A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 409: Investigation

Qi Xuansu did not immediately leave this slum within Jinling after departing from Ye Xiu's residence.

Apart from Jade Capital, every prosperous town had such slums, unchanged by the tides of the world.

Jade Capital was an exception because it was a city of Daoists, inhabited only by Daoist priests, Spirit Guards, and Daoist believers. The first two were self-explanatory, while the Daoist believers were skilled workers with stable livelihoods. Though not wealthy, Daoist believers lived decently, free from worries about basic needs.

The key lay in Jade Capital’s unified planning. All its buildings and palaces belonged to the Daoist Order, eliminating private ownership. Thus, maintenance and repair fell under the Tianji Hall. Even Great Sages only had usage rights to properties, not ownership. Residents leased their homes, often for very long terms, up to a century.

Moreover, perched atop Kunlun Mountain, Jade Capital was inaccessible to most people without cultivation, allowing the Daoist Order to easily control its population.

Other towns lacked Jade Capital’s natural advantages. Situated on plains and trade routes, they naturally attracted outsiders, leading to the emergence of slums within or around the cities, like the shantytown outside Bohai Prefecture. Even the Imperial Capital was no exception in this regard.

In its early days, the Imperial Capital was square-shaped, with nine city gates. Its central axis ran from Zhengyang Gate in the south, through the Imperial Palace, and to the Bell Tower in the north.

During the early years of the Wei Dynasty, the nation was powerful. Emperor Taizong launched five campaigns against the Golden Horde, and issues were not apparent.

Later, as the Wei Dynasty declined and the Golden Horde bombarded the capital multiple times, officials proposed building an outer city around the Imperial Capital for added security, with a width of about 40 kilometers.

Construction of the outer city began in Emperor Mingyong’s 32nd year. Since the southern suburbs were more prosperous and housed the royal altars, the southern line was prioritized. However, the project soon stalled due to insufficient funds.

The Imperial Court had no choice but to adjust the plan, building only the southern wall while deferring the other three sides until funds allowed. The southern wall was reduced from the planned 10 kilometers to around 7 kilometers, with its eastern and western ends bending northward to connect with the southeastern and southwestern gates of the inner city.

Since only the southern section of the outer city was completed, the Imperial Capital’s layout changed from the original square shape to a wider, inverted T-shape, with an expanded base in the south that formed the outer city. However, the name “outer city” was misleading, as it was not outside the inner city but rather to its south, thus earning the name “South City.”

Throughout the Wei Dynasty, the other three sides of the city walls were never completed, yet a large population still resided in those areas.

When the Great Xuan Dynasty took over the Imperial Capital, they completed the remaining eastern, western, and northern walls, creating the current layout of the city that resembled a concentric square.

The outer city was primarily populated by commoners, while the inner city housed mansions of nobility, officials, and major government offices.

Jade Capital retained the old layout of the former Imperial Capital due to its geography. The upper, smaller square part was Xuan City, the highest point on the peak, while the lower, expanded square was the rest of Jade Capital, situated at a slightly lower elevation.

Jinling Prefecture had a highly irregular layout due to its topography, so it could not be described with any specific shape, nor did it conform to geometric symmetry, lacking even a clear central axis.

According to legend, Jinling Prefecture’s design was inspired by the Three Enclosures and 28 Constellations of Chinese astronomy, harmonizing with the local geomantic energy. This deviated from the traditional square or rectangular city walls of the past and became a unique fusion of celestial and terrestrial elements.

Jinling’s old city was situated in the southeast, densely populated with bustling commerce and numerous workshops. The residences of nobles and wealthy merchants, along with luxurious restaurants and upscale brothels, were concentrated in the southwest part of the old city.

The old city, also known as the inner city, was surrounded by an outer walled city, equivalent to the outer city of the Imperial Capital.

The northwest part of the outer city housed the Black Robes’ barracks, along with large granaries, warehouses, and military workshops, which were generally off-limits to the public.

This slum was situated between the Black Robes’ barracks and the inner city, reflecting the irregular layout of Jinling as a whole.

This implied that the area could serve as a hub for large-scale distribution of goods. It was perhaps even an ideal location. This was not an idle guess from Qi Xuansu but a reasonable inference.

