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In later generations, people always criticized the phenomenon of officials in the feudal era riding in sedan chairs, believing that this was a manifestation of ancient officials' inefficiency, isolation, oppression of the people, and isolation from the masses.
But this time, when Zhao Junchen left the capital and rushed to Xuanfu Military Town, he wished he could change to a sedan chair.
Nothing else, just to feel more comfortable.
It is now getting colder and colder, and the further north you go, the colder the wind becomes. Zhao Junchen's current physical condition is naturally not suitable for riding a horse, so he can only travel in a carriage.
However, the road conditions during the Ming Dynasty were really difficult to describe. Even the official roads were not much better, and the shock-absorbing technology of the carriage was almost non-existent. Therefore, after Zhao Junchen rode the carriage, he felt that his body was about to fall apart due to the jolts along the way. .
In fact, the carriage that Zhao Junchen is riding in is already the best carriage of this era - the three horses pulling the carriage are all carefully selected; the driver is also experienced and stable; the carriage baffle is thick and windproof , the carvings are gorgeous; the interior area is also very spacious, and there is even a small table and a small bed. The stove on the small table is boiling hot soup. There is also a layer of rabbit down blanket on the floor, and even more on the small bed. It is paved with three layers of more comfortable mink blankets, which can be said to be extremely luxurious. Even when Emperor Deqing went on a tour, it was about this level.
But Zhao Junchen still felt miserable, and he just missed the comfort of riding in a sedan.
"I don't know if it's because my health is too bad or because I've been pampered for too long... I can't bear even this small crime. If this continues, I will really be completely separated from the masses..."
Zhao Junchen hammered his sore waist with his fist, shook his head and laughed at himself softly.
"Sir, what did you say? What does it mean to be separated from the masses?"
Hearing Zhao Junchen talking to himself, Chu Jiayi on the side finally broke the silence, but she looked confused and raised her head to ask.
Yes, when Zhao Junchen left the capital this time and rushed to Xuanfu Military Town to negotiate with Jianzhou Jurchens, he also had a maid to serve him - that is, Chu Jiayi - which is enough to prove that Zhao Junchen has completely degenerated. He has become a class enemy of feudal corrupt bureaucrats and poor people.
The reason why Chu Jiayi followed Zhao Junchen out of Beijing this time was because of Cui Qianxue's suggestion. Cui Qianxue was not worried about Zhao Junchen's physical condition, and the most trusted person around her was Chu Jiayi, so she suggested that Chu Jiayi Following Zhao Junchen out of Beijing and being able to take care of him along the way, Zhao Junchen agreed after thinking about it for a while.
Cui Qianxue's proposal was not a lie, but she originally thought that Zhao Junchen would refuse it several times before reluctantly agreeing. When she saw Zhao Junchen agreeing so simply and neatly, she immediately asked Zhao Junchen Casting a suspicious look, he only felt that Zhao Junchen had some other thoughts about Chu Jiayi.
Seeing Cui Qianxue's suspicious look, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but smile bitterly, and explained to Cui Qianxue Xu Qingyan's special thoughts about Chu Jiayi, saying that he wanted to take the opportunity to test Chu Jiayi's thoughts and say a few good words for Xu Qingyan.
Of course, Cui Qianxue did not know the true details of Chu Jiayi, and Zhao Junchen did not want to affect the sisterhood between the two women, so he concealed his intention to take the opportunity to resolve the hatred in Chu Jiayi's heart.
After hearing Zhao Junchen's explanation, Cui Qianxue's first reaction was that Xu Qingyan was completely unworthy of Chu Jiayi, but she soon thought of the deep relationship between Zhao Junchen and Xu Qingyan, and felt that this was a good thing, but it was also I felt at ease.
However, because of her grudge, Chu Jiayi did not fulfill her responsibilities as a maid seriously after leaving the capital with Zhao Junchen. At this time, she saw that Zhao Junchen had a sore back and felt uncomfortable all over, but she did not take the initiative to serve her at all. What he meant was to just watch indifferently and let Zhao Junchen beat his own back with a grimace. It was not until Zhao Junchen suddenly said something incomprehensible that he finally broke the silence and took the initiative to ask.
Chu Jiayi is a smart woman. She has guessed by now that Zhao Junchen has already found out her details and has only been using her. If it weren't for the fact that she had nowhere to go, she really couldn't. Don't worry that Cui Qianxue will be bullied by Fang Ru and Zhang Yu'er if she stays in Zhao Mansion. I'm afraid she has already left quietly.
Both of them were well aware of this situation, but they just didn't pierce the window paper. Therefore, when Chu Jiayi and Zhao Junchen were alone together, they would not pretend to be as submissive and careful as before. , always facing each other with a cold face and often without saying a word.
