Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 674 First Arrival
"What, does the shopkeeper think I'm some kind of wild Taoist priest?"

Qin Wen smiled gently, reached into her sleeve, and pulled out a certificate of ordination that she had prepared beforehand.

"Not at all, not at all. Only by finding out where the Taoist priest's sacred mountain is and the name of his sect can we believers arrange the necessary services."

The old accountant smiled as he accepted the transfer certificate, taking notes as he read: "So, the Taoist priest is a female Taoist nun from the Dongxuan Department of the Jingyue Palace on Wudang Mountain in Yunyang Prefecture. Master Miaoxuan, may I ask what grade your talismans are?"

"This disciple is unworthy, possessing only the Supreme Chaotic Crimson Script Edict Talisman and the Supreme Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady's Evil-Slaying Secret Manual, both bestowed upon me by my late master."

Although he had long known that the Daoist trend was prevalent in the Southern Ming Dynasty and had anticipated this, Qin Wencai realized that he had underestimated the profound heritage of this ancient capital of six dynasties when faced with the old accountant's sharp and incisive words.

If even a lowly accountant running an inn outside Nanjing could have such ambitions, imagine the thoughts of those "high-ranking officials" in the imperial palace.
Qin Wen raised his handsome eyebrows and silently observed the old accountant's next move.

"Oh dear, so you are a cultivator of the Mysterious Lady Goddess. I have been negligent. Xiao Yi, quickly take Master Miaoxuan upstairs to rest, and order a good meal. Master must be tired after your long journey."

After carefully examining Qin Wendu's certificate and finding no problems, the old accountant had no suspicions and immediately urged the servant carrying the luggage to help entertain this Taoist master who had traveled from afar.

Qin Wen didn't pay too much attention to this little incident and went up the luxuriously decorated staircase to the expensive Class A room.

Sitting by the window on the roof of the six-story inn, looking through the rain shelter at Jinling shrouded in misty rain, the first thing I saw was not a row of buildings and streets, but an extremely tall and imposing city wall.

That was a colossal wall that no ordinary human could build. Qin Wen only glanced at it and deduced that it was at least a hundred meters high. The city gate tower, which seemed to stand in the clouds, was guarded by two golden-armored generals, looking like a carefully crafted Taoist army.

Behind the city wall, there is a towering pagoda that pierces the clouds. The drizzling rain falls on the smooth, ceramic-like surface of the pagoda without leaving a trace, as if draping it in a light, watery veil, giving it a unique beauty that is difficult to see clearly.

'This must be the [Ascending to Truth Tower] where the disciples and grand-disciples of the Boundless Venerable reside, right? I wonder if that tyrant who calls himself the Emperor of Ten Thousand Years has any real cultivation at all.'

After carefully examining the Dengzhen Tower, which was only partially visible behind the giant wall, even Qin Wen, who had seen many magnificent sights, had to admit that this spectacle, which had consumed countless manpower and resources to build, was indeed a work of art.

Each layer of the tower was covered with colorful glazed tiles, and the entire tower was snow-white with the distinctive dark blue patterns of blue and white porcelain. Like several blue dragons, it leaped directly into the depths of the rain clouds from the first layer in sight.

The entire pagoda is solemn and magnificent. Even the Sanqing bells under the eaves are gilded. They sway gently in the wind and rain, and the deep sound of the bells slowly emanates from within, spreading throughout the palace.

"It's so beautiful."

Looking at this spectacle, Qin Wen couldn't help but sincerely praise it. To be able to build a super high-rise building that is no less impressive than Liuguangmeng in an ancient feudal dynasty, even if there were extraordinary factors involved, this ingenious design truly deserves to be called a masterpiece.

Hearing Qin Wen's praise, the young servant in blue, who had neatly arranged all the dishes, was also proud and said, "Mr. Miaoxuan is right. This is the Ascension Platform of Jinling City. There is only one in the entire Ming Dynasty."

After saying that, he secretly glanced at Qin Wen's alluring facial features beneath his clothes, swallowed hard, and said, "Sir, you've traveled here to pay homage to the sages and seek enlightenment. If you manage to enter the Ascension Platform, you must tell Xiao Yi about what you saw and heard there when you return." "Definitely."

Qin Wenzhen nodded slightly. It was unclear what kind of magic the Southern Ming Taoist priest had used on the Dengzhen Pagoda, but even the most discerning eye could not see inside.

After the servant in blue left the room, Qin Wen closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. He could see the ten kinds of emotions and eight kinds of suffering twisted into a tangible color, flowing like lingering clouds towards the tall tower.

"I don't know if entering the tower rashly will expose my identity as the host. If those unscrupulous Taoists have the means to trace back to the source, then things will be troublesome."

Qin Wen took out a map of Jinling City from his storage item, ran his finger over the densely packed small characters on the map, and finally tapped the four characters "Ten Miles of Qinhuai" repeatedly.

"To obtain more information about the Southern Ming court and the Wuliang Taoist priests, it would be more convenient and less conspicuous to start with the ghost market in Jinling. However, perhaps we can also make some arrangements by taking advantage of this beautiful appearance."
Amidst a flurry of ideas, Qin Wen decided to set off immediately to visit the famous Qinhuai River, which would later become renowned.

Because Emperor Chongzhen sacrificed himself to activate the dragon vein and cause the Northern Qing Tartars to rise again, the Southern Ming Dynasty has not been able to march south and advance into Shanhaiguan. Therefore, the Southern Ming Dynasty did not experience horrific atrocities such as the Yangzhou Massacre or the Jiading Massacre. It can be said that everything in Nanjing was well preserved.

Jinling was the capital of emperors, and the mansions of dukes, marquises and nobles stretched to the clouds. Members of the imperial family and princes, dressed in fine furs and riding in fine horses, as well as young men in black robes and guests from lakes and seas, all carried instruments and flutes. When they passed through Zhao and Li, whenever they held a banquet, they would call out the music register, with silks and brocades in full bloom. They would serve wine and toast each other, and leave guests with shaved heads. After the wine and chess were over, earrings and hairpins would fall off.

This great city, which has been called a beautiful place by scholars and literati since ancient times, can now truly be described as a fairyland in the realm of desire and a land of peace and joy.

Qin Wen had done his research on the ship before. The city of Jinling now was not the same as in the early years of Hongwu. The sixteen brothels of official brothels, such as Danyan, Qingfen, Chongyi, and Laibin, had been altered or abandoned over the past three hundred years, and the ancient sites had been buried. Only the South Market, the Pearl Market, and the old brothel still existed.

Since the purpose is to gather information, it is natural to go to the old brothel in Jinling, which is famous for its Southern opera singers and top courtesans.

"Red ivory and green silk, graceful dances and melodious songs, a magnificent bridal chamber, embroidered curtains and screens, rare flowers and precious herbs, brocade zithers and rhinoceros horn ornaments... These officials of the Southern Ming Dynasty certainly know how to have fun."

After storing all his luggage in his storage space, Qin Wen changed his clothes and looked like a young master from a wealthy family before ringing the bell in the room to summon the servant in blue.

"Sir, what can I do for you?"

The waiter at the restaurant, named Xiao Yi, noticed that only a few people had touched the food at the banquet. He assumed that Qin Wen was not used to Nanjing cuisine and asked somewhat nervously.

“Please, believer, help me hire a carriage; I need to go to the old house.”

"The old courtyard?"

Upon hearing those two words, and considering Qin Wen's current attire, Xiao Yi seemed to understand something and exclaimed, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)