The Three Little Ones, accompanied by the Flower-Clad Eunuchs, emerged from the pleasure house, gazing at the vibrant East Market street before them, sensing the beginning of a new day.
Today marked their fifth day outside the palace, and in two more days, it would be time for them to return.
Their case had been successfully concluded, and the results of this month's competition were in.
Therefore, including today, they had a full three days to enjoy themselves outside the palace.
Such an opportunity might not arise again, so the Three Little Ones were determined to have their fill of fun.
For the past few days, for the convenience of their investigation, they had been exploring the area near the East Market in Wannian County.
So, today, they planned to visit the West Market, located on the other side of the Great Xing Capital.
The West Market, situated in Changan County, was also a bustling area in the Great Xing Capital.
The Three Little Ones first returned to Xingqing Palace, then arranged for a carriage.
The Great Xing Capital was not small; if they were to walk there and back, the day would surely be over before they returned.
After procuring a carriage from Xingqing Palace, the Three Little Ones headed towards the West Market.
Originally, when the Great Xing Capital was constructed, it was meticulously planned and laid out according to the principle of left-right symmetry, with Vermillion Bird Gate Street, an extension of the imperial city's north-south axis, serving as the central axis.
Consequently, the entire Great Xing Capital boasted a rigorous structure, neat divisions, and a strict, unified axial layout.
If viewed on a map, the West Market's location perfectly corresponded to the East Market's, merely one being in the east and the other in the west.
Li Xuan speculated that the craftsmen who designed the Great Xing Capital must have been obsessive-compulsives.
Following the shortest route, they could reach the West Market directly by passing through the main road where the Vermillion Bird Gate stood, in front of the imperial city.
Unfortunately, when they arrived, the road was already blocked.
Imperial guards were stationed there, forbidding anyone from passing through.
It was said that this was always the case during morning court sessions: all streets and the twelve wards in front of Hanguang Gate, Vermillion Bird Gate, and Anshang Gate of the imperial city would be temporarily closed until the morning court concluded.
Great Xing previously held court every ten days, with occasional temporary sessions for special circumstances.
It was only during Emperor Yongyuan's reign that it was changed to every five days, which was already considered extremely diligent.
Therefore, this temporary road control during morning court did not cause too much inconvenience to the citizens of the Great Xing Capital.
Generally, road control would end by noon at the latest.
They had left early today, so they happened to encounter this road control, and were forced to turn south at Pingkang Ward, taking a large detour to reach the West Market.
However, detours also had their advantages; the scenery along the way was different.
Along the way, the Three Little Ones saw several temples and Taoist temples of various styles, including Hu temples.
It must be said that religious freedom in Great Xing was quite considerable.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many religious buildings of different styles in the Great Xing Capital.
As the Three Little Ones passed by these temples and Taoist temples, they heard the chanting of Buddhist scriptures and the faint scent of incense, indicating that they were all thriving.
Especially early in the morning, many devotees came to worship devoutly, showing their piety.
"Sister Yu'er, I never imagined there would be so many temples and Taoist temples in the Great Xing Capital."
"Do many people in our Great Xing believe in these?"
Ankang Princess asked curiously.
Yu'er showed a look of recollection, then replied:
"I remember when I was little, whenever there was a major event in the village, people would go to pray to gods and Buddhas."
"Although Pingshan Village, where I lived, was just a small village, there was a temple and a Taoist temple nearby."
"The masters there cultivated their own land and were all practitioners; they could move with great agility, so the villagers naturally respected them."
"Moreover, the masters didn't care whether you believed or not; if the village had difficulties and sought their help, they would always lend a hand."
"The masters in the temples and Taoist temples all said that doing good deeds was their practice, and they were even happy when we came to them with difficulties."
Yu'er said with a smile, seemingly very fond of the practitioners near Pingshan Village.
Li Xuan couldn't help but feel a little surprised after listening.
"From what Yu'er says, they seem to be true practitioners."
Li Xuan originally had no particular liking for these monks and Taoists.
Gods and Buddhas were too ethereal for him; he simply didn't believe in those profound things.
Li Xuan believed that there might be masters within Buddhism and Taoism, but he did not believe they possessed supernatural powers that transcended the mundane.
As the carriage passed these temples and Taoist temples, Li Xuan cast curious glances.
If he had the chance in the future to travel the martial world with Ankang Princess and Yu'er, he might even cross paths with them.
Turning north from Changshou Ward, where the Changan County Yamen was located, the area already began to become very lively.
As the clamor grew, they could already see the West Market.
From a distance, they could see that the entrances and exits of the West Market were bustling with traffic and dense crowds.
