The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 80 The Market (Part [-])

The Daxing River is an important river flowing through the center of Daxing City. It not only serves tourism and transportation, but also is a natural place for activities relying on the water storage dam and its auxiliary facilities in the city.Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, a large-scale dragon boat race is held on the river.

When this event started in the second year of Hanxing reign, most of the Daxing mansions were excited about it.In many subsequent years, in order to express their joy with the people, the royal family would send important members to participate in this grand competition. Sometimes the emperor and empress would even visit the scene in person and award trophies to the winning dragon boat team.

During the dragon boat race, both sides of the Daxing River are crowded with people, including all kinds of boats, as well as spectators on horseback and in cars.Several bridges on the river will be filled with people, cheering for the dragon boat teams they support.

Dragon boat racing is a more mass activity, horse racing and football are popular in various parts of the country.Qushui Bay, located northwest of Daxing, was once the main horse fair in the eastern region and later evolved into the most popular racecourse.Here, several fierce horse racing events take place almost every week, and many newspapers and publications will repeatedly report on the competition with pictures and texts.

On the grassland and woodland near the racecourse, people from all social classes will gather, creating a lively and noisy festival atmosphere.Most of the spectators near the horse racing track will carry snacks such as candies, jerky, pancakes, and bread with them, while wealthy people will ask their servants to take out poultry, lobsters, and various drinks from the food baskets in the carriages.There were countless fans waving in the grandstand, emitting a scent, and the swaying ladies shouted excitedly and cheered.Bottles of wine were opened in celebration, and countless bets on horse races were recorded in ledgers.

Football, a sport that was first introduced in the military, was welcomed by people from all walks of life as soon as it was launched.Full of raw power, combat and organization are revealed in the game, which greatly satisfies the men's wild needs for physical confrontation.

After decades of evolution, the sport has many complex and strict rules that every team, or every player, must abide by.

Many people in Qi have been very keen on fitness and various intense sports activities since they were teenagers.A rich diet, abundant physical strength, abundant material life, and an open and relaxed social environment all allow more young people in Qi to consume excess energy in their bodies and exercise their iron-like perseverance in sports. .

It is not the character of Qi people to stay at home, especially men of the middle and upper classes. They must maintain good health and abundant energy for a long time in order to realize their ambitions (or ambitions).In the vocabulary of Qi State, there are no words such as "fashionable" and "cowardly", only "self-improvement" and "enterprising", just like this young and powerful country.

Students in schools at all levels in Qi spend more than a quarter of their time every day in various sports and games on the playground.In the eyes of many foreign visitors, Qi's youth appear healthier, both physically and in appearance.Their expressions have long shone with masculinity and perseverance.

As they spend a happy teenage years, they will develop an honest, decisive, courageous and independent character, as well as a frankness with classmates and teachers, as well as an unlimited recognition of the superiority of the country.This may be one of the concepts of education in Qi.

In Qi State, in addition to the traditional Zhengdan (i.e. Spring Festival), Lantern Festival, Hanshi, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Laba and other festivals, there are also Founding Day (June 6), Wanshou Festival (the birthday of the reigning emperor) and Shengyuan Festival. There are three official festivals (August 20, the time when Emperor Taizu died). During these festivals, people will dress up and go out, have banquets and parties in bustling neighborhoods, or go horseback riding in the suburbs to enjoy the scenery and relax all day long. A busy mood.

They may all be immigrants and descendants of immigrants from various places. In order to preserve as many Chinese civilization traditions as possible, the people of Qi take festivals very seriously, and each festival has its own unique customs.

The banquet activities that were once popular in the pre-Song Dynasty were also popular in various parts of Qi State.Moreover, unlike in the pre-Song Dynasty, when such activities were only reserved for nobles, princes, and scholar-bureaucrats, many ordinary people in Qi often organized and participated in banquets.Temples, Taoist temples, markets with relatively advantageous geographical locations, as well as scenic spots, beautiful islands, and even wilderness woodlands are all places where banquets are held.Sometimes banquets are held along with large-scale trade exchange activities. Business is developed while having fun, which not only enriches spiritual life but also promotes commercial development and economic prosperity.

The most special thing is that the confinement and restrictions on women by traditional ethics do not exist in Qi State.In addition to the reason why a large number of women entered various industries during the founding period of Qi State, the population was not abundant. The prosperity of the economy and the stability of life also made many women of Qi State reluctant to leave their boudoir, feel the hustle and bustle of the market, and embrace nature.

In a lively teahouse in the back alley of Mingli Street, among the audience who were eating snacks, drinking tea and listening to storytellers in the stands, there were many young women and middle-aged women sitting among them, listening openly. Book.When he talks about something exciting, he will cheer loudly and toss a few coins along with the crowd of listeners.

