The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

It is mid-winter now, and the city of Beijing appears simple and heavy in the cold wind.

Beijing is located at the northern end of the North China Plain. The Yanshan Mountains are like an open bow, tightly embracing the northwest; the remaining Taihang Mountains meander to the southwest, creating an excellent "back to the mountains and face the plains". The Yongding River and Chaobai River circulate in the southeast, depositing a vast and fertile plain.

Every November, the north wind blows straight in through the gap in Juyongguan, carrying fine dust from the Changping sand dunes, covering the entire city with a layer of grayish-yellow mist.

At this time, the first clear snow appeared on the Western Hills. The white mark on the top of the mountain contrasted with the green tiles in the city, and the interweaving of warm and cold tones made it look like a natural ink painting.

The city has a unique structure, with three layers of square cities nested in each other. The red walls and golden roofs of the Forbidden City in the center are even more solemn and majestic under the cover of white snow; the outer imperial city embraces the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Sheji Temple; the nine gates of the inner city guard the streets, and then the outer city was expanded to the south to accommodate merchants and civilians from all over the world.

The central axis from Zhengyang Gate to the Bell and Drum Tower runs through the entire city, with government offices and temples symmetrically distributed according to the ritual system. The ice on the moat thickens in November, and ice cutters are busy working along the river section from Anding Gate to Dongzhi Gate. Blocks of ice are neatly stacked into piles to be stored in the summer.

The city is clearly divided into different functional areas, with the Forbidden City as the center. The three palaces in front and the three palaces in the back are covered with yellow glazed tiles covered with snow, just like gold inlaid with jade, solemn and gorgeous. On both sides of the Thousand-Step Corridor, the six government offices stand solemnly with blue bricks. Every day at noon, officials come in sedan chairs and horses, and their breath turns to frost in an instant, starting a day of government affairs.

The large shed outside Zhengyang Gate is a commercial area, with shops lined up one after another, and their signs fluttering in the cold wind. In the early morning, the silk and satin shops took down their heavy cotton curtains, and the copper heaters on the counters were already producing curling smoke.

Each residential area has a different scene.

On the east and west sides of the inner city, the quadrangle courtyards were neatly laid out, with crystal icicles hanging from the roof beasts, and the civilian courtyards were filled with smoke and the smell of fireworks. The outer city was densely covered with shacks, and the vents in the reed walls were covered with old cloth, struggling to keep the residents warm.

At the Tonghui River wharf, the grain boats were half frozen in the river. The porters, wrapped in sheepskin coats, carried food and walked carefully across the gangplank to ensure the transportation of materials. In front of the Chongwenmen Customs, there was a busy scene.

The capital's transportation network is very developed, with seven official roads radiating in all directions.

The northwest of the road leads to Xuanfu, the northeast to Shanhaiguan, the east to Tongzhou Canal, and the southwest to Baoding. In winter every year, the frozen soil on the official road begins to harden, and mule and horse teams can travel 100 miles a day.

The thirty-six main streets in the city are arranged in a chessboard pattern. The stone pavement of Chongwenmen Inner Street is covered with a thin layer of frost, and the ruts of wheelbarrows are crisscrossed.

In the dead of winter, the average daily temperature dropped to freezing point, and the night watchman had to break the frost crust on the gong to make the time sound clear. The official warehouse activated the underground fire dragon, and the Xinxinsi had to supply 2,000 kilograms of red charcoal to the imperial city every day to resist the severe cold.

The weeping willows at Shichahai have shed all their leaves, the ginkgo trees at Tanzhe Temple have spread a golden carpet across the ground, and the leaves of the castor trees on the West Hill have faded from red to brown. The bark of the elm trees along the official road has been stripped, and the hungry people use it to make powder to satisfy their hunger.

The reeds in the royal garden Nanhaizi in the northwest suburbs turned yellow, the canal transportation in Tongzhou in the southeast suburbs slowed down, and passengers began to be carried on ice beds. The coal mines in Xishan increased production, and donkey teams carrying coal were constantly working day and night. The coal slag in the Fuchengmen Wengcheng was piled up like a mountain, providing fuel for the city to keep warm in winter.

Winter wheat in Gyeonggi Province's farmlands is covered in frost, and vegetable farmers are rushing to harvest the last batch of stored cabbages in preparation for the cold winter.

