Xuanfu Town was built as a rammed earth wall in the 27th year of Hongwu. It was renovated in the 2nd year of Longqing in the 5th year of Zhengtong. It has a circumference of 24 miles and a height of 3 feet and 5 feet. The chief garrison officer is the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town.
The total number of garrisoned troops is 23,348, and the number of horses, mules and camels is 13,318. It is the core defense fortress of Xuanfu Town defense area.
During the Hongwu period, seven city gates were built, forming a symmetrical layout with Prince Gu's Mansion as the core, strictly adhering to the hierarchical system of "nine emperors, seven kings".
Subsequently, starting from the Yongle period, Xuanfu Town gradually emphasized the military town pattern, leaving only one gate on each side, namely the east gate was named Ding'an Gate, the west gate was named Taixin Gate, the south gate was named Changping Gate, and the north gate was named Guanglingmen.
The defensive nature of Xuanfu Town was strengthened with the reduction in the number of city gates. Xuanfu Town finally transitioned from a royal city to a border military town. The city has a cross-shaped main road with one horizontal and one vertical line.
In Chinese history, most of the city walls before the Ming Dynasty were made of rammed earth or mountain stone. After the middle Ming Dynasty, due to the advancement of firing technology, a large number of fired green bricks were used. Xuanfu Town was built during the Zhengtong Period. Brick remodeling.
The gates of the town are also tightly designed and complex in structure. Outside the four gates are surrounded by urns, and outside the urns there is a moon city.
The moon city is arc-shaped, with both ends connected to the city wall. The moon city gate is in the same direction as the city gate, and is misaligned with the urn city gate. This allows those who enter the city to take a roundabout way, but the attackers cannot go straight in. Especially there is a gate outside the south gate. Guancheng has a circumference of four miles.
There is a moat surrounding the town. There is a Gongji Tower on the Changping Gate in the south. It is two stories high, five rooms wide and surrounded by corridors. It is a two-story eaves and mountain-style tiled roof building. It was built in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty and has a full height. Nearly eight feet.
During the "civil engineering revolution" during the Zhengtong period of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, the city defense of Xuanfu Town still maintained a bright color despite this disgraceful incident.
The Wasi army took the captured Ming Yingzong hostage and came to detain him. They wanted to defraud Xuanfu and other important towns, but they first forced Mingyingzong to summon the general Yang Hong and the governor Luo Hengxin who guarded Xuanfu to open the door to welcome him.
But when Ye first came to the south gate of Xuanfu town with Ming Yingzong in his arms, the governor Luo Hengxin stood on the city with a sword and shouted: "I have been ordered to governor Xuanda, and I dare not neglect it. Anyone who surrenders or invades the city will not be killed." I swear to live and die with the town and protect the Ming Dynasty forever..."
He had no choice but to take Ming Yingzong to the west.
The saying "the state is more important than the emperor" was fully reflected in the Xuanfu at this time.
Subsequently, General Yang Hong mobilized more than 20,000 elite officers and soldiers from Xuanzhen, and went straight to Juyongguan to assist in the defense of the capital.
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At noon on the first day of April, the sky was clear and cloudless.
Outside the Nanguan of Xuanfu Town, Zhang Cheng's mother Zhang Yang, aunt Zhang Han, sister Zhang Lifang, and other clan members were all dressed in white and lined up beside the official road, and the sound of weeping could be heard.
Zhang Cheng knelt in front of his mother and aunt. On the official road, Zhang Cheng's armored sergeants stood on both sides. In the middle, four people including Chen Zhong, Chen Zheng, Zhang Guangda, and Wei Zhice, wearing iron armor and red cloaks, jointly raised the Xuanzang General. Zhang Yan's coffin came slowly.
Yang Guozhu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen, and guerrillas Guo Yingxian, Li Jianming, Wen Hui and others followed behind. As Zhang Yan's coffin got closer and closer, the crying became louder.
