Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 326 Arrangement
Wandering around casually, even though Chen Xuan did not deliberately collect information from all aspects, with his powerful senses, he learned a lot through people's daily communication.

For example, there were occasional frictions at the border but no major wars; there were sudden floods in a certain place that displaced the people; there were evil people causing chaos in the martial arts world that attracted the swordsmen to fight; there were strange beasts that appeared in a certain place and caused trouble; there was a minister in the court who was old and ready to retire...

There are news from Jingguo and other countries, and there are so many of them that it is hard to count them all. It must be said that a place like the capital is worthy of being the place where news from all over the world is gathered.

Among the vast amount of information, the one that people talk about the most is the upcoming Autumn Examination. After all, it is related to the imperial court's selection of talents, and it is a discussion among the whole nation. Casinos of all sizes have already opened, and people can bet on who will make the list.

This is clearly a grand event that is being celebrated by the whole nation. Many wealthy families have openly announced that they are eager to find a son-in-law from the list. Even the four most famous courtesans in the capital have said that if the top three winners come to visit, they will open their beds to welcome her and spend a wonderful night with her.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, just have fun and don’t take it seriously. Actively discuss it and feel like you are participating.

Especially in those odds, Chen Xuan heard Gao Jingming's name many times. He seemed to be a strong candidate for the top three. He didn't know if there was someone behind the scenes fanning the flames and doing such a thing of flattery. Although he had confidence in Xiao Gao and thought he might make a fortune by betting, he always stayed away from gambling.

Then Chen Xuan also learned that in fact, the surrounding countries have protons to control each other, and whenever a war breaks out, they will probably kill the other side's protons first...

What surprised him a little was that among the many pieces of information, he also heard the name Zhou Yuan. The former mayor of Tuoling Town had now risen to prominence and was transferred to the capital to serve as a county magistrate.

A county magistrate at the foot of the emperor's feet held a position no less prestigious than a provincial governor. How many levels had he been promoted in seven years? No wonder Zuo Kaichou of the Imperial Guards had been so polite to him.

Of course, being a county magistrate in a place like this requires some skills, after all, you are surrounded by big men. However, Chen Xuan learned from people that the county magistrate Zhou Yuanzhou seemed to be very tough, and he would not give face to anyone. He was like a piece of meat on the chopping block, and threatened that at worst he would be dismissed from office, which made many people dislike him.

He acted according to the law, had good reasons and evidence, and did not make any mistakes. At most, he would be dismissed from his job.

In the past, when he was living in a small place, he was only exposed to trivial matters, but now Chen Xuan had to admit that the capital city was really exciting...

After strolling around until noon, he randomly found a street restaurant to have a meal. It was not because he could not afford the big restaurants, but because he preferred the atmosphere of the lower class. He was just an ordinary person, and this kind of environment was more intimate.

He sat by the window, ordered two signature dishes, listened to the lively conversations around him, and while eating and drinking, he took out a map of the capital from his sleeve and looked at it slowly.

This map only roughly covers the layout of the capital. It is impossible to specify every household. At most, it marks some more famous places. Otherwise, if you have a detailed map, you can do a lot of things with bad intentions.

The entire capital city is divided into four major areas by two main roads. The area where the imperial palace is located is under the jurisdiction of the capital, and the rest of the area is irregularly divided into three counties, which are clearly divided on the map.

Among them, Chen Xuan paid a little attention to the floating islands in the void. After all, he could see them by looking up. The information he got from people's communication, the markings on the map, and Chen Xuan's own guesses made him think that they were quite interesting.

Several floating islands are distributed in various places above the capital city, and are not concentrated in one place. Some are high, some are low, and their locations are quite particular.

Putting aside the map, Chen Xuan just looked up at the floating islands. He knew without guessing that they were not just spectacular buildings. They were clearly part of the formation that covered the entire capital city, and very likely one of the core keys.

Chen Xuan only had a superficial understanding of formations. It was hard to imagine how much manpower, material resources and resources were used to build a formation that covered the entire capital. Without seeing it with his own eyes, he could not imagine what kind of power it could display. I guess only the Imperial Observatory knew the details.

To be precise, there are seven floating islands hanging above the capital city, and below them are gardens and lakes, places with few people. I guess they are worried that the islands will fall and hit people in case of an accident.

The floating islands are big and small, high and low. The big ones are hundreds of meters in diameter, the small ones are only tens of meters, the high ones are nearly a thousand meters above the ground, and the low ones are a hundred or so meters. In any case, their height does not exceed that of the imperial palace.

However, no matter the size or height, if it falls and hits the ground, the destructive power it causes can be imagined. I don’t know whether the formation can offset the impact if such a thing happens.

It must be said that this thing is clearly a deadly sword hanging over countless people in the capital. Anyone with a bit of common sense should move it away as soon as possible, but that is not something Chen Xuan can control.

The seven floating islands, in addition to looking stunning, all have their own uses and affiliations. Two of them are home to the Taimiao and Wengong. The Taimiao enshrines the kings of all dynasties and the subjects who have made significant contributions to the Kingdom of Jing. To have one's name engraved there is one of the highest honors of the Kingdom of Jing. The Wengong, on the other hand, enshrines the sages of all dynasties. All newly-appointed Jinshi have to go there to pay homage. It is one of the few opportunities to set foot in the Wengong, and it may only happen once in a lifetime.

In addition, there are two floating islands that nominally belong to the two major families of Jing State, namely the Wei family and the Yuan family. This kind of thing has more symbolic significance than practical significance. After all, the floating islands are there and cannot be moved.

Chen Xuan speculated that such ownership was not fixed, and various reasons could lead to changes in ownership.

