On June 3, 1794, that is, April 30th of the sixth year of Kanzhi of the island country, the "Jaguar" carrying Amiu and his party arrived at the sea outside Ishinomaki Port. When this large and slender sailing ship appeared in the port, it immediately attracted countless eyeballs, and everyone came to watch it.
Today's Ishinomaki Port is no longer the dilapidated small fishing port when Zhao Xin and the others first came, but has become a distribution center for goods entering and exiting the entire Mutsu region.
After the beginning of spring, the harbor is full of sails and boats, and boats and boats are connected with each other, making it extremely noisy and busy. The original small wooden pier was replaced by a large stone straight-line pier, standing in the sea more than 200 meters away from the shore. The pier is connected to the land through a ten-meter-wide stone base trestle, and there are more than a dozen berths that can dock thousands of stones for the return ship.
This wharf was built when Cao Peng first came here. It was all made of stone and concrete, and it has not been completed until now. The stones used all come from Mount Kamuro in the west of Sendai. If Beihai Town hadn't helped quarry the mountain and provided some engineering equipment, the Sendai clan would not have been able to build it.
Beihai Town's help in building the dock was not out of charity. After years of development, Ishinomaki Port has become one of the two major distribution centers for island countries to export labor to Beihai Town, the other being Yokohama. Nowadays, 20,000 to 30,000 laborers gather here every spring in these two places and board ships to build the railway in Beihai Town. If the terminal is not powerful, the turnover rate of personnel will not be fast.
Since the trial operation of Khabarovsk's steel plant last year, especially after the hot rolling workshop was put into operation, the output of rail tracks has greatly increased, and several railway lines will all start construction this year. The three most important lines are from Yaksa to Ulan-Ude on the east coast of Baibai Lake, Khabarovsk to Fuldan City, and from Fuldan City to Jilin Ula via Ninggu Pagoda. As a result, Beihai Town's demand for island workers has surged, and it is expected that the total number of migrant workers going to Beihai Town this year will exceed 50,000.
As more and more people gathered to watch the excitement, and amidst the commotion, hundreds of guards armed with ten hands and sticks came running from the direction of Ishinomaki Town. They drove away the crowd gathered in front of the trestle, and moved wooden fences to separate a large open space. Half an hour later, when everything was prepared and more than twenty warriors cleared the way, a very exquisitely crafted "female carriage" was also carried over by two sturdy bearers. Its gorgeous appearance and skillful craftsmanship made everyone present take a breath of air and squeeze forward desperately to watch.
The surface of the car, which is only a little over one meter high and less than one meter wide, and the thick car bars are all made of dark and shiny paint as the base color, and are covered with various patterns painted with gold paint and patterns made of gold flakes. Corner decoration. For example, the bamboo bird pattern painted on the sliding door, the peony arabesque pattern surrounding the front, rear, left and right, and the vertical flame pattern on the window grille and the four corners of the car. When these patterns are illuminated by the sun, they shine golden and dazzling.
Among the crowd watching the excitement, a knowledgeable shop owner exclaimed: "Who is here? He actually took out all the things Junji used for her wedding?!"
Speaking of the Japanese sedan chair in the Edo period - that is, the cage, there is a lot of emphasis on it, and it also has different appearances and names according to social class.
The sedans used by the Tokugawa shoguns and feudal lords were called "jomono", and there were various styles such as gilt-coated ones. The bearers were called "rokushaku"; the sedans used by high-ranking samurai and wealthy people were called "Hōsenji karō". " and "Xingfu", there are not many decorations on the outside except the emblem; while the common people can only sit on the four-handed cage with no obstructions on both sides, which are divided into mountain cage and sleep cage according to their functions.
According to the regulations of the "Samurai Laws", only the generals, Tokugawa clan, feudal lords, castle lords, sons of daimyo who have more than 10,000 koku and hold a kingdom, castle lords, the legitimate sons of attendants or above, people over fifty years old, Doctors, onmyoji, and patients are allowed to ride in the sedan chair, but others are not allowed in principle.
This means that as long as the above requirements are not met, no matter how rich you are, you have only one choice when going out, and that is to stay on your feet. In addition, if the status is not enough, mules and horses cannot be ridden. They can carry things, but they must be led. Otherwise, the warriors have the right to kill them if they encounter them.
