A day later, the carriage finally arrived at Goguryeo's capital. Jiang Hao swept his gaze over it. At this time, Pyeongseong was merely a small city, unable to compare even to a prefectural city of Great Qin. Still, it was understandable. The land was barren, the population sparse; all of Goguryeo did not yet have as many people as a single prefecture or commandery of Great Qin.
But clearly, the King of Goguryeo had made arrangements in advance. Many citizens stood by the roadside to welcome them, bowing and kneeling when they saw the carriage.
Goguryeo was still in a tribal slave society. In a sense, these people were the private property of their tribal chiefs. Men were servants, women concubines. Even in present-day Great Qin, such conditions still existed. Slaves were like property, with no human rights whatsoever. Their owners could dispose of them as they pleased, including selling or killing them. Even after a slave owner died, the slaves under him had to be buried with him.
That evening,
the King of Goguryeo hosted a banquet for Jiang Hao. Needless to say, he entertained him warmly. Yu Shu remained at his side throughout, gentle and tranquil, occasionally pouring him wine with impeccable etiquette.
Yet from Yu Shu's every movement, Jiang Hao could tell that what she felt was more respect and... awe.
The King of Goguryeo arranged for Jiang Hao and his group to stay in the finest residence, not far from the royal palace. Yet even Goguryeo's finest residence could not compare to the house Zhao Gao had given him. There was no helping it—Jiang Hao had just seen the Goguryeo palace, and it was exceedingly shabby as well. Its halls were low and cramped, not even comparable to a side hall in Xianyang Palace.
As they