The carriage traveled for seven days before it came to a town outside the capital. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

Along the way, Xiaocui and Ah Niu also slowly became bored from the excitement at the beginning, and kept asking the coachman: "How long will it take to get to the capital?" Why haven't we arrived yet?"

Now that it's finally there, the two of them are starting to get excited again.

When I arrived here, there were obviously more carriages and horses on the road, including princes and ministers, merchants entering and leaving the capital, and those looking for relatives and friends in the capital. The two looked at the various luxuriously decorated carriages with envy, and Shen He reminded them: "We are about to arrive in the capital, this is no better than Yong'an City, you can't talk casually, let alone point at will, otherwise you may cause trouble."

Xiao Cui was frightened when she heard this: "Miss, are the people in the capital so terrible?" I don't even want to look at it, I don't even want to say it."

Shen He said: "The capital is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, maybe there are people around the Son of Heaven or princes and nobles, of course we must be cautious in what we say and do." But don't be afraid, both of you, as long as we are careful in what we say and don't provoke others, we will be fine."

Xiao Cui was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue, and no longer looked around like just now, Ah Niu saw her like this, and obediently sat in the car, and said to Xiao Cui: "Sister Cui, be obedient"

Xiao Cui ignored Ah Niu angrily when she heard this, Shen He secretly laughed, these two are really complementary together, Ah Niu doesn't like to talk, Xiao Cui's words are so much, and now Xiao Cui has finally stopped being talked about by Ah Niu.

Seeing that it was noon, the three men stopped the carriage and had lunch at a roadside restaurant, and after walking for less than two hours in the afternoon, they saw the walls of the capital city in the distance.

The walls of the capital city were rested when Taizu was there, and they were divided into three walls: the outer city, the inner city and the imperial city.

The circumference of the outer city of the capital is more than 40 miles, the moat is called the Hulong River, the willow trees are planted on both banks, the pink and white walls, the red gate tower, and pedestrians are forbidden to come and go.

There are three gates in the outer city: the south gate is called Nanxun Gate, the southeast gate is called Chenzhou Gate, and there is Caihe Water Gate next to it; The gate in the southwest is called the Dailou Gate, and each gate is guarded by soldiers.

Shen He and the others entered through the Caihe Water Gate on the south wall of the outer city, and then came to the inner city.

There are four gates on the city wall of the inner city, the southeast is the East Water Gate, which is the gate of the Bianhe River to the downstream of the city, the second gate is called the New Song Gate, and then the northeast water gate is called the Northeast Water Gate, and then the west is the Fengqiu Gate, which is the royal road for the Son of Heaven to travel to the northern suburbs, and the ordinary people are not allowed to walk around here at will.

The city wall of the new city is equipped with horse-faced war tents every hundred steps, and the city walls are densely placed with battlements, which are repaired every morning and evening, and they are neat and solemn when viewed from a distance. The guards at the gates were also much stricter than those in the outer cities.

The three of them entered the city from the East Water Gate in the inner city, only to see that the population was dense and the property was prosperous. As far as the eye can see, there are green buildings everywhere and embroidered bead curtains. Gorgeously carved cars compete to stop on the side of the street, and expensive and vigorous BMWs indulge in the royal street, inlaid with gold and stacked emeralds dazzling, and the sleeves of the roe are fragrant. The melody of the new song and the laughter of the beauties echo on the willow ** and the flower street and alley; The sound of the flute and the tune of the strings are played in the tea house and the banquet in the restaurant.

A few years later, when Xiaocui married another wife and had many children and grandchildren, she still remembered the scene at that time, which was like a dream, haunting her mind and making her never forget it for the rest of her life.

The capital street in the dream, the fragrance of flowers carries the road, and the sheng pipe is in the sky. The weeping willows in the Bianshui and the night bell of the ancient temple in the dream are full of flowers, and the fresh clothes and angry horses are everywhere. In the capital city in the dream, the young man wore a white cloth shirt, held a blue and white hand towel, and held a white porcelain jar, selling spicy dishes soaked in dogwood along the street; Dressed in colorful skirts, silver and jade hairpins, and holding dustpans, the girl sells private signature dishes to passing guests. And the amorous bearded girl leaned against the barrel, wearing a gorgeous veil, holding the wine of the Western Regions, and smiling at the young scholar. It is really a prosperous place, the country of Huaxu.

