Village road, which means the road between villages. The country road is naturally township and township. Prefectural roads are prefectural to prefectural. Provincial highways are provincial capitals and provincial capitals. And the royal road is naturally the royal road leading to the imperial capital.

The imperial road is only allowed to be taken by the emperor's direct army, that is, the forbidden army, the so-called "Qin Wei gallops in the world, the east is poor Yan Qi, the South Pole Wu Chu, above the rivers and lakes, and the view of the coast is complete". The Imperial Highway led to every military point of the empire, from the snowy fields of Mongolia to the forests of Yunnan to the south, from the deserts of the Western Regions to the seas of Shandong. The speed of the forbidden army was extremely fast, from Chang'an to Lingnan or Liaodong, it only took a week - if you didn't take the imperial road, I am afraid it would take half a year. Thus, the imperial road greatly guaranteed the stability of the empire.

Generally speaking, there are very few counties with royal roads, but our Luobei County is located between Luoyang, Tokyo and Yanjing, Beijing, so there is an imperial road - it can be seen that my Luobei County still has a very high status, haha.

I thought we must take the provincial road, but the car turned around and drove into the royal road!

The royal road! Only the forbidden army can go!

Me: "The royal road is not...... Is it only forbidden for the forbidden army to go? ”

Dongfang Tian: "Haha, that's what I said, you let them arrest me, haha." ”

Dongfang Qiang: "The forbidden army is in Chang'an, how can you arrest us!" ”

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A few minutes later, the car arrived at a checkpoint.

Dozens of soldiers were guarding, some carrying broadswords, others with spears, and a row of sandbags and fences blocked in front of them. The men wore yellow uniforms, and the dragon pattern was very visible on their uniforms. They were the Ming Imperial Army—the "Imperial Army" for short—and this was the first time I had seen a regular Imperial Army.

Dongfang Tian parked the car in front of the railing, Dongfang Liang shook the glass, stretched out his head, and handed out a few small books.

The leader of the soldiers took it, looked at it, and handed it to the officer in the room. The officer had a pistol pinned to his waist, crossed Erlang's legs, and smoked a cigarette gun. He glanced at the notebook, trotted all the way over, and said flatteringly: "It turned out to be Lord Dongfang." I thought you were all back in Beijing. ”

Dongfang Liang: "I delayed for a while. ”

"The little one won't dare to delay the adults any longer." He took out a seal, stamped it on one of the notebooks, bowed his head and handed it to Dongfang Liang, and then shouted to the lazy soldier on the side: "Damn, let Dongfang Lord go." ”

Several soldiers struggled to lift the railing to the side, and the car drove onto the royal road.

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As I drove in, I was amazed: there are still such wide roads in the world!

The royal road is dozens of meters wide, with a row of low walls made of stone in the middle, high walls made of stone on both sides, and ditches several meters wide outside the high walls, and large trees hugging thick on the sides of the ditch. The black straight royal road stretches all the way to the horizon.

The car drove on the royal road, which was as quiet as stationary, and you can see the smoothness of the royal road.

It is said that when the city wall was built, when the construction was completed and the work was ready to be inspected, the foreman would use a knife to insert a knife into the gap in the wall, and if anyone could get in, the wall would be reworked, and the hard labor would be executed, and then the corpse would be pressed into the wall. This kind of imperial road is even more important, I don't know how many tears and blood of hard labor are soaked in every mile.

There are not many cars on the road, not as many as checkpoints.

The Oriental Monster shouted and said, "Let's go." As soon as he stepped on the accelerator, the car roared and trembled, and the woods on the side of the road quickly retreated.

Dongfang Tian said to Dongfang Qiang: "Xiaoqiang, don't you want to learn to drive, learn now." ”

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I'm really ashamed to say that at first I didn't feel respect for Dongfang Tian. No one can afford to look down on the sedan chair driver, right? No one would look down on grooms, would they? It seems that the driver is also a person of this level.

But obviously the driver is not the same person as the sedan driver and groom.

A car can be exchanged for a thousand horses, and those who can afford a car may not be able to afford to drive a car because gasoline is just too expensive. Gasoline can only be produced by the imperial palace in Chang'an, which is already expensive, and it is even more expensive to transport to other places - even money can't buy it. It is said that those large families in the south used horse-drawn cars to travel, and there were horsemen and drivers on board, and there were a large number of servants who opened the road next to them.

The person who can control such a valuable thing is obviously not a small role - it reminds me of the eunuchs in the palace who later held the pen, the eunuch with the palm seal, the eunuch with the sword, etc., these are all terrible characters who are above the hundred officials.

In particular, the driver not only drives an extremely expensive car, but also interferes with the safety and even secrets of the master, so the driver is the master's confidant, and his status is not under the chief staff.

