In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 882 The Rules of Da Ning City
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

The city of Daning was immersed in a jubilant festive atmosphere.

At the city gate, lanterns and decorations were already on display, with huge lanterns hanging above the gate, swaying gently in the wind.

Colorful ribbons hung high in the streets and alleys of the city, and brightly colored flags fluttered in the wind.

The streets were bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

The vendors' cries rose and fell, never ceasing.

The entire city of Daning seemed to slowly emerge from the tranquility of the Lunar New Year celebrations and return to its lively atmosphere.

According to imperial decrees, lanterns should be displayed for ten days during the Lantern Festival to express celebration.

Although Daning City is located outside the pass, it is by no means backward.

A lion dance troupe specially invited from Beiping (Beijing) performed with great pomp and circumstance. More than a dozen lions paraded through the streets and alleys, leaping and tumbling to the sound of gongs and drums.
It blinked its eyes at times and wagged its tail at others, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Some grassland people who were visiting Daning City for the first time were also shocked.

Various kinds of lights were hung on the main streets of the city, such as Xisha Street, and passers-by looked up to look at them.

For the first time, they looked forward to the sunset.

Construction at the western part of the city site has already started, but is taking another day off today.
Simple lanterns hung in various corners of the construction site, though they weren't very bright.

But the workers were all happy to see it; it was a source of hope for them.

On the official road, a caravan of five hundred people was slowly moving forward.

All around were heavily armored soldiers, their eyes sharp, wielding long swords and spears.

Furthermore, there were cavalrymen leading the way, while lagging behind.

Among the soldiers' bundles were more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages, draped with the flags of the Ministry of Revenue of the Imperial Court, fluttering in the wind.

"My lord, we'll be arriving in Daning soon."

In the carriage at the very front, Yu Xin, a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue's Beiping branch, sat upright in his official robes.

Yu Xin, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 21st year of the Hongwu reign (
At the age of forty-five, he successively served as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, a member of the Hanlin Academy, and a lecturer.

Because of his imposing appearance, loud voice, and dignified bearing, he was given the name "Xin" by the current emperor.
He served as the Chief of the Revenue Department of the Ministry of Revenue, and was later promoted to the position of Director of the Beiping Department, and then to the position of Senior Official.

Now, he is in charge of transporting the road repair funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue and the Governor's Office to Daning.

Two months of constant travel had left him looking rather sallow.

Upon hearing the sound, he slightly opened his eyes and responded softly, his weariness undiminished.

"Hmm, how much longer until we arrive?"

"Sir, it's still five li away, about half an hour away."

Yu Xin nodded almost imperceptibly and slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face was covered with deep wrinkles, and he also had some frostbite.

He leaned back to the side, lifted the curtain of the car window, and looked out.

Mainly stayed on the concrete road compacted under the carriages,

There were still some unmelted snow stains on the silvery-white ground, scattered in spots.

Since entering this newly built road, Yu Xin felt that the whole world had become quiet.
The creaking, groaning sound of the frame about to fall apart also disappeared.

Even the coachman said,
If you travel on roads like this all day long, the carriage won't break down for a year.

Gradually, Yu Xin's vision became blurry and empty.

As a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue who supported moving the capital and opposed road construction,

He was sent to deliver the silver, the implication of which was obvious.

Initially, he believed this was due to the Emperor's and his superiors' dissatisfaction with him.

He needs to be constantly on the go, without any rest.

After all, he's not young anymore, and a slight mishap could kill him on the road.

But the further he went, the more he realized...
Arriving in the Northeast was not an exile or a transfer, but rather a form of protection.

Especially after crossing the border, the vast expanse of emptiness...

Yu Xin felt an emptiness in his heart, as if he had been forgotten by the whole world.

Fortunately, the road construction site in Beiping County had stretched for 300 li, allowing him to see the area again.

Even after he saw this magnificent road and the scene of road construction in the desolate mountains,

My resistance to road construction gradually subsided.

Such isolated places should indeed have roads built to connect the inside and outside of the pass.
Otherwise, given time, the area outside the Great Wall will surely get out of control and fall back into the old grasslands.

Moreover, when he saw the vast, sprawling construction site,

He suddenly felt that the Beiping Commandery had spent more than 200,000 taels of silver to build this road, which was too cheap.

They had to cut through mountains and rocks, build bridges over rivers, and even cut down forests.

The construction site stretched for over two hundred miles.
And those workshops that sprang up from the ground impressed him.

He was growing to admire the young commander of the capital region more and more.

At least, this enormous construction site in front of him was not something he could manage smoothly.

The carriage swayed and rocked, and soon arrived at the west gate of Daning City.

The carriage came to a stop, and the driver's voice came from the front.

"Sir, we have arrived at Daning City. We need to line up for inspection."

Yu Xin frowned, lifted the curtain, and looked ahead.

A long, impressive procession stretched out ahead, probably consisting of several hundred carriages.