The corner flags of the Nine Gates Arrow Tower were frozen stiff, and the defenders put on warm sheepskin and stayed at their posts. The horse paths on the city walls were sprinkled with charcoal slag to prevent slipping, and the stored gunpowder was moved to the cellar for safekeeping. The smoke pipes of the West Mountain Beacon Tower were covered with oilcloth, and the pine and cypress trees in the Ming Tombs in Changping formed a natural wind barrier. The Wucheng Military Commission added porridge sheds to provide disaster relief to the people, prevent refugees from causing trouble, and maintain order in the capital.

Shrouded in winter, this imperial capital is still operating in an orderly manner according to the established order.

At the hour of Mao, the city gates open and the sound of iron wheels breaks the silence of the early morning; at the hour of Chen, drums are beaten in the government office, marking the beginning of a new day of government affairs; at the hour of Si, the hustle and bustle of the city gradually rises and the streets and alleys are filled with the smell of fireworks.

………………

At dawn, the wind was cold and the whole city had not yet fully awakened from its slumber, when the first morning drum sounded from the Drum Tower. The dull and powerful drum sound gently woke up this ancient capital and announced the beginning of a new day.

The well platform at the west entrance of Zhuanta Hutong was already surrounded by people who came to draw water. Widow Liu stood by the well, holding the hemp rope and bucket tightly in both hands, and leaned towards the well mouth. The well water was deep, and a thin layer of ice floated on the surface of the water, flashing coldly in the dim light. Widow Liu swung the bucket hard, and the bucket broke through the thin ice and fell into the water, splashing circles of ripples. She pulled the rope up with great effort, and each pull seemed quite difficult. The white air she exhaled quickly dissipated before her eyes.

The servant of the Zhang family next door was squatting on the bluestone slab, scrubbing the toilet carefully. The handle of the brush was engraved with "Yunyan Pavilion Dingzihao". It was a second-hand item discarded by the Yunyan Pavilion Restaurant last month, and was asked for by the Zhang family for use. The servant scrubbed very carefully, again and again, as if he was completing an important task.

At the south end of the alley, the creaking sound of iron wheels rolling over stone slabs broke the morning tranquility. Two short brown-clad men were pushing a wheelbarrow, delivering vegetables to Yunyan Pavilion. The cart was covered with salt-soaked burlap to block the cold wind and protect the vegetables on the cart. The wheels slowly rolled over the frosty ground, leaving two clear wet marks.

At the entrance of the donkey market, bricklayer Wang Wu pushed open the door of his courtyard. The door hinge made a harsh creaking sound due to lack of oil, startling the sparrows on the elm tree to fly up. Wang Wu took out half a cold pancake from his arms and took a bite. The dry and hard pancake made a "crunching" sound when chewed in his mouth. There was a leather bag hanging around his waist, which contained ginger soup specially provided by Yunyan Pavilion at Mao time.

Yunyan Pavilion's ginger soup is available for two copper coins, and the waiter will pour boiling hot soup from a brass thermos. This ginger soup is a favorite of many people in this cold winter morning, which can warm the body and refresh the mind. Wang Wu walked towards Yunyan Pavilion while chewing on a pancake, ready to drink a bowl of hot ginger soup before starting work.

From the east, the bells of the escort horse team rang. Eight Yunnan horses were carrying iron-wrapped wooden boxes and were heading towards Deshengmen. The leading escort was a burly man with a somewhat weathered look on his face. He gently waved the whip in his hand. When passing by the well platform, he threw a copper coin into the well and shouted loudly: "Please make way!"

The people near the well moved aside to make way for the horse team.

6:30 a.m., Zhengyangmen morning market.

As soon as the city gate was half opened, mule carts of vegetable vendors outside the city came in like a tide, filling the corridor. The gatekeepers held red-tasseled spears with antifreeze oilcloth wrapped around the spear heads, and were carefully checking each cart. An old man from Baoding lifted the reed mat, revealing a whole frozen mutton. The ribs of mutton were stamped with a purple inspection stamp. These were official sheep from Xishan Huangzhuang, and they were of high quality.

The dealer in a grey squirrel fur coat came forward, leaned over, and sniffed the mutton carefully. Then he put his hand into his sleeve and gestured to the old man about the price. The two men's fingers moved quickly in their sleeves, as if they were having a silent contest. Finally, the dealer pointed out three fingers in his sleeves and said, "For this price, we'll charge the car and the meat through Chongwenmen Customs." The old man hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly.

