Chapter 232 The Differences between Falling Star City and Notting City White clouds are floating and the woods are sparse. As far as the eye can see, there is nothingness. Amidst the slightly undulating fields, as the sun sets, lies a small town, peaceful and tranquil, like a dream. Lifting the car curtain and smelling the floral scent floating in the air outside the window, Zhou Qing suddenly became poetic and said loudly: "How much romance has been brewing in this fairyland-like wilderness, how much yearning has drifted with the fragrance of autumn grass and flowers in the wind, but who could have imagined--" hiss-- Xiao Wu tensed up and looked at Zhou Qing in confusion: "What are you doing? Singing? Or telling a horror story?" Romantina, who was driving the carriage, said, "I actually really like listening to horror stories. The creepy feeling can make every cell in my body tremble!" After saying this, the hand holding the reins trembled, and the body tensed up. The horse was also panting. There was no other reason. In order to reach Falling Star City quickly, Romantina whipped the horse's butt so hard that the horse was almost exhausted to death.
"After all, we may be facing a fallen one. In addition, it is almost dark when we arrive at Falling Star City. In order to suit the situation, I will briefly describe the horror story that may happen next." Zhou Qing chuckled and asked Tang San, "What do you think?" “If it’s written into a story, it should be popular.” Although Tang San also used the theory of gods and ghosts to make Xuantian Gong [reasonably] present in front of Zhou Qing, he himself was very dissatisfied with this opening speech that was developing towards the theory of gods and ghosts - Really no feeling. "That won't do, San'er. When you look back on your life and write a biography in a straightforward manner, not many people will be willing to know your story," Zhou Qing said seriously. "Isn't this about you?" Tang San was stunned for a moment, then his IQ came online and he gave Zhou Qing a trusting look, "I believe you will definitely describe me more vividly." Zhou Qing: “…” You've changed! Tang San! You've become lazy! "arrive!" The three people in the car were joking with each other when Romantina, who was driving, turned around and shouted, "I've been here several times and can act as a tour guide. It is said that this Falling Star City has carried out road planning several times in the past two hundred years..." Except for Zhou Qing, Tang San and Xiao Wu were not very interested in these things. They just got off the carriage one by one, showed their spirit certificates to the guards at the city gate, handed over a bronze soul coin each, and then followed the carriage into the city together. The scenery in Falling Star City is very different from that in Notting City. The most obvious thing is the architecture. The houses on both sides of the street are mostly covered with tiles that look like fish scales, and the walls between the houses are connected. If you don't look at the different doors and plaques on both sides, you can't tell them apart. At this time, the sky is getting darker and the warm breeze is intoxicating. The houses on both sides of the street had decorative lights similar to lanterns hanging at the doorways, emitting dim candlelight, dispelling the gradually falling darkness. On the street, people come and go, and business is endless. Zhou Qing looked at everything here, feeling the wind blowing across his face. For a moment, he seemed to have returned to a more retro night market in modern times. Although the night in Nottingham was brightly lit before curfew, those European-style buildings did not give him any sense of familiarity. Now, Zhou Qing personally entered Luoxing City within the Xingluo Empire, and finally understood the "difference" in the book that "the appearance of Xingluo is different from that of Tiandou".
But Zhou Qing is not the only one who is fascinated by this Chinese-style night scene. Tang San! This time traveler from some imaginary ancient Chinese martial arts background was truly dazzled and overwhelmed by the scenery here. For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to his previous life. "Come back to your senses." Zhou Qing waved in front of Tang San's eyes, awakening him, "The architectural style in the Xingluo Empire is really different from that in Tiandou, but the people are not much different." "That's true." Tang San looked at the people walking on the street. Their appearance was not much different from that in Notting City. Some had soft faces, which were reserved and rounded, like the people from the Central Plains in his previous life. Some had high noses and angular faces, which were like the foreign people from his previous life. In the previous life, there were foreigners coming to do business in the prosperous town, but they were a minority after all. In this world, whether it is Tiandou or Xingluo, people with obviously different facial features are mixed together, and the number is roughly the same. All of this was telling Tang San that this was not the world he lived in in his previous life. "It's getting dark. Where are we going to stay today?" Xiao Wu was more concerned about this. "follow me." Romantina had been here several times with her father Romanak and was familiar with the layout of the city. She led the three of them through the streets to the city center. This place is more prosperous than the outside! According to Romantina, since highways have been built between various cities within the Xing Luo Empire, it is more convenient to travel between them, which also makes Luoxing City more prosperous. "Let me tell you, here every shop closes after midnight, but at three or four o'clock, everyone gets up and opens their shops again!" "Especially at breakfast shops, I heard the owners never sleep!" “But in reality, those who can sell breakfast here have brothers, sisters, relatives and friends to help them, and they take turns to work…” Zhou Qing summarized Romantina's endless description into one sentence: [Business is going on day and night in the center of Luoxing City. When the day and night begin to change, the number of tourists starts to decrease. After the roosters crow three or four times, the morning market vendors open their shops again.] All of this stems from the establishment of highways between various cities, large and small, within the Xingluo Empire. "Sure enough, if you want to get rich, build roads first." Zhou Qing personally felt the truth contained in this sentence, but he also understood that the fundamental purpose of the Xingluo Empire in building roads between cities of all sizes was probably just to facilitate the transmission of government orders and marching and fighting. Driving economic development... I'm afraid it's a pleasant surprise. “Why isn’t Nottingham so lively?” After all, Tang San had never received compulsory education, and had never systematically studied the corresponding Eastern and Western history, so he couldn't understand - Notting City and Falling Star City are obviously small cities of the same level and not much different in size, so why is there such a huge difference in the level of prosperity? Could it be that Darles is a good official who loves his people like his own children? "Chidao." Zhou Qing also realized the limitations of Tang San's thinking. No matter how much he thought about it, he would never be able to jump out of the framework without direct enlightenment. So he did not keep him in suspense and directly stated the fundamental reason: "The Xingluo Empire is full of martial virtues. The highways connect the major cities to facilitate marching. In the future, whether it is to go on an expedition or suppress rebellion, it will be of great use. The spacious highways also allow merchants between major cities to have better exchanges."
"I see." Tang San suddenly realized and instantly understood why since the Qin Dynasty, every dynasty, no matter whether the emperor was incompetent or wise, would more or less send some manpower and resources to build roads. The fundamental purpose is to facilitate marching! "Then why didn't the emperor of Tiandou Empire order the construction of the highway?" Considering the roads outside the city of Nottingham, although they are wide, the roads at the four major city gates become narrow after stretching out for more than ten miles, and the roadside is overgrown with weeds. This is formed by people walking all year round, rather than being deliberately built by humans. Tang San was confused again. If Tiandou is similar to medieval Europe, then Xingluo is similar to ancient Shenzhou. (End of this chapter)