In the first month of the eighteenth year of Shunzhi, it was a cold winter. Just after the end of the New Year, groups of Hanako began to beg on the streets again as if they had come out of the ground. The dilapidated temples under the eaves of the shops west of the Hade Gate in Beijing were crowded with these people. Families and nests set up broken nunnery and thatched huts at the base of the city wall, which actually meant to live for a long time. Fortunately, since the defeat of King Li Chuang, Beijing has been repeatedly revolted, and the population has gone from ten to five or six. There is rubble everywhere inside and outside Dongzhi Gate, and some are idle places, otherwise it will be really overcrowded. Most of these people speak Kanto accents, and there are also many people from Zhili, Shandong, and Henan, wearing ragged jackets, with straw ropes around their waists, and begging people for food with broken bowls.

"Uncle and aunt, accumulate virtue and do good, and enjoy a mouthful of leftovers. I fled from Rehe, I am old and young, I can't do it! ”

"Amitabha! Sin yo! Where did the disaster come from in the big winter, running such a long way? ”

When a middle-aged man with a pot mending pot on his shoulder heard this, he twisted his face and stopped, and sneered: "You are a person at the feet of the Son of Heaven, how do you know about the countryside!" Fuck, the yellow flag encircles Lao Tzu's land, don't want food, eat hair? As he spoke, he put his braid around his neck and walked away with a grunt.

At this point, readers may ask: What is "enclosure", it is so powerful!

It turned out that before the Manchurians entered the customs, the Eight Banners went out to fight, and the horses and equipment were all brought by themselves. Each banner occupies a large amount of flag land for military supplies, and the owners of each banner and the princes and clans also consume a lot of gold and silver for their daily squandering, so they set up manors of different sizes in various places outside the customs. After entering the customs, the imperial relatives, state relatives, and civil and military officials of the former Ming Dynasty died and fled after the king entered Beijing, leaving behind countless ownerless wasteland. Dolgon then ordered that "all the deeds be distributed to the kings of the east, Belle, Beizi, and the lords", and of course the eight masters of Qiu did their best to grab them. They used a rope to tie two horses, and put a flag on their heads, and the soldiers behind them whipped wildly, and the land in the circle became the property of the banner people. This is called enclosure. "This is my yellow flag", "That's my white flag". Or even if there are even more domineering ones, they will drive out all the people in the circle, or give them a little sand nest alkali land. This is quite polite, and the more horizontal ones also take the opportunity to loot. When the enclosure arrived, all the utensils in the room were left, and the wives and daughters who were ugly were taken away by the original owner; Those who look a little more beautiful will stay. Seventy-seven prefectures and counties in Gyeonggi, Zhili, Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi are 2,000 miles longitudinal and horizontal, the countryside is barren, the sorrow is all over the wilderness, the hunger is full of roads, and the crying is endless. Among them, there are countless who are forced to take risks as "thieves".

Speaking of Yongxingsi Street in western Beijing, there is a small inn called "Yue Peng Store". This is probably taken from the meaning of "there are friends from afar, and they don't also say (happy)". There are more than a dozen guest houses in the backyard of this small shop, which are specially used for the children to live in when they enter Beijing to take the exam. At present, it is still early to leave Keke, and business is very light. There are four tables of eight immortals on the three facades of the street; Turning to the north is a private seat for guests to eat; To the east of the façade is a long counter that sells both alcohol, meat and odd groceries. The guys are all from the countryside, and when they went back for the New Year, there was only a boss He and a few small apprentices from distant villages in the store to support them. In the early morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, the store had just taken off the door panel, only to hear the sound of "chirp", and a person poured in.

When the shopkeeper He Guizhu heard the guys shouting, he quickly kicked on his pants, kicked the night pot under the bed, and ran out with his shoes on. At first glance, this person was about 20 years old, wearing a green linen hat with a little tin on his head, dragging out braids more than two feet long, and his hair had not been shaved for more than two months. The cotton robe seemed to have been beaten by a bird, and the torn cotton wool was exposed like rotten mutton fat. Look at his face, yellow and purple like ginger, his eyes are closed, and he is already frozen. He Guizhu couldn't help but sigh and said, "Sin! This is also a common thing, send it to the Zuojiazhuang human field outside the city. Wow, it's bad luck today! ”

The guys looked for a broken mat to roll up the dead man, and were about to make a broken door panel to carry the person away, when the curtain at the back of the store rang, and a man came out and said, "Slow! ”

When everyone looked back, the person who came out was about thirty years old, wearing a green satin melon skin hat, a black dogskin sauce-colored silk riding coat, a gray tweed robe on his head, and a bright ridge on his thousand-layer bottom tweed boots, standing firmly in the middle of the door. The shopkeeper hurriedly smiled and said, "Second Master is early, this is a poor talent who froze to death outside the door." ”

"We'll see if I'm dead or not." As he spoke, he stepped forward and squatted down, tried it under the young man's nose with his hand, took his hand and touched the pulse: "The man is not dead yet!" Boil a bowl of ginger soup, no, get some hot wine first! The guys looked at each other and stood still, He Guizhu hurriedly said, "The master has already ordered, why don't you hurry up?" ”

