Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

In the third month after the Beijing-Pingcheng Railway was officially opened to traffic, Yingtianfu Railway Station was already bustling with people.

Just after the hour of Mao, the square in front of the station was crowded with vendors rushing to catch the early train.

Old Zhang, who sells pancakes, has set up a stall. Next to the steaming steamer hangs a wooden sign that reads: "Special for train tickets, two for three cents." He squinted at the long queue of people buying tickets and whispered to his son beside him: "With the arrival of this train, our pancake business has tripled!"

On the platform, porters in blue shorts were carrying goods and moving around like ants. A group of silk merchants from Suzhou were directing their men to move dozens of pieces of fine brocade into the freight cars. The leader, Wang, took out his pocket watch and looked at it. He smiled and said to his companions, "If we leave at 7:00 p.m., we will arrive in Beijing at 5:00 p.m., which is five days faster than taking the canal! We can earn at least 200 taels more silver this time."

Suddenly, a sharp whistle broke through the morning mist.

The crowd was in an uproar. The "Da Ming" train was seen puffing white smoke and slowly entering the station. The black front of the train was shining with metallic luster under the morning sun. The four large gilded characters "Da Ming Tong Qu" on the train body were shining brightly. They were written by the current emperor Zhu Yuanzhang himself.

"Line up to board the train! Take your seat with your ticket!" Station attendants in ochre uniforms banged gongs to maintain order.

In the queue, a woman holding a baby nervously clutched her ticket, and a fisherman behind her carrying two baskets of fresh fish kept looking around, fearing that he would miss the morning market. Several students in Confucian robes gathered at the platform, pointing at the train and saying, "The 'wooden kite' mentioned in Mozi is probably not as exquisite as this one!"

In the second carriage, tea merchant Ma Shichang was boasting to his colleagues: "Last month I took the first-class carriage to Jinan. I drank Longjing tea in the morning and met customers at noon!" He took out a brand new "railway combined transport ticket" and said, "Now you don't even need to apply for a tea permit. This ticket is your pass!" Merchants around came over to see the novelty. Someone exclaimed: "It actually has the timetables of all the stations along the way printed on it?"

When the train started, there was a cry of surprise on the platform. The vendor selling candy figures forgot to shout and stared blankly at the gradually accelerating iron dragon. The wheels hit the rails with a rhythmic "click" sound, and soon turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared into the sky. In front of the platform notice board, an old man who could read was reading the newly posted "Railway Passenger Transport Regulations" to everyone: ". Second-class carriages cost 200 wen per person, and 30 kilograms of luggage are allowed."

Outside Dezhou Station, dozens of inns and taverns have been built on both sides of the originally deserted official road. In front of the three-story wooden building with the "Yue Lai" sign, the shopkeeper Zhao Dequan was directing the waiter to hang red lanterns. Seeing a merchant stopping by, he hurriedly came forward and said, "Sir, are you waiting for the train at 3 p.m.? Our inn has private rooms and can also buy tickets for you!"

Not far away, the government's newly built "railway freight warehouse" was bustling with people. Jujube farmers from Linqing weighed baskets of golden silk jujubes and put them into the warehouse. The tax collector registered beside them: "Dezhou Station received 2,000 kilograms of Linqing jujubes, and collected a tax of two cents per kilogram." The old farmer counted the copper coins in his hand and grinned: "In previous years, we had to pay five taxes to transport them to Jinan, but now we can save money by going all the way to Jinan!"

In the late afternoon, a team of police officers in livery passed by with several prisoner cars. The head of the police explained to the onlookers: "These are the remnants of the White Lotus Sect who obstructed the construction of the railway. They are being taken to Nanjing for trial." An old man in the crowd shook his head: "It is true that the construction of the railway dug up our ancestors' graves, but now it is much more convenient to go into the city to sell grain."

