Before Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing left the capital, they naturally explained many things in detail to the cronies in the DPRK and the inner circle of the government. When they left, they were naturally sent off by hundreds of officials with great fanfare. These things do not need to be repeated.
carry.
Two flowers bloom, one on each side. Let us turn our attention to the city of Nanjing again.
During this period of time, although Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren from the center of the capital city and Nanjing city had been communicating with each other by rushing eight hundred miles, and they had killed several horses in a row, the two places were still thousands of miles apart.
Here, communication of news is still time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the response from the capital center will inevitably lag behind.
Therefore, when Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing left the capital, it was already the ninth day of March.
On this day, in Nanjing City, according to the plan of Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren, not only Zhu Hejian will lead hundreds of officials to Xiaoling to worship their ancestors, but when the ancestor worship ceremony is in progress, there will also be "sudden" and "coincidental" events in Nanjing City.
A civil riot took place against the Six Ministries of Nanjing.
Therefore, compared with the frequent turmoil in the center of the capital city, the day in Nanjing city is also full of major events.
*
The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is located at the foot of Mount Everest in Dulong Fuwan at the southern foot of Purple Mountain, bordering Qingzhang to the east and Meihua Mountain to the south. It is the joint burial mausoleum of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty and Queen Ma, because Queen Ma's posthumous title is "Queen Xiaocigao"
", and because the Ming Dynasty pursued filial piety to govern the world, it was named "Xiaoling".
The Xiaoling Mausoleum was first built in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty and was not completed until the third year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty. It mobilized 100,000 military workers and lasted 25 years. In later generations, it was also known as the "First Royal Mausoleum of the Ming and Qing Dynasties", so it was naturally of extremely large scale.
It is large, covering an area of more than 2,500 acres.
On this day, when the sky was still dark in the early morning, all the high-level civil and military officials in Nanjing's official circles had gathered early and gathered together - this also made the major yamen in Nanjing face a leaderless situation for a period of time today -
Then, under the leadership of Zhu Hejian, they all arrived at Xiaoling.
After arriving at the Xiaoling Mausoleum, the first building that I saw was a tall and conspicuous "dismounting square" with six regular characters "Officials dismounting from their horses" engraved on it, informing all officials who came here to dismount their horses and leave.
Walking in a sedan chair to show respect for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, and Queen Ma.
Therefore, when Zhu Hejian and the Nanjing officials arrived at Xiaoling, they had to walk all the way to the Imperial Tomb Treasure City. This distance was more than five miles long, and there were various ceremonial guards and ceremonies on the way, so it naturally took a long time.
At the same time, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the ancestor worship ceremony, numerous checkpoints were arranged inside and outside the Xiaoling Mausoleum to conduct detailed investigations on all persons entering and exiting.
In this way, after the ancestor worship ceremony officially begins, the message transmission and communication inside and outside the Xiaoling Mausoleum will be extremely inconvenient; while the ancestor worship ceremony is in progress, even if something big happens in Nanjing, the people located in Xiaoling Mausoleum will be extremely inconvenient.
Officials were also unable to respond in time.
This situation of poor news is exactly what Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren are happy to see.
*
However, Zhu Hejian and the Nanjing officials on the other side of Xiaoling finally walked all the way to the Imperial Tomb Treasure City. When the ancestor worship ceremony officially began, as time went by, the sky became brighter, and the city of Nanjing soon became deserted.
, became lively again.
The ancestor worship ceremony at the imperial mausoleum is naturally a big event for the Nanjing officialdom, but for the people of Nanjing, it is only an official matter and has nothing to do with them. Therefore, although the ancestor worship ceremony at the Xiaoling Mausoleum is solemn and solemn, the scale
It was so huge that all officials in Nanjing were cautious and did not dare to make any mistakes. However, the people in Nanjing were still busy with their own livelihoods and were not affected much.
