Chapter 223: The International Market

Chapter 223: The International Market

The cold wind carried snow into the embroidered chamber, and after Laba Festival, the New Year was just around the corner. After the first birthday celebrations of Gu Gu and Yang Yang, the most important festival of the year was just around the corner.

Since ancient times, the New Year has been the grandest celebration in Huaxia. From commoners to high-ranking nobles, as long as conditions allowed, everyone would gather during the New Year to celebrate the peaceful end of the old year and pray for a smooth and prosperous new year.

According to the laws of the Yu Dynasty, ordinary officials could "seal their offices" and stop working on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, returning home to visit relatives and celebrate the New Year. They would return to work on the 20th day of the first lunar month, enjoying a full month of New Year vacation.

However, for officials in key positions, such a holiday was a luxury. As the governor of a prefecture, Du Yunse had many tasks to attend to even during the New Year. Officials' dedication to their duties ensured that the people could live and work in peace, celebrating the New Year joyfully.

Fortunately, Du Yunse's family was all in Tianjin Prefecture, sparing him the pain of being away from home.

The Western clock in the second hall struck nine, and the bright sunlight shone through the windows, illuminating the warm room with a burning stove.

Du Yunse reviewed the list of prisoners within Tianjin Prefecture's jurisdiction sent by the criminal court and summoned the magistrate and the prison warden.

"Among these prisoners, seventeen have not yet been tried, three have unclear charges, and five have been given excessively harsh sentences. Please pay extra attention and ensure that all cases are resolved before New Year's Eve. We must not let the people involved in these cases spend the New Year in anxiety."

As the New Year approached, every household was engaged in a thorough cleaning, and the government office was no exception. However, what needed to be cleaned was not just dust but also the accumulated old cases and outdated regulations from the past year.

Some officials were lazy and only went through the motions, while others meticulously reviewed everything. Du Yunse was clearly the latter.

Having been in Tianjin Prefecture for half a year, Du Yunse had already streamlined the prefectural office and the county offices under his jurisdiction, replacing officials with those who shared his vision and had genuine talent, ensuring his orders were carried out without compromise.

As New Year's Eve approached, many officials in the prefectural office had already sealed their offices and returned home, leaving only a few on duty. The vast and solemn building felt eerily empty.

After arranging a few tasks, Du Yunse stood up and walked out of the hall. The winter morning sun was bright but not intense, barely dispelling some of the chill on his body.

"Go check if the County Lord has woken up," Du Yunse said to Bai Quan, who followed him.

Bai Quan smiled, "A quarter of an hour ago, Xing Mi from the County Lord's side came to say that the County Lord had already woken up and asked you to return after finishing your work."

It was the Spring Festival holiday, and the working hours for the remaining officials were not as strict. As long as their tasks were completed, they did not need to stay in the office all day.

Hearing that Qiu Huanian was awake, Du Yunse quickened his pace, walking through the passageway to the rear and entering the inner residence area.

Qiu Huanian had already changed his clothes and washed up. He had gone to bed early the previous night and slept soundly until now, feeling refreshed. He was currently helping the nannies dress Gu Gu and Yang Yang.

During the New Year, it was customary to wear festive colors. While adults had to be cautious not to be too extravagant, children had no such concerns. Gu Gu and Yang Yang were dressed in identical bright red brocade satin jackets, wearing colorful tiger-head hats. Their fair little faces with big blinking eyes made them look like two New Year painting dolls.

"Bring out the newly made little cloaks to try on."

Uncle Mumian brought two small cloaks made of bright red gauze with white fox fur lining. The cloaks were tiny and exquisitely crafted, with fine stitches and auspicious cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread.

Du Yunse had not seen these two cloaks before. "Are we taking the children out?"

"Yes, they're one-year-old babies now, so they can go out. The weather is nice today, let's go for a walk. Our family hasn't gone out together yet."

Qiu Huanian was full of enthusiasm, and Du Yunse naturally did not object. They had a quick bite of silver ear and lily porridge to fill their stomachs, arranged household matters, and then set out.

Neither Qiu Huanian nor Du Yunse liked to make a fuss, so they did not call for a grand procession or bring too many attendants. Each carried a little bundle wrapped in a small cloak, followed only by Bai Quan, Xing Mi, and Mumian.

