Chapter 0003: Arrival in Chang'an

A middle-aged man in traditional attire revealed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, then turned to instruct a nearby attendant to go out and deliver the message

After speaking, he saw Lin Ze's eyes light up, and directly pulled Lin Ze into his embrace, with the big beard rubbing against his face. Lin Ze was even more confused now; wasn't the intention to be harmonious

With a loud bang, the courtyard door was smashed open, and a general with thick eyebrows and big eyes burst in, shouting: "I heard that the eldest son of my sworn brother has come to Chang'an. Come, let the uncle have a good look."

Lin Ze could not help but feel relieved. In fact, over the past few days, he had gradually calmed down, yet he still felt a bit anxious. After all, others who traversed to this world often started as useless individuals, facing humiliation and bullying from the outset, and they only managed to rise to prominence through extraordinary means. Lin Ze could not see any extraordinary abilities within himself, and moreover, the familiar history might not necessarily apply here. The emperor had lived for over four hundred years, which was akin to a bug in the system. Who would still dare to claim that the Qin Dynasty fell in its second generation?

Ahem, it is evident that this is an uneducated university student, akin to seeing the sea and spontaneously exclaiming, "Oh sea, you are all water," in a fit of boredom.

Lin Ze: I can't believe it... I've encountered a pervert

The woman chuckled softly: "According to etiquette, you should call me 'Great Mother.' However, it is understandable since it is your first day and you do not know me yet. But you must not make this mistake again, especially in front of others, or they will think we lack proper upbringing"

The enmity between Lord Wu'an and Marquis Wucheng is not something that a person of his rank can involve himself in, and among the entirety of the Qin Dynasty, only a handful of individuals would dare to intervene.

The emergence of a place like Beicheng is an inevitable choice for a city; otherwise, if everyone were high-ranking officials and wealthy enough to rival a city, there would still need to be someone to do the dirty and laborious work

Wu Bo, holding an official pass, easily entered the city through the entrance for officials and their children without having to queue up.

At this point, Wu Bo could not help but remind Lin Ze: "Young Master, if you wish to go out, both the West City and South City are accessible and relatively safe, but the North City must not be entered lightly."

The North City is a place where various professions and social classes are mixed, relatively chaotic, with some people struggling to make a living in the city but unable to afford decent housing, some engaged in smuggling and labor work, and others who have to hide in Chang'an for various reasons

Lin Ze roughly guessed the identity of the woman before him, and considering that he would still have to live under the same roof, he performed a bow and said: "I have met the lady"

Suddenly, the middle-aged man in the elegant attire was rendered speechless, his face flushed with anger, yet he dared not speak. The person before him could represent the Wang family, but he could not represent the Gongsun family. Moreover, words like 'to the death' should not be uttered lightly, lest he end up being struck down by the Duke of Wu'an.

After uttering a reprimand, he returned to the residence. At the scene, apart from the sorcerer, the others followed one after another. Wu Bo casually took Lin Ze along, and the group mounted their horses, swiftly heading towards the Lin residence

After Lin Ze got out of the car, he saw several people standing in the courtyard. At the forefront was a middle-aged man dressed in splendid attire, who had set up an incense altar. A Taoist priest was seated on a mat beneath the altar, muttering incantations, coughing, as if performing a shamanic ritual.

Chang'an, the capital of the Great Qin Empire, originally known as Xianyang, was one of the seven major powers a thousand years ago, and at that time it was relatively weak and located in a corner. It was frequently harassed and bullied by neighboring countries, and several times the city of Xianyang was on the brink of collapse, causing great suffering to its citizens. Later, Xianyang was renamed Chang'an, symbolizing long-lasting peace and stability. It was not until Emperor Qin Zheng ascended the throne that reforms were implemented, and strength was developed. Over the course of 300 years, he successively conquered other states, unifying the realm, extending north to the northern deserts, west to the western regions, south to the Baiyue, and east to the East China Sea, making all under heaven part of Qin territory.

