Chapter 0002 The threshold in front of the prime minister's house is high
When everyone arrived at Xinzheng Gate, the door was already full of people.
The gatekeepers and soldiers strictly checked everyone's official guides, baggage, and goods.
Only after verification of identity and confirmation that the goods carried are free of contraband will the person be allowed in.
In comparison, the inspection of ships passing by Xishui Gate next to Xinzheng Gate is not so rigorous.
From outside the city to inside the city.
The two masters and servants Kou Ji were like Grandma Liu when they entered the Grand View Garden. Their eyes never stopped, looking around and looking around.
They, a group of people who went on the road together, bowed to each other after entering the city, and made a grand promise to meet in Fanlou and other places in the future.
Then they parted ways on the spot.
Either heading east or south, marching boldly along the avenue, and finally disappeared into the vast sea of people.
While Zhang Cheng was sorting out the goods that had been messed up by the soldiers, he turned his head and asked Kou Ji, "Brother Kou Ji, where are you going?"
Kou Ji withdrew his eyes and looked around, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Go to the Kou Mansion on Maxing Street!"
Zhang Cheng shook his head in confusion.
He raised his hand and clapped it, and ten copper coins were stuffed into Kou Ji's hand.
Without waiting for Kou Ji to say anything, he jumped up and sat on the shaft of the bullock cart, shook his whip, and left the place.
"My wife is strict at home, and my brother can't give you too much money. If you really can't survive in Bianjing City, go to Qinchuan Cloth Shop in Xiwazi City to find your brother. Remember, cheating is not a long-term solution..."
Zhang Cheng's voice was drowned out by the shouts of the surrounding merchants and hawkers, and even his bullock cart was buried in the vast crowd.
Kou Ji looked at the place where Zhang Cheng left, tightened the ten copper coins in his hand, and whispered to himself, "Xiwazi City, Qinchuan Cloth Shop, I remember..."
Kou Ji quickly put the ten copper coins into his arms, and then he glared threateningly at the people around him who were full of covetous eyes.
When those people stared back, Kou Ji had already taken Erbao and disappeared into the sea of people.
Bianjing is a very large city, with two million people living in it.
Maxing Street is very far away, half an hour's journey from Xinzheng Gate.
Kou Ji took Erbao with him and asked for directions more than a dozen times along the way. He took six wrong lanes and finally figured out the way to Maxing Street.
Along the way, Kou Ji also enjoyed the scenery of Bianjing City.
The streets are crowded with pedestrians and there are many shops on both sides of the streets.
Foot shops, wine shops, cloth shops, restaurants, brothels, workshops, etc. are everywhere.
Small merchants and hawkers carry their burdens and walk through the crowd. Those who sell wontons and pancakes will stop beside you with their burdens as long as you say hello.
The vendor selling candied haws, wrapped around his front, holding a bunch of candied haws in his hand, kept shouting, and dangled it in front of young children from time to time.
The shiny and red candied haws attracted Erbao immediately.
Erbao refused to leave and stood in front of the vendor, staring at the candied haws and drooling.
When the hawker saw business coming to his door, he shouted even more enthusiastically. From time to time, he would take the candied haws and lick them in his mouth, making a squeaking sound.
Erbao couldn't wait to pounce and snatch it from his hand.
Kou Ji called him twice, but he didn't move.
If a servant like this was placed in someone else's mansion, he would probably be beaten to death with a stick.
Kou Ji wants to lose his temper, and Erbao will definitely be afraid of him if he loses his temper.
But in the end he endured it.
For people of this era, Erbao is already considered a man who can start a family and start a business.
But he has lived in the countryside for a long time, rarely goes out to the countryside on weekdays, and rarely interacts with other people, so his temper is as simple as a child.
Kou Ji regarded him by the standards of future generations and treated him as a child.
"Pa~"
Kou Ji took out three copper coins from his pocket and threw them to the annoying hawker.
Erbao got his wish and got a bunch of shiny and red candied haws.
While licking the candied haws, he looked at Kou Ji gratefully.
At this moment, he felt that his young master was the best person in the world.
Kou Ji glared at him and continued on his way.
After passing Zhengmen in the inner city, we rushed all the way to Zhouqiao.
Cars and horses are like dragons on the bridge, and boats are constantly shuttled under the bridge.
There were literati with fluttering sleeves standing on the bow of the boat holding a wine pot and reciting poems and composing poems; there were wealthy businessmen who were greedy for the milky white fish soup made by the boat lady and kept sipping it from the bowl.
A big boat went down the river.
When passing by Zhouqiao, the boat boss pulled the ropes binding the sails and shouted loudly.
The boatmen rolled up their sleeves, barefooted, and pulled the ropes on the sails desperately.
The one-foot-high sail was lowered, and the guests on the boat lowered their heads to avoid it.
The big ship swam across the Zhouqiao bridge in one leap, and amid the shouts of the ship's boss, the sails were pulled up again.
The scene looked very spectacular.
Kou Ji couldn't help but stand on the edge of Zhouqiao and witnessed this spectacular scene.
Erbao glanced at this, and then continued to focus on the candied haws.
The syrup on the candied haws had been licked clean by him.
The round hawthorn bit into his mouth, making him tremble with soreness.
Kou Ji continued on his way with Erbao.
After passing Zhouqiao, heading east is Daxiangguo Temple. After passing Daxiangguo Temple, there is Maxing Street.
All the way north along Mahang Street, behind the Daxiangguo Temple, is Jinling Palace.
Jinling Palace is to the west of Majing Street, and to the east of the street is the Kou Mansion.
In Kou Ji's fantasy, with Kou Zhun's status, the place where he was should be bustling with people.
But the reality is obviously different from his fantasy.
Except for two huge stone lions guarding the door, there was only one doorman sitting in the gatehouse and dozing off.
Apart from that, there is no one else.
Kou Ji straightened his clothes, patted the dust off his body, and slowly puffed out his chest.
When he turned to look at Erbao, he almost got angry to death.
Only one of the bunch of candied haws was eaten. He seemed a little reluctant to eat it, so he held it in his hand and licked it vigorously.
Kou Ji roughly snatched the candied haws from Erbao's hand, and in his nervous eyes, he picked off the hawthorn.
Erbao was anxious, "Master, I've licked it..."
Before he finished speaking, Kou Ji stuffed hawthorn into his mouth arrogantly and blocked his mouth.
"When we enter Bianjing, we are members of the prime minister's palace. Don't embarrass me, your young master, or you won't be able to eat half a candied haws in the future!"
Kou Ji made a vicious threat.
Erbao shrank his neck in fear, timidly agreed, and followed Kou Ji obediently.
Kou Ji straightened his clothes again, walked forward slowly, and stepped onto the three-foot-high steps of Kou's mansion.
There are three levels of steps, paved with bluestone and very smooth.
"Where are you beggars from? Let's go. Is this a place where you can come?"
Menzi, who had been dozing in the concierge, woke up at some point. He was lying at the door of the concierge, looking at Master and Servant Kou Ji with a menacing look on his face.
When Kou Ji heard this, he said with a straight face: "My surname is Kou, and I'm from Huazhou!"
"Your surname is Kou? Are you from Huazhou?"
Menzi's eyes widened and he repeated.
Then the whole room burst into laughter amidst Koji's arrogant expression.
"This past ten days, I have met seven or eight people named Kou who are from Huazhou."
After laughing, Menzi's face turned cold.
"Get out of here right now, run to the front door of Kou's house and start cheating, you're just asking for a beating!"