In May, the summer flowers are gorgeous and the fields are lush.
Although there has been drought and little rain in the north since the Chongzhen Emperor's seven years, in Beizhili at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, God has rewarded it with a few rains around the beginning of summer, which has alleviated the drought. The fields around Beijing have also become green, and the wildflowers on the roadside have also taken the opportunity to bloom, covering the ground with colorful colors.
The hot and humid monsoon blowing from the southeast not only brings precipitation, but also makes the weather in Beijing a bit hot, which makes Xi Fu, Sony, Fan Wencheng and others who came from outside the customs a little uncomfortable.
Further forward, you can see the Chaoyangmen Urn City.
The tall and solid city walls and the towers with cornices and brackets give off a majestic atmosphere in the sunlight.
The official road leading directly from Chaoyang Gate to Tongzhou was originally a bustling and lively place. At least when Fan Wencheng came back to Beijing to work as a craftsman, the area was still a good place with many shops and traffic. But I haven't been here for just a few years, and this area is already very dilapidated. The shops on both sides of the official road were almost completely demolished, and all the doors of each house were closed. Some even even the houses collapsed, which looked like an apocalyptic scene of a country about to collapse.
Xifu, Sony, Fan Wencheng and others who saw many forts of powerful soldiers along the way in Jinzhou, Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan looked at them and felt very happy - it seems that Zhu Youjian's weak fire in the strong military capital was due to excessive conscription. Although the troops and horses were strong for a while, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty was rotten.
Look, even the emperor's feet are in such depression. Just think about it and you will know what it is like elsewhere.
The atmosphere of a great tomorrow is gone.
Except for the depression of this section outside Chaoyang Gate, which shows that the Ming Dynasty building will collapse, the road from Shanhaiguan. It also shows that the foundation of the Ming Empire is shaking!
On the way from Shanhaiguan to Beijing, Xifu, Sony, Fan Wencheng and others discovered that the growth of crops in the fields along the way was not very good, and most of the farmers working in the fields had food. And what surprised them the most was that they also saw many landlord manors that were built like castles!
It would be normal if such a fort was built outside the Great Wall. After all, that was the front line! However, in the Yongping and Shuntian mansions within the Great Wall, there were actually landowners and gentry who began to build forts and live there. What does this mean? It shows that everyone is not optimistic about the Ming Dynasty!
The world in the Ming Dynasty was going to be in chaos, so there were so many landowners and gentry who didn't live in good houses and lived in castles like this.
And these "bearish on the Ming Dynasty" signs become more common the closer you get to Beijing... On both sides of the official road from Tongzhou to Beijing's Chaoyang Gate, you can see ditches and brick and stone fortresses everywhere. style mansion.
The emperor's feet are like this. It seems that the Ming Dynasty's stable days are numbered.
But think about it, the people inside the Great Wall have suffered miserably from "floods, droughts, locusts, and incest" in recent years. Last year, there were even robbers in Shanxi, which is very close to Beijing, and Zhu Youjian had to go to Taiyuan in person. I sat in charge and suppressed it for more than half a year, but I don’t know if it was completely destroyed? Probably not, because Hou Jin has never heard of any news about Emperor Ming's victory in Shanxi...
When the envoy from the Kingdom of Jin, accompanied by Shi Kefa, the governor of the Eight Prefectures of North Zhili, walked near the Chaoyangmen Urn City, they suddenly bumped into people queuing up to enter the city!
Yes, it's just people and horses...people holding horses, lining up in a long line outside Chaoyangmen Wengcheng, occupying half of the official road, I don't know what they do?
Shi Kefa had a big reputation, so of course he didn't have to queue up like these people, so he passed directly through the other half of the official road that was empty.
Xifu, Sony, and Fan Wencheng were all careful people. Although they were tired all the way, they still paid close attention to the people lining up to enter the city.
After observing, these Houjin visitors were a little surprised. Because they found that among the people queuing up to enter the city, there were many armed teenagers around ten years old - these teenagers were all wearing neat arrow jackets, carrying bows and arrows on their backs, and carrying waist knives.
Who are these teenagers? Why are they all armed? Are you going to join the army? But they are still young...