On Qipan Street, the shop assistants were busy removing the door panels. They were skilled in their movements, and soon, the door panels were neatly placed against the wall. Then, the assistants brought out a three-legged wooden ladder and prepared to hang the sign. The green cloth sign was written with white powder "Songjiang Fine Cloth", and underneath was a string of wooden abacus beads, three long and two short, a total of eight. This was the secret code of the cloth industry, and those who knew the business would know at a glance that the price of cotton today was three cents and two cents per piece.

In the blacksmith shop across the street, the furnace was on fire. The blacksmith pulled the bellows, and the flames in the furnace whirred. Sparks splashed onto the ice in front of the door, making a "sizzling" sound and emitting a few white smoke.

Twenty grain carts were lined up in three rows in front of the Chongwenmen Customs. The drivers were wrapped in thick cotton clothes, breathing out white air and stamping their feet constantly. With a bit of anxiety on their faces, they were waiting for the tax collectors to check. Tax collector Lao Wu walked over slowly, holding a baking basket. He was slightly fat, with a hint of laziness on his face. After getting into the first cart, Lao Wu took out an iron chisel, inserted it into the sack, and brought out some wheat grains. He spread the wheat grains on his palm and carefully counted out three shrunken ones. "Huguang wheat?" He glanced at the cargo list and said, "One dou of tax will be added for each cart."

When the blue-shirted man escorting the car heard this, he hurriedly handed over the document with the wax seal of the Fuwei Escort Agency and said, "The military rations for the Baoding Guards are issued by the Ministry of War." Old Wu took the document, looked at it carefully, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

"Sir, please give me a favor." The man in blue shirt looked around, took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and quickly stuffed it into Old Wu's hand.

Old Wu weighed the silver in his hand, his brows relaxed immediately, and he waved his hand: "Let's go!"

The man in blue shirt cupped his hands and said with a smile:

"Thank you, sir!"

After saying that, he waved to several men escorting the carts, and a group of people pushed the grain carts into Chongwenmen.

At the same time, twelve Qinghai horses stepped on the golden bricks on the imperial road of Zhengyang Gate, making crisp sounds.

The leading escort rode a tall black horse, looking very heroic. He threw out a three-foot red silk flag, with the words "Fuwei" embroidered in gold thread on it, gleaming in the mist. The jackdaws perched on the tower were startled, croaking, and flew into the sky.

"The guys from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency are hiding in Guangning Gate again, eating soy milk!"

A young escort in the horse team sneered and said, "Since Fuwei Escort Agency bought out the ice transportation rights of the Grand Canal Gang five years ago, the winter fruit offerings of 70% of the officials and their families in Beijing have been supported by this red silk flag. Fuwei Escort Agency has occupied an important position in the escort industry in Beijing with its outstanding escorts and good reputation.

The morning market vendors near the moat moved their baskets away without surprise. They knew that the Fuwei Escort Agency sent "ice gifts" to the Shuntianfu yamen runners on the seventh day of every month, and even the carriages of the imperial censors who patrolled the city had to give way to their escort vehicles. This "ice gift" was a means for the Fuwei Escort Agency to maintain its business, and it was also an unspoken rule in the Beijing escort industry.

Two miles southwest of Zhengyang Gate, the Fuwei Escort Agency stands firmly.

The gatehouse of the escort agency is very imposing. It is built of blue bricks and is twelve meters wide. The five stone steps are paved with thick granite slabs. The stone surface is smooth yet has a steady texture.

Iron nails were neatly arranged on the red lacquered door, nine vertically and seven horizontally. Above the lintel hung a black-bottomed gold-lettered plaque with the four characters "Fuwei Escort Agency" written in Yan style in a vigorous and powerful manner. Each character was half a foot square, shining brightly in the sunlight, attracting the attention of passers-by from a distance.

On the left and right sides of the gate, there is a pair of tall stone lions squatting, more than six feet tall, majestic. The lions hold iron rings in their mouths, and the surface of the rings is carefully engraved with the Big Dipper pattern, implying that the escort agency is like following the guidance of the stars in the world, and has a smooth journey.

The screen wall on the side of the door is even more unique. It is embossed with a "Four Seas Transport Map", which depicts four vivid scenes of camel caravans, canal boats, horse caravans, and escorts, symbolizing the wide range of the escort business. Between these four groups of reliefs, there is also a bronze weather vane embedded. Once the northwest wind blows, the wind vane will turn sensitively, and the position of the camel bells will also be slightly adjusted.

When you step into the escort agency, the first thing that catches your eye is the spacious and neat training ground.

This is a square area paved with bluestone, thirty steps long and twenty steps wide.

On the east side, eighteen wooden dummies are neatly arranged, each wrapped in thick cowhide armor for the escorts to hone their close combat skills.

