In the spring of March, the grass grows and orioles fly. It is indeed a good weather. On the straight official road, a group of light horses gallops towards the road. Dozens of strong horses galloped around, kicking up smoke and dust. The crisp sound of hoofbeats spread from the beginning of the road to the end of the road, attracting all travelers along the way.
Of course, the most eye-catching thing is not the flamboyant gesture, but the flag behind each fierce knight: Anton. Needless to say, these small flags have fully demonstrated their identities, and anyone with a little knowledge will know that, and the leader of this team is none other than the newly appointed King of Anton, Liu Wenyuan.
Of course, Liu Wenyuan, the King of Andong, is not counted strictly from a legal perspective because he has not yet been canonized by the imperial court. According to the rules set by Emperor Liu, the new king of a feudal country must be canonized by the imperial court to succeed to the throne, and the new king must also be canonized by the imperial court to complete the entire succession process.
Liu Xu passed away in the winter last year, and it has been almost four months since then. After such a long time, Liu Wenyuan just left for Beijing to go through the final procedures. Of course, before that, Liu Wenyuan had done almost everything he needed to do. He had basically taken care of Anton's affairs and formally exercised the power of King Anton. Then, at the reminder of the Prime Minister Geng Jixun, he went south to the capital.
Not only did he accept the official canonization from the imperial court and get the golden book, he also allowed the ministers of the Han Dynasty to meet the new king of Anton. Unlike his father, who had a youthful spirit and denounced Fang Qiu, Liu Wenyuan was obviously much more flamboyant. Although he came to Beijing with only a few dozen flags, the swaggering formations that passed through the city made all the officials and people along the way see him as the new king of Anton. Style.
The closer we get to the city of Tokyo, the more crowded it becomes, with people and cars coming and going in an endless stream. Slowly reducing the speed of the horse, standing in the middle of the road, patting the horse's neck, Liu Wenyuan exhaled softly and asked a young man next to him: "This place is densely populated and the vehicles and horses are crowded, which is far better than the Daozhou along the way. Are we going to Tokyo?" !”
When he came to Beijing this time, he didn't bring any other ministers with him, and only a guard captain and a staff member of high status accompanied him. The staff member next to him is Lang Guan Bai Yonglin. Just by looking at his last name, you can tell his origin.
This is the nephew of Empress Dowager An Dong Bai Ying, who is similar in age to Liu Wenyuan. Empress Dowager Bai specially arranged to be with Liu Wenyuan. The intention is very obvious. She hopes that Liu Wenyuan and Bai Yonglin can be like Liu Xu and Geng Jixun and become irresponsible monarchs and ministers. , brotherly relationship.
However, Queen Mother Bai made some miscalculations. Liu Wenyuan had a strong personality and didn't like to be restrained, let alone someone telling him what to do. For the Queen Mother's sake, she had to take Bai Yonglin with her.
And Bai Yonglin is not the kind of hard-working and hard-working courtier Liu Wenyuan likes. She comes from a wealthy family, can't bear hardships, is frivolous, her temperament is not firm enough, and her talents are not obvious. If Bai Yonglin hadn't seen a lot from below, she would still be able to do it from time to time. Tell Liu Wenyuan a joke and make him feel bored, and he would have been left out in the cold.
I brought Bai Yonglin with me to Beijing this time because Bai Yonglin is relatively familiar with the situation in Gyeonggi and can provide certain consultation.
As for Bai Yonglin, although she had only followed Liu Wenyuan closely for less than two months, she already felt that this king was difficult to serve. His ideas were too fast, making it difficult for people to keep up, and he was too tossing, and his requirements were even stricter.
However, regarding Liu Wenyuan's question at this time, Bai Yonglin was full of confidence. She pointed in the southwest direction and said: "Back to your Majesty, if I remember correctly, the front is Chenqiao Town. To Chenqiao, it will take an hour to ride along the straight road. To Tokyo!"
Hearing what Bai Yonglin said, Liu Wenyuan showed a trace of reminiscence on his face. Although he went to Anton with his father when he was young, he also spent some years in the two capitals when he was a child, plus he returned to the court with his father several times. Now his memory Although it is blurry, it is inevitable to have some feelings when mentioning it.
"We've all arrived at Chenqiao!" Liu Wenyuan sighed with emotion: "It is said that there are three major post stations in the suburbs of Tokyo, Xixiangfu, Nanyong'an, and East Chenqiao. The name of Chenqiao Post has been spread all over the world!"