Some of the generals who accompanied him to the Liao Army were also curious. Regardless of the "foreign affairs discipline", when they were waiting outside the Chaoyangmen Wengcheng to be greeted by the ambassador from the Ministry of War Joint Hall, they were just like the armed teenagers queuing up next to them for inspection and registration. The family started to inquire.
"He has the title of Knight of Zhangqian and the official title of Qianhu... This is to send Ersun to serve as a soldier in the Young Guards of Zhangqian!"
"What? A soldier? How old are you? Why are you a soldier?"
"Long live the Lord has just decreed that the children of knights in front of the account or officials from the fifth rank and above can join the young guards in front of the account as apprentices... Well, if this grandson learns well, he can be with him in the future. Like Ada, become a knight!"
"Is there such a thing? Why didn't I know about it? I am also from the fifth grade and five senses!"
"Maybe the imperial edict didn't reach you, right? Well, I just found out about it..."
"Oh, then I have to let my two sons join some young guard group... They sound very promising!"
Xifu, Sony, and Fan Wencheng all have language talents and can understand some Shaanxi Mandarin, so they all know that these young men with weapons and horses are really here to join the army!
For such a young kid to join the army...isn't this too militaristic?
Just when they were surprised, they heard the loud singing of young people coming from the Chaoyangmen Urn City.
"The wind is rustling and the water is cold. The heroes are gone and never come back; they explore the grasslands and enter the South Seas, and kill the barbarians and become heroes..."
There must be many young people singing, but their singing voices are very neat, obviously they have been practiced. Along with the singing, there is also the sound of intensive horse hooves.
Shi Kefa was riding on his horse, but when he heard the singing, he immediately got off his horse and ran into the city gate. Xifu, Sony, and Fan Wencheng all had sharp eyes and felt like they were squinting to look into the city gate.
I saw a group of cavalry appear in the doorway for some reason (coming down the horse path from the city wall), with a little red horse at the front and two guards wearing flying fish uniforms next to them. Riding on the horse was a boy who looked to be only seven or eight years old at most. He was wearing a red military uniform, carrying a bow and arrow, and a waist knife.
When the boy saw Shi Kefa, he immediately reined in the little red horse, and the singing of the teenagers stopped. Then Shi Kefa bowed to the boy and said loudly: "Shi Kefa, governor of the Eighth Prefecture, respectfully invites your great nephew Jin An."
What?
Your Highness the Great Nephew?
That boy turned out to be Zhu Cixiang, the great nephew of the Ming Dynasty Emperor?
Zhu Cixiang is only 7 years old this year! If he didn't just stay and study in the palace, why would he bring a bow, arrows, sword, and a bunch of little knights out of the palace to play?
In fact, Zhu Cixiang was not playing when he left the palace, but was patrolling the city!
He is the nephew of the prisoner! It's not enough to stay in the palace all day. At least you have to go to the top of Beijing to check the defenses!
So after Zhu Youjian left, Zhu Cixiang went out of the palace to patrol the city every day, rain or shine.
Accompanying him on his tour of the city were, of course, the students from the Young Guards Corps and some of the royal guards.
Today, Zhu Cixiang looked a little angry, frowning, and asked in a deep voice: "Shi Kefa, I haven't seen you for a while, where have you been?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, I have been ordered to go to Shanhaiguan to welcome the Jianzhou delegation."
"Jianzhou Mission?" Zhu Cixiang asked, "Where are they?"
"Just outside the Wengcheng."
"Tell them to come in. I want to see them."
"I will go and declare them right now."
Xifu, Sony, Fan Wencheng and others originally came to see Zhu Cihong - Zhu Youjian was away from home, and the only one who wanted to see him was Zhu Cihong.
Therefore, Shi Kefa did not refuse to let Zhu Cihong see him, and quickly led several envoys into Wengcheng.
Of course, several envoys will not be afraid of a 7-year-old kid, so what if he is the nephew of the emperor? The two countries are at war and they haven’t killed the envoy yet!
Several people walked over in a swaggering manner, not saluting, but waiting to look at Zhu Cihong with their eyes.
This is where trouble comes.
Zhu Cixiang's face suddenly sank, then he raised his little arm and pointed at a few people, and said sternly: "Come here, kill them all for me!"
