The early morning sunlight shines on the capital, and the mess on the streets after the war has disappeared, leaving only traces of repairs and cleaning.
The night watchman yawned and stood on the roadside in a daze, when he suddenly noticed someone carrying a basket and selling goods.
There are many restaurants and tea shops in the capital, and they are all open when Ankang Mountain is occupied. However, there are no late night snacks or snacks sold in baskets. First, there are so many surveillance cameras at night that no one dares to gather in crowds. Furthermore, the small business of selling baskets cannot afford it.
The officers and soldiers on the street were eating and drinking freely...
"Come on." The watchman couldn't help waving and asked curiously, "What's there?"
The person carrying the basket was a child of about ten years old. He ran over and said eloquently: "My family is a pancake maker. We have flax pancakes, mutton pancakes, and wild vegetable steamed pancakes. If you want to eat soup pancakes, you can, or just walk by.
I have a stall on this street. If you pay an extra dollar, I will bring it to you..."
The watchman drooled when he heard what he had announced. He felt like eating everything, so he simply ordered one so that he could take it home and his wife would not have to cook. He made a decision to appease his surprised and curious heart. He noticed this
Child: "Are you a foreigner?"
The child neatly wrapped the pancake in oilcloth for him, nodded and said, "I am from Huainan, and I just came to Beijing the day before yesterday."
The watchman was surprised firstly because he came from a far away place, and secondly because he had just arrived in Beijing...
"Huainan is such a safe place, what are you doing here?"
"You started doing business when you first came to Beijing. Aren't you worried that no one will buy it?"
"You are so young, aren't you afraid of being robbed and defrauded of your money?"
He had many questions, but the child was too lazy to answer. He hurriedly said, "It's very safe here." "How come there are so many people in the capital and no one buys it?" "I'll sue the government if they steal my things." He ran towards the street with the basket.
I don't want to be delayed in my business.
The watchman followed the child to the street in front with the bought cake in his arms. The street was as quiet as before, but it was different. There were more people walking on the street, not the watchmen like them who went out late and returned early.
Not the laborers responsible for cleaning the streets, but some... idlers?
They range in age and are dressed in either rich or coarse cloth and straw sandals. Some gather in twos and threes in the corner and whisper and laugh, while others point and point while walking along the street...
The hawking children were hawking enthusiastically beside them.
A group of mighty officers and soldiers passed by at the end of the street. People here turned a blind eye to the officers and soldiers, and the officers and soldiers did not look at them more.
The watchman stood on the street. He had not been out for more than ten days. He felt that everything was strange and unreal. The familiar streets became like another world...
When people on the street saw him, they didn't think it was unreal. They saw the uniform on his body and greeted him enthusiastically and asked, "...When will the market open?"
The watchman was puzzled when he was asked, "Is the market open? Ask him about such a big thing? How did he know?"
Seeing the shocked look on the watchman's face, the interrogator smiled, "It seems that the watchman doesn't know." Others also laughed at him, "Do you think this is Huainan Road? There is only one government office in every city. This is the capital."
"There are so many yamen in the capital, and each has its own responsibility." "This watchman is not the same yamen that is in charge of the opening of the market."
They talked and laughed freely in foreign accents, but the watchman, a local, was at a loss what to do.
After the capital was captured by Mrs. Chu, they all hid at home. First there were soldiers and horses knocking on the door, and the whole family was trembling with fear. After all, he was working as a watchman for the rebels.
However, the soldiers and horses did not break in. The leader was an official, who took a pen name list and asked them about their generations, their relatives in the city, and other trivial and detailed matters.
During this period, the officers and soldiers stood aside, and after asking questions, they went into the house to search to see if they were hiding. After registration and verification, the officials politely told them that the capital was under martial law, closed under curfew, and not to gather in large groups. Other than that, there was nothing else.
Please don't panic. If you encounter any trouble or problem, report it to the government immediately. After they leave, no officers or soldiers will come to the door again. It was not until the person in charge of the watchman came to inform you a few days ago that he started to work.
He didn't dare to go at first because he didn't know if he could come back. In the past, many watchmen were like this. The government asked them to do things, but many people never came back. When family members asked, they said they had escaped, and even wanted to arrest their family members.
, and later the family didn’t dare to ask when he didn’t come back.
He had done something for the rebels. How could Mrs. Chu let him go? But if she didn't go, she would be arrested. Looking at the terrified parents, wives and children, it was better to die alone than to die as a whole family.
He came to the government office tremblingly. The officials in charge had changed, but the watchmen who came were all still acquaintances, and there was no questioning. He just let them continue to do what they had done before.
The night went as usual, but what I saw after dawn was different.
The watchman had a loaf of bread in his arms. The people no longer looked at him, but knocked on the doors along the street...
The watchman watched curiously. They did not knock on any door. Instead, they looked at the door first and then knocked. Some doors were opened tremblingly by the people inside. The richly dressed people introduced themselves where I was from in a friendly manner.
What does it do, and then asked, "Do you rent this shop?" The poor people asked, "Do you need anyone? I can move goods and count." The person at the door was frightened and confused...
.
Not all doors could be knocked open, but everyone did not leave. They stood in front of some doors and pointed, "Go to the government and ask this one" and "I wonder if they have been preempted."
Curiosity made the watchman forget his fear, and he followed to take a look. He was surprised to find that the mark on the door showed whether there was a head of household or not. He thought of the officials who had come to his house. These were the results of the verification.
