It was a cold winter in the first month of the 18th year of Shunzhi. Just after the New Year, groups of beggars began to beg along the streets again as if they emerged from the ground. Under the eaves of shops west of Hade Gate in Beijing, ruined temples were crowded
These people arrived. One family after another built shabby huts and thatched huts at the base of the city wall, with the intention of staying there for a long time. Fortunately, after the defeat of King Li Chuang, the city of Beijing suffered from repeated military turmoil, and the population was reduced to ten
56. There are rubbles everywhere inside and outside Dongzhimen. There are many free spaces, otherwise it would be overcrowded. Most of these people speak with Guandong accents, and there are also many people from Zhili, Shandong, and Henan, wearing ragged coats and belts tied around their waists.
He held a straw rope and a broken bowl to beg for food from people.
"Uncle and aunt, please do good deeds and reward me with a bite of leftover food. I fled from Rehe. I am an old man and a young man. There is nothing I can do!"
"Amitabha! What a sin! Where did the disaster come from in the middle of winter, so you traveled such a long way?"
When a strong man with a pot-tender on his shoulder heard this, he twisted his face and stopped, sneering: "You are a man under the emperor's feet, how do you know what's going on in the countryside! Damn it, I'm surrounded by a yellow flag.
If you don't want food, you can only eat hair?" He said, putting the braid on his neck and walked away angrily.
At this point, readers may ask: What is "enclosure", so powerful!
It turns out that before the Manchus entered the customs, the Eight Banners soldiers went out to fight and prepared their own horses and equipment. Each banner occupied a large amount of flag land for military supplies. The owners of each banner, princes and clans also consumed a lot of money in their daily squanderings.
In exchange for gold and silver, manors of varying sizes were set up in various places outside the customs. After entering the customs, the former Ming Dynasty's royal relatives, state relatives, and civil and military officials died and fled after the king entered the capital, leaving behind countless ownerless people.
In Huangtian, Dorgon ordered that "all the land should be distributed to the kings from the east, Beile, Beizi, and the ministers of honor, etc." Of course, the Qiu Ba men picked the best land and grabbed it. They tied two horses with a rope and stuck them on top.
A flag is used, and the soldiers behind it are whipping it wildly. The circle is as large as the circle is, and the land in the circle becomes the property of the bannermen. This is called enclosure. "This is where I put the yellow flag."
"I am the one with the white flag." Some are even more domineering and want to drive out all the people in the circle, or give them some Shawo alkaline land. This is considered polite, but the more unruly ones take the opportunity to plunder and enclose the land.
, all the utensils in the room will be left behind. The ugly wives and daughters will be taken away by the original owner as a "mercy";
The county stretches two thousand miles across. The fields are deserted, mourners are everywhere, the roads are full of hungry people, and the cries are endless. Among them, there are countless people who are forced to take risks and become "robbers".
There is a small inn in Yongxing Temple Street in the west of Beijing, called "Yuepengdian". This probably comes from the meaning of "having friends come from afar, it's not easy to say (joy)". The backyard of this small shop has
There are more than a dozen guest rooms, specially designed for the emperor to stay when he comes to Beijing to take the exam. It is still early to leave the college, and business is very slow. There are four Eight Immortals tables on the three facades on the street; to the north is a private dining room for guests to eat;
A long counter in the east sells wine, meat and miscellaneous groceries. The guys are all from the countryside and have gone back to celebrate the New Year. The store is only supported by a boss He and a few young apprentices from far away places. On the early morning of the eighth day of the first lunar month, the door panels of the store have just been removed.
, only to hear a "Hu Tong" sound, a person fell in.
When the shop owner He Guizhu heard the guys shouting, he quickly put on his trousers, kicked the chamber pot under the bed, pulled on his shoes and ran out. At first glance, he saw that this man was about twenty years old, wearing a hat on his head.
The tin green linen hat has a braid that is more than two feet long. The hair has not been shaved for more than two months, and it has grown gray and gray to an inch and a half long. The cotton robe looks like it has been shot with a musket, and the hair is blooming.