The person who came out was a lifting person, a native of Yangzhou, called Wu Ciyou, and a talented man who was famous in the north and south of the river. The family is wealthy, and his ancestors have been several big officials. He Guizhu, who opened the shop, was previously his family's servant. During the Chongzhen period, the war was in chaos, and Mrs. Wu was afraid that the tree would make a big move, so she asked her family to join relatives. He Guizhu's father was a child of a family, and he had no relatives outside, so the old lady was kind and helped him open a small shop in the local area. The Qing soldiers entered the customs, Shi Kefa resisted the Qing in Yangzhou, and after the city was broken, the blood in the city flowed like a river. The He family couldn't stay in Yangzhou and simply moved to Beijing. This Wu Ciyou was originally a student of Hou Fangyu, and after the Qing Dynasty was established, he followed the will of heaven, took the Xiucai exam, and won the promotion. It's just that Mrs. Wu has a heart for Daming, vows not to eat Qingsu, and focuses on the "Tao Te Ching" at home behind closed doors. This Wu Ciyou went to Beijing to take the exam, and happened to meet He Guizhu again, so he simply lived in Yuepengdian. Although he does not have the status of master and servant now, He Guizhu still respects this young master very respectfully.

The scholar who was about to freeze to death was carried into the shop, and a bowl of hot rice wine was poured down, and in about a moment, the young man's eyes opened and closed slightly. Wu Ciyou sighed and said, "Clean up the room below me, let him lie down, and raise it for a few days." ”

He Guizhu couldn't help but hesitate: "This son is also troublesome, he has saved people, and he has to feed people...... Whatever! Horizontal and vertical and don't cost my money, I always wait for someone from Yangzhou to settle the account. Wu Ciyou saw that Boss He hesitated, so he said: "Save people's lives, and win the seventh-level floating slaughter." Besides, it's not like saving people if you don't save them. He Guizhu hurriedly said: "Do what the master orders." ”

At the end of the day, the young man finally woke up. It was about the effect of two large bowls of hot chicken and ginger soup noodles, his face was flushed, but he was still a little dizzy, and when he saw Wu Ciyou pushing the door in with a lantern, he struggled to get up. Wu Ciyou hurriedly held him down and said, "Friend, don't move, you just lie down." The young man bent up and kowtowed on the pillow repeatedly: "Engong, you saved me!" The green mountains do not change, the green water flows forever, the great grace does not say thank you, I always have to repay you for the old man! As he spoke, a string of tears flowed down his delicate face.

Wu Ciyou pulled a chair and sat down beside him, and asked with concern, "What's your name?" Why come to Beijing? How did it come to this? The young man half leaned on the pillow, sighed and said, "Engong, I am a person from Zhenghuangqi, called Mingzhu, and the ancestor is also a dragon son and a phoenix grandson. His father, Nyaha, was a member of the tent of Dorgon, Prince of Rui, and entered the customs from the dragon. Dolgon did something bad, and his father was dismissed by Zhulian, and he was so angry that he couldn't afford to fall ill, and his family was ruined. I had no choice but to live in Mongolia with my uncle. Uncle Nartai took pity on us and gave us a small plot of cultivated land. Unexpectedly, last autumn, the owner of the Yellow Flag Banner had to change the land of the Yellow Flag, saying that in the years of Dolgon's enclosure, the Yellow Flag suffered a loss, and now it is going to be recovered, which is a pit for our masters! I thought that this old thief would always look at the face of his ancestors and leave this land to live, but who knew that this old bastard was so ruthless that he sent his brother Mulima to drive out all of our people on a snowy day, and burned down the village...... Miserable! He wiped away a handful of tears, choked up and said: "Our uncle and nephew begged all the way from Rehe to enter the customs, and encountered robbers again in Taiping Town, and forced them to join the gang. You think, my father doesn't know if he is alive or dead, how can I do that kind of thing? I had no choice but to run away, and my uncle was killed by a robber with an arrow. I entered Beijing alone, because I wanted to find my father's Tongyin to have a good time, where did I think that human affection is thinner than paper! As soon as I heard that my family had offended Aobai, no one dared to take me in, so I had to live on the street selling words for a living. Pity me for being a hairpin and ending up like this...... In the past few days, the snow has been falling heavily, and I am hungry, and I want to hide from the snow in front of this store, who knows, I will ......"

The more Mingzhu spoke, the more sad she became, and she simply cried loudly: "Engong! You are my reborn parents, my flesh and blood father! The pearl is difficult to repay in this life, and the grass title ring in the next life will be rewarded with great grace! ”

When Wu Ciyou heard this, he was sad and sad, and hurriedly comforted: "Mingzhu, don't say anything." In these years, who can have a good life for the common people! In the past few days, there are so many people in Beijing who have been begged for food, and they are all homeless people who have been encircled outside the border - what other relatives do you have in Beijing? ”

Mingzhu shook his head and said, "There are no relatives left, even if there are, it is rare to see each other." ”