Shops everywhere are still open to welcome customers, hawkers are still shouting to buy goods, most poor people are still being called here and there for their livelihood, and a few people with spare money are looking for a stall to have breakfast in a leisurely manner.
, all living things seem to be the same as before.
As an important town in the south of the Yangtze River and the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the people in Nanjing are relatively wealthy. As long as they have hands and feet and are diligent and willing to work, they can at least support themselves. Therefore, although the people in Nanjing are busy making a living, most of them have expressions on their faces.
They all still have some hope and enthusiasm, and the bustle in the market is not just chaos, but contains a lot of vitality, which is very different from the scenes in the northwest.
However, as a small businessman and ordinary citizen in Nanjing, Chai Yuan could not help but look worried at this time.
Chai Yuan himself runs a small restaurant called Guanjiang Tower. Although it is not large in scale, it is in a very good location. It is located on the south bank of the Qinhuai River. Not far from it is the official residence of Nanjing Liubu. You can still see it in the distance across the Qinhuai River.
See the architectural complex of Confucius Temple.
Therefore, Chaiyuan's restaurant business has always been very good. Many low-level officials in Nanjing's officialdom and Gongsheng students from Jiangnan Gongyuan are regular customers of Guanjiang Tower.
Being able to occupy such a prime location to run a restaurant, and also be able to establish a good relationship with a group of low-level officials and Gongyuan students, making them a stable source of customers for the restaurant, Chai Yuan himself is naturally a well-rounded, smart and smart person, who often interacts with various people on weekdays.
Communicating with customers can be regarded as well-informed.
It is precisely because of this that Chai Yuan has keenly discovered the hidden worries hidden under the lively scene in Nanjing.
At this time, Chai Yuan was sitting behind the counter of Guanjiang Tower, looking at the few customers in the store, and then looking at the various living beings outside the store. He couldn't help but feel heavy, and thought to himself: "They say that all industries in Nanjing are withered now, but...
Normally, because most of the customers in the store are government officials and Gongyuan scholars, the customer base can be considered stable. Even if it is not long after the door opens in the morning, there will be many customers coming, and several tables can be filled. It is not obvious...
…
But today, because of the ancestor worship at the imperial mausoleum, all the officials in the yamen were busy with official duties and could not come to the store to buy breakfast. It seemed that the scholars from Gongyuan also ran to watch the fun. The store lost these two
The main source of customers, there were only three or five customers in the entire morning!
The food in my Guanjiang Tower is always cheap and its reputation is pretty good. Logically speaking, even if it loses its clientele of people from the government and Gongyuan scholars, it should never be so deserted... I can only say that Nanjing City is indeed at present.
All industries are in recession, and many people are reluctant to spend even this amount of money!... If things go on like this, this world will only become more and more difficult!"
Thinking of this, Chai Yuan couldn't help but look more worried, and thought: "It seems that I have to make long-term plans... Although there are only a few customers in the store today because of the imperial court's ancestor worship, with the Yamen and Gongyuan.
With two stable customer sources, the business in the store should be able to maintain in the short term, but I heard that both the government and the Gongyuan have been in chaos during this period. Maybe one day there will be changes in these two customer sources.
I am afraid……"
While Chai Yuan was thinking deeply, he suddenly saw two Confucian scholars walking into the store.
These two Confucian scholars, one seems to be in his forties and the other in his early twenties, both have extraordinary bearing and luxurious clothes.
Among them, the image of the middle-aged Confucian scholar is elegant and wise, and his gestures are full of the condescending air of a big man, while the young scholar has a capable demeanor and bright eyes, which is equally impressive.
At the same time, the young scholar's face still showed a trace of dust and exhaustion, as if he had been running all the way and had just arrived in Nanjing.
These two customers were not regular customers of Guanjiang Tower. It was the first time for Chai Yuan to see them. However, he had seen a lot since opening the store for many years, but he could tell at a glance that these two people had extraordinary backgrounds!
After all, Chai Yuan's store often receives professors and students from Yingtian Academy. Those professors and students from Yingtian Academy are all outstanding scholars, but in terms of image and magnanimity, few people can match these two.