The tattered cotton wool like rotten mutton oil burst out. Looking at his face, it was as yellow as ginger with purple, his eyes were closed tightly, and he was frozen. He Guizhu couldn't help but sighed and said: "Sin! This is also a common thing. Send
Let’s go to the Zuojiazhuang Massacre Center outside the city. Sigh, today is really unlucky!”
The guys found a broken mat to roll up the dead man, and were about to get a broken door panel to carry the person away when the curtain at the back of the store rang and a man came out and said, "Slow down!"
When everyone looked back, they saw that the person who came out was about thirty years old, wearing a green satin melon skin hat, a black dog skin sauce-colored silk mandarin jacket, a gray woolen robe underneath, and a bright ridge on the thousand-layer tweed boots, which was stable.
Standing firmly in front of the door, the owner of the shop hurriedly smiled and said: "Good morning, Second Master, this is a poor scholar who froze to death outside the door."
"We'll have to wait and see whether he's dead or not." As he said this, he walked forward and knelt down, put his hand under the young man's nose, took his hand and felt for his pulse: "He's not dead yet!
Make a bowl of ginger soup quickly. No, get some hot wine first!" The guys looked at each other and stood still. He Guizhu quickly said: "I have already given the order, why don't you hurry up?"
The man who came out was a Juren, a native of Yangzhou, named Wu Ciyou. He was a talented man who was famous all over the country. He came from a wealthy family, and his ancestors had served as several high officials. He Guizhu, who opened the shop, had previously been a servant of his family. During the Chongzhen period, there was war and chaos, and Mrs. Wu
Afraid that the tree would attract wind, all the family members would join their relatives. He Guizhu's father was born into a family and had no relatives outside. The old man showed kindness and helped him open a small shop in the local area. The Qing soldiers entered the customs, and Shi Kefa resisted the Qing in Yangzhou, and the city was destroyed.
After that, blood flowed in the city. The He family could no longer stay in Yangzhou, so they simply moved to Beijing. This Wu Ciyou was originally a student of Hou Fangyu. After the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Ding Dynasty, he followed God's will, passed the scholar examination, and won the imperial examination. It was just that Mr. Wu had a bad heart.
Xiang Daming, vowed not to eat pure millet, and stayed at home to focus on the "Tao Te Ching". Wu Ciyou went to Beijing to take the exam, and met He Guizhu again, so he simply moved into Yuepeng Inn. Although he does not have the status of master and servant, he
He Guizhu was still very respectful to this young master.
People scrambled to carry the nearly freezing scholar into the shop and drank a bowl of hot rice wine. After about a moment, the young man's eyes opened slightly and then closed. Wu Ciyou breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Put me in
Clean up the room down there, let him lie down, and he will be fine in a few days."
He Guizhu couldn't help but hesitated: "This young man is also very troubled. He saved people and had to feed them... Who cares about him! Anyway, it doesn't cost me any money. I'll just wait for someone from Yangzhou to settle the accounts." Wu Ciyou saw Boss He hesitate.
, then said: "Saving one life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. Besides, it would be outrageous to save people without rescuing them alive." He Guizhu said hurriedly: "Just do as I told you."
When the lamp was turned on, the young man finally woke up. It was probably the effect of two large bowls of hot noodles with shredded chicken and ginger soup. His face turned red, but he was still a little dizzy. When he saw Wu Ciyou holding a lantern and pushing open the door, he struggled
He was about to get up. Wu Ciyou hurriedly held him down and said: "Friend, don't move, just lie down." The young man raised his upper body and kowtowed on the pillow: "My benefactor, it was you who saved me! Qingshan
If you don't change, the green water will flow forever. If you don't say thank you for your kindness, I will always break my body to pieces to repay you!" As he spoke, a string of tears flowed down his delicate face.
