Chapter 82

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

The poem "Looking Back at Chang'an, the Embroidered Hills Gather, the Thousand Gates on the Mountain Top Open One by One. A Rider in Red Dust Makes the Consort Smile, No One Knows It Is the Lychee Coming..." placed here would certainly be out of place. However, gazing into the distance under the twilight glow, the ancient city wall that seemed to have walked out of the depths of time, brought to Xia Hongsheng's mind this very poem. The Chang'an of midsummer must have been unbearably hot, with teahouses and taverns surely crowded with men seeking coolness and shade. One wonders if by the ditches and streams, there were children playing in the water, naked. The distant mountains were silent, and compared to the stifling heat of the bustling city, the Lishan Mountain, shrouded in dense shade, was much cooler and lonelier. There was no Huaqing Pool, no Yang Yuhuan, and no Li Longji. Xia Hongsheng himself did not know why, but his gaze, spanning a thousand years, first focused on the Chang'an of countless dreams, and what came to mind was the time when it began to grow old. Perhaps it was due to the great regret? A country often perishes because of its weakness, but only the Han and Tang dynasties perished because of their strength, perishing too tragically, too heavily, leaving future generations to sigh and lament, and countless memories in the subsequent eras.

The influence of the Tang Dynasty was immense, and even after its fall, it continued to impact the world. In the Song Dynasty, "Tang" had already become a synonym for China in the southeastern and overseas countries. Throughout the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, in various parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia, China and things related to China were referred to as "Tang." Not only was "Tang" used as a synonym for "China," but the Chinese people were called "Tangren," Chinese surnames were called "Tangxing," Chinese clothing was called "Tangyi," Chinese merchant ships were called "Tangbo" or "Tangchuan," and goods brought by sea were called "Tanghuo." Even the modern term "Mandarin" was called "Tangyu" by the overseas countries during the Song Dynasty. Chinese people who stayed abroad for a year without returning were called "zhufan," and foreigners who stayed in China for a year without returning were called "zhutang." Even today, some overseas Chinese still refer to themselves as "Tangren," and the areas where Chinese people gather in foreign cities are called "Tangrenjie," a tradition that has lasted for a thousand years, unbroken.

So powerful, so profound.

I wonder if my arrival can have an impact on this timeline, using the advanced ideas and technologies I bring from the future to forge an eternal Tang Dynasty, to perpetuate this prosperity until the day the Earth perishes?!

Xia Hongsheng's heart suddenly tightened and raced, inexplicably filled with a grand and stirring passion.

Chang'an, Chang'an... Eternal Chang'an!

The Zhuque Avenue, running north to south, divides Chang'an into two symmetrical parts, with Wannian County to the east and Chang'an County to the west. Each part has a commercial district, known as the East Market and the West Market. The city is divided into 110 wards by 11 north-south streets and 14 east-west streets, forming a grid similar to a Go board... In Xia Hongsheng's mind, the words of the tour guide he heard during his trip to Xi'an in the future still echoed, and all the information about this city was being carefully recalled.

As the carriage approached, the towering city walls displayed their majesty and oppression. Xia Hongsheng insisted on getting off the carriage and walking, placing his hand firmly on the cold city bricks. It felt as if time was contracting, spanning hundreds and thousands of years, with stories that had been and would be right before him—lifting his hand to touch the wall, someone might do the same a hundred years later, touching the same spot; raising his eyes to see the imposing figure, someone might see it from the same angle thousands of years later; casually brushing past the broken tree trunk by the wall, a thousand years later, it might grow into an ancient tree that had crossed time, carrying the lingering years.

Xia Hongsheng suddenly remembered that in the future, he had stood in the same place and done the same thing.

But the time gap was a hazy 1,388 years!

"Brother Xia, are you unhappy?" A voice came from behind, Xu Hui looked worried and puzzled at Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he turned around, his face was already wearing a smile: "Not unhappy, just a bit... overwhelmed."

"Chang'an is our capital, grand and magnificent. It's inevitable for a first-time visitor like my junior brother." Xu Qixian also came forward: "Let's go. The journey has been tiring. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can rest. There's plenty of time for the future, and I'll take you around Chang'an. Oh, my back is about to break!"

Xia Hongsheng laughed, and they entered the city!

Qu Tongsu's residence had already been notified a few days ago to prepare for Xia Hongsheng's arrival. It had been cleaned, and a few maids and servants from the Jiangguo Duke's residence were sent to wait for Xia Hongsheng. The group prepared to part ways, with three carriages heading in different directions.

