On August 22, 2007 BC, Emperor Zhu Youxiao died at the age of 23.

Zhu Youxiao's lifespan was shorter than that of his short-lived father, but fortunately, he was emperor for seven years, and his father was only two months. If we follow Chen's new standards, the apocalypse will not be too bad in this life. On August 24, his younger brother Zhu Youjian was elected to the throne, and the year of Chongzhen was set for next year.

After the death of the emperor, we spread the word. No one cried on TV. Anyway, it was his Zhu family. The common people could not choose the emperor. Life is as it always is. Everyone else was not in a hurry, but Chen Xin looked at the street corner outside the door every day, looking forward to the return of Song Wenxian and Dai Zhenggang, and almost became a watchstone at the door. Lu Donkey bought a house in the capital and returned to Tianjin on September 10. Some of Ms. Liu's clothing stores are not doing much in business. Although they were better than the other clothing stores, in his mind they were far from the three houses. So he went to the clothing store early every day and heard that he was working on a new product.

On September 30, Chen Xin looked at the door as usual. In the end, he waited for Song Wenxian and Dai Zhenggang, the two of them. Chen Xin jumped up excitedly and rushed over to greet them. Song Wenxian was very happy.

"Brother Chen, I'm glad I didn't lose face. All the documents of the Shandong department have been completed," Song Wenxian took out the grade paper in his bag as soon as he sat down. Chen Xin glanced at his package and took the document.

Song Wenxian sighed: "I also heard the news of the emperor's death on the way. I heard that Xizong's younger brother had just ascended the throne. He was 17 years old. ”

Chen Xin remembered Zhu Youjian. Since he became king, he has lived a comfortable life. The Tatars came from Liukou, the eunuchs came from Donglin, and the horse lanterns were used to replace more than 50 cabinet ministers. Still useless. Since he became emperor, he has been strict in frugality. Although the legend of mending clothes is too exaggerated, he really got into financial trouble for the next few years. Even the silverware in the palace has been kept in silver ingots all his life, and he is very diligent and not very happy. Finally, there were rumors of tens of thousands of silver coins. It was not a good thing for him to be the last emperor. In contrast, his carpenter brother, though short-lived, was also very comfortable.

But now is not the time to sympathize with him. The young emperor, determined to become the king of Yao Shun, is now full of ambitions. Judging from the calmness and calmness with which he gets along with Wei Zhongxian, he is also very accomplished in his thoughts and power. If there was no business in the world and he was a king of peace, most of these courtiers would not be able to fight him.

Chen Xin received the good book and said to Song Wenxian: "Mr. Song, you and Brother Dai have worked hard together, but I can give you a day off at most." I was in a hurry to go to the capital. ”

Song Wenxian said: "At this time, I'm afraid the capital is not in a hurry. One day, the emperor and a courtier, the situation in the capital is uncertain, so I will go. What should I do in the event of a disaster?"

Chen Xin smiled and said, "First of all, I set the fire. Since I'm a young man, I'll probably try my best to change the old system. If in a few days I don't accept the position anymore, I'll go there and complain. Since all departments are elderly, we have to deal with this matter first. ”

"Isn't that true of the newcomers?"

"It should be clear that Mr. Song has been in the shogunate for a long time. You also said that once the emperor and the courtiers knew that the official position was not long, they would do what they could as soon as possible. How much can they charge? If a new official comes, if they pay to stand up, they won't do it. ”

Song Wenxian suddenly said: "It turns out that Brother Chen is in a hurry. Brother Chen can see through this. I'll listen to you for my brother. ”

Dai Zhenggang was overjoyed: "Brother Chen will soon have thousands of households." ”

Chen Xin smiled: "Brother Shi also went to Weihai with me, of course I want you to have a future." ”

Song Wenxian said: "A generation of brothers is really born with supernatural powers. When someone pushes the scooter uphill, several people can't push it. He pushed it up alone. Since Brother Chen has joined the army, he should bring that generation of big brothers. He must be a general like Lu Bu and Zhang Fei. ”

Dai Zhenggang is very modest.

