After tossing and turning for a long time, Chang Yu couldn't sleep. Hearing the crow of cocks outside, Chang Yu asked: "When is this?"
Song Luoshu, who was on duty outside, coughed lightly: "Back to the factory, Sir, it's past the fourth watch and it's probably almost the fifth watch."
At about three o'clock, Chang Yu thought to himself and got up. Fang San, who was in the adjacent side room, heard the noise and hurried over to fetch water to wash and comb his hair: "The factory owner got up early to go to the palace or...?"
"Today is an important matter. Wherever you need to go, go and wake Chunxiang up," Chang Yu said casually.
"Eunuch Chun got up and left the Yamen half an hour ago," Fang Sandao said. Chang Yu was startled and shook his head. This boy is very energetic.
After washing up, I walked out of the room and looked up at the sky, which was overcast with no light. Occasionally, there was a breeze blowing on my face, but it was still cool. At this time, Li Muchian and Chen Wangting came over: "The factory owner is going out, and I am here to accompany you."
Chang Yu glanced at him and curled his lips: "Did you know that today's military parade will be held in person and the emperor is here to clean it up?" Li Muxian looked a little embarrassed: "I'm afraid it will stain the factory owner's face."
Moreover, Chang Yu rolled his eyes: "You've wasted your efforts in vain, your own servants won't be able to get close to you."
Ah, Li Muxian was slightly surprised: "When the emperor leaves the city, don't we, Dongchang, have to accompany him? Don't we still not trust Dongchang?"
"It's not that I can't trust Dongchang, it's that I can't trust you," Chang Yu said and walked out of the Yamen.
The emperor's security has always been the responsibility of the Royal Guards. When he goes out and there is a shortage of manpower, there are personal guards on the outside. Chang Yushen's favor can be followed by the guards, but even if he has many masters under his command, he is not qualified to get close. The reason is simple: he is not at ease.
!
The Jin Yiwei who can protect the emperor are the second or even third generation of Jin Yiwei with good roots. The requirement is absolute loyalty and reliability, not how high your martial arts skills are.
Although Chang Yu's men are highly skilled in martial arts, they have no origins. The Song brothers and sisters are killers in the world, Wuzhong is a shady person in the world, Chen Wangting is a murderer and a fugitive, Jiang Fa is a country man, Li Muchian is a charlatan, you name it.
People, how can the emperor rest assured that they will be at his side?
But Jinyiwei is different. Most of them are descendants of noble families or hereditary, and their records are clean and reliable.
That's why Chang Yu said this.
Li Muxian felt disappointed after hearing this. He thought he could take the opportunity to get familiar with the saint, but in the end, he couldn't even step aside.
"So, besides you, no one else in our yamen can get close to the emperor?"
Chang Yu shook his head: "Wuzhong can do it. He was given a sword by the emperor, and he is more powerful than the imperial guards and flag-bearing guards." (There was no title for sword-bearing guards in the Ming Dynasty)
"Isn't he also a Jianghu guest in Wuzhong..." Li Muchian shouted in a low voice, but Chang Yu interrupted him: "If you can defend the city with one sword and get dozens of stab wounds, you can do the same."
Li Muxian couldn't help but sigh: "It's not impossible, it's just not the right time."
To say that Cao Cao arrived, it is more accurate to say that Wuzhong was already waiting at the Yamen Gate, with the emperor's red-tasseled sword hanging on his waist.
"You're still injured, so don't go out." Chang Yu glanced at him and said.
Wuzhong rubbed his nose: "Although he is not cured, he is getting better. Killing a few people is not a problem. Besides, all the personal servants in the yamen have almost rested. They will not leave their humble posts. I hope Niubi and Lao Chen will protect them."
"Are you considerate?" He said and sighed: "Mr. Factory Master, others spend money when they go out, but you pay for guards when you go out."
Li Muxian wanted to reply when he heard him call Niubi, but couldn't help laughing after hearing what he said next. But no, in the past few days since Chang Yu returned to Beijing, Song Luoyu's old injuries have not healed yet and new ones have been added. Jiang Fa was also injured the day before yesterday.
Song Luoshu was on duty last night, Qiao Sanxiu was on vacation, and only Chen Wangting and Li Muchian were left.
These words also made Chang Yu feel a little embarrassed. He touched his nose like him and said, "Don't ruin you today." Wuzhong was excited and said, "It's a good day, let's say some auspicious words."
"Okay, then I wish you success in killing today."
Murder? Isn't it a military parade? Chen Wangting frowned. He didn't know Chang Yu's murder plan, but he didn't dare to ask casually.
After leaving the Yamen, a few people got on their horses and walked slowly toward the entrance of the alley. From a distance, they saw bright lights over there, and Li Muchian whispered: "It seems that martial law has been enforced."
Li Muxian's prediction was correct. The emperor was going out of the city for a military parade today, so he had to be heavily guarded. The guards had cordoned off the surrounding area of the imperial city, and no one was allowed to enter.
The four riders arrived at the entrance of the alley and looked around, and sure enough, every step of the way, they blocked all the intersections and streets around the imperial city, strictly prohibiting any casual approach.
But what surprised Chang Yu and others was that at this time, they had just arrived at Yinshi, and the streets were filled with many people. This was simply too exaggerated.