"Boss of Gutianwu, who do you think used this?"
The owner of Tanitaya explained: "Don't you know about the late lord's second daughter, Junhime-sama? She is the one who married the Uwajima Domain."
"Oh! It's that female highness. Remember, remember!"
It is said that Date Shigemura's eldest daughter died young, so the second daughter Junhime became the de facto eldest daughter. When the eldest daughter gets married, the respectable Date family naturally has to make great arrangements. This daughter's vehicle was specially made for her wedding. This thing is usually locked in the warehouse of Qingye City and has not been taken out for many years. The appearance today shows that the person to be picked up is definitely no less noble than the princess of the second largest vassal in the world.
While everyone on the pier was talking about it, the "Jaguar" had already entered the berth and parked. Several sailors set up the springboard. The first to come down were 30 strong North Koreans, leaving several people waiting on the trestle to come down. The feudal lord's eyes widened and he didn't dare to breathe.
It’s no wonder they are afraid. Everyone in the Northern Navy is fully armed, with camouflage green military uniforms, helmets, and tactical vests. They all wear black anti-cut neck protectors; the vests on the chest are equipped with triple bombs. The magazine bag is bulging; the weapon in his hand is not the semi-automatic rifle used by the ordinary North Korean navy, but a fully automatic weapon of water; there is also a quick-draw holster strapped to the outside of the thigh, with a black gun inserted in it. pistol.
Nowadays, apart from the special operations battalion, only Zhao Xin's guard team can have this equipment in the entire North Navy.
After the guards disembarked, they quickly formed a formation along both sides of the trestle, keeping each person three meters apart. Once everything is confirmed to be safe, a signal is sent to the ship. Then, a strong man in military uniform walked out of the boat.
This man was only in his twenties, about 1.65 meters tall, and had a neither humble nor arrogant smile on his face. Unlike other soldiers, he had no other equipment except for a pistol pouch hanging on the belt around his waist. He looked at several Sendai clan officials with slightly narrowed eyes, and then looked at the crowd of onlookers on the pier. He said: "My name is Li Wenqing, and I am the company commander of the North Navy Guard Battalion. I am fully responsible for Miss A Miao's security affairs this time. Please tell me directly about your subsequent itinerary and arrangements. I'm sorry to bother you."
Ever since Ishikawa Murafumi made up his mind to fight against Edo with the help of Hokkaido Town, he asked officials of the Sendai Domain to learn to speak Mandarin. In the first few years, he also sent his two sons and elite children selected by each family to study in Hokkaido Town. These people have stayed in Fuldan City for two years and have a good understanding of various systems in Beihai Town. They also know that the only one who can call themselves a "guard battalion" is the army around Zhao Xin.
The leader of the feudal lord did not dare to neglect, and then bowed to Li Wenqing and saluted, and said in a strange Mandarin: "Master Li, you are serious. I am in charge of Ishikawa Village, and I will be the messenger for this time. Miaoji will be passing by when she returns to her hometown this time. This vassal, dare not to receive her wholeheartedly. Our mistress, Mrs. Yu Ding, specially sent us here to welcome Miao Ji to stay in Qingye City."
Speaking of receiving A Miao, the Sendai clan really put a lot of thought into it. A Miao is not married to Zhao Xin yet, and due to the system of Beihai Town, even if she is married, she has no legal status. Ishikawa Murafumi and other big bosses have had a headache over this for several days. We can't let the family head and Lao Zhong come forward to entertain us, right? If this spreads out, it will become a joke. Even if you want to curry favor with Zhao Xin, you can't be so despicable that you don't respect etiquette.
In the end, everyone decided to ask Mrs. Yu Ding, the mother of the head of the family, Ida Qicun, to come forward to receive them. They also asked the family to take the initiative to use the expensive things that the Ida family had used to marry their daughter. This would not only avoid embarrassment, but also give Beihai Town face.
Li Wenqing nodded slightly after hearing this and asked the accompanying soldiers to return to the ship to inform. Not long after, A Miao, whose face was covered by gauze, walked off the springboard with Chen Erya, who was also wearing military uniform.