Wu Ciyou pulled up a chair and sat down next to him, and asked with concern: "What's your name? Why did you come to Beijing? How did you end up in this situation?" The young man half leaned on the pillow, sighed and said: "Well
Sir, I am from the Zhenghuang Banner, my name is Mingzhu. It is said that my ancestors are also the sons of dragons and phoenixes. My late father, Niyaha, was a subordinate of Prince Rui Dorgon. He entered the pass from the dragon. Dorgon caused trouble.
My father was dismissed from office and was so angry that he could not afford to fall ill, and the family fortunes declined. He had no choice but to live in Mongolia with his uncle. Uncle Nartai took pity on us and gave us a small piece of cultivated land. Unexpectedly, last autumn, the owner of the banner, Ao Ao,
I want to replace the land with the yellow flag again. I said that in the years when Dorgon encircled the land, the yellow flag suffered a loss. Now that I want to get it back, it will trick us men alive! I thought this old thief always wanted to look at the face of our ancestors.
, leaving this piece of land alive, who would have thought that this old bastard was so heartless that he sent his brother Mulima to drive out all the people in our village on a snowy day, and burned down the village... What a tragedy.
!" He wiped away his tears and added with choked sobs: "Our uncle and nephew went all the way from Rehe to beg for food and entered the customs. We met bandits again in Taiping Town and were forced to join the gang. You think, I don't know whether my father is alive or dead, what can I do?
Going to do that kind of thing? I had no choice but to run away. My uncle was shot to death by a bandit with an arrow. I came to Beijing alone because I wanted to have a good time with my late father’s colleagues. Who would have thought that human relationships are thinner than paper! When I heard that
My family offended Obai, and no one dared to take me in, so I had to live on the street selling calligraphy to make a living. It's pitiful that I, a hairpin family, ended up like this... In the past few days, it has been snowing heavily, and I am hungry.
If you want to hide from the snow in front of this store, who knows..."
The more Mingzhu talked, the sadder she became, and she cried loudly: "My benefactor! You are my reborn parents, my flesh and blood father and mother! Mingzhu cannot repay you in this life, but in the next life, you will be repaid with a ring of grass and a ring of grass!"
When Wu Ciyou heard this, he felt sad and hurriedly comforted him: "Mingzhu, don't say anything. How can ordinary people have a good life these days! There are so many beggars in Beijing these days, and they are all from outside the customs."
The homeless people are enclosed - do you have any relatives in Beijing?"
Mingzhu shook her head and said, "I don't have any relatives anymore. Even if I do, it's rare to see them once."
When Wu Ciyou heard about it, he quickly asked: "How could that happen?" Mingzhu calmed down and said: "I heard that one of my cousins, Sun, is the wet nurse of the current prince's third elder brother. I met her seven years ago, and she
So I went into the palace. The palace is strictly forbidden. How can I get in like this?" Wu Ciyou pondered for a while and said, "Just stay here first. You are well versed in literature and have a great reputation.
Don't worry about not having a chance to get into the profession in the future. If not, I'll bring you a letter to go to your father and ask him to find you a bowl of food. My name is Wu Ciyou, from Yangzhou, and I'm waiting here to take the exam. Next
After the field test, we will go back to the south."
Mingzhu is a very smart person. After hearing what Wu Ciyou said, he struggled to get out of bed, kowtowed three times on the ground, and said: "There is a blue sky above. If my Mingzhu loses his heart and forgets Brother Wu's life-saving grace, it will be like this."
!" As he said that, he took out a large Snow Wolf Hair Lake pen from his sleeve and folded it into two pieces with a "click" in the shadow of the lamp.
The two were talking affectionately when the cotton curtain was lifted and He Guizhu walked in and said in a low voice: "Second Master, just now the eunuch Wang, the chief patrol officer of the Thirteenth Yamen came to drink. He said there was a rumor that Master Shunzhi passed away!"
"The Emperor has passed away!" The news spread like wildfire, spreading throughout Beijing through restaurants, teahouses, theaters and other lively places where people gathered. But before the imperial edict was issued, people could only hide aside.
