The news of the passing of the Merchant King and the succession of the new ruler spread across the entire Tai Cang in three days. The sounds of mourning filled the streets as the people grieved. Many took to the streets carrying white lanterns to bid farewell to their former monarch. Families across the land prayed to the Great Wind, hoping it would guide the late king's soul to the Heavenly Cang Court, where he would no longer suffer in the boundless wastelands.
Jixia, now the new ruler of Tai Cang, walked through Tai City dressed in ordinary attire. Though he had ascended to the throne, he still knew little about the conditions in Tai City and Cang City. His purpose for leaving the palace with Ji Qianqing was to understand the lives of the people better.
Besides Ji Qianqing, there was another young woman with them. She was dressed in plain grey clothing, but her beauty and graceful figure couldn't be concealed. She remained silent, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding any interaction with Jixia or Ji Qianqing.
Jixia stole a glance at her in awkwardness. The girl was named Jing Yu, the same girl who had been rescued by Ji Qianqing from Jixia's chambers. At the time, the situation was urgent, so Ji Qianqing had arranged for her to stay in the palace. Now that the war with the Jiuquan nation had been resolved, they finally had time to deal with Jing Yu. Although Jixia adamantly denied any inappropriate intentions toward her, Ji Qianqing's watchful eyes made him feel uneasy.
The truth was, Jixia hadn't harmed the girl when she was brought to him, but with the Tai Cang Jade incident revealed and the death of the Merchant King, Jixia's situation had changed. Jing Yu, however, remained silent, her eyes filled with mist and unspoken sorrow as she stared at Jixia, making him uncomfortable.
Determined to avoid the ongoing awkwardness, Jixia decided that during this outing, he would personally see to Jing Yu's return, ending the painful discomfort once and for all.
"This area is the main district of Tai City," Jixia spoke as they walked down a dilapidated street. Only a few vendors weakly called out their wares. The scene was far from the bustling metropolis he had expected. Tai City had a population of over 400,000, a significant number in an era with little transportation infrastructure. This should have been a thriving and prosperous area, but the harsh conditions, including barren land and scarce resources, had limited the city's development.
Tai Cang had survived for over two hundred years, relying on a small patch of farmland behind Tai City. The capital, despite the poverty, had managed to scrape by thanks to the royal court's provisioning of food, clothing, and medicine. Jixia knew this was an unhealthy system, but in such dire circumstances, it was the only way to keep Tai Cang from collapsing entirely.
With threats from neighboring nations like Jiuquan and the massive beasts in the Gobi and rainforests eyeing Tai Cang, if the royal court didn't control food distribution, the entire nation would eventually starve.
Jixia, as the former crown prince and now the ruler of Tai Cang, understood how diligent and honest the officials were. There had never been corruption or greed in Tai Cang's bureaucracy. Officials only had two meals a day, slightly better than the common folk but still far from comfortable.
Ji Qianqing noticed Jixia's silence as they walked, deep in thought. She gently asked, "Now that you have ascended to the throne, do you have any plans for Tai Cang?"
Jixia observed a few young children lying on the street, their bodies languid and weak from hunger. He spoke softly, "Once the Jiuquan and the Crocodile Horn Kingdom agree to a temporary ceasefire, they'll come back with a vengeance. Another great war is inevitable. First, we must completely deal with Jiuquan."
Ji Qianqing nodded, understanding that Jiuquan's sudden quietness was due to their vigilance against the Crocodile Horn Kingdom, a neighboring power. If Jiuquan was willing to make concessions to temporarily ally with the Crocodile Horn Kingdom, Tai Cang would face a devastating strike from Jiuquan in the future.
As they walked past a small house on the side of the road, an old man with a gaunt face and sunken eyes leaned wearily against a stone pillar, resting. Jixia stopped and asked, "Old man, is there anyone else in your household?"
The old man slowly turned his head toward the source of the voice. When he opened his eyes, they were clouded and white. His actions indicated that he was blind. He answered loudly, "My grandchildren went out to work before dawn. It's harvest season. Who can afford to rest at home?"
Jixia pressed further, "Why can't you stay at home? The royal court provides food based on the number of people in each household, whether you work or not. Why go through all the hardship?"
At the mention of this, the old man's eyes suddenly widened, and his face darkened. He replied solemnly, "Who are you? Why do you speak so recklessly? Tai Cang people have labored for centuries to protect our land. If everyone thought like you, Tai Cang would have been devoured by the barbarians long ago."
"The soldiers fight and die for Tai Cang, the daughters give birth to children to ensure the strength of the army. What's wrong with working the land, even if one doesn't have great talent in cultivation?"
He paused, his voice filled with sorrow as he continued, "We old ones... it's better for us to die quickly, so we don't become a burden to the nation, to the soldiers, to Tai Cang. But I'm still healthy, and the late King prohibited us from deciding our fate..." His eyes misted over, and two tears slid down his weathered cheeks. "The Merchant King worked his whole life for Tai Cang. Now that he's gone, it's a relief. He doesn't need to worry about us anymore."
Jixia stood silently, his heart heavy with the old man's words. "Why do all Tai Cang people make such sacrifices?" he asked quietly.
"Tai Cang is our homeland!" The old man mumbled. "This land was built by our ancestors, one sword strike at a time. We grew up here. Apart from Tai Cang, there is no other place that can accept us."
"And it's not about devotion. What we do is not noble. We're fighting for survival. Just like the women who suffer through pregnancy for ten months—it's not because they want to, but because they have to!"
"If we don't have children, the population won't keep up with the death rate. Then Tai Cang will be eaten alive by the beasts or turned into playthings for those monsters! Compared to that, the pain of labor, of working the land, and of giving birth is nothing."
Jixia inhaled deeply, then respectfully bowed to the old man. Standing up straight, he continued his walk.
Jing Yu said nothing, her gaze fixed on Jixia. She, a simple commoner of Tai Cang, had always despised the new ruler she once hated. But now, she saw a strange emotion in his eyes—shock, empathy, pity, and determination.
Ji Qianqing watched all this with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She walked up to Jixia, her long skirt flowing gracefully, and whispered, "Lord, ahead is South Qing Street. Jing Yu's home is just up ahead."