But if you think about it carefully, it’s not an exaggeration.
The military parade is an unprecedented grand event. Who doesn't want to see the excitement? Moreover, I heard that the emperor was going out of the city to review the military in person, so they all got up early, either waiting at the city gate for the door to open and running to the parade ground to get a seat, or running to the imperial city.
I want to see if I can catch a glimpse of the emperor.
There are dozens of streets and alleys around the imperial city, and there are personal guards guarding them everywhere. Only Dongchang Hutong is left open. The reason is self-evident.
When Chang Yu's four riders came out of the alley, they attracted attention. One rider approached and looked around for a few times, then hurriedly dismounted and saluted: "Lin Xiaoshan, a hundred-year-old Yanshan left guard, has seen Mr. Factory Gong."
"Do you know our family?" Chang Yu seemed a little surprised.
"As a humble soldier, I went south to pursue the Tatars and I was lucky enough to meet the factory official." Lin Xiaoshan said quickly, and Chang Yu said, "You are a member of the personal guard and you are on duty, so you don't have to dismount and salute our family." He then asked casually: "Andingmen Street
Is it closed?”
Andingmen Street is a main street that runs directly from Andingmen in the North City to the root of the east wall of the Imperial City. It is also the only way for the emperor to go out of the city for military parades.
"The road has been closed for investigation since the time of the Jinyi Guards. There is a sentry every ten steps, and lookout posts and archers have been set up at high places." Lin Xiaoshan said. Chang Yu hummed and asked again: "Do you know where Commander Wu of the Jinyi Guards is?".
Lin Xiaoshan shook his head and pointed at some Jin Yiwei not far away and said: "They may know." Chang Yu raised his eyebrows: "Isn't your Yanshan Guard responsible for the east of the city? Why did you send Jin Yiwei here?".
"The factory owner doesn't know anything. Jin Yiwei is solely responsible for today's escort. Mr. Wu has left manpower everywhere to supervise..."
Although Wu Mengming, an old boy, is busy making money every day, he still works hard at his job.
After asking those Jinyi guards and not knowing where Wu Mengming was, Chang Yu rode his horse and walked slowly southward along the base of the city wall. When he arrived at Dong'an Gate, the Imperial City Gate had not yet opened, and he had no intention of entering, so he continued walking south.
The Qianbu Corridor in the south of the imperial city was already brightly lit, and officials in twos and threes gathered at the gate of Chengtian, preparing to enter the palace for the morning.
At the Daming Gate, people and horses were boiling. Officials' cars and sedans were parked nearby. Most of the servants were waiting here, and people were watching the excitement. Jinwu's avant-garde was responsible for guarding the place. There were more than ten Jinyi Guards patrolling from time to time, shouting and watching the people retreat.
.
"Today's military parade, hundreds of officials are here, I guess it's two to three hundred." Li Muxian sighed in a low voice, Chang Yu nodded slightly: "Every ministry, every department, civil and military personnel from the sixth rank and above, it's probably three hundred at least."
.
"Then if we add the nobles and nobles in the capital, it would be more than a thousand." Chen Wangting was surprised.
The imperial court is a huge machine, and officials are all kinds of small parts. The Ming Dynasty is composed of countless parts. Even if one part fails, it will have an impact on the machine. If there are many parts that fail, the machine...
…
Just like the Ming Dynasty now.
Chang Yu and the four of them were riding horses, which naturally attracted attention. From time to time there were personal guards and guards in uniforms checking, but once the badge was revealed, they were able to move forward unimpeded.
From the south of the city, we went around to the west. There were fewer people on this side. When we got to the north of the city, it got a little brighter, and we saw that there were many more people. Maybe they thought that the emperor had to come out from the north of the imperial city when leaving the city.
But they seemed to have overlooked an important point: why was the emperor going out so early?
But who cares about this? Perhaps their thoughts are just like that of later generations, when we go to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag raising or the 70th anniversary military parade, we should go early to get a seat.
Outside the Bei'an Gate of the imperial city, in addition to Jinwu's guards who were on duty to block the road, Chang Yu also found a familiar troop of soldiers and horses, black armor with tiger heads painted on them, yes, the fighting chickens of the Guards, the Tengxiang Four Guards
!
There are also a few familiar faces, including the commander Lu Xing and others.
The duty of the Tengxiang Guards is to escort the Emperor. It seems that the Emperor is indeed setting off from the North Gate.
"Aren't we a little short on manpower?" Chang Yu took a look and saw that there were only about three hundred people around the city gate. Lu Xingze said: "The emperor has a decree to be more concise and concise. These three hundred people are the most capable of our four guards."
"Brothers." He then added: "We are only responsible for escorting the troops. We have two hundred Fujun Guards on our side, two hundred Flag Guards, and thousands of other Guards along the way."
Chang Yu nodded slightly after hearing this. He really trusted the Fujun Guards and the Banner Guards the most. The former had saber-wielding soldiers, while the latter belonged to the Jinyi Guards and were dedicated to the emperor. Although he was favored, it was clear that Emperor Chongzhen did not trust him.
His subordinates did not ask for help.
After chatting with Lu Xing and others, they learned that Wu Mengming had just left to inspect Andingmen Street, so he said goodbye to the others and went to look for Wu Mengming.