If I were a driver, would I teach someone else the skills of housekeeping? Maybe it's for the sake of politeness or something, maybe it's pretending. But Dongfang Tian is very sincere. Not as sincere as it seems, but sincere from the heart.

The car stopped, and Dongfang Tian and Dongfang Qiang changed positions. He began to teach Xiaoqiang to learn to drive seriously, tirelessly, repeatedly advised, and practiced over and over again.

I said to Dongfang Tian next to me, "This is my first time in a car, and I've been thinking about it for a long time." ”

Dongfang Tian: "Hmm. ”

Me: "I love cars so much that I think cars are miracles – I even taught myself how cars are made." I guess if you understand how it works, you should be able to open it. ”

Dongfangtian: "Oh? You literati are really troublesome. I just went up and opened it blindly, regardless of whether it was based on principles or not. You ask me why it's so open, and I don't know why. I just know that this way it will open. ”

Xiaoqiang always turns off the car, the body keeps shaking, his feet are always stepping on blindly, and he doesn't understand the relationship between clutch, brake and accelerator at all.

Dongfang Tian repeatedly told him: "If you want to speed up, you must step on the right side first, then step on the left side, and then hold the stick in your hand and dial it to the middle and then go down." ”

His abbreviated statement made Xiao Qiang at a loss, only to see Xiao Qiang step on the accelerator and clutch with both feet at the same time, the car made a huge roar, and then he immediately let go of both feet, and shifted gears hard, and the car immediately made a loud noise and stalled.

Xiaoqiang blushed and said, "Alas, it's so difficult to open." I can't drive it. ”

Dongfangtian: "It's okay, it was the same when I was studying." ”

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I said, "It's much easier to know how it works." ”

Xiaoqiang: "What principle?" ”

I thought about it for a moment and said, "The one on the left is called the clutch, the one on the right is the brake and accelerator, and the stick in the middle is called the gear." The car is a spinning machine with its body. The principle of clutch is to turn the rotation of the machine into the rotation of the wheel through its connection, it has three modes, all pedaled is not connected, pedaled half is semi-connected, and not pedaled is fully connected. Stepping on the throttle is increasing the speed of the machine. Applying the brakes is putting the brakes on it. The gear is to change the speed ratio of the machine and the wheels. ”

I continued: "So, you have to press the clutch all the way down when you change gears, and you can't press the accelerator when you press the clutch all the time. When the machine starts, you should also press the clutch fully, and then press the clutch halfway to start the body and then release the clutch. ”

Dongfang Tian looked at me: "I've been driving for five years, and I don't know what the clutch gear is, but I know the brake and accelerator." ”

He continued: "But the approach you said was all right. You really can't drive? ”

Me: "Not only have I never opened it, I haven't even sat on it, I haven't even touched it." I grew up in a small village, and I have only seen cars once or twice in the county seat. ”

Him: "You learned to drive by reading a book?" ”

Me: "Why?" I haven't even touched a car. ”

Xiaoqiang: "He really hasn't seen a car." You see, he doesn't know anything. ”

Me: "But I'm definitely a fast learner." ”

Xiaoqiang in the mirror pouted: "You can do it." ”

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Xiaoqiang braked, the car stopped, and the engine turned off.

We changed positions.

I was holding the steering wheel, but my hands started to tremble. The feet are underneath and the legs are shaking.

I stepped on the clutch, ignited the fire, drove the car, slowly released the clutch, and the body began to move! There was a thrill in my heart, and then the car immediately trembled and stopped and turned off.

Xiaoqiang laughed.

I tried a few more times, and finally I was able to get started, but I was already sweating profusely.

The car started to drive slowly, and I thought about the book I had read a long time ago, and prepared to accelerate and shift gears.

The car is always on, and you have to do something at a certain point in time, so there's no time for you to figure out how to do it. My eyes looked at the clutch, at the brakes, at the accelerator, at the gear, at the road, and I was in a hurry, I didn't know what I was doing, and the car either trembled, stalled, or roared, and failed several times.

Xiaoqiang was already out of breath laughing.

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Dongfangtian: "That's good, just dare to open it." I used to ride a horse, and when I first learned to drive, I didn't even dare to touch it. ”

I started turning on and off the engine repeatedly, leaving either a row of brake marks on the road or a row of black exhaust fumes coming out of the butt.

Xiaoqiang: "It's a waste of gasoline and a waste of cars." ”

Dongfang Liang kept watching, and said at this time: "What are you afraid of, the Dongfang family lacks this little thing?" When I arrived in Chang'an, there were too many of these things to be used. ”

Dongfang Liang: "Open it casually, you can open it as you want, no one will say anything, just practice it." ”

I calmed down a bit, then I stopped nervous and breathed evenly.

At the beginning, I was always afraid of making mistakes and being embarrassed, but at this time I started to try and make mistakes. Only if you know how to make mistakes, you can not make mistakes. For example, what speed to change what gear does not tremble or not turn off, half-clutch position or something, and even the feeling of steering and reversing, these things can only rely on experience, and experience must be obtained by making mistakes.