The woman chuckled lightly and said, "Why didn't my brother-in-law go to the barracks today? I just wanted to hear my nephew talk to me. Another day, let Lin take him to my brother-in-law's residence; there is no need to make such a fuss over it."

In the midst of the elegant attire, one could not help but feel great anger upon hearing: "General Wang, please show some respect; this is a matter of the Gongsun family"

Martial arts, in this era, I, Lin Ze, have ultimately arrived, and I should not remain silent for a lifetime

Lin Ze looked out the window and saw a street reminiscent of those in television dramas, with a continuous flow of pedestrians but not much in the way of vendors' calls. The entire street stretched out before him, seemingly endless, prompting him to poetically exclaim, "The city of Chang'an is truly vast"

The practitioner did not bother to look, casually pulling Lin Ze over and swiftly running his hands over Lin Ze's body.

General Wang slowly set Lin Ze down, patted his head, and turned to the woman: "Sister-in-law, in this world, one must have a kind heart. If the reputation in the market is not good, one will be subject to others' criticism."

Lin Ze looked at Wu Bo, who was in front of him, proudly beaming and animated, completely unlike an old man. He silently muttered to himself, I understand more than you do, I also know about Shang Yang's reforms, and how Bai Qi executed four hundred thousand surrendered soldiers in the Battle of Changping...

The younger siblings are quite imposing, leaving the eldest son in a daze. The family education at the Wu'an Jun's residence is indeed commendable. I will take the opportunity to promote you well in Chang'an City later

Overall, things are fine now; the stepmother is relatively kind, and I am not lacking in ability. Ultimately, we can still coexist harmoniously

The atmosphere in the venue was once awkward, until a young woman with a married hairstyle, a face like a peach blossom, and dressed in a red robe entered the courtyard accompanied by two young girls

The carriage then turned in a direction, still driven by Wu Bo, with the two knights closely following the carriage, arriving at the entrance of a small courtyard

This statement is quite skillful, as it subtly indicates that General Wang is an outsider, without the bluntness and rigidity exhibited by the middle-aged man in fine clothing

The sorcerer seemed to hear Lin Ze's thoughts, looking at him with a half-smile, and commanded, "Draw blood." Upon hearing this, Wu Bo grasped Lin Ze's right hand, gently wiped it, and a drop of fresh blood fell into the bowl on the incense table, which contained an unknown liquid.

In a state of confusion, Lin Ze entered the courtyard in the carriage, and Wu Bo extended his hand to assist Lin Ze, saying, "Young Master, let us disembark and take a rest for a while"

General Wang cast a disdainful glance at him and said: "What nonsense are you talking? My sworn brother's surname is Lin, not Gongsun. Moreover, as his sworn uncle, what is wrong with me hugging my nephew? Or is it you, old man, who is trying to stir up trouble? Do you intend to represent the Wu'an Jun's residence and have an irreconcilable feud with the Wang family?"

Lin Ze's gaze turned to the street, where most of the passersby were armed with various weapons, predominantly swords and sabers. It was indeed an era flourishing in martial arts. Among them were scattered figures dressed in tight black clothing, with the characters "Ting Wei" embroidered on their chests. These individuals, resembling human surveillance, along with machine guns, were one of the strong guarantees for long-term stability and peace.

It is said that every place has its dark corners, not necessarily due to poverty or inadequate legal systems, as these theoretically do not exist in Chang'an. It is reported that even the prices in the northern part of the city exceed those of an average prefectural city.

Lin Zeyi was stunned, as this seemed to include him in the reprimand, yet he still replied: "Yes, Grandmother"

Even if the ordinary entrance is lined with a long queue, no one dares to approach the city gate of the uninhabited nobility. Hundreds of soldiers clad in armor and wielding long spears are on guard, exuding an aura of menace.

Lin Ze put on a bewildered expression, well, in reality, he was quite confused. This is probably a test of martial arts aptitude, indicating that his qualifications are good, and it is quite possible for him to achieve a medium-grade level.

