Chapter 409: Investigation_A Pawn's Passage

<h4>Chapter 409: Investigation</h4>

 Qi Xuansu did not immediately leave this slum within Jinling after departing from Ye Xiu''s residence.

 Apart from Jade Capital, every prosperous town had such slums, unchanged by the tides of the world.

 Jade Capital was an exception because it was a city of Daoists, inhabited only by Daoist priests, Spirit Guards, and Daoist believers. The first two were self-exnatory, while the Daoist believers were skilled workers with stable livelihoods. Though not wealthy, Daoist believers lived decently, free from worries about basic needs.

 The keyy in Jade Capital’s unified nning. All its buildings and pces belonged to the Daoist Order, eliminating private ownership. Thus, maintenance and repair fell under the Tianji Hall. Even Great Sages only had usage rights to properties, not ownership. Residents leased their homes, often for very long terms, up to a century.

 Moreover, perched atop Kunlun Mountain, Jade Capital was inessible to most people without cultivation, allowing the Daoist Order to easily control its poption.

 Other townscked Jade Capital’s natural advantages. Situated on ins and trade routes, they naturally attracted outsiders, leading to the emergence of slums within or around the cities, like the shantytown outside Bohai Prefecture. Even the Imperial Capital was no exception in this regard.

 In its early days, the Imperial Capital was square-shaped, with nine city gates. Its central axis ran from Zhengyang Gate in the south, through the Imperial Pce, and to the Bell Tower in the north.

 During the early years of the Wei Dynasty, the nation was powerful. Emperor Taizongunched five campaigns against the Golden Horde, and issues were not apparent. 

 Later, as the Wei Dynasty declined and the Golden Horde bombarded the capital multiple times, officials proposed building an outer city around the Imperial Capital for added security, with a width of about 40 kilometers.

 Construction of the outer city began in Emperor Mingyong’s 32nd year. Since the southern suburbs were more prosperous and housed the royal altars, the southern line was prioritized. However, the project soon stalled due to insufficient funds.

 The Imperial Court had no choice but to adjust the n, building only the southern wall while deferring the other three sides until funds allowed. The southern wall was reduced from the nned 10 kilometers to around 7 kilometers, with its eastern and western ends bending northward to connect with the southeastern and southwestern gates of the inner city.

 Since only the southern section of the outer city waspleted, the Imperial Capital’syout changed from the original square shape to a wider, inverted T-shape, with an expanded base in the south that formed the outer city. However, the name “outer city” was misleading, as it was not outside the inner city but rather to its south, thus earning the name “South City.”

 Throughout the Wei Dynasty, the other three sides of the city walls were neverpleted, yet arge poption still resided in those areas.

 When the Great Xuan Dynasty took over the Imperial Capital, theypleted the remaining eastern, western, and northern walls, creating the currentyout of the city that resembled a concentric square.

 The outer city was primarily popted bymoners, while the inner city housed mansions of nobility, officials, and major government offices.

 Jade Capital retained the oldyout of the former Imperial Capital due to its geography. The upper, smaller square part was Xuan City, the highest point on the peak, while the lower, expanded square was the rest of Jade Capital, situated at a slightly lower elevation.

 Jinling Prefecture had a highly irregryout due to its topography, so it could not be described with any specific shape, nor did it conform to geometric symmetry,cking even a clear central axis.

 ording to legend, Jinling Prefecture’s design was inspired by the Three Enclosures and 28 Constetions of Chinese astronomy, harmonizing with the local geomantic energy. This deviated from the traditional square or rectangr city walls of the past and became a unique fusion of celestial and terrestrial elements.

 Jinling’s old city was situated in the southeast, densely popted with bustlingmerce and numerous workshops. The residences of nobles and wealthy merchants, along with luxurious restaurants and upscale brothels, were concentrated in the southwest part of the old city.

 The old city, also known as the inner city, was surrounded by an outer walled city, equivalent to the outer city of the Imperial Capital.

 The northwest part of the outer city housed the ck Robes’ barracks, along withrge granaries, warehouses, and military workshops, which were generally off-limits to the public.

 This slum was situated between the ck Robes’ barracks and the inner city, reflecting the irregryout of Jinling as a whole.

 This implied that the area could serve as a hub forrge-scale distribution of goods. It was perhaps even an ideal location. This was not an idle guess from Qi Xuansu but a reasonable inference.

