Chapter 847: The Jiangnan Luo Clan!
Ever since Xi Shi emerged from Wu-Yue, Jiangnan had been widely renowned for its beautiful women. Unlike the lands north of Jianghuai, Jiangnan had historically seen very little warfare.
Since the Great Sui conquered the south from the north and seized All Under Heaven, Jiangnan had taken a secondary place in the political landscape, much to the resentment of its scholars.
Thus, the Jiangnan gentry actively participated in Yang Guang's struggle for the succession, hoping to regain their political standing. Only the Gusu Luo Clan closed its gates, serving solely in local offices and maintaining many ties through marriage and old friendships, without taking part in the succession struggle.
In the early Kaihuang years, Yang Jian abolished the commandery level of administration throughout All Under Heaven, switching entirely to a prefecture-and-county system. Gusu Commandery took the character "Su" and became Suzhou, but for such hereditary aristocratic clans, people still referred to them by their old commandery names.
Suzhou seemed unchanged after a thousand years. Luo Su and his two companions passed through Yangzhou, crossed the Yangtze River by boat, and went straight through Jianye, as though entering an exquisitely detailed painting.
For Luo Xuanye and Luo Xuanjing, who came from the far north of Deep Winter, every little bridge and flowing stream held a profound fascination.
The three dismounted and boarded a small, light boat, gazing at the buildings with whitewashed walls and dark roof tiles along the narrow lanes.
"In Jiangnan, lotus may be gathered; how lush their leaves, where fish play among them.
Fish play east of the lotus leaves, fish play west of the lotus leaves, fish play south of the lotus leaves, fish play north of the lotus leaves."
Stone steles stood against the walls on either side of the