Chapter 959: The prosperous city of Tokyo, taking the throne
When there was no war, Zhou Chen was enjoying his leisure time. He spent most of his time practicing Pure Yang Jue, and he would also practice martial arts with his troops, so his life was quite relaxed.
He is a person who has experienced peace and war, so he understands the value of peace better. Just like in modern society, if it were not for peace, how could he live so comfortably.
But what is different from later generations is that the current peace of the Song Dynasty is somewhat false and false prosperity.
It's strange to say that before he obtained the system, he always had various fantasies in the real world, such as traveling to ancient times to be an emperor, awakening to take control of the world, lying drunk on the lap of a beautiful woman, having three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two
Concubine or something.
But this time he really traveled to the fictional Song Dynasty, but he had no such idea.
He has also thought about the reasons. One is that although he has never been an emperor, he has traveled through more than a dozen worlds and has enjoyed too much. His desires have also been released and satisfied to a great extent in each world, and he has lived a long life.
After hundreds of years and countless experiences, he is no longer the same person he was before time travel.
Of course, it may also be because there is no pressure. After all, he is traveling through time as the heir of a marquis. If he is traveling through time as a prince, then there is no need to say that he will definitely compete for the supreme position.
If you are not in your position, you will not seek the government. This saying is quite reasonable sometimes.
"General, your letter is from Tokyo."
The guard outside the door gently knocked on Zhou Chen's bedroom door, and after receiving Zhou Chen's reply, he quickly told the reason.
Zhou Chen in the bedroom recovered from the state of practicing cross-legged.
"come in."
Taking the letter from his personal guard Qin Yi, he recognized it at a glance. It was from his old father in Tokyo, which made him frown slightly.
In the past two years, Mr. Zhou Laohou has sent him many letters. The contents are different, but every time there is a common reason, which is to urge him to return to Beijing as soon as possible to get engaged.
Originally, Lord Zhou shouldn't have to worry about this kind of thing, but his first wife, Zhou Chen's mother, has passed away, and Zhou Chen is his only son, and he was injured on the battlefield in his early years and is not in good health, so
He had to urge Zhou Chen, wanting to see his son start a family and let the Zhongyong Hou Mansion be passed down.
For this reason, when he sent the letter, he also sent several portraits to Zhou Chen. The portraits were of some of the ladies in Tokyo for Zhou Chen to choose from.
But there are just a few portraits, how could Zhou Chen choose? There are no photos these days, and the portraits are not accurate. Who knows how different the real people are from the portraits.
In addition, even if he is currently guarding the border, he cannot leave if he wants to. Therefore, he has not returned to Tokyo once for several years since he came to the border.
But this time it was different. After reading the letter in his hand, Zhou Chen's expression became extremely serious.
"Can't you hold it anymore? It's time to go back to Tokyo."
The content of the letter is very important to Zhou Chen. His current father, Zhongyong Hou Zhou Laohou, is seriously ill and will not be around for long, so he is asked to return to Tokyo as soon as possible to see him for the last time.
He has inherited everything about himself in this world, but it is not clear that he has a deep father-son affection for Mr. Zhou Laohou.
But after all, he is his current father, and the Marquis Zhongyong is one of the top nobles in Tokyo. As the only heir, if the old Marquis really dies and no one else is around, what kind of trouble might happen?
.
He had no reason to go back before, but now he has a reason, and Zhou Laohou has also asked the current officials for instructions. Now he only needs to complete the necessary procedures, hand over the duties, etc., and then he can leave the border and return to Bianjing City.
.
"Qin Yi, tidy up. We will return to Beijing in a few days."
Although he has to hand over his duties, these personal guards of his will naturally have to be taken away. These people were all promoted by him. In the future, they can enter his prince's mansion and become his confidant's soldiers.
More than ten days later, Zhou Chen had handed over everything, and then left the northwest border with dozens of personal guards and went straight to Tokyo, the capital of the Song Dynasty.
Traveling lightly, with all customs clearance documents in hand, and working hard all the way, Zhou Chen and his party arrived in Tokyo in only six days.
Looking at the towering city wall in front of him and the people coming and going, Zhou Chen looked calm, but the guards who came to Beijing with him, except for the three domestic servants who went to the army with him, all showed shock.
Desperate expression.
"Is this Tokyo City?"
