Episode 162 Emperor Guangwu

After the signing of the treaty between the Ming and Qing dynasties, the following is to return to Beijing and Nanjing, and then hold their respective press conferences.

On the morning of August 10, after breakfast in the villa, the Ming delegation was packing their things and waiting for a car to take them to the port. The things to be done were completed relatively smoothly, and everyone's heart was relaxed and comfortable. Especially Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan, both of whom have the status of "hostages", they have come to Beiqing for the past few days, "playing is a heartbeat", and now they are about to return to Daming safely, and they are more excited than when they came.

Xiang Xiaoqiang took advantage of the fact that no one else was paying attention, secretly hugged Zheng Yuxuan's waist, and laughed quietly:

"It's a pity, I didn't take the opportunity for so many days, it's a pity."

Zheng Yuxuan's face flushed, he quickly looked around, and laughed in a low voice:

"yes, what can I do...... Oops, what a pity, what a pity. ”

Xiao Nizi covered her mouth with a smile, her eyebrows and eyes were full of charm, and she teased Xiang Xiaoqiang in a hurry, but the room around was busy cleaning up things, so he had to stick to Zheng Yuxuan's ear and say fiercely:

"Okay, you wait!"

Zheng Yuxuan lowered his head and forcibly held back a smile, his face full of pride.

……

At half past eight in the morning, the convoy of the Nanming delegation left the East Cockscomb Mountain Villa and drove down the mountain.

But after a while, Xiang Xiaoqiang found that something was wrong. He turned his head to look out the window to the left and right, and felt that this was not the way he had come. At first, he thought he might be misremembering, after all, he had only seen the road once a few days ago. But after a while, he realized that the road was getting more and more wrong. And the direction is not right. The port should be to the south, but now it is obviously to the north. The East Cockscomb Mountain, which has just come down, is now on the right.

He immediately asked a Northern Qing official sitting in the front row:

"My lord, where are we going? I don't think I'm heading to the port. ”

The official of the Northern Qing Dynasty in front of him turned around and said:

"Yes, not to the port."

"Where is that going?"

"Airport."

Xiang Xiaoqiang was stunned:

"The airport? What to do at the airport? Fly us back? ”

The Beiqing official in front hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart immediately picked up. Sending the Nanming mission back by plane? Unlikely. Although the straight-line distance from Lushun to Nanjing is only seven or eight hundred kilometers and can be flown directly, since the first plane on the earth has been there for so many years to this day, the planes of the Ming and Qing dynasties have never landed on each other's airports. If it were to set a precedent today, it would definitely be a major event, and my delegation would have received a telegram from Nanjing in advance. And the last time I contacted Nanjing before breakfast today, Nanjing didn't mention changing the way of returning. That is to say, the default is still by sea.

A more important reason is that Emperor Guangwu's younger brother is still in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible for the Qing Fang to send himself and the Nanming delegation back first, unless Nanming has already sent Guangwu's younger brother back first. But in the same way, himself, Zheng Yuxuan, and the entire mission are still in the Northern Qing Dynasty, and it is absolutely impossible for Nanming to send Guangwu's younger brother back first.

The only feasible thing is to take the sea route as when they came, and the ships of both sides meet at the agreed coordinate point, "pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other".

Thinking of this, Xiang Xiaoqiang felt that the blood in his body was getting colder. He forced himself to calm down, and kept saying to himself in his heart that Guangwu's younger brother was still in the hands of Daming, and Guangwu didn't dare to do anything to him...... Although Guangwu has many brothers and sisters, they are either born to other concubines of Emperor Xuantong, or they are "tang" relationships like Fourteen Gege...... There are only two brothers who are really the same mother, and it is impossible for him not to care. When the Guangwu coup came to power, he first slaughtered the clan, and even fourteen Gege were forced by him to come to Nanming; And he has not been in power for a long time, and now there is a lack of absolutely trustworthy people, so one of the two younger brothers was appointed by him as the commander-in-chief of the Eight Banners Division, and the other was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Guards Division...... It was because of this that Zhu Yourong asked his younger brother instead of others to be a hostage......

Xiang Xiaoqiang thought like this, and his mind calmed down a little.

So, where is this going?

……

After a while, the convoy drove into the Lushun military airfield, drove directly to the side of the runway, and stopped.

