章節 36: The Capital
"Woah, so this is the Capital?" Wang Jingyuan looked up at the awe-inspiring city walls as they passed through the front gates. "It's even more bustling and lively than I imagine! Wow! Look at the buildings! The shops!" She didn't have enough eyes to take in everything.
People swarmed the streets. Merchants called out and advertised their wares in their street-side shops. Children chased after each other, and lively chatter could be heard everywhere. The buildings were prettier and larger than those in the towns, and people here were better dressed as well. It was no wonder the Capital was the capital; the city was by far the largest and most flourishing of all in the country.
"This is only one of the twenty-four main boulevards in the city," Mo Xian explained as they walked, their horse trotting obediently behind them. "There are twelve gates to the city, with three on each side. Not to mention, there are countless avenues, streets, and alleys in between."
"How do people not get lost?" wondered Wang Jingyuan.
"If you live here, you really only need to learn the layout of your own section—which is called a ward—and the path to the marketplace. Some wards are larger than the small towns we've passed through."
"Wow, really? That's unbelievable."
"The city layout is a grid, which very useful for navigation. If you were to travel to other wards, it's not too difficult to get there," Mo Xian continued to explain. "Since the entire city is so large, there are two marketplaces—one in the east side, and one in the west side. It's a lot more efficient than having everyone in the city go to one central marketplace."
Wang Jingyuan was admiring the colorful banners hanging from buildings and waving in the wind. She suddenly had a thought and turned to Mo Xian. "Childe Mo, don't the high government ministers and royal family also live in the Capital? Where do they live?" In the dramas, royalty and people in power all lived in the Capital. It would be cool to see them in real life.
Mo Xian didn't expect this question, but he answered it all the same. "The royal palace is located in the north central area and occupies a great chunk of the northern section. The ministers and their families live in the north central area as well. The higher their rank, the closer they are able to live to the central avenue and the imperial city."
"The imperial city? Is it a city within the city?" Wang Jingyuan asked.
"It's just called the imperial city because it is so grand. You can think of it as the largest ward in the Capital," Mo Xian clarified. "It contains the royal palace and the mansions of the royal family. Some high ranking ministers, like the prime minister, have their mansions there too. There is also the administrative city, which is right outside the imperial city. That is where the various offices and main bureaus of the central government are, and where the other government officials and ministers live. It is not as large as the imperial city, but it is still larger than most of the wards."
Wang Jingyuan felt her head spin with all the information. "Childe Mo, how do you keep all of this straight? I can barely remember the first part about the twenty-eight boulevards. Was it twenty-eight?"
"Twenty-four," Mo Xian corrected. "It's alright, Miss Wang. You've never been to the Capital, so it's natural that you feel a bit overwhelmed. This is where I grew up, so I know it better than you do."
"You grew up in the Capital? Wow!" Wang Jingyuan grabbed Mo Xian's sleeve in excitement. "What's that like? You must know all the fun things to do around the Capital and where the best foods are, right?"
Before Mo Xian could even reply, Wang Jingyuan continued her blabbering. "I envy you so much, Childe Mo. Imagine growing up in a place like this! Wow. Could you take me around, Childe Mo, and show me all the cool tourist attractions and fun places? That is, if you have time, of course. And if you still want to hang out with me."
Wang Jingyuan realized that she was being a little overly excited. She never considered the fact that Mo Xian had his own matters to attend to, or that he might just bid her farewell and then never see her again. She hoped they could stay friends and explore the city together.
"Of course, Miss Wang." Mo Xian's smile dissipated all of her worries. "I don't know every nook and cranny of the Capital, but I can definitely give you a tour and take you to the best restaurants and shops. As long as it's something you ask of me, Miss Wang, I will always have the time. And I definitely want to hang out with you."
Wang Jingyuan smiled and blushed a little. She swung Mo Xian's wide sleeve from side-to-side, a little embarrassed. "Thank you, Childe Mo."
"Of course. Anything for you, Miss Wang."
"Childe Mo, actually, you can just call me Jing-Jing. We've got to know each other so well now, and you calling me 'Miss Wang' is so formal and makes us seem like we're not good friends." Wang Jingyuan looked up at Mo Xian. "We are good friends, right?"
"Yes, of course we're good friends. How could you think otherwise?" Mo Xian patted the top of her head. "'Jing-Jing' is such a pretty name. It fits such a lovely lady like you."
"Aww, stop, you're making me embarrassed." Wang Jingyuan felt her face heat up slightly. "Childe Mo, can I call you by your name too?"
"Yes, please, Jing-Jing. Just call me 'Mo Xian'." Mo Xian felt like this was a big milestone in their relationship. They were on a first name basis now, and only good friends called each other by their first names.
"Mo Xian, where should we—" Wang Jingyuan was going to ask where they were going to eat lunch, but she spotted a group of martial artists walking down the street toward them. Each wore a pale yellow uniform and carried a dao, a single-edged sword. Still unsure who was friend and who was foe, she quickly darted behind Mo Xian. The group paid no attention to them and went on their way into a restaurant.
"All the sects are probably here already," Wang Jingyuan said miserably to Mo Xian. "I'm going to be running into martial artists left and right."
"Don't worry, Jing-Jing. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you," Mo Xian reassured her. He was confident as he said this. He couldn't do much when they were on the road, but now that they were in the Capital, he had much, much more power and authority. This was his land. This was where few people could override his authority—and none of them were going to be around Wang Jingyuan.
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