When the carriage reached such a place, it moved exceptionally slowly.
They parked the carriage outside the West Market, leaving someone to guard it, and then prepared to enter the West Market on foot.
Ankang Princess held Li Xuan, who sat in his wheelchair, gazing curiously at the West Market before him.
Upon entering the West Market, the roar of sounds instantly surged.
Even Li Xuan couldn't help but scan his surroundings with curious eyes.
The East Market, which they had recently explored, was close to the imperial city and palace, so many mansions and grand courtyards of high-ranking officials and nobles were built nearby. Thus, the East Market had many "luxury goods" shops and was considered the commercial district for high-end consumers in the Great Xing Capital.
The West Market, on the other hand, was equivalent to an international trade market, where common people gathered, along with a large number of merchants from the Western Regions and surrounding countries.
In summary, compared to the East Market, the West Market was more common, more popular, and its flow of people and customers was more complex than the East Market. In addition to merchants from all corners of the world, there were also business travelers from various countries and a large number of Hu Merchant, and the goods sold were mainly daily merchandise and small-value consumer items.
Looking around, the West Market indeed felt more accessible, and the atmosphere seemed freer.
The streets were filled with Western Region Girl and artists from various countries; dancers, actors, folk art, and acrobatics were everywhere, coming and going endlessly.
Just by walking on the street, they could see many wonderful performances.
Seeing red turn to green, her face as beautiful as a flower, a Western Region Girl smiled like a spring breeze while tending her stall.
Here, the Three Little Ones saw red-bearded, blue-eyed Hu Merchant leading large camels laden with goods, hawking their wares on the street.
They also saw Western Region Girl, like Aymu, with wheat-colored skin, veiled faces, yet revealing their seductive waists and soft bellies, performing enchanting dances.
They also saw artists from other countries, dressed in various exotic costumes, performing amazing skills, having traveled for who knows how long.
Just from the liveliness seen on the streets, the West Market was far more interesting than the East Market.
Not to mention Ankang Princess and Yu'er, even Li Xuan was dazzled.
Unlike the steel forests and neon lights he had experienced before, the scene before him had a unique charm.
Here, Li Xuan felt more alive.
"It's a landscape built by people."
Li Xuan was lost in thought, listening to the authentic and sometimes strange hawking sounds, and surprisingly felt a sense of tranquility.
Despite being in such a bustling place, Li Xuan felt a wave of calm, which made him feel at peace.
The small commodities on the roadside quickly caught the attention of Ankang Princess and Yu'er, making them linger.
It is a girl's nature to love shopping, and even Ankang Princess and Yu'er were no exception.
They began to pick things out at the roadside stalls, and the stall owners, seeing distinguished guests, warmly greeted them.
Walking and stopping along the way, in a short while, the Flower-Clad Eunuchs were carrying large and small bags.
Although the Three Little Ones' purses were not as affluent as Yuan'an Princess', the items in the West Market were simply too cheap.
Most goods were priced in copper coins, and anything that needed to be bought with fragmented silver was considered a "luxury item" in the West Market.
"Miss, we have hand-woven knots here, come and take a look."
Seeing Ankang Princess buying so generously on the road, someone couldn't help but call out to sell.
Li Xuan turned his head and saw a young girl about the same age as Yu'er, with an old man standing beside her.
The old man seemed not to have anticipated the young girl suddenly greeting Ankang Princess, so he quickly pulled her and couldn't help but frown.
"Xiao Cui."
The young girl immediately said aggrievedly:
"What's wrong, Grandpa?"
"We're selling things, we have to be proactive, right?"
Xiao Cui pouted, somewhat not understanding why her grandpa was stopping her from soliciting customers.
The Three Little Ones all noticed this grandfather and granddaughter pair, and couldn't help but be curious about the knots they were selling.
Ankang Princess had Yu'er push her to the stall of the granddaughter and grandfather, and saw that the stall was filled with knots made from colorful fine cords.
The knots were woven into various shapes, all lifelike and very beautiful, with long tassels hanging below, which would look great whether tied around the waist or on doors and windows.
"Oh, these knots are so beautiful."
Ankang Princess picked up a knot shaped like a small white rabbit and examined it carefully.
Seeing that Ankang Princess liked it, Xiao Cui, who had just called out to solicit, gave her grandpa a triumphant smile, and then continued to explain enthusiastically:
"Miss, these knots are all hand-woven by my grandpa and me, it's our family's ancestral craft."
"One only costs five copper coins, buy two and get one free, so that's three for ten copper coins."
Xiao Cui took out some of her proudest knots and showed them to Ankang Princess, hoping to sell one.
Ankang Princess looked at these exquisite little trinkets and immediately found them irresistible.