"Nephew, go back and rest well. I believe the emperor will summon you soon." Xu Xiaode said to Xia Hongsheng: "I'll have Qixian accompany you, so he can show you around in the future. I'm now waiting for orders in the capital. If you need anything, feel free to find me."

"Thank you, Uncle Xu." Xia Hongsheng bowed respectfully to Xu Xiaode.

Xu Xiaode nodded and bowed to the eunuch, saying: "Eunuch, thank you for the journey."

Xia Hongsheng also bowed to the eunuch.

"Ha, Lord Xu, you're too kind. I've been well taken care of by Lord Xu. I'm returning to the palace now. Lord Xu, Duke Xia, farewell." The eunuch bowed and returned to the carriage, heading toward the imperial city along the Zhuque Avenue.

After seeing off the eunuch, Xu Xiaode gave a few more instructions and then left. Before leaving, Xu Hui waved to Xia Hongsheng, saying she would find a day to visit him. Xu Qixian and Xia Hongsheng watched Xu Xiaode's carriage leave, then got back into their carriage and headed to the residence Qu Tongsu had temporarily lent to Xia Hongsheng, led by the soldiers.

"Qi Yong, is that residence... Will it cause trouble for Uncle Qu if I just move in?" Xia Hongsheng leaned out of the carriage and asked Qi Yong, who was riding beside him.

Qi Yong bowed and replied: "Sir, don't worry. It's a small residence the general bought before he was granted the title of Duke. It's usually unoccupied, and the general only occasionally goes there for a few days of peace. Since he became the governor of Luozhou, it has been unoccupied for a long time. The general sent a messenger a few days ago, so it should be cleaned and ready now."

Xia Hongsheng nodded, and they continued on their way. When they arrived at a courtyard, Xia Hongsheng got out of the carriage and saw a servant standing at the door. As soon as the carriage stopped, the servant hurried over. Xia Hongsheng and Xu Qixian got out, and the servant immediately bowed: "Duke, as ordered by the Duke, the courtyard has been cleaned. Please enter, Duke!"

Following the servant into the courtyard, Xia Hongsheng saw that it was indeed quite large. The soldiers also entered the courtyard, bowed to Xia Hongsheng, and then dispersed to rest.

"Duke, tea has been prepared in the front hall. I'll have the cook prepare a meal. I'm sure you're tired from the journey, please wait a moment. The maids are already heating water, and you can bathe and rest soon." The servant said respectfully to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "Thank you, you've worked hard."

After all, these people were sent by Qu Tongsu from his own Duke's residence. Xia Hongsheng was a guest, so he had to respect Qu Tongsu and couldn't be too demanding. Besides, Xia Hongsheng had not yet fully transformed from a commoner to a noble, so he couldn't act too arrogantly toward the servants.

After everyone went to work, Xia Hongsheng and Xu Qixian sat in the front hall. Seeing the tea, he was delighted. This meant that the new tea market had expanded from Luoyang to Chang'an. Since Xia Hongsheng owned half of Mingxiangju, the better the business, the more dividends he would receive. How could this not make him happy?

"Junior brother, you are now a noble. After you meet the emperor, he will likely build a residence for you in your fief. Fortunately, Jingyang is not far from Chang'an, so you should visit me often. Sigh, I'm going to the Hongwen Pavilion..." Xu Qixian took a few sips of tea, shook his head, and sighed: "To be honest, I prefer the Luozhou Academy."

Xia Hongsheng knew what the Hongwen Pavilion was, and Xu Qixian must have known too. It was a place for the children of the imperial family and nobles, a place where princes and princesses gathered. One wrong move could offend a noble or prince, but Xu Qixian was only there through connections, so he wouldn't have the same freedom as in the Luozhou Academy.

"Brother, I understand Father's intentions, but..." Xu Qixian shook his head and changed the subject: "Junior brother, now that you're in Chang'an, you should visit Master Yan in the next few days. If you delay, it might be seen as disrespectful, and Master Yan might not be happy. You need to wait for the emperor's summons, and after meeting him, we can visit Master Yan together."

"Of course." Xia Hongsheng nodded.

The two chatted in the front hall, and Xu Qixian gave Xia Hongsheng a general overview of Chang'an. When Xu Qixian mentioned the foreign market in Chang'an, Xia Hongsheng became very interested and asked Xu Qixian to take him there. After a tiring journey, they had a meal and were led by the maids to bathe. Xia Hongsheng didn't want the maids to help him, so he quickly washed himself and then went to rest.

The first night in Chang'an passed uneventfully.