At four o'clock in the afternoon, the train finally stopped at Changxindian Station.
"My lords, the train has arrived at the terminal. Please grab your belongings and get off the train. Don't leave any behind." The conductor came with the conductor to inform everyone to get off the train.
He got up and stretched out comfortably. Under the service of the little eunuch, he got up from the bed.
"Uncle Dingyuan will enjoy it. The sleeper carriage of this train is so comfortable."
As the old saying goes, dumplings are not as delicious as dumplings... and it is better to sit upside down than to sit on them. The longitudinal sleepers are more spacious and wide enough because there are only two floors, and the height is enough for sitting. It is indeed very comfortable to sit on.
Because this is a premium car, that is, a first-class car, after all, the whole journey costs one tael. Therefore, there are free hot towels to wipe your face, as well as drinks such as green tea and hot coffee. There is also a free lunch box on the car.
The lacquerware wooden box used for the lunch on the car is very exquisite. The whistle and chopsticks are both made of chicken wing wood, which also shows high quality.
Every once in a while, a waiter comes over pushing a trolley and asks the guests if they want drinks or snacks. These waiters are all girls in their fifteenth or sixteenth year. They are specially selected beauties with good looks and figures. After all,
This is a high-end carriage. The service staff must also be of high quality. Passengers must feel that their money is not wasted.
The little girls, the tops are plain white silk modern-style shirts. The bottoms are dark green horse skirts with peonies embroidered with gold thread, and the feet are wearing black leather shoes with semi-heels. They look very eye-catching.
Along the way, the old civil servants joked and teased the little girls. The little girls' shy little faces were flushed. However, they still maintained the politeness and decency required by the training.
Although these civil servants were itching, no one dared to make mistakes because they all knew that this was Uncle Dingyuan's business. He was not a master who was easy to mess with.
At this time, they arrived at the terminal of Changxindian. The imperial envoys began to get off the bus one by one. The servants sitting on the hard seats also took down large items from the luggage carts and saluted. The attendants followed their masters, carrying their belongings with them.
Box cage.
A group of people were standing on the platform. It was their first time to take a train. They didn't know that the end point was at Changxindian, across the Yongding River. It seemed that they were going to cross the Yongding River first and go to Wanping City to rent a carriage and drive to the capital.
At this time, the stationmaster of Changxindian Station came over and said to them: "My lords, it has been a tiring journey. Thank you for your hard work. When you leave the station, you will reach the Marco Polo Bridge. After crossing the bridge, you will reach Wanping City. If you feel tired, you can go to Wanping City.
Find an inn to stay for one night and have a rest. There will be many horse-drawn carriages in Wanping City operating passenger transportation from Wanping to the capital tomorrow morning. You can rent a car. If you have something important to do and are in a hurry to return to Beijing, Uncle Dingyuan has arranged a small train to transport building materials.
You can reach Xizhimen very quickly. You should be able to enter the city in time. However, the conditions are relatively simple and not as comfortable as this kind of train. The cost is also waived. I don’t know what you think.”
Everyone discussed it and found that the situation in different yamen was different. Some planned to stay in Wanping for one night and have a good rest before returning to Beijing tomorrow. Some were anxious to return to the city while the city gates were not closed today.
Gao Qiqian pondered for a moment and said: "We have an urgent military situation here. We must go to see His Majesty as soon as possible. Please make arrangements for it."
The stationmaster raised his hands and said, "I'm going to make preparations right away. Mr. Gao will wait a moment."
After a while, officials who were eager to return to Beijing, led by Gao Qiqian, boarded a fifteen-inch narrow-gauge train. This train was used to transport materials for railway construction. Because the gauge was too narrow, only
It can be used by two people side by side. And it is used to transport goods. Like the mine cart, it can only be made temporarily by adding a long stool inside.
The trains have no roof and are all open-air. However, the train does not run any slower than the 762 train.
Under the setting sun, the small train ran across the temporary bridge over the Yongding River. The cool wind blew from the water, which instantly refreshed people.