Compare people to each other.
Therefore, Chai Yuan immediately waved away the clerk in the store, walked out of the counter to greet him in person, and said with a smile on his face: "Two guests, do you want to stay in the hotel or have breakfast?"
The middle-aged Confucian scholar first took a look at the environment in the store, then turned to look at the surrounding environment of Guanjiang Tower. Then he smiled and asked the young Confucian scholar for his opinion, saying: "Brother Jiang, I think the environment here is acceptable.
, mainly because the location is good, you can sit upstairs and take in the surroundings... So, let’s take a rest in this store for a while, and it will be very convenient when we watch the good show next, how about it?”
Upon hearing the middle-aged Confucian scholar's inquiry, the young Confucian scholar surnamed Jiang immediately nodded and said: "Senior Huo is right. Although the environment here is average, it is indeed an excellent location and a good place to observe the situation. Let's rest here."
That’s enough.”
Regarding the content of the conversation between the two Confucian scholars, Chai Yuan felt baffled for a moment.
Why is this place said to be a good place to watch a show? Is there a stage set up somewhere nearby? I haven’t heard of it...
However, before Chai Yuan could ask his doubts, the two Confucian scholars had already walked towards the second floor of the store.
In fact, when Guanjianglou sells breakfast every day, only the first floor of the store will be open, and the second floor will not be open until noon. It is still only morning time, which is not the correct time to open the second floor.
However, because these two Confucian guests were obviously of extraordinary origin and high status, after seeing them going to take a seat on the second floor, Chai Yuan did not dare to stop them at all, so he had to accompany the smiling face and take the initiative to lead the way.
While leading the way, Chai Yuan heard the two Confucian scholars continue their conversation.
The middle-aged Confucian scholar surnamed Huo said as he climbed the stairs: "I didn't expect Brother Jiang to arrive in Nanjing so quickly. In fact, I just received a secret letter from your family yesterday and learned that you were coming to Nanjing."
news, so I was really surprised when I saw your sudden visit this morning!
Judging from your travel time, it only took six days from the time you left the capital to now. You must have traveled day and night along the way, with no time to rest... With such vigorous and resolute actions, it is no wonder that you were entrusted with it just after joining the Zhao Mansion.
The heavy responsibility is truly formidable!
I will stay in the southeast for a long time in the future and cannot leave easily. So, Brother Jiang, when you come to Nanjing today, I should also fulfill my friendship as a landlord. It is a pity that this restaurant is of average quality, although it is
It's a good place to watch a play, but it seems a bit shabby when used to entertain guests. I hope Brother Jiang won't take offense."
The young Confucian scholar surnamed Jiang quickly replied: "Senior Huo's words are serious. I have long heard that Senior Huo is a rare wise man in this world. The main reason for coming to Nanjing this time is to assist Senior Huo in realizing my family's plan.
Everything must be centered on Senior Huo, I dare not say that he is entrusted with important responsibilities!
Senior Huo, you don’t have to worry about entertaining this junior. The situation in Nanjing is changing at a critical moment, so we should just focus on business!"
Having said this, the young Confucian scholar continued to compliment: "As for Senior Huo, you said that I am so vigorous and resolute, but I dare not take it seriously. After all, Senior Huo, you have arrived in Nanjing five days ago!
According to the younger generation's speculation... when you decided to come to Nanjing, you probably haven't received my lord's secret letter yet, and you haven't known my lord's detailed plan yet, but you have already made a prediction in your mind, thinking that my lord will see you.
After the situation in Nanjing changes, I will definitely ask you to come to Nanjing in person to take charge. Therefore, you did not wait to receive the letter from my family, and took the lead in secretly coming to Nanjing to observe the situation secretly. This approach is not only resolute, but also
Foreknowledge, in comparison, the younger generation is still far behind!"
