On the ninth day of October in the tenth year of Chongzhen, the Ministry of War issued an official document: Song Qianjin was promoted to commander for the merits of resettling displaced people, clearing wasteland in Tuntian, and exterminating horse thieves. On October 13, Song Youliang went north with the official document of the Ministry of War, Xu Erduo and Zhang Shi. When Song Youliang's master and servant arrived in Beijing, they were just in time for the lively scene of the Beijing Lamp Market.

Although there are liukou inside the Ming Dynasty and there are Donglu outside, it can be described as stormy, but for the needs of the emperor, nobles, dignitaries, rich people and the court, the annual Beijing lamp market has started again. The west starts from the outside of Dong'anmen, and the east ends at the east exit of the current Dengshikou Street, which is about two miles long, and several streets are all lamp markets. Every year starts on the 8th day of the first month and ends on the 16th, with a total of 10 days. It is a market during the day and a light at night. In the lamp market, merchants from all over the world gathered, including goods from the north and south of Beijing, various provinces, and foreign countries. In terms of age and scope, there are all kinds of antiques from three generations, sometimes fashionable brocades, silk la, embroidery, cloth, handicrafts, household utensils, as well as Western chiming bells and exotic toys. As soon as breakfast is over, the streets are crowded with people, both large and small, and when the time comes, they are crowded. Some people buy things, some watch the excitement, some watch the strange and eye-opening, and some are designed to see people. Sometimes people were trampled off their boots and shoes, sometimes they were stripped of their money, sometimes they were squeezed away from their companions or children, shouting and shouting, like a pot boiling. As the saying goes, the Lamp Market is the "opening of the nine cities", which means that many streets and alleys in the vicinity are lively during the Lamp Market.

Rao is Song Youliang from later generations, well-informed, and can't help but be shocked by the prosperity of Beijing. At this time, Beijing was the most prosperous place in the world, with a population of more than one million, and even in the middle of the 17th century, France had a population of 400,000, surpassing Paris (350,000) to become the largest city in Europe. However, compared with Beijing, these cities are obviously one in the sky and one underground. "The market is unbridled and traded, all the goods from all directions, running and shooting, all the people of the five directions, the world's corporal and migrant workers, each to the grass, gathered in Si, shoulder rubbing hub, the hustle and bustle......"

At night, the shop is closed, and the lights and fireworks are set off all night. Along the long street of east and west centered on Dengshikou Street, both sides are full of color buildings, the north and south are facing each other, the Zhumen embroiders the household, and the painting is carved and the beams are carved. Most of the curtains upstairs are the Xun family, noble relatives, eunuchs and gentry dependents, and the rental price of each colorful building will cost hundreds of dollars a night. In terms of the material of the lamp, there are those that burn beads, those that are filled with ink wire, those that are painted and piled with ink, those that are five-color yarn, those that are bright, those that are bright, those that are paper, those that are made of wheat oranges, and those that are grassy. In terms of form, there are flowers, birds, beasts, insects, fish, and marquees...... Intriguing. As for the fireworks, they are also full of variety and amazing. All kinds of bands, all kinds of juggling, playing all night. In addition, here and there, there is a team of boys in colorful clothes and drumming, from late to dawn, called Taiping Drum, all night long men and women crowded, crowds of people.

Although this year's lanterns and fireworks are not as lively as in previous years, they are not far behind, but there are fewer lights from the countryside coming into the city. The 14th day of the first lunar month is the second day when the light market enters the **. On this morning, there was a good-looking young man, wearing a half-worn round-necked sheepskin robe, with a bit of youthful vigor between his eyebrows, accompanied by two servants, from Xicheng to Dongcheng, and got off the donkey at the corner of East Chang'an Street to Wangfujing, opened his foot, and walked slowly to the lamp market. As he walked, he whispered with emotion: "This kind of scene is really the feeling of a businesswoman who doesn't know the hatred of the country, and she still sings ** flowers across the river~~"

"When the Qing army enters the customs next year, what will be the scene in Beijing?" It was Song Youliang who spoke, he and Xu Erduo and Zhang Shi entered Beijing City to play, and the more people walked, the more crowded they became, and the more lively the business became, so that Song Youliang didn't know what to watch. Sometimes he wanted to stand in front of a shop and take a closer look, but while he was watching, he was pushed forward by the crowd, and he walked to a larger jewelry store, and out of curiosity, he went in and looked at it casually. The Cantonese boss of this shop is asking a eunuch to look at a very large pearl, a few feet away, dazzling. Song Youliang knew that this was the "pearl of the inch" mentioned in the ancient books, he didn't dare to approach, and he didn't dare to ask, so he only heard the eunuch say: "Three thousand taels can't be less?" ”