At this time, seeing that Chu Jiayi finally took the initiative to break the silence and ask questions, Zhao Junchen finally found a chance to speak and explained: "Being separated from the masses... means not knowing the sufferings of the people and not knowing the grains and grains. Officials On behalf of the emperor and the herdsmen, when we are in government, we naturally want to seek the welfare of the people. However, if an official just sits high in the palace on weekdays and has no contact with the people, knowing neither the needs of the people nor the sufferings of the people, The policies we implement will naturally go in the opposite direction...
Speaking of which, I used to often go to folk shops and eat some folk snacks, taking the opportunity to get in touch with the people and see what they were thinking and suffering. But I don’t know since when, this habit has completely disappeared. On weekdays, I just live well, have good food and clothing, and am busy with intrigues and fights for power. The people I come into contact with are all officials and wealthy businessmen, so I can't bear it if I encounter some difficulties today... It's been a long time since I last talked to the common people... Well , I think it was about half a year ago. "
Hearing Zhao Junchen's self-deprecation, Chu Jiayi looked at Zhao Junchen with an increasingly complicated look.
Although Zhao Junchen was reviewing his own shortcomings, among the civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty, there were probably very few officials who had such thoughts. For example, those Qingliu officials who usually talked about "the sufferings of the people" were just talking about it. That's all, like those corrupt officials, I'm afraid they don't even bother to talk.
After hesitating for a moment, Chu Jiayi lowered her head and said, "Master, you... are a good official."
Chu Jiayi's evaluation was not against her will. She had a high status in the Zhao family. She used to be Zhao Junchen's personal maid, and later became the royal wife Cui Qianxue's personal maid, so she knew Zhao Junchen very well. Many considerations when governing the government are sincerely for the people - although Zhao Junchen maintains a group of corrupt officials, he is indeed doing his best to do practical things. This is a fact that no one can refute.
Hearing Chu Jiayi's evaluation, Zhao Junchen smiled and said: "You think I am a good official, that's just because your evaluation standard of a 'good official' is too low. Look at me every day. Three meals are enough for an ordinary person to eat for a month, and the rabbit blanket we are stepping on is enough for ordinary people to save for ten years. Can such extravagance be considered a good official?"
Chu Jiayi was silent, not knowing how to respond.
After all, she used to be the eldest lady in Prince Gong's palace, but now she has no worries about food and clothing in the Zhao family. She is also a "noble person" who is separated from the masses and does not eat the fireworks of the world. Naturally, it is difficult to evaluate Zhao Junchen's merits and demerits.
Seeing that Chu Jiayi fell into silence again, Zhao Junchen said again: "I dare not say that I am a good official, and I dare not say that I have a clear conscience, but I dare say that besides protecting myself, I am really doing it for this country. I have done my best with the people of the world... Although many of my actions are a bit despicable, they are all out of self-preservation and want to seek a long-term life for myself. This is human instinct and is nothing to be ashamed of, but I I really hope that I can, as the ancients said, 'be great at the same time benefiting the world'!
If I did do some evil things beyond the instinct of self-preservation, there were a few, such as Emperor Deqing's great achievements. I knew clearly that they wasted people, money, and national strength, but I still had to express my support; For example, the murder case of He Ming a year ago. I knew that Prince Gong was innocent, but because of Emperor Deqing's attitude, he still framed such a crime on Prince Gong, leaving more than 3,000 people in Prince Gong's palace to blame. He was implicated..."
Hearing Zhao Junchen suddenly mention the affairs of Prince Gong's Mansion, Chu Jiayi couldn't help but tremble slightly, and her expression changed a little.
Zhao Junchen seemed to be completely unaware of Chu Jiayi's subtle changes, and just continued: "But in the final analysis, these actions I took were for self-protection, because I did not have the ability to disobey Emperor Deqing's will at the time, so I also I can only be willing to be the knife and chess piece in his hand... Looking back today, those things were indeed wrong, but they are irreversible, so I can only find reasons to comfort myself - it is okay for a knife to hurt someone, and the person holding the knife Talent is the culprit, and the person who was stabbed by a knife shouldn't resent the knife, right?"
Zhao Junchen's words obviously meant something. He wanted to resolve Chu Jiayi's hatred for him, or to turn her hatred towards Emperor Deqing.
If Zhao Junchen has said this and Chu Jiayi is still unwilling to change his attitude, then Zhao Junchen will not be able to rest assured about Xu Qingyan and Chu Jiayi - although Chu Jiayi does not have any special feelings for Xu Qingyan, Zhao Junchen Junchen was still willing to spend some effort for Xu Qingyan - in the end, Zhao Junchen had no choice but to hide it from Xu Qingyan and Cui Qianxue and use some extraordinary means to try to eliminate hidden dangers, otherwise Chu Jiayi would become his flaw sooner or later.
