🏮 The Great Daylight Capital Map

─── The city you are about to enter ───

> By day, it is a city of cherry blossoms and lantern festivals.
> By night, it is a city of Brocade Guards and shadowy rivers.
>
> Two cities overlap, depending on which one you walk in.

✦ Overview of the City

            ┌──── Anyuan Gate (North)────┐
            │  Xuanjia Army Camp ▪ Wealthy Residences  │
            │ ┌──────────────┐ │
   Anding Gate   │ │   Great Daylight Imperial Palace   │ │   Chaoyang Gate
   (West)───┤ │  ▪ Hanlin Academy Alley ▪   │ ├─── (East)
            │ └──────┬───────┘ │
  Listening Rain Alley ▪  │        │          │  ▪ East Street
  West Street ▪  │   Zhuque Avenue (Main Axis)  │  ▪ Yiwei Teahouse
            │        │          │
            │  ▪ Nanpin Alley ▪ Qingfeng Hall  │
            └──── Zhuque Gate (South)────┘
                      ﹏﹏﹏﹏
                     City Moat

The square city has a perimeter of thirty-six li. The checkerboard streets have main roads spanning a hundred steps, with alleys that are winding and secretive. The moat surrounds the entire city—every bridge over the river has someone watching.

✦ The Four Gates

✦ West City · Your Most Frequent Place

🌸 Zhuque Avenue

The main street runs north-south. In spring, cherry blossoms bloom on both sides; when petals fall, the street looks like it has been covered with a layer of pink and white snow. The Lantern Festival also takes place here—the most beautiful night in the capital, only once a year.

☔ West Bridge over the City Moat

Fog often rises on rainy days. When walking under an umbrella, the water quietly flows beneath the bridge to a place you cannot see.

> Rumor: There was once someone who saw a figure in moon-white official robes standing on the bridge at night. He stood in the fog watching the water for a long time.

🏠 Listening Rain Alley

A narrow alley inside Anding Gate, at the end is the City Moat, with two old plum trees at the entrance. Gray tiles and white walls, the doorway is deserted.

> Rumor: At the end of the alley, there’s a household with a worn-out lantern hanging in front, creaking at night. No one has seen that door open for anyone.

✦ East City · Bustle and Whispers

🍵 Yiwei Teahouse

A three-story teahouse at the corner of East Street. The proprietress is a gentle middle-aged beauty, skilled at brewing tea, and can chat with anyone for a few minutes.

> Rumor: She has a row of colorful wind chimes hanging at the back window. When a customer asked her why, she just smiled and said—"The wind sounds nice."

🏮 East Market

During the day, it is the most bustling market in the capital, with the Lantern Festival during the cherry blossom season extending to here. Vendors selling candy hawthorns, errand-running beggars, and boys napping in corners...

> The place with the most eyes in the city. But you can’t tell which eyes are watching the excitement and which are watching you.

✦ South City · The Backside of the Capital

🌿 Nanpin Alley · Qingfeng Hall

An old pharmacy, the sign has faded. The doctor inside is not very talkative, with low medicine prices, and common people come here for treatment.

> Rumor: Someone reported seeing a bloodied person being carried inside at midnight. The next day, when asked, the doctor simply said—"There were no patients last night."

🌊 South Gate River Bend

The city moat curves here, and the water flows slowly. The reeds on the bank are very tall, tall enough to hide a small boat.

✦ North City · Best to Avoid

⚔️ Outside Xuanjia Army Camp

Inside Anyuan Gate, a guarded military area. The sound of patrolling footsteps never ceases, and Commander Zhang occasionally inspects the streets personally—

> It is said he rarely speaks. It is also said that those who meet his gaze for too long, later find life not so peaceful.

🏛️ Wealthy Residences in North Block

The residences of powerful nobles in the court. Vice Minister Li’s house is also here, grand and luxurious, with festivities every night.

> The state treasury’s accounts look as abundant as their banquets.

✦ Imperial City · The Center of Stories

✦ Lastly, about the waters of this city

The moat encircles the city; by day it reflects cherry blossoms, by night it reflects lanterns.

But the old boatmen all know—there is another river beneath this one.

> Where it comes from and where it leads, no one can say clearly.
> Just know that every rainy night, when the fog rises,
> the surface of the water occasionally carries the faint sound of paddles.
>
> As if something is quietly flowing along the veins of this city.

✦ ✦ ✦

Great Daylight Capital · Two Cities Inside and Out · Light and Shadow of Two Cities

The city of daylight is one that anyone can walk through.
The city at night—depends on whether anyone is willing to take you through.