To be honest, the Song Dynasty did have many shortcomings and many big problems, but for the time being, it did not prevent Zhao Mengqi from appreciating the bustling and interesting city in front of him.
From time to time, a small vendor in short brown trousers would pass by the car window pushing a trolley filled with various goods. His hawking voice was like a chant, with thousands of rhymes, which was quite attractive. Once he had attracted customers, he would stop on the street. Let him choose, and start selling the products eloquently.
Not far away, women carrying bamboo baskets were rummaging through the goods on the stalls, which only cost a few cents or more. After looking for what they liked, they began to bargain with the stall owners, as if scolding, to win. His face was red and his sharp and sharp words made the old master who passed by shook his head and sighed that only women and villains are difficult to raise.
Various shops are lined up on the street, with bright flags and flags hanging, and the waiters are shouting and enthusiastically inviting customers to enter the store.
One of the shops is particularly bright. In front of the wide facade, there is a colorful door, and groups of young ladies are constantly coming in and out under the door.
These little ladies, with their hairpins and makeup and beautiful spring clothes, are as graceful and graceful as flowers in full bloom. They are dizzying to the eye, and the color is inspiring to the soul, making the heart happy.
Many young men were wandering around, and some of them were bold, always trying to strike up a conversation, which made the ladies laugh, tease, or scold them.
A little further away, there should be a calligraphy and painting shop. There are many scholars in white clothes in front of the door, either carrying bamboo slips or carrying books. When they meet someone they know, they bow their hands and worship each other. Some are in mutual agreement, and some stop to talk about something. The young admirer stood on tiptoe and looked at the young and lovely ladies.
There are also some alleys and street corners, where there are two or three idle people, braving the cold spring, with open arms and bare arms, and their eyes are constantly roaming the streets, looking for opportunities to make money.
Occasionally, there will be Zaoli carrying water and fire sticks, lazily patrolling the streets, and when they see them, they will inevitably come up to them and curse a few words. Compete with them.
There are also water carriers carrying burdens, young men walking quickly with takeaways, monks on foot, urchins chasing and playing, and people of all kinds from all walks of life, outlining a scene of flourishing prosperity.
This situation is so vivid and beautiful!
It's a pity that if there is no change, in another twenty years, all this will be crushed by the barbarian cavalry, just like Kaifeng in Tokyo, Luoyang in Xijing, Chang'an, Yingtian, Daiming, Taiyuan, Zhending, Qingzhou...
Zhao Mengqi let out a long sigh, put down the curtain, and his heart began to feel heavy.
It is actually very difficult and even a luxury to hope to save the world and protect the country by one's own efforts.
But since God sent him back to this era and allowed him to live another life, he had to do something. Not to mention anything else, what's the point of just being iron-headed for the sake of this worldly fireworks?
The carriage passed through the crowd, from east to west, across the entire Lin'an City, and finally left the city through Fengyu Gate and arrived at the West Lake.
About a hundred feet away from the city gate, probably where the Yongjin Tower would be in later generations, stood a main building about ten feet high, which looked extremely majestic in this era.
This is the most famous restaurant in Lin'an, the most luxurious place in the Song Dynasty, 'Fengle Tower'.
Before going south, there was a "Fan Tower" in Kaifeng, Tokyo, which has always been the best restaurant in the world. It was renamed "Fengle Tower" during the reign of Emperor Huizong.
This building in Lin'an was originally called Shucui Tower. It was the command post of the Imperial City Department at the beginning of the journey to the south. Later, it was converted into a government-run restaurant and was renamed Fengle Tower.
The name represents people’s nostalgia for Tokyo’s scenery.
Five years ago, Lin'an Mansion demolished the old building and rebuilt it on the original site in the style of Tokyo Fan Building, making it truly the best restaurant in the world.
Not only is this the first choice for regular banquets with courtiers and dinners for Jin gentry, it is also here for the deer-minging banquet given to new Jinshi scholars.
But what most people don't know is that this place is actually managed by the Imperial City Division. It is not only one of the funding sources of the Imperial City Division, but also a base for investigation.
At this moment, high up in the building, a man in Tsing Yi stood with his hands behind his hands, leaning on the railing and looking down at the ants-sized tourists in the distance.
There was a hint of unruliness in his unparalleledly handsome face, his eyebrows were deeply knitted, and there seemed to be hesitation in his eyes, as if he had encountered a huge problem.
This man is Gu Qing and Gu Guyun of Zhilong Tuge and Tidian Imperial City.
Longtuge Zhige is a post-level title with a seventh rank. It is very different from Bao Zheng's third-rank Longtuge Zhige, but it is also an honorary title given to noble civil servants.
The Imperial City Secretary Tidian is a dispatcher. He is also a seventh-grade official, but he is a military attache. His power is second only to the Imperial City Secretary Tiju. However, for some reasons, he is now the actual person in charge.
It was very common in the Song Dynasty for civil servants to perform martial arts, but it was rare to directly enter the martial arts yamen, especially the "disgusting" ones like the Imperial City Department. There must be many stories among them.
"Be warned, His Royal Highness Prince Zhong has left the city and will be arriving soon." A marriage officer came in to report.
Gu Qing turned around, rubbed his brows, and sighed slightly, "After all, we can't escape. Let's make arrangements to invite His Highness to Shuiyunjian and try to avoid idlers."
"Here." The marriage officer accepted the order and hesitated for a moment, "To remind you, what should I do if His Highness wants to see you?"
Hearing this, Gu Qing smiled bitterly and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Let's talk about it then."
The marriage officer withdrew, and Gu Qing walked up to the desk. There was a short note on it, which was the handwriting of Lin Yaban that came from the palace in the morning.
It read, "I am old and it is difficult for me to serve my two masters. It is your destiny to be loyal to the king. Where to go is up to you."
Lin Yaban is the official chief officer of the Imperial City Department, but he has been in a semi-retired state and does not take care of much. In the past two years, Gu Qing has been in charge.
Old Man Lin not only showed support and care for Gu Qing, he also regarded him as his nephew and trusted him deeply.
Now, the old man threw the pressure directly on him and let him make his own choice. But the matter was so important that he, who was always decisive, had been thinking about it all morning, but he still had not made up his mind.
The Imperial City Secretary, the emperor's eyes and ears, the protector of imperial power, could only be loyal to one person in the official family in principle, so all the people who had been in charge must be the official's confidant.
No emperor would allow others to infiltrate this important institution.
But the implication of Old Man Lin's words clearly implies that he believes that Prince Zhong will be the next emperor, and the interests and consequences are self-evident.
The key is that the Imperial City Secretary is a spy, but he is prohibited from snooping into the inner palace, so all his knowledge of King Zhong comes from outside the palace, which is confusing and shrouded in mystery.
Some choices, once made, can never be turned back. If something goes wrong, not only he and his family, but even most of the Imperial City will be in danger.
Gu Qing picked up the short note and put it to the candlelight. The flames danced, reflecting on his face that made countless women jealous, "Master Lin, you are really good at throwing hands..."