Under Du Yunse's governance, the public security in Tianjin Prefecture was now even better than in the capital. During the day, there was no need to worry about safety.

The prefectural residence was located in the most bustling area of Tianjin Prefecture. After walking for less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the largest trade market.

As the Spring Festival approached, all the shops in the market were adorned with festive decorations. Street vendors dressed in red and green sold New Year-related trinkets, and the air was filled with a sense of peace and joy.

After the official opening of Tianjin Port, many foreign merchants from nearby regions with quick access to information flocked to the port. No matter how strict the port's review process was, it could not stop their desire to approach this mysterious Eastern empire and make a fortune.

In the market, there was a specially designated area for foreign merchants who had passed the review to do business. Previously, foreign merchants could only trade with officially licensed Chinese merchants, but now they could sell goods directly to the people of the Yu Dynasty.

Qiu Huanian named this area "Wan Guo Fang." At the entrance stood a stone stele inscribed with the words "Four Seas and Ten Thousand Nations" in Du Yunse's own handwriting, along with a beautifully composed poem on the back.

On the day Wan Guo Fang was officially opened, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian together unveiled the red silk draped over the stele. Looking at the freshly carved stone, Qiu Huanian suddenly smiled.

In response to Du Yunse's questioning gaze, Qiu Huanian explained, "It just occurred to me, hundreds of years from now, will this stele be preserved for people to visit and admire? Will your poem be recited and memorized by countless people?"

Perhaps a Wan Guo Fang Historical Site Park could be built, and your poem could be included in the list of one hundred classical essays that middle school students must memorize.

Du Yunse's thoughts were different from Qiu Huanian's musings. His gaze followed the stele upward, looking at the newly built shops behind it and the boundless blue sky above.

"My poem includes your name. If that day truly comes, countless people in the future will know of you and me, of our life together as a couple."

They will know of our achievements and our unwavering companionship and deep affection.

Making a mark in history is a grand topic, and Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian did not seek it deliberately. For them, the most important thing was to live well in the present, not wasting a single day.

The foreign merchants who came to China for business were all keenly perceptive. They captured the festive New Year atmosphere of this land and embraced local customs, dressing up in special attire to attract customers.

Although Qiu Huanian had received reports, he hadn’t seen it firsthand. After buying some paper cuttings, sugar figurines, peach wood charms along the street, he remembered this and took the family to Wan Guo Fang to join in the excitement.

At present, Wan Guo Fang only had merchants from five or six countries, with a total of a dozen shops, far from embodying the "Four Seas and Ten Thousand Nations." But Qiu Huanian believed that as long as they continued to work in the right direction, the land of China would eventually become the center of the Four Seas and Ten Thousand Nations.

For the people of Great Yu, who had little exposure to foreign things, Wan Guo Fang was a very fresh and interesting place. It had only been open for a few months, but its reputation had already spread far and wide.

As the New Year approached, people had more free time, and waves of visitors chose to come to Wan Guo Fang to expand their horizons and enjoy the excitement. Some even traveled from other provinces, filling Wan Guo Fang to the brim.

Du Yunse, worried that Qiu Huanian might get jostled, took both children into his arms, holding one in each arm, while instructing Xing Mi and the others to keep an eye on Qiu Huanian's safety.

The shops in Wan Guo Fang were uniformly built by the Yu Dynasty government. After purchasing them at high prices, foreign merchants renovated them according to their own national styles, creating a strange yet harmonious blend of Chinese and foreign elements.

Qiu Huanian saw windows made of woven leaves, rooftops crowned with golden moons, lintels adorned with huge ox horns, and walls painted in red and white... Each detail was different from what he was used to, drawing gasps of amazement from visitors.

The shops in Wan Guo Fang were specially permitted to bypass the Yu Dynasty's restrictions on building shapes and specifications. This was done to broaden the horizons of the local people and to demonstrate an open attitude.

Qiu Huanian and his family browsed shop after shop. The goods on offer were diverse, including precious spices, strange ointments, vibrant unknown furs, as well as Western clocks, enamel jewelry, oil paintings, and glass mirrors.

Unnoticed, the sun rose high in the sky, and Qiu Huanian began to feel a hint of hunger. Just then, he suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar yet long-unencountered rich aroma, and his eyes lit up instantly.