As Zhou Chen's personal bodyguards, most of them came to Tokyo for the first time. Even if they just saw the Tokyo city walls, they were shocked. An indescribable emotion surged into their hearts, and they looked ahead excitedly.
As the captain of the personal guard, Qin Yi came to Tokyo for the first time, but he quickly recovered, guarded Zhou Chen's left side, and asked softly.
"General, shall we enter the city now?"
Zhou Chen also stared at the huge fonts on the city wall. He had a broad view. Although the city of Tokyo was majestic and majestic, it was not enough to shock him.
But he knew that in this day and age, Tokyo could definitely be said to be one of the most prosperous cities in the world, and even one of them could be removed.
Because Tokyo is the capital of the Song Dynasty today, the economic, cultural, political and military center, and the center that the entire Song Dynasty people and even various foreign races yearn for.
"Enter the city!"
Zhou Chen shouted loudly, then waved his riding whip and led the people towards the city gate.
Tokyo, also known as Bianjing, was the capital of the Song Dynasty. Its status did not change until the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty and the establishment of the Southern Song Dynasty.
This place was Bianzhou in the Tang Dynasty, the Eastern Capital in the Later Liang Dynasty, and Tokyo in the Later Jin Dynasty. It was also the capital of the Later Han Dynasty and the Later Zhou Dynasty. After the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was also the capital. However, on the basis of the old city, it was transformed several times.
The scale of reconstruction and reconstruction far exceeds that of the previous generation.
Tokyo is divided into outer city, inner city and imperial city.
The outer city wall is more than fifty miles long and has eleven gates, three on the south, two on the east and west, and four on the north. Because four canals run through it, there are nine water gates. There is a moat outside the city, called the Dragon Guard.
The river is more than ten feet wide, and willows are planted along the river.
The inner city is in the middle of Tokyo City, slightly northwest. The city wall is more than 20 miles in circumference and has ten city gates.
The Imperial City is also called the Palace City. The city wall is five miles in circumference and has six gates.
The entire Tokyo has three city walls, four canals, thirty-three bridges, four imperial roads, and more than forty palaces.
Zhou Chen and the others entered through one of the west gates and went straight to the inner city, where the Zhongyong Hou Mansion was located.
When they arrived in the city, they naturally couldn't speed up their horses and couldn't pick up the speed. However, their speed was not too slow and they soon arrived at the Zhongyong Marquis' Mansion.
Originally, as a border general, Zhou Chen was supposed to meet with the officials after returning to Beijing. However, because Lord Zhou was seriously ill, the officials granted him an amnesty, allowing Zhou Chen to return to the prince's residence first.
"Little Marquis? Little Marquis, you are finally back."
After the concierge opened the door and saw Zhou Chen, his eyes filled with excitement and tears, and he shouted loudly: "The young Marquis is back."
As the only legitimate son of Marquis Zhongyong, Zhou Chen is indeed qualified to be called the Young Marquis. After all, he is the only heir apparent.
Zhou Chen didn't have any more words to say, so he directly asked the concierge to arrange his personal guards, and then walked into the mansion.
After a while, a middle-aged man dressed as a butler came over.
"Brother Chen, you are finally back. The Marquis has been waiting for you."
This man is the housekeeper of the Zhongyong Hou Mansion. He has served in the Hou Mansion for more than thirty years. He has been working in the house since the first generation of Zhongyong Hou, Zhou Chen's grandfather, and he is now a confidant of Mr. Zhou.
Zhou Chen quickened his pace and asked, "Uncle Yan, how is my father's physical condition now?"
Zhou Yan looked hesitant and replied cautiously: "Master Hou's health is not very optimistic, but after seeing you, brother Chen, maybe he will recover."
As soon as he heard this, Zhou Chen knew that the situation of his father, the Marquis, was not good. Although he had never seen him after time travel, he was his father after all. There was not much family affection between father and son, but he still respected him very much.
An old marquis.
So he quickened his pace again, passed through the courtyard gate, and came to the old Marquis's bedroom in the main courtyard.
Before entering the house, Zhou Chen could already smell the strong smell of medicinal herbs. After entering the house, the smell was even more pungent, but Zhou Chen didn't care and his eyes instantly fell on the figure lying on the bed inside.
"father."
Zhou Chen walked to the bed and called softly.
Now he could see the condition of Lord Zhou more clearly. He was as skinny as a stick and not considered old, but his face was as pale as paper and his breathing was heavy.
