Chapter Seventy-Three: Conquering Luoping City

  In the fourth year of Tang Jinglong, Empress Genmei of Japan moved the capital of Japan to Heijō-kyō (Nara), marking the beginning of Nara period in Japan. Under the influence of Tang culture, the architecture and appearance of Heijō-kyō were modeled after Chang'an and Luoyang of Tang Dynasty. Therefore, going to the capital was called "going up to Luoyang" in Japan at that time. Similarly, Japan was also in a prosperous period just like Tang Dynasty, with music and dance flourishing everywhere.

  Heijō-kyō, as the capital of all Japan, was also the center of politics, economy and culture, and it was the city that had the closest exchanges with China.

  "Where is Pingchengjing and what are we going there for?" Ah Niu asked puzzledly as he walked. In the three months they had been staying at the Wangtang Inn, although he had previously known that Suifeng might have martial arts skills, but every time he saw Suifeng take action, it was like a flowing cloud and running water, quickly defeating all his opponents with just a few moves, so fast that Ah Niu had never seen clearly. And it was precisely for this reason that he now followed Suifeng's lead in everything.

  The wind suddenly walked halfway and stopped, looked at Ah Niu deeply, and then suddenly started again, continuing to walk forward. "Heijō-kyō is the capital of Fusang, equivalent to Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty. You've always wanted to enter a big family, right? It just so happens that I have a friend who is from the Kōbai family of Fusang, and maybe I can introduce you."

  "Really?" Ah Niu was full of surprise, he had experienced the hardships of a lowly life and often dreamed of the carefree days of a wealthy family.

  He furrowed his brow, but didn't say much and continued on his way. After that conversation, the image of a girl with two dimples when she smiled, sweetly calling him "Da Ge", involuntarily appeared in his mind. As soon as he thought of her, he let out a sigh, thinking that he had left without saying goodbye back then, and now he was coming to find her, which also seemed somewhat inappropriate to himself.

  Head to Pingcheng Jing to find the Fujiwara family where Jingliu is located, and more often not for personal reasons. Since the sheepskin scroll left by Xu Fu before his ascension records a divine instrument that is likely to be one of the three legendary divine instruments of Fusang - Tiancuiyunjian, Bachi Mirror, and Bachiyu Jade Hook, rumors say that all three divine instruments are passed down from one emperor to the next. As the Fujiwara family who holds the position of Guanbai in Fusang, they must have a much richer understanding of the inside story than ordinary people. The probability of finding clues will also be much higher.

  Furthermore, since Fujiwara is a noble family of Regent, its financial and political status cannot be compared to other families. After all, he is a person from the Central Land, and this time coming to Fusang is just a coincidence, and will eventually return to the Central Land. The Central Land and Fusang are said to be separated by a strip of water, but crossing this ocean is not that easy. There are only a few families in Fusang who have the ability to cross the sea, and naturally the Fujiwara family is the best choice.

  All the way, they seemed to be thinking about something with the wind, but Ah Niu was constantly fantasizing about what a glorious life he would have after meeting the Fujiwara family. The two had their own thoughts and walked like this without speaking all the way.

  Japan is not big, and Heijokyo is not far from Toma, just a few days' journey. As soon as they heard that the two came from the Great Tang in the East, people showed respect and courtesy after reverence. Therefore, on the way, there was no obstacle at all.

  In just a few days, the two arrived at Pingchengjing. Pingchengjing was built in imitation of Chang'an of the Sui and Tang dynasties, with a length of 12 miles from east to west and 8 miles from south to north. Although it is not as grand as the authentic Chang'an city, it is smaller than Jinling by a lot, but the city walls, buildings, houses, etc. inside the city are not much inferior to those in Chang'an, and they seem like a miniature version.

  When had Ah Niu ever seen such a majestic city? He was immediately stunned, his mouth agape like a goose egg, and his eyes shining with wonder. He looked like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, and even the many Japanese passersby were attracted by Ah Niu's reaction, casting him curious and amused glances.

  Standing beside him, Feng also felt embarrassed, clearing his throat softly, and carefully pulled Ah Niu. Without looking at him, he walked towards the city gate.

  Ping City is such a major city, it's impossible not to have guards on duty. Although it's not like the real Chang'an with several gates, the inspection is still very careful. Generally, if you don't have an entry permit, you won't be allowed to pass. When they arrived at the city gate, Ah Niu was worried that without any identity documents, how could they enter this heavily guarded city?

  The result left him aghast: Ran Feng only exchanged a few words with Cheng Shou, and then he was let go without any trouble.

  "Follow Big Brother, what did you say to Cheng Shou? How come we got in so easily?" As soon as they entered Pingcheng Prefecture, Ah Niu kept asking Su Feng this question without stopping.

  He smiled faintly and said, "This is simple. I'll just say we're from the Eastern Land of Tang. We were invited by the second master of the Fujiwara family to visit as guests. If I mention his name, there's no reason they wouldn't believe us. These city guards can't afford to offend officials like them. If they did, their future prospects would be bleak. They've been doing this for so long, they must have some experience. Besides, even if we really were invited by the Fujiwara family, I'm not afraid. I've met their second master before."

  Sui Feng said so much, but after waiting for a long time, he still didn't hear Ah Niu's response. He turned his head to look and saw that Ah Niu was staring blankly, completely absorbed in what he was seeing, how could he hear Sui Feng saying anything?