Chen Xin said with a smile: "Brother Dai is not only born with divine powers, but also has a good personality. Now he can write some words, so I don't want him to be a fierce general. ”

Song Wenxian was a little surprised to see Dai Zhenggang: "It turns out that a generation of brothers can write, which is really rare. ”

Dai Zhenggang's face was slightly red. Luckily, his face was darker. It is not easy to see that he has just learned two or three hundred words, and the words are still ugly

Chen Xin and Song Wenxian both laughed. After the clothing store business dwindled, Liu Min began teaching a few people to read words at night. Unexpectedly, Wang Daxi had the best academic performance and quickly recognized it. Abacus is now more sleek than Chen Xin, and has the potential to become a women's accounting office. When I studied every day, there were a few people who were very serious. Perhaps there are too few educational resources in this era. Many people can't even write their own names. When they draw a picture, there are many cross circles. Therefore, there are several people who cherish the opportunity to learn, and no one says that they don't want to study because they are tired. The only one is the Zhang meeting. He usually works as a grocery store owner and sells clothes in brothels. He only came back once in a few days. He learned much less. Now there is less business in brothels. Chen Xin wants him to come back.

Chen Xin smiled and said, "It's very well written. As long as we can recognize a calligrapher, we are not a calligrapher. ”

Dai Zhenggang didn't have any confidence in his words, so he quickly changed the topic: "Brother Chen, when I went back this time, some of my brothers who used to be trackers together wanted to follow the adults to Weihai. I thought it was a big deal, but I didn't dare to say yes. ”

Dai Zhenggang and his gang, who have been stalking, are the best soldiers Chen Xin thinks. Most of them have seen Lu Donkey and Dai Zheng just making money, and they still want to follow themselves when their eyes are red. Of course, people want to, but not everyone can. Chen Xin thought for a while and said, "You can come if you want, but if you come in batches, it must be difficult to leave like this." If you have family members, you may not be able to take care of them. The first group consisted of 30 people. As long as you are single, you must say beforehand that you may lose your life. If you are injured or killed, you will receive a pension of 30 taels of silver. ”

"I see. Brother Chen, I'll go to the dock and ask the fellow to take the letter back. It's up to them to decide whether they come or not. As soon as Dai Zheng finished speaking, he hurried to the dock.

Song Wenxian narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother Chen's pattern is not small. I'm afraid it's not just thousands of households. ”

Now there are only two people left. They are a raccoon dog. Chen Xin didn't care. He said lightly: "The East is rampant. It's time for this person to work. When will he be able to do it?"

Song Wenxian looked at Chen Xin, took the accounting office to the sea, and took a gun to hide people and kill people, but he gained prestige. He understands the world and may have a future in officialdom. But he had to be a guard, which puzzled Song Wenxian. At this time, he said that he wanted to make a name for himself with martial arts.

After thinking about it, Song Wenxian decided to persuade him: "Brother Chen, that sword girl is not very good at fighting. Since the old slave seven hated to form an army, I have hardly succeeded in the Ming Dynasty, and the general and deputy general have also died countless times. It's better not to walk in this muddy water. ”

"Last year was a victory for Ningyuan, and this year is a victory for Ningjin. There is still a lot to do in Liaodong. ”

Song Wenxian was afraid of the death of this partner and said, "Brother Chen knows why. How can the words of the court ornaments be taken seriously? The so-called victory of Ning Yuan only depends on the number of stages. Brother Chen should know what it is. Since ancient times, he has heard of beheading two hundred wins. Only the extinction is where thousands of soldiers and civilians live. Ten to eight, nine to ten Dunbao in western Liaoning. In the Battle of Ningjin, the Ling River and the Xiao Ling River were also demolished

Chen Xin added: "Huang Taijishun also helped the Guanning army harvest winter wheat. If you want to say that people are kind, come and help. ”

Song Wenxian smiled: "Of course, I have to eat, otherwise people won't care when they come back from North Korea to rest." I don't know who the winner is. Let's just say, it's time to laugh. The sword girl is a joke. Brother Chen, don't believe Di Bao's advice. ”

Chen Xin looked at Song Wenxian anxiously and couldn't help laughing.

"Ah, Brother Chen, you're still smiling. The imperial court paid Liao three million yuan a year. There were 112,000 troops stationed inside and outside the Guan, and 230,000 troops were garrisoned in Dongjiang Town. So many soldiers can't defeat Jiannu. It can be seen that the sword girl is fierce. If we want to be famous, we don't have to fight like warriors. ”

"I don't know what's wrong with my brother. Since Mr. Song used to be a scholar, why didn't he take the imperial examination to gain fame, but he wanted a martial artist like me to go to sea?"

