Years later, the city of Beijing is still a vast white scene.
"Hey——"
"Papa -"
The sound of whips resounded through the sky, and the carriages and horses were sparkling.
A motorcade slowly headed westward from Chongwen Gate. One hundred camels and two to three hundred draft horses formed this huge team.
There were more than a hundred people driving the horses alone.
Along the way, pedestrians pointed and pointed, quite curious about such a huge team.
The carriage was packed full of goods, and a small flag was placed on the carriage. It was waving back and forth in the cold wind, and soon it turned into ice, like a wooden board.
"Longmen Escort Agency"
The four big characters are extremely conspicuous.
In addition to the driver, there were more than a hundred strong men, either riding horses or looking around, holding their heads high and carrying scimitars at their waists, guarding the convoy. They were very capable.
Camels walked in the front. Their legs were long and fast, and their burdens were light. They were just carrying people.
In the center of the team, there were more than a dozen fat and strong draft horses, which looked like they were of the highest quality and could even be used as riding horses.
The coachman in the car, wearing a woolen felt hat and fur jacket, sat upright and proudly waved his whip.
The carriage in the center is pulled by two draft horses and is as spacious as two carriages. Although the decoration is simple, at a glance, you can tell that it is extraordinary.
In the carriage, two men were sitting opposite each other.
One of them was wearing a sapphire blue cotton robe and a felt hat on his head. His round face was full of doubts: "Brother, we are going so early today. I'm afraid it will be difficult to walk on the road!"
"Early bird gets the worm."
The big man sitting opposite opened his chest, revealing the black shirt underneath. He smoked a dry cigarette and said leisurely:
"In the ten years since Shaowu was launched, the escort agency industry has been growing day by day. There are hundreds of escort agencies, large and small, in the entire Forty-Nine Cities."
"If we at Longmen Escort Agency want to stand out, we have to do what others can't do."
The round-faced man sighed and said nothing.
"Second brother, don't look at the heavy snow blocking the road at this time. By the time we arrive in Mobei, the snow has melted and it's just the right time to have some soup."
The boss smoked a dry cigarette and said happily: "We are the first to make this trip to Mobei this year, and we can make a lot of money."
"But brother, after winter, the eyes of those herders are glowing green..."
"Don't be afraid, I have my own plan."
During the Shaowu period, the summer and autumn taxes were basically delivered by the court itself, but the commercial tax once in March overwhelmed the local government.
The provinces have just sent the spring commercial taxes to Beijing, and the next season's commercial taxes have been collected, but the people escorting them are in Beijing and have not returned yet.
At this time, the escort industry, which had begun to sprout in the late Ming Dynasty, came to the fore.
In order to flatter the officials, several people with strong official and business backgrounds set up a bodyguard bureau to help them escort business taxes into Beijing.
Its cost is cheaper than that of our own people, so the government naturally adopts it.
Once there is a precedent, it means that someone has opened the way. Countless people will follow, and escort agencies will spring up like mushrooms after a rain.
By escorting commercial taxes for officials, not only can the checkpoints on the road be reduced, but ordinary roadblocks will not dare to mess around, let alone thieves.
Anyone who robs business taxes is more terrible than a rebellion, and they should wait to be surrounded and suppressed.
In this way, the model of earning meager profits from escorting commercial taxes, while using it to escort other goods and earn freight at the same time, has emerged among the people.
The escort agency business has grown so much that it has been divided into two parts in the past few years.
One part is the Great Escort Bureau, which cooperates closely with the government and communicates with the capital. It is called the official escort.
It's safe and guaranteed, but it's expensive.
The other type is private escorts. As the name suggests, they are escort agencies that specialize in smuggling people, such as escorting family documents, moving, transporting goods, etc.
Some scholars who are rushing to take exams will also raise money and hire some escorts to escort them into Beijing.
It not only saves time and effort, but is also safe.
The most common one is pledge.
The routes he traveled mostly took him to Suiyuan, the three places in the Northeast, and even Anxi, Mobei and other places.
All you earn is some hard-earned money.
Some escort bureaus even have branches that transport coffins of deceased people back to their hometowns.
The Longmen Escort Bureau often smuggles escorts between Suiyuan and Chahar, escorting traders to do business.
Large chambers of commerce have their own guards. Small traders are weak on the grassland and gather together, so it is normal for them to hire bodyguards.
The Longmen Escort Agency takes half a year to visit. There are many businessmen and they are willing to pay. They give me enough money every time.
"Chief escort, we have arrived at Yuquan Town."
After a day, the convoy had only traveled thirty or forty miles, when an escort came over to report.
