Two twin-engine bombers of the Naval Air Force slowly stopped on the runway one after another.
The ramp of the first plane was lowered, and Xiang Xiaoqiang appeared first at the hatch. Then came Snail, Stomachache, Li Gensheng... all male.
Beside the runway, there was an old-fashioned bus parked and two black cars. A figure in a windbreaker stood solemnly aside, shrinking his head in the cold wind of the propeller.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was a little surprised. When he returned home in triumph, there was no welcoming queue, no flowers, and not even a smiling face.
As I got closer, I recognized that the figure was Jiang Meilu.
"Mr. Xiang, congratulations on your triumph."
Jiang Meilu showed a smile, but there was no joy in it.
What's going on? Xiang Xiaoqiang thought to himself, you don't want to default on the debt, do you? Seeing that we have overfulfilled the task, we are reluctant to part with the money? Haha, that's not the case...
Xiang Xiaoqiang murmured in his heart and still laughed:
"Jiang Chu, thank you so much! Thanks to your strong support from the rear this time! Otherwise, let alone the mission, my life would have been lost there many times!"
When Jiang Meilu heard this, her face became a little more happy. She looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang, nodded, seemed very pleased, and said with a smile:
"Well, it's not bad. I still know how to say this. Thank you to the factory supervisor later."
"Haha," Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a smile, "That's natural. This time it went so smoothly. Apart from the factory supervisor, the biggest contributor to the rear is you, Jiang Chu."
The joy on Jiang Meilu's face increased. She nodded and glanced at the second plane.
The ramp of the second plane was also lowered, and Qiu Qiu was the first to appear at the hatch. Then came the crew of the Grasshopper.
Finally, two girls, one older and one younger, came out. Neither of them were wearing the uniforms of the submarine force. Instead, they were wrapped in very simple coats and had their heads shrunk. The older one was in a very depressed mood and her eyes were evasive. The younger one was in a very emotional state.
It's quite tall, looks very novel, and looks everywhere.
Jiang Meilu looked at them for a moment and asked Xiang Xiaoqiang tentatively:
"They are just..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang nodded:
"that is."
Jiang Meilu immediately came over, eyebrows arched, looking at the fourteen grids and said with a smile:
"Haha, have you had a hard journey? Come on, let's get in the car and talk. It's windy here..."
With that said, he invited Shi Shige Ge and Xiao Wu into the car very affectionately.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Snail took a car, Shirteen Gege, Xiao Wu, and Jiang Meilu took a car. The others got into the bus, and the three cars drove to Nanjing city.
They boarded the Gongbu submarine in Jiaozhou Bay two days ago, and arrived at the East China Sea Fleet's submarine base on Zhoushan Island last night. The group slept at the base for one night, and boarded a plane early this morning to fly to Nanjing. During the two days
I neither saw newspapers nor heard radio broadcasts.
Now Xiang Xiaoqiang only knows that the Ming Dynasty also mobilized, but he still knows almost nothing about what happened in the past two days.
Xiang Xiaoqiang also murmured in his heart: Since you all attach so much importance to this fourteenth grid, why don't you even bring a few escorting guards with you?
…
On the way into the city, we passed many checkpoints. Almost every road was filled with sandbags and machine guns. There were roadblocks on the road and military vehicles parked next to it.
The documents had to be verified every time, and the soldiers had to open the car door to check, and even went to the bus with guns to count the number of people. The soldiers were very nervous, as if they were facing a powerful enemy, as if if they made the wrong move, they would be beaten into pieces.
of.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Snail looked at each other and thought in their hearts, if this was the case in the Qing Dynasty, they would have died countless times.
Entering the city.
"when!"
The car body seemed to have been hit hard by something. When Xiang Xiaoqiang looked outside, he saw several people on the roadside throwing stones and bricks at his motorcade while shouting something.
There were a few more "dings", and a few more rocks hit the car. "Pop", the car window next to Xiaoqiang hit him and turned his head. He was so frightened that he hid, but when he looked at the glass again, he found nothing.
"bullet-proof glass."
The driver said calmly, with a strong Nanjing accent.
Xiang Xiaoqiang asked in shock:
"What's going on?"
The Dongchang driver shook his head:
"I can't tell you. Let's talk about it when we get there."
The motorcade sped up, and from time to time someone outside the car shouted:
"Down with..."
"...Dongchang..."
"Down with the factory guards..."
"Minions..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Snail looked at each other in surprise.
As the car drove onto Changping Road, Xiang Xiaoqiang saw an even more shocking sight.
Countless young people were holding banners and shouting slogans, marching slowly in the middle of the road. Crowds of citizens on the roadside watched, and from time to time young people rolled up their sleeves and joined in.
