Since they had left Chang'an and traveled east, the Eastern Capital of Luoyang was the first true metropolis they had encountered on their journey. Ravaged by the An Lushan Rebellion, the city, once left with nine houses in ten deserted, had gradually recovered its vitality in the decades since the fighting ended. Though it no longer enjoyed the flourishing splendor of its million-strong population during the Tang's golden age, it remained, in every sense, the foremost city of the Central Plains, with thriving commerce.
To pass the checkpoints without trouble, travelers going through Luoyang first had to apply to the local government for travel permits to present for inspection at passes and river crossings. Inspections were particularly strict for those leaving the Central Plains for the northern military provinces: every attendant, every item of merchandise, and even the number of livestock had to be checked. Ordinary merchants often had to wait ten days or even a month before completing the formalities. Fortunately, Yang Xingjian held official rank. After he offered the clerk handling the matter a small gift, the man agreed to expedite his application and told him to return in five days for news.
These few days in Luoyang would give them a chance to rest, recover, and purchase supplies for the journey.
Using the financial certificates Yang Xingjian carried, Baozhu withdrew a hundred taels in gold ingots and thirty strings of copper coins from the Persian Money Shop in the South Market. She loaded the money onto the donkey and gleefully set off shopping.
Yang Xingjian was a middle-aged man with a wife and daughter, so he naturally understood the perils of accompanying someone shopping. At best, it emptied one's purse; at worst, it exhausted every ounce of strength, and every word and action required careful consideration. Unwilling