Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"This...this...this is simply incomprehensible!"

Witnessing this scene, Ban Dingyuan and Pei Ju were too shocked to utter a single word.

Just then, a group of women and children arrived, carrying chamber pots and emptying their contents into the water. They then squatted down on the riverbank steps and began washing themselves.

Upon seeing this, Pei Ju almost vomited up his dinner from the night before.

Some peddlers even came to the bridgehead, casually threw their useless scraps and garbage into the river, and swaggered away.

Just then, another water carrier came along. He stood by the steps, glanced at the murky river, stirred the water in his bucket for a while, scooped up a spoonful and poured it directly into his mouth, then carried two buckets of water back to the bank and headed home.

Ban Dingyuan trembled at the man's actions and could not utter a single word.

Not long after, a woman and a child were seen urinating directly on the shore while holding a baby...

At this moment, the river surface was covered with filth, excrement, foot binding cloths, rotten vegetable leaves, and all sorts of other things, almost like a hodgepodge.

The officers and soldiers who passed by on patrol glanced at it lazily, then covered their noses and went elsewhere, showing no intention of assisting in the management whatsoever.

Ban Dingyuan and Pei Ju exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned around, covered their mouths and noses, and quickly left.

I can't stand it, I really can't stand it.

Even though they were used to seeing battlefields with rivers of blood, they could not describe this incredibly filthy scene.

"It's dirty, so dirty."

After getting away from the river, Pei Ju clutched his chest and leaned against a wall, retching repeatedly.

"I've lived for 23 years and I've never seen anything so unhygienic. I feel like throwing up just looking at it."

Ban Dingyuan was in no better shape, panting heavily as he said, "I thought I had a strong mentality after experiencing the baptism of war, but now I realize that we live in a country like Chu."

Pei Ju gave a wry smile: "I suppose this is what the principal meant by the gap between civilizations?"

Ban Dingyuan shook his head: "I don't know if it's a difference in civilization, but I do know that if I stay any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat."

"Then where are we going now?"

"Let me go back to the market and get some fresh air."

As he spoke, Ban Dingyuan recalled the scene he had seen on the riverbank, especially the man carrying water as he poured river water into his mouth, and his stomach churned violently once again.

"Go, go quickly."

He hurriedly urged Pei Ju to leave this troublesome place quickly.

It wasn't until they returned to the market that the two were able to breathe some fresh air.

Even as they looked at the diverse crowds on the street, their hearts remained heavy.

It was now the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), and the streets were bustling with people.

However, these people all looked pale and thin, with an extremely unhealthy color on their faces, and it was impossible to say what caused this.

Unlike the markets of the Great Chu, the most popular markets in the streets of Zhongdu were always the vegetable markets.

At a cabbage stall, a group of people surrounded the old farmer selling cabbages and haggled for a while before finally selling the whole basket of freshly picked cabbages for fifteen coins.

Ban Dingyuan watched as the old farmer carefully counted the fruits of his labor for the day, then picked up the empty baskets and walked towards the city gate.

His weathered face was beaming with a smile, clearly indicating that he was very satisfied with his earnings for the day.

At another radish stall, a middle-aged man completed his first transaction of the day, stuffing ten white radishes into the bamboo basket he carried and earning ten coins.

Unlike the old man selling cabbage before, this middle-aged stall owner, after receiving his first earnings, immediately ran to the pancake stall next door, ordered a bowl of soy milk and a pancake, and wolfed them down.

The market environment was also very poor, but compared to the scene they had seen on the riverbank, Ban Dingyuan and Pei Ju could accept it.

Moreover, there are soldiers patrolling the market, so few people dare to cause trouble there.

As Ban Dingyuan walked into the market, he intended to go to the pork stalls to find out what was going on, but the next moment, his trouser leg was grabbed.

Looking down, he saw a disheveled girl holding a chipped bowl, looking at Ban Dingyuan with an expectant expression.

"Grandpa, please give me some money. My mother is sick and we don't have money for medicine."

Ban Dingyuan was taken aback and instinctively reached for his money pouch.

But the next moment, a burly soldier suddenly rushed in front of the girl, grabbed her hair, and said viciously:

"Alright, you dare to come again. It seems you don't know what I'm capable of. Didn't the beating you received last time teach you a lesson? Then you'll taste the whip again!"

As he spoke, he roughly threw the girl to the ground, then took a leather whip from his waist and raised it high, ready to bring it down.

"stop!"

Just then, Pei Ju grabbed the soldier's wrist.

"It's just a child, why are you making such a fuss?"

The fat soldier immediately felt a sharp, unbearable soreness and numbness in his wrist as it was being squeezed, and roared angrily, "What does this have to do with you foreigners? Why are you meddling in our business!"

"Just because you wanted to hit me for no reason, I'm going to stick to it to the end!"

Pei Ju pushed the fat soldier away a few steps, then bent down to help the girl up, and gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, we're here, no one can hurt you."

Seeing that he had made a fool of himself, the fat soldier immediately flew into a rage: "You foreigners, how dare you interfere in the affairs of my Wu Zhao Kingdom?"

Ban Dingyuan stood calmly in front of him: "Everyone should mind their own business. This girl did nothing wrong, yet she's being beaten up by you for no reason. Since I've run into this, I have to do something about it."

"How do you intend to manage this?" The fat man rolled up his sleeves. "Don't think you're superior just because you're foreigners and can come to the capital to meet the emperor."

"You're nothing compared to our Wu Zhao Kingdom! I advise you to get out of my way and mind your own business, or I'll beat you up too!"

Upon hearing this, Ban Dingyuan immediately pulled out a pair of leather gloves from his pocket and put them on, staring at the fat man with a gloomy expression.

"Then I'd like to see how you, fatso, plan to beat me up!"

Upon hearing this, the fat man immediately felt a little guilty.

The laws of Wuzhao state stipulate that local officials must treat foreign envoys with courtesy and respect.

The fat man had threatened Ban Dingyuan and his companion because he thought they didn't understand the rule.

But he would never dare to actually take action.

"Fine, you win. I'll remember that."

The fat man took two steps back, glared fiercely at the girl, and then turned and left the market.

"Ha, a coward in appearance but weak in reality."

He scoffed dismissively, turned to the girl, and leaned down to ask, "Don't be afraid, little sister. Where do you live? Can you take me to see your mother?"

"Thank you, gentlemen, but my mother said that our house is too dilapidated and we don't have anything to entertain guests."

"It's alright, take us to see her. Let's see how serious your mother's illness is. Perhaps we can take her to see a doctor."

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes filled with hope.

"Let's go."

Pei Ju picked up the girl and left the market with Ban Dingyuan.