The driver said:
"They are all college students."
Xiang Xiaoqiang saw what was written on their banners and what they shouted, which seemed to be:
"Abandoned factory guard! Qingjun's side!"
Sweat to Xiaoqiang! Abandoned factory guards! Qing Jun side!
Can you shout this kind of thing?
Let’s not talk about the “Abandoned Factory Guards”. In history, anyone who shouted “Qing Jun Side” was basically tantamount to rebellion.
What happened to these college students?
What happened to Daming?
…
What surprised him even more was that some important units on the roadside in Changping, such as banks, government agencies, etc., were guarded by soldiers with loaded weapons. Those soldiers seemed to be on the same page as the marching students, and just watched them vigilantly as they passed by.
.
In open areas such as intersections, there are anti-aircraft gun positions surrounded by sandbags as usual. Soldiers wearing helmets sit on the gun emplacements and monitor the sky without looking at the crowd. There is a military policeman in front of each position, holding a gun and staring at the parade.
Team.
Looking up to the sky along the anti-aircraft guns, there are gray anti-aircraft balloons standing over the city. From a distance, they look like Zeppelin airships.
The workers who piled sandbags on the buildings on the street continued to work as if it was none of their business.
We passed several recruitment points on the roadside. Not only was there no orderly scene of queuing up for recruitment, but several military police tried their best to protect the recruiting officers. A large group of students surrounded them, shouting slogans to them:
"Don't fight, study!!!"
"War monger!!"
The reporters on the roadside were like crazy, following the parade, taking photos, taking notes, conducting interviews, and writing press releases on the spot from time to time, and having their followers rush to deliver reports to the agency.
Except for a small number of military police protecting important departments, military facilities and recruitment points, Xiang Xiaoqiang did not see a single policeman along the way.
In the middle of the road was a large group of students marching, with many citizens, idlers, and many scoundrel-looking people on both sides. They folded their hands and ran along happily, making loud noises, and taking the opportunity to smash and loot the shops on the roadside.
.
A reporter on the roadside suddenly shouted:
"Dongchang's car!"
Suddenly several rocks flew over and hit the car body with a "ding-dong" sound, and then a large number of students swarmed over and shouted loudly:
"Fight to Dongchang!"
"Die to Dongchang!"
"Authoritarian lackey!"
A drop of cold sweat rolled down the driver's head and he said:
"not good."
Then he turned the steering wheel fiercely, rushed out of the encirclement, avoided the main road, and drove into a side road. The two cars behind him followed him in.
Xiang Xiaoqiang leaned on the backrest with only one thought in his mind:
Nanjing is in chaos!
We haven't just mobilized yet, and it's already in such chaos! What a fart fight!
what happened?
…
Countless huge air defense balloons floating in the sky, like clouds of war, weigh heavily over the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Anti-aircraft guns in sandbag fortifications point to the sky, and soldiers wearing steel helmets look resolute, sitting on the gun positions to monitor
The sky is meticulous. A few meters away from the sandbag fortifications, there are students swarming past holding banners and shouting slogans. The military police retreated inside and just stared at them nervously, not allowing them to rush through the cordon. Many people
They surrounded the anti-aircraft artillery fortifications and shouted slogans and curses at the soldiers inside.
When Xiang Xiaoqiang saw this situation, he couldn't help but feel angry:
No matter what the reason is, at least these soldiers are still guarding the sky for you, so that you can still parade here and curse!
What time of year is it now? War clouds are gathering, the Qing army is pressing down on the country, and there are so many ungrateful young people! Do you all want to be slaves to the subjugation of the country?
The slogans are being shouted very cheerfully now. When the Qing army’s artillery shells fall, the fastest ones will be you!
…
The first round of Dongchang has arrived. The road a hundred meters away from the entrance is crowded with people, and the traffic is seriously jammed. Countless students are crowded here, banners are everywhere, and slogans are loud. It seems that this is the end point where teams from all walks of life meet.
In addition to titles such as "Abandon factories to defend the country, clear the emperor's side", "Don't fight, study", "Scholar-bureaucrats and the emperor rule the world together" and other titles, there are large banners with the names of the schools: Jinling University, Jiangnan Women's University, Jinling Normal University
, Jiangnan Gongyuan... Among them, two huge vertical banners were written on the top of the list:
The sound of wind, rain and reading reached my ears.
Family affairs, state affairs, and world affairs concern everyone.
Holding high in the middle is a giant banner with four big characters: Donglin University.
The names of other universities and schools surround the place like stars holding the moon.
There were boys and girls in the crowd. Many students stood on the bench and gave impassioned speeches. Students gathered around them, listening with admiration, and bursts of warm applause and cheers broke out from time to time.