As an experienced doctor, Zhou Chen could tell at a glance that his father, the Marquis, was terminally ill and would die soon.
This is because the body has reached its limit and there is no cure.
Zhou Chen called a few more times, and Zhou Xiancai, who was sleeping, opened his cloudy eyes. But when he saw Zhou Chen beside the bed, his eyes suddenly became brighter.
"Chen'er, you, you are back."
"I'm back, Dad, how could you become so serious?"
In the memory he gained, although his father was physically injured, he was still strong and not to this extent. After all, he had only been away for five years.
"Ahem."
Zhou Xian coughed a few times and asked Zhou Chen to help him stand up and lean against the bedside.
"As I get older, the hidden wounds from the past reappear, and over time, it becomes what it is now. Don't be sad. Your father and I have lived for more than fifty years, which is enough."
When he was young, Zhou Xian was also a brave and skilled general who participated in many wars. Unfortunately, the emperor at that time was the God of Chariots on the Gaoliang River, so he lost more and won less. Later in the war of the Chanyuan Alliance, he also
He participated, and it was at that time that he was seriously injured and retired from the army.
Therefore, Zhou Xian's life was not brilliant. Although he had military power, he had nowhere to use it when he encountered the two giant pit emperors.
In the Song Dynasty, there were many generals and military officers who suffered the same fate as Zhou Xian. They were all depressed and frustrated, so they were suppressed by the civil servants and could not hold their heads up.
Zhou Chen was Zhou Xian's only son, who was only born when he was in his thirties, so he doted on Zhou Chen. In addition, his wife died young, so he doted on his only son even more.
Fortunately, the original Zhou Chen did not become a playboy. Instead, he was extremely outstanding among a certain noble class, because of his long face.
He felt gratified and happy that Zhou Chen could pass the Jinshi examination. However, Zhou Chen was called the 'Young General of the Song Dynasty' by current officials, which made him even more proud, because Zhou Chen had accomplished what he had always wanted to accomplish in his youth.
Won a heartwarming victory.
It is precisely because of this that Zhou Chen became a prominent figure among the nobles of the Song Dynasty. Even though he was still young, many people regarded him as the future military general of the Song Dynasty.
"father……"
"Don't be sad, I can still hold on for a while. During this period of time, I will give everything to you. Our family is the second-class Duke of the Song Dynasty, the 'Zhongyong Hou' personally named by Taizu, and it is hereditary.
, you have done better than my father, I will hand over the Marquis Mansion to you, my father will feel at ease, and I will have the honor to go see your grandfather."
"Dad, don't say such depressing words. Let's go find the imperial doctor. There will definitely be a way to cure your illness."
Although he knew that Zhou Xian was exhausted, Zhou Chen couldn't really say it. In just a few words, he could feel Zhou Xian's love and expectation for him.
"It's useless. The officials have already sent the imperial doctor here, and my father has looked away, so you don't have to worry about it anymore. At this time, if you can stay with my father, I will be satisfied.
"
He knew his body well, and Zhou Xian also knew that he didn't have much time left. He had been holding on, just wanting to wait for Zhou Chen to come back, and now his wish finally came true.
"The only thing that my father is worried about now is your marriage. In the past two years, my father helped you find a few famous ladies, but you are too stubborn. Now they are all married, especially your uncle's Yun'er.
,What a pity."
Zhou Chen didn't know what to say. Even at the last moment of his life, this old father was still thinking about his marriage. He was really worried.
As for the cousin from his uncle's family that Zhou Xian mentioned, Zhou Chen was even more helpless. The daughter of his uncle's family was a close relative. Can she marry randomly?
"Dad, I'm only twenty-three this year, so there's no rush."
But Zhou Xian sighed. Twenty-three was not in a hurry. He didn't know what to say about his son.
"well!"
In the next few days, except for going to the palace to visit official Zhao Heng once, Zhou Chen stayed at home to accompany Zhou Xian the rest of the time.
After all, Zhou Xian didn't last long. On the twelfth day after Zhou Chen came back, he closed his eyes forever. Before he died, he still held Zhou Chen's hands tightly.
Zhongyong Hou was one of the few hereditary nobles in the Song Dynasty. Even in Tokyo City, he was quite famous. Especially after Zhou Chen became famous, he received countless attention.