Song Wenxian opened his mouth and said nothing. After half a voice, he looked at the door and whispered to Chen Xin, "Now I won't hide it from you anymore." You know, I'm a fake academic, but I can't pass the exam. I was really unlucky. ”

Chen Xinjian finally admitted that he was satisfied, and he was always suspicious. Song Wenxian is keen on power. If he had a reputation, he would never have been so willing to be an assistant. He used to say that he was a scholar, which was a lie, but he said that he had the power of a scholar, and Chen Xin believed it.

Song Wenxian exposed Chen Xin once, Chen Xin exposed him once, and the two were on an equal footing, proving once again that they were real birds with the same feather. Song Wenxian didn't feel embarrassed at all. He drank tea leisurely.

Chen Xin didn't laugh at him either. He closed his face and said, "Mr. Song, if I am a maritime merchant now, what is the difference between me and Zhao Haiming?"

Song Wenxian was slightly shocked: "Brother Chen, both civil and military......"

"Brother Song, you're welcome. There is no difference between me and Zhao Haiming now. Hardly. It's just that the green skin of the sea is fighting. They were all on board. As soon as they came ashore, they were thugs and they scattered. If we had gained a foothold in Weihai and people had come together, the pattern would have been very different. The same maritime trade, one ship, three or five boats, to Japan, to Jiangnan, we can earn more. Therefore, whether Mr. Song is a staff member or a well-known official, our mutual support is the best policy. ”

Chen Xin will not give Song Wenxian that share. Although he had more money, as an assistant, he couldn't take that much money with his energy. Usually, he can't give him a thousand taels of silver at a time, unless he robs the boat this time, but most of the time he can't, the biggest reason why Chen Xin cooperated with this person was Song Wenxian's familiarity with Dengzhou officialdom. Chen Xin's strength and share of maritime trade are also Song Wenxian's strong support for his position as governor of Yamen. Therefore, Chen Xin should make clear a strategic partnership with him at this time, so that he can seriously save himself.

The scheming Song Wenxian quickly understood this, but he still attached great importance to maritime profits in his heart. With this, his position in the governor's yamen was very stable. As for Chen Xin's solidarity, he didn't see it. Song Wenxian was also influenced by the Ming Dynasty's contempt for generals. A guardhouse has thousands of households, and now he can feed something.

Of course, Song Wenxian happily agreed. He also hopes that Chen Xin will expand the maritime trade. Maritime trade is not a canal. Going to sea is not always possible. Maritime merchants from Jiangnan and Fujian usually go to Japan twice a year, mostly in groups. In June and July, they follow the northerly monsoon to Japan. In August and September, they return along the southerly stream. After September, they went to Japan. It takes a long time. In addition, they usually have to wait until winter to come back, and before Zhao Haimingwei sometimes only ran once a year. If there is one more ship, the profit will be doubled.

But the ship was easy to find, and the sailors were not easy to find, and the sailors did not dare to use their hands. Fishermen have to nurture them slowly. Once the last bloody battle happened, the lost hands were not easy to replace. If there is a construction site, recruit some refugees, and the problem of hands can be solved.

Song Wenxian thought of this and asked Chen Xin: "Do Black Cannon and Scar want to follow you?"

"Scar came to me and said come with me. Currently, he rents a shop near the marina. He lived there with Zhu Guobin. Black Cannon is still helping Zhao Dong's family guard the grave. He said he would keep it for a year. ”

"Knives and black cannons are very popular. Many sailors listened to them. If you want to go to sea, you need to use them. ”

Chen Xin also agreed, thinking that there was another person on the boat: "Mr. Song, Han Bin is in Dengzhou on weekdays." This time, he lost motivation. Do you have any change when you come back?"

Song Wenxian snorted: "Han Bin is a narrow-minded person with a mean attitude. No one, except for some of his compatriots, wanted to listen to him. After returning to Dengzhou this time, he gambled in a brothel every day. His three thousand taels of silver didn't last long. ”

Chen Xin pondered for a while, and then said softly, "If the silver runs out, Mr. Song should pay more attention." He knows everything on board. When he has no money, he may have some brain problems. ”

Song Wenxian sneered: "I will let Wang Yong stare at him......"

In the North Canal, the river rolls from north to south, eight ropes swing on the river, eight trackers crawl, pulling a two-masted riverboat to walk on the shore, the temperature is already a little cold in late autumn, and they are still naked. "Zhenggang, Chuanzong, why don't they get dressed? This autumn cold is coming. When I stopped, how could I bear it?" Chen Xin looked at the figure on the shore at the bow of the boat and asked the two people next to him.