The merchant replied with great respect, "No less, father-in-law." The chief steward of the Tianhuang Emperor's mansion has already come to see and asked the little one to leave this bead for him. It's only when my father-in-law likes it that I dare to sell it to my father-in-law, and in previous years, a treasure like this could be sold for at least four or five thousand taels of silver. This year's business is a little worse, and my father-in-law wants to sell it to my father-in-law for 3,000 taels, and pay a few hundred taels of silver to be a small little filial piety, and I will rely on my father-in-law to take care of it in the future. The merchant then approached half a step, grinned and whispered, "In the future, as long as my father-in-law loves and takes care of the little ones, I will have everything." ”

The eunuch examined the beads again and said, "All right, I'll stay." Actually, I'm not going to use it either. I think this bead is not bad, and it is very good to give it to our sect master and insert it in his hat. "The master of the sect is the honorific title of the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty to the eunuch of the master of ceremonies.

The first time Song Youliang saw that he bought a bead with three thousand taels of silver, he was so shocked that he opened his mouth and glared, and couldn't help shaking his head. Seeing the eunuch glancing at him, he quickly turned around and exited the jewelry store. When he returned to the crowd and continued to crowd forward, he couldn't help but murmur to him: "How many families can be saved in the countryside with three thousand taels of silver!" ”

Subsequently, Song Youliang went to the Ministry of War to hand over the official documents, first of all, he paid tribute to the few taels of silver that guarded the door, and finally met the adults in the Ministry of War. Then the adults of the military department asked for some filial piety, and then they investigated the yellow book of military positions, and the name of the book of the palm seal of the Du Siwei was guaranteed. After completing some formalities, he gave a thank you gift to the old men of the military department, spent more than 200 taels of silver, and finally successfully succeeded in hereditary Haiyang Thousand Households

Back in Haiyang, a group of people were already waiting for Song Youliang at the door

"Is it going well?" Song Qianjin asked eagerly

"Fortunately, according to the set that my father taught me~~ it was done quickly~~"

"It's good to get it done~~" Song Qianjin finally smiled reassuringly

Song Youliang returned to the Qianhu Mansion surrounded by everyone, and changed into Xiong Zhenbuzi's military attache clothes, General Peiwude's unicorn bronze medal, and a sharp sword at his waist. Then he solemnly took over the Great Seal of the Thousand Households, and was in charge of the transfer, addition, selection and defense of the sergeants of the whole institute. The rest of the secretary affairs, in charge of tuntian, camp exercises, army inspection, patrol and other food, by the deputy thousand households Jiang Huairen, Xu Renbiao; calmed Zhang Guishan and Ma Youcai; Li Yugui, Liu Daqing, Xu Jie, Yu Dahai, Sun Youwei, Yang Gongqing, Ju Ping, Chang Fa, Zhao Zhitian, Wang Youfu, Zuo Anming, Fu Dashan, Xiaoqi, Lu Shuigen, Chen Atu, Bao Tugen, Xie Ada, etc.

Everyone stepped forward one by one to salute Song Youliang, and after a brief ceremony, Song Youliang didn't have time to listen to everyone's compliments, and immediately ordered: Gather troops in the school field~~

Knock knock~~~

The small school yard of Hai Duong Institute sounded the sound of military drums that had not been beaten for a long time, and the 500 sergeants to which Hai Duong belonged rushed out of their homes and rushed to the school yard from each of them. Song Youliang pressed the knife on his waist and stood on the small wooden platform with a clattering sound, and after the drum beat lasted for half an hour, there were still late sergeants

Song Youliang looked at the soldiers below, most of them were disheveled and sleepy-eyed. Song Youliang waved the command flag in his hand, "Change Formation ~ Long Snake Formation ~" Song Youliang's loud voice echoed in the school field

The sergeants in the audience stood there blankly, you look at me, I look at you, at a loss

"Change Formation ~ One Word Long Snake Formation ~~" Song Youliang shouted again, and he would move the command flag again

The sergeants in the audience were still at a loss

"Childe~~" Zhenfu Ma Youcai cautiously stepped forward to talk, "Childe, the sergeant in the fort will not practice ~~ long ago~~ long ago~~~"