weaving

Chapter 400 North Road Has Its Own New Atmosphere

In this world, no one knows better than him the necessity of communication between the East and the West at this moment, and the lack of thinking methods and living conditions have resulted in the formation of two ways of thinking between the East and the West.

It is not to say that China lags behind the West, and is even ahead of the world in some aspects at this time, but with the Renaissance of the West, including the revival of architecture, philosophy, literature, music, politics, religion, etc.,
As well as the development of practical science and technology such as astronomy, mathematics, physics, physiology and medicine, geography, psychology, etc., while China is experiencing a turbulent era of dynasty change,
In particular, the Qing Dynasty, which ruled the land of China, closed the country and cut off foreign exchanges. In order to consolidate its own ruling foundation, it promoted literary inquisition and suppressed the development and progress of folk science and technology.

In the end, my magnificent China became the target of oppression by the world's new powers, and it opened the beginning of a century of humiliation for the Chinese nation. It is really a sinner of the nation!
Now that I have come to this world, I must prevent these things from happening!

…………

In a blink of an eye, the [-]th day of the first lunar month is here, and it is the third day when the Lantern Market has entered its climax, and it is also the day of the Lantern Festival.

Although this year's lanterns and fireworks are not as lively as in previous years, they are much stronger than last year's Lantern Festival. After all, this year there are no Tartars raging. People around Gyeonggi have settled down for a year, and now they all rush into the city to watch the excitement.

In the afternoon of this day, Zhang Cheng took Ji Xuanzhu to visit Dengshi Street together. Looking at such a prosperous capital, Zhang Cheng felt inexplicably sad.

In less than four years, this centuries-old ancient capital will be slaughtered by two wars in succession, and the drama of dynasty replacement will be staged again and again.

Can he stop all this?

Do your best and obey the destiny!
Yurui and Xiuyue closely followed Miss Ji Xuanzhu. Although it was not the first time for them to visit the Lantern Festival in the capital, they were still very excited, showing a naive and lovely childishness.

Mrs. Jia led four healthy women to guard Ji Xuanzhu's body, and Lin Fangping also led four guards to follow closely beside Zhang Cheng. They now regard Zhang Cheng as their parents, so they naturally want to protect them comprehensively, and no one will be tolerated. lost.

"Commander, the Lantern Festival in Beijing is still lively!" Hearing the chaotic yelling and the sound of fireworks one after another, Chen Zhong also said quite excitedly.

Zhang Cheng casually tapped him on the head, and joked: "You don't need to say, this is my Daming's heart after all!"

In a blink of an eye they came to a colorful building, Wang Zhaozheng and Lu Dachun had been waiting in front of the door for a long time, they rushed forward to say hello: "I have seen the commander-in-chief and the mistress, let's go upstairs now."

Zhang Cheng turned his head to look at Ji Xuanzhu, and asked softly in her ear: "Madam, shall we go upstairs to watch the lantern?"

At this moment, Shen Shizheng has passed, the sky is slightly dim, and many colored lights in the market have been lit, and the lights are flickering, which is really beautiful.

Ji Xuanzhu raised his eyes to look at the sky, then turned around and looked at the healthy women and guards who were carrying or carrying or hugging big and small bags, and said with a smile: "I'm a little tired from walking, let's go first." Go upstairs, I just don't know when my father and mother will come over."

Under the guidance of Wang Zhaozheng, a group of people slowly climbed the steps to the Cailou. Although the Cailou built here has only two floors, it is slightly higher than ordinary two-story small buildings.

When I came to the second-floor terrace, the curtains in front had already been pulled back, looking down at the bustling scene of crowds of people in the bustling city of lights downstairs, but it was another feeling.

There are two square tables in the middle of the terrace, on which there are some dried fruits and pastries, and there are several small charcoal stoves burning hot tea beside them, which can not only keep warm but also make tea, but it is convenient and convenient.

