The Journey

According to Zhu Longwei, the journey from the Wu county to her hometown in Jiujiang should take one day on horseback. However, because they had to walk and pass through such difficult terrain, the journey would be much slower than expected.

The real Tan Xiuying would not be so stupid as to take a journey on foot. As a noble daughter accustomed to living in luxury, she might ride a horse on her way to meet her secret lover in Houguan and left her horse somewhere before being ambushed by Peng Liling's henchmen.

Currently, they were on their way from the coast to the Wu city, which was the capital of the small kingdom of Wu territory.

When she stepped into the gates of the ancient Wu city for the first time in her life, she couldn't help but was amazed at the sight of the city's life and prosperity.

Wood became the main building material in the architecture, used in almost all buildings, multi-storey towers, multi-storey residence halls, and simple residences. The city walls and border forts were built with clay bricks.

Thatched or tile roofs were supported by wooden posts, in addition to brick, stone, and plaster walls. The tiled roofs protruding outward kept the rainwater flowing from the walls.

"This city is more lively than I thought. The trade is bustling with a wide variety of merchandise. Master Zhu, I want to know more about Wu City. Please tell me about it," she said, her eyes lit up in amazement.

"Are you sure you want to know about that?" Zhu Longwei glanced at her. "Usually women are not interested in government or political matters. They would rather gossip or talk about all sorts of feminine matters."

"I know the women of ancient times did have limited knowledge, but I'm different than them," she reasoned and gave him a faint smile.

Women in ancient China did not enjoy more status than men, both in social and political. As children they must learn to submit first to their fathers, then to their husbands after marriage, and finally to their sons, when widowed. Often physically abused, socially ostracized, and forced to compete for the affections of their husbands with concubines, women occupied an unpleasant position.

However, despite the harsh reality of living in a male-dominated society and were incessantly under the burden of male-created philosophical and religious norms, some women had managed to break through these barriers.

The practical realities of daily life meant that many women were able to evade the prevailing norms of society at that time, and some of them rose to live extraordinary lives by producing works of literature, knowledge, inventions, and even ruling the empire.

Zhu Longwei explained, "Wu is the home of the four Wu clans. In Eastern Wu, the four great clans become the pillars of the Emperor's reign. During Eastern Wu's reign, the government planned military-led agriculture and plantations in Wu's command. Its original purpose was to provide supplies to soldiers on border defense missions. But eventually, Wu became known for its economic wealth with prosperous agriculture and expanding trade."

"What about the government system in this empire?"

Despite her vast knowledge of ancient Chinese culture during her lifetime, her curiosity piqued even more. Her father always insisted, even though they lived and made a living in other countries, they should not overlook about their ancestral origins.

"This empire built a three-tiered system of government consisting of provinces, commanderies, and counties. According to legendary records, this system of government is a geographical division of territory and not a political area, initially consisting of provinces and commanderies."

Tan Xiuying nodded. She stared at the crowds from various circles of society who were walking back and forth on the streets. When compared to modern times, these residents were certainly very modest in appearance and wore the same hanfu clothes.

Men's and women's clothing shared the same basic styles and designs. The only noticeable variations were in the colors, fabrics, and accessories. Their hanfu served as a visual indicator of their educational and social status.

Tan Xiuying looked over herself. The emerald green hanfu made of silk that she was wearing at this time was so noticeable. The shoes she wore were also very expensive with very beautiful and high quality embroidered creations.

She decided that she had to find the exact clothes and shoes quickly to wear in this trip. In fact, it's a better and safer idea if she disguised herself as a man. Hadn't she been known as a spy who was also a master of disguise?

"Master Zhu, why don't we stop by to buy some simple clothes?"

Zhu Longwei turned to look at her and nodded. "Let's go to the stall over there. It looks like it sells clothes." He pointed to one of the stalls displaying fabrics.

"I need matching shoes too."

"Alright, then we'll look for it."

Zhu Longwei selected a simple white linen hanfu that cost 100 copper coins. Though it was a bit pricey, it was a safe and comfortable choice. He also found a pair of men's shoes that fit Tan Xiuying perfectly.

Tan Xiuying couldn't help but feel compelled to sell her clothes and shoes to a merchant for 300 copper coins. The amount seemed meager to her, given the good quality of her items. She believed they should have fetched at least twice that price. However, she had no choice as she desperately needed money and had nothing else in her pocket.

Once they changed into their new clothes, they treated themselves to two large meat-filled dumplings and mushroom soup, spending 15 copper coins on the meal. After satisfying their hunger, they hastened their journey towards Wucheng city, aiming to reach it before dusk.