plumnovel Chapter 31: Verification
Chapter 31: Verification
"Hey! So rushed?"
Zou Yun looked at the backs of the vendors around him who were practically running into the market and exclaimed in amazement once again.
Feng Zhixue remained calm, clearly accustomed to such scenes.
"Great Master, you are unaware of this,"
Seeing Zou Yun's confusion, he smiled and explained, "In this big city, those fixed shops along the street are all leased year-round. Their locations are fixed, so vendors don't have to fight for them."
"But the seating arrangement in these prime locations in the middle of the city tunnel is quite different."
"They are first-come, first-served on the day, and the best spot depends entirely on how fast you are. There are no fixed rules."
"So, if you want to get a foothold in the busiest area, you have to go all out and rush in, grabbing as many spots as you can!"
"I see." Zou Yun nodded.
Good seating positions are limited, after all.
Once the most coveted spots were all claimed, the queue for entry gradually calmed down from its earlier commotion.
However, even during that brief struggle, Zou Yun had keenly noticed...
None of the merchants and common people dared to overstep the rules and cut in line; they all obediently stepped forward one by one and waited quietly for the market official to verify the wooden slip.
The strict laws and regulations of the Qin Dynasty are evident here.
Soon, the line moved forward, and Zou Yun and his two companions reached the city gate.
While waiting for verification, Feng Zhixue, unable to hide his excitement, pointed to the tall but slightly mottled rammed earth walls on both sides of the city gate and said to Zou Yun.
"Great Master, look! It was right here that Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, prominently displayed the 'Lüshi Chunqiu,' which he oversaw the compilation of!"
"Beside the long bamboo scroll hung a sign offering a reward of a thousand gold pieces, proclaiming that any scholar in the land who could add or delete even a single word from it would be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces!"
"Groups of soldiers stood guard with halberds, and the crowd of onlookers was so large that it was impossible to move, yet not a single person could step forward to change a single word..."
His eyes gleamed; it was that grand event that had captivated Feng Zhixue and subtly influenced his penchant for hoarding rare items.
Following Feng Zhixue's gaze, Zou Yun saw only an inconspicuous, even somewhat dilapidated, rammed earth wall.
The whitewash on the wall had even peeled off in many places, revealing the rough yellow soil underneath.
Who would have thought that such an ordinary, even somewhat shabby, wall was once the birthplace of a famous story that has been passed down through the ages?
"A single word is worth a thousand pieces of gold... Who could have imagined that such a illustrious story would originate from such an inconspicuous place?"
A sense of vicissitude welled up in Zou Yun's heart.
"A single word worth a thousand pieces of gold...? The Grand Master's words are indeed accurate."
Feng Zhixue's eyes lit up, and he praised sincerely.
He felt that the four characters "大方师" (Great Master) were a more fitting and vivid summary than any other description.
"We're almost there," Zheng Ze reminded him.
From here, the scene inside the city gate is clearly visible. Various stalls offer a dazzling array of goods, and the crowds are bustling.
"Verification of the transmission."
At the city gate, a market official wearing a wooden hat spoke in a curt tone.
Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers in short armor on both sides, the man wearing a gray-brown jacket quickly bent down and took out a narrow piece of mulberry wood from his bosom.
The wood chip wasn't polished particularly smooth; it was rectangular, about the length of a palm, two fingers wide, and very thin.
His name, place of origin, and age were neatly written in Qin clerical script, along with the red clay seal affixed by the village head.
It was the only proof that allowed the man to enter Xianyang City and go to the market to make purchases.
He carefully presented the piece of wood with both hands, his movements showing a hint of reverence and restraint.
The market official on duty took the wooden ox, glanced at it quickly, and confirmed that it was a pass for a local villager, with nothing unusual.
He waved his hand impatiently, indicating that he could enter the city.
"Are they just letting us through like that?"
Zou Yun watched the man hurry into the market with a sigh of relief, and felt a little puzzled.
Based on his preconceived notions from his previous life, he believed that the Qin Dynasty's laws were known for their severity.