Dai Zhenggang and Lu Donkey are both from trackers. Naturally, they knew: "Brother Chen, if you wear clothes, you will be in tatters in two or three days." No one will wear clothes. When I started pulling the fibers, my shoulder was bruised and bleeding, so I found a rag to pad myself. Lu Donkey said that he pulled the cotton coat apart and had some scars on his shoulders.

There was a section of water in front of him that was a little fast. Eight trackers chanted their trumpets. Loud voices echoed in the river. Chen Xin looked at it and smiled. In such a difficult environment, life is still so tenacious.

"So the winter will be colder, and they won't be wearing clothes?"

Song Wenxian was also at the bow of the boat, touching his beard and saying, "The North Canal is frozen in winter, and there will be no Cao boats." ”

Lu Donkey also agreed: "Last winter we did help people transport goods by land in Tianjin. It only took a short time for the spring thaw to thaw, and Tang Guigong forced us to leave," and then he gritted his teeth and said, "If I had this knife, I would have cut him down." ”

Dai Zhenggang advised: "Don't cut all day. Although Tang Guigong is not a thing, he will not kill. ”

"Why not? He sent for my hand to cut off ......."

Lu Donkey quarreled loudly with Dai Zhenggang. After returning from the sea, he did not listen to Dai Zhenggang. Although he still respects Dai Zhenggang, he argues when he disagrees. Now only Chen Xin's words, he has never questioned it.

Chen Xin ignored the quarrel between the two and his eyes fell on both sides of the river. In late autumn, the north is desolate and the land is gray. Some farmers are scattered in their fields, busy planting winter wheat.

Chen Xin and his entourage set off from Tianjin five days ago and headed north on a passing grain boat. Today, they are going to Tongzhou. Chen Xin brought a large group of people, Dai Zhenggang, Zhu Guobin, Lu Donkey, Song Wenxian, Haigouzi, Zhang Huihui, plus Qin Lufang, who had already entered Beijing. There were eight people in total, and the team was slow to develop.

"Mr. Song, can we get to the capital today?"

"I'm afraid not today. I couldn't get to Zhangjiawan before dinner. It takes me 60 miles from Zhangjiawan to the capital. I won't be there today anyway. ”

"The North Canal leads to Tongzhou. ”

"Only grain trucks can continue to Tongzhou. Our passengers must get off the plane in Zhangjiawan. ”

Chen Xin nodded: "So we live in Zhangjiawan today." Tomorrow I will rent a few carriages and I will be there in 60 miles in one day. ”

Dai Zhenggang and Lu Donkey finished quarreling. He heard, "Brother Chen, we're walking." You and Mr. Song can take a carriage. ”

Chen Xin said with a smile: "It is a virtue to be thrifty on behalf of Brother Dai. But when you go out to do business, you should drive. This is important. ”

Lu Donkey also said: "Brother Chen is reasonable. In place of the elder brother. "Let's sit together. Dai Zhenggang agreed. Haigouzi and Zhang Cong have never been in a carriage. They were excited to hear that everyone was sitting in the carriage.

In the afternoon, the river in front of him gradually widened, the current slowed down, and the conductor's body did not have to be so low. Song Wenxian told Chen Xin that Zhangjiawan was coming. Although Chen Xin is from Tianjin, he is not familiar with Zhangjiawan. After the completion of the Beijing-Kowloon Railway at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the status of the Grand Canal gradually declined. When Chen Xin was born, Zhangjiawan Wharf had become a piece of farmland. Over the past few hundred years, the river course has undergone many changes. The course of Zhangjiawan has moved ten kilometers to the east. Even the descendants of Zhangjiawan only came to catch the blind.

Zhangjiawan soon appeared in front of us. At the confluence of the North Canal and Guoshui (a tributary of the Lugou River), the water flow is gentle and the river channel is very open, which is very conducive to the berthing of ships. During the Yuan Dynasty, the first fleet of water transport official Zhang Xuan anchored here and named it Zhangjiawan. It was an important commercial and passenger terminal on the canal of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing Tongzhou not far away, the conductor in front was also very happy. Chen Xin sang as he walked, and heard loud folk songs and slang in the distance. He listened carefully: "If you don't know your personal feelings, you should obey. If you don't know your personal feelings, you should be guessed by others. When you meet before you, you should treat each other with courtesy. When you meet twice on the narrow road (Note 1), several conductors burst out laughing.

