After Zhang Yu left the docks, he followed the corridor of the waiting hall and headed out of the harbor.
There were people coming and going in the corridor, and he noticed that the space above him seemed to have an infinitely high arched glass ceiling. Light could directly shine through from there.
This wooden and stone building that had been built when the protectorate was first established was still in perfect condition, even after a hundred years of wind and rain. It fully displayed the superb craftsmanship of Tianxia's craftsmen.
Suddenly, he heard a strange voice. He turned his head, and saw a barbarian man kneeling on the ground. His face was smeared with oil paint. He was standing under the light with his arms wide open. He was mumbling something over and over again.
A sharp copper whistle suddenly sounded, and a group of harbor guards with red-headed sticks and copper whistles around their necks rushed forward. They pressed this person to the ground, tied him up, and gagged him before quickly taking him away.
Zhang Yu's thoughts turned. He was very familiar with the language of the native tribes near Mount An. The sentence that barbarian man had just said could be translated as, "Yinmacha's heir is born in the darkness and rotting trees. It is behind the light!"
"Yinmacha" had different meanings in different contexts. In this case, it meant the God of Plagues.
He remembered very clearly that the heretic who had made the deal with him believed in the so-called God of Plagues. Now it seemed that there were quite a few of these heretics. It was no wonder that the protectorate had ordered a strict investigation.
But he was also thinking that since the idol of the "God of Plagues" had "Origin Energy," would similar idols have it as well?
He felt that now that he had found a place to stay, he needed to find a way to understand this heretic cult.
After walking out of the tall arched corridor, there was an even wider avenue outside.
His footsteps paused. From his current angle, the many buildings on the platform in the inner city were surrounded by wisteria trees and dozens of waterfalls. Shrouded in a misty rainbow, it looked like a city in the sky. Anyone who saw this beautiful scenery for the first time would probably yearn for it.
Not far away, there were a few barbarians who were waiting to make a living. Seeing that Zhang Yu was standing still, they gave each other a look and walked over with smiles on their faces. At the same time, they extended their hands, as if they wanted to help him carry his luggage. There were even a few people who asked him if he needed to hire a carriage. There were even a few women who were wearing gorgeous clothes and heavy makeup who tried to approach him.
Zhang Yu didn't pay attention to them. He looked around and waved at the guard standing not far away. The guard immediately strode over. Seeing this, the barbarians that had gathered immediately dispersed.
Zhang Yu took out a Xia Jinyuan and handed it to the guard. After the guard took it, he whistled to the outside. A moment later, a four-wheeled carriage with a carriage came to a stop in front of him, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves.
Zhang Yu looked at it. It was two brown horses with smooth fur, strong limbs, and high ponytails. They should be the Qianlu horses that lived in the open plains downstream of the Dan River. It was indeed a carriage hired by an official at the port.
He nodded and asked the coachman to carry his luggage up. Then, he grabbed the handle and sat in the carriage.
The coachman asked, "Young Master, where are you going?"
Zhang Yu replied, "First, I'll go to the exchange office."
When traveling in the Dongting Protectorate, one had to exchange for a travel permit and pay a toll every time they went to a place.
In addition to stating the identity, age, place of origin, and whether or not the person had committed any crimes, the post also had to be stamped with a red clay fingerprint and a brief description of the person's appearance.
This was the travel permit that Shi Dongliang had mentioned earlier.
If he insisted on writing down Zhang Yu's history of trading prohibited items and reported it when they arrived at the capital, then this record would always remain on his travel permit and could become a stain in the future.
Of course, exchanging for a travel permit wasn't compulsory. One could choose not to do so. But without it, one would have to pay more taxes for accommodation and travel. No matter where one went, it would be inconvenient and would attract a lot of attention. Under the jurisdiction of the Dongting Protectorate, the first person they would look for when investigating cases was this type of person.
The coachman was clearly very familiar with such matters. He said naturally, "It's right in front. Young Master, please sit tight."
The exchange office was located at the end of the main road at the port, right next to the Sea Tax Office. The entire building was made of white square stones with a domed roof. The flag of the Dongting Protectorate hung high above, making it very easy to recognize.
When the carriage arrived, the square in front of the entrance was already filled with all kinds of carriages and horses. There was an endless stream of people coming and going.
There were thirty-six corridors here that were responsible for the exchange of travel permits, with the domed roof as the center. The Anren officials dressed in tight-sleeved blue robes were very efficient. They searched for documents, compared them, asked questions, signed a check, stamped, collected money, and exchanged travel permits in one go. Even though there were many people coming and going, Zhang Yu was still able to quickly obtain a travel permit.
When he returned to the carriage, he fell into deep thought. From the moment he got off the boat until now, the vast majority of the officials and officials he had seen were Anren people with yellow eyes and thin eyebrows.