As night falls, the lights of the most lively "Railway Street" in the new city are turned on. In the silk shop, the proprietress is checking the accounts with an abacus, and suddenly looks up and asks the clerk: "How much is the turnover today?" "Boss, a full eighty taels! Thirty percent more than last month!" In the teahouse next door, the storyteller is at the climax of the story: ". I saw that Prince Consort Ouyang gave an order, and 100,000 craftsmen started working at the same time, and 300 miles of railway tracks were laid overnight." The tea drinkers were fascinated by what they heard.

At Jinan Daming Lake Station, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. Vegetable farmer Liu Laogen squatted by the platform, with more than a dozen bundles of spring chives soaked in dew in front of him. A buyer in a railway uniform came over and said, "As usual, I'll take them all!" Taking the heavy copper coins, Liu Laogen said to his companion, "The price at this 'railway vegetable market' is three cents higher than the market in the city!"

In the freight area, workers were loading boxes of Jingdezhen porcelain onto trucks. The porcelain merchant who was supervising them wiped his sweat and said, "Railway is safer than canal transportation. None of the goods we shipped last month were broken!" A bookstore clerk next to him interrupted, "The handwritten books we transport are even more valuable and cannot be exposed to moisture."

At three quarters after noon, a special train slowly entered the station.

A few blond-haired and blue-eyed foreign merchants leaned out of the car window, attracting many people to watch.

The interpreter announced loudly: "The Portuguese delegation wants to go to the capital to meet His Majesty the Emperor!" A sharp-eyed child pointed at the carriage and exclaimed: "Look! They are eating with silver chopsticks!"

In Baoding Prefecture Academy, the white-haired headmaster was reviewing students' poems. Suddenly he clapped his hands and applauded: "'The iron dragon flies through the clouds, and the mountains and rivers return in one day'! This sentence is wonderful!" The young student below blushed and explained: "I took a train to visit my parents last month, and I saw the scenery outside the window flying by, and I really felt like I was flying in the clouds."

At the same time, in the most famous "Zuixianlou" in Nanjing, a group of literati were holding a "railway poetry meeting". The blue-robed scholar recited aloud: "From now on, I will not be afraid of the difficult road to Shu, the iron wheels will roll through thousands of mountains." Amid the cheers of the audience, someone suggested that the excellent work be copied to the "Da Ming Daily". The tipsy editor-in-chief clapped his hands and exclaimed: "The 'Prosperous Iron Dragon's Song' special topic will be published on the front page tomorrow!"

In the back hall of the Yingtian government office, Li Shanchang stared at the latest "Railway Tax Book" with his fingers trembling slightly. The lawyer said cautiously: "Prime Minister, in March alone, the commercial tax revenue of the prefectures along the line increased by 570,000 taels." The old prime minister suddenly smashed the teacup to pieces: "It all went into Ouyang Lun's pocket!"

At this moment, in the study of the Prince Consort's Mansion, Ouyang Lun was having a secret conversation with the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. On the wall hung a huge "Railway Extension Map", with the red line marked to Xi'an. "The next step is to connect the north and south of the Yangtze River." He pointed at Wuchang with his fingertips, "When the grain transport is replaced by railways, it can save 2 million tons of waste every year." The Minister hesitated and said, "But the grain transport gang has 100,000 boatmen." Ouyang Lun sneered, "Let them move the goods on the railway!"

In the dead of night, a mysterious carriage quietly drove into the freight yard of Nanjing Station. Zhou Bao whispered to his confidant: "This batch of Nanyang firearms must be shipped to Beiping tomorrow." Suddenly, a cough was heard in the shadows. Everyone turned around in surprise and saw Zhu Biao in casual clothes coming out from behind the pile of goods: "The prince consort is so generous." Under the moonlight, the emperor's eyes were unfathomable.

On the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, a stage more than ten feet high was set up in the square in front of the Beijing Railway Station. The famous actress Li Yulan was performing the newly edited drama "The Story of the Iron Dragon". When she sang "Drinking Jinling water in the morning and eating Beiping sheep in the evening", thunderous applause broke out from the audience. After the show, several old craftsmen gathered around the sand table model of the railway station and marveled: "I heard that in the future, we can take a train to the Western Regions to see the lonely smoke in the desert."