Chu Jiayi didn't know whether she took Zhao Junchen's hint into her heart. She remained silent and just sat aside with her head bowed.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Junchen shook his head slightly and stopped talking to her. He just asked her to think about it for herself, and then reached out to pick up a book from the table and read it.
This book is "Cai Gen Tan", Zhao Junchen's favorite book from the Ming Dynasty. Many of Zhao Junchen's thoughts on life and methods of doing things were influenced by this book. He has read it three times in his spare time.
Zhao Junchen was reading, mainly because he couldn't stand the bumps of the carriage and wanted to divert his attention, but this method was of little use. He still felt sore and painful in his back, and from time to time he would hit his lower back with his fist to relieve the pressure.
About half an hour later, Chu Jiayi raised her head and glanced at Zhao Junchen, and suddenly said softly: "Master, you'd better lie down on the bed and let the maid massage your waist."
After a pause, Chu Jiayi found a reason for her change of attitude, and then said: "Madam asked me to follow the master just to take care of the master. The master's physical condition was not good to begin with. If he gets sick again after leaving Beijing this time, If I have more waist problems, Madam, she will definitely blame me."
Hearing what Chu Jiayi said, Zhao Junchen smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Zhao Junchen was not sure whether Chu Jiayi's change was true or false. He would need to find opportunities to test it again in the future, but such a change finally occurred, which was a good thing.
So, Zhao Junchen nodded and said: "Okay, then I'll trouble you."
After saying that, Zhao Junchen lay face down on the bed and let Chu Jiayi massage his waist and back.
During this period, Zhao Junchen seemed to casually talk about Xu Qingyan, said some of Xu Qingyan's benefits, and said that Xu Qingyan had not replied yet, and he was worried about Xu Qingyan's current situation.
It's a pity that Chu Jiayi still has no feelings for Xu Qingyan. She just responded casually without any thoughts of missing him, but it made Zhao Junchen silently mourn for Xu Qingyan in his heart.
King Xiang is interested, but the goddess is not. Xu Qingyan still has a long way to go.
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Xuanfu Military Town is not far from the capital, and Zhao Junchen hastened along the way. Three days later, he arrived at the defense zone of Xuanfu Military Town.
Zhao Junchen has high hopes for the Xuanfu Military Town - this military town is not only powerful, but also very close to the capital. If Zhao Junchen can completely control this military town, in the future, if there is an emergency that requires the table to be lifted, , you can get military support in the shortest possible time.
Moreover, Zhao Zicheng, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu Military Town, is young and lacks scheming. He only took the position of the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu Army because of his noble family background. He is also greedy for money, vain, and has a high self-esteem. This kind of person is easy to It can be elevated and controlled.
In fact, Xuanfu Military Town has always been the key penetration target of "Jubao Trading Company", and the penetration progress is also very fast.
To this day, Zhao Zicheng, the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Military Town, has regarded Zhao An, the shopkeeper of "Jubao Trading Company", as his God of Wealth. Most of the important military attachés in Xuanfu Military Town have been bribed by "Jubao Trading Company";
After the money offensive of "Jubao Trading Company", Xuanfu Military Town has sold all the things it can sell to "Jubao Trading Company", so "Jubao Trading Company" now has complete control over the logistics and operation of Xuanfu Military Town quartermaster;
At the same time, most of the tens of thousands of Shaanxi-Gansu disaster victims who were most grateful for Zhao Junchen's kindness were arranged to cultivate fields in the defense zone of Xuanfu Military Town;
It can be said that the day when Zhao Junchen will completely control Xuanfu Military Town is very close.
Zhao Junchen came to Xuanfu Military Town this time, ostensibly to negotiate with the Jianzhou Jurchens, but in fact he also wanted to conduct an on-site inspection of his power management.
When Zhao Junchen's team entered the defense area of Xuanfu Military Town, all the civil and military officials in Xuanfu Military Town had received the news in advance and had been waiting there for a long time. There were more than a thousand people in the welcoming team.
After seeing the welcoming team, Zhao Junchen asked Chu Jiayi to stay in the carriage while he got off the carriage himself and met and talked with everyone in Xuanfu Military Town.
A very interesting phenomenon is that the image and temperament of several important civil and military officials in Xuanfu Military Town are completely opposite to their actual character.
Zhao Zicheng, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, is still young, very handsome, and has a capable and arrogant air. If people who don't know the details see his image like this, they will probably regard him as a white horse, a silver spear, and Zhao Zilong. A heroic figure, but in fact he himself has some martial arts skills and is familiar with the art of war, but other than that he doesn't have much that stands out.
General Gao Shun has a short stature and a big beard. He looks rough and careless, but in fact he is shrewd and cunning. If this person is not too greedy, he will always be blinded by money, otherwise he will definitely be Xuan. The most difficult person to deal with in Fujun Town.
