Diqin Designer

Chapter 452 Opening of the Games of Nations

With the arrival of dignitaries from other countries, including Touman, and the approaching opening of the Games and Exposition, the number of people in Xianyang surged again.

The influx of people has indeed boosted Xianyang's economy, leading to a significant increase in daily tax revenue. However, it has also brought pressure to Xianyang in various ways.

Xianyang already had a large population, and now so many more people have poured in. Leaving aside the issues of food, clothing, housing, and transportation for these people, maintaining public order is a major problem. Fortunately, the people of Xianyang are helping to maintain order; otherwise, the Qin Dynasty would have had to spend even more manpower and resources.

On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, Xianyang woke up very early. Before dawn, the streets were already full of people. Although not everyone had bought tickets to watch the opening ceremony, it did not dampen their excitement and joy. Even though they could not go in person, they could still hear the latest news as soon as they woke up.

At the west gate of the Xuan Niao Sports Field, a large crowd had already gathered. Most of these people had not arrived after waking up, but had stayed up all night, squatting here since yesterday. Fortunately, there were public toilets near the sports field, otherwise these people who had stayed up all night would not even have a place to use the restroom.

Here you can hear vendors calling out and talking: "Selling chickens, selling chickens, freshly cooked chickens!" "Selling steamed buns, selling steamed buns, delicious and cheap steamed buns!" "Buy steamed buns here and get hot water for free!"...

"Esteemed guests, you must be hungry after waiting all night. How about some chicken and a steamed bun?" "You need to eat to have the energy to wait, right?" "Esteemed guests, are you from out of town? Our Qin Prince Li Nian once said, 'You need to eat to have the energy to work.' If you're hungry, you need to eat!" "Esteemed guests, please be patient and line up in order!"...

Some savvy vendors are selling breakfast here, carrying loads on their shoulders or pushing carts. These vendors almost all carry coal stoves and honeycomb briquettes so that they can cook food on the spot.

This is precisely the change that Li Nian brought to Da Qin, which, although seemingly insignificant, has impacted people's lives.

Because so many people have stayed up all night here, there are long queues in front of every vendor's stall. Even some people who brought their own food couldn't resist queuing up to buy it. How can the food they brought be as delicious as freshly cooked chicken and freshly baked pancakes? Besides, hot water is also included!
Not only were there people who had been waiting here since yesterday, but there were also people constantly coming here. Some of these people hadn't eaten breakfast, but they couldn't resist buying after hearing the vendors' calls, making the vendors here very busy today.

The vendors are very particular; the hot water they give to their customers is served in disposable cups made of leaves, mostly lotus leaves.

Thus, in the open space outside the sports field, one can see many people eating chicken or steamed buns while drinking water from cups made of leaves. There are Qin people and Hu people from other lands.

The vendors selling here today must be making a lot of money, but the Qin Dynasty is making even more money. The court has also opened shops and restaurants here, but because there are so many people buying, the long queues have diverted some customers to these vendors.

The vendors selling breakfast were busy when suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd. A group of Qin soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, were approaching from a distance. Qin soldiers were stationed and patrolled around the sports field, and they had been waiting there since last night. They were familiar with most of them, but this group of Qin soldiers was different; they had never seen a group of them before.

As the Qin soldiers approached, everyone saw that they were escorting a convoy of carriages and a group of people. The carriages were presumably carrying equipment to be used in the upcoming games.

The group ignored them, opened the door in the sports field marked "Special Personnel Entrance," and entered the sports field. More and more people arrived one after another and entered through the same entrance.

Even though they knew these people were going in first to set up the stadium, seeing them enter made the waiting crowd want to go in immediately as well.

Unfortunately, their wait lasted for more than an hour before another group of Qin soldiers arrived, escorting dozens of Qin officials. The leading Qin official was carrying a bronze gong.

Escorted by Qin soldiers, the Qin official walked up to a small platform. He didn't even need to strike the gong in his hand; all eyes were on him. But he still struck it once, and the sound of the gong echoed outside the west gate.

At almost the same time, the same gong sounded from several other directions, indicating that the same thing was happening at the entrances of other sports fields.

