Chang'an's once-bustling streets were now choked with swirling dust.
Brand-new temples sprang from the earth one after another like bamboo shoots after rain.
Whether in the lively markets south of the city or the tranquil quarters in the north, one could see vermilion pillars and glazed tiles.
Such a spectacle naturally drew the attention of the entire city's populace.
Inside an old-established teahouse in eastern Chang'an.
Several men crowded around a table, cracking sunflower seeds as they pointed out the window at the temple being built in full swing.
"Hey, Third Brother Liu, what do you think the court's thinking?"
A man in a short brown jacket lifted a chipped bowl of tea, took a noisy sip, and wiped his mouth. "Taxes have only just eased up a little. Why are they starting such massive construction again?"
Third Brother Liu was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. He had cultivated to the Ink-Point Realm, making him something of a figure within Chang'an.
Hearing this, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "You don't know, do you? I heard His Majesty had them built specifically to pray for blessings for our Great Tang."
"Pray for blessings?"
The skinny monkey-faced man beside him cut in, his face full of disbelief. "Praying for blessings means worshipping gods, right? But look at those temples—they're empty. There isn't even a clay idol inside. Which god are they supposed to worship?"
"Exactly. We usually worship the Dragon King for favorable winds and timely rains, or the Wealth God for money rolling in every day. An empty temple... could they be worshipping air?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Third Brother Liu glared at the skinny man. "Get lost, get lost! What nonsense are you spouting? Be careful an officer hears you and charges you with disrespect!"
After saying that, he