The representatives of Nanming in each car all got out of the car, and their expressions were the same as Xiang Xiaoqiang's, suspicious, worried, and nervous. It seems that they have all asked the same questions and received the same answers along the way. Moreover, like Xiang Xiaoqiang, they don't believe it much.

On the runway stood a group of clear soldiers, all with guns, and behind them were two Junkers-52 transport planes, which had now begun to start their engines. Soon, the runway was deafening and windy.

The first aircraft was painted all white, and the fuselage was painted with the Yellow Flag logo of the Manchu royal family. It seems that this is a small airliner used by the royal family. The second plane was nothing special, it was an ordinary army green, painted with the logo of the Northern Qing Air Force. This is just an ordinary military transport aircraft.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan were invited to the first plane, and the rest of the members of the Nanming mission were arranged to get on the second plane.

The luxurious and comfortable decoration in the plane also confirmed Xiang Xiaoqiang's judgment. This should be a special plane for the Northern Qing royal family. This is probably because of the noble status of Earl Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan, which was specially arranged for them. The rest of the people can probably only take the ** military plane.

Two large planes took off one after another.

……

As soon as he went to the sky, Xiang Xiaoqiang could no longer distinguish between the southeast and the northwest. He and Zheng Yuxuan sat on the soft and comfortable sofa, looking blankly at the six Qing soldiers with loaded guns on the opposite side. The soldiers also sat blankly, looking at them expressionlessly. These Qing soldiers were ostensibly escorting them, but they were simply escorting them.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan glanced at each other from time to time, no one spoke, and their buttocks moved around on the sofa, both of which were extremely uncomfortable. Xiang Xiaoqiang calculated the time in his heart: Junkers 52, even if the cruising speed is 250 kilometers per hour, Lushun to Nanjing is 800 kilometers, and it will take a little more than three hours to arrive.

Unless......

Sure enough, what worried Xiang Xiaoqiang the most happened.

It only took a little more than an hour for the plane to begin to land.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan both screamed in their hearts, while sticking their heads out and looking down from the porthole. There are mountains below, endless mountains, definitely not Beijing, nor Nanjing. There is also a river that winds through the mountains, but it is definitely not the Yangtze River.

Where is this?

……

Since it is in the mountains, the airport is not big. But after Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan got off the plane, they found that this small airport was full of fighter jets on both sides of the runway, all of which were dozens of Hai Dongqing. Moreover, the surrounding hills are densely arranged with anti-aircraft gun emplacements, which looks like an extremely dense air defense network.

This mountainous area should be an important military base in the Northern Qing Dynasty, right? Or is it a place to park a strategic weapon like a train gun?

Zheng Yuxuan suddenly whispered:

"What about the plane?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked back, and the entire runway was empty, and there was only his own big plane. Another plane, which had taken off from Lushun with the rest of the mission on board, now there was not even a shadow.

Moreover, the surrounding area was also empty, the sky was cloudless, and there was not even a small black spot.

A car and two military vehicles were parked on the side of the runway. A Qing soldier non-commissioned officer behind him asked the two to get into the car without expression.

Unlike Lushun, except for the GI who is the GI, there is not even a single official here. Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that he couldn't ask these soldiers, so he took Zheng Yuxuan into the car.

There was a military vehicle in the front and rear of the car, and three vehicles were driving on the winding road, and from time to time you could see an anti-aircraft gun emplacement on both sides. Down the hill is the river.

After a while, a large mountain lake appeared on the river below, and the green willows in the lake were scattered, and the pavilions and pavilions could be faintly seen during the process. The three cars drove down the road, checked by many checkpoints, drove onto the long causeway in the lake, and soon drove to a large island in Huzhong.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan got out of the car and looked in amazement at the wavy green willows around them, as well as the palace-like terrace in the middle of the island.

It was quiet all around, except for the melodious birdsong in the willow forest. The fresh, moist smell of the lake water came in bursts and a cool breeze. In the middle of summer in August, it is like an oasis isolated from the heat, making people feel cool.

……

The non-commissioned officer respectfully said to Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan:

"Please come with the little one, Lord Earl and the lady of the county."

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan glanced at each other, followed him, and then still looked greedily at the surrounding scenery.