Another general, Zhang Jie, is the most skilled and reputable officer in the Xuanfu military town. His tall, thin figure and expressionless face give people a cold feeling, but in fact he has a temperament that is cold on the outside and hot on the inside. The most important thing is filial piety, so Zhao Junchen arranged for "Jubao Trading Company" to deliberately take care of his mother in his hometown. The name is care, but it is actually control.
There is also Liu Heng, the prefect of Xuanhua Prefecture. On the surface, he is elegant, wise, and personable, but in fact, he is a person who has no independent opinions and is submissive, so you don't need to pay too much attention to him.
Everyone in the Xuanfu Military Town did not know that Zhao Junchen was the master behind the "Jubao Trading Company", but Zhao Junchen had already learned about their temperament and preferences in detail through the "Jubao Trading Company", so after Zhao Junchen got off the carriage, he just A few words that seemed neither salty nor bland, and he didn't need to deliberately put down his airs as a pavilion elder, could easily scratch the itch of these people, and they couldn't help but feel close to Zhao Junchen.
After some courtesy, Zhao Junchen went straight to the point and asked: "What is the situation of the Jianzhou Jurchen army now? Is it still stationed thirty miles north of Xuanfu Military Town? Is there any change in Xuanfu Military Town? What's the preparedness status?"
Zhao Zicheng, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, still looked smart, capable, young and promising, and immediately replied: "I would like to inform you, Mr. Zhao Ge, that the Jurchen army in Jianzhou is still stationed in place and has only occasionally sent out a few groups of cavalry to test. The defense of Xuanfu Military Town, but the defense of Xuanfu Military Town is impregnable, if the Jianzhou Jurchens want to attack here, they will definitely hit the south wall and suffer a bloody head!"
Zhao Junchen thought about the intelligence he had received, and asked: "What is the logistics situation of Jianzhou Jurchen? How many days are supplies provided? This time I came to Xuanfu Military Town, of course, to meet with Jianzhou Jurchen Negotiations, but we must consider the worst case scenario. If this negotiation fails and the Jianzhou Jurchens invade in anger, how long can the Xuanfu military town resist? Have you prepared any countermeasures in advance? "
This time, Zhao Zicheng was speechless and had no answer at all.
After the Xuanfu Military Town saw the arrival of the Jianzhou Jurchen army, they just closed the door and deployed their defenses intensively. However, they did not send out troops to investigate the logistics situation of the Jianzhou Jurchens at night. They learned that the Jianzhou Jurchens wanted to attack After the imperial court asked for surrender, it lost its vigilance and even relaxed its defense, let alone preparing countermeasures in advance.
Seeing Zhao Zicheng's performance, Zhao Junchen secretly shook his head - I heard that this person was familiar with the art of war, but now it seems that he is just a figure like Ma Su. Talking about war on paper and practical application are two different things.
However, Zhao Junchen would not say much. If Zhao Zicheng was a shrewd, capable, and knowledgeable person, Zhao Junchen's infiltration into the Xuanfu military town would not have been so smooth.
In fact, in addition to Xuanfu Military Town, the closest military town to the capital is Jizhou Military Town. However, the commander-in-chief of Jizhou Military Town is veteran general Zhang Su, who is a wily and experienced man. Emperor Deqing was also loyal, so Zhao Junchen was very cautious when he infiltrated Jizhou Military Town, and so far there has been little progress.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen did not take the opportunity to accuse Zhao Zicheng, but said slowly: "If this negotiation wants to proceed smoothly, I must have confidence! And my confidence comes from your Xuanfu Military Town. Troops! As long as the Xuanfu military town is not afraid of Jianzhou Jurchen overturning the table, we can stick to our negotiating position and not retreat! Therefore, this matter must be carefully arranged, and General Zhao will also need to pay a lot of attention!... Well, let’s discuss the specific matters when we get to Xuanhua Mansion.”
Seeing Zhao Junchen give him a step down, Zhao Zicheng also took the opportunity to suppress the embarrassment in his expression, nodded repeatedly and said: "See you, Mr. Zhao Ge! I will definitely arrange defense seriously in this humble position, and I will never dare to hinder Mr. Zhao Ge's negotiations!" Mr. Zhao Ge’s illustrious military exploits in Shaanxi and Gansu are very impressive, and he must be proficient in the art of war and strategy. We and everyone else in the Xuanfu Military Town also admire him deeply, and we also ask Mr. Zhao Ge to take the opportunity to give some advice when the time comes."
Zhao Junchen smiled and then returned to the carriage.
Then, Zhao Junchen's team merged with the welcoming team from Xuanfu Military Town, and rushed to Xuanhua Mansion, where the General Military Mansion of Xuanfu Military Town was stationed.
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