In the three short years since Ding Yun fully leveraged the Ten Thousand Worlds Delivery Service, the State of Zhou had become a renowned, prosperous nation amongst all others. Luoyang, in particular, had transformed into the most famous center for commerce and trade, a city of rare treasures.
It was known as the City of Never-Sleeping, the Heavenly Palace and Jade Pond.
Besides the constant flow of merchants, noble scions from various states and even leaders of major academies made special trips to visit, study, or simply to broaden their horizons.
On this particular day, Prince Xi of the State of Zhao, accompanied by over a hundred guards and retainers, traveled a thousand miles out of curiosity, harboring the doubt that Luoyang in Zhou could never surpass the prosperity of their own Zhao capital. He arrived at the city gates of the New Luoyang.
Upon arrival, his initial disdain vanished.
Inside the carriage, gazing upon the towering, precipitous walls of Luoyang, Prince Xi found himself unable to utter any disparaging remarks. The sheer scale and size of these ramparts, as far as the eye could see, already surpassed those of Handan.
He could not help but sigh, lamenting:
"Even Handan City is inferior to this!"
"My Lord, this is a city of lost virtue and benevolence.
In ancient times, Yu built a city three *ren* high, and the lords rebelled against him, harboring ill intentions beyond the seas. When Yu realized the realm was in revolt, he dismantled cities, leveled pools, distributed treasures, burned armor and weapons, and ruled with virtue. Overseas lords submitted, and the barbarians paid tribute. He gathered the lords atop Mount Tu.
Does the King of Zhou build this thousand-*ren* high city, not like Yu of Xia!"
Perhaps sensing Prince Xi's displeasure, a retainer seated to his right quickly began to disparage the city.
The general idea was that building such high walls was clearly an act of guarding against the lords, which would inevitably lead to estrangement. Yet, his words inadvertently cast a shadow over other vassal states, as no state at present refrained from building lofty walls. If, as he claimed, they were to follow Yu's example,
destroying walls and filling moats,
that would truly be the act of a madman.
To be attacked without even a place for defense.
"The State of Zhou's Heavenly Son currently prospers through commerce, its cities are filled with wealth, and countless rare treasures abound. In this era, the world no longer resembles the ancient times of 'the road unattended, the night undisturbed.' Building high walls and maintaining vigilance is only natural. Moreover, within the domain of the Heavenly Son of Zhou, there is only this one city of Luoyang, and all the wealth earned can be invested here.
With a rich state and few people, grand cities can naturally be built.
Unlike us lords, who have dozens, even hundreds of cities, and countless expenditures for disaster relief and aid to the populace each year. When distributed, the funds available for the repair of each city will inevitably be far less than what can be allocated to Luoyang, the capital of the Heavenly Son.
Our circumstances are different; there is no need for comparison.
Let us hasten to enter the city and learn from their experience!"
Within the carriage, no one echoed the sentiment of the first retainer. Instead, another retainer analyzed and soothed Prince Xi from a different perspective.
"You need not be so. If we can match them, we match them; if we cannot, we cannot. However, it is precisely because we cannot match them that there is a need to learn!
Setting aside the city, and its walls.
Simply the road we have just traveled is enough to inspire awe. It is flatter and wider than any road we have traversed before, wide enough for four carriages to ride abreast without congestion. It is even divided into left and right lanes, one for arrivals and one for departures, without interference. Excellent!
I once believed that a nation's prosperity lay in a wise ruler, in capable ministers, in benevolence and righteousness. But now, it seems that wealth is also indispensable, perhaps even more important than wise rulers and capable ministers. After all, we hear of no wise rulers or capable ministers in the State of Zhou today, yet this prosperity is almost entirely supported by wealth. Remarkable!"
Prince Xi did not solely appreciate pleasantries; he possessed a clear understanding of many matters. After these further reflections, he finally drew back the curtain, so that he might observe the changes within Luoyang more closely upon entering.
Because Ding Yun had constructed the city gates to be very large, and Luoyang possessed more than one gate, even with the continuous flow of vehicles and people, Prince Xi and his entourage did not have to wait long outside. In less than fifteen minutes, they had successfully entered the city and witnessed numerous changes.
Within the city, there were lanes for carriages and sidewalks for pedestrians.
After passing through the vast area at the city gates, they were soon directed to District DC, the commercial district dedicated to outsiders for lodging, trade, and shopping.
Upon entering, they immediately felt a distinct difference, a separation from the clamor and liveliness outside.
Buildings stood in neat rows, most exceeding ten meters in height, with a minimum of three to four stories, and many reaching five, six, seven, or eight stories. The tallest structures were even higher than the outer city walls. The streets teemed with pedestrians, and carriages were endless. Everyone appeared healthy, with well-dressed attire. Every hundred meters, there was a trash receptacle, and every thousand meters, a public restroom, presenting a scene of great peace, prosperity, and a harmonious society.
This sight caused Prince Xi and his entourage to dismount their carriages.
They did so solely to survey their surroundings more clearly.
"How can this place be so prosperous? This entire street was once desolate, yet now it is filled with eateries and shops. Ten years ago, when I visited, this area was quite bleak, with many scantily clad individuals and even decaying corpses emitting foul odors.
How has it managed to become so prosperous?
It truly feels like a different world, a complete transformation.
"Ten years ago was the Luoyang famine, so it cannot fully represent Luoyang's appearance at that time. However, even in years of peace and abundant harvests, the Luoyang of the past is incomparable to the present. It's hard to imagine that all of this is the achievement of Queen Mother and Madam Xiyun. In the past, Madam Xiyun did not involve herself in affairs and took no action, so her capabilities were not apparent. To think that now, upon taking charge and acting,
she possesses a talent comparable to Yao and Shun!
If she were a man,
she might well be a strategist like Jiang Ziya!"
"Follow me, let's explore and see what rare items and exquisite delicacies can be found here, so that those people may stop boasting about Luoyang and disparaging the imperial cuisine when they return."
After their initial astonishment, Prince Xi and his party naturally began to explore District DC. They visited shop after shop, browsed and purchased from one establishment after another. By evening, their carriages were piled high with goods, and most individuals carried full hands. It was then that they remembered to find lodging and were arranged to stay at the Vassal Courtyards.
These were residential areas specially designed by Ding Yun for the various feudal lords. If the lords themselves were not present, their sons and daughters could reside there, though not for free; they required a high price.
After all, Ding Yun was not running a charity.
Could the descendants of feudal lords possibly be short of money?
Each courtyard within the Vassal Courtyards was equipped with underfloor heating, hot water, and toilets, and other amenities. Apart from the specific dimensions and size being slightly inferior to Ding Yun's own residence,
all other conveniences were in no way lacking.
By the time Prince Xi and his party had finished enjoying their lodgings, they were reluctant to leave and even contemplated buying property and settling there.
Perhaps due to the sheer comfort, Prince Xi, who had planned to discuss their observations together that evening after touring, fell asleep after a bath and a lavender essential oil massage. Upon hearing that he was asleep, the retainers naturally saw no reason to stay up late.
They all returned to their own rooms to rest.
(End of Chapter)