The next morning, a dusty frontier army entered Zhangjiakou Station. The veteran who had been guarding the border for many years touched the smooth rails and burst into tears: "With this iron thing, the Tartars will never dare to invade the border again!" A young soldier asked the stationmaster curiously: "I heard that the train can travel a thousand miles a day?" The stationmaster smiled and pointed to the latest notice: "The military train will be launched next month, and the soldiers of the nine borders can ride at half price!"

The heat in the south of the Yangtze River in July was sweltering, but the platform at Songjiang Railway Station was crowded with farmers and their families. The old patriarch leaned on his cane and said to the young men, "The railway is hiring workers. We pay 30 cents a day and provide food! It's much better than farming!" Not far away, the female workers in the textile workshop were chattering about the latest rumors, "I heard that Suzhou Station is going to open a 'women's carriage'!"

The canal wharf, which used to be busy with canal boats, was much less crowded. The canal worker leader squatted on the shore and smoked, then suddenly stood up and threw his pipe into the water: "Let's go! Let's go to the railway to make a living!" Dozens of strong men behind him responded in unison, startling a flock of egrets on the shore.

On August 15, Nanjing held a "Railway Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival". Zhu Yuanzhang left the palace incognito and heard a scholar in blue chanting in the crowd: "The railroad tracks connect the nine regions, and the sound of the train whistle brings joy to thousands of families." The emperor was very pleased and immediately gave three cups of imperial wine. The next day, the front page of the "Da Ming Daily" published an imperial comment: "This poem should be engraved on each station to show the prosperity of the times." In the Taiji Hall, sandalwood lingered. Zhu Yuanzhang sat high on the dragon throne, tapping the armrests with his fingertips, listening to the praises of the railway by civil and military officials. The sun shone through the carved window lattices, casting mottled light and shadows on the imperial steps.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Minister of Revenue Lü Chang stepped out holding a jade tablet, "Since the Beijing-Pinggu Railway was opened in March, the commercial tax revenue of the prefectures along the line has increased by 587,000 taels, and the loss of grain has decreased by 40%." He paused and raised his voice a few points, "In addition, merchants from Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places have jointly written to request the extension of the railway to Fujian and Guangdong!"

The Minister of War then reported: "The speed of transporting military supplies to the nine borders has increased tenfold. Last month, Datong was in urgent need of military supplies, and the military equipment arrived in three days!" He was so excited that his beard trembled, "If the entire line is connected, the food route for the Northern Expedition can be guaranteed!"

The Minister of Works was not to be outdone: "We will build 36 new post stations along the route and recruit more than 50,000 refugees." He stole a glance and saw Ouyang Lun nodding slightly, and his voice became louder, "This is your majesty's wisdom, and your husband's good command!"

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and looked at the ministers in the hall. He saw Li Shanchang standing at the head of the civil officials, the old prime minister had a smile on his face, but his eyes were stiff; Ouyang Lun stood among the military officials in a purple robe, playing with a gold pocket watch in his hand, with an indifferent expression; Zhu Biao frowned slightly as if he was worried.

"Good! Good!" The old emperor suddenly slammed the table, startling the bronze crane incense burner in the corner of the palace. "Since the railway is so convenient--" He stood up suddenly, and the hem of his dragon robe swept across the imperial table. "My ministers, I will personally lead the Northern Expedition!"

The hall was suddenly silent. Lu Chang's jade tablet fell to the ground with a "pop", and the crisp sound echoed in the hall.

"While we are still healthy," Zhu Yuanzhang strode down the imperial steps, his leather boots clattering on the gold bricks, "we must end this time with one blow and completely solve the grassland problem!" He stood in front of Li Shanchang, and the old prime minister's breathing became noticeably faster. "Who is in favor? Who is against?"

The air seemed to freeze. Ink dripped from the brush in the hands of the Hanlin scholar, leaving a black stain on the memorial. Ouyang Lun's pocket watch made a slight "click" sound, which was particularly harsh in the silence.