Many people still in line couldn't care less about buying food at this moment and crowded towards the platform, hoping to hear the latest news as soon as possible.

The Qin official glanced at the crowd below the stage and said with a smile, "Whether you are fellow countrymen of Qin or guests from foreign lands, welcome to Xianyang. The first Qin Inter-nation Games are now open."

"I know you are all eager to get in, some of you may have been waiting here since yesterday, but there are some things I need to say to you, even though you should already know them."

"Tickets will be checked and a body search will be conducted upon entry. Weapons such as knives, swords, bows, crossbows, and spears are prohibited. Anyone found carrying weapons will be severely punished. If you find anyone carrying weapons, you can report it and you will be rewarded... Entry will only be permitted after verification!"

This era lacked the security screening equipment of later generations. The only methods of prevention were body searches and severe penalties to deter such incidents. These severe penalties were truly severe; anyone caught violating the law would be executed, regardless of their nationality.

"After entering, you must take your seat according to the order specified on your ticket. You may not sit in someone else's seat, nor may you allow someone else to sit in your seat. You may not move around freely after entering..."

The Qin official explained the rules to everyone one by one: "These are the rules for entering and for following after entering. I hope that everyone entering will abide by them. Shortly afterward, we will open the gates to allow everyone to enter. Those with tickets may now queue up, but please note that this is the West Gate. Only those whose tickets have the words 'West Gate' on them may enter from here."

Upon hearing that the gates would open and tickets would be checked shortly, the crowd stirred, with those holding tickets rushing to the waiting area. Although the entry rules were strict, this did not dampen their excitement and joy.

A mere body search, simply following the rules, is nothing compared to what they are about to witness.

The opening ceremony was attended by His Majesty the Qin Emperor, kings of various states, and tribal leaders. This might be the only opportunity in their lives for them to see these important figures. If they missed it, they didn't know when they would have another chance.

It's already difficult to see important figures, let alone so many appearing together. As a result, tickets for the opening ceremony were in high demand but unavailable in Xianyang, and even wealthy merchants who were willing to pay exorbitant prices couldn't get a single one.

After the Qin official finished speaking, he stepped down from the high platform and, escorted by Qin soldiers, arrived at the west gate of the games with the other Qin officials. Looking at the still closed gate, the Qin official felt a sense of proud mission: this was the games of the various states held by the Great Qin, and he would personally open this gate to the games!

Inserting the key, they joined forces with other Qin officials to open the gate. The moment the gate opened, the place was utterly silent; everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the door. But as soon as the door was pushed open, the silence was shattered, and the crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer. With the gate open, entry verification quickly began, and those who had purchased tickets started entering the stadium, where they saw the interior.

The Xuan Niao Stadium was not newly built. It was originally the main stadium for the Xianyang Cuju League, jointly built by Xianyang merchants and the imperial court. Now it has been requisitioned by the Qin Dynasty and expanded to serve as the main venue for this Games of All Nations.

Due to the requisition of the venue and the fact that many Cuju players had been selected for the Qin national team to represent Qin in the Games of Nations, the Xianyang Cuju League was temporarily suspended during this period.

Some people had visited the Xuan Niao Stadium before, but today they found that many things had changed. First, the stadium was much larger and could accommodate more athletes and spectators. Second, there were Qin Dynasty elements everywhere in the stadium.

The people entering weren't just those who came in through the west gate; there were also people coming in from other entrances, quickly filling the entire stadium's stands.

Looking at such a large crowd, many of those present felt a fire burning in their hearts, especially the Qin people. So many people had come to watch this sports meet, including many from foreign lands and ethnic groups. This was a testament to the prosperity and strength of the Great Qin. To be born in this country and to be its people was a source of pride and honor!

People from other states were deeply impressed and envious. Only a powerful state like Qin could afford to host such a grand event. Their states were far inferior to Qin, and some even thought, "How wonderful it would be if I were a Qin person."

The staff who had entered the stadium earlier were still working tirelessly, clearly trying to get everything done as quickly as possible before the opening ceremony. His Majesty the Emperor Qin and dignitaries from various countries would be attending the games, so they were trying their best to avoid any mistakes.

