The late Ming Dynasty in the living room

Chapter 168 Open Day
"They are the culprits who caused the chaos in the Central Plains. Do you think Fang Shenzi doesn't know about these things?"

Li Zicheng went on to say: "As for the 2000 million taels of silver, it was just because we had just arrived and were deceived by the old thief Sun. This will not happen again. Even the silver and grain must be recovered in full."

"No! I don't believe it, it's not true!"

Yang Wenyue could remain calm in the face of death, but now his eyes were red and he was as anxious as a rabid dog patient.

In his heart, he already vaguely believed that what Li Zicheng said was true, but he could not accept this fact because it meant that the Ming Dynasty had lost its last hope of survival.

"Governor, what the Emperor said is true."

A very familiar voice suddenly sounded. Yang Wenyue turned around and saw Yang Dezheng, the general of Baoding, and Liu Chao, the deputy general, whom he thought had died in the battlefield.

The two men had taken off their armor and were standing behind Li Zicheng, obviously having surrendered.

The person who was speaking was Yang Dezheng, and the emperor he was referring to was of course Li Zicheng.

"Not only are there a lot of immortal rice, but also this Heavenly Palace cannon was sent by Fang Shen Zi. How could human craftsmen make it?" Yang Dezheng looked at his old superior and said bitterly, "We were unwilling to surrender, but now we have to. Fang Shen Zi is no longer willing to help the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty has no hope. Commander Ding has also surrendered, Bu Congshan (Henan General) and Zuo Liangyu have also surrendered. Governor-General, how about you also..."

Yang Dezheng came from a family of generals and felt somewhat ashamed of surrendering to the bandits.

Deputy General Liu Chaoze was originally a bandit. He had no psychological burden at all and shouted loudly: "What Fang Shenzi said is an oracle. The emperor he appointed is the real emperor. The one in the Forbidden City cannot be counted. It is fake! The real emperor is right in front of you. Governor, what are you still hesitating about? Kneel down and meet His Majesty!"

Is the Son of God who was banished to the mortal world a deity? Are his words an oracle? This question is worth serious discussion, but it is clear that Liu Chao and Li Zicheng have chosen the affirmative answer.

Yang Wenyue wanted to refute these two shameless rebels, but after hearing these words, he suddenly fell backwards and everything went dark in front of his eyes.

"I don't believe it! This is impossible, this is impossible!"

"Master! Master, wake up, Master!"

……

Yang Wenyue woke up from a nightmare, sweating profusely. Months of worry and fear finally reached their peak at this moment.

After sitting alone for a long time, he asked an experienced painter to interpret his dream for him.

He praised the painting and observed the man's words and expressions, then concluded that this was a negative dream, meaning that the things the governor was worried about would have a major turn for the better, and the final result would surely be "the sky would clear up and all worries would go away."

(The ancients had special books on dream interpretation, such as [The Interpretation of Dreams by Zhou Gong], which includes many categories such as parasitic dreams, true dreams, happy dreams, daytime dreams, and human dreams)

Yang Wenyue was half-believing and half-doubting.

Zan Hua then advised, "I heard that today is the new school's open day. Anyone with children studying in the new school can apply to enter the new city. The army has nothing to do this afternoon, so Governor, you might as well go and take a look. You may be able to meet Fang Shen Zi in person. Then..."

The so-called new school refers to Laishui County No. 1 Experimental Primary School, which officially opened on June 15th. "Open Day" is actually not accurate, it should be Open Week - the first to the fifth of each month are open days. During these five days, parents can apply to enter the school to visit, attend classes, or chat with the teachers about teaching matters.

Although Yang Wenyue was not a student's parent, he was a governor after all. It was reasonable that his application should not be rejected.

In the afternoon.

As expected, Xincheng agreed to Yang Wenyue's and his party's application for a visit, so Yang Wenyue changed into a blue shirt and led Yang Dezheng, Liu Chao and others, who were also dressed in casual clothes, out of the county town and arrived outside the gate of Xincheng.

"If you are lucky enough... to meet Master Fang, you must remember that Master Fang does not like people to kneel down, so just greet him with common courtesy."

"When you meet, you should address me as 'Young Master'. Master Fang is willing to remain a mortal. Do not mention matters of the heavenly court or the immortal world. Master Fang does not like it."

"Most of the people in Xincheng were refugees and craftsmen before. You still need to treat them kindly. Don't be contemptuous of them, and don't insult them with words. Otherwise, I will punish them severely when you return..."