Chen Xin was stunned when he heard it. After the reform and opening up, folk songs that taught people to pay attention to cheating were not sung in various places. This was a good thing in the Ming Dynasty, and even some trackers could sing it. "Very good!" Chen Xin patted the bow of the boat. All the trackers on the shore saw that one of them made a small bow.

Lu Donkey had heard that Chen Xin liked it, but he was unwilling to show weakness. He also smiled and sang: "Greedy flowers make a new turban and insert a flower." When she saw it, she grabbed it with her hand. She eats and touches her son's milk with flowers, and the greedy flower is the sister of the greedy white milk.

Zhang and Haigouzi heard a loud voice, especially Zhang who had been in the brothel for two or three months. Chen Xingang asked him to come back first, and then asked him about his learning experience. At this time, he was tickled and cried: "My sister was born with white breasts, and it doesn't matter if my lover touches her." Walking on the stone bridge, you can remember that the helicopter on the water was not damaged. His voice echoed in the river, and he was a little more rogue than a land donkey, which meant he didn't lose anything to touch the wet nurse.

"Great! good!" This time, Song Wenxian was the first to call him out. He looks like a bad scholar. After he became very rich, every time he went to Tianjin, he spent the night in the Qinglou. Zhang had seen him several times in the Qunfang Building. He is the most familiar Song Wenxian in Chen Xin's entourage.

Lu Donkey said loudly: "How many white breasts did you touch in the Qinglou?"

"Three, not one of them is silver. Zhang's face brightened, and he held up three fingers.

Chen Xin patted his head: "Touch it back." Don't talk about it when you go back. Brother Liu knows that it is necessary to scold you.

Several people giggled, and the trackers on the shore screamed. They started singing again. The owner of the ship in the cabin came out and cursed the trackers on the shore. They were so bloody that they had to pull the strings seriously and didn't dare to sing anymore.

"Look at what. Lu Donkey and the other owners returned to the cabin and spat in their mouths. In the past, he was scolded by the shipowner when he pulled the fiber. Of course, when he saw something similar, he was on the side of the tracker and several others were swept away. They're boring.

Chen Xin didn't want to do too much, and he didn't anger those trackers anymore. He asked Song Wenxian beside him

"Mr. Song, I have never been to Tongzhou. I don't know why I chose the Grand Canal as a starting point. ”

Song Wenxian said: "The four rivers of Tongzhou will flow, only 40 miles away from the capital, and there is also the Tonghui River directly to the capital, as the starting point of the North Canal. ”

"Then why don't you just transport the grain from the Tonghui River to the capital?"

Song Wenxian frowned and said, "It seems that the water volume of the Tonghui River is not large. We need to build locks layer by layer. Every time we got to the gate, we had to change boats. As a result, only the grain used in the Forbidden City was transported through the Tonghui River, while the rest of the grain needed to be transported by land. ”

Chen Xin suddenly said, "I understand. ”

Song Wenxian also said: "Zhangjiawan is here, and every year people get on and off from here from south to north, but the goods may not exceed Hexiwu, but the Zhangjiawan granary is far more than Hexiwu." ”

Between the two, the boat puller has arrived in Zhangjiawan. The town of Zhangjiawan is on the west bank, and Guoshui is also on the west side. The ships on both sides of the national water are connected to the ships on the west bank of the canal. There are many shops in the bank, and the pedestrians are like ants. In general, they are not much different from the banks of the Tianjin and Hexiwu Canals, but there are significantly more yards than the latter two places.

The North Canal runs from north to south, from Tongzhou to Tianjin, and there is no need for vagabonds. These ships all came from Tianjin. They usually walk from the east coast to the upper reaches of Zhangjiawan. They then turned upstream and then turned around and returned to port. But there were a couple of people on the grain boats. They don't go to Zhangjiawan. They had to disembark on the east coast and take a ferry to the west coast.

Chen Xin got off the boat and looked around. A low thatched hut on the east bank is similar to the one Dai Zhenggang used to live in. Outside the shack area, a group of children stared blankly at the dock. Most of them were ragged and even barebacked, skinny and had black stains on their faces. Occasionally, a woman walks out of a shack and seems to fall at any point in the future, similar to the African refugee camps that Chen Xin saw on television, which contrasts with the prosperity of the West Bank.