Now, looking at the scene in front of them, Xiao Cui and Ah Niu feel that their eyes are not enough. Looking around curiously, Xiaocui shouted excitedly while watching: "Miss, look there, there are so many beautiful flowers", Shen He said: "That's someone selling flower arrangements in a bottle" Xiaocui said: "This is also bought by someone"

After a while, he exclaimed: "Miss, look, there is a woman riding a horse there, why is she still wearing the same clothes as a man", Shen He said: "That's a polo attire"

Xiaocui asked, "What is polo?" ”

Shen He said: "It's a game for the rich, that's what the warriors like, and it's not very popular anymore."

After a while, he exclaimed: "Miss, look at how those people look different from us, their eyes are yellow, and the bridge of their noses is so high."

Shen He said: "That's someone from outside the fan, not from our Western Chu."

Looking at Shen He's strange expression, Xiao Cui admired her young lady again, "Miss, how come you know everything, nothing is strange?" ”

Shen He ignored her, and only told the two of them what he said outside the city gate: "You two must remember what I said just now, you two must not speak casually, you must be cautious in your words and deeds." ”

Xiaocui stuck out her tongue: "Miss, I forgot about it just now, it's just that this place is so beautiful and fun, will we really live here in the future?" I wake up laughing when I dream."

Shen He looked at her longing expression and said: "You only see the prosperous side of this capital, but behind the prosperity, there are those who are so poor that they can't eat, they don't have enough clothes, there are those who sell their children for silver, they are abducted, and there are many dark and unknown ugliness. ”

Shen He looked ahead, as if he was saying something to Xiao Cui, and seemed to be caught in a memory. After a pause, Shen He said again: "These prosperity are those high-ranking dignitaries and wealthy people, and it is not easy for us to live comfortably and worry-free here." But if you want, we'll be living here for three or five years."

Xiao Cui didn't seem to understand after hearing this, she didn't pay attention to why Shen He said it for three or five years, but asked: "Miss, is it really so terrible?" You're a scaremer, aren't you? I think it's pretty good here."

He looked at Shen He in surprise and asked, "Miss, haven't you really been here?" I don't think you're familiar with this place?"

Shen He teased Xiaocui and said, "I, I've really been here." ”

Xiao Cui's eyes widened in disbelief.

Shen He smiled again: "I came here in a dream."

Xiao Cui was so amused by Shen He that she had forgotten the nervousness just now, but in a blink of an eye, she was attracted by the novelty outside, and she couldn't talk to Shen He anymore.

When he arrived at an avenue in the capital, he saw some inns on the side of the road, Shen He paid the car money with the coachman, and then got off the car with Xiaocui and Ah Niu with their baggage and walked on foot.

Shen He first took the two of them to find an inn to settle in, and then began to look for a cheap courtyard.

After all, the price of the inn is high, the cheapest room for three people to live in, it will cost three taels of silver a night, if you rent a house and live, according to the experience of Shen He's previous life, find a cheap place, it will be dozens of taels of silver a year, if three people do some money-making business, it will not be a problem to live.

After settling the two in the inn, Shen He went out alone to find a place to live. She now walks on familiar and unfamiliar streets, watching pedestrians come and go, wondering how to find a cheap and suitable courtyard.

was walking, and unconsciously came to the rope craftsman alley on Caishikou Street outside Xuanwu Gate. This is the place where she used to be a maid in her previous life, and most of the people who rent in it are students from poor families or officials who have not yet bought a house.

But Shen He knew that the price of the house here was not cheap, and it cost at least forty or fifty taels of silver a year, so Shen He shook his head and left.

Shen He tried to search for the memories of her previous life, and she vaguely remembered that there was a street and alley called Zaozunzi Lane next to the water gate of the Cai River in the outer city, which was a gathering place for courtyards, and there seemed to be people renting houses outside.

Although the houses there are located in a remote area, because they were all built when Taizu was there, the layout is reasonable, the houses are solid, and the key is that the price is much cheaper than here.

Thinking of this, Shen He hired a carriage and went to Caihe Water Gate.

The carriage came to the moat of the water gate of the Cai River, and just got off the Jinliang Bridge, when suddenly a woman ran down the bridge in a hurry, and ran in the direction of the carriage, and the coachman could not dodge and knocked her to the ground. (To be continued.) )