She was seen wearing a gauze hat, a moon-white palace silk jacket, and a lake-colored string silk skirt. Perhaps because of the strong wind at sea, she wore a fox fur vest of silver, red and green satin on her upper body, and a lake-colored hooded cloak. Her steps were graceful, and her figure was even more graceful and charming. But what is shocking is that behind the woman, there is a fat cat with a swaying fat head and big ears.
Well, King Duofu has become accustomed to A Miao's care. He feels uncomfortable when he can't see this "slave" for a day. So when A Miao left home, this guy slipped under the seat of the carriage without anyone noticing. When they found it at Whale Harbor, the lazy cat grabbed A Miao's skirt with its claws and howled and refused to let go. Everyone who accompanied him knew the status of this guy in Zhao Xin's family, and they didn't dare to use force, so Duofu succeeded in his treacherous plan and followed him.
Ishikawamura Ren looked at A Miao, who was dressed in Han Chinese clothes, and couldn't help but feel emotional in his heart. Over the years, his father and those in Edo had worked hard to please Zhao Xin, and the beautiful woman was given eighty instead of one hundred. However, she was not even seen, and all of them retreated. Instead, she was a run-down samurai family of the Takasaki Domain. His daughter is regarded as a treasure by him.
When A Miao saw the golden car shining inside and outside, she couldn't help but stop, thinking that this was too extravagant. While hesitating, Ren Ishikawamura smiled at the side and said: "Miaoji, don't mind it. Prince Zhao has great favors for this domain, and you are a member of Prince Zhao's family, and your status is like a princess of the celestial dynasty. The mistress specially asked someone to withdraw from the treasury. Take it out for you to ride on.”
Li Wenqing on the side also said: "Miss Miao, there are many people here and it is not suitable to stay for a long time. We can wait until we get to Qingye City to talk about anything."
A Miao nodded, declined the support of the two maids, and went straight forward and leaned into the sedan. When Duofu saw it, Chi Liu followed. One of the maids wondered where the wild cat came from and was about to scold her away when A Miao said in Japanese: "Let it come up, it is following me."
Several maids were a little surprised when they heard this, wondering why they brought a big fat cat with them when they went out?
That afternoon, A Miao and his party arrived at Qingye City and stayed at Cao Peng's home. It was the first time for the hostess Lin Sanyue to meet A Miao. Because she was worried about Zhao Xin, she spoke a little cautiously. But on the second day, as their understanding deepened, Yue Yue quickly fell in love with this quiet girl, and she spoke more casually.
In the afternoon of the next day, Mrs. Yu Ding held a tea party in the back house of Ninomaru to entertain A Miao, accompanied by the female relatives of the feudal bosses. Everyone was very curious about this girl dressed in Hanfu, but they didn't dare to ask more questions. Mrs. Yu Ding, on the other hand, was very surprised to see A Miao's eyebrows closed and knew that she was still a virgin.
Could it be that Prince Zhao only regarded her as his sister? If I had known this, I should have asked Igu Shou to propose marriage to King Zhao on my son's behalf a few years ago and make him the main wife.
Mrs. Yu Ding was just sighing blindly. You must know that Date Shigemura had engaged her son a long time ago, and Yuan Fu got married that year. And that little daughter-in-law is the daughter of the predecessor Guan Baiying Si Fuping who was burned to death in the fire, and she is also the only descendant of the Yingsi family.
A Miao went to have tea, but Duofu, who stayed at home, had no one to take care of him, so he began to cause trouble in Cao Peng's garden. At first it was sniffing here and there, but soon it was swatting at butterflies, climbing trees to the house, and even broke the branches of a magnolia flower. When Cao Peng learned about it, he was very angry. He held back his anger and used dried fish to lure him. When Duofu came closer, he grabbed the back of his neck and slapped his butt twice. He was not used to this guy. Now Duofu is honest, but from now on, he will run away whenever he sees Cao Peng.
After staying in Aoba Castle for two days, everything was ready for the Sendai Domain, so Amiao set off south along the streets of Oshu under the joint escort of dozens of domain warriors, maids and guards. This time, she said she would not sit in that luxurious car, but instead used a Hosenji cage borrowed from the Ishikawa Village family.