Hearing the compliment from the young Confucian scholar surnamed Jiang, the middle-aged Confucian scholar surnamed Huo couldn't help laughing and said: "If an ordinary person complimented me like this, I would just laugh it off and not care, but as far as I know, you are now
Not only is he highly valued by that big shot, but he was also Yang Daru’s favorite disciple, so I accept your praise."
While they were talking, the two Confucian scholars had already walked to the window seats on the second floor and sat down.
After hearing these conversations, Chai Yuan on the side became more and more convinced that these two Confucian scholars were definitely not ordinary people. Their status was far more valuable than he originally imagined. They seemed to be closely related to a certain important person in the center of the capital.
At the same time, Chai Yuan couldn't help but feel secretly frightened - according to the meaning revealed in the conversation between the two people, it seemed that something would happen to Nanjing soon.
However, out of awe in his heart, Chai Yuan still did not dare to inquire. He just maintained a humble smile and asked: "What do you two guests want to eat? All kinds of popular breakfast foods on the market are basically available in the store.
All the customers have to do is ask, and if it is not available in the store, I will arrange for the store clerk to go out and buy it for the two customers at the original price."
When the Confucian scholar surnamed Huo climbed up the stairs, he saw that there were only a few customers in the store. He couldn't help but worry about the quality of the food in the store. After hesitating for a moment, he said: "This young brother Jiang comes from the capital. He used to be from Yungui.
You probably have rarely tasted Nanjing’s special delicacies, so you have to order two portions of Nanjing’s local delicacies such as duck blood vermicelli soup, crab meat buns, and dried five-spice, but they must be made delicately and not spoiled.
The reputation of Nanjing’s food.”
Hearing this statement, Chai Yuan had already guessed the worries of the Confucian scholar surnamed Huo, and quickly explained that his restaurant had always been famous for its delicious food and low price, and nearby officials and college students were regular customers, just because
Everyone was busy with ancestor worship at Xiaoling Mausoleum, so there were only a few guests.
Speaking of this, Chai Yuan thought of his previous worries and couldn't help but sigh softly, and added: "The food in my store is actually not much more expensive than those at the stalls outside, but the world is not easy now, and everyone is
If you save what you can and don't want to spend money, there will naturally be fewer customers in this store.
To be honest, in fact, my Guanjiang Tower mainly entertained three types of guests in the past, one was the low-level government officials in the government, the other was scholars from nearby academies, and the third was merchants who passed through Nanjing...
But today, because of the ancestor worship at Xiaoling Mausoleum, no one from the government bothered to come to the store to buy breakfast. The scholars in the academy seemed to have gone to watch the fun, not to mention the businessmen who often came to the store.
In the past six months, the Nanjing officialdom has been in chaos, and the various taxes designated by the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs have also changed three times a day. Therefore, merchants would rather take a detour than come to Nanjing to swim in the muddy waters. Therefore, my store
The business here has naturally gone from bad to worse!"
Seeing that Chai Yuan actually had some knowledge and was well-informed, both Huo and Jiang were slightly startled.
Afterwards, the two of them looked at each other first, and then saw the Confucian scholar surnamed Huo casually pointing to the place next to him and saying: "Shopkeeper, just ask the store clerk to prepare breakfast for us. Sit down and chat with the two of us.
.”
When giving the order, the scholar surnamed Huo did not seem to have considered that Chai Yuan was still busy with matters in the store, and acted as if he could not refuse and it was natural.
In fact, after hearing what the Confucian scholar surnamed Huo said, Chai Yuan was so frightened by his extraordinary demeanor that he really didn't dare to speak. He turned around and asked the waiter in the store to prepare breakfast for the two scholars, and then carefully sat with the two Confucian scholars.
beside.
Later, the Confucian scholar surnamed Huo looked at Chai Yuan carefully for a moment and asked: "Shopkeeper, I have only been in Nanjing for a few days, and I don't know much about the local situation in Nanjing... You just said that Nanjing's industries have been declining recently.
What are the details? How did the people react? Can you tell us in detail?"