On the west side, ten arrow stacks are arranged in a row, with a distance of five steps, which is the place where the escorts practice archery. Under the south wall, twenty sandbags are hung in an orderly manner. The sandbags are filled with a mixture of iron sand and rice husks, which is moderately hard and soft, and are used to practice boxing and kicking.

At 3:30 am every day, thirty escorts would promptly divide into three groups and begin training.

The fifteen members of the swordsmanship group, holding three-foot-long green swords, practiced the Huashan "Chaoyang Sword Technique" on the bluestone ground. Their postures were agile, and the swords swung in unison, with the sound of breaking through the air. Before each move, they must first shake their wrists three times, and the red tassels on the sword tassels then swayed in circles of beautiful ripples.

The ten members of the hidden weapon team were standing on the yellow sand, throwing willow leaf darts with full concentration. The wooden stakes five steps away were densely nailed with darts. In each round of ten shots, the dart masters tried their best to hit the three red paint marks of "Tanzhong", "Throat" and "Dantian".

The five members of the boxing and kicking group performed the Twelve-Move Tan Leg on the hard ground. Every time the cloth shoes kicked the sandbag, there was a dull sound, like beating a drum. Every time they kicked the sandbag, they landed steadily in the white ash circle on the bag, leaving clear footprints.

The equipment of the escort agency is also very complete. On the weapon rack in the northwest corner, various long weapons are neatly displayed. There are 20 hook-and-sickle spears, with slender spear bodies and curved hooks on the spear heads flashing cold light; 15 Pudao, with thick handles and thick blades; 10 three-pointed two-edged swords, with unique shapes. The handle of each weapon is tied with yellow silk with a number. After the morning exercise, the escorts must strictly return the weapons according to the number.

In the southeast corner, there is a stone lock area with five stone locks, ranging in weight from 80 to 200 kilograms. The words "Fu", "Wei", "Tong", "Da" and "Xin" are engraved on the surface of the stone locks.

At the same time, a group of servants in the escort agency were busy working silently. Twenty servants in gray shorts were divided into three teams, each doing their own job.

Four people from the loading and unloading team pushed wheelbarrows through the escort agency, transporting boxes. The boxes were all covered with iron sheets and were very sturdy. Each cart could hold six boxes. When the wheels passed through the gaps between the blue bricks, a subtle sound like porcelain knocking against each other occasionally came from the boxes.

The eight members of the reinforcement team were holding iron hooks and carefully adjusting the ropes of the escort cart. They used tough cowhide ropes, which were tightened by iron capstans. There were two ways to tie the knots: "plum blossom knot" and "chain knot". Each method had its own unique use, which could ensure the stability of the goods and make it easy to untie.

The eight people in the storage team were busy carrying tung oil, straw ropes, iron sheets and other supplies to the east wing warehouse. The mallets in their hands hit the wooden boxes, making a rhythmic sound that intertwined with the shouts from the martial arts field.

Above the warehouse door, there is a homemade hygrometer hung. It is made of pine strips glued together with fish maw glue. When the humidity exceeds a certain limit, the wood grain will rise half an inch and trigger a bell to sound an alarm, reminding people to take moisture-proof measures in time to ensure the safety of the goods.

It was the hour of Chen, the sun was shining obliquely on the gate tower, and the escort agency's flag cast a clear shadow on the screen wall, as if carving out the direction line of the hour of Wei. There was a thin layer of frost on the bluestone floor, and to prevent slipping, the servants would sprinkle a layer of coal slag every half an hour to prevent slipping.

In the martial arts arena, the white breath exhaled by the escorts quickly condensed into fine mist in the cold air, and the sweat drops that fell to the ground instantly seeped into the cracks in the blue bricks.

At the top of the locust tree in the northwest corner, a slight flapping sound broke the brief silence. Three carrier pigeons flew in from the sky, their wings slicing through the cold air, and landed steadily on the familiar branches.

The carrier pigeon cooed a few times, its chest heaving, and it breathing slightly heavily. The metal pieces on its leg rings occasionally reflected a faint and cold light in the dim winter light.

The door of the wing room was pushed open with a creaky sound, and a messenger in brown tights walked out quickly. He skillfully reached out his hand to pick up a pigeon, carefully removed the leg ring from the pigeon's slender leg, and put the pigeon back on the branch.

The pigeon shook its feathers and perched quietly again. The messenger held the secret letter, turned around and walked quickly into the room, and his figure quickly disappeared behind the door. (End of this chapter)