The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 78

He came once in early March, and it's been a while since then.

The collection of saltpeter never stopped. Xi Siming would send it over whenever he collected a certain amount, and Xu Tian carefully stored it all away. This stuff might be needed sometime, so it was better to have more than he needed.

This time, they brought not only saltpeter, but also zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), medicinal wine, and some medicinal herbs.

As before, Xu Tian entertained him in the living room.

“I went to Jiangling in the south a few days ago and just got back. I saw that there was quite a lot of saltpeter, so I brought it over,” Xi Siming said first.

"Oh, you went to Jiangling. That's a nice place too." No wonder I haven't seen him for the past few months.

Jiangling later became Jingzhou, and at that time it was also the seat of a military governorship, I think it was called Jingnan Military Governorship. It was located between the Yangtze River and the Han River, and was also a hub for water and land transportation and logistics, its importance no less than that of Dingxiang City.

In addition, as the capital of the Chu state during its most powerful period in the pre-Qin era, it is also a place with profound cultural heritage and many famous figures.

"Indeed, Jiangling is a place of great integration and development, and its resources are extremely abundant. I am going to Jiangling to collect medicinal herbs. Some of these herbs are only found in the South and Sichuan, and they are easier to find in Jiangling than in Dingxiang City."

"Is there any beautiful scenery over there? I'd like to visit sometime in the future, since it was the former capital of the Chu Kingdom," Xu Tian asked.

"Speaking of which, I went to Jinan City in Jiangling and saw the ruins of the ancient capital of Ying. Alas, only broken walls and ruins remain, extremely desolate. However, one can still see some of the former glory from them."

"In addition, I saw the Yangtze River, which was truly magnificent. It is said that the overall layout of Jiangling is very similar to that of Dingxiang. The river flows from west to east, and then bends south outside the city. The only difference is that Dingxiang is south of the river, while Jiangling is north of the river."

Jiangling is truly a wonderful place. The State of Chu was one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and one of the Seven Warring States. Over the centuries, it destroyed countless states, and the tombs of its kings and nobles contain countless treasures.

Xu Tian remembered that the sword of King Goujian of Yue was discovered there, and it was very famous, as were the spears of King Fuchai of Wu.

"What is life like for the people in Jiangling? Their customs must be quite different from those in Dingxiang, right?"

"Jiangling has a smaller population than the surrounding areas of Dingxiang City, but its people are also very fond of commerce. Located on a plain, it is surrounded by water with few mountains and many rivers and lakes, making it a true land of fish and rice. Many families own small boats and often travel by boat."

People live a prosperous life with no worries about food and clothing, and they love to play and travel more. They are not very diligent in their work, and often work for a few days and then rest for a day or two. Xi Siming thought for a moment and said this.

“Indeed, I’ve heard that people over there prefer to have fun and don’t like to work,” Xu Tian agreed.

However, his impression came from later generations. He had a relative who lived in a county in Jingzhou. He had visited the county once and found that the people there seemed to have less psychological pressure in life, did not pursue success, and had a somewhat complacent attitude.

"The local customs are like this. In detail, the customs of Jiangling are quite different from those of Dingxiang. The people there especially value ghosts and gods, believe in feng shui, and emphasize sacrifices. They will definitely worship their ancestors and ghosts and gods from all directions on festivals and specific days."

Their funerals were extremely elaborate, often leaving families heavily indebted, to the point that selling their children was not uncommon.

Before traveling or undertaking any undertaking, they often consulted shamans to divine good or bad fortune. After death, they would also invite shamans to chant scriptures and perform rituals. As a result, there were many shamans and Taoist priests in the folk, and even dedicated Taoist temples. Xi Siming explained in detail.

These were things Xu Tian hadn't known before. Although it was somewhat unexpected, Jiangling wasn't too far from Dingxiang City, only a few hundred kilometers apart, yet the customs were so different. But upon closer reflection, it didn't seem too unreasonable.