Driving the horse slowly and following behind, Bai Yonglin said: "Your Majesty, Chenqiao is an important thoroughfare. Everyone who leaves Kaifeng to Henan in the east and Hebei in the north has to pass through this place. The imperial court transports troops, military supplies, official transports and even merchants. , many people pass by this place on land.
It is said that His Majesty passed through this place in his early years. At that time, the roads were bumpy, sparsely populated, and there was only one dilapidated village nearby. But His Majesty could tell at a glance that this place was extraordinary, and pointed out that it was the main way in and out of Kaifeng.
Since then, Chenqiao has developed rapidly. It was first a military post, then an official post and a civilian post. Markets, warehouses, shops, and civilian houses were also built one after another. From a village post to a town, who would have thought , more than 40 years later, it became one of the 'Top Ten Towns' of the Han Dynasty."
Listening to Bai Yonglin's introduction with excitement, Liu Wenyuan also listened with interest and couldn't help but said: "Brother Lin, your knowledge is much better than mine. You even know the anecdotes of the emperor's grandfather!"
Bai Yonglin chuckled and said: "Your Majesty, I only have this ability. I am interested in these anecdotes and have learned more about it."
"These are great skills! They are much more meaningful than the jokes you told me before!" Liu Wenyuan immediately became serious and said seriously: "Brother Lin, I am becoming more and more unfamiliar with Gyeonggi. Along the way, you are more Tell me about it!”
"Yes!" Bai Yonglin's face was filled with joy, and she agreed: "As long as I know that, and the king doesn't mind my verbosity, I will tell you everything I know, and I will tell you everything!"
Seeing this, Liu Wenyuan also smiled, caressed his beloved horse, and said: "After running for so long, the horse is tired, so let's come to Chenqiao Town to rest and see this world-famous town!"
"Yes!" Bai Yonglin responded, and by the way, he also took the initiative to arrange for a knight to ride up to the front line first.
After entering Gyeonggi, it can be said that everything is prosperous. Even a small county has an atmosphere of extremely rich material and population. When thinking of Anton, Liu Wenyuan can't help but sigh. Now, it is his turn to rule millions of people for Anton. The future has been considered.
"I don't know how the court will view it after delaying going to Beijing for so long. Will my grandfather be angry?" Liu Wenyuan said suddenly.
Seeing the sadness on Liu Wenyuan's heroic face, Bai Yonglin immediately said with relief: "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. The late king passed away suddenly and Anton was at a loss. Your Majesty is planning for the millions of people in Anton. Please appease him and deal with it for a while." , is it understandable? I think that as soon as the king arrives in Beijing and meets the Holy One, it is too late for the Holy One to take pity on him, so how can he blame him?"
"Have you met your grandfather?" Liu Wenyuan asked, tilting his head.
"Back to your Majesty, I have been fortunate enough to attend several royal banquets with my grandfather, and saw Your Majesty from a distance. Even so, His Majesty's majesty is deeply rooted in my heart, and I am in awe." Mentioning this, Bai Yonglin showed her memory. , looking very honored.
Seeing this, Liu Wenyuan smiled: "You just watch His Majesty from a distance, how dare you talk about His Majesty's thoughts?"
"This" Bai Yonglin fell silent, glanced at Liu Wenyuan with a slightly aggrieved look, and thought to herself, isn't this comforting you.
Liu Wenyuan obviously just said casually and did not dwell on the matter. He quickly pointed to the open official road and said: "These straight roads, the closer they are to the capital, the more bumpy and bumpy they are. They are full of potholes, making it difficult for horses to travel and difficult for cars. It’s worn out, and the government doesn’t know how to repair it!”
"These are all old roads!" Bai Yonglin saw it and immediately explained: "The Tokyo Straight Road was built earlier and has been used for many years. Businessmen and merchants from all over the world converge in all directions. Large and heavy vehicles drive by continuously, which naturally causes serious damage to the road surface. However, no matter how bumpy it is, it is much smoother than a dirt road.”
After hearing what he said, Liu Wenyuan pondered for a moment and sighed: "The roads in Gyeonggi are built, but they are not enough for use. The roads in Anton are built, but they have to worry that no one will use them, which is a waste of national power!"
Bai Yonglin knew that Liu Wenyuan was lamenting the "Suibin Road" leading to the southeastern seaport again. It was the hard work of the late king Liu Xu. Since the spring thaw, construction has started. Although the people used were prisoners, captives, and natives, but Liu Wenyuan was already troubled by the huge expenses.
"As long as the road is built, the benefits will be huge, and there will always be people walking!" Bai Yonglin said while looking at Liu Wenyuan.
"hope so!"
(End of chapter)
