Lu Xiu startled: "He he he actually called out to me on his own!! This... you guys get it?"

We understood.

It's surprising that the commoners of Youzhou would actually peddle large bowls of tea to the aristocracy; in Fanyang, street vendors wouldn't dare to proactively strike up a conversation with the aristocracy.

Lu Tong despised his jumpiness: "What, did you grow horns and start eating people?!"

"Second Uncle clearly knows what I mean; I can understand them not fearing the cavalry. But when you usually walk the streets of Fanyang, do vendors shout at you to buy tea? And when they see our long convoy, they hardly show any curiosity!" The people of Youzhou really have seen the world.

They don't know how many wealthy merchants travel back and forth to Youzhou each year, nor how many times they've seen carriages and horses far more luxurious than the Lu family's; the Lu family's low-key carriages really aren't much to look at. No matter how chaotic the times, the Northern Border is very safe, and wealthy merchants have never given up transporting cotton, cloth, and various rare goods southward.

Lu Tong ignored Lu Xiu, letting him praise the Northern Border is impossible!

Lu Xin recalled that when he and Mister first came to Youzhou, the King was setting up a stall on the street and even swindled Mister out of a fine piece of jade; after a while he muttered, "... Setting up a stall in Youzhou is a good livelihood."

Lu Xiu: "I can tell. Where exactly is that Zhuque Avenue again?"

Chang Li, with so many people, wouldn't take Zhuque Avenue; instead he turned west directly, intending to send them to the vacant estates in West Ward for temporary settlement.

"At that location, Zhuque Avenue forbids horseback riding, so we turned ahead of time. Going straight down Zhuque Avenue, when you reach the northernmost end you can catch a distant view of the Northern Border King's manor. After you've rested, Cousin Xiu, you definitely must go have a look; coming to the Northern Border, you absolutely must go to the northern entrance of Zhuque Avenue and gaze afar at the Northern Border King's manor."

"Why?"

"Everyone in the wards calls it the 'Heavenly White Jade Capital'; you'll know once you see it."

At that time Lu Xiu didn't really believe it; he truly had no concept of the White Jade Capital, and had also gone to Chang'an to see the Hall of Supreme Harmony from afar.

When dusk fell and the summer heat receded, he took several younger clan members with Lu Xin, winding through the lanes of West Ward, arriving at the northern entrance of Zhuque Avenue; he swore he saw a magnificent illusory dream of a prosperous age.

He passed through the besieged city's warfare, roads full of refugees, the chaotic, drought‑stricken, water‑starved Great Jin, and arrived at the fallen site of the heavenly palaces.

Like a dream.

The vermilion crenellated high wall of the Northern Border King's Mansion was illuminated by countless palace lanterns; the soaring dragon on the eaves was vividly lifelike, as if it could take flight at any moment and soar straight to the Nine Heavens.

Above the high wall rose layered palaces, with interlocking dougong brackets and carved railings atop jade foundations; the most advanced lighting design perfectly outlined the grandest contours of the palaces, lofty in the heavens, unreachable.

Inside, there should be wafting celestial music and palace maids dancing gracefully to and fro.

The thoughtfully designed night view opened the eyes of the locals.

Lu Xiu stared blankly at the distant mansion, suddenly feeling a chill down his back; he swore he saw the cold light reflected from the guards' weapons on the gate tower, sharp as if it were piercing straight into his heart!

One glance seared him.

He hastily lowered his head and instinctively looked down at the moat. The water rippled, golden lantern light scattering across the surface, shattering into myriad stars—what a heavenly White Jade Capital!

He wanted to rush back and shake his second uncle hard, wondering how he could keep his mouth shut about all this, yet dare to slander the Northern Border King everywhere!

Lu Xiu's train of thought was rather unusual; he immediately realized that the Northern Border King had produced such a heavenly palace, layer upon layer, endless in scale, and yet this massive project had not dragged You Prefecture into ruin, nor left its people unable to make a living—this was no ordinary strength!

He felt he had understood.

"One should have come to You Prefecture earlier."

Lu Xin, however, held the Northern Border Academy in higher esteem, saying, "That's jumping the gun—wait till you see the Northern Border Academy before saying that!"