"Brother Chen, five or six thousand trackers in Tongzhou and Zhangjiawan live in such a place," Dai Zheng looked at the once familiar scene and said to Chen Xindao: "Within ten days, these ships will go south, and the trackers will have no income, and those close to home will have to go back." Those who are far away and have nowhere to go will simply stay here, and 80% of them will survive this winter. ”

Chen Xin asked with a little surprise: "Want to die so many people?"

"The canal won't be open until March next year," Lu said. Frozen for a few months there is no income. The government is afraid of their troubles. Porridge is distributed once a day in winter. Obviously, people are visible. Before women and children finish eating, they should give some to men. Otherwise, men won't be able to pull the fibers next year. The family will starve to death. A lot of people die every winter. ”

"Why are they going nowhere?"

Lu Donkey said: "The last time I was in Tongzhou, I met a few people, many of whom were refugees, either from Henan, Shandong, or from Liaodong. What else can I do if I don't? Some of them are working for the man's house, and it's painful anyway. ”

Chen Xin looked at the boat he was on just now. The driver of the boat continued to pull forward. Today, the shipowner has to rush to Tongzhou. The ship's navigator shouted the number neatly and walked with a bow step by step. A professional smile appeared on Chen Xin's face.

Song Wenxian looked at Chen Xinxiang and asked, "Is Brother Chen interested in these people? Among these people are many white lotus, fragrant flowers, and Luo Zuke. ”

Chen Xin nodded and said, "I'm interested, but it doesn't matter if I can't eat it." Whether there is a cult or not. If I had a thousand and a hundred, there would not be a white lotus. But if I only have a hundred and a thousand people, they will all become white lotuses. ”

Song Wenxian nodded and said, "That's the reason." ”

Chen Xin didn't say anything. In fact, the most important thing is that as long as he can eat and wear, he can't teach anything. As long as he enters the barracks, kicks the cult leader, implements closed management, brainwashes for a few months, plus food and clothing, and controls his family, most people will not think about it anymore. So don't eat too much at once. Watch as these trackers pull the fiber in the same step, shouting horns. They are the best source of war. If the imperial court uses its brains and does not let them die senselessly, it will gather them into an army and train them. They will definitely become a warrior.

"State guest, what do you think of these soldiers?" Chen Xin suddenly asked Zhu Guobin, who was silent behind him.

Zhu Guobin said, "According to Grandpa Qi's military skills, most of these people can be good soldiers." ”

Chen Xin pondered for a while, how much would he take with him when he arrived? Chen Xin looked at the children in ragged clothes outside the shed, how much money they could spend this winter.

"After the capital's business is done, you and I will recruit 50 people here. If I don't come, you'll be responsible. Qin Lu will help me. It's better to go to the kind of place where there is nowhere to go. One or two pieces of silver a month, look at the fields of Weihai. In the name of opening up wasteland. Chen Xin thought for a while and arranged this matter first. When Zhu Guobin saw that Chen Xin entrusted this matter to him, he meant that he was going to lead these 50 people. He never wanted to be a sailor. He always wanted to join the army to kill the Tatars. It's better to be an officer. He was excited and quickly agreed.

Song Wenxian heard something else. Dai Zhenggang and Lu Chuanzong are both trackers, but Chen Xin doesn't let them lead the way because they are trackers. They have a natural affinity with these people, but Yanggu also needs some people, who are Dai Zhenggang's fellow villagers. If they are all very close, it will be detrimental to Chen Xin's leadership, so Chen Xin hopes that Zhu Guobin will deal with it. "A hundred schools of thought contend, a hundred schools of thought contend. Song Wenxian muttered in his heart, but he looked at Chen Xin. It's better to balance now than to adjust after unbalanced.

Dai Zhenggang and Lu Donkey were at a loss. They are all manual laborers and are completely insensitive to these things. But Chen Xin did not defend them, but only out of instinct for the distribution of power.

Several people crossed the river by boat. When they reached the West Bank, they took a slight turn. There are only a few hundred cloth shops nearby. Cargo is piled up on the dock. After only one turn, seven or eight people came up to inquire. They were too tired to go out and play, so they found a hotel to stay in.