  They just smiled and looked around. The Imperial Palace and the Pingcheng Palace were located in the north-central part, with the Zhuque Avenue running from north to south, dividing the city into two parts: the East City, also known as the Left Capital, and the West City, also known as the Right Capital. Several east-west and north-south roads divided the city into 84 wards, each ward having 16 blocks. The Pingcheng Palace occupied four wards, while temples, markets, and tombs took up about ten wards. They were currently in the most prosperous 56th ward of the Right Capital.

  The whole street was lined with all sorts of shops and stalls, as well as things that could only be found in Japan, such as wooden clog stores and sushi stalls. Moreover, many cultural customs from China could also be seen here. For example, they saw many people dressed as Buddhist monks along the way, and there were also many fortune-telling stalls similar to Taoist Bagua calculations on the side of the road. What was most surprising was that they even saw a Confucian academy here, which taught articles such as the Four Books and Five Classics. Even Feng felt a little surprised, let alone Ah Niu.

  It wasn't until they asked someone along the way that they found out the Fujiwara family was in the forty-third ward of Shōchū, which was separated from here by over a dozen wards. It wasn't considered far. They weren't in a hurry anyway, and since they had come, they might as well take their time to stroll around.

  They lost track of time and by the time they arrived at the Fujiwara family gate, it was already late in the day and time for dinner.

  "This is what a big family looks like, even the servants are dressed in jade and silk, it's just different." Ah Niu sighed as he looked at the majestic and spacious front gate.

  As the wind lifted its head, at the entrance stood two Han white jade stone lions, several red giant pillars supporting a roof full of gilded tiles, looking extremely grand and majestic. The entire building style was no different from that of the Tang Dynasty in Zhongtu, it was as if it had been moved over intact. At the door stood two warriors dressed in brocade, with long knives at their waists, looking very powerful and extraordinary.

  With the wind walking forward, he folded his fan and bowed to the warrior, saying: "I am Following the Wind. This is Du E, who came with me from the Eastern Land of Tang. We wish to pay our respects to your family's Bo Er, and hope that you will report this to him."

  The brocade warrior was taken aback, carefully sizing up Su Feng and A Niu. The two were still dressed in the standard Tang Dynasty attire from before, although Fusang's clothing style had largely converged with that of the Tang Dynasty, there were still significant differences in many subtle details. Moreover, Su Feng's speech carried an airy elegance that was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

  Two samurai exchanged a glance, nodded slightly in unison, and then bowed to the wind: "You have come from afar, since you know my uncle Fujiwara no Fuhito, you must also be a friend of the Fujiwara family. Please wait for a moment, I will go and report."

  This Fujiwara family is one of the few aristocratic families, and the guarding warriors are also highly cultivated people. The conversation was very natural, and they didn't look down on the two young men just because of their age. After finishing speaking, he hurriedly walked in to report.

  "Will that second son of the Fujiwara family see us?" Ah Niu looked at the samurai entering, but still felt a bit uneasy, and asked in a low voice in Chinese.

  A gentle smile accompanied the breeze as he replied, "Since Mr. Bèi'èr is one of the two prominent members of the Fujiwara family, he must not be someone who can be easily met with. If I'm not mistaken, soon an able person should come out to receive us."

  He had just finished speaking, and he couldn't help but laugh. Ah Niu's eyes were fixed on the slightly open door gap, looking inside. The two thick crimson wooden doors were half-closed, revealing a glimpse of the scenery inside. The first thing that came into view was an intricately carved stone wall, which was typically found in wealthy households directly opposite the main gate. On one hand, it was aesthetically pleasing; on the other hand, it also served to block the line of sight, preventing ordinary people from seeing inside.

  The wooden door was not open very wide, and except for the stone wall, nothing could be seen, but Ah Niu still couldn't help himself, and in a little while he would be able to go in openly and take a good look, but he still couldn't control his gaze.

  Maybe that's just how people are, always liking things they can't easily get, even this scenery is like that. But how many people can really understand this seemingly simple truth?

  As the wind blew, Ah Niu was watching with a comical expression, clearly wanting to look but still trying to cover it up. Just as he couldn't help but laugh, the door creaked open and a young man walked out from inside.

  Although the young man was not tall, he had a very strong presence. His pale face added a few strands of elegance. Two big eyes blinked, and in his hand, he held a folding fan as if it were floating on the wind. He wore a long white shirt that fluttered in the air. On his head, he wore a square crown, making him look like an elegant young man.

  The young man looked up and saw her, then lowered his head and saw her again, their eyes meeting.

  Both trembled slightly with the wind, and their familiar eyes seemed to have met somewhere before.

  The young man's reaction was even more exaggerated, taking a step back, inhaling a mouthful of cold air, hastily removing the hand covering his mouth, and saying in a crisp tone: "Are you Zhong Tu's Su Dage?"

  Hearing this voice, Su Feng's whole body trembled with fear, "Who are you...?"

  The voice, though different, evoked many of his already somewhat faded memories, that day on Mount Tai, those few days during the journey.

  Before Su could fully awaken from his memories, he heard a young man rush up to him and bow with a fist, saying: "I am Fujiwara Yasutomo; I have met Big Brother Su."