On the other side, Liu Yongzhao, the governor of Xuanfu, also led the officials to greet the returning soldiers of King Qin on the official road. Yang Guozhu stepped forward quickly, came to Aunt Zhang Cheng, knelt down and said: "Mrs. Zhang, brother Zhang Yan is serving the country." Sacrifice yourself and die a worthy death. We will first welcome General Zhang's coffin into the city and set up a pendulum for sacrifice."
Zhang Yan's wife Zhang Han also knew that it was wrong to cry here, so she helped her sister-in-law Zhang Yang to stand up together. Her daughter Zhang Lifang also stood up and supported her mother.
Just listen to Zhang Hanshi say: "Cheng'er, please protect your uncle back home."
Zhang Cheng stood up, walked towards Chen Zhong and others, and shouted loudly: "Enter the city and escort the coffin of Hussar General Zhang Yan back to his home!"
The officials and people on the official road dispersed to both sides to make way for the middle road. Zhang Cheng led the way. Chen Zhong and others carried the coffin into the city. Zhang Yang, Zhang Han and other family members followed the coffin and slowly entered the city.
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Xuanfu Governor Liu Yongzhao, accompanied by General Yang Guozhu, also followed Zhang Yan's coffin slowly.
Nowadays, Zhang Cheng is the light of the military in the eyes of Emperor Chongzhen, and is also a popular figure in front of the cabinet minister Yang Sichang and the Governor of Xuanda Chen Xinjia. Now everyone knows it.
What's more, the imperial court showed great sympathy to Zhang Yan and not only gave him a posthumous gift as a hussar general, but also conferred upon Zhang Yan's wife Zhang Han the title of second-rank imperial concubine. This was already a very high honor.
Moreover, the imperial edict to build a temple for sacrifice and burial had already been sent to the Xuan Mansion. How could they dare to neglect it? The relevant officials had already arranged everything at Zhang Yan's Mansion, just waiting for the return of Zhang Yan's coffin.
Even Zhang Guowei, the deputy commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen, came from Yongning station. He followed the commander-in-chief Yang Guozhu and chatted with Yang Guozhu from time to time. The other generals of the Xuanfu who did not participate in King Qin followed them and went to Zhang Guowei. Worship at Yanfu.
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Although Xuanfu Town was an important military area, it quickly evolved into a center of commerce and trade after the Ming Dynasty. Inside and outside, there were many houses and densely populated areas. In the big market in the southeast of the city, there were even more shops, including people from Jiangnan, Shanxi, and Shandong. Silk and satin shops, cloth shops, and grocery shops extend for four or five miles.
The streets in the city are criss-crossed, and many of them are named after the market, such as Mishi Street, Caishi Street, Yandian Street, Youdian Street, etc.
However, by this time, the commercial center that had been densely populated by smokers in the past was already showing signs of decline. Not only had the city's population decreased, but some official offices had collapsed, and many houses and courtyards inside had collapsed.
Some have been turned into gardens and vegetable fields, but after all, it is the main city of Xuanzhen, and there are many officials in various government offices, and their families support the only prosperity.
There is not much else in the town, except for the large number of government offices. The area of each government office, together with Prince Gu's Mansion, accounts for more than half of the town. This has also been a problem in the town of Xuanfu over the years. Soldiers, people, and public buildings have too little area to enjoy. .
Of course, decline has led to decline, but the foundation of the town is still there. Gentlemen, scholars, people, and merchants are all mixed in there. Even though there are secluded streets and alleys in the northwest and southwest corners, there is no gap. The people of the town can also confidently curse all the streets in the town. , a small place, a country bumpkin.
Every time in the later generations of each dynasty, it is reflected in the chaotic management of local big cities, and the government's inability to control local areas. This is reflected in the appearance of the city, which is almost always dirty, weak, or not paying attention to hygiene.
At this time, Zhang Cheng had entered the town from the south gate and was walking on Changping Street.
He only felt that the streets were filthy, filled with cow dung and horse urine from the livestock carts passing by, which filled the streets with a strange smell that made people feel sick.
