As dawn broke, the convoy rolled over the last dust on the official road and slowly made its way towards the central hub of the nation.
Lu Chen lifted the car curtain, calmly observing the gradually changing scenery outside the window.
The official road became wider and smoother, paved with bluestone slabs, and could accommodate eight carriages traveling abreast.
The fields on both sides are crisscrossed with paths and the ditches are well-organized, far surpassing the rural landscape of Southern Mausoleum.
"This is truly the capital city. Even the field ridges are as straight as if they were measured with a ruler."
Upon hearing this, the coachman outside smiled and chimed in, "Sir, you have a good eye. Because of the Demon Suppression Division, the Capital is quite peaceful. Every blade of grass and every tree has its rules; the depth of the plow and the height of the houses are all governed by established methods. Look at that group of merchants ahead."
He pointed with his whip at a wagon train loaded with fine silks and satins not far away, saying, "Even the specifications of the cargo boxes and the style of the bells on the mules and horses cannot be taken lightly."
Just then, a loud, clear voice rang out from ahead. "Line up to enter the city! Check your travel permits! No idlers are allowed to make a sound!"
The convoy slowly came to a stop in sequence.
A guard in gleaming armor stepped forward, his hand on his sword, his steps steady, his sharp gaze sweeping over the convoy.
Commander Chen Ping of the Imperial Guards sat upright on his horse, his expression unchanged. He simply raised a black iron waist token engraved with a coiled dragon pattern in one hand, and said in a voice that was not loud but carried great weight, "It's a matter for the palace."
Upon recognizing the badge, the guard's expression turned solemn. He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, his voice becoming noticeably more respectful. "So you are a high-ranking officer from the Imperial Guard! I apologize for my rudeness; please enter the city immediately!"
Lu Chen looked up at the towering city wall that seemed to pierce the sky.
A heavy, oppressive feeling, mixed with the cold aura of bricks and stones, rushed towards me.
"Seeing is believing," he sighed softly. "Such a sight truly lives up to its reputation as a den of dragons and tigers."
Chen Ping turned his horse around and looked at Lu Chen. His gaze was still cold, but it held a hint of unspoken approval.
"We must brave even the most dangerous places, whether they are dragon's dens or tiger's lairs." His voice was deep. "Now that Banner Sergeant Lu has come this far, he must be even more cautious in his words and actions from now on, and take good care of himself."
Lu Chen met his gaze and nodded slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Commander Chen. I will keep it in mind."
The convoy moved again and drove into the huge archway.
The wide and straight Vermilion Bird Street comes into view, bustling with traffic and crowds, a noisy and bustling scene.
"Candied hawthorn berries! Candied hawthorn berries from the mountains!"
"The finest silks newly arrived from Suzhou and Hangzhou, please come in, ladies and gentlemen!"
"Excuse me! Excuse me! This is an urgent message, travels 600 li! Anyone who blocks the way will be whipped twenty times!"
Peddlers, wandering knights, officials, and all sorts of people thronged the streets.
Lu Chen's gaze swept across the crowd, pausing for a moment in the hands of an old man sculpting dough figurines. With nimble fingers flying across the table, a lifelike dough figurine of a military general was formed.
He then looked at a seemingly ordinary teahouse. The men sitting by the window were dressed as merchants, but their temples were slightly bulging and their breathing was long and deep, clearly indicating that they possessed considerable martial arts skills.
"Hidden talents and crouching tigers." Lu Chen murmured to himself, lowering the curtain of the car window slightly.
Chen Ping's voice came from the side, still calm. " The Capital City is a murky place."
The motorcade did not linger in this extremely bustling area, but instead passed through several main roads and turned into the relatively quiet area of government offices for the powerful and wealthy.
Finally, it came to a slow stop in front of a solemn, dark blue-green building complex.
This complex covers a vast area, with high walls, deep courtyards, and continuous halls. Its flying eaves and brackets resemble the sharp claws of a ferocious beast, exuding a chilling aura that keeps strangers at bay.
Especially the tall gatehouse, reinforced with black iron, and the two statues in front of the gate are not stone lions, but ferocious stone statues of the demon-suppressing Bixie.
In the center of the gatehouse hangs a huge ebony plaque with three gilded characters: " Demon Suppression Division ".
The curtain of Eunuch Li's carriage was lifted, and he poked out half of his pale face. "Lord Lu, we've arrived at the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Division. Our mission is now complete."
Lu Chen dismounted, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Thank you for escorting me all this way, Lu Chen Eunuch Li and the Imperial Guards."
Eunuch Li smirked, "Lord Lu is young and promising, with a bright future. I'm merely acting under orders."
He shifted his tone slightly, lowering his voice to a distinct warning, "However, the Capital City is not like a border prefecture like Southern Mausoleum. The rules here are stricter, and the situation is more complex. The Archives Bureau is a quiet place, perfect for... self-cultivation."
Lu Chen's expression remained calm, and he simply cupped his hands again, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Father-in-law. I will remember it."
Eunuch Li gave him a deep look, said nothing more, nodded slightly, and gestured to a junior official who was already waiting beside him.
The clerk was about twenty years old, with a fair complexion. He wore the blue uniform of a low-ranking clerk in the Demon Suppression Division, and his eyes were bright and shrewd, showing a cunning and observant nature.
He quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, his attitude respectful yet unable to conceal a hint of scrutiny.
"Take Lord Lu to the prepared courtyard for accommodation," Eunuch Li instructed, then lowered the carriage curtain. With a creaking sound, the carriage, carrying him and two imperial guards, slowly drove away from the gate of the Demon Suppression Division.
After the carriage had gone far away, the minor official surnamed Zhao straightened up and subtly sized up Lu Chen again, lingering for a moment on his simple clothes and the standard-issue sword at his waist.
"Lord Lu, I am Zhao Shun, and I do clerical work and run errands within the department. Please follow me; your lodgings have been arranged."
Zhao Shun led the way, passing through several courtyards, and finally they stopped at the end of a quiet alley.
Before me stood a secluded courtyard, its walls a deeper bluish-black than the surrounding area, with withered vines entwined around the top, giving it an air of utter desolation.
This is it.