Facing outsiders, the mbers of the Advance Team all wore masks of the Ghost Race, while Luo’er hid inside the carriage, restraining his curiosity from peering outside.
Counting carefully, today wasn’t any festival, but the entire Shengyuan Qilan was extraordinarily lively. The onlookers, dressed in splendid clothing, watched the arrival of the carriage as if it were a holiday.
Once the Advance Team passed, the road returned to normal. rchants began to shout, and the taverns and food alleys were filled with cheerful laughter, as if this were the everyday life in the Capital City.
However, after passing through the gates of the Capital City, the Advance Team noticeably felt the atmosphere change imdiately, becoming incredibly oppressive and solemn.
The sides of the road were still crowded with masses of people, but most remained silent, watching the convoy with expressionless faces. This starkly contrasted with the lively scene outside the city, making the Advance Team feel as if they were in two different worlds.
In reality, the inside and outside of East Prosperity Nine States’ cities were indeed two different worlds. The outer settlents were essentially products of the growing urban population.
The continuously increasing population forced the city to expand beyond its walls. In the era of cold weapons, city walls couldn’t be demolished, thus evolving the concepts of inner city and outer settlents.
Though nominally part of the city, acting as satellite towns, the managent of the inner city and outer settlents differed greatly.
There were many rules inside the city, including a curfew; once night fell, the city gates could not be opened arbitrarily. But the benefit was better security, with governnt administration easily covering the entire city.
However, the outer settlents did not enjoy such treatnt. While there were officials to govern the inner city, the outer settlents might only be overseen by minor officials.
Due to the difficulty of effective governance, the conditions in the outer settlents were relatively poor. Petty theft was rampant, and all sorts of vagabonds from the Nine Streams gathered there.
Yet, this relative chaos also bred relative prosperity. Compared to the inner city, the outer settlents had fewer strict regulations and no need for a curfew, so even at night, the streets were brightly lit, often remaining so until daylight.
Hence, so city-dwellers, unable to suppress their boredom, would find ways to sneak out to the outer settlents for fun. Many bribed gate officials to enter and exit the city. Of course, they couldn’t use the city gates but had to go in and out via baskets over the city walls.
As the premier place under Emperor Wu’s rule, the managent within the Capital City naturally needed to be more stringent and intricate than in other provinces, which is why the Advance Team felt as if they had plunged from a sea of fire into an icy ocean.
In light of the Advance Team’s arrival, it seed that Emperor Wu had mobilized all the troops he could. On either side of the broad avenue, every three ters stood a brightly dressed Feathered Helt Guard.
These armor-clad soldiers held a long sword at their waist with one hand, and in the other, they carried a three-ter-long ceremonial spear, from which bright-colored martial banners fluttered in the wind, just like the feathers on their helts.
Each of these armor-clad soldiers was a Cultivator. As the Advance Team’s carriage passed by them, it was clear they exuded an austere murderous aura, which even startled the horses pulling the carriage.
Passing through a long stretch of road about two kiloters, the grand convoy reached the palace gates. Palace Yellow Door and Ichuan Fei had been waiting here for a long ti. Up to this point, the Advance Team could no longer ride in the carriages; they had to enter the palace on foot.
Therefore, with the assistance of Tangmo and Tang Guo, Luo’er stepped leisurely out of the carriage onto the stone pavent of the Capital City.
However, as soon as the Yellow Door saw Tang Guo, who was a mber of the Demon Clan, his face changed, and he quickly looked to Ichuan Fei, hoping for direction from him.
He had a reason to be nervous; it was well-known that the status of the Demon Clan mbers had always been low in the Dongsheng Empire. It was only because the Cabinet governnt continually introduced policies beneficial to the Demon Clan that life slightly improved for them.
So, for this Yellow Door, Demon Clan mbers begging in the outer settlents was tolerable. But this was the Capital City; just standing here was an insult to the Capital City, let alone entering the palace, which was an imnse insult to Emperor Wu.
However, to the Yellow Door’s disappointnt, Ichuan Fei made no comnt; he didn’t even glance at Tang Guo but focused all his attention on Luo’er.
