Three days later, at noon, Zhang Yanling, accompanied by Meng Liang, Chen Shi, Huo Shijian and more than a dozen bodyguard cavalry, appeared on the streets of Chongnanfang inside Guangqumen in the east city of the outer city.
Chongnanfang is located in the southeast of the outer city. It is densely populated and houses are densely packed. It is far away from the bustling streets of the capital. Like Baizhifang, it is a gathering place for the poor in the capital and is a famous slum in the capital.
Zhang Yanling and his entourage rode horses slowly on the narrow and potholed streets. The low buildings on both sides were like pigeon cages, crowded and disorderly. Sewage flowed across the streets and the stench was so bad that even the horses started to fight.
He sniffs his nose and refuses to step in the mud.
Children in ragged clothes rarely see well-dressed people riding tall horses. They followed Zhang Yanling and other people curiously, laughing and pointing with snot in their noses. They stared at Zhang Yanling with childish curiosity.
Some of the group even stepped forward boldly, stretched out their hands to touch the horses' bellies, and then ran away screaming excitedly.
Their parents knew that these Ming Dynasty soldiers and horses on horseback were not to be messed with, so they shouted at the children to leave. Some directly dragged the children to the street, slapped them with their hands, and made the children scream.
Cry.
Zhang Yanling frowned and looked at the scene around him, feeling very bad.
Zhang Yanling did not expect that the situation here was so bad. Zhang Yanling knew that many people in the Ming Dynasty lived a hard life. But in the capital, there were also dirty and messy slums like Chongnanfang. The living and life of the people here
It is unjustifiable that the conditions are so bad.
There are still places like this in the capital, let alone the poor and remote places outside Beijing. The Ming Dynasty was founded more than a hundred years ago, but not only has it failed to allow the people to live a good life, but poverty has become worse in recent years. This is a major dereliction of duty by the imperial court.
The Ming Dynasty has a long way to go. To change the status quo, there is still a lot of things to do and a lot of time to develop.
However, Zhang Yanling's bad mood was not entirely due to seeing the plight of these people. After all, there were many poor people in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhang Yanling had seen a lot. But today, Zhang Yanling and Chen Shiyi came to express condolences to Feng who died in the battle.
It belongs to Sihai’s family. This matter will eventually be told to his family. Although Zhang Yanling has been unable to bear it, he has to come.
Seeing that Feng Sihai, the general who followed him through life and death, actually lived in such a place and in such an environment, Zhang Yanling found it hard to let go.
When poverty and suffering are concrete to someone you know or even have a close relationship with, this kind of suffering becomes more real and empathetic. It becomes more concrete.
"Sir, the alley by the river in front is Brother Feng's home." Meng Liang pointed to the place where a willow tree lay in front of him and said.
Zhang Yanling nodded slightly and urged the horse to speed up. Soon, everyone arrived at the small river. It was said to be a small river, but in fact it was just a smelly ditch. There were aquatic plants and garbage entangled in it, and all kinds of debris were floating on the dark river water.
Things. The stench is overwhelming.
Along the path on the west side of the creek, I walked past a group of low houses. A dilapidated courtyard appeared in view. This courtyard looked better than the surrounding houses. At least it was a small courtyard with a single family. Then
This is Feng Sihai’s home.
In the open space in front of the small courtyard, there is a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old who is shirtless, holding a stone lock in one hand and throwing it around. This boy is only fifteen or sixteen years old, but his muscles are very strong.
, the stone lock in his hand weighs at least twenty or thirty kilograms. He lifts it with one hand, switches left and right, and throws it over the top, seemingly effortlessly.
Seeing a group of cavalry arriving, the young man stopped dancing the stone locks and looked at Zhang Yanling and his party with a confused look on his face.
Zhang Yanling looked at the young man's facial features, including his eyes, wide mouth, and Chinese character face, which were very similar to Feng Sihai. He couldn't help but feel a little pity in his heart.
"Who are you? Who are you looking for?" the boy asked loudly.
Just as Meng Liang was about to speak, Zhang Yanling waved his hand, got off his horse and approached slowly, smiling: "Little brother, I guess your surname is Feng. Is that true?"
The young man asked doubtfully: "How do you know? Yes, you are soldiers and horses of the Zhenwei Battalion with my father, right?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "You are very smart, you guessed it right."
The young man said: "My father went overseas with the Protector, and he is not at home. Are you here to find him?"
Zhang Yanling sighed and said warmly: "What is your name? How old are you this year? You are really good at playing with stone locks."
The young man said: "My name is Feng Gang, I am fourteen this year. This stone lock is nothing. It is far behind my father. My father not only knows how to use stone locks, but also has very strong martial arts. It's a pity that he refuses to teach me."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Why doesn't your father want to teach you?"
Feng Gang said: "My father doesn't allow me to dance with guns or sticks. He wants me to study and become an official and doesn't allow me to practice martial arts. I practiced it without telling him. By the way, don't tell my father about this. He will be angry if he finds out.
. He wants me to study, but I am not interested in studying. I just want to practice martial arts."
Zhang Yanling said: "Why do you want to practice martial arts?"
Feng Gang said: "I want to be a soldier and kill the enemy, just like my father. I want to serve the court and be loyal to the country."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "Good boy. Not bad, ambitious."
