Since the Jin Dynasty moved its capital to Kaifeng, it can be said that it has worked hard to manage Kaifeng. Although it has not returned to the old outlook of the Northern Song Dynasty, it is considered the largest and most prosperous city north of the Yangtze River.
Zhu Yuanzhang sealed his fifth son Zhu Ji in Kaifeng and called him King of Zhou. He also vigorously built the Palace of Zhou Prince on the basis of the palace in the Northern Song Dynasty.
From the early Ming Dynasty to this time, nearly three hundred years of war-free and peaceful years had passed, and the city of Kaifeng had always been peaceful with singing and dancing.
It is located in the Central Plains. Not far from the north gate is the Yellow River Ferry. The canal leading from Suizhou to the south can still be used by boats. It has convenient water and land transportation, so its business is prosperous, making Xi'an far behind it. , Luoyang cannot be compared with it.
Especially in the past few years since Emperor Chongzhen came to the throne, as states, prefectures, and counties have been devastated or seriously threatened by war, an increasing number of wealthy squire families have fled to the provincial capital, which has greatly increased the number of registered residents in Kaifeng. There are always about a hundred people inside and outside the city. With a population of 10,000, the market is also more prosperous.
When Zhang Cheng went to Kaifeng last time, the intruder Li Zicheng showed signs of siege in Luoyang, but after all, it was still far away from Kaifeng. In addition to the officials and generals in the city who were worried about losing the important place of feudal lords, the wealthy gentry and ordinary people But he didn't care about it.
But when Luoyang was attacked by bandits in just a few days, and when the exact news of King Fu's death reached Kaifeng, the whole city was shocked!
Previously, news of the fall of Yiyang and Yongning was reported to Kaifeng. Although the feudal officials living in the provincial capital began to feel that the situation was serious, they did not believe that Li Zicheng could conquer Luoyang, so they decided not to alarm the court for the time being and let the two cities fall. The murder of King Wan'an took several days to report to the court.
But King Fu was the uncle of the current emperor, and because Prince Fu's son had escaped from Luoyang, they did not dare to hide it at all. After confirming the news, they immediately reported it to the court, and at the same time began preparations for city defense.
Today, the intruders are really besieging Kaifeng, but although the city's troops are weak, they have made complete preparations. Those porridge shacks that were set up overnight, and the refugee families who sold their children and daughters for food.
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Nowadays, in Kaifeng City, in addition to the Zhou kings, there are seventy-two families of princes and counties. There are also various generals, lieutenants, and Yibin mansions spread throughout the main areas of the city. At most, there are more than 4,000 mansions.
Kaifeng City is simply a city of royal palaces. In addition, there are a large number of buildings related to the royal palace in the city, such as the royal palace archway, the medical officer, the ice cellar, the charcoal factory, the official factory, the water-proof building, the Shizi Mansion, the Shisun Mansion, the Zong Academy, Incense courtyards, high walls, etc., are numerous and numerous.
The royal palace and the buildings related to the royal palace constitute the main body of Kaifeng architecture and formed a major feature of Kaifeng City in the Ming Dynasty.
The Zhou Palace was built on the ruins of the Song and Jin palaces. It consists of two inner and outer city walls.
The outer wall is called the Xiao Wall. Strictly speaking, it cannot be regarded as a city wall in the strategic defense system. Its symbolic significance is greater. It is only about two feet high. It is suppressed with centipede wood and covered with glazed tiles. It is 30 steps away from the south. It is the Meridian Gate, with Donghua Gate to the east, Xihua Gate to the west, and Houzai Gate to the north.
Under the Xiao wall, there is a platform with a height of five feet, and a railing on it. Outside the railing, the street is five feet wide, where residents can live. There are seventy-two wells around it, which are called seventy-two gods. They are all on the palace gates and palaces. It is covered with a copper wire mesh, which is called a windbreaker, and there is a white stone underneath, which is called a foot stone, which means abundant food and clothing.
The inner city is the Forbidden City. It is more than five miles long. The walls are about five feet high. There are crenellations on them. They are surrounded by moats. There are doors on all sides. Duanli Gate is in the south, Chengzhi Gate is in the north, and Liren Gate is in the east. , Zunyi Gate to the west.
Today, when he heard that the rebels had arrived at the city, King Zhou sent the official Cao Kun and the left chief minister Li Yingchun to lead the palace guards to help defend the city. After nightfall, he summoned the patrol commander Gao Mingheng and the left and right chief envoys Liang Bing and right chief minister Liang Bing. Cai Maode and three others were sent to ask questions.
In the side hall of the Zhou palace, after serving tea, Zhou Wang Zhu Gong asked with his gray beard: "Now the bandits are approaching the city. I heard that there are tens of thousands of bandits, and they can only attack Luoyang.
Now there are no soldiers in the city. In your opinion, gentlemen, can the city guards of Kaifeng hold on by relying only on the training of their soldiers? "
Several feudal officials stood up respectfully when the King of Zhou asked questions.