Gao Qiqian praised: "This train is really a good thing. It's fast and stable. It can pull a lot of things. It's not restricted by seasons and can run day and night. It only takes 200 miles and four hours. It's really great."
It feels like a fairy baby."
When the train arrived at Jishuitan, it was still an hour away from the city gate. The journey was completed in just two-quarters of an hour, which made everyone a little stunned. If you take a carriage, it will probably take half a day to walk from Changxindian on Jishuitan Road.
Emperor Chongzhen was accompanying the queen and his two beloved concubines to have dinner at this time. Due to Yang Fan's influence, breakfast was now started in the palace, so the dinner time was naturally postponed to five or six o'clock in the afternoon.
At this time, Wang Chengen came in and stood aside with his hands down.
Chongzhen was serving a bowl of fish maw and fish maw soup to the queen when he saw Wang Chengen come in.
Empress Zhou recently finished her recuperation. In the first month of this year (the second year of Chongzhen), she gave birth to the eldest son of the emperor. He was named Zhu Cixiang. Historically, he was named the prince in the third year of Chongzhen.
However, Queen Zhou soon became pregnant again. At the end of the second year of Chongzhen, she gave birth to her second son Zhu Cixuan. In this year, she gave birth to a son each in the first and twelfth lunar months. Unfortunately, the second son failed to grow up.
He died young.
The emperor loved Empress Zhou very much, and she became pregnant for the second time just after giving birth to the emperor's eldest son. He specially asked the empress to rest for a few months and let the imperial doctors adjust her body and stabilize the pregnancy.
Empress Zhou was really liked by the emperor. Although Chongzhen was old-fashioned and stubborn, he really loved his wife in his heart.
Empress Zhou gave birth to the second prince at the end of the second year of Chongzhen. Then she became pregnant again. In the third year of Chongzhen, she gave birth to the eldest daughter, Princess Kunyi. Unfortunately, the eldest princess, Her Royal Highness, failed to grow up and died early.
But this was not over yet. In the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, Empress Zhou gave birth to Princess Zhu Yu'ao of Changping. She was the one-armed nun in "The Deer and the Cauldron" whose arm was chopped off by Chongzhen.
In the fifth year of Chongzhen, Empress Zhou gave birth to the third son of the emperor Zhu Cijiong. He was also the legendary third prince Zhu. (The third prince Zhu whom Kangxi killed was actually the fifth son of the emperor)
Having five children in five years in a row was enough to show the emperor's love for her.
It is estimated that at this time, Concubine Tian and Concubine Yuan were going crazy. In their hearts, ten thousand grass and mud horses were galloping past. Your Majesty, you don't have such a thing. But if the queen is the only one to dote on them, she will make the same mistake as Concubine Yang.
But they both cursed in their hearts and did not dare to say such curse words.
It was not until the sixth year of Chongzhen that the emperor finally felt embarrassed to face his two beloved concubines.
Finally, in the sixth year of Chongzhen (1632), Concubine Tian gave birth to the fourth son of the emperor, Zhu Cizhen. In the eighth and ninth years of Chongzhen, Concubine Tian gave birth to Zhu Cihuan and Zhu Cican.
Chongzhen had seven sons and six daughters. They were all born to Empress Zhou and Concubine Tian. Concubine Yuan had no children for unknown reasons. Chongzhen also had Concubine Wang Shun, Concubine Liu, Concubine Fang, Concubine Shen, and two concubines of the Wang family. None of them had any children. .
Wang Chengen usually would not disturb the emperor at this time. Because the emperor was very diligent in his duties, only having dinner with his concubines was the rare time to enjoy family time.
"Wang Banban'er, what's the matter?" Chongzhen put the bowl in front of Queen Zhou, turned around and asked.
"Your Majesty, all the lieutenant officers, civil servants, and factory guards you sent to the capital camp have returned. Before dark, some of them have already entered the city. It is estimated that after a while, Gao Qiqi will attack and come to see your Majesty."
Chongzhen was stunned at first. He didn't remember that he ordered them to come back.
Immediately afterwards, Wang Chengen saw that the emperor's face became very ugly.