When the blazing sun slanted westward, a luxurious carriage rolled through the Summer Snow Gate of Xuanzhu County. The City Guards, busy checking permits, glanced at the thornblossom banner with its silver trim and red background on the carriage, and immediately called for commoners to make way, while those queueing crowded to the sides, letting the four-horse carriage enter the inner city with ease.
Crests were a common accessory symbolizing status in the Dongyang district. Across Xuanzhu County, there were hundreds of various trade associations, all in need of conspicuous signs to proclaim their identity. Some simply used their surnames, some tried to be cultured with famous paintings, and animal or plant motifs were always a hit.
