Jinjing was the most prosperous place of the Jin Dynasty and the ruling center of the empire. It had countless vagabonds, businessmen, rich and poor, and countless people.
The center of the empire was also the culmination of the ancient society of this era. The city had a population of no less than one million, which was almost a miracle in this ancient era.
There are four important towns outside Jinjing connected to Jinjing, helping this giant city share the huge pressure of transportation, materials, population, environment, people and land.
Changhe Town is the end point of river transportation from the north to the south. Brocades from Yunzhou, silks from Jinzhou, fish, shrimps and fog tea from Jiangzhou, horses, cattle and sheep from Beizhou, rice from Tongzhou, rare and exotic grasses from Qingzhou, and several from Xuzhou One hundred thousand hectares of wheat,...
Ship after ship of goods from various states gathered here, and even foreign countries came along the river. Seeing the scenery of this dock, they exclaimed: "Thousands of sails and ships, like countless pearls."
Another poet praised this prosperous scene.
"The huge ship is driven ahead of the dragging, and the green poplars and green pines line the shore. Only the logistics can be moved in and out quickly, and the clean warehouses are updated. Thousands of goods and ships are all over the port, and the bright auspicious clouds and flags are flying. The wavelengths are shining brightly, and the flying goods are high and long. ."
"Smoke willows paint bridges, wind curtains are green, and there are hundreds of thousands of homes. Clouds and trees surround the embankment and sand, roaring waves roll up frost and snow, and the sky is endless. The city is lined with pearls, and the households are filled with Luoqi, competing for luxury."
On an inland river, a awning boat sailed slowly on the water. The boatman propped out the stern and shook two wooden oars. A book boy curiously bent down beside him and put his hand into the water, teasing the fish that could be seen from time to time.
On the bow of the boat, stood a man in white, tall and straight, with his hair tied and wearing a crown, holding a jade flute, and the player gently conveyed the unique melodious Jiangnan accent.
The awning boat rowed across the ancient bridge, and the light and shadow on Bai Jun's body changed from darkness to brightness, making him look as handsome as a fairy. The women washing clothes on both sides of the river bridge all looked shy, and they secretly looked at which young master had such a good appearance. .
In Bai Jun's eyes, everything he saw was an ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with terraces and pavilions near the embankments, painted boats and pavilions, and tourists singing and singing. There were lotus flowers for ten miles, osmanthus seeds for three autumns, and green mountains all around.
Here, there is a scene everywhere, so beautiful that you can indulge in the continuous drizzle, like a drunken dream in Jiangnan.
The awning boat sailed until it reached the pier of the river, and the boatman stepped forward and said to Bai Jun: "Sir, this is the Dongwu pier. If you want to enter Beijing, you can pass directly through Xuanwu Altar, which is about ten miles away. You can hire a carriage to get to Wengcheng.
But you have to be careful, there are many gangs on this pier, they are local gangsters, you are an outsider and it is best not to provoke them."
Bai Jun nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you very much." Then he took a bunch of money and put it in the boatman's hand.
"Oh, sir, this is a lot of money."
"No problem, let's consider this as a reward for your kind words." Bai Jun smiled and said, "Mo Lin, let's go."
"Yes, sir!" Mo Lin carried the book basket on his back and followed Bai Jun to the dock with excitement.
This pier is specially used for tourists and passenger watercraft to land. The other three piers transport cargo.
However, there are still people coming and going and traffic here.
There are small boats with black awnings like Bai Jin's, or large passenger ships specially used to carry passengers, with dozens of people sitting in a crowded cabin.
There were also huge painted boats and two-story boats, and the sound of music, colors, silk and bamboo could be heard from them. They were obviously from wealthy and powerful families.
And on a painting boat, several young men were drinking and having fun, holding cups and standing by the fence of the painting boat and sighing with emotion.
"Brother Zhao, there are still ten days until the results are released, are you sure?" a rich young man in a green shirt asked with a smile.
"Are you sure? Alas, I can't say for sure." The young man in gray robe looked a little melancholy on his brows, "It would be good if I can get a second grade in this imperial examination. As for the first grade, that is something Brother Yuan Jing has to consider."
"Brother Wen'an, don't make fun of me anymore." A handsome man in white said with a smile: "I can take the imperial examination and I am satisfied to see His Majesty the Holy Emperor. As for the first and second grades, there is no one.
thing."
Hearing this, the rich young master drank the wine in one breath and sighed: "At least you all have hope, but I can't even take part in the imperial examination. What's the use of this noble status other than to eat and wait to die?"
"
After he finished speaking, he threw it away with a hateful sound, and the cup in his hand flew down and smashed into the river with a "plop".
"Ouch! Who hit it? Didn't you see anyone? You almost hit someone!"