Zhang Cheng told Lin Fangping: "Go back to the mansion and see when Mrs. Ji and Mrs. Ji will come over."

Lin Fangping turned and left, Yurui was carrying a food box, Xiuyue took out some dried fruits from it, and a very delicate copper enamel small charcoal stove, and handed it to Ji Xuanzhu to hold it in her hand.

As the sky got darker and darker, all the colorful lanterns were lit up by people. It was not until this time that the whole lantern market really started. There was also a sound of footsteps coming from the colorful building. Ji Zhiheng and his wife Ning were in Linfang Under equal protection, they also came to Cailou.

Zhang Cheng and Ji Xuanzhu sat on the square table on the right, Yurui and Xiuyue were also pulled by Ji Xuanzhu to sit beside her, and on the left square table were Zhang Cheng's father-in-law Ji Zhiheng and mother-in-law Ning, and His second brother-in-law Ji Youqing.

The gongs and drums in the Lantern Market were noisy, and sometimes towering floats and boats paraded past. Zhang Cheng noticed that there were many seductive women with heavy makeup singing or dancing on those floats and boats. Take a closer look. Very eye-catching.

"looks good?"

A soft interrogation came, although the voice was soft, it was transmitted into Zhang Cheng's ears without missing a word.

He looked at Ji Xuanzhu with a little embarrassment, and replied with a light smile: "It's not bad, compared to my general's Mrs. Ru, I don't know how much worse it is!"

On the [-]th day of the first lunar month after the Lantern Festival, a group of carriages slowly drove away from the gate of the residence of Ji Zhiheng, a lecturer at the Imperial Academy.

The curtains of the second carriage were lifted slowly, and a pretty face leaned out of the window, glittering with tears in the cold wind, looking back at Mrs. Ning standing in front of the gate of Ji's mansion, and softly shouted: "Mother, take care of yourself..."

…………

Time has come to March in a blink of an eye, the weather has warmed up, the sun shines on the earth again, and everything begins to recover.

And Xuanzhen North Road is also a tense and busy scene. With the prosperity of trade with the Mongols and the more stable territory on the North Road, there is no other cost to exploit except for the increase of business tax.

Moreover, the roads have been repaired, the traffic is more convenient, and there are many warehouses and porters along the road. What's more, if the bulk of goods from other places prepay taxes and fees in advance, the North Road will send elite knights to guard along the way. other fee.

At the same time, due to Zhang Cheng's army's demand for ordnance, as well as the need to cultivate wasteland and repair canals, as well as the need to build waterwheels, mills, etc., the entire North Road has a lot of mining, smelting, and logging. The householders don't have a few days to spare.

Although it was more difficult than in the past, all the military households were happier, and all of them were working hard, for no other reason than wages.

Zhang Cheng has gradually changed from using work as a relief to buying food with money. As long as he participated in the workshop work of the Kaiping Guards, or the land reclamation and canal repair organized by the Guards and various castles, apart from providing food In addition, there are more wages to receive.

Although the wages they receive vary according to the type of work they do. For example, those who cultivate wasteland and build canals, besides taking care of food, their wages are pitifully small.

But they are afraid of comparison in everything. In the past, what they did was labor labor. Not only did they have to prepare their own meals, but they didn't have a single wage. But now, although it is more difficult and tiring, the benefits are also the most obvious.

First, there is no need to prepare meals by yourself, so that there is food left for the family; second, there are more or less wages to receive, which is extra money.

What reason do they have for not working hard?

In this way, it seems that Zhang Cheng made a loss-making business, and he was the only one who paid in the whole North Road, and he was the only one who lost money.

But it is precisely because the military households on the North Road saved grain and received more wages, which greatly promoted consumption and economic prosperity, and attracted more businesses to come here.

And the more shops there are, the more business taxes will be, not to mention the monopoly of salt, wine and tea, as well as the income from cigarettes produced exclusively by Zhang Cheng at Yunzhou Cigarette Factory!

(End of this chapter)