Although he came to Xincheng purely with the attitude of trying everything possible, Yang Wenyue still reminded his generals again and again, and what he said was the same as what Sun Chuanting had taught Niu Chenghu, Bai Guangen and others.

Fortunately, Yang Dezheng, Liu Chao and the others listened very carefully. Compared with their usual domineering appearance, they now deliberately held their chests and abdomens, walked slowly in small steps, and looked like shy young wives.

This oppressive steel wall that did not belong to the human world was right beside them. They had also seen the black pillar of heaven and the rushing water in the Juma River. The traces of the gods were truly displayed before their eyes, making them feel a little trembling in their hearts. Even if Yang Wenyue did not remind them, they would never dare to act recklessly here.

The fact that they were not allowed to kneel made them feel a little embarrassed.

Yang Dezheng hesitated for a long time under the gaze of his colleagues, and finally asked: "We have remembered the Governor's teachings, but what if the Son of God comes in front of us and we can't hold on and our legs and feet become weak? What should we do?"

It sounds spineless, but it is a very realistic issue. Didn't Niu Chenghu, Bai Guangen and others almost collapse to the ground at the beginning?
Yang Wenyue glanced at them and recalled his previous dream. He had no doubt that if the dream came true, these people would definitely betray him and the court without hesitation.

With a long sigh, Yang Wenyue lowered his voice and said, "Then move closer, so that we can support each other in secret!"

When I arrived at the door, there was already a young man waiting there. This was Feng Rong, the assistant to the vice-president.

Because Sun Chuanting has no teaching assignment in the school, Feng Rong, who used to be Sun Chuanting's personal assistant, has now become a public assistant in the principal's office and the vice-principal's office. Fang Yu was busy writing the student handbook today, and because he hadn't thought of some things, it was not convenient for him to meet Yang Wenyue directly, so he sent Feng Rong out to do the reception.

"The young man Feng Rong greets the Governor-General and all the generals."

Yang Wenyue also responded gently, but his eyes looked behind Feng Rong, and as expected, he did not see Fang Yu.

The little bit of hope hidden in my heart disappeared in an instant, and the disappointment was beyond words.

"Yi Chen, there is no need to be so polite. You can just meet as a student."

"Haha, in that case... it is better to obey than to be respectful. Student Feng Yichen greets Uncle Master Yang."

Feng Rong smiled broadly, then rolled up his sleeves and greeted again.

Yang Wenyue and his teacher Sun Chuanting were both admitted as Jinshi in the same year, so it was not strange for them to call each other "Uncle Yang" in private. He also saw Yang Wenyue's disappointed expression, but he still tried to explain: "The school has just started, and there are many things to do. Today is also the open day. Although Principal Fang knew that Uncle Yang was coming, he couldn't get away..."

After simple greetings.

The group walked to the city gate, where each of them received a small blue wooden sign called - Temporary Visitor Pass.

There is a number engraved on the front of the visitor card, and a few lines of small words are written on the back:

Welcome to Laishui New Town.

With this document, one can stay in the city for up to 12 hours, collect it when entering the city, and deliver it when leaving the city.

Please keep the certificate properly and wear it in a conspicuous place. If you lose it, you must report it immediately.

After taking a closer look, Yang Wenyue was the first to pin it on his chest, and others quickly followed suit. Only Yang Dezheng, the general of Baoding, held the small wooden plaque and refused to wear it, looking hesitant.

"What's the matter?!" Yang Wenyue asked with a frown.

"Uh... I wonder if I can change it..."

As he spoke, Yang Dezheng spread out the wooden sign in his hand. It turned out that there was a problem with the number on the visitor card. It clearly showed "44".

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People in later generations do not like this number, and neither did people in ancient times, especially those who served in soldiers and fought in wars, who hated this number even more.

"Hmph!" Yang Wenyue ignored him and turned around to walk inside.

The others also quickly dispersed.

It’s not that I’m afraid of being forced to replace by Yang Dezheng - every wooden sign has an identity registered when I came in, and I can’t change it even if I want to - but I’m afraid of bringing bad luck to him, Yang!

After many days, the scenery that appeared in front of Yang Wenyue was very different. Many new buildings had been built next to the city gate, such as the Rural Poverty Alleviation Foundation, and the Security Department, Logistics Department, Weapons Manufacturing Department and other departments all had their signs hung here. In addition, there were many more shops that had their signs hung but had not yet opened, such as Xinhua Bookstore, Mingtong Express, Hao's Shoe Store, Liu Scissors Garment Store... Among them, there was a store that occupied a large area and had built two floors, and it seemed that it had not yet been topped off. It was called Sam's Club.