"...But when the Western Yi army was in a panic at the foot of Jianye City, Emperor Taizu stood tall at the top of the city, holding a long-range musket made of fine steel. He concentrated his mind, held his breath, and held his hands as steady as Mount Tai. Like a torch, he looked at the Xiyi general hundreds of meters away and lightly pulled the trigger. At that moment, a bullet left the barrel of the gun like a flash of light and flew towards the Xiyi general!...You know How is his life and the progress of the Qixi War? Let’s wait and see what happens next!”

"Wow..."

As the storyteller on the stage fell into shock, there was a sudden uproar in the teahouse.

"Hey, every time it comes to a critical moment, you kill it just right! ...Humph, even if you don't tell me, I know it. With the power of Emperor Taizu, that shot must have killed the leading general of the Western Yi army."

"Needless to say, the leading general of the Western Yi army was killed by Taizu, so there is no need to fight the subsequent battles. General Niu only needs to wave the flagpole, and our Qi Tianbing soldiers will naturally chop up the Western Yi soldiers like melons and vegetables. Annihilate them all.”

"Yes, yes, you all know! Then none of you will come to listen to the next show."

"No! In "Three Kingdoms", I also know that the world is finally divided into three parts. Then I still want to hear how General Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong killed seven in and seven out in Cao's camp! ... Isn't this fun to listen to? .”

"..."

"Brother Yanliang, do you think Emperor Taizu's shot could hit the general leading the Xiyi army?" Chen Genmin smacked his mouth. Feeling a little unsatisfied, he picked up a cup of crude tea from the table and drank it all in one gulp.

"You missed it." Li Yanliang took out a five-cent coin from his pocket and handed it to the apprentice storyteller who came to collect the money with a plate.

"Why can't you hit it?...That's Emperor Taizu!"

"This passage talks about the time when the Western Barbarians invaded our Qi State, right?"

"Ah."

"Let's not talk about whether our Qi State has a sniper rifle with a range of more than a few hundred meters at that time. Even if it does, it cannot accurately hit the leading general of the Western Yi army at a distance of more than that far."

"Oh..." Chen Genmin nodded.

Well, Brother Yanliang is a soldier and should be well versed in military skills. If he says he can't hit, it probably means he can't hit.

Hey, that’s not right. Emperor Taizu himself fired the gun. Could it be that he couldn’t hit it?
"You're talking nonsense!" Suddenly a girl at the next table stood up, pointed at Li Yanliang, and said loudly: "I have listened to this passage twice. That Xiyi general was killed by Emperor Taizu with a single shot from a distance. Yes! Just because General Xiyi was killed by Taizu, our Qi State won the first homeland defense war."

"Uh..." Li Yanliang looked at the seven or eight-year-old girl in astonishment, her face flushed, her eyes wide open, looking anxious and angry.However, against her crystal clear complexion, slightly babyish face, and delicate face, she looked so cute.

"Hmph, don't slander Emperor Taizu's reputation here!"

"Little sister, I did not slander Emperor Taizu." Li Yanliang smiled and said harmoniously: "I just pointed out the inappropriateness of this story from a military perspective. Emperor Taizu was wise and powerful, and he was the creation of our Daqi. The revolutionaries and pioneers have always been admired and cherished by tens of millions of our citizens. But from a practical perspective, it is impossible to hit a Western general with a musket from a few hundred meters away."

"But..., but..., but didn't our Qi State defeat the Xiyi in the end? It must have been Emperor Taizu who shot the leading general of the Xiyi army on the battlefield, and that was the reason for such a result." The girl still said to herself He said unconvinced.

"...Well, okay." Li Yanliang felt that arguing with this girl seemed to be a bit bullying, and then nodded with a smile and said: "Emperor Taizu must have shot the general who led the Western Yi army."

"Huh?..." The girl stared at Li Yanliang with wide eyes. She suddenly changed her stance towards him. She was obviously at a loss. She paused and turned to look at a young man next to her, "Brother, is he? You're perfunctory with me."

"That's right, he's just trying to deal with you." The young man said with a smile: "I think even if I win you verbally, I won't win with force. I'm just bullying a child."

"Then..., can the shot fired by Emperor Taizu hit General Xiyi?"

The young man rubbed the girl's forehead lovingly, then raised his eyes to look at Li Yanliang.

