Chongwen Gate in the capital was formerly known as Wenming Gate, also known as "Had Gate". Because the word "Had" was not elegant, literati and poets often pronounced it "Haidai". After the Jingnan Incident, Emperor Yongle Zhu Di moved the capital to Peking and rebuilt the city.
, the south city wall was expanded outwards, and the Wenming Gate was still opened, which became a hub for merchants and merchants. In the fourth year of Zhengtong, the Wengcheng was built and officially renamed Chongwen Gate. However, the people in the capital still called it Hade Gate.
In the 31st year of Jiajing period, in order to strengthen the defense of the capital, another Luocheng was built in the south of the capital. Chongwen Gate has since become the gate of the inner city. The newly built Luocheng covers a vast area, and there were still acres of countryside until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
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Chongwenmen is connected to the canal in the south and goes to Tianjin in the east. From above, tributes and daily necessities can be entered. It is also under the protection of Luocheng, so the market in Guanxiang area is particularly prosperous.
The water of the moat is clear, there are bridges on the river, and there are painted boats in the middle reaches of the river. There are trees and flowers on both sides of the river. Green willows catch the wind, and red flowers invite the moon. It is very beautiful. In the Ming Dynasty, it was even a holy place for sightseeing. Leave the city from Chongwenmen and cross the moat.
There is a dirt road not far away. It has no official name. It is just named after the place and is called Chongwenmenwai Street. In the Ming Dynasty, this was the "Flower Market" of the capital. Flowers brought from Lugou Bridge, Caoqiao and other places were mixed with flowers.
All kinds of "like flowers" produced in the capital: paper flowers, silk flowers, velvet flowers, grass flowers... are also competing here.
The Huaer Market is held on the fourth day of every month. When Xiaoqian came to the Chongwenmen joint, it was not in the market, and the streets were still bustling and lively. Farmers in the southern suburbs and Luocheng brought home-grown vegetables and fruits, chickens, ducks and
Fish, shrimp and aquatic products collected from various places are brought here for sale every day. Although this is also within the city, the tax card is located at Chongwenmen. When selling goods here, traders and farmers pay less tax.
Xiao Qian was not the first time he returned to the capital. Like Min Zhanlian, he came from a wandering world. He was arrested and imprisoned during the Sun Umbrella Project. After suffering some hardships in prison, he was recruited by the Foreign Intelligence Agency and became a member of the special service team.
Member. He is from Hejian Prefecture, North Zhili. He worked as a slave in the capital when he was young, so he is very familiar with the people of the capital. He is born with a baby face and looks very tender, so everyone calls him "
"Little Money" is actually already in his forties.
He set out from Zhangjiawan early in the morning, pretending to be a servant of a wealthy family who was out on business, and hired a strong mule to drive on. He covered the sixty-mile journey in one day, and entered Nancheng in the evening. He quietly walked to a place on Chongwenmenwai Street.
Stay at the inn.
Early the next morning, Xiao Qian changed his clothes, pretended to be a merchant from out of town, and went to the Juchun Garden Teahouse.
Chongwenmen is both a tax customs house and an important access road. On both sides of the street are inns, restaurants, teahouses, walking tours, carriage shops...all lined up in rows.
When he arrived at the bridge outside the moat, he did not cross the bridge into the city, but walked eastward. Within a few miles, he saw a Taoist palace called the Taiping Palace, but it was commonly known as the Peach Palace among the people. The surrounding scenery here
It is a beautiful tourist attraction in the capital city. It is officially the middle of winter, so there are not many tourists, which makes it feel a little deserted. The Juchun Garden Teahouse on the dirt road in front of Guanqian is still bustling with people.
Originally there were not many teahouses on this street, but this one is the largest. The shopkeeper of the teahouse is also named Qian. Outside the Chongwen Gate is a famous "Flying Bug" who is familiar with both black and white.
The teahouse is a courtyard with two entrances. There is a high door frame on the side of the road, with a banner hanging on it. There is a row of green oily wooden signs below, with various famous teas written in ink, such as West Lake Longjing, Maojian before the rain, Bird tongue and clouds.
...However, most people in the capital don't pay attention to drinking tea, and these famous teas are just a taste.
There is a reed mat tent, with more than a dozen tables and stools, and two stoves on one side. On one there are guys baking sesame cakes all the time, and on the other there are two large copper kettles, which are steaming. Every time
When the water boils, there is a whistle that can be heard from all over the street.
After passing the open-air scattered seats, the three main halls are the front hall. The tables and chairs are more elegant than outside, and they are all used by people with some status. As for the back hall, it is the domain of literati and dignitaries.
Most people won't go.
Although it is the middle of winter and the cold wind is strong, there are still people sitting in the scattered seats - most of them are working people or passing vendors, taking advantage of the heat of the stove to sit and take a breath, drink a bowl of hot tea, and have a sesame seed cake.
It doesn’t cost much to keep your stomach full. Once you fill your stomach, you can continue to make a living.
Xiaoqian walked through the reed mat shed, went up the steps and raised the thick cotton curtain. A hot air mixed with the smell of sweat, incense, meat, tea...all kinds of smells hit his face. Followed by the hustle and bustle.
The sound poured into his ears like a tide.
As soon as he entered the house, a waiter came to greet him:
"Sir, I'm new! Is this your first time back to Juchun Garden? How many of you..."
Xiao Qian said calmly: "Find a quiet seat, a pot of incense tablets and two cups. Then make two sesame cakes." After saying this, he threw out a bunch of copper coins.