In addition to shouting slogans impassionedly, student cadres from each school called their classmates into the square formation, poured them boiling water, gave them armbands with the name of the school printed on them, and then asked them to sit down in order. Some accompanying students
The students who came and didn't care much were chatting and joking around, laughing and joking from time to time. They were not nervous at all. They seemed very experienced and used to this kind of situation.
…
The car was stuck in a traffic jam for a long time. It was hard to get through, but we didn't dare to blow our horns for fear of being recognized and blocked again, so we quietly turned to another road.
"Your mother, whenever something like this happens, Donglin University takes the lead and makes the most noise."
The driver turned the steering wheel and cursed angrily.
Donglin University... Judging from that couplet, it should be the legendary Donglin Academy. This place, known as the "cradle of Ming Dynasty politicians", has cultivated generations of Donglin Party members. It seems that the main
The school moved from Wuxi to Nanjing.
"Gathering party members to shake up the imperial court."
This was the comment made by later rulers in the early Qing Dynasty to Donglin Academy after summing up the experience of the Ming Dynasty. After this experience, Xiang Xiaoqiang now understands this sentence somewhat.
The Qinhuai District in the south of the city is quite quiet, but the entrance to the Changping Marquis Mansion is still crowded with reporters. Everyone knows that the Queen is here during these days, and reporters from major newspapers take turns staying on guard 24 hours a day, hoping to take pictures of Her Majesty when she returns to the palace. And
Since the royal family announced that His Majesty has recovered, His Majesty has not appeared in public. In addition, during the Qing Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty has mobilized for war, and war clouds are thick. In the past few days, the chief ministers and the cabinet have been making appearances, making speeches and statements.
Her Majesty the Queen kept a low profile and never came out.
In addition, in the past two days, the city's college students held anti-war demonstrations and openly raised the slogan "Qingjun side". Newspapers all over the Ming Dynasty wanted to interview His Majesty's "reflections" on this.
Three vehicles from Dongchang stopped in a nearby alley.
"We can't drive Dongchang's car into the Marquis' Mansion, especially when His Majesty is there."
Jiang Meilu said.
Yes, Xiang Xiaoqiang also understands the current situation. The "scholars" on the street think that the factory guards have conspired to provoke the war in order to satisfy their ambitions (in fact, it is indeed the case). At this time, we must completely separate His Majesty and the royal family. We must not
It makes people think that the royal family is behind the scenes (which is indeed the case). Now the paparazzi have developed the ability to recognize license plates. If they look back at the license plate, they will know that the car belongs to the royal family, the factory guard, and the government.
, police or military.
Xiang Xiaoqiang even suspected that some students had already thought that the Queen was the mastermind behind the scenes, and they were not fools after all. But they couldn't point the finger of their demonstration at His Majesty, right? So the factory guard naturally took all the blame and became the only bad guy.
They parked two cars here, and everyone got on the bus. The bus took a detour to the back door, and there were many reporters there, but every day the guards in the palace changed shifts, so they came in and out on this bus. The reporters obviously
Not interested in buses.
…
The timing of this student parade is so coincidental, just when the two sides are about to go to war. No matter how orderly and disciplined they are, they will have a great impact on the Ming Dynasty's war mobilization. At least there are traffic in several key areas in Nanjing.
They are all paralyzed, and they are anti-war demonstrations. In addition to recruiting reserve forces for the Ming army, it is probably difficult to recruit young people on the streets to volunteer for the army. Alas, are these students ignorant?
In a word, if something like this happened at this time, it would be a great help to the Qing Dynasty.
Xiang Xiaoqiang sat next to Shi Shigege, looked at her, and whispered:
"You did it beautifully!"
"This parade?" Shi Shigege shook her head and whispered, "It has nothing to do with me."
It has nothing to do with the Fourteenth Princess... Xiang Xiaoqiang changed his mind and realized that he was right. In the past few days, the Fourteenth Princess was first focused on the "female prisoners" issue, and then followed them to escape. When the Qing Dynasty mobilized for war, she had already been captured.
Since one of my own people is wanted, it is impossible to plan and incite anti-war demonstrations. Could it be someone else in charge of the sticky pole department?
Then Shi Shigege glanced at him and said softly:
"Don't think about it, we have never done this kind of thing in the stick-stick department, and we don't have time to do it this time. It's an internal problem of your Ming Dynasty."
…
Everyone got off the car. It was a small courtyard paved with fine pebbles, surrounded by white walls and black tiles. Beside the wall was a rugged piece of Taihu stone, surrounded by several clumps of bamboo. There were several long bluestone slabs embedded in the wall, with carvings on them.
The calligraphy of famous masters of the past dynasties.