The death of Zhongyong Hou Zhou Xian also caused quite a stir in Tokyo. Countless officials and dignitaries came to attend, and even the officials and their families sent internal prisoners to express their condolences.
In ancient times, when parents died, children had to observe filial piety. The court also stipulated that they were not allowed to hold office during the period of observing filial piety. Therefore, except for the hereditary title of Marquis Zhongyong, Zhou Chen no longer held any other official positions.
During the three years of mourning, there are many things that cannot be done.
For example, you can't talk about marriage, you can't attend weddings, you can't wear bright clothes, etc. In short, there are a lot of rules, more rules than in a low-martial world like Langya Bang.
However, Zhou Chen is also a person who has lived for hundreds of years. Apart from other abilities, he is definitely above the standard in terms of patience. This matter cannot be difficult for him at all.
With the death of the old Marquis Zhou Xian, Zhou Chen began to observe mourning for three years, and the House of Zhongyong Marquis slowly began to disappear from the sight of Tokyo's powerful people.
During the period of mourning, Zhou Chen rarely left the Hou's residence. He practiced martial arts every day, and occasionally went to the Zhou family's ancestral hall to offer incense and clean.
Different from modern society, large families in ancient feudal society would have ancestral halls in their rented houses, because people at this time had a very strong sense of clan, which even exceeded loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
The Song Dynasty was relatively good. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties, the aristocratic families were even more powerful and powerful enough to reverse the situation in the world.
For example, the establishment of the Sui and Tang Dynasties was indispensable without the support of aristocratic families.
Although things got better after the Song Dynasty, it was mainly due to Taizu's suppression and the rise of the civil servant group. However, this does not mean that the aristocratic family has really weakened, because after all, the official family is also a kind of aristocratic family.
A hereditary Hou family like the Zhou family is strictly speaking a noble family, but the Zhou family has few members and does not have that much momentum.
In comparison, the Meng family to which Zhou Chen's mother belonged was truly one of the strongest families in the Song Dynasty.
Time flies, and more than two years have passed.
Zhou Chen has been observing filial piety for more than two years, and it will be over in about half a year. In fact, he is not impatient at all about observing filial piety for more than two years. Instead, he feels that it is very good, because no one will disturb him during this period, and he can
Practicing martial arts and studying at home peacefully and peacefully is more fulfilling than those years at the border.
Martial Arts Arena.
Zhou Chen looked at the personal guards and servants who were training seriously, and suddenly asked Qin Yi quietly: "Qin Yi, it has been more than two years since you came back to Tokyo with me, but you have been trapped in the Hou Mansion.
Do you have any resentment in your heart?"
When Qin Yi heard this, he immediately bent down and replied with sincerity: "It is already our honor to be with Lord Marquis, how can we still be resentful?"
What he said was sincere. In the past, he was just a small commander on the border. The other guards were also similar, they were all civilians from various places.
But more than two years ago, after they followed Zhou Chen to Tokyo, they settled in the Zhongyong Hou Mansion. Not only that, Zhou Chen also asked them to return to their hometown to bring their relatives to Tokyo, and paid to settle them.
Nowadays, most of the guards have brought their relatives to Tokyo. Although they live in outer cities, being able to stay in Tokyo is already a great gift to them. This is no better than leaving their heads at the border.
Is it much better to tie it to the waistband?
So not only did they not have any complaints against Zhou Chen, they were just deeply grateful.
"With the current situation in the court, Qin Yi, I have decided to set up a school in the palace and hire a highly respected teacher to teach it. Please inform me that if there are children of school age at home, they can send their children to the school in the Hou Mansion. If
If they succeed in their studies, I will recommend that they take part in the imperial examination in the future."
When Qin Yi heard this, his eyes widened immediately, and then he knelt down with excitement on his face.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis. Thank you, Lord Marquis."
In today's world, the status of scholars is really high, but if you want to study, reading good books is not an easy task. Books, teachers, and connections are all indispensable.
That is to say, Tokyo is rich in educational resources. If it were any other place, for ordinary people, studying would be a luxury.
Zhou Chen opened a school in the Hou Mansion and hired teachers. For Qin Yi and others, it was a great gift and a good thing. There is no parent who does not want their children to succeed.
Zhou Chen waved his hand and said: "You have followed me for many years and are loyal and loyal. I see it in my eyes. This little thing is nothing."
After all, he is also a loyal and brave prince. It is indeed not difficult for him to open a school and hire a teacher.