Last night, several people got up early, rented three donkey carts, and went to the capital. The fields on both sides of the road are still grayish-yellow, and no green can be seen. The road conditions on the official road are not bad, but the dust is heavier, and there are many cars, horses and pedestrians on the road. Haigouzi and Zhang Gong sat on the last donkey cart, laughing on the rickety cart.

Until the afternoon, there were more houses and shops on both sides. There is a market with a bridge. There are farms and villages in the fields not far away. More farmers are growing winter wheat in their fields. The pedestrians' clothes are getting better and better. There are a variety of colors. Even the bright yellow color used by the emperor has been seen many times. Some market towns are no less lively than Tianjin. The prosperity around the capital has greatly exceeded Chen Xin's expectations. But on the other hand, there are more beggars than in other places, and people who grow grass on the roadside and sell themselves are also seen from time to time.

Chen Xin's buttocks shook in pain on the donkey cart. The coachman pushed hard behind him. He was in a kind of independent car, with only two people. Moreover, they must sit opposite each other, or they will roll over. Chen Xin carefully adjusted his sitting posture and said to Song Wenxian opposite: "Mr. Song, the surroundings of the capital are too busy. What should a scene be like in a city?"

Song Wenxian was not surprised: "The capital built an outer city in Jiajing, and now I'm afraid there are less than a million people, but there are not many things to see in the city, which is similar."

In this way, the houses on the side of the road are endless. When the carriage stopped, Chen Xin was already trembling and dizzy. Cars in this era are not easy to drive. After getting out of the car and stretching his hands and feet, he looked up and saw the tall Guangqu Gate in front of him.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty was divided into an outer city, an inner city, an imperial city, and a Forbidden City. The city center was built by Zhu Di. On the basis of the original capital of the Yuan Dynasty, it moved a certain distance to the south, and rebuilt the Forbidden City, the inner city as the imperial city, and the imperial city as the Forbidden City. The structure of the Third Ring Road is similar to that of the Third Ring Road. After the renovation of the civil defense fort, it was found that the people outside the city were not protected. During the Jiajing period, the city expanded. The original plan was to pack another Fourth Ring Road, like the later Beijing pancake stands. Due to the lack of financial resources, the outer city was only built in the south of the capital, turned into the east and west corner buildings, the building is 28 miles long, there are 7 gates, and the Guangqu Gate is the east gate of the outer city.

There is also an urn city in Guangqumen. The doorway is on the north side. If the enemy wants to enter the city, he must first go north. There is a gatehouse on the doorway, and there is a golden gate. If the enemy attacks, he can quickly lower the Qianjin Gate and prevent the enemy from entering the city. There is an arrow tower on the wall outside the urn city. There are four rows of cannon holes, which can shoot through the enemy in the moat. The urn city, the arrow tower, and the gatehouse make the city gate a solid defense point, and there is a 30-meter-wide moat outside the city, which is the strongest and most complete defense system of this era.

The officers and men of the Beijing battalion near the tower were neatly dressed, and there were cannons in front of the city gates. However, there are more beggars and sellers near the gate. Among them were some housekeepers and wealthy gentlemen.

Chen Xin looked at the person who sold himself. There are men and women, big and small. They are all very thin. They are waiting to be picked. Chen Xin shook his head and stretched. Later, Dai Zhenggang, Zhu Guobin and others got out of the car. The deer donkey was pale. Only Zhu Guobin looked calm. Chen Xin patted Zhang's shoulder and asked him, "Are you still clamoring to drive?"

Zhang Guoguo vomited twice, but he couldn't speak. Hearing this, he immediately shook his hand, and Chen Xinhe smiled. Now the carriage does not have any shock absorbers. Zhang Guoguo does not often take boats like Zhu Guobin. Of course, he wanted to vomit. Fur seals too. But he still had a smirk on his face, and it shouldn't be too painful.

Chen Xin paid for the driver and sent him away. Lu Donkey rested for a while, came to Chen Xin's side and said, "Brother Chen, let's go to Chongwen Gate to buy that yard." It's near Guangqu Gate. ”

Chen Xin nodded. He sent Qin Lufang here to guard more than a month ago. After Zhang's meeting, they regained a little of their spirits. A few people walked across the stone bridge over the moat, walked into the Guangqu Gate Urn City, and walked out of the door hole of the Urn City. The wide streets of Guangqumen appeared before their eyes. The bustling crowds show the prosperity of the capital.

