Vol. 2 Chapter 20 - Luoyang

A.D. 182 Han Empire, city of Luoyang

/povMC/

"Good morning grandfather!" I say as I enter the main hall where my father and grandfather along with the 'Xiahou-cousins' and my newest addition to my 'crew' my personal house-keeper Alfred are all having something to eat to break their morning's fast.

"Good morning to you as well grandson. What do you have planned for today?" Cao Song asked me.

"If possible I hope to find a couple certain plants or crops from the 'Western Regions' if I can find some in the markets. In particular I hope to find a plant known as 'cotton', it is used to make warm winter clothing. Too many of our people freeze to death in winter times, with cheap warm clothing we can ensure our people never freeze to death ever again." I say to inform my grandfather of my plans to get my day started.

"Splendid!, 'Yuanrang' and 'Miaocai' accompany and protect my eldest-grandson with your lives, I do not need to tell you the importance to our family that Ce'er stays safe and unharmed." My grandfather tells the 'Xiahou-cousins'.

"Yes Patriach! We will protect the 'eldest-grandson' with our lives." They both say as they bow and clasp their fists together.

"Father when will my mother return from visiting her family and my grandparents in 'Hedong-Province'?" I ask my father as he sips his morning tea.

"Your mother will back at 'Qiao County' from her visit by the time we make our return home on the morrow." Cao Cao answers.

"Good I have missed her sorely, Dun and Yuan. With me. Let's make our way to the nearest marketplace." I wave goodbye to my grandfather and father and tell the 'Xiahou-cousins' to follow me as I exit the main hall in my full set of armor carrying my weapons and my 'qin'.

Time to go visit the trading grounds of Luoyang in the later Eastern Han Dynasty. Sounds like it should be quite a fun experience, I would hate to let myself miss out on experiencing it.

***After the trio left the residence of Cao Song, and were traveling down the stone-covered streets of ancient-Luoyang***

/povMC/

I think to myself as I ride atop 'Sleipneir, looking down at all the commoners going about their shitty days in late second-century ancient-China..

"Did you hear the latest news from the palace?.. I heard the Eunuchs have convinced our emperor to 'sell' official positions." I could hear one of the peasants saying to another.

"Shh!.. dont let anyone hear you say the word 'Eunuchs' or even 'Eunuch'.. you will be killed before you know your going to die you fool.. come on we can't stay here now!.." I hear the peasant he was talking to respond to him in a hushed voice. With my enhanced senses and spirituality, it sounded like they were talking in my ears if I focused on the two of them alone.

These powers and abilities are now both a gift and a responsibility. Now I will be forced to act on anything I feel is wrong. If I do not I will never rest at night when I try to sleep. I will sink into a 'swamp' of regret' if I let some sick fuck harm a child or some situation like that happen in my presence.

Whether it means I have to flee the lands of my birth, to find new adventures, or kill whoever I have to kill, to change whatever it is that I feel is wrong.

I decide since I love 'DOWN's song 'Stone-The-Crow, and I had been contemplating my death and rebirth into this world since it happened.. maybe some of these poor peasants can relate to my feelings.

So I start to pull at the strings of the ancient-Chinese piano making it produce noises that start 'trilling' and bouncing right off It's strings, and the sounds then wander along the winds carrying said sounds through the street as I ride my steed down the paths.

I then open my mouth to sing "A bout of deep depression..

Can't seem to move it forward..

My lying eyes lie awake..

Not sure what I am after..

I never died before..

Can't help what happened.. yesterday..

I never stoned the crow.. no..

Flit through endless stories..

A lifetime of hand-written pain..

No one can share this hurt.. that is mine, mine, mine..

I never died before..

Can't be what happened.. yesterday..

I shouldn't stone the crow.. no..

Ride on!.. Same old city..

Same old shame..

No matter how I try.. no matter what I say..

I'm blamed, I'm shamed, I'm judged.. unfairly..

So now I've died before..

It feels as bad as yesterday..

I never stoned the crow.. no..

You too have died before..

I fought as hard as yesterday..

I never stoned the crow..

Stoned the crow!.. no!.. no!..

Crush!.."

"Yuanrang'.. Miaocai. Do you feel that?.." I ask the two cousins after I finish my little performance and start taking in my glory-points I know Im storing up to spend in my 'system-store' or mall once I unlock it..

"Feel what Young Master?.." Xiahou Dun asked me while his younger cousin nodded his head while Dun spoke.

"The admiration these common-folk are sending me and to you two as well, just by being with me and in my immediate surroundings making you obviously look related to me.. do you not feel that?.." I ask them.

"Yes!.. I do feel that Young Master, it makes me feel like a hero returning from slaying foreigners from the steppe-tribes." The older of the two, spoke for the both of them while the younger did the nodding of his head since he hasn't spoken a word since we left my grandfather's residence.

I forget he just turned twenty years of age, this is his first time in Luoyang as well. He was too busy taking in the sights of the city and her citizens moving through her paths like worker ants building a colony or anthill.

"Miaocai'!.. is the capital-city everything you thought it would be?." I asked the young martial-artist.

"It's bigger than I dreamed, theres way more people here than I thought could be possible. It smells worse than I thought it would as well.." The young man answered me.

"Thats sin you're smelling there my kin.. O' sweet pure sin.. greed, lust, wrath, and all that goes with jamming thousands of thousands of humans into one area.." I tell the two men.

"I for one would rather be home in 'Qiao County' training with the soldiers.." Xiahou Dun says as he snorts in disgust of the city.

"We will return tomorrow it's only one full day of travel, it will pass before you know it. Come, let's see if we can find any of the cash crops I hope to find. If we could find some 'grapes' from the Western Region's merchants, I can make a drink that is akin to the sweet-nectar the gods drink in the legends of old while they drink, and fornicate with eachother!.." I say to the two men as we make our way to a trading-square in one of the sectors of Luoyang's inner-city.. it is written..