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墨書 Inktalez
The people of the Prosperity Record soon heard the news that the Temple outside the city was deserted. They merely exchanged smiles and paid it no further attention. It would be strange if anyone were still there; it was normal for it to be empty.
Luzi received a reply from King Zhao of Qin after several nights, which included two points. The returned Sun Thirteen casually brought back the cooperation agreement signed by Qin State, clearly stamped with the jade seal of Zhao Xiang Wang.
This meant that King Zhao of Qin, having learned about the current situation faced by Qi State, had in principle agreed to Luzi's proposal, and the unilaterally signed alliance agreement was already prepared. Luzi was now waiting for this, as this agreement could be understood as Qin and Qi officially entering a phase of allied cooperation. Of course, this cooperation was classified and would not be detected by third parties.
Now, as long as Qi State signed the agreement between the two countries, this Joint team would lose one supporter. This should also be seen as a good start, and it was understandable to feel a bit pleased.
The next morning, King Jian of Qi, who was also waiting for news, learned that Luzi sought an audience outside the palace and immediately summoned Prime Minister of Qi Housheng. The three of them secretly signed the alliance agreement together, marking a conclusion to this matter.
Afterward, Luzi went to bid farewell to the Queen Dowager, as he needed to rush to Luoyi. As for why he was going to the Zhou Capital City, where King Zhou She resided, Luzi did not explain. In fact, whether he said it or not made no difference; the wise Queen Dowager could guess what it was about.
After sending off the night-traveling Sun Thirteen back to Qi State, King Zhao of Qin counted down the days until he could secretly leave Hanoi. He had already arranged to meet with Luzi in Luoyi, and then they would jointly pay their respects to Zhou Tianzi!
It was still not close to Zhou Tianzi's birthday, nor was there a prince's full moon celebration. The reason why King Zhao of Qin had to rush to Luoyi amidst his busy schedule was naturally necessary.
Having hurried out from the residence of the Prime Minister of Qi, Luzi jumped into the carriage waiting outside and waved to quickly leave the city to meet up with the waiting Qin Army. He did not intend to leave this hot potato near Linzi, where it could attract unwanted attention and cause trouble. Moreover, since both copies of the alliance agreement had been signed, there was no need to leave this troop behind to stir up issues.
Having received evacuation orders long ago, Han Yongcheng notified all departments to prepare for departure, waiting for Luzi to arrive at the military camp to officially announce the decree from King Qin. The king has commanded! Protect General Lu on his way to Luoyi! There must be no mistakes!
Compared to the Troop Command Token, a royal decree was more effective! The generals immediately restrained their troops and set off from Qi State, preparing to board ships on their way to pay respects to Zhou Tianzi. However, Luzi informed everyone that only a hundred-man squad should remain; the rest should return as they came. Since they needed to take a detour through Chu State, having a large number of Qin Army troops suddenly appear within Chu's territory would be difficult to explain.
If it weren't for the summons from King Zhao of Qin, Luzi originally intended to head towards Yan State afterward. The so-called allied forces naturally included Yan's army. Given that Yan State had always been at odds with Zhao State, it should be easier to persuade them; success was guaranteed as long as they acted swiftly!
But the will of King Qin does not care what you think; whatever the old man says must be executed, even if it is wrong. As for whose plans will be disrupted because of this, one must be careful not to lose their head over petty grievances.
Luzi had no intention of testing the wrath of his king, who could kill with just a glare! The action plan was thus changed; since there was no time to rush to Yan to persuade them, they would go directly to Chu after Luoyi reported the intelligence.
Hmph! Chunshen Jun! My brother misses you very much!
At this time, the rainy season had arrived, and the mountains were beautifully washed green by the rain. A hurried Hundred-Man Squad appeared on the mountain path, which was uncoordinated and uninteresting.
The ancient roads were also known as Official Roads. The name itself is quite self-explanatory; these were pathways constructed by the state using a large labor force. In those days, there were no asphalt or other hard surfaces; they were primarily maintained by compacted earth layers. Roads carved out along mountains and rivers were similar, with the distinction being that they used more stones.
Considering soil erosion issues, the road foundations were often dug very deep. The engineering department responsible for acceptance would sample drill holes for inspection, so generally, there would be no shoddy work.
These mountain roads were renovated and paved after the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, so they have not encountered problems to this day. They were subsequently handed over to various Feudal States for maintenance, with Qi State having the best road upkeep. There were dedicated personnel along the way to ensure smooth passage.
As they were about to enter Chu Region, everyone had completed changing their attire. They concealed their conspicuous weapons in carts and raised the Great Banner of Prosperity Record while passing through. During this time, there were plans to intercept and conduct detailed inspections, but upon seeing the flags in the cavalry unit, they did not dare to cause trouble.
On this day, after the traveling Hundred-Man Squad passed through the gates of Chu State and entered Luoyi, they finally retrieved their Military Uniforms and weapons for a change.
If Qi State was given face due to its status as a Neutral Country among other Feudal States, then at this moment in Luoyi, it was not merely a matter of saving face. Luoyi was the capital of Zhou Dynasty, where Zhou Tianzi resided. Not only would anyone coming to fight in Luoyi be frowned upon, but even troops passing by outside the city gates had to dismount and remove their hats.
If someone idly decided to cause trouble beneath the emperor's feet, it wouldn't take the emperor's anger; just the spittle from all under heaven could drown a large area!
Despite how much disdain various lords and ministers felt inside, they still had to maintain appearances. Being pointed at by a thousand people was certainly something one would want to avoid; however, some facade still needed to be preserved!
In the past, when Zhou Gong was constructing Luoyi, divination indicated that the boundary would be defined by the An River, leading to the establishment of two cities: the Eastern and Western cities. These were divided into the Royal City and Chengzhou City, with the Royal City being newly built by Zhou Gong based on feng shui principles, while Chengzhou City was renovated on the old site where the remnants of the Yin Dynasty had once resided.
Zhou Gong designated the Royal City as the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, and Zhou Wuwang relocated the Nine Tripod Cauldrons there. Even when Zhou Ping Wang moved the capital to Luoyi, it remained in the Royal City. During the Eastern Zhou period, King Jing of Zhou relocated there to escape warfare, continuing until the present day with King Zhou She.
As Luzi dismounted and paused to observe the towering city walls in the distance, he gazed at the Royal City for a long time. It should have been filled with a sacred and peaceful aura of kingship, but at that moment, it was completely absent. The sky, tinged with a hint of gray, replaced what should have been a golden-white royal energy and even revealed a trace of fatigue. The overall impression was quite poor, resembling the dull complexion of an aging person.
Whether one wanted to admit it or not, this was the reality.
Until Li Xin beside him softly urged him on, Luzi realized he had been lost in thought and felt guilty. With a heart full of remorse, he bowed towards the Royal City before standing up and signaling for everyone to dismount and walk into the city.
Regardless of whether the world had truly descended into chaos and disorder at that moment, there were still those willing to adhere to the old traditions of Zhou rituals. The dwindling number of followers made it even more necessary for someone to uphold these practices! If everything were abandoned now, it would be difficult to restore them later...
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