After waiting for a while after entering the venue, someone suddenly saw a Qin soldier standing on the observation platform wave his flag a few times, seemingly conveying a message, but no one knew what the message was.

Just as some were speculating, a voice rang out in the hall: "His Majesty has arrived! Please all rise!"

It wasn't just one voice; people in every audience seat were conveying the message, some even using languages ​​like the Xiongnu and Baiyue.

Upon hearing this news, everyone in the audience stood up, whether they were Qin people or foreigners: their emperor (the emperor of Qin) was about to arrive!

Everyone looked respectful and solemn. The eyes of many Qin people were filled with excitement and fervor. They were finally going to see His Majesty, and not only His Majesty, but also Crown Prince Fusu, Prince Li Nian, and all the officials of the court, as well as the Xiongnu Chanyu, the kings of Baiyue, and the ruler of Wusun...

Although the foreigners who bought tickets were not fanatical, they were equally excited. Many of them had traveled thousands of miles to Xianyang just to see the Emperor of Qin, and their wish was about to be fulfilled.

In their legends, the Qin emperor was considered a living god, the king of kings, the head of all nations and tribes, and the most powerful and wise king in the world...

In order to allow people from other countries to participate in and watch this International Games, Li Nian specially ordered that tickets be reserved for foreigners. If tickets were not reserved, the entire Games would be booked out by the people of Qin, which would not be in Qin's interest.

Tickets for people from other countries are different from those for ordinary citizens of Qin; only people from other countries can purchase them.

Everyone stared intently at the main entrance of the venue, waiting for the First Emperor to appear. No one uttered a sound; the vast stadium, which could accommodate so many people, was unusually quiet at this moment.

As everyone waited, the light and shadow at the main entrance of the venue changed, and two figures stepped in first. The entire stadium instantly became quieter, and everyone held their breath. The two figures were not the Emperor Qin, but two imperial guards.

Following the two guards, dozens more imperial guards entered. But when a Qin general stepped into the stadium, the atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak, because someone recognized that this Qin general was Meng Yi, one of the "Meng brothers" who often served by the Qin Emperor's side.

Meng Yi has already made his appearance; next up must be His Majesty the Qin Emperor!

As expected, a figure dressed in a black dragon robe from the Qin Dynasty stepped into the sports field through the main entrance after Meng Yi. The figure was tall and middle-aged, with a calm expression. The moment the man appeared, an invisible aura of majesty descended upon everyone's hearts.

Without anyone taking the lead, the many Qin people in the stadium stands made a unified gesture, bowing deeply to the figure and saying in unison, "The people of Great Qin pay their respects to His Majesty!"

The resounding cheers echoed across the stadium and beyond. Outside the stadium, those Qin people who couldn't enter without tickets heard the cheers and spontaneously knelt down towards the stadium, shouting in unison, "Citizens of Great Qin pay homage to His Majesty!"

Hearing these shouts, Li Nian, who was following behind Fusu with the other young masters, sighed inwardly. He did not like this kind of fanatical personality cult, because if the object of worship made a mistake, the consequences would be enormous.

However, the Qin Dynasty was a feudal dynasty, and the emperor was naturally an object of worship, even regarded as a god. Without changing this era, it would be difficult to solve the problem.

However, he cannot change or solve this problem yet. Instead, he wants to use it to restrain the First Emperor, because the First Emperor is an arrogant, ambitious, and extremely vain person. The Qin people's worship and praise of him will motivate him to do what Li Nian wants him to do.

He would believe that the Qin people's worship and praise of his great achievements would make him even more eager to receive more and greater worship and praise.

In the original history, the First Emperor did not do this. He believed that his achievements had reached their peak, that no one before or after him had ever made them, and he was content with his accomplishments and had no intention of making further progress.

But Li Nian's arrival made him aware of later history and that the Qin Dynasty would only last for two generations. He knew that there were even greater achievements for him to pursue, so he did not become the First Emperor who was described as "content, indulging in pleasure, pursuing immortality, engaging in large-scale construction projects, cruelly exploiting the people, wandering around, wasting his time, and utterly boring."

(End of this chapter)