There were people from all walks of life in the teahouse, so the waiter also had the most vicious eyes. He knew what he was doing by looking up and down. With a shout, he was led to a single table in the corner near the back door.
Xiao Qian glanced at it and saw that more than half of the people in the three rooms in the front hall were already there. Most of the people who came to the teahouse to have tea were drunkards who were not interested in drinking. Some came here to chat and kill time, some came to discuss business, and some came to make peace.
Those who pull hair, those who keep matchmaking, those who do teeth, those who buy and sell tickets... In this teahouse, there are also many people who make a living in the teahouse every day, those who tell fortunes, those who sell fruit, those who shave people's faces and hair, and those who sing songs
. . . all kinds of strange and bizarre.
He filled both teacups with tea, slowly drank the fragrant slices and ate the sesame cakes. He quietly observed the tea guests in the hall and in and out. The teahouse is a place where people come and go, and there is a mixture of fish and dragons. The geography of Juchun Garden
The location also means that most of the guests here are passers-by. Especially in these three front halls, where the Eight Immortals Table is set up to entertain sixteen parties, a new face like his will not attract anyone's attention.
Not long after, a driver wearing a felt hat and a sheepskin jacket came over, bowed slightly to him, and asked in a thick Shandong accent: "Is this the regular customer who came to hire a driver yesterday?"
What?"
Xiao Qian nodded slightly and said, "Are you the guy from the car dealer? I'm not very good at walking, so I need to be familiar with the local roads."
"Yes, that's right, my nickname is Weiyuan." The driver bowed and said, "There are two counties in the capital, and the roads in the surrounding counties are all familiar."
"Just wait for me for a moment, and then go over after I've had my tea."
The coachman said: "The small car is outside. The one with three copper coins and red ropes hanging on the blue cloth hood is the one." After saying that, he withdrew.
Xiao Qian was not in a hurry to leave, and sat for a while. When he saw the door curtain raised, a middle-aged man came in, wearing a green satin, fire fox fur, ear-warming six-in-one felt hat, a straight green cloth, a cotton robe, and a
Wearing a black satin belt and a pair of felt boots, she was dressed in a "photogenic" style.
As soon as he entered the door, the waiter raised his voice and said: "Master Qin is here!"
Before he finished speaking, there was a commotion in the store, and all kinds of people sitting on the seats got up and came over to greet him. Mr. Qin just bowed and bowed in return, without saying a word.
Everyone passed by quickly. Then he walked slowly in all directions and sat down at the empty table in front of him.
All the tables in the teahouse are large and small Eight Immortals tables, but this one is rectangular. It faces the main door of the main hall. No matter how many tea guests come in and out, no one ever sits down at the table. Xiaoqian knows that this is a "horse head" table.
"Table" is where only the local "leading uncle" can sit.
The waiter immediately brought a pot of tea and two plates of Nanguo preserves.
Third Master Qin took a sip of tea and wiped his short beard. Someone was already here to say hello. Xiaoqian knew that Third Master Qin was a local snake in Luocheng, and newcomers to the world had to pay homage to the wharf here in order to "
Doing business”.
While he was perfunctory, he asked the waiter waiting at the side: "Why is Liu Xiaobian missing?"
"As for me, he hasn't come to the shop for two days," the waiter said. "Several guys have looked for him, and even my family members have come here to look for him. He must have been drunk in a prostitute somewhere."
"It's really outrageous." Mr. Qin said, "It's a good job, but I can barely act like a human being, and I don't cherish it. I really can't help you!"
He thought for a moment and said: "If he doesn't come today, you will find Wu Laodao for me tomorrow."
"I understand!" the waiter responded, and just as he turned around to leave, Xiao Qian came to the Ma Tou table with a tea bowl. He held up his hands with a smile and said, "Boss, please give me tea!" After saying that, he pressed the edge of the bowl with his right thumb and held it up with his two fingers.
Hold the bottom of the bowl, with the thumb and index finger of your left hand bent, and the other three fingers straightened to the tip of your right elbow.
"Boss, please give me tea."
Mr. Qin seemed to be a familiar person, and he knew he was a "companion" from outside. This was a routine visit to the dock, so he immediately picked up the tea bowl, paid a humble respect, and asked:
"May I ask your surname, who is Hongxi?"
"I don't dare. My surname is Qian. I run a small business. Now I work as a cook in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou. I have to go to Luocheng to do some business from time to time. I am new here, so I have to ask the third master to take care of me."
Mr. Qin raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Originally, I shouldn't have stopped you from getting rich, but the weather has been bad recently, with heavy winds and heavy rains. Just take care of yourself."
"Yes, thank you Third Master for teaching me." Xiao Qian was very respectful.
"This is a carved plum from the south of the Yangtze River. It is very precious. Try one."
"Thank you, Third Master." Xiao Qian ate a carved plum and whispered: "I have something to ask Third Master the next day. I wonder if Third Master can be convenient?"
"Just look for me here. If I'm not here, ask the guy."
"Thank you, Third Master!" Xiao Qian took a few steps back respectfully, then turned around and left the teahouse.
Mr. Qin watched him leave without paying much attention - there were people from all walks of life visiting the dock every day, not to mention that he was doing business in Tongzhou, which is sixty or seventy miles away from here. To be honest, there is not much business to do in Luocheng.
, which means that they won’t be able to disturb Shuntian Prefecture’s horse-riding policemen.