Li Wenqing, Chen Erya and others all rode horses. Fortunately, the Sendai clan had purchased a lot of Mongolian horses from Beihai Town in recent years to improve local horse breeds. Otherwise, they would have had to ride those southern horses that were like donkeys.
Two days later, the group arrived at the Koriyama campsite in southern Fukushima and met the shogunate envoy and several guides who had been waiting here for two days.
"Master Li, this is a general document issued by the shogunate. According to this, no one can stop anyone at the checkpoints along the way. Accommodation and food and rice supplies will also be arranged." After the messenger finished speaking, he motioned to Li Wenqing to the two mountain people kneeling on the ground. The dressed guy said: "These two are the guides. They are very familiar with the road to Takasaki Domain."
Li Wenqing took the document, opened it, glanced at it twice, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for taking care of me!"
It is said that Ami's hometown is in Takasaki Domain, which is the territory of the shogunate, so it is impossible for Sendai Domain to be alone in escorting and currying favor with Hokkai Town. After Edo learned about it, they also summoned their retainers to discuss the matter and bargained with people from the Sendai clan. During this period, they broke up on bad terms many times.
The Tokugawa shogunate means that the Sendai clan can send people to the northern checkpoint of the Shirakawa clan, and the shogunate will take care of the rest. After the festival is completed, we will send the people back to Edo, and then board the ship from Yokohama Port.
Sendai Clan said stop talking nonsense! This is impossible, Miao Ji is a relative of Zhao Wangdian, and her status is very important. What's more, we have already agreed with Mr. Cao that we will be responsible for this matter from beginning to end. You only need to inform the various places along the way and ask them to provide food and horse feed.
The shogunate said it was a good idea. It is absolutely impossible for you to take this opportunity to spy on our intelligence.
The Sendai clan envoy sneered and said that we have already seen all your broken forts, so who cares to spy on them!
The envoy from the shogunate said that since you want to send people to follow Takasaki Domain, you must admit that the shogunate is the master of the world. After so many years, Satsuma Domain should have an explanation. In addition, we also want a share of Palawan Island.
The Sendai clan’s envoy said that I was bah! How do you count the fact that you collaborated with the Shimazu family to poison the previous head of our family? !
From the moment the Sendai clan decided to avenge the clan leader Date Shigemura and united with Hokkai Town to conquer the Satsuma clan, they had violated the "Samurai Family Laws" formulated by the shogunate and became rebellious.
After the "Battle of Maguuma", although the two sides temporarily restored peace under the auspices of Hokkai Town, the Tokugawa shogunate did not dare to rest assured, so it mobilized heavy troops and militiamen to build outposts on the borders of Shirakawa Domain, Aizu Domain and Nagaoka Domain There are many hidden forts at the level, and some of the 12-pound guns purchased from Beihai Town are deployed here. The Sendai clan was naturally not content to lag behind others. They also had many checkpoints in the Suka River area and built several forts.
The two sides were in a stalemate, and Cao Peng, who finally learned of the situation, came up with a solution. Don't talk nonsense, it's just a return home visit, making it look like the Celestial Empire inspecting the island country's territory. We don’t want anyone from your two families. When we enter Shirakawa Domain, the shogunate will only need to send two guides, and we don’t need any guards of honor. If you really encounter thieves on the road, the accompanying Bei navy is not just a decoration!
In fact, Cao Peng also had bad intentions and was obviously trying to be biased. It was okay for the Sendai clan to send people to escort him, but it was not possible for the Tokugawa shogunate to handle it if they wanted to. But the Tokugawa shogunate dared to challenge the Sendai clan, but they did not dare to challenge Beihai Town.
After learning about it, Matsudaira Nobuaki, the leader of the old army, was too lazy to argue anymore, and simply agreed to Cao Peng's plan; anyway, if I can't eat it, you can't eat it either. He then notified all the vassals along the way in the name of the shogunate, and issued a general document for the envoys to take with them.
The function of the mountain cage is similar to that of a climbing pole. Someone can carry it on the mountain road. Jukua cages were used to transport passengers between post towns, because post stations in the Edo period were called "shukuba".