It was so interesting that the watchman didn't care to read anymore and ran home with the cake in his arms. He wanted to see if he had this on his door, and wanted to quickly tell his family about the new things they saw outside.
People in the capital have not been out for a long time. There is a curfew outside, and there are so many soldiers and horses, still tracking down the remnants of the rebels. But there are more and more people on the street. They are laughing loudly, chatting in groups, and they look leisurely and relaxed.
What it looks like at home...
Obviously many of them are outsiders.
Someone inquired through the door and learned that some of them were from Huainan Road, some were from Xuanwu Road, and some were from Shandong. In short, they all came with the army of Mrs. Chu. Mrs. Chu led the soldiers to fight in front, and many people and merchants came.
Following behind, Mrs. Chu rushed in after finishing the fight...
The capital is clearly not stable yet, so why are they here? If Ankang Mountain is captured, the capital will definitely fight back, and the blood will flow like a river!
But when these people heard their whispered reminders inside the door, they not only were not grateful but laughed at them.
"The place where Mrs. Chu is is the safest place."
"With Mrs. Chu's presence, Ankangshan doesn't dare to fight at all."
The people in the capital were shocked and wanted to laugh when they heard this. The capital was conquered by Mrs. Chu, but that was because Ankang Mountain was not there. Mrs. Chu took advantage of the opportunity. She was not really invincible and could defeat Ankang Mountain.
,These country people really don’t understand anything!
These country people really don’t understand. In their eyes, Mrs. Chu is omnipotent. People in the capital have also heard the legend of Mrs. Chu. The gods came to a small mountain village and killed the evil bandits.
He lost the people and couldn't bear the suffering of the people, so he stayed in the mortal world to help the people and save the people... Only the country people believe this kind of thing, but they don't believe it. In Ankang Mountain, you still see gods every day, and often go to the fairy palace to drink.
Dancing with the fairies.
But whether they believe it or not, more and more outsiders are coming, stirring up the vitality of the capital. They sleep in a specific place quietly at night and run around during the day, not afraid of the soldiers and horses patrolling the city and the officials checking.
, and even went to the government office at every turn to drag officials to ask "when will the market open?" "How to buy the house without an owner that you like?" "The weather is hot. In addition to gruel, can you make some tea to relieve the heat?"
” and other questions that sound easy to hit.
But the government did not arrest or beat them, and patiently posted notices about how many days until the market opened, which of the four southeastern and northwest cities would open first, how to rent a house in the capital, and what is needed to buy a house...
They are densely covered with streets and alleys. In addition to giving out porridge, the four city gates also have tea and clean water supply, which can be drunk by people and animals...
No matter how far or how embarrassed people are when they enter the city gate, as soon as they drink the hot porridge and wash their faces with water, they feel as comfortable as returning home.
Outsiders are at ease in the capital, and people from the capital are not far behind. They look at the government notices with suspicion, and when asked about business rentals and manpower, they can't help but follow these livelihoods. Although the market has not yet opened, the capital is gradually recovering.
Come alive...
"This Mrs. Chu is really extraordinary."
Inside the closed doors of the deep mansions in the capital, more and more people are talking about Mrs. Chu.
"You see, even if she didn't show up, the capital is already stable."
Hearing this, a man put down his teacup and curiously asked: "Is Mrs. Chu in the capital? Didn't she say she was going to assist Governor Wu? Did she stay in Hebei Province?"
Although the government was amiable and the officers and soldiers were not evil, except for the information that the government allowed to be released, no other information could be found.
"It must be there." The old man sitting at the top said, "Qi Lang said that he saw officials going to the Jingzhao Mansion Office every seven days. It is obviously Mrs. Chu who is discussing matters."
The men sitting in the room nodded.
"This Mrs. Chu is really worrying." A man muttered, "If she doesn't come out, I don't know what to do."
"If she doesn't show up, she is already a good person in everyone's eyes." Another man whispered, "Then no one will doubt her if she does evil next."
Different from the views of the outsiders on the street and the ordinary people in the capital, what they saw was the Lady of Chu who had stripped off her fairy clothes. She was greedy for money, cruel, and most importantly, she liked to rob the rich and give to the poor in order to gain a good reputation.
The old man said: "When she enters the capital, she will definitely make her reputation as a god even more illustrious."
Hearing this, everyone in the room had no yearning, only fear. If Mrs. Chu wants to achieve the name of a god, they will definitely be the unlucky ones!
"Give her whatever she wants, otherwise you will be punished."
"If she says kill, she kills. These are troubled times. If she says you are a thief, who can do anything if she kills you?"
"It's not like she hasn't killed before. In order to grab land for the refugees, she killed more than 300 people from three aristocratic families. Their blood dyed the river in Gwangju Prefecture red."
"No one in Ankang Mountain has ever killed a wealthy family like this."
"Hush, hush, I'm going to die."
The room was filled with lamentations and sighs of despair. The old man sitting at the top smiled: "You think too much."
Everyone raised their heads and looked at the old man, still sighing: "Mr. Cui, it's not what we thought, it really happened."
The old man laughed: "But that was in Huainan Road, and we are now in the capital city."
Capital? So what? Everyone was stunned for a moment.
"In the whole world, is it the land of the king, and on the shore of the land, is it the ministers of the king." The old man said with a smile, "The emperor granted officials and titles to his ministers, and the ministers could be the masters of the land they guarded. But in the capital, there is only one