I began to experiment at random, and there were more black marks on the ground and more black smoke in the air. Turn left and right, reverse and accelerate again.

During the test, I didn't notice two cars coming from behind.

The two cars braked sharply, and a head stuck out from the car in front of them, shouting at us, "Fools? What for? ”

Xiaoqiang shouted at them: "You are a fool!" What to say! Looking for death? ”

A few people came down from the two cars, and it seemed that they were ready to fight.

Dongfang Tian also got out of the car, rolled up his sleeves, and walked towards them.

I think I got into a fight!

At this time, when those people saw the small flag planted on our car, the leader was surprised and said, "Ah! The people of Liangzhou Oriental! ”

His face immediately changed from fierce to flattering smile, and he said, "The little one has eyes and doesn't know Mount Tai, and he is blocking the way of the Lord of the East." You're busy first, we're not in a hurry at all. Hey. ”

Dongfang Tian didn't make a move, but said: "Get out, even if you know each other, I wanted to knock you all down in a second." ”

The men immediately drove away in a gloomy manner.

Xiaoqiang: "Even the first clan in the Central Plains has to give us face, not to mention these cats and dogs." I don't even recognize their family crests, they seem to be just low-ranking scholars. ”

Dongfang Liang: "A strong dragon does not suppress the head snake. Let's not be afraid, but don't cause trouble either. ”

After this incident, I continued to practice, but my state of mind was already calm.

I'll be open soon, and although I'm unfamiliar with it and always pause, I'm pretty much right. I started steadily, then drove at a speed of several tens of kilometers per hour, then slowly stopped, and then continued to accelerate.

The world is speeding around me.

I still remember that feeling. Isn't the passion of speed, self-confidence, and the recognition of others the meaning of life?

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Xiaoqiang said in surprise: "It's really amazing!" I've been studying for a few months and haven't touched the doorway, but you can learn it at once! It's not learned, it's self-taught! That's amazing! ”

Me: "I just happen to know how it works." It's easy if you know how it works. People have to adapt to the car, not let the car adapt to people. ”

Then I taught Xiaoqiang to learn to drive, teaching by word and deed. I know why he can't learn, so let him learn. Although he was a slower learner than me, he was able to complete a set of start and stop in a short time.

Dongfang Qiang: "I see! I thought that the car just stepped on the accelerator and opened, stepped on the brake and stopped, and shifted the gear, but it was so complicated. ”

Me: "You must know the principle to learn to drive, not take it for granted, you can never stop when you step on the brakes, accelerate when you step on the accelerator, there can be no such car in the world." ”

Dongfangtian: "Not necessarily...... It is said that the emperor's car was like this...... However, it's just 'supposed', I haven't seen it. ”

Dongfang Liang: "You kid is strong, Dongfang Yongbai really didn't misunderstand you, and I didn't misunderstand you." ”

Me: "I just happen to know a little bit, and I'm far worse than you." I'm still very tender. ”

Dongfang Liang continued: "We are all brothers, and there is no difference between upper and lower. Why? Because we're family! I will just say that we help each other, and we are faithful to the Lord's house. We all share difficulties and blessings. ”

Everyone was very happy.

- It seems that I have a lot of hope for the future, and they are my three friends

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That's how we met.

Dongfang Tian is the kind of person who can't be separated from the pile of people, not tall, not short, not fat or thin, with a Chinese face, short hair, in his thirties, and a sense of vicissitudes.

We talk about our backgrounds.

Dongfang Tian is a native of the Western Regions, born in an oasis in the desert of the Western Regions. The Western Regions are still in Xiliang to the west, and in the eyes of the provinces of the Ming Dynasty, it is more barbaric than Xiliang. Their family raised camels for a living, and later in the war in the Western Regions, his parents died, so he entered the Dongfang family at the age of 20, and 10 years have passed since then. He is considered a military general of the Oriental family, and the military general does not need to be castrated.

Dongfang Liang brought Dongfang Yongbai from a young age. Dongfang Liang is a Wenchen, and his identity has always been a mystery. Dongfang Liang never said where he was from, he went to Dongfang's house at a very young age, and even followed the head of the family from Liangzhou, and is currently assisting the second son of the Dongfang family.

Xiaoqiang came to join the Shi last year, and he is also from the Central Plains, so he is my fellow countryman. He is considered a civil servant and a staff member of the Oriental family, but he is not qualified to take the exam. By the way, he is also a eunuch. All the ministers were eunuchs.

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Checkpoints are getting denser and cars are parked more and more often.

A few hours later, a hundred-meter-high wall appeared in front of me, like a large mountain in front of it, and the last corner tower could not be seen on the left and right.

This is the capital of the Central Plains Province - Luoyang, Tokyo.