A childish voice came from the distance. The rich man was already unhappy, so he said coldly: "Grandpa you, so what if I smashed him?"
The two of them looked around and saw a little book boy standing next to a awning boat on the dock shore, shouting.
Mr. Wen'an smiled and said: "Forget it, Brother Zhao, you are a noble earl, why should you compete with a little book boy?"
"Hmph, I'm angry inside. Can't I vent it out?" The rich young man still had some anger on his face, but he had no idea to pay attention to the book boy anymore.
Mo Lin, who had just landed on the shore, looked at the boat and made an angry face. Forget it if he couldn't afford to offend him, he still wanted to ridicule him. The new clothes the young master had just bought for him were wet with water.
, can you not be angry?
Seeing him like this, Bai Yan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Let's go." Children have a good mentality, and children's fun is always unexpected.
He raised his eyes and looked at the boat. Well... it was indeed quite big, and the scenery from it was pretty good.
I don't know whether it's because his mentality as a snake has changed, or something else, but Bai Jun no longer likes to be in the bustle and bustle, and only likes to watch quietly from the sidelines. He wants to take a look at the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, and the scenery of the world.
On the boat, Mr. Wen'an and the young man in white couldn't help but smile. The child was also naughty.
The rich young man's face turned red, "This little baby, don't let me see him again."
Yuan Jing smiled and was about to speak, but suddenly he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a man in white standing next to the child. He looked like a fairy in a painting and had an extraordinary temperament. More importantly, he felt vaguely familiar.
"strangeness……"
He looked around again and saw that the man had a gourd on his waist and a flute in his hand, and he felt more and more familiar.
"What's wrong, Brother Yuanjing?" Young Master Wen'an asked curiously.
"It's okay, I just saw someone who felt very familiar."
…
On the long street paved with bluestones, the cracks between the stones are covered with green moss, and the ground is always wet with people coming and going. A group of peddlers are squatting or standing in groups at the pier, chatting.
When he saw Bai Jun, he was startled by his appearance first, and then he realized that someone came forward and said with a smile on his face: "This young master, do you need to carry something? Or if you need anything, we can do it."
Running errands for you."
Bai Jin saw this man with a stooped waist and said, "Is there an inn nearby? It needs to be somewhere cleaner and more elegant."
"Hey, you've asked the right person about this. My grandson Ergou has been here for twenty or thirty years, and I can figure out the doorways with my eyes closed.
I know there is an inn nearby, and it is next to the riverside pier, and the scenery is amazing. Sir, do you want to go and have a look?" Sun Ergou asked with an attentive smile.
"Well, let's go take a look." Bai Jun said to Mo Lin again: "Give him the book basket."
Mo Lin was startled for a moment. He looked around and saw dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them. He instantly understood that no matter whether you have goods or not, you must call a helper. Otherwise,...
He took off the book basket and handed it to Sun Ergou.
Sun Ergou hurriedly took it, carried it on his back and said with a smile: "Master, please, go this way."
Bai Jun nodded and followed him.
The road was lined with small stalls, and various hawking sounds could be heard. Different from the shopping streets in small places, the streets here were very clean and tidy. Bai Yan even saw a vacant lot where garbage trucks were specially piled up, and there were also garbage trucks on the street.
The patrol officers were full-time officers who looked like security guards in official uniforms.
Most of the fish and shrimps for sale on both sides of the road were fish and shrimp. Bai Jun passed by a vendor and happened to see the big man chop off the head of a lively grass carp with a knife. The fish's body was still struggling and blood spattered everywhere.
Bai Jun paused for a step, fish blood dripping on the ground in front of him, and then continued to move forward.
I followed Sun Ergou for about a quarter of an hour and stopped in front of an inn. This inn was called Good Inn. It was quite elegant, but there were a little less people.
Sun Ergou took them in and shouted: "Shopkeeper, a distinguished guest is here!"
"Oops, you two guests are a little disappointed! My surname is Zhao, and I am the shopkeeper of our shop. I wonder if you two are working as top managers or staying in the shop?" Shopkeeper Zhao said with a smile.
"Stay in the hotel for ten days. After traveling for a long time, now that we're here, it's time to slow down. Find two upper rooms near the river. Here's the deposit." Bai Jun casually took out one yuan and three taels.
The money on the left and right was handed to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper immediately beamed and said: "Okay! Guest! Wang Wu, why don't you take the two guests to see the room? You want to see the best room!"
"Hey, that's good!" A clever waiter hurriedly ran over and led Bai Jun upstairs.
Bai Jun also gave Sun Ergou a few pennies and asked Mo Lin to take the book basket and follow him.
When Sun Ergou saw Bai Jun going upstairs, he said to the shopkeeper: "Old Zhao, I have brought you a rich man, why don't you express your gratitude?"