Feng Gang said: "But my father said I had no ambition. When he saw me practicing martial arts and wanting to be a soldier, he beat and scolded me."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Your father is afraid that you will suffer hardship. If you have no ambition to be a soldier, why should your father become a soldier? You are the only son in the family, and your father said that because he is worried that you will suffer."
Feng Gang said in surprise: "So that's it. I blamed dad wrongly."
Zhang Yanling nodded. At this time, the door of the small courtyard opened, and a middle-aged woman appeared inside. Seeing so many soldiers and horses at the door, her eyes widened in surprise.
The woman was dressed simply, and her clothes were still patched, but they were washed and starched. Her hair was neatly combed, and she was not slovenly at all.
"Who are you?" the woman asked in surprise.
Feng Gang said: "Mom, their father is from the military camp."
The woman's eyes showed doubts and she hurriedly saluted and said: "It turns out they are the generals in my husband's camp. Generals, please be polite."
Zhang Yanling bowed his hands and saluted, while Chen Shiyi, Huo Shijian and others also saluted.
Meng Liang said in a deep voice: "Madam of the Feng family, this is our deputy governor of the Ming Dynasty Regiment Camp and the admiral of the Zhenwei Camp, Mr. Zhang."
The woman was even more surprised and said in a panic: "Mr. Zhang... did you come to my house specially? Did my husband commit something? Did he drink and hit someone again? I... I..."
Zhang Yanling said hurriedly: "Don't panic, General Feng did not commit any crime. I came here specially to visit you."
"Did you come here specifically to visit? Why...why?" the woman said blankly.
Zhang Yanling didn't know how to speak for a moment, so she cupped her hands and said, "Can we go into the courtyard to talk?"
"Oh, please, please, sir and the generals please come quickly. Ganger, make some tea for the prince and the generals," the woman said hurriedly.
Everyone followed the woman into the courtyard. The courtyard was simple but clean. There were several vegetable patches planted in the corners, and the green buds had already grown. A tall and sturdy pear tree had a stone table and a small bench under the shade.
.
Zhang Yanling came to the stone table and stood there, waving his hand. Huo Shijian led someone to lift a box and placed it on the stone table. It was a red lacquered wooden box, and the paint leather had fallen off in many places and was mottled and old.
"That's... the box where my husband carries his belongings. What's going on?" The woman clearly felt something strange, and her voice began to tremble.
Zhang Yanling said in a deep voice: "Madam, please check the items inside to see if they belong to General Feng."
The woman was in a daze, as if she had a premonition of something, and did not reach out for a long time.
Zhang Yanling sighed, stepped forward, unlocked the cage, and opened the box. Inside was a pile of clothes, including underwear and outerwear, some with patches. They were all ordinary things. A small emerald green purse lay in the corner of the box.
, there are two words "peace" embroidered on the purse.
The woman seemed to understand something. She looked at Zhang Yanling with frightened eyes and wanted to ask, but she didn't dare to ask.
Zhang Yanling lowered his head and said in a deep voice: "Madam, I am extremely sorry, but I have to tell you this bad news. General Feng... died for his country while fighting against the Folangji in Nanyang."
The woman stood blankly, without speaking. She just stood quietly. There was silence all around. A gust of wind blew, and the pear blossoms above her head fluttered and fell, like a snowfall. The woman's tears were like pear petals.
It usually flows down in a swishing manner.
"Husband..." Madam Feng stepped forward, grabbed the clothes in the box and covered her face, letting out a suppressed cry.
"Madam, we are deeply saddened. Brother Feng... met with misfortune, and we are all devastated. What makes us sad is that General Feng sank into the sea with his ship during a naval battle, and we could not find him.
body. Therefore, only
Sort out his belongings and bring them back to the Ming Dynasty and give them to you. Or they can be buried in a tomb. General Feng sacrificed his life for the country and died a worthy death. The court will praise his loyalty and bravery. I am here to report this matter and express my condolences to you.
.I……"
Before Zhang Yanling finished speaking, he suddenly heard someone in the room shouting: "Grandma, grandma, don't go out."
Zhang Yanling turned around and saw a white-haired old woman slowly walking out of the house with a cane. Feng Gang was supporting her, and a seven or eight-year-old girl was holding the corner of the old woman's clothes.
"Mom! Sihai, he..." Madam Feng's wife ran over to her in tears, unable to speak even more.
The old woman nodded slowly, stretched out her hand to stroke her hair, and slowly came to stand in front of everyone.
"Mr. Zhang... is this absolutely true?" the old woman said in a deep voice.
Zhang Yanling bowed and saluted: "Old madam, I... am heartbroken that I could not bring your son back alive. He... was indeed killed in battle."
The old woman sighed softly and stood still. The breeze blew by, and her gray hair flew in the wind, like silver frost.
"Don't cry anymore. Sihai is the leader, and this day will come at any time. Daughter-in-law, don't cry. You won't survive if you cry." The old lady said slowly.
Madam Feng cried louder.
The old lady sighed, turned to Zhang Yanling, and asked gently: "Mr. Zhang, I want to ask you a question."
Zhang Yanling hurriedly said: "Excuse me, madam."
The old woman asked quietly: "Is my son brave in the battlefield?"
Zhang Yanling felt a pain in her heart, bowed and said solemnly: "Be brave and win the championship of the three armies!"
The old woman breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "That's good, that's good!"