If the Yellow Door had been smart enough, he would have known he couldn’t expect any answer from Ichuan Fei.
One must know that it was precisely the Wen Family’s Cabinet governnt that pushed for the Demon Clan’s status, and Ichuan Fei belonged to the Wen Family. To openly deny Tang Guo would be tantamount to publicly slapping himself, and Ichuan Fei certainly wouldn’t be that foolish.
Moreover, Ichuan Fei also wanted to know Emperor Wu’s stance on the Demon Clan.
All along, they had not found an opportunity to test it. The ergence of the Advance Team provided them with just the opportunity.
After all, the Demon Clan mbers were brought by the Advance Team and had nothing to do with the Wen Family. Even if the Wu Family had opinions, they couldn’t fault the Wen Family for it.
Luo’er knew well what bringing Tang Guo implied, but on one hand, he really couldn’t abandon the little girl, and on the other hand, like the Wen Family, he was curious about Emperor Wu’s attitude towards the Demon Clan.
Thus, in such circumstances, he decided to try boldly to see if Emperor Wu would be angered by Tang Guo’s presence.
Because if, as Ichuan Fei said, Emperor Wu still held a pivotal position in the Empire’s politics,
then as long as he could acknowledge Tang Guo’s existence, it ant the Demon Clan was not so abhorred in his mind. Luo’er could attempt to make appeals for the Dongsheng Empire to never invade the West Outer Heaven again.
Since neither Luo’er nor Ichuan Fei made a move, the Yellow Door had no choice but to accept it. Anxiously watching Tang Guo, who was of the Demon Clan, he supported Luo’er as they slowly walked towards the palace gates.
This was equally a long journey. The path from the palace gates to inside the palace alone was over three hundred ters long.
Emperor Wu and his civil and military officials were not hosting the Advance Team in the main hall but at an altar situated northeast of the palace.
The palace plaza was incredibly spacious, with ceremonial spear-bearing armor-clad soldiers standing on either side of the route, serving as guides for the Advance Team. The Advance Team traversed this long two-kiloter road, eventually arriving at the altar.
At this ti, the altar was already packed. Besides the armor-clad soldiers, both sides of the nine-level, thirteen-step staircase were filled with civil and military officials in court dress. Noticing the arrival of the Advance Team, they all turned to look.
Luo’er took a deep breath, and with the assistance of Tangmo and Tang Guo, he led the Advance Team mbers up the nine levels and thirteen steps, totaling one hundred and seventeen steps, reaching the altar.
The top of the altar was circular in shape, with a diater of about fifteen ters, made primarily of marble. It was over thirty ters above the ground, sufficiently high to overlook the banners of other palaces.
Upon reaching the altar, Luo’er imdiately saw an elegant middle-aged man, tall and clad in a luxurious dark robe with a dignified crown. Judging by his appearance, this must be the present Emperor Wu.
Upon seeing Emperor Wu, Luo’er felt sowhat shocked. In his mind, an Emperor Wu should be a crude, rugged man, for which he had prepared his negotiations.
Yet he never expected that the highest ruler of the martial-rich Dongsheng Empire, the one supposedly the strongest in combat, would be a frail, scholarly middle-aged man.
Therefore, upon seeing Emperor Wu, Luo’er couldn’t help but recall his conversation with Ichuan Fei. Could such a scholarly Emperor Wu genuinely influence the Empire’s politics and intimidate the Wu Family, who harbored ambitions?
After eting Emperor Wu, Luo’er took a deep breath. Just as he was about to move forward, Yichuan Xv suddenly reached out an arm to block him.
Luo’er looked at Yichuan Xv in confusion, only to hear him coldly state, "His Majesty only ets with the Elders!"
Upon hearing this, Luo’er nodded in understanding. He then turned and exchanged a glance with his worried Tangmo before releasing their hands and proceeding alone toward Emperor Wu.
Seeing Luo’er, Emperor Wu’s eyes lit up with irrepressible excitent. His face was gaunt with a neatly trimd mustache, and though only a titular ruler, he appeared so haggard.
Noticing Luo’er approaching, Emperor Wu imdiately shook out his sleeves, excitedly moving forward to greet him.
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