However, after looking for a while, she couldn't find the pattern she most wanted.
"Um, excuse me, how long does it take to weave a knot?"
"Can you weave one for me now?"
Xiao Cui immediately understood what Ankang Princess meant and quickly asked:
"Does Miss want to customize a style?"
"If you customize it now, you might have to wait a while."
Although Xiao Cui really wanted to sell something, she didn't dare to make a casual guarantee.
If it was made too quickly, the quality would definitely not be up to par.
"Will it take a long time?"
Ankang Princess asked somewhat unwillingly.
"It won't take too long, Miss. If you walk from this end to the other and then come back, we'll have it ready."
Hearing this, Ankang Princess was immediately delighted.
She had thought she would have to wait several days.
"In that case, it's no problem. I want to customize one like this."
Ankang Princess said, picking up Li Xuan in her arms.
Li Xuan, suddenly picked up, was still a bit dazed, meeting Xiao Cui's eyes.
"Little Black Cat, no problem."
Xiao Cui smiled, then reached out and stroked Li Xuan's head.
Li Xuan unhappily opened his mouth as if to bite, scaring Xiao Cui into quickly retracting her hand.
Ankang Princess immediately reached out and covered Li Xuan's mouth, scolding him:
"Li Xuan, don't scare people."
Then Ankang Princess explained to Xiao Cui:
"He's just teasing you, don't be scared."
Xiao Cui nodded blankly.
She had teased cats before, but she had never been teased by a cat.
"Miss Xiao Cui, this is our deposit. We'll come back to pick up the item later."
After Ankang Princess finished speaking, Yu'er left ten copper coins for Xiao Cui.
Xiao Cui didn't expect Ankang Princess to be so generous, even giving a full deposit in advance.
Of course, it was only ten copper coins after all.
But although this money was nothing to Ankang Princess, it was a considerable income for Xiao Cui and her grandpa.
"Miss, don't worry."
"We will definitely satisfy you later."
Xiao Cui puffed out her chest and gave the Three Little Ones her guarantee.
Xiao Cui's grandpa just chuckled beside them without speaking.
After paying the deposit, the Three Little Ones continued to stroll along the streets of the West Market.
When they got tired, they would sit down and rest at a snack stall, and fill their stomachs at the same time.
The Three Little Ones had a great time strolling, eating, and playing in the West Market.
But the street was only so long, and eventually, they reached the end.
When they saw the exit of the West Market appear before their eyes, they started to walk back.
The shops along the West Market's roadside were not as grand as those in the East Market, but they were all very approachable, unlike the East Market where you had to weigh your purse before entering.
In fact, some people who had never been to those places would even walk around them.
The West Market was different; no matter what kind of shop it was, you dared to go in and explore, and it would definitely not make you hesitate before entering.
A free and relaxed atmosphere was the main theme here.
Of course, there were times when freedom went too far.
Occasionally, people on the road would get into arguments and then fight, and passersby on the street would immediately form a circle, cheering and egging them on, and some even took the opportunity to open bets.
But after watching a few times, Li Xuan understood.
Some of the fights on the road were real and some were fake, with many of them being in cahoots with the bookmakers, staging fake matches.
The onlookers in the West Market also had sharp eyes.
If the fight was unclear and lacked a beginning and end, not many people would bet on it when the odds were open.
However, for those with a clear cause, process, and escalating conflict, which seemed more realistic, significantly more people placed bets.
In the time it took for the Three Little Ones to walk back and forth, they saw no less than seven or eight brawls.
Their brawls also followed rules; they all stopped at a certain point, and the first to draw blood lost.
If someone was too hot-headed and wouldn't stop, they would simply fight until one couldn't stand up, but no one ever died, which was quite interesting.
The Three Little Ones, accompanied by the Flower-Clad Eunuchs, walked back, preparing to pick up the customized knot at Xiao Cui's stall.
But as they were about to reach the spot, they suddenly found people gathered ahead.
Having witnessed such scenes several times, the Three Little Ones were not surprised, thinking it was another fight.
However, when they got closer, they realized something was wrong.
"Old man, you've owed three months of stall fees."
"Do you really think our Money Gang is easy to bully?"
"If you can't pay today, we'll take your granddaughter as collateral."
"You can redeem your granddaughter when you have the money."
"Hehehe..."
In the crowd, a lewd, perverted laugh rang out, sounding particularly grating.
Li Xuan immediately couldn't help but scoff, thinking to himself:
"Under the Son of Heaven's feet, there are still people playing these games."
"And in broad daylight, aren't they afraid of some young master or lady coming out to act righteously?"
Li Xuan was ready to watch a good show.