Watch quietly and ask a close friend to make some serious gestures like this:
"The Emperor is only twenty-four years old. He is so young and so good. How could he pass away?"
"Hey, who can say for sure whether a person will have good or bad fortunes overnight? For example, if you take off your shoes tonight, you can guarantee that you will put them on tomorrow morning?"
"Don't talk nonsense! I heard that the emperor died because of Empress Dong, and the emperor was lovesick! Have you forgotten that the painter in Jiangsu is called Chen? Yes, Chen Luoyun, painted a portrait for Empress Dong.
This guy will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver - Hey! Have you seen so many treasures in your life? - As long as one is lucky, it is really easy to get rich!"
"You are a person who likes to go out of his way when you talk! I heard that the emperor summoned Lord Suksaha five or six days ago! Is there something fishy about him?"
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,"
No matter how the common people talk, one thing is obvious: from the eighth day of the first lunar month, all the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs have changed into plain clothes. There is a long line of sedans beside the horse pavilion outside the Meridian Gate.
And those little eunuchs who love to carry quail cages to teahouses have not come since the Chinese New Year. These abnormal things have aroused suspicion among Beijing citizens. Some old Beijingers have seen the funeral of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty.
Seeing the royal family acting so secretly now, I couldn't help but be surprised, but they just kept silent.
Wu Ciyou was a bookworm. Because of the cold weather, he didn't go out. He just sat by the stove and read. Mingzhu, a young man with a good temper, struggled to go outside for a walk. He wandered to the east of Zhengyang Gate to watch the excitement.
The six-passenger green cloth sedan at the front of a long row of sedans is particularly conspicuous, and the snow on top is half a foot thick. After quietly asking around, I found out that since the third day of the lunar month, Prince Jieshu, Sony Laozhongtang, Ye Bilong, and Suksa
Ha, Oboi and Hong Jinglue went into the palace to pay their respects and never came out again. Three meals a day were delivered to them by family members in food boxes. Just as she was looking at it in a daze, Mingzhu suddenly felt someone pat her behind her and turned around.
When I looked, I saw a handsome young man under the snowy light holding a knife on his waist and looking at him with a smile.
"You are...ah! Brother!" After hesitating for a moment, Mingzhu opened his arms and rushed forward in surprise. He suddenly recognized that the person standing in front of him was the only son of Sun, the wet nurse of the third elder brother. He left.
Cousin of five years, Wei Dongting.
After five years of not seeing each other, Wei Dongting has already become a talented person. He is wearing a patchwork uniform with a regimental collar embroidered with Jiangya sea water, a wide waist knife with a foot-long red tassel hanging from it, and a new pair of black lake silk trousers.
Wearing riding boots. Looking at his outfit, Mingzhu couldn't help but feel downcast in comparison.
Mingzhu held Wei Dongting's hand and just looked up and down. After a while, she asked: "Cousin, after five years of separation, you are very different from before. Are you still working as an errand at Chengde Imperial Manor?" Wei Dongting said with a smile: "Me too.
I just came to Beijing. Last year, my mother asked for many favors to transfer me out, and now I am working as a slacker in the patrol office. My mother said that I am young and it will take me a few years of hard training before I can contribute to the emperor!"
After hearing this, Mingzhu couldn't help but lowered her head and sighed: "Brother, I'm so miserable! Now my family is ruined, my future is bleak, and my fate is bad. What can I do? Well, this life is really boring." Wei Dongting didn't wait for him to finish.
He grumbled and pulled his sleeves and said: "Let's go to Hexian Tower to get together. If everything goes well, you don't need to be sad. There will be big things soon, and maybe there will be more Enke!" Mingzhu said.
"Where do you come from?" Wei Dongting said with a smile: "There is no reason to make you happy with these things?" He looked around, lowered his voice and said, "Brother, Lord Shunzhi has passed away!" (To be continued)