Song Wenxian obviously came to the capital. He said to Chen Xindao: "Brother Chen, the streets in other places are straight. Only the outer city of the capital at the feet of the emperor has streets first and then city walls, so most of them are meandering. ”

Chen Xin joked: "Mr. Song must have been to the capital many times. Do you still want to fight in a brothel this time?"

Song Wenxian smiled and whispered: "Most of the brothels in the capital are in the Xijiang River of Chongwenmen and Xuanwumen. If all goes well, I will return to my hometown. ”

Chen Xin was amused by his words. At this time, Lu Donkey walked into Chen Xin's ear and said, "Brother Chen, our courtyard is on Chongwenmenwai Street, and we are going to the west of the inland moat." There are only four rooms, though. Many of them do not survive. ”

Chen Xin said: "It's okay. You stay with Trench and Zhang Cong. Everyone else stayed in the hostel. ”

Lu Donkey was stunned: "Then buy a house." ”

Chen Xin smiled and said, "This is used to escape, but not necessarily." Let's talk about it. Don't tell people the address. ”

"No, as you commanded, no one told me. ”

"Well done. When I arrived at the inn, I went to find Qin Lufang first and asked him to come and see me. ”

"Okay, I see. Lu Donkey replied in a low voice and retreated.

Song Wenxian looked at the mystery of the two gods and said, "Brother Chen, where is the best place to go?" ”

Chen Xin shook his head and said, "My brother has never been to the capital before. How can there be a good place? I take them to the capital. I'm going to leave one or two people to build a shop here. Of course, I will arrange it. If Brother Song is in a hurry, he can also bring a letter for them to deal with. If they come, they will settle down in their own accommodation. ”

Song Wenxian said curiously: "It's much more convenient." Brother Chen's dress in Tianjin is quite eye-catching. I don't know what business he plans to do when he opens a shop in the capital. ”

Chen Xinhe smiled, "I haven't thought about it yet." ”

After a few people booked a room at the inn, Chen Xin left Song Wenxian and took Lu Chuanzong, Haigouzi, and Zhang Huiguan to Qin Lufangmai Courtyard. "Brother Chen, what you ordered, the courtyard is in the east square, and there are alleys on both sides. "There are several side roads and alleys in the alley that lead to the main street. Qin Lufang whispered in Chen Xinzhu's inn room that outside Zhengdong Square was Chongwenmenwai Street, where there were many people and there were many restaurants and teahouses, so it was easy to ask for information. ”

Chen Xin praised: "This place is easy to find. Brother Qin may stay in the capital for a few days. If it goes well, you can find a store and I'll send someone to replace you. ”

"So, Brother Chen, what should I do now?"

"Where does Choi Sung-so live?"

Qin Lu said: "In Mingyu Square in Xicheng, directly in the military headquarters, Zhengyangmen Qipan Street. You also called Wen Tieren, he asked last time. There are no such officials in the capital. ”

Chen Xin frowned, is the Wen Tiren still at the grassroots level? Isn't it Mao Wenlong who bribed him. If he is not an official in the capital, how strong is the bribe. "Then leave him alone. ”

Lu Donkey stood next to him and said, "Brother Chen, are we going to kill Cui Chengxiu?" Haigouzi listened, as if killing was nothing, and Zhang's expression was very excited.

Chen Xin was silent for a while, then shook his head with a smile. "No, it's the Minister of War. Don't say we can't kill him. Even if we could, what could we do to kill him? It would help the new emperor, but the emperor would definitely kill us so that he could explain to the nine-thousand-year-old man. ”

"Nine thousand years old......" Qin Lufang's forehead was a little sweaty. He never thought that what he did would have something to do with being 9,000 years old. After listening to Chen Xin's words, he seemed to know what even the emperor had done.

The four people here all listened to Chen Xinyan. Although Zhu Guobin and Dai Zhenggang have the best kung fu, they haven't listened to Chen Xin yet. Song Wenxian was just a partnership, and Chen Xin didn't call to get involved.

"Legal Square, has there been any imperial history impeaching Cui Chengxiu or Wei Zhongxian in the past few days?"

Qin Lufang frowned and thought about it, and replied, "I didn't hear the news. ”

Son of the dog, tomorrow you and the congregation will go out to inquire about this news, and see who impeached them, and find his address

Lu Donkey licked his tongue: "Brother Chen, are we going to kill the emperor?"

Chen Xin rolled his eyes and said, "Whoever asks for his address will kill him." ”

"So, what about us?"

"Pretend to kill him!"