Seeking Truth with a Sword
Chapter 53 - 51 Tour Guide_2

Chapter 53: Chapter 51 Tour Guide_2

Just like the safety inspection at a transportation hub in an Otherworld, everyone had removed any iron items they carried, especially swords and daggers, and were inspected one by one by the hounds.

When it was Li Ang’s turn, the black and orange hunting dog crouched on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then barked at the medicine box on Li Ang’s waist.

"Hm?"

The soldiers at the city gate looked over. "Young master, what’s in this box of yours..."

"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot."

Li Ang opened the medicine box, revealing the surgical tools inside. "I am a doctor, and these are my medical tools."

"Small knives, silver needles, and silver wire?"

A soldier curiously picked up a pair of odd-shaped silver obstetric forceps from the medicine box. "And what is this?"

"Don’t touch."

The leading Sergeant frowned and scolded his subordinate, "If it’s not iron armor, Crossbow parts, or prohibited items like fireworks and fuel, then let them pass. The queue behind is still waiting."

"Yes, Colonel!"

The young soldier, startled, quickly and carefully placed the obstetric forceps back into the medicine box and stepped back to let Li Ang and Chai Cuiqiao pass.

Pretty strict.

Li Ang and Chai Cuiqiao stepped through the city gate. The moment they passed, they faintly felt as if rain had drenched them.

"Hm?"

Li Ang looked up at the arch above the city gate, only to see heavy, dark bricks and stones.

The defense system of Chang’an seemed to consist of more than just the city guards and the garrison’s hunting dogs...

"Thousands of families like a Go board, twelve streets like a vegetable patch..."

Amidst Wu Shiqi’s explanation, the students officially entered the foremost majestic city in the world.

Chang’an City was like an immense chessboard. Straight, broad streets running north-south and east-west divided the city into over a hundred rectangular blocks. Each block, enclosed by walls and filled with buildings, formed an independent residential community known as a ’fang’—one of the famed "one hundred and eight squares."

Standing at the entrance of Mingde Gate, to the left lay Yongyang Square, Zhaoxing Square, and Da’an Square; straight ahead, in the far distance, was the Imperial City’s Vermilion Bird Gate; and to the right were Tongji Square and Quchi Square.

"Right beyond Quchi Square is one of Chang’an’s two major scenic areas, Qujiang Pool."

Wu Shiqi walked at the head of the students, explaining, "Every spring and autumn, when the weather is clear, city residents flock to Qujiang Pool. It’s said that ’colorful tents and green canopies line the banks, and fine carriages and sturdy horses jostle wheel to wheel.’ Noble families bring their households on outings, and while enjoying themselves, they also look out for promising young men as potential matches for their daughters waiting to be wed. The slanting sun casts Chang’an in a strange light, the roads fill with the thunder of ten thousand horses’ hooves..."

Wu Shiqi’s diction was clear and articulate; these words had clearly been recited many times to visiting scholars every year.

Under his lead, the students from Yizhou, Xuanzhou, Xiangzhou, and other state mansions first toured Qujiang Pool and then wound their way around Qinglong Square, heading north.

Along the way, they saw many people with different skin and eye colors, and temples of completely different styles. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Buddhist temples, Ao Temples, Daoist temples, Persian Temples, and more coexisted harmoniously within a single workshop, from which emanated constant chanting, prayer sounds, and the rich scent of incense.

Both Wu Shiqi and the students from various state mansions were accustomed to this sight. Located on Taihao Mountain, northwest of West Jing, the Haotian Taoist Sect was a religion universally revered by nations around the world.

But beneath the Haotian Taoist Sect, other sects were still allowed to develop—as long as they followed the doctrines of Haotian, acknowledged Haotian as the supreme ruler of all things in heaven and earth, and recognized the sages of all sects as merely Envoys sent by the Haotian Sect to the Human World.

Haotian isn’t someone with an independent will, nor is it a specific god.

Haotian governs everything, has control over everything—beyond the comprehension of mortals, an understanding that will forever elude them. All people need to do is believe and be grateful for everything brought by Haotian.

This had nearly reached consensus among the Yu people, and indeed all people under heaven, for thousands of years, and gradually, no one questioned the reasons behind it.

It was under such constraints that Buddhist temples, Ao Temples, and Persian Temples could coexist in harmony—at least superficially.

When worshippers from these temples went out to fetch water, they would smile and greet each other with a bow or clasped hands.

But the moment they turned away, their expressions would turn blank, and they would silently quicken their pace.

Leading the curious students, Wu Shiqi passed the Ao Temple in Jing Gong Square and arrived at the East Market.

This was Chang’an’s, and indeed the world’s, largest marketplace, with countless shops offering a dazzling array of goods and commodities from all over the world, advertised in loud shouts of various accents amidst a jostling crowd.

"Students, stay a little closer together. Although security in Chang’an is good, the East Market is teeming with Hu Ren; it’s inevitable that there will be good mixed with bad. It wouldn’t do to have your belongings swiped."

Wu Shiqi led the students from the various prefectures past the edge of the East Market without actually going in, much to the disappointment of many students.

Their disappointment wasn’t due to missing out on diverse luxury goods or various delicacies,

but rather because they missed seeing the Concubine Hu women holding wine at the entrances of the taverns.

Those golden-haired, blue-eyed, high-nosed Hu Ren women, dressed in elegant attire and using authentic Chang’an accents, held wine while enticing customers, which drew sidelong glances from the students.

Wu Shiqi chuckled, "For the Concubine Hu’s wine, they always come, like a fine, white-nosed steed. Plucking lotuses to toss upon the water, the young man’s heart is set on the floating flower. These Hu Ren-run taverns primarily sell grape wine. Our dynasty’s renowned Poetic Immortal and Sword Immortal, Li Taibai, was particularly fond of mingling among them."

"Where could be a place for parting? At Chang’an’s Azure Qi Gate. Concubine Hu gestures with fair hands, inviting guests to get drunk from golden goblets," Song Shaoyuan blurted out, reciting Li Taibai’s "Sending off Pei Shuba Returning to Mount Song, Two Poems" without a moment’s thought.

"Precisely. A talented scholar indeed," Wu Shiqi nodded with a slight look of surprise, adding, "However, there’s a custom in Chang’an where visiting taverns requires a tip. And when dealing with the Concubine Hu women, one tends to tip even more—can’t let others think less of you, after all.

Thus, it’s mostly noble youths who frequent the taverns where the Concubine Hu women beckon and serve wine."

"They too are a pitiable group."

Unlike the fascinated male students, Ji Linglang, standing among the female students, furrowed her brows and sighed, "Having to travel to a foreign land to force laughter and joy in a tavern."

"Isn’t that the truth..." Wu Shiqi’s momentary wistful look vanished in the blink of an eye. He quickly regained his professional guide’s demeanor and said with a smile, "Everyone, please follow me. West of the East Market is Pingkang Square..."

The male students’ eyes lit up, and they quickened their steps amidst the disdainful glances of their female classmates. Ji Linglang sighed helplessly, resigned to the frankness of her fellow students from Yizhou.

She averted her gaze, only to see Li Ang and Chai Cuiqiao lagging behind the crowd—not looking towards Pingkang Square, but instead standing before a building, looking around.

At least there’s still someone reliable from Yizhou.

Ji Linglang asked with a smile, "Risheng, what are you looking at?"

"Ah?"

Li Ang turned his head, replying offhandedly, "I’m looking at the sick house inside."

Sick houses, or the Beitian Clinic, represented the closest concept to a hospital in this era.