Jinjing, the four major outer towns, Changhe Town.
Jinjing was the most prosperous place of the Jin Dynasty and the ruling center of the empire. It had countless vagrants, businessmen, rich and poor, and countless people.
The center of the empire was also the culmination of the ancient society of this era. The city has a population of no less than one million, which is almost a miracle in this ancient era.
There are four important towns outside Jinjing connected to Jinjing, helping this giant city share the huge pressure on transportation, materials, population, environment, people and land.
Changhe Town is the end point of river transportation from the north to the south. Brocades from Yunzhou, silks from Jinzhou, fish, shrimps and fog tea from Jiangzhou, horses, cattle and sheep from Beizhou, rice from Tongzhou, rare grasses from Qingzhou, and several from Xuzhou One hundred thousand hectares of wheat...
Ship after ship of goods from various states gathered here, and even foreign countries came along the river. Seeing the scenery of this dock, they exclaimed: "Thousands of sails and ships, like countless pearls."
Another poet praised this prosperous scene.
"The huge ship is driven ahead of the oar, and the green poplars and green pines line the shore. Only the logistics can be moved in and out quickly, and the clean sweep and warehousing are updated. Thousands of goods and ships are all over the port, and the bright auspicious clouds and flags are flying. There are also wavelengths that are shining brightly, and all the goods flying in the sky are high and long. .”
"Smoke willows paint bridges, wind curtains are green, and there are hundreds of thousands of homes. Clouds and trees surround the embankment and sand, roaring waves roll up frost and snow, and the sky is endless. The city is lined with pearls, and the households are filled with Luoqi, competing for luxury."
On an inland river, a awning boat sailed slowly on the water. The boatman propped out the stern and swung two wooden oars. A book boy curiously bent down beside him and put his hand into the water, teasing the fish that could be seen from time to time.
On the bow of the boat, stood a man in white, tall and straight, with his hair tied and wearing a crown, holding a jade flute. The player gently sang out the unique melodious Jiangnan accent.
The black-topped boat rowed across the ancient bridge, and the light and shadow on Bai Jun's body changed from darkness to brightness, making him look as handsome as a fairy. The women washing clothes on both sides of the river bridge all looked shy, and they secretly looked at which young master had such a good appearance. .
In Bai Jun's eyes, everything he saw was an ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with terraces and pavilions near embankments, painted boats and pavilions, and tourists singing and playing music. There are lotus flowers for ten miles, osmanthus seeds for three autumns, and green mountains all around.
Here, there is a scene everywhere, so beautiful that it makes people indulge in the continuous drizzle, like a drunken dream of Jiangnan.
The awning boat sailed until it reached the pier of the river, and the boatman stepped forward and said to Bai Jun: "Sir, this is the Dongwu pier. If you want to enter Beijing, you can pass directly through Xuanwu Altar, which is about ten miles away. You can hire a carriage to get to Wengcheng.
But you have to be careful. There are many gangs on this dock. They are local gangsters. As an outsider, it is best not to provoke them. "
Bai Jun nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you very much." Then he took a bunch of money and put it in the boatman's hand.
"Oh, sir, this is a lot of money."
"It's okay, let's consider this as a reward for your kind words." Bai Jun smiled and said, "Mo Lin, let's go."
"Yes, sir!" Mo Lin carried the book basket on his back and followed Bai Jun to the dock with excitement.
This pier is specially used for tourists and passenger watercraft to land, and cargo is transported to the other three piers.
However, there are still people coming and going and traffic here.
There are small boats with black awnings like Bai Jin's, or large passenger ships dedicated to transporting passengers, with dozens of people sitting in a crowded cabin.
There were also huge painted boats and two-story boats, and the sound of music, silk and bamboo could be heard from them. They were obviously from wealthy and powerful families.
On a painting boat, several young men were drinking wine and having fun. They stood beside the fence of the painting boat with cups in their hands and sighed.
"Brother Zhao, there are still ten days until the results are released, are you sure?" A rich young man in a green shirt asked with a smile.
"Are you sure? Alas, I can't say for sure." The gray-robed young man looked a little melancholy on his brows, "It would be good if I can get a second grade in this imperial examination. As for the first grade, that's something Brother Yuan Jing has to consider."
"Brother Wen'an, don't make fun of me anymore." A handsome man in white said with a smile: "I can take the imperial examination and I am satisfied to see His Majesty the Holy Emperor. As for the first and second grades, there is no such thing. thing."
Hearing this, the rich young master drank the wine in one breath and sighed: "At least you all have hope, but I can't even take part in the imperial examination. What's the use of this noble status other than to eat and wait to die?" "
After saying that, he threw it away with a hateful sound, and the cup in his hand flew down, and smashed into the river with a "pop".
"Ouch! Who hit it? Didn't you see anyone? You almost hit someone!"