But a simple bunker was built with sandbags against the wall, covered with thick wooden boards on top, and covered with sandbags. The shape looked like a simple toilet in the countryside.
This was probably used as a temporary shelter when being bombed or shelled. It was so sudden that people immediately felt the atmosphere of war from the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers.
When Qiu Qiu and her girls got out of the car, they were all very surprised. They all knew where they were. They looked around excitedly and tried to keep their voices down as low as possible. Xiang Xiaoqiang's girls also looked around, each with two eyes.
It seems there isn't enough.
In the courtyard, two girls stand tall and graceful. One of them is light yellow, the other is light green. They are both dressed in traditional Ming Dynasty palace clothes. They have softer fox fur on their collars and pink necks. They wear palace-style buns on their heads and wear jade hairpins.
, very formal and solemn.
Xiang Xiaoqiang wiped his eyes, as if he were watching a play. He had never seen this kind of Ming-style palace costume since he traveled back in time. It was very similar to the style in "A Dream of Red Mansions", but it was obviously improved in modern times, simplified a lot, and not as cumbersome as in ancient times.
.
I guess this is the formal attire of a royal woman.
There were two girls, one was Zheng Yucong, who was eighteen or nineteen years old, and the other was fifteen or sixteen years old. Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know him. But he saw that this girl looked very much like Zhu Yourong, and she was probably his sister. The emperor's daughter was called Princess, and the sisters were called Princess.
The eldest princess, my aunt is called the eldest princess. This girl is probably a certain eldest princess.
The smaller girl quietly approached Zheng Yucong and asked:
"Cousin, which one is the fourteenth grid?"
Zheng Yucong lightly kicked her foot and whispered:
"Meimei! Stand up quickly."
The girl named "Mei Mei" slightly stuck out her tongue and still stood tall and graceful like Zheng Yucong.
Xiang Xiaoqiang coughed, and his men all became quiet, and Qiu Qiu's men stopped chattering. Everyone consciously kept a certain distance from Fourteenth Gege.
Shi Shi Ge Ge's face turned pale and she pursed her lips, knowing that this moment had come. She gently broke away from Xiao Wu's hand, took two steps forward, and lowered her head.
Zheng Yucong smiled and nodded:
"Is this Sister Xianju? Haha, you've had a hard journey. How are you getting used to the southern climate? Well, let me introduce you, this is Her Royal Highness Princess Xiuning."
Fourteen Gege bowed down in the manner of a Han woman and said softly:
"I have met Her Royal Highness the eldest princess."
Princess Xiuning said "hmm" and said:
"My name is Zhu Youmei."
Zheng Yucong coughed lightly with a straight face, kicked her again, and continued to laugh:
"I am the daughter of the Marquis of Changping and your Majesty's cousin. My name is Zheng Yucong."
Fourteen Gege did not get up and continued to whisper:
"I've met Miss Zheng."
Seeing the legendary Fourteenth Princess being so submissive, Zheng Yuqing felt greatly satisfied with his vanity, and almost fell in love with the job assigned to him by his cousin.
The girls of the Grasshopper had a great time watching the fourteenth princess. It was as if this Qing Dynasty princess worshiped not only the eldest princess and the marquis, but also all of them and the entire Ming Dynasty.
Only Xiang Xiaoqiang noticed that Shi Shigege's face was pale at this time, his lips were trembling slightly, and his eyes were closed.
He shook his head slightly, sighing secretly in his heart.
Zheng Yucong smiled and lifted Shi Shigege up, and said affectionately:
"Your Majesty specially asked us to welcome my sister here. Your Majesty can't be separated now, but he will treat my sister to dinner in the evening... His Majesty asked us to say to my sister on her behalf: Welcome to Ming Dynasty. In addition, Your Majesty is very sympathetic to your father's matter... Canonize this person
It will be done in a few days. Before that, please stay at my house. I hope you won’t wrong your sister... Come, let me show you where you live first..."
Zheng Yucong said and then took Shi Shigege and walked towards the backyard. Zheng Yucong was surprised that her hands were so cold, but thinking about her current state of mind, she felt relieved. Xiao Wu looked around, hesitated, and ran
Then he followed. Zhu Youmei said "Huh" and said with a smile:
"You look a lot like me!"
The girls held hands affectionately and disappeared into the depths of the flower path. Only then did Jiang Meilu let out a sigh of relief and smiled at everyone:
"Okay, everyone has seen enough. Let's go see the Marquis."
Xiang Xiaoqiang called his men, and when he passed by Qiu Qiu, he blew on her face to wake her up. Qiu Qiu was stunned, and quickly followed her with a dozen of Cinderella's men who were stunned to see the princess.