In any sizable place, cliques inevitably form—'circles,' as they are colloquially known.
For instance, those from the east side of a city might look down on those from the west; city dwellers might look down on those from outside the walls. On a larger scale, the people of Qian State generally viewed the Yan people with disdain, as if looking at barbarians.
Beifeng Prefecture bordered the desert. Although conditions there had improved significantly with the rise of the Silk Road in recent years, it still paled in comparison to Yinlang County, often referred to as Yan State's 'Little Jiangnan.'
One reason was its proximity to Qian State, making it a center for commercial exchange. Another dated back a century, when the first Earl of North Border, after conquering three prefectures of Qian State, implemented a forced population migration. This policy ensured that Yinlang County, far from declining due to the war a hundred years prior, actually prospered and became greatly enriched.
