In Japan, Matsudaira Takemoto usually travels in his own "driving cage"①, and behind him is Tanaka Hanaki with some servants to follow him. Even if it is a simple trip, for the sake of your own safety, you still have to take precautions.
Now that you are on a mission to China, you don't have to worry about political enemies sending people over to assassinate you. Matsudaira Takemoto decided to take Tanaka Hanaki alone for the trip this time. It would not necessarily be a good thing if he brought too many servants out to be too ostentatious.
Tanaka Hamu's full name is Tanaka Sanlang Yumu Guardsman. Because guarding is an official position, others also call him Tanaka Guardsman.
Tanaka Hagi was a samurai under the banner of Matsudaira Takemoto. The level of Hatamoto samurai is higher than that of ordinary samurai (such as generals), but there is no way to compare with samurai at the level of "family elders" and "generals" who own their own territories.
Therefore, the Hatamoto samurai are more pure samurai. If most of the Hatamoto samurai do not have extraordinary abilities, it will be difficult for them to make a living.
Although Tanaka Hamu is only less than 1.6 meters tall, his martial arts skills are indeed very impressive. When he was still a wandering samurai in Edo, many people who provoked him were killed by his sword.
His outstanding killing record also won the favor of Matsudaira Takemoto. He was recruited by Matsudaira Takemoto and given the position of "guard". This also made Tanaka Hamu the envy of many fellow samurai. For this reason, Tanaka Hamu has always been very serious about guarding. With Tanaka Hamu by his side, Matsudaira Takemoto basically does not have to think about his own safety.
Originally, Matsudaira Takemoto's first choice when going out was definitely a cage, but this time, Matsudaira Takemoto came here hiding his identity, so he did not bring a cage that could symbolize his identity.
Shinagawa Nobukata, who was traveling with him, brought his cage, but Matsudaira Takemoto didn't like his cage at all, and if he really wanted to ride in Shinagawa Nobakata's cage, it would be easy for people to dislike him. It is not a good thing to be interested in identity.
Moreover, the cage is already very small, even if it is sitting like that without having to walk, it is not like roasting sweet potatoes in today's hot weather in Guangzhou.
There is no way to sit in the cage.
Takemoto Matsudaira was even less happy about walking. This place is nearly eight miles away from the Royal Mall. If you just wander around and walk the two or three miles, Songping is fine. But on a hot day, he had to walk eight miles and go back and forth, so Takemoto Matsudaira would rather not go out.
Of course, there are also some gorgeous sedan chairs for rent in Yichao, but the prices are very expensive, and there is usually no business. Gradually, there are fewer people doing business carrying sedan chairs. Especially with the emergence of rickshaws and bicycles that can be used by individuals, there are fewer people carrying sedans now, so it is not easy to find a sedan to travel, at least there are no sedans for rent here in Huitong. It is more of a horse-drawn carriage rental business, which is also the most popular way of traveling in this place.
In fact, you can also take a rickshaw or a bicycle in Matsudaira Takemoto, which is a sunbathing spot and a hotspot, but you can better appreciate the surrounding scenery. But Takemoto Matsudaira felt that these things were too crude. Who was he? Where could he sit on these?
So Matsudaira Takemoto asked someone to pay for a luxurious carriage.
After the carriage arrived, Matsudaira Takemoto was once again eye-opened. It turned out to be a four-wheeled carriage. Not only did it have a gorgeous and spacious hood, it was said that a shock absorber was installed on the axle to effectively reduce bumps and discomfort.
Although Matsudaira Takemoto usually travels in a gorgeous carriage, but after sitting on the soft seat of this four-wheel shock-absorbing carriage, Matsudaira Takemoto felt that he fell in love with this kind of carriage, and it was time to return to Japan. If you get one and run around the Edo Castle Gate for a few times, it will definitely be the most popular thing.
"Tanaka, what do you think of this car?" Takemoto Matsudaira, who was feeling very comfortable at the moment, said to Tanaka Hagi who was sitting opposite.
"Sir, this car is very comfortable, and the four wheels seem to require less horses to pull the car. The most important thing is that it is very stable." Tanaka Hanaki expressed his feelings carefully.
"Yes, the things of the Han people are good. We in Japan still have a lot to learn from them. China fell to the Qing Dynasty. After seeing their massacres, head shaving, literary prisons, etc., I thought there would be no more Han people in this land. May rise." Matsudaira Takemoto said leisurely while looking out the car window at the bustling streets with people coming and going.
"But seeing them these days, whether they are ships, trains, or these four-wheeled carriages, I am shocked. With the same land and people, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will never be able to create these things. But as long as this land is Returning to the rule of the Han Dynasty will always be looked up to by Japan. It is impossible for us to plot this land."
"Then Sir, what should we do?" Hearing this, Tanaka Hamu asked with some confusion.
"Yes! What should we do?" Takemoto Matsudaira answered playfully, seeming to make Tanaka Hamu confused.
If Takemoto Matsudaira was shocked by the change of a four-wheeled carriage, then what happened next would make him even more confused.
Times are progressing, and Guangzhou, now the economic and political center, is changing day by day. With the use of electricity, good research results have been achieved in the development of motors, so much so that wired trolleybuses have appeared in Guangzhou's New Imperial City.
Of course, from a modern perspective, the wired trolleybus in Yichao is not considered a car at all, or it is not much different from a larger toy car.
This so-called tram is a large iron box with four wheels equipped with two larger electric motors, and then it is energized through wired lines, and then a switch is made to turn the power on and off, a brake is added, and a steering shaft is added. The steering of the tires and speed control are entirely up to the driver.
It is completely incomparable with the comfort of modern trolleybuses. It can move and stop. On hot days, the roof of the trolleybus can have a fan, even if it blows hot air.
This does not affect it at all, it is one of the most outstanding products of this era.
But even for such a great product, it does not prioritize serving the royal family and officials, but is jointly launched by the royal family and the court as a public transportation device. The fare is not particularly expensive, and most ordinary people can afford it.
The output of this kind of trolleybus is still very low, and there are only two lines currently laid out in the entire New Imperial City, which can be said to be only a handful. As the place where Yichao has the most direct contact with the outside world, Huitong Hall is fortunate to have a trolley bus route, and the route is planned to pass through the Royal Mall.
The road planning of Yichao has completely divided the paths for pedestrians and vehicles, which also largely avoids the situation in the TV series where people and horses mix and cause casualties.
At this time, Matsudaira Takemoto, who was sitting on the carriage and saw the tram passing by, once again widened his eyes in disbelief, and then asked the coachman in awkward Chinese: "The handlebar type, the front What is that? Is it different from a steam train?"
Note ①: A carriage is a sedan with a very small interior space, which can only accommodate one person sitting cross-legged. In Japan only daimyo, samurai and nobles can ride. Its style is a symbol of the status of the daimyo. During the Edo period, on their way to Edo to carry out the "Acceptance of Attendance", all the daimyo would ride in gorgeous carriages that could express their status.