A childish voice came from the distance. The rich man was already unhappy, so he said coldly: "Grandpa You, so what if I hit him?"
The two of them looked around and saw a little book boy standing next to a awning boat on the dock shore, shouting.
Mr. Wen'an smiled and said: "Forget it, Brother Zhao, you are a great earl, how can you compete with a little book boy?"
"Hmph, I'm angry inside, can't I vent it out?" The rich young man's face was still full of anger, but he had no idea to pay attention to the book boy anymore.
Mo Lin, who had just landed on the shore, looked at the boat and made an angry face. Forget it if he couldn't afford to offend him, he still wanted to ridicule him. The new clothes the young master had just bought for him were soaked by the water. , can you not be angry?
Seeing him like this, Bai Yan couldn't help but laugh, "Let's go." Children are not bad at heart, and children's fun is always unexpected.
He raised his eyes and looked at the boat. Well... it was indeed quite big, and the scenery from it was pretty good.
I don't know if his mentality as a snake has changed, or for some reason, Bai Jun no longer likes to be in the bustle, but only likes to quietly watch from the sidelines. He wants to take a look at the beautiful mountains, rivers, and human scenery.
On the boat, Mr. Wen'an and the young man in white couldn't help but smile. The child was also naughty.
The rich young man's face turned red, "This little kid, don't let me see him again."
Yuan Jing smiled and was about to speak, but suddenly he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a man in white standing next to the child. He looked like a fairy in a painting and had an extraordinary temperament. More importantly, he felt vaguely familiar.
"strangeness……"
He looked around again and saw that the man had a gourd on his waist and a flute in his hand, and he felt more and more familiar.
"What's wrong, Brother Yuanjing?" Young Master Wen'an asked curiously.
"It's okay, I just saw someone who felt very familiar."
…
On the long street paved with bluestones, the cracks between the stones are covered with green moss, and the ground is always wet with people coming and going. A group of peddlers are squatting or standing in groups at the pier, chatting.
When he saw Bai Jun, he was shocked by his appearance first, and then he realized that someone came forward and said with a smile on his face: "This young master, do you need to carry something? Or if you need anything, we can help you." Running errands for you."
Bai Jin caught sight of this stooped man and said, "Is there an inn nearby? It needs to be somewhere cleaner and more elegant."
"Oh, you've asked the right person. I, Sun Ergou, have been here for twenty or thirty years, and I can figure out the doorways with my eyes closed.
I know that there is an inn nearby, and it is next to the riverside pier. The scenery is unique. Young Master, would you like to go and have a look? "Sun Ergou asked with an attentive smile.
"Well, let's go take a look." Bai Jun said to Mo Lin again: "Give him the book basket."
Mo Lin was startled for a moment and looked around at the dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them. He instantly understood that no matter whether you have goods or not, you must call a helper. otherwise,……
He took off the book basket and handed it to Sun Ergou.
Sun Ergou hurriedly took it, carried it on his back and said with a smile: "Master, please, go this way."
Bai Yan nodded and followed him.
The road was filled with stalls twice, and the sounds of various sales were endless. Different from the shopping streets in small places, the streets here were very clean and tidy. Bai Jun even saw a vacant lot where garbage trucks were specially piled up, and there were also people on the street. The patrolling officers were full-time officers dressed in official uniforms that looked very much like security guards.
Most of the fish and shrimps for sale on both sides of the road were fish and shrimps. Bai Jun passed by a vendor, and the big man happened to chop off the head of a lively grass carp with a knife. The fish's body was still struggling, and blood spattered everywhere.
Bai Jun paused for a step, fish blood dripping on the ground in front of him, and then continued to move forward.
After following Sun Ergou for about a quarter of an hour, we stopped in front of an inn. This inn was called Good Inn. It was quite elegant, but there were a little less people.
Sun Ergou took them in and shouted: "Shopkeeper, a distinguished guest is here!"
"Oops, you two guests are a little disappointed! My surname is Zhao, and I am the shopkeeper of our shop. I wonder if you two are working as top managers or staying in the shop?" Shopkeeper Zhao said with a smile.
"Stay in the hotel for ten days. I've been traveling for a long time, and now that I'm here, it's time to slow down. Find two rooms near the river. Here's the deposit." Bai Jun casually took out one dollar and three taels. The money on the left and right was handed to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper immediately beamed and said, "Okay! Guests! Wang Wu, why don't you take the two guests to see the room? You want to see the best room!"
"Hey, that's good!" A clever waiter hurriedly ran over and led Bai Jun upstairs.
Bai Jun also gave Sun Ergou a few pennies and asked Mo Lin to take the book basket and follow him.
When Sun Ergou saw Bai Jun going upstairs, he said to the shopkeeper: "Old Zhao, I have brought you a rich man, why don't you express your gratitude?"