When Wu Ciyou heard this, he hurriedly asked, "How can that be?" Mingzhu settled down and said, "I heard that one of my cousins, Sun, is the nurse of the third elder brother of the current prince. I saw her seven years ago, and she went to the palace. The palace is strictly forbidden, how can I get in like this? Wu Ciyou pondered for a while and said, "You can stay here first." You are both literate and famous, and you will not have a chance to enter the body in the future. If it doesn't work, I'll bring you a letter to my father and ask him to find you a bowl of rice to eat. My name is Wu Ciyou, a native of Yangzhou, and I'm waiting here for the exam. After the next test, we'll go back to the south. ”

Mingzhu is an extremely smart person, listening to Wu Ciyou say this, he struggled to get off the bed, knocked his head on the ground three times, and said: "There is a blue sky above, if I Mingzhu forgets Brother Wu's life-saving grace, it will be like this pen!" As he spoke, he took out a large snow wolf millilake pen from his sleeve and folded it into two with a "click" in the shadow of the lamp.

The two were talking affectionately, and as soon as the cotton curtain was lifted, He Guizhu walked in and said in a low voice: "Second master, the eunuch of the Thirteenth Yamen Patrol King came to drink, saying that there was a rumor, and Lord Shunzhi died!" ”

"The emperor has died!" The news spread throughout Beijing for a time through the lively places where people gathered, such as wine shops, teahouses, and opera gardens. But before the edict was issued, people could only hide aside and watch quietly, looking for a close friend to compare it like this:

"The emperor is only twenty-four years old, he is young, how could he die if he is a good child?"

"Well, people have good and bad luck, who can say for sure? For example, if you take off your shoes tonight, you can put them on tomorrow morning? ”

"Don't talk nonsense! I heard that it was for Dong Niangniang, and the emperor suffered from lovesickness! Have you forgotten, what is the name of the painter in Jiangsu? That's right, Chen Luoyun, paint a small portrait of Dong Niangniang, and one guy will have to reward 10,000 taels of silver - hey! Have you ever seen so many treasures in your life? - As long as people are lucky, it is really easy to get rich! ”

"You love to walk as soon as you speak! I heard that the Emperor summoned Lord Sukh Saha five or six days ago! Don't be weird, right? ”

"Shhh Is this what you should say? Be honest, it's your business to die or not! ”

No matter what the people say, one thing is clear: from the eighth day of the first month, the people of the Internal Affairs Office have all changed into plain clothes. Outside the noon gate, the sedan chair next to the horse pavilion lined up for a long time. And those little eunuchs who love to carry quail cages to the teahouse have disappeared since the New Year. These anomalies have aroused suspicion among the citizens of Beijing. Some old Beijingers have seen the pomp and circumstance of the death of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, and they can't help but be surprised when they see the royal family doing things so sneakily now, but they just keep silent.

Wu Ciyou is a nerd, because of the cold weather, he doesn't go out, just sits by the stove and reads. Mingzhu was a young man, and his body was a little better, so he struggled to go outside. He stepped to the east of Zhengyang Gate to see the bustle, and saw that the six-by-green sedan chair in front of a long row of sedan chairs was particularly conspicuous, and the snow on it was half a foot thick. After quietly inquiring, I learned that from the third day of the Lunar New Year, Prince Jieshu, Sony Lao Zhongtang, Kubilong, Suke Saha, Ao Bai and Hong Jingluo entered the palace to knock on An, and they did not come out again, and the three meals a day were transmitted by the family with food boxes. was stunned, Mingzhu suddenly felt that someone behind him patted him gently, and when he looked back, he saw a handsome young man under the snow light pressing his waist knife in his hand, looking at him with a smile.

"Are you...... Oh! Brother! After hesitating for a moment, Mingzhu pounced in surprise with open arms. He recognized it at once, and the one standing in front of him was the only son of the current third elder brother's nurse Sun, his cousin Wei Dongting, who had been absent for five years.

I haven't seen him for five years, Wei Dongting has become a talent, wearing a regimental collar supplement uniform, embroidered with Jiangya seawater, a wide waist knife with a one-foot-long red tassel hanging down, and riding boots under the new lake silk black pants. Looking at his dress, in contrast, Mingzhu couldn't help but feel down.

Mingzhu took Wei Dongting's hand, just looked up and down, and asked for a while: "Cousin, after five years, you are very different than before, are you still on an errand in Chengde Huangzhuang?" Wei Dongting smiled: "I also just entered Beijing." Last year, my mother asked me for a lot of favors to transfer me out, and now I am an errand on patrol the yamen. My mother said that I am young, and I have to train for a few years before I can contribute to the emperor! ”

When Mingzhu heard this, he couldn't help lowering his head and sighed: "Brother, I'm miserable!" Now that the family is ruined, the future is uncertain, and the fate is not good, what can be done! Ahem, this life is really boring. Wei Dongting didn't wait for him to finish complaining, he pulled his sleeve and said: "Let's go, let's get together in Hexian Building, otherwise you don't need to be sad, there will be a big event soon, maybe you will have to add Enke!" Mingzhu said: "Where do you come from? Wei Dongting smiled: "There's no reason to be happy with these things?" He looked around, lowered his voice and said, "Brother, Lord Shunzhi has returned to heaven!" ”