The city official on duty should have carefully compared the appearance, or even questioned the person to verify the authenticity of the wooden ox. How could he be so careless?
"The Great Master is unaware of something."
Feng Zhixue clearly saw Zou Yun's question and lowered his voice to explain, "This inspection is also done on a case-by-case basis."
"If a stranger from another prefecture or county wants to enter the market, the market officials on duty will check him much more strictly, and it is common for them to repeatedly question his place of origin, purpose of visit, and goods."
"But local villagers, especially those who come here often and are familiar with the city officials, are often more lenient during inspections."
He paused, then added with a smile, "After all, the flow of people in and out of this city every day is as numerous as carp crossing a river."
"If we interrogate everyone like we're investigating a spy, we won't get many customers in a day. Will the market even be able to operate?"
"Even the strictest laws must be practical and feasible."
"When we are being verified later, Your Majesty need not say anything; leave everything to your subject."
"Okay." Zou Yun nodded slightly.
Time passed slowly, and soon it was the turn of the three to be verified.
Upon seeing Zou Yun's luxurious attire, the soldiers quickly composed themselves and became exceptionally humble.
However, they still strictly abided by the Qin law and dared not show favoritism, but instead turned their attention to the market officials in charge of verification.
The city official naturally noticed Zou Yun's difference and quickly stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a tone that was more than ten times gentler and more respectful than before.
"Your Excellency is dressed in fine clothes and has an extraordinary bearing; we lowly people dare not be negligent in your manners."
"only......"
He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat hesitant but unusually firm.
"The rules of Qin City are strict. Regardless of status, everyone who enters the market must present a tally or certificate in accordance with the law. This is an ironclad rule."
"I hope you will be understanding and show me the talisman."
As previously agreed, Zou Yun remained calm and did not speak.
Feng Zhixue, standing behind him, quickly stepped forward, took out a pouch from his pocket, carefully untied the rope, and revealed the contents inside.
It was clearly a bronze dragon-shaped ornament inlaid with gold.
The bronze scepter has a simple and heavy shape, with a majestic and awe-inspiring bronze dragon head, and its whole body gleams with a cold luster.
What's even more startling is that the entire talisman is inlaid with dense Qin seal script characters using extremely exquisite gold inlay techniques.
This was the imperial tally that Ying Zheng personally bestowed upon Zou Yun that day, granting him the right to travel throughout the entire Qin territory.
The moment the market official caught a glimpse of the object, his pupils contracted sharply, his face drained of all color, and he even choked on his breath.
If a mere glance is enough, then the city officials wouldn't even dare to reach out and touch it.
He only dared to glance at it quickly to confirm that its unique shape was definitely not a fake, then he lowered his head and bowed, saying, "Please enter the market, Your Excellency."
Before the words were even finished, the two fastest-reacting soldiers rushed forward and pushed open the city gate, which was only half open.
All the guards and soldiers on duty quickly retreated to both sides of the gate, bowing their heads and behaving with extreme humility.
A passageway was formed inside the doorway, silently welcoming the important figure holding the royal decree.
This sudden and grand spectacle instantly quieted the previously bustling city gates and surrounding area.
The atmosphere also stunned the vendors and pedestrians who were about to enter or leave, and they all stopped to watch.
They either lowered their heads or glanced sideways, but all consciously moved to the sides of the street. The originally noisy crowd was also quieted down, and no one dared to make a loud noise at this moment.
The deeply ingrained hierarchical concepts and imperial authority of feudal society
This moment was vividly demonstrated through the opening of a city gate.
Looking at the respectful crowd standing on both sides and the wide-open gate in front of him, Zou Yun was slightly taken aback.
Although he knew that the talisman represented privilege, he never expected that simply showing it would cause such a huge commotion.
However, he subconsciously turned around.
When he glanced behind him and saw that even the usually taciturn Zheng Ze had an expression of "it should be this way" and "I am proud of it" on his face, he realized that Feng Zhixue and even Zheng Ze had such expressions.
Zou Yun could only sigh inwardly.
Suppressing his unease, he didn't hesitate any longer and quickly stepped into the city.