"Haha, don't worry, of course your share will be indispensable." Shopkeeper Zhao took dozens of coins and handed them to him without any surprise, and said with a smile: "Bring more guests here, you will benefit from it!"
Sun Ergou said with a smile: "Okay, shopkeeper Zhao, don't worry!"
He took dozens of pennies and left happily, but in his mind he was thinking about how much of the dozens of pennies he would have to hand over to the gang, how he would avoid being extorted by the leader, and how he should give the saved dozens of pennies to his family. Buy something.
This is the life of ordinary lower-class people. Their hardships cannot be shown in ancient history and movies. Living in Jinjing is not easy, and it is not easy for the people. Shangguan Quanhao's eyes are full of prosperity and prosperity, and the prosperity is prosperous.
Bai Jun stayed at the Good Inn. There was still a month until the ninth day of July, so he was in no hurry to go to Jinjing.
Open the window and you will see a network of water below, facing the street and the river, small boats and boats, ancient bluestone roads, small bridges over flowing water, long streets and willow alleys, and it feels like a land of fish and rice.
He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the scenery he saw was completely different.
I saw a huge basalt shadow lying in the town of Changhe, a fiery red bird in Zhuzi Town in the south, a giant cyan dragon in the town of Yuanmu in the east, and a giant blue dragon lying in the town of Jinling in the west. The huge white tiger beast.
Four elephants and four pole beasts suppress Jinjing, the imperial capital of the Jin Dynasty, guarding the four directions, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and yin and yang are in harmony. This place must have been created by a Feng Shui master to create such a prosperous place, where yin and yang are hidden, and it is in accordance with the will of heaven. , The lower part is in line with the people's hearts, and it is more in line with the terrain. The three talents and four phenomena are all in it.
Bai Jun looked at Jinjing's sea of luck that was like a golden sky. He hesitated for a moment and calmed down.
"Hoo~"
A gust of evening wind blows, drizzle falls, and the dreamlike misty water scene is right in front of you. Bai Jun plays the long flute. Wouldn't the Holy Emperor blame him for sparing a hand?
After all, he came to attend the Banquet of the Hundred Gods. But since ancient times, banquets have been divided into good and bad. If it is the Hongmen Banquet, and he is in a deep palace, his demonic and divine powers are suppressed by the fate of a country, and he is just a little demon, then he is not at the mercy of others?
If it’s a good feast, then everyone will be happy!
…
Jinjing, Lu Mansion.
Lu Yuanjing returned home after returning from the painting boat, thinking that his mother should lecture him again for coming back late and getting wet in the rain.
So he quietly returned to the other courtyard. When passing by the temple, he suddenly remembered something and stopped his servant, "Hold on, go burn incense in Liuzu Temple!"
"Yes! Master." The servant was a little surprised, but didn't ask any more questions.
Lu Yuanjing's heart trembled. When he held three incense sticks in his hand, he raised his head and faced the statue of Liu Ancestor.
His body went limp and he almost fell down.
The servant was startled and hurriedly supported him, "Master, are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Yuanjing murmured: "Exactly the same! Both gourds and flutes!"
He hurriedly burned three sticks of incense, but did not dare to raise his head to look at the statue again, because he felt guilty, and even felt that the statue above his head was looking at him in the dark.
"Where is mother? Come quickly and I will see mother."
Lu Yuanjing hurriedly gave instructions to his servants.
He hurried to the main room and when he saw the housekeeper there, he withdrew and went in alone. The housekeeper was guarding outside the door. When he saw that the eldest young master was entering alone, he did not stop him.
Lu Yuanjing walked into the main room and heard the conversation between his father and his mother.
"Master, I went to the palace today to pay homage to Concubine Shu, and I happened to meet Eunuch Feng. He really said it." This was the voice of his mother, Mrs. Lu Zhao.
"That's not a good thing!" This was the voice of his father, Lu Ming'en.
"But, sir, I remember that next month is the Banquet of the Hundred Gods. Do you think Liu Zu... will really come?"
"I don't know, Liu Zu hasn't told us a dream for a long time." Lu Mingen sighed: "Well, don't go into the palace again. After all, getting Eunuch Feng in is a matter of luck. We can't expose him anymore.
I will order the secret guards at home to rush back to the ancestral home day and night to hold a ceremony to worship Ancestor Liu and to ask Liu Ancestor to descend from the gods. "
"Dad!" Lu Yuanjing suddenly said: "Dad! I have something important to discuss with you."
When Lu Mingen saw that it was his son who suddenly broke in, he just scolded him, "You are so old and you still don't understand the rules. The fact that Lao De is guarding outside means that I have important matters to discuss with your mother. Don't be so rash next time." .”
"Yes! Dad!" Lu Yuanjing said solemnly: "Dad, I may have seen Liu Zu coming to Beijing!"
