The night was dark, and the wind fierce, yet the first floor of the tavern was bustling with activity. Traders from every corner of the land chatted boisterously, their conversations ablaze. The hottest topic in the Capital City these days was the battles—whether it was Beiman and Ningzhou, or Sannan and Jiangnan, the conflicts between the North and South had everyone's attention. Even the nobles and members of the royal family in the capital couldn't avoid the subject.
Inspections in the capital were extremely strict. The curfew had been in place for half a month already, forbidding commoners from wandering about at night. Patrols from the Capital Governor's office combed the streets, and anyone found suspicious was captured without hesitation—sent to the government office to be detained for a day before further investigation. As a result, at night, people only gathered within designated wards and avoided aimlessly roaming the streets.
