3. Law and Order
After the guards inspected my baggage, I finally entered the city. Chenyu decided to enter the capital with me while Wanwan went by her way immediately after entered the city. There were countless colorful houses of different sizes and unfamiliar things around me. The food, clothing, child's toys and many more things that seemed weird to me. I felt very much in a completely different world. Chenyu noticed me, getting anxious of all these new environment. He went on explaining to me, the unfamiliarities. I learnt many new things. The smaller houses that exchanges goods for gold coins called shops. Then, there are larger ones that exchanges food for gold coins called restaurant. But if the restaurant is decorated inside out with a pink silk, it is the house that exchanges pleasure services for men while the ones decorated with purple silk, it is the house that exchanges pleasure service for women. Then, the inn, noble mansions and so on. I learnt and discovered many new things from Chenyu.
"Thank you, Chenyu. I will repay you for teaching me and the gold for this trip once as soon as possible." I did not have any gold with me. Back in the village, we do not do trading as such.
We stayed a night in Cao Mei before going to the eastern gate of Pu Ding which is connected to Cao Mei. The whole day, Chenyu was teaching me on infrastructure, law and knowledge that will be useful.
"Ye Kingdom is built based on three distinct zone and protected by kingdom walls surrounding the whole kingdom. The first zone, right in the middle of Ye Kingdom, where we are, the city zone. All the cities are built in the middle of the kingdom. Then, the second zone, the village zone. Most villages and some of the mansions are located there. Lastly, the military zone. In between the village zone and the kingdom walls, are the homes to the soldiers, the camps, forts and small soldier cities. In terms of control, the kind King allowed the people in village zone to choose their ways of life which I believe since the start of your village, your village chief decided to be segregated from the cities. But in the city zone, all city have a Lord, and ministers are to stay within city most of the time. Legal businesses are to trade in gold. This is mainly because other kingdoms, also trade in gold. We used to trade with other kingdoms about 60 years ago until, the event known by older generations as 'Blood Flood Pu Ding' happened." Chenyu carefully explained as we sipped on the fragrant tea inside the inn.
"Blood Flood Pu Ding? What happened?"
"This is your first time tasting tea. Of course, you have not heard it. Haha!" Chenyu teased. "Well, not much of the stories is passed down anyways and many who knows it either have left the world or too old to telltale about it. All I know is that, there was a time when one of the outside kingdom planted several thousand elite soldiers for a decade in the capital. Then, finally, they tried to threaten the King to give up his throne with the life of the people in the city in exchange. Before the King could decide, all the ministers gave the order to lock down the capital and the soldiers hunted. Even with the slightest suspicion, a man is killed instantly. No one really knows what happened inside, and three days later, when the gate re-opens, blood flows the districts of the capital, enough to flood a village. Ever since, our kingdom wall gates have not opened for outsiders."