Unauthorized galloping within the city is prohibited. This means that, except for the submission of official documents or in cases of urgent governmental or military affairs, neither nobles nor commoners are allowed to ride at speed. It will take some time to reach the Lin residence. Upon hearing this, Wu Bo smiled slightly and decided to share some general knowledge with the young master

After speaking, still feeling unsatisfied, he kicked over the incense table and glared fiercely at the middle-aged man in the elegant attire: "You are utterly careless in your work; you didn't even notice when they came knocking at the door. Useless."

General Wang finished speaking and left with his men. He had come merely to confirm the safety of his sworn brother's bloodline descendants. As for the sarcastic remarks and even the threats of not resting until death, he, being a member of the Wang family, is certainly not foolish.

Martial arts transform lives, and the spark of national martial arts practice shines brightly in this era

Chang'an City is often described as "the East is noble, the West is wealthy, the South is peaceful, and the North is mixed," indicating that the outer city is divided into four sections. The eastern part is predominantly occupied by wealthy families and high-ranking officials. If it were not for the esteemed status of the matriarch, the Lin family might not have had the capability to establish their residence and business in the eastern part of the city

Amidst the discourse, a magnificent city appeared before Lin Ze, visually overwhelming his brain's nerves to the point of momentary paralysis

The carriage had been traveling for a while when two armored knights rode directly towards them from a distance, clearly warriors from the military. Wu Bo pulled over to the side, and one of the knights dismounted and approached the front of the carriage. Wu Bo nodded in acknowledgment and walked over to whisper a few words to the other knight, finally nodding towards Lin Ze.

Fortunately, it ended quickly. The practitioner set Lin Ze aside and drank the liquid in the bowl in one gulp. He closed his eyes in contemplation, and after about a minute, he finally spoke: "Good, it can reach medium quality, but it is difficult for a master to enter."

Moreover, there is a义伯 who is likely a member of the Wang family's direct lineage assisting in this matter. The residence of the Duke of Wu'an is not something that can be decided by a noblewoman who has merely married into the family. While her life has been preserved, regarding other matters, it is best to act according to the circumstances.

Cough, cough, the scene suddenly shifts; a strong young man is carrying four pigs, panting as he runs towards a tavern. A cheerful elderly woman emerges from the rice shop, carrying two bags of rice. On the street, an uncle selling marinated meat skillfully slices a large piece of meat, arranging it on a plate

During this time, the woman did not glance at Lin Ze much, and Lin Ze did not mind. From the earlier situation, it was evident that although the woman did not like him, she was also not willing to easily dismiss him. Just based on the statement that Lin's father was likely to become a master at the age of forty, she had to take Lin's father's feelings into consideration

Three are ordinary people entering and exiting in line, three are general martial artists coming and going, three are officials and their children entering and exiting, and the last three are the entrances and exits for high-ranking dignitaries, with the four areas distinctly separated

Lin Ze gazed at the city before him, more breathtaking than he had imagined. The towering city walls, standing at 50 meters high, bore the two large characters "Chang'an," and there were 12 massive city gates.

The houses in the southern city are more densely packed, primarily inhabited by common people, some less affluent small merchants, and individuals holding lower-ranking positions in the government

Lin Ze smiled and responded: I will keep that in mind. But secretly he complained: Indeed, when I see it through the eyes of a child, Beicheng is clearly a breeding ground for crime, where people go out of boredom.

After speaking, she winked at Lin Ze: "So this is Ze'er, huh? Don't cling to your uncle any longer, go and get close to your father, after all, he is your biological father"

The West City is primarily characterized by the residences of martial arts families and wealthy merchants, which are relatively dense yet quite prosperous, with several renowned entertainment venues located in the West City

The woman’s face turned pale, yet she still responded loudly: "Take care, big brother. Make sure to practice martial arts diligently when you have the time. The national master said that Lin Lang could become a grandmaster before turning forty. By then, big brother, you must not be surpassed."