 Before the Great Xuan Dynasty, maritime trade was not prosperous. As a result, Jinling’s bustling areas were concentrated along the Qinhuai River, oriented ind. The northwestern part near the Yangtze River appeared rtively empty, and areas along the coast outside Jinling’s jurisdiction were no more than fishing viges.

 Since the prosperity of maritime trade, direct river routes to the sea were more convenient. Thus, traveling along the Qinhuai River became inefficient. Consequently, the Daoist Order established many warehouses along the Qinhuai River, initially intended to be near the ck Robes’ barracks for added security. From another perspective, these warehouses were not far from this slum.

 Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu was suddenly filled with a desire to explore the area, so that was what he did.

 Qi Xuansu first pretended to leave, then he quietly returned.

 The first time he entered the slums, Qi Xuansu had heard many wails and cries from this ce. Upon his return, he entered the shanties that served as makeshift prisons.

 Inside, the spaces were cramped, dark, and damp. Countless small enclosures made of wooden fences filled the area, shrouded in pitch darkness. Only faint flickers of light could be seen in the shadows. A closer inspection revealed that these specks of light were pairs of eyes that were devoid of vitality—lifeless, numb, and despondent.

 Qi Xuansu stopped and observed closely. Most of the upants were women. Their clothes were still intact, and they were not emaciated, but their faces were pale and unkempt, marked by a deep fear beneath their numb expressions.

 As early as the reign of the First Emperor of the Founding Dynasty, the ve system had beenrgely abolished. In the centuries that followed, while indentured servitude existed, the term “ve” was rarely used. Later, during the Jin Dynasty, the practice of live burial as a funeral custom was also abolished.

 By the Great Xuan Dynasty, they went further bypletely abolishing the system of hereditary servile status.

 There were three types of household registers: military, civilian, and servile. In fact, the Great Xuan Dynasty also abolished the military register due to the dissolution of the garrison system.

 However, what was abolished on paper and how it yed out in practice were two different matters. For instance, the government only recognized one official wife, with the rest ssified as concubines. But among themon folk, the concept of equal wives flourished. Simrly, though servile registers were abolished, courtesans and household servants continued to exist.

 This was one of the reasons why the Holy Xuan sought to abolish establishments like Ecstasy Pce. It was not because he could not tolerate the sex trade itself, but rather that such institutions became an invisible encouraging force for coercing or deceiving innocent women into prostitution, practices that needed to be eradicated. Thus, the best way to address this was to cut off the issue at its source.

 What Qi Xuansu saw before him was precisely this. The presence of arge number of lower-ss brothels nearby was also no coincidence.

 Qi Xuansu ran his fingers lightly over the rotten wooden fences. With just a little force, he could break them apart. However, he knew full well that, as a small pawn, navigating the treacherous undercurrents of Jinling left him struggling just to protect himself. So he was in no position to help others.

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 At that moment, he heard sounds from outside.

 Qi Xuansu immediately leaped onto the roof beam and concealed himself in the shadows.

 A group of beggars entered, leading some of the women out. Among them were a few frail-looking men, all herded onto carriages outside that were draped with thick tarps on all sides, concealing whatevery within.

 Qi Xuansu’s interest was piqued, so he began to tail the carriages.

 The carriages soon left the slums, entering the bustling inner city. After winding through various streets for about four hours, the sky had turned dark, and they arrived in a narrow alley in the southwest corner of the old city.

 The alley was nked by two-meter-high walls made of sintered bricks, stretching over 300 meters. At the end of the alley was a ckcquered door. The area was eerily quiet. Once dusk fell, not even birds flew by.

 The carriages drove straight to the ck door at the end of the alley.

 A man got off and struck the beast-head knocker on the door three times, paused briefly, then struck four more times.

 Shortly after, a voice from inside asked, “Is this Boss Ye’s shipment?”

 The man outside was evidently no stranger to the ce and seemed familiar with the person inside, speaking with little formality. “You know it is. So why even ask? Hurry up and open the door!”

 Momentster, the door slowly opened, and the carriages were let inside.

 Qi Xuansu watched from a distance, hesitating slightly. This matter did not seem rted to Lei Xiaohuan’s task, but he felt it might have some connection to therger case. In the end, he decided to investigate further.

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Chapter 409: Investigation