"Ah," Zheng Yuxuan suddenly whispered, "I know where this is!" ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang was nervous for a while:

"Where?"

Zheng Yuxuan lowered his voice and said:

"Summer Resort! …… This is Chengde, the summer villa of the Qing Emperor! …… Xiaoqiang, we're about to meet Emperor Qingyu! ”

"Ahh

Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly realized, and his mind suddenly brightened. No wonder Emperor Guangwu named him and asked him to come to the Northern Qing Dynasty by himself, and then he didn't see him during the negotiations...... I'm waiting here!

He felt Zheng Yuxuan trembling through the air. Turning his head, sure enough, Zheng Yuxuan's face was red and white, biting his lip, and his expression couldn't tell whether it was fear or excitement.

"Relax, relax...... Xiang Xiaoqiang whispered, "You are the lord of Daming, and your status is not lower than that kid." ”

"But he ...... He's the emperor. ”

"The emperor is a ball...... "Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around, lowered his voice and said, "The emperor of Qingyu is lower than the county lord of the Ming Dynasty, I said." ”

……

It was past ten o'clock in the morning. The non-commissioned officer took them to a small hall and sat down, and then went out. Two palace maids dressed in Manchu cheongsam palace costumes came over to serve them tea. Zheng Yuxuan looked at the two palace maids, and suddenly asked:

"Hey, when will your emperor see us?"

The two palace maids didn't seem to know who they were, and when they heard Zheng Yuxuan's Nanjing accent, they were startled, looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

At this time, another palace maid hurriedly came in, as if her level was a little higher, whispered something to the two palace maids, sent them out, and then smiled at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan:

"The earl and the county lord are not impatient, the emperor is handling official business, and a banquet will be given to entertain the two at noon. It's still early, and if you're in the mood, you can take a tour with the slaves. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan looked at each other, and felt that they were agreeable, anyway, they didn't want to sit here for an hour or two, so they walked out.

……

At half past eleven o'clock in the afternoon, the two of them were very anxious to visit the lake and mountains for an hour and a half, when a palace maid came running and solemnly announced that the emperor had invited the earl and the county lord to share lunch.

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan glanced at each other, and suddenly their chests jumped wildly. But after all, the two of them were noble, and they both controlled it very well on the surface, so they both nodded and followed the palace maid very generously.

I followed the palace maid through the pavilions and pavilions for a while, and in front of me was a water pavilion, long into the lake.

The maid invited them in, and then turned and left.

The water pavilion is more than ten square meters, surrounded by water on three sides, rolled with bamboo curtains, very transparent, and the cool air on the lake surface passes through the water pavilion "whirring", which is very pleasant. In the middle of the pavilion is a round table of red sandalwood, with only three chairs around it. Several delicate cold cuts have been arranged on the table, and an enamel flask has been placed.

Other than that, there was no furniture in the pavilion, and there was not a single maid or guard.

The two enjoyed the scenery in the water pavilion while waiting for the legendary Guangwu Emperor. The surrounding scenery and the elegant arrangement in this water pavilion were originally very relaxing, but the two were like a couple watching horror movies in a black screening room, nervous, exciting, enjoyable, in short, the mood and the environment were incompatible.

"Hey, Xiaoqiang," Zheng Yuxuan grabbed Xiang Xiaoqiang's hand, glanced into the distance, and said in a low voice, "Look!! ”

Under the corridor in the distance, a man in a light gauze robe and a fan walked slowly, and the two generals behind him followed half-bent, as if reporting something. At every few paces under the corridor stood a guard, and when the man in the robe walked by, the guard stood upright.

Then, as soon as the man in the long robe in front of him folded his fan, made a gesture, and said something, the two officers behind him immediately stopped, and no longer followed, but bent down and retreated in small steps. The man in front of him ignored them, shook his fan lightly, and thought about something as he walked slowly forward.

Suddenly, he inadvertently raised his head and saw Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan in the water pavilion here. The two of them were all stunned, knowing who it was, and stared at him blankly.

But the people over there only glanced at them, and without even stopping, they turned around along the corridor and disappeared behind a rockery.

However, after only a few minutes, there were shouts one after another in the vicinity:

"The emperor drove to ——!!!"

"The emperor drove to ——!!!"

"The emperor drove to ——!!!"

……