Moreover, the west gate of Daning City was different from other city gates he had ever seen.

All city gates, whether main gates, side gates, or small gates, were opened wide.

A series of iron fences divided it into passageways.

Carriages traveled along the central lanes, while pedestrians walked on either side.

At the city gate, fully armed soldiers with serious expressions conducted inspections in turn.

Just one glance was enough for Yu Xin to feel that

These inspections were genuine, not just perfunctory checks like in other cities.

"Go and deliver my official documents and credentials. We need to enter the city quickly."

"Yes!"

The coachman jumped off the carriage, took the documents and certificates, ran to the front, and handed them to the guard commander Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun then dismounted, walked past the crowd, and went forward to negotiate with the city gate guards.

He Zhixue, the guard at the west gate, looked sullen.

Although he was promoted to a minor officer and became a small leader,

But he was still in a bad mood.

The much-discussed war did not actually break out.
They didn't even give him the chance to personally go to the battlefield to choose a wife.
Especially since the New Year has passed, and it's already the fifteenth day of the lunar month with no news, it seems the previous news was false.

This made him very unhappy. What's the use of getting promoted if you don't have a wife?

At this moment, he glanced over.
A man riding a warhorse slowly walked over from beside the carriage.

He raised his eyebrows and immediately pointed the flag in that direction.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Stop moving forward! Who are you? Who are you? You can't cut in line!"

It took Chito Shūjun a while to catch his breath before he paused slightly, pointed to himself, and looked puzzled.

"Yes, it's you, the one on horseback!"

Cheng Jun's expression was extremely strange. He dismounted and walked forward, making no attempt to conceal the clanging of armor.

"We have come from Yingtian and are on official business in Liaodong."
This is the document; please release it as soon as possible.

He Zhixue looked him up and down.
Seeing the thousand-man armor he wore and the somewhat solemn expression on his face, he said:

"My lord, the regulations of the Commandery stipulate that, except for urgent military reports..."

Anyone entering the city must queue for inspection.
Please return, sir. We will check the documents ourselves once it is your turn in line.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun could hardly believe his ears.

queue?

They passed through nearly a hundred cities along the way, but none of the city gates had them queuing up.

"Young man, we are the Ministry of Revenue's motorcade."
"I have urgent official business to attend to; please allow us to proceed first."

He Zhixue waved his hand:
"My lord, the Commandery has rules that no one is allowed to violate."
If you cut in line today, and someone else does the same tomorrow, it's unfair. Please wait at the back.

"Really not possible?"

"The Commander has rules, and we cannot violate them."

Cheng Jun returned to the brigade with a strange expression and saw Yu Xin getting off the carriage and stretching his muscles.

"Lord Yu, we may have to wait a while."

Yu Xin stopped what he was doing and asked in surprise:
"what happened?"

"You have to wait in line for inspection." Cheng Jun's expression was strange.

Yu Xin frowned slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.
He stood on tiptoe to look at the long queue ahead, suppressed his resentment, and nodded slightly.

"When in Rome, do as the host says, so let's wait."

Although the group started queuing up obediently.
But the atmosphere in the queue was somewhat off. As the waiting time increased, the group's resentment grew.

Yu Xin sat in the carriage, sighing incessantly.

Finally, after queuing for nearly half an hour,
The carriage finally arrived at the city gate, and the shouts outside woke Yu Xin, who had just closed his eyes.

"Everyone get off the vehicle and await inspection!"

The group got out of the car, their faces showing some impatience.

The clerk from the Ministry of Revenue muttered something under his breath:

"This wretched place has even stricter rules than the capital."
"We're from the Ministry of Revenue, and we're here to deliver silver, yet we have to put up with this kind of treatment."

Those around him echoed his sentiments, and resentment spread through the crowd.

The soldiers of Daning City remained unmoved, their expressions serious as they carefully examined the documents.

After confirming that everything was correct, a soldier hurriedly ran away.

Before long, Sun Cunli, the commander of the south gate and a thousand-man commander of the city defense army, arrived with more than a hundred men.

Sun Cunli was a burly man with a dark complexion and a resolute look in his eyes.

As soon as he arrived at the city gate, he loudly gave the order:

"Everyone, listen up! Conduct a thorough inspection of the carriages and personnel!"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the officials from the Ministry of Revenue.

One of the clerks stared wide-eyed and pointed at Sun Cunli, saying:

"What are you doing? We are from the Ministry of Revenue, how dare you be so rude!"

Sun Cunli gave him a cold look and said:

"Rules are rules. No matter who you are, once you enter Daning City, you have to be checked."

Having said that, he commanded his soldiers to begin their operation.

The soldiers were well-trained and quickly divided into several groups.

A team inspected the carriage, opening each box one by one and carefully examining the contents.

The other group conducted body searches, leaving no corner unchecked.

Yu Xin sat to the side, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

Looking at the chaotic scene before him, he suddenly stood up and strode over to Sun Cunli.