At this moment, the Chief Censor Chen Ning suddenly stumbled out, his official hat tilted to one side without even bothering to straighten it: "I risk my life to report this! Prince Zhu Bo of Xiang privately made a dragon robe in his fiefdom, colluded with the chieftain of Miao territory, and intercepted railway construction materials to build the royal city, with evil intentions!"

"Little Twelve?" Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils suddenly shrank, and the veins on the back of his hand that was pressing on the hilt of the sword bulged. He suddenly remembered the secret report from the Huguang Provincial Governor last month, which mentioned that the King of Xiang had forcibly conscripted 30,000 civilians.

The assistant minister of the Ministry of War added in a trembling voice: "Last month, the Xiangwang Mansion mobilized five guards in the name of drills."

"No wonder the construction of the Changsha section of the railway was delayed for half a month!" Ouyang Lun suddenly spoke up, pulling out a roll of blueprints from his sleeve. "The Ministry of Industry records show that 2,000 steel rails were 'lost' in the jurisdiction of the King of Xiang." He looked at Li Shanchang meaningfully, "And these steel materials are enough to make 30,000 sets of armor."

Li Shanchang suddenly started coughing violently, and the ivory tablet in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. When the old prime minister bent down to pick it up, he gave Wang Guangyang a sharp look.

Wang Guangyang immediately stepped out and said: "The Emperor is wise! The Prince of Xiang is young and full of vigor, perhaps he is just..."

"Bullshit!" Zhu Yuanzhang kicked over the imperial desk, and memorials flew everywhere. "Dragon robes are also young and arrogant?" He grabbed Chen Ning's collar fiercely, "Do you have any evidence?"

Chen Ning took out a sealed letter from his bosom: "This is a letter of accusation from Zhou Ji, the chief of the Prince of Xiang's Palace, mentioning... mentioning..." He fell to the ground and trembled, "mentioned the Prince of Xiang and Huai..."

"Your Majesty!" Li Shanchang suddenly shouted and interrupted, "I think we should immediately block the railway line from Wuchang to Changsha!" He slammed his cane on the ground, "If the rebel king is allowed to use the railway to transport troops..."

Zhu Biao stepped forward quickly and said, "Father, I ask for your permission to lead the Imperial Guards south! My twelfth brother has always respected me, maybe I can persuade him to return to the right path!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried horse hooves outside the palace. The commander of the Jinyiwei, Jiang Li, rushed in covered in dust: "Eight hundred miles of urgent work! The King of Xiang has seized the military train at Wuchang Station, and the train is carrying Nanyang firearms!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned pale, and he suddenly sneered: "Okay, use our railways to transport our firearms to rebel?" He tore down the "Nine Frontier Railway Map" hanging in the hall, "Draft an order! Suspend the personal expedition, and transfer Xu Huizu to lead 50,000 troops from Beijing"

"Father, you can't do that!" Zhu Biao knelt down and kowtowed, "If the army goes south, the Northern Yuan will take advantage of the situation and invade! I, your son, would like to travel light and with a small group."

Ouyang Lun suddenly coughed and said, "I have a plan. Since the King of Xiang has intercepted the army, he must not know that the conspiracy has been exposed." He turned his pocket watch, and the cold light of metal flashed across Li Shanchang's pale face. "Why not use the enemy's trick against him and intercept the enemy in the next army train?"

"Report!" Another messenger rushed into the hall, "Changsha sent a pigeon! The King of Xiang issued the "Anti-Rebellion Manifesto", accusing..." He looked at Li Shanchang in horror, "accusing the old Prime Minister Li of colluding with foreign merchants to embezzle railway funds and saying that he wanted to clear the emperor's side!"

Li Shanchang's whole body was shaken, and his walking stick snapped into two pieces. When the old prime minister knelt on the ground, his official hat rolled off, revealing his sparse white hair.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly looked around the hall, and his eyes finally fell on Ouyang Lun: "Prince consort, how many firearms did your Nanyang Trading Company sell to the various princes?"

The ticking sound of the pocket watch suddenly became deafening. (End of this chapter)