The remaining three floating islands belong to the royal family, belonging to the emperor, the crown prince, and Princess Fuyao respectively.

In a word, ordinary people are not qualified to stand on the seven floating islands and above the heads of all living beings.

But it's not completely without chance. At least during the reign of Emperor Shang Xuan, in order to demonstrate the emperor's grace, his floating island was often open to the public when he was not there. However, it was still not easy to go up there. Identity and background were indispensable, and not everyone was qualified to climb up and take in the entire view of the capital.

The ownership of the seven floating islands seemed normal, but what surprised Chen Xuan was that a princess could actually receive such an honor? She must be spoiled to death.

You must know that this treatment is almost the same as that of the crown prince. Who is Princess Fuyao? When Chen Xuan was strolling around before, he briefly learned some information from people's conversations.

She is the youngest daughter of Emperor Shang Xuan. She is eighteen years old now, but only seventeen in real life. She is extremely beautiful and is said to be extremely intelligent since childhood. Emperor Shang Xuan had this daughter when he was old, so she was the apple of his eye and could get whatever he wanted.

Rumor has it that she did not live in seclusion in the palace all the time, but often went out to play since she was a child, and was very approachable. You never know when you might meet her on the road. She rarely had any princess-like ceremonial guards, and whether she was a prince or a commoner, they would occasionally have the opportunity to say a few words to her.

Chen Xuan had only heard about these situations. He had just arrived and was not sure whether they were true.

I don't think the people would do anything without a purpose.

Princess Fuyao is now of marriageable age, and all the wealthy and powerful families want to marry her, and they want legitimate children to propose marriage. Jing Kingdom does not have a rule that a prince consort cannot be an official. Unmarried princes and nobles from neighboring countries, and even crown princes from some countries want to marry her, and the competition is quite fierce.

However, Emperor Shang Xuan has always refused to agree, and has even publicly stated more than once that he will not interfere in Princess Fuyao's marriage as long as he is alive, and it is entirely up to Princess Fuyao to decide!

It's worth noting that throughout history, how many princes and princesses could decide their own marriages? Almost all of them ended up being used as political pawns, but Princess Fuyao was treated this way, so you can imagine how doted she was.

However, in recent years, Princess Fuyao has rarely made public appearances. It's not because her approachable style has changed, but because wherever she goes, there are a lot of people trying to please her. Their purpose is self-evident, and she got tired of it over time. But this does not mean that she has become a recluse. She has just changed her way of doing things. I guess she is still a person who can't sit still.

Because of the special significance of several floating islands, Chen Xuan thought of the information about Princess Fuyao, and wondered if he would have the chance to see her. It wasn't that he had any unreasonable expectations, but the rumors were quite interesting, and he couldn't help but be curious.

Fuyao wasn't the little princess's name, but her title. Her real name was Zhou Xianning. This wasn't a secret; it was already known to everyone in the folk...

After looking at the map, Chen Xuan put it away. Now that he had some understanding of the general layout of the capital, he felt that this thing was of no use to him. He had wasted two taels of silver. He would go back and ask the bookstore if they could buy it back, but he didn't know if he would get beaten up.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Chen Xuan paid the bill and left leisurely, continuing to stroll. He glanced back at the restaurant and thought to himself that he would never go there again. It was their signature dish, but the taste was just so-so. It was extremely expensive, and they were probably trying to rip off outsiders.

Then he actually went to the bookstore to ask about the map recycling, but the people there naturally didn't give him a good look. So, he just put the map in his hand and turned around to give it to Xiao Gao to prevent him from getting lost when he went out.

Until night fell and the lights came on, Chen Xuan, who had been strolling all day, looked up at a floating island, and his figure disappeared silently.

On this day, the emperor showed mercy and opened the floating island belonging to Emperor Shangxuan's leisure villa to the public. Except for the bedroom, which was strictly prohibited from entering, those who were lucky enough to enter the floating island could climb up and enjoy the view.

The floating island is suspended two to three hundred meters in the air. No ordinary innate master can get up there out of thin air. He must either ride a special flying mount or be pulled up by a vehicle lowered from above. There is no other way.

It's said to be open to the public, but how many people actually have the privilege? The 'entrance fee' alone is a whopping 1,000 taels, and you can only stay there for a quarter of an hour. Wow, it's faster than a robbery.

In fact, it is just like that. Putting aside the royal halo, the buildings above are not particularly exquisite, and can even be described as simple. It is likely that Emperor Shang Xuan did not want to leave a luxurious impression on the people.

Moreover, because it is too high, it is a bit cold when the wind blows at night. For ordinary people, it is really not worth the ticket price except to satisfy their vanity.

It was naturally not difficult for Chen Xuan to come up. Standing at the highest point, the bright moon was hanging high in the sky, and the tourists on the floating island did not notice his presence.

He was unwilling to pay one thousand and two taels of silver for the ticket and just enjoy it for free.

Looking around, the lights of thousands of homes in the capital city below stretch all the way to the end of the sight. This is a city that never sleeps, with prosperous events, bright lights, feasting and revelry.

"How many people have tried so hard to get into this place, money, power, fame, but after time passes, what will be left?"

After staying for a while, Chen Xuan didn't think there was any point, so he left silently, as if he had never been there.

After returning to his residence, he wrote a letter to his good friend Mr. Tingfeng in the morning, but the other party had already replied in the evening.

After receiving the reply letter, Chen Xuan said hello to Gao Jingming and the others, returned to his residence, opened it with anticipation, and immediately smiled.

The content of the reply was also very simple. It said: Arrangements will be made to welcome Brother Taohua at Zuixian Tower by the Jinghu Lake at noon tomorrow.

Tsk tsk, seven years of correspondence, meeting Ji tomorrow...

(End of this chapter)