The Yan Territory Where Rites and Music Had Collapsed, Four Nations Came Calling

Yan Territory!

Jiakang City.

Like a pearl set into the frontier, it lay west of Hexi and bordered the Han Kingdom to the east.

A natural stronghold where merchants gathered!

This city was one of the most important great cities in Northern Yan, and it further possessed the world's third great river, the "Zhi River."

Its waters surged mightily as they ran through the city.

Upon the river, boats came and went—whether lone sails fading from north to south, or enormous merchant vessels leaving the city in an endless stream.

Along both sides of the docks, goods were piled like mountains, while bustling porters labored without pause.

At nearly every moment, dozens of merchant ships entered the ferry crossings.

More than a dozen merchant caravans also entered "Jiakang City."

Though it ought to be called "Jiakang Direct-administered City" now.

An edict issued from Mount Zhongnan several years ago had changed its name.

The name was strange, but the market tariffs for those coming and going through the Yan Territory had been lowered by another tenth. Naturally, the people were delighted.

So what did a name matter?

At this moment!

It had just passed noon.

The sunlight blazed overhead, and the river glittered with rippling waves as two four-decked tower ships leisurely entered the docks.

The banners of "Yuwen" hung high from their prows, fluttering lightly in the wind.

Yet they attracted no attention!

There was no shortage of colossal vessels as heavy as Mount Tai on this river, seven or eight decks high, like pavilions floating upon the water.

A thousand sails raced past, a hundred ships contended in the current.

The ships bearing the "Yuwen" banner merely appeared somewhat more refined and elegant.

No one paid them any mind!

The two ships turned into a riverside islet and slowly