"good!"
Meng Qingbiao patted his sleeves, straightened his clothes, turned back to his second brother Zhu Baisong and said, "You guys should tidy up too, and at least wash your face."
"I'm about to meet my boss. If you lose face, I'll see if I can kill you."
"Yes!" The round-faced Zhu Baisong also changed his clothes. After getting off the carriage, he picked up a piece of clean snow on the roadside with both hands and rubbed it against his face.
After a while, my face turned red and darkened.
"That's what happened."
Meng Qingbiao nodded and asked the convoy to stop in Yuquan Town. Then he took Zhu Baisong and several bodyguards and rode to the outside of the town.
This is a village.
It built a chest-high low wall, and several servants, carrying spears on their backs, warmed themselves by the fire in the low room at the door.
Several people reported their names and waited by the fire.
"There are a lot of wild wolves in Yuquan Mountain recently. They come out to bite people from time to time. My brothers can even come out in this weather. It's awesome."
The servant gave a thumbs up.
Meng Qingbiao said openly: "If you encounter a tiger or a wolf, it will be a good thing. You can just use the skin to make a coat for your employer."
After a while, someone came to pick him up in person.
The escort stayed to warm himself by the fire while the two of them entered the village.
In front of you is a long street paved with stone slabs, leading straight to a spacious house at the end.
Its scale is similar to that of an ordinary prince's palace, covering an area of no less than thirty or forty acres.
There is a huge word "Zhu Zhai" on the plaque, which is particularly conspicuous.
"Meng Qingbiao (Zhu Baisong) has met his boss——"
The two of them were introduced into the mansion. The maids and servants passing by were all handsome, but they didn't look away as they entered the hall.
Seeing the woman wearing a red satin coat in front of them, they immediately knelt down on one knee, lowering their heads and not daring to look directly at her.
Even if they were wearing coats, their huge hearts could only be partially covered, and they couldn't help but bow their heads.
"Get up!"
After a crisp sound, the two of them dared to stand up, their eyes slightly shifted.
Only then did he realize that the two young masters were already seated, so he saluted again.
"Mr. Meng, are there any rules for this trip to Mobei?"
Bian Yujing has been in charge of the family for many years and is no longer Wu Xia Ameng. Her voice is thin, but there is a little bit of questioning.
"Madam, on this trip to Mobei, except for a few old and weak people, almost all the Longmen Escorts were dispatched, and they also brought a lot of weapons. Some small tribes can be wiped out easily."
Meng Qingbiao said solemnly: "Even if we encounter some big tribes, we dare to fight against them and not fall behind."
"I don't understand the loss of some swords, guns and arrows."
Bian Yujing said leisurely, with some solemnity on her face: "However, in today's world, firearms are king. Even the cavalry of the imperial court are equipped with muskets. It is dangerous for you to travel nearly three thousand miles without muskets by your side."
After saying this, she clapped her hands, and several servants came out carrying two wooden boxes:
"These are twenty flintlock muskets. You have all retired from the army, so you should be able to use them."
"As for gunpowder, I can only get two hundred kilograms, which should be enough!"
"Madam—" Meng Qingbiao was stunned, and a turmoil arose in his heart.
Although the imperial court did not impose restrictions on muskets, they were only shotguns. Even matchlocks were highly restricted. There were only a few matchlocks in the patrol headquarters in the capital.
The flintlock gun is the most forbidden of all.
Among the gunpowder, there was no shortage of charcoal and saltpeter, but sulfur was monopolized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was not allowed to be sold privately.
Two hundred kilograms of gunpowder were obtained at once, which was too scary.
He and his second brother Zhu Baisong looked at each other: This boss is really extraordinary.
Bian Yujing noticed the doubtful looks in their eyes, and she explained: "This escort trip will contain official items, so we can get these."
"As long as this trip goes well, our Longmen Escort Agency will escort all future taxes from the Mobei Governor's Mansion. This is a big deal."
When Meng Qingbiao heard this, his heart was agitated.
The second child, Zhu Baisong, was also inexplicably excited.
Private escorts are not as good as official escorts. They can make money comfortably, as long as there are no mistakes in the process. This is a business that has lasted for decades and hundreds of years.
Dong’s background is really too strong.
The two took their things and left.
The boss Zhu Li then said: "Mom, what are you doing?"
It's both a musket and gunpowder, it's so scary.
"Relax, we are working for the imperial court."
Bian Yujing chuckled and said, "You two should study hard. If you fail the college exam, you will reap the rewards."
After teaching his two sons, Bian Yujing returned to the backyard.