"What is the meaning of this? We are here on the orders of the imperial court to transport funds for road repairs."

After a long and arduous journey, we finally arrived in Daning City.
Not only did they not receive the courtesy they deserved, they were also subjected to difficulties.

Is this how your Great Ning City treats officials appointed by the imperial court?

Sun Cunli looked at Yu Xin expressionlessly and answered curtly:

"Lord Yu, I am not trying to make things difficult for you."

Daning City is located outside the pass, and its situation is unique.

To ensure the safety of the city, the military command had clear regulations that anyone entering the city must undergo a thorough inspection.

If you break this rule today simply because you are officials appointed by the imperial court...
How can these rules be upheld in the future?

If Lord Yu is dissatisfied with this, he may file a complaint with the Military Commandery.

Furthermore…

Sun Cunli pointed around:

"Lord Yu, if anyone can be examined, what makes officials of the imperial court special? Everyone in Da Ning City will be treated equally!"

Yu Xin was speechless for a moment after being choked by Sun Cunli's words.

He was trembling with anger, and pointed at Sun Cunli, saying:

"How dare you!"

Sun Cunli remained unmoved, standing there with a firm gaze.

The merchants waiting for inspection nearby were overjoyed, each one feeling extremely satisfied.

That's well said.

The two sides remained deadlocked, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

After a long time, the examination finally ended.

The soldiers reported to Sun Cunli:
"Lord Commander, the inspection is complete. No unusual items were found."

Sun Cunli nodded, looked at Yu Xin, and said:
"Lord Yu, the inspection is complete. You may enter the city."

We urge Lord Yu to understand our difficulties; this is also for the safety of Daning City.

Yu Xin snorted coldly, said nothing, and turned to walk into the city.

The group followed behind him, all with expressions of dissatisfaction on their faces.

Upon entering the city, the bustling scene there surprised everyone.

The streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the crowds were bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter.

Lion dance troupes are still weaving through the streets and alleys.
His imposing appearance drew cheers from the crowd.

Looking at the scene before him, Yu Xin couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

He never expected that Daning City, located outside the Great Wall, would be so lively during the Lantern Festival, no less so than the big cities inside the Great Wall.

The group was settled in a post station by the city's defense forces.

Yu Xin sat in the room, his resentment somewhat subsiding.

After resting for a while, he decided to visit the military headquarters.

The attitude of the military command office struck him as odd.

If it were an ordinary government office, upon hearing that someone had come from the capital, they would have already rushed over to greet them.

But in Daning City, no one paid any attention.

We've been at the post station for quite some time now, but no Commander has come.

Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the military headquarters.
A notice was posted at the entrance, which stated the GDP of Daning City last year.

Yu Xin looked closely, his eyes widened, and his brows furrowed instantly.

"Gross Product? This..."

This act was beyond his imagination, and at the same time, it opened a door in his heart.

So, even cities can be accounted for.

As he was looking at the notice, a constable approached and asked:

"Sir, what brings you here?"

Yu Xin came to his senses and said:
"I am Yu Xin, a secretary in the Beiping branch of the Ministry of Revenue, and I have come to pay my respects to Lord Lu."

The constable shook his head and said:

"Lord Yu, Lord Lu has gone to Liaodong to discuss official business and is not in the yamen."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin was stunned; he couldn't believe his ears.

"What? Lord Lu is not here? Leaving his territory without orders? What kind of behavior is this?"

The constable frowned, his eyes showing more displeasure as he looked at Yu Xin, and his voice turned much colder.

"Sir, is there anything else you need? If not, please leave."

Yu Xin frowned, his dissatisfaction growing stronger.

He felt that everyone in Da Ning City, from top to bottom, was completely disregarding the rules of the imperial court.

"Then I will pay my respects to Commander Liu, the Assistant Commander!"

"Hold on."

The guard turned and went into the yamen, but soon returned.

"My Lord, please follow me."

Yu Xin followed, and was then led to the reception room, where a waiter served him hot tea and asked him to wait there.

Two quarters of an hour passed quickly, and Yu Xin paced around the room with a frown on his face.

To him, the city of Daning seemed strange in every way.

Just as he was getting impatient, a clerk came over.

"Lord Yu, please follow me."

Yu Xin followed, and soon he arrived at the back hall, where he saw the rather deserted military headquarters.

Upon entering the left-hand office, he immediately spotted a burly young man sitting behind a desk with a furrowed brow, and was slightly taken aback.

So young, so very young!
Although his skin was dark, his imposing presence was astounding.
But you could tell from that youthful face that he was clearly a child in his twenties.

"Please sit down. I will read this document first."

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Heiying spoke without turning his head.
Yu Xin only realized it at this moment.

Although he was young, he was already a high-ranking official of the second rank, while he was only a fifth-rank official.

Although the future is bright, the person before me is already standing at the top of the court.

He bowed slightly, sat quietly to the side, his face respectful, and dared not lean back.

(End of this chapter)