Gu and others waited for the King of Zhou to finish questioning. Although Gao Mingheng, the inspector, was not the person with the highest official position, he was the inspector and censor and had the title of "touring hunting on behalf of the emperor." Although his rank was not high, his status was extremely special.
The official position of patrol censor is only the seventh rank. Although the rank is not high, the authority and responsibility when being ordered to patrol the local area are very important.
According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty": "The patrol inspector patrols hunting on behalf of the emperor. The ministers and prefecture and county magistrates inspected by the inspector are responsible for inspections, impeachments and special inspections, reporting on major matters and making decisions on minor matters.
When arriving, the prisoners must be interrogated and recorded first, the case files must be drawn up, and those who have come in and out with reason must be defended. For all sacrificial altars, their walls and sacrificial utensils should be spared. Care for orphans and elderly people, inspect warehouses, check money and grain, encourage schools, praise good deeds, remove beetles, correct customs and uphold discipline.
All dynasties will gather to correct rituals and conduct sacrifices and supervise rites. All political matters, gains and losses, benefits to the military and civilians, must be spoken out without hesitation. When there is a big government event, the palace will be gathered to discuss it. The six ministries are the most important, but there are special departments, and the general constitution of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is only to picket what is seen and heard.
When the censors corrected and impeached, they made sure to record the actual facts and write down the year and month. They did not make general slanders or criticize details. When he was ordered to return his orders, the censors all accused him of being incompetent and incompetent. If the censor commits a crime, he will be given a third grade, and if there is stolen goods, the punishment will be given more seriously."
The censor of the patrol "inspects hunting on behalf of the emperor", which shows his high position; "big things are reported and small matters are decided decisively", which shows his weight; "all political gains and losses, military and civilian benefits, all must be spoken out without hesitation", which shows that his responsibilities are broad. ; "If the censor commits a crime, he will be given a third grade", which shows that his responsibilities are severe.
What's more, Gao Mingheng is still a person who dares to do things. Since Li Xianfeng went to rescue Luoyang, he has been responsible for everything in Kaifeng City. Now it is natural that he is the one to talk to the king of Zhou.
At this time, when he saw Liang Bing and Cai Maode looking at him, Gao Mingheng did not shirk away and hurriedly bowed and replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, although the bandits are fierce, most of them use traitors to capture the city and often starve the people." It was an internal response, as was the case with previous cities such as Yongning and Yiyang. Even Luoyang had a spy internal response before it fell.
Although we in Kaifeng are short of major generals, the most important thing is the unity of the superiors and the concerted efforts of all the officials. Coupled with the large number of people in the city, there is no shortage of strong men to defend the city. If the organization is properly organized, the city will be safe.
What's more, there are porridge shacks everywhere in the city, and the hungry people no longer have to worry about starving to death. In addition, everyone knows that if the intruders capture Kaifeng, they will not survive. How can the city guards not pay attention to it?
This afternoon I even heard that there was a military horse in Taojiadian in the north of the city. It was suspected that it was under the command of Zhang Cheng, who was passing through Kaifeng in Xuanzhen. Mr. Su, the guardian of the road, had personally gone to investigate and contact him. If it was really the Xuanzhen border army commanded by Zhang Cheng, Kaifeng would be even more secure. .
Please don't worry, Your Highness. "
The lineage of King Zhou Zhu and his family are relatively wise among the princes of the Ming Dynasty. Although they cannot be said to be heirs of poetry and calligraphy, there are not many truly dim-witted kings in the past. The current King Zhu Gongzhen is a wise and intelligent prince.
Coupled with the lessons learned from King Fu, Zhu Gongzhen told the officials in Kaifeng during the previous discussions that he could use the money and grain in his palace warehouse to fund the city defense, but all officials must do their best to defend the city to ensure the safety of the people of Kaifeng. .
After listening to Gao Mingheng's words, Zhou Wang Zhu Gongzhen nodded slightly and said: "This vassal adheres to the ancestral precepts and has never been involved in local military and political affairs.
However, Luoyang has fallen and his vassals are in trouble. The emperor will definitely be furious. Now the bandits are besieging Kaifeng again. You gentlemen should do your duty conscientiously and do your best to protect the city and the people. If there is insufficient money and food, there is still some left in the king's treasury, which can be used to defend the city. For military and civilian purposes. "
Gao Mingheng knelt down and replied: "Your Highness is like this, how dare I not be careful!"
Zhou Wang Zhu Gongzhen said again: "There is also Zhang Cheng of Xuanzang. If he rushes to Kaifeng as soon as possible and is able to protect the city, he only needs to slightly defeat the thieves' fierce flames. I will not hesitate to reward him and report to the court to personally recommend his contribution." !”
The people then discussed some matters such as city guarding and the allocation and use of money and grain, and Gao Mingheng, Liang Bing and Cai Maode withdrew.