"As far as I know, our Qi Army has a unit of snipers. During battles, they will frequently kill important enemy targets to disrupt the enemy's offensive. Why is this brother so sure? Emperor Taizu Holding that gun, well, let’s just say it’s a sniper rifle. Can’t it accurately hit the leading general of the Western Yi army?” “There are indeed snipers in our Qi Army who specialize in killing important enemy targets. Some muskets have a range of up to 800 meters, and can effectively kill enemy troops within 500 meters. However, even well-trained snipers cannot completely hit targets 200 meters away. Therefore, in actual combat, When our army snipers kill important enemy figures, they often form a team of three or five people and fire a volley in the target direction to kill the enemy officers with fire coverage." Li Yanliang saw that although several people on the other side were behind the scenes, they He looks ordinary, but has an extraordinary demeanor, and there are two or three powerful guards. He must be a descendant of a wealthy noble family.

"That is to say, the snipers in our Qi Army can only sniper based on their feelings when the enemy is still at a long distance, in order to undermine the enemy's morale. Only when the enemy is within 200 meters can they attack important targets. The target was shot with precision. Is that so?"

"Indeed."

"This brother has served in the military?" The young man looked Li Yanliang up and down.

"I'm still serving in the Army."

"Have you ever experienced actual combat?"

"Been through battles."

"Oh, what battles have you experienced? Tell me?" The young man suddenly showed great interest in Li Yanliang.

"..." Li Yanliang glanced at the other party and said nothing.

By the way, do I know you very well?
"Ahem..." When the young man saw that Li Yanliang did not respond to him, he was not angry at all. He touched his nose awkwardly and said with a smile: "Brother, I have served in the army for three years and also fought. I have used muskets and fired artillery, but I have never experienced a real battle. Speaking of which, I deeply regret it!"

"In battle, people will die." Li Yanliang replied calmly.

From the bottom of his heart, he despised the kind of aristocratic children who only served in the army for a few years in order to gain some gold and brush up their military experience.

"Brother, what you said is true." The young man nodded and said, "So, you soldiers who have experienced battles are all heroes of our Daqi, and are the solid and powerful cornerstone of the empire."

Then, after taking a deep look at Li Yanliang, he stood up and left the teahouse with the girl and several accompanying guards.

"Brother, people seem to look down on you!"

"Haha, he is a real soldier, but his military experience is much better than that of my eldest brother. So, it is normal for him to have a sense of arrogance and look down on me."

"Then... then do you dare to go to the battlefield?"

"Why don't you dare?"

"Really?"

"When the country is in danger, everyone has the desire to protect their country. How can I be an exception?"

"But our Qi State, apart from the danger of danger when it was founded, has been actively exploring the outside world for more than 80 years. I'm afraid it won't be the turn of someone with my eldest brother's status to go to the battlefield, right?"

"..."

Li Yanliang and Chen Genmin watched the group leave while eating melon seeds.

"Tsk tsk... Brother Yanliang, look at the carriage they are riding in. It's so beautiful!" Chen Genmin stuck his head out of the window and looked at the street below, "I guess they must be the young master and lady of some wealthy family. . Alas, these people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They don’t have to worry about food and drink, and they will live a lifetime of prosperity and wealth. Oh, if they get to the battlefield, they will definitely wet their pants with fear!"

"That's not necessarily the case. Many members of the royal family of our Qi Kingdom have experienced military battles. Decades ago, our army had a prince who held a high position as a general. He rose through the ranks through military service and went through several overseas tours. A great war, a narrow escape from death.”

"Otherwise, I will join the army. After I retire, I will have a decent future." Chen Genmin said: "Brother Yanliang, what do you think?"

"Then you have to wait two more years before you can sign up to join the army." Li Yanliang stood up with a smile and was about to leave.

"Why do you think our Qi State insists on setting the age of service to 16 years old? In several vassal states in Nanyang and the State of Qin, it seems that the service age is [-] years old." Chen Genmin poured all the melon seeds and peanuts on the table into his pocket Inside, he did not forget to drink up the remaining tea on the table, and then followed Li Yanliang out of the teahouse.

"A 16-year-old with a weak mind and no understanding of anything. He went to the battlefield to die."

"Oh...Brother Yanliang, where are you going?"

"Take the stagecoach home."

"It's not very far, you can walk back."

"I drank a lot of tea and don't want to leave."

"Oh." Chen Genmin reached out and touched a few coins in his pocket, thinking, after this day, he has eaten a lot of snacks from Brother Yanliang, as well as cakes and tea from the teahouse. After listening to the book, he can't let others do it for him again. I paid for the car myself.

"Brother Yanliang, I see that Aunt Song rides a beautiful carriage to and from school every day. Is that provided by your rich relatives?"

"Huh?" Li Yanliang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.

Yesterday, I went to school to pick up my mother. She seemed to be riding in a luxury carriage, but in my excitement, I forgot to ask my mother for a while.

Who provided this luxurious carriage?

Could it be some wealthy family who covets his mother?

At this thought, Li Yanliang's face could not help but darken.

(End of this chapter)