Before the Great Xuan Dynasty, maritime trade was not prosperous. As a result, Jinling’s bustling areas were concentrated along the Qinhuai River, oriented inland. The northwestern part near the Yangtze River appeared relatively empty, and areas along the coast outside Jinling’s jurisdiction were no more than fishing villages.

Since the prosperity of maritime trade, direct river routes to the sea were more convenient. Thus, traveling along the Qinhuai River became inefficient. Consequently, the Daoist Order established many warehouses along the Qinhuai River, initially intended to be near the Black Robes’ barracks for added security. From another perspective, these warehouses were not far from this slum.

Thinking of this, Qi Xuansu was suddenly filled with a desire to explore the area, so that was what he did.

Qi Xuansu first pretended to leave, then he quietly returned.

The first time he entered the slums, Qi Xuansu had heard many wails and cries from this place. Upon his return, he entered the shanties that served as makeshift prisons.

Inside, the spaces were cramped, dark, and damp. Countless small enclosures made of wooden fences filled the area, shrouded in pitch darkness. Only faint flickers of light could be seen in the shadows. A closer inspection revealed that these specks of light were pairs of eyes that were devoid of vitality—lifeless, numb, and despondent.

Qi Xuansu stopped and observed closely. Most of the occupants were women. Their clothes were still intact, and they were not emaciated, but their faces were pale and unkempt, marked by a deep fear beneath their numb expressions.

As early as the reign of the First Emperor of the Founding Dynasty, the slave system had been largely abolished. In the centuries that followed, while indentured servitude existed, the term “slave” was rarely used. Later, during the Jin Dynasty, the practice of live burial as a funeral custom was also abolished.

By the Great Xuan Dynasty, they went further by completely abolishing the system of hereditary servile status.

There were three types of household registers: military, civilian, and servile. In fact, the Great Xuan Dynasty also abolished the military register due to the dissolution of the garrison system.

However, what was abolished on paper and how it played out in practice were two different matters. For instance, the government only recognized one official wife, with the rest classified as concubines. But among the common folk, the concept of equal wives flourished. Similarly, though servile registers were abolished, courtesans and household servants continued to exist.

This was one of the reasons why the Holy Xuan sought to abolish establishments like Ecstasy Palace. It was not because he could not tolerate the sex trade itself, but rather that such institutions became an invisible encouraging force for coercing or deceiving innocent women into prostitution, practices that needed to be eradicated. Thus, the best way to address this was to cut off the issue at its source.

What Qi Xuansu saw before him was precisely this. The presence of a large number of lower-class brothels nearby was also no coincidence.

Qi Xuansu ran his fingers lightly over the rotten wooden fences. With just a little force, he could break them apart. However, he knew full well that, as a small pawn, navigating the treacherous undercurrents of Jinling left him struggling just to protect himself. So he was in no position to help others.

At that moment, he heard sounds from outside.

Qi Xuansu immediately leaped onto the roof beam and concealed himself in the shadows.

A group of beggars entered, leading some of the women out. Among them were a few frail-looking men, all herded onto carriages outside that were draped with thick tarps on all sides, concealing whatever lay within.

Qi Xuansu’s interest was piqued, so he began to tail the carriages. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The carriages soon left the slums, entering the bustling inner city. After winding through various streets for about four hours, the sky had turned dark, and they arrived in a narrow alley in the southwest corner of the old city.

The alley was flanked by two-meter-high walls made of sintered bricks, stretching over 300 meters. At the end of the alley was a black lacquered door. The area was eerily quiet. Once dusk fell, not even birds flew by.

The carriages drove straight to the black door at the end of the alley.

A man got off and struck the beast-head knocker on the door three times, paused briefly, then struck four more times.

Shortly after, a voice from inside asked, “Is this Boss Ye’s shipment?”

The man outside was evidently no stranger to the place and seemed familiar with the person inside, speaking with little formality. “You know it is. So why even ask? Hurry up and open the door!”

Moments later, the door slowly opened, and the carriages were let inside.

Qi Xuansu watched from a distance, hesitating slightly. This matter did not seem related to Lei Xiaohuan’s task, but he felt it might have some connection to the larger case. In the end, he decided to investigate further.