"Haha, don't worry, of course your share will be indispensable." Shopkeeper Zhao took dozens of coins and handed it to him without any surprise, and said with a smile: "Bring more guests here, you will inevitably benefit from it!"
Sun Ergou said with a smile: "Okay, shopkeeper Zhao, don't worry!"
He took dozens of pennies and left happily, but in his heart he was thinking about how much of the dozens of pennies he would have to hand over to the gang, how he would avoid being extorted by the leader, and how he should give the saved dozens of pennies to his family.
Buy something.
This is the life of ordinary lower-class people. Their hardships cannot be shown in ancient history, movies and TV shows. It is not easy to live in the capital of Jin Dynasty, but it is not easy for the people. The eyes of Shangguan and powerful people are full of prosperity and peace.
Bai Jun stayed at the Good Inn. There was still a month until the ninth day of July, so he was in no hurry to go to Jinjing.
Open the window, and below you will find a network of waterways, facing the street and across the river, small boats and boats, ancient bluestone roads, small bridges over flowing water, long streets and willow alleys, and it feels like a land of fish and rice.
He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the scenery he saw was completely different.
I saw a huge basalt shadow lying in Changhe Town, a fiery red bird in Zhuzi Town in the south, a giant cyan dragon in Yuanmu Town in the east, and a giant blue dragon lying in Jinling Town in the west. Huge white tiger mythical beast.
The four elephants and four pole beasts suppress Jinjing, the imperial capital of the Jin Dynasty, guarding the four directions, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the yin and yang are in harmony. This place must have been created by a Feng Shui master to create such a prosperous place, with the underground river of yin and yang, and the will of heaven. , the bottom is in line with the people's hearts, and it is more in line with the terrain. The three talents and four phenomena are all in it.
Bai Jun looked at Jinjing's sea of fortune that was like a golden sky, he hesitated for a moment and calmed down.
"Hoo~"
A gust of evening wind blew, drizzle fell, and the dreamlike misty water scene was right in front of me. Bai Jun played the long flute. Wouldn't the Holy Emperor blame him for sparing a hand?
After all, he is here to attend the Banquet of the Hundred Gods. But since ancient times, banquets have been divided into good and bad. If it is the Hongmen Banquet, and he is in a deep palace, his demonic power and divine power are suppressed by the fate of a country, and he is not even one out of ten. Little demon, isn’t that just at the mercy of others?
If it’s a good feast, then everyone will be happy!
…
Jinjing, Lu Mansion.
Lu Yuanjing returned home after returning from the painting boat, thinking that his mother should lecture him again for coming back late and getting wet in the rain.
So he quietly returned to the other courtyard. When passing by the shrine, he suddenly remembered something and stopped his servant, "Hold on, go burn incense sticks in the Liuzu Temple!"
"Yes! Master." The servant was a little surprised, but didn't ask any more questions.
Lu Yuanjing's heart trembled. When he held three incense sticks in his hand, he raised his head and faced the statue of Liu Ancestor.
His body went limp and he almost fell down.
The servant was startled and hurriedly supported him, "Master, are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Yuanjing murmured: "Exactly the same! There are both gourds and flutes!"
He hurriedly lit three sticks of incense, but did not dare to raise his head and look at the statue again, because he felt guilty, and even felt that the statue above his head was looking at him in the dark.
"Where is mother? Come quickly and I will see mother."
Lu Yuanjing hurriedly gave instructions to his servants.
He hurried to the main room, and when he saw the butler there, he retired and went in alone. The butler was guarding the door, and when he saw that the eldest young master was going in alone, he did not stop him.
Lu Yuanjing walked into the main room and heard the conversation between his father and his mother.
"Sir, I went to the palace today to pay homage to Concubine Shu, and I happened to meet Eunuch Feng. He really said it." This was the voice of his mother, Mrs. Lu Zhao.
"That's not a good thing!" This was the voice of his father, Lu Ming'en.
"But, sir, I remember that next month is the Banquet of the Hundred Gods. Do you think Liu Zu... will really come?"
"I don't know, Liu Zu hasn't dreamed of us for a long time." Lu Mingen sighed: "Well, don't go into the palace again. After all, getting Eunuch Feng in is a matter of luck. It can't be exposed.
I will order the secret guards at home to rush back to the ancestral home day and night to hold a ceremony to worship Ancestor Liu and respectfully invite Ancestor Liu to descend from the gods."
"Dad!" Lu Yuanjing suddenly said: "Dad! I have something important to discuss with you."
When Lu Mingen saw that it was his son who suddenly broke in, he just scolded him, "You are so old and you still don't understand the rules. The fact that Lao De is guarding outside means that I have important matters to discuss with your mother. Don't be so rash next time." ."
"Yes! Dad!" Lu Yuanjing said in a concentrated voice: "Dad, I may have seen Liu Zu coming to Beijing!"