I saw a man in thin clothes lying on a spacious bed. He had an open chest and hugged two women on the left and right. He was so happy.
The woman on the left looks to be in her forties, has an oval face, delicate facial features, a small cherry mouth, and a slender neck. She looks extremely beautiful.
On the right is a long-legged mature woman with an oval face, bright eyes, a delicate waist, and a round body.
Holding a bunch of grapes in his hand, he kept putting them into the man's mouth.
The grapes in the winter are naturally attributed to the floor heating regardless of the cost.
They were playing and playing, the waves were rolling, and it was such a bright spring.
"Okay, I'm busy in the front, but you three are actually having fun."
Taking off his coat, Bian Yujing revealed his magnificent mind.
The floor heating is so hot that the whole room feels like spring.
"It's rare for me to come out of the palace to see you, but I'm not allowed to have fun?"
Zhu Yixi hugged Li Xiangjun and Kou Baimen with a relaxed smile on her face.
After finishing the busy work of the Winter Solstice and Zhengdan Dynasties, he took a complete rest. After the New Year, he couldn't stay in the capital anymore and thought of the woman he raised outside.
There are so many rules in the palace that even the emperor has to abide by them. How can you feel comfortable wearing shackles for a long time?
"Master, you should come out more often."
Squeezing into the bed, Bian Yujing's face showed an intoxicating blush. She casually grabbed the hand on Kou Baimen's leg and held it in her arms.
For a moment, Zhu Yixi felt that her spirit was empty.
In one word: very moist.
This is a product of nature and the foundation of the development of human civilization!
"I can't help myself!"
Zhu Yixi sighed: "I have to go back in the evening. If I'm away for a long time, the city will panic."
"By the way, how about the thing I gave you?"
Saying this, he pressed Li Xiangjun down and said softly: "It's been a long time since I heard Xiangjun sing..."
Li Xiangjun rolled his eyes, bowed his head submissively, and began to sing.
Kou Baimen also realized what was going on and changed the emperor's hand and placed it again on his lap.
Bian Yujing endured the naughtiness and said: "This batch of gunpowder totals 100,000 jins and should be able to be delivered."
"My Majesty, you already have an army, why don't you send someone directly to Mobei?"
"What do you know?"
Zhu Yixi shook his head: "If the army appears, wouldn't it be enough to alert the enemy?"
"As long as you are escorted by an escort, you won't attract attention."
Bian Yujing didn't understand the reason, but she listened with interest.
Because she understood that in addition to entertaining people with sex, she could also help the emperor with things. This was a big deal and she couldn't delay it.
After listening for a while, her eyes turned red and her eyes were as charming as silk, obviously she was in love.
Zhu Yixi got up and down, then started the four-player mahjong mode.
After the incident, he felt that all the days of recuperating his energy had been spent.
Obviously, thirty is like a wolf and forty is like a tiger. This statement is true.
We have been conniving with the Manchus for a long time, and it is not good for them to last too long.
According to Zeng Ying's report, the Chechen tribe was completely wiped out by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and was completely absorbed as a boost, greatly increasing its strength.
He can barely survive in Mobei, which will be extremely detrimental to the court in the long run.
Because the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were closer, only more than a thousand miles away, while Beijing was three thousand miles away, so support was not timely.
"How did this guy Shunzhi live so long?"
Zhu Yixi cursed secretly: "Historically, people died in their twenties. How come I have lived longer with no sign of leaving at all?"
"Is it true that people in history were unable to adapt to the climate? Or did they die of grief?"
All in all, once Shunzhi becomes the master of longevity like Kangxi, the threat to the Ming Dynasty will be great.
He didn't want to have a so-called Beiqing beside him.
This will affect the control of the grassland.
Therefore, for the Manchus, the emperor prepared for many years and prepared to kill him with one blow.
Naturally, in order not to alarm the Qing Dynasty, we could only adopt the ant moving model, and the escort agency was the main one.
Escorts and caravans spent half a year constantly transporting military supplies.
At that time, the army will deliver a fatal blow.
With the existence of canned food, Zhu Yixi felt that it was time for the Manchu Qing Dynasty to come to an end.
The place at Belial Lake is much better than Mobei. It should be managed directly by a Governor's Mansion.
…
Meng Qingbiao left Zhuangzi with Zhu Baisong. The two of them looked at the musket in the box and were very excited for a moment.
"Brother, with these muskets, we can go to Mobei, even to Fengjing."
Zhu Baisong laughed heartily: "I heard that one piece of cloth can be exchanged for two or three horses there, and you can make a lot of money."
"Don't be arrogant." Meng Qingbiao said solemnly: "It's better to be our escort!"