These Anren people were the first group of natives to integrate into Tianxia's protectorate after it was established. But who would have thought that just a hundred years ago, the Anren people were still active in the wilderness, barbarians who only knew how to gather and hunt?
At that time, the Anren people were covered in parasites, deformed and ugly. Because of the custom of inbreeding, most of them suffered from serious hereditary diseases. But now, most of them were tall, ruddy, and cultured. They didn't look any different from ordinary Tianxia people.
In fact, they were now Tianxia people with Anren blood.
However, he also knew that the Anren people were able to achieve their current status because they had contributed greatly in the war sixty years ago.
At this moment, he heard the coachman ask where to go next. He said, "Go to the Literary Academy under the Education Administration Office."
The new law was only taught at Taiyang Academy, and entering the academy was the first step. However, not everyone had the qualifications to enter this place.
First, you had to be a Tianxia person. Second, you had to pass the protectorate's local selection test before the age of sixteen. Finally, you had to have a reputable person as your guarantor. Then, there would be a place to draft a book with your specific records. After the protectorate confirmed and stamped it, it would be divided into two copies. One copy would be kept by you, and the other would be stored in the Literary Academy.
As for Taiyang Academy, they wouldn't interfere in this matter. This was because in the past, the protectorate would first select the people they needed and then hand over the rest to the academy. It was said that this was to prevent all the officials from having the same background.
Zhang Yu came to this world with his mature memories, so he had his own way of learning. When he was twelve years old, he passed the traditional Gentleman's Test and the selection test in the same year.
Originally, he was prepared to go to Taiyang Academy. However, at this time, his adoptive father felt that he was still young and didn't have the ability to protect himself, so he invited the old cultivator teacher for him.
In the five years that he was here, he learned the breathing technique from this teacher for the first two years. However, in the next three years, he was always traveling and cultivating, so he didn't have the chance to go.
Fortunately, as long as a student passed the selection test and was under the age of eighteen, then the book would be sealed and kept for him. Now, he only needed to take it out and he could go to Taiyang Academy to study.
The carriage continued on its way under the urging of the horse whips. He flipped through the newspapers one by one.
After all, it was the capital's newspapers. The content was much richer than the local newspapers. After reading for a while, he learned a lot of useful things.
Through these newspapers, he also noticed that the changes in personnel in the Commissar Hall seemed to have become more frequent recently. These changes just happened before the committee meeting. Those who had some understanding of the situation in the Protectorate knew that this wasn't a good thing.
However, at this time, he flipped through a small newspaper. It actually said that the recent changes in positions in the Protectorate Hall were because many officials had been assassinated in Auspicious Light City. His heart skipped a beat. He flipped through it again and found that there was only one copy of this newspaper. It looked like it had been casually tucked in.
He thought for a while, then folded this newspaper a few times and hid it in the pocket of his cloak. Only then did he pick up the rest of the newspaper and read it.
"Eh?"
Not long after, he saw a piece of news in a remote corner. He thought to himself, "Looks like this tribe is really coming to the Protectorate Hall …"
Just as he was about to take a closer look, the coachman's voice suddenly came from outside, "Young Master, we're here."
So fast?
Zhang Yu was a little surprised. According to his understanding, the Wenxiu Academy should be within the city and not far from the inner city. At this moment, it seemed to be near the port.
However, that was five years ago. There should have been changes in the past five years.
He came down from the carriage and looked around. He found that the environment here was relatively remote. It could be said that it was quiet and secluded. Under the shade of a few cypress trees was a courtyard with a clear Tianxia style. There were several houses with hard mountain-like roofs, red painted pillars and beams, and volcanic walls on both sides. It looked somewhat shabby.
He took off his hat, walked through the door and entered the front courtyard. He found that it was abnormally cold and cheerless. No one came to greet him. He stepped on the mossy stone steps and entered the main hall.
Behind the long table, there was a middle-aged scholar with a long beard sitting on a rosewood chair. He was holding a scroll and reading. When he heard someone come in, he didn't raise his head and casually asked, "What's the matter?"
Zhang Yu clasped his hands and said, "Writing a manuscript. Student has come to retrieve the sealed manuscript here."
"Oh?"
The scholar raised his head. When he saw Zhang Yu, he couldn't help but be dazed for a moment. He coughed and stood up. His tone became more polite, "Shaolang, please hand over your name card and copy for me to look over."
Zhang Yu took out the two items from the pocket of his cloak and handed them over. After the scholar took them, he said, "Wait a moment." He walked unhurriedly to the back hall.
After a long time, the scholar came out with a strange expression. He placed the copy and name card on the table and said, "Shaolang Zhang, take these back. Your manuscript is not here."
Zhang Yu looked at him and said, "It's not here?"
The scholar sighed and said, "It's not here. You understand, right?"
At this time, Zhang Yu saw that the scholar was looking at him with a trace of pity. His mind turned and he immediately reacted. His manuscript … had been used by someone else!
…
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