I don’t know which owner came up with this weird name, Yang Wenyue thought.

He was a military governor and had never cared much about business. However, he also knew that opening a business required customers. Although there were many people in the new city, all the food and daily necessities were taken care of by Empress Pan and Master Fang. In the words of later generations, the people of the new city had no consumption potential.

So, who are the people selling products to in so many shops?

Feng Rong explained, "The commercial area has been planned for a long time. This is just the first batch. Some of them have either formed a partnership with Xincheng or have long-term business dealings with the new city, so they got the first place. When the quota is released in the future, there will be more and more shops here. Any capable shopkeeper in the county should come here to open a branch. As for where the customers come from, Principal Fang is preparing to set aside an inner city, which will be used exclusively for living in the future. The outer city, including the commercial area, the guesthouse, and the offices of various departments, will be open to the outside world. By then, many people will come from outside."

"I see."

Yang Wenyue said perfunctorily, stroking his beard, but his eyes were looking at the straight and wide May 3rd Avenue in front of him.

The road is more than ten feet wide, perhaps two feet wide, enough for three carriages to drive side by side. The road is black in color, and the surface is as smooth as a mirror. At first glance, it is like a huge black sword across the line of sight. There is a lane divided by white lime in the middle of the road, and small trees are planted on both sides. The trees are growing, and many workers can be seen walking through them, hunched over and watering... Compared with the official road outside the county town, which is bumpy and unmanaged, and covered with yellow soil, this road is beautiful as if it came from another world.

Yang Wenyue stomped on the road, and it felt extremely solid.

"Is this paved with cement?" Yang Wenyue was stunned and asked in surprise.

Feng Rong nodded: "The bottom is paved with cement, and the black outside is asphalt."

"I see……"

Yang Wenyue repeated it again, but the expression on his face was quite complicated.

He had seen cement at Sun Chuanting's place. In his opinion, cement was much stronger than rammed earth, whether used to build cities or fortifications. Most importantly, it could be formed very quickly! Such a thing could be used as a weapon for the country in war. He wanted it very much, but he was short of money.

But now he saw a whole road paved with cement.

Feeling frustrated, jealous, and heartbroken, Yang Wenyue walked in silence along the way.

However, at this moment, he heard a series of rumbling sounds. As the commander of the army, he instantly recognized that it was the sound of artillery.

"Is that the sound from the training ground? Has the weapons department produced the artillery?"

Feng Rong also looked in the direction of the drill ground - of course it couldn't be seen from here, and his tone was full of dissatisfaction: "Yes, they were made, but the first batch only had nine small cannons. They were supposed to be taken to Yizhou, but the security team leader Gao intercepted them. They were set off in the morning, afternoon, and before lunch. The noise could be heard throughout the camp, and even classes in the school were affected."

Yang Wenyue shook his head slightly after hearing this. Artillery must be practiced more often, so that one can understand the performance of artillery and train qualified gunners.

Of course, this kind of thing could not be done in the imperial army, because the number of artillery pieces was extremely precious. In order to reduce the loss of their lifespan, they would often only fire two shots when the Ministry of Works tested the artillery.

"Oh!" Yang Wenyue let out a long sigh, the frustration in his heart becoming more intense.

Feng Rong saw Yang Wenyue's expression. He knew why Yang Wenyue was frustrated, and also knew why Yang Wenyue came to Xincheng today to "visit new learning".

The third battle to relieve Kaifeng was not just Yang Wenyue's business. His teacher Sun Chuanting was also extremely concerned about the success or failure of this battle.

If the siege of Kaifeng could be lifted, the decisive battle in the Central Plains that Sun Chuanting had envisioned would go much more smoothly. If it failed, the difficulty of the decisive battle in the Central Plains would be doubled, because Kaifeng was the only isolated city south of the Yellow River that still belonged to the imperial court (including part of the Runing area). If Kaifeng was breached, Sun Chuanting's army would have to fight an away game when entering Henan, which would put them in a very unfavorable situation of being alone and deep in the enemy's territory.

Any qualified commander would try his best to avoid marching alone into deep territory, as this means that the army will have no strong city to rely on when it is tired, and that the food supply routes, which are a matter of life and death, are always in danger.

Feng Rong was well aware of his teacher's concerns, and he also hoped that Yang Wenyue could get help from Xincheng.

After pondering for a long time, Feng Rong finally made up his mind. He quietly approached Yang Wenyue and asked in a low voice, "Principal Fang seems to be undecided. Has Uncle Yang ever thought about asking someone to intercede for him?"

(End of this chapter)