Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 94 The Relocation of the Capital Comes to an End
The once bustling and vibrant city of Chang'an seemed to have been drained of its vitality overnight, abruptly becoming a mere "secondary capital" in name only.

A large number of officials and their families and subordinates were forced to leave their residences in Chang'an and embark on the journey eastward. Local and overseas merchants also transferred their assets and goods.

Although Chang'an is still called "capital" today, its status has obviously plummeted.

Liu Jianjun strolled around with his hands in his sleeves, seemingly unsurprised by the scene. He even commented, "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. No, it's not that the tree hasn't fallen yet, but the monkeys already know to follow the new leader."

"Tsk, reality."

Li Xian had mixed feelings and didn't reply, simply following silently beside Liu Jianjun.

The two walked all the way to Pingkangfang Beili.

Compared to the desolation outside, the sounds of birdsong and the music of traditional instruments seem to remain unchanged here.

But upon closer inspection, one can still see that it looks somewhat forced.

The faces of the officials who came to seek pleasure were much more unfamiliar. They were probably mostly low-ranking officials who were unable to accompany the Empress Dowager and were forced to stay behind. The once illustrious figures who spent lavishly and accompanied the Empress Dowager on her eastward journey, along with their extravagant spending, had completely disappeared.

Even the prostitutes soliciting customers in front of the building seemed less attractive.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the entrance of Yuchun Tower.

"Oh! Young Master Liu! It's been quite a while since you last visited! Please come in, please come in! The girls have missed you terribly!"

The madam of Yuchun Pavilion hasn't changed yet; she waves a handkerchief, her voice as sweet as ever.

Then, she saw Li Xian behind Liu Jianjun.

This time, the madam's eyes lit up as if she had seen a rare treasure. She twirled her fingers and came closer, exclaiming, "Oh! Young Master Li! You are as beautiful as a celestial being! I have been waiting for you for so long!"

"Pooh!"

Liu Jianjun interrupted from the side, slapping the madam's plump buttocks with a crisp sound, then laughed and cursed, "Now you know my brother's noble status, so you shamelessly come crawling over. Where were you before!"

The madam wasn't annoyed. Instead, she feigned shyness and smiled ingratiatingly: "Oh, Young Master Liu! Aren't you being too polite? I'm just a lowly servant who sells smiles. To make a living in Chang'an, I have to learn to read people's faces!"

"Young Master Liu, in my mother's eyes, you are also a first-rate person!"

As she spoke, she seemed to notice that Li Xian's expression was cold and unapproachable, so she naturally rubbed her chest against Liu Jianjun.

Liu Jianjun chuckled and placed his hand on the madam's chest: "Don't give me that. We brothers are just passing by and have no intention of going upstairs to sit down."

A moment of disappointment flashed across the madam's face, but she still smiled and flattered, "Young Master Liu, you're too kind. It's already a great honor for me that you two have walked past our door! Everyone in Pingkang Lane knows you, Young Master Liu..."

At this point, the madam seemed to remember something and slapped her forehead: "Look at your memory, old lady! You two... you wouldn't have come out specifically to see the excitement of the capital relocation, would you?"

"Then you two would better hurry, the drums and gongs will be going off over there early this morning..."

Liu Jianjun asked in surprise, "The relocation team has already set off?"

The madam was taken aback, then quickly said, "That's right! It wasn't even dawn yet when horns were sounding from the west, making quite a commotion! I heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's carriage was the first to leave, and the procession stretched as far as the eye could see! They're probably almost out of the Golden Light Gate by now!"

After listening, Liu Jianjun grabbed Li Xian's hand.

"Let's go take a look!"

We walked through Pingkangfang, which was still immersed in laziness and false prosperity, and headed west towards Chang'an City.

When they finally caught a glimpse of the majestic Jin Guang Gate tower in the distance, Liu Jianjun exclaimed in surprise.

The city gates were already packed with people.

The Imperial Guards formed several human walls, barely keeping the people on both sides of the main road. On the wide imperial road that had been cleared, the huge procession continued to pour out of the city gate like a slowly writhing python.

Banners obscured the sky, and carriages and horses rumbled along.

Leading the way were the Thousand Bull Guard cavalry, their helmets gleaming and their voices chillingly silent.

Following this was the elaborate and magnificent royal procession, representing imperial majesty.

Behind them were countless carriages loaded with boxes, archives, and even important items from the central government. Their wheels rolled over the stone road, making a dull, continuous thud.

Occasionally, carriages carrying officials and their families were mixed in among them. Some carriages had their curtains tightly closed, as if ashamed to be seen, while others had a corner slightly lifted, revealing the red and swollen eyes of the women inside and the bewildered faces of the children.

Suppressed sobs, the whispered comfort of family members, the officer's reprimands, and the buzzing of the surrounding crowd mingled together.

"You just left like that..."

"What will become of Chang'an City from now on?"

"I've heard that Luoyang is now the 'Divine Capital'..."

Li Xian's gaze swept over the long queue. A middle-aged official, dressed in a green robe of a sixth or seventh rank and with a haggard face, leaned out. He seemed to subconsciously glance back at Chang'an City, then quickly lowered his head, wiped his face hard with his sleeve, and climbed back into the carriage.

This little incident ended quickly; the carriage was pushed away, and the procession continued on its way, as if nothing had happened.

Liu Jianjun's voice rang out softly from the side: "Do you see? Many of these people are native to Chang'an. Moving to Luoyang is tantamount to leaving their hometown. Your mother can take power with her, but can she take people's hearts with her?"

Li Xian was puzzled.

Liu Jianjun added, "Chang'an is the capital that your Li Tang dynasty has managed for nearly a hundred years. The power of the Guanlong aristocratic group and the Li clan is deeply entrenched. Your mother is not confident in taking over Chang'an. Moving the capital will help her get rid of the constraints of the old forces."

"But similarly, there are also downsides."

Liu Jianjun pointed to the weeping families of officials and said, "These people who have left their hometowns are part of the group."

Then, pointing to the people in Chang'an, he said, "These people who stayed in Chang'an are also a part of the population. Forced relocation has caused instability among the people. This is the price to pay, and it is also a thorn that your mother had to swallow when she forced the relocation."

"The relocation of the capital created Luoyang's reputation as a divine city, but it also led to the decline of Chang'an. Didn't you see the madam of Yuchun Tower just now? Even the prostitutes in the brothel were working hard to attract customers, let alone the countless people of Chang'an?"
"Economic depression coupled with a complete loss of public support, tsk tsk..."

"And we, especially someone as smart as me, just happened to stay in Chang'an."

Li Xian wanted to ask more questions, but Liu Jianjun suddenly turned around and said, "Alright! Hurry up and go back. Now that your mother is gone, we can finally go all out and get things done!"

……

(End of this chapter)