novelAbuy Chapter 7 Joy and Happiness, Peace in Chang'an
Chapter 7 Joy and Happiness, Peace in Chang'an
Jia Chen lowered his head in silence and quickly changed the subject.
"As for taking over, I've long since reformed. But what should I do with these men?"
"Try to make contact with them if they don't want to continue veering towards the evil path of the lower four. During the Immortal Han Dynasty, there was a Daoist named Feather Scale Guard. I believe that Golden Scale would be interested."
They roared through the mountains and fields, fighting for profit and gathering bandits together.
He must be a thief.
"Those who have been exposed to the orthodox military training of the Imperial Horse Administration will not willingly become bandits."
Si Chen was certain.
She would never refuse to be offered amnesty.
Jia Chen understood, but then another question arose: "Then why has no one been able to use it until now?"
Si Chen sneered, "Back then, when Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo became paralyzed, the Imperial Horse Administration was abolished by the emperor, and some were imprisoned or died. No one vouched for these people, so how could they care about them? It's quite a pity that they ended up like this."
Jia Chen said, "Just because of this?"
Si Chen drew his gleaming sword: "Isn't this enough? Remember, the Ming Dynasty has no shortage of talent; trust is the most important thing. They are nominally Wei Zhongxian's people, but in reality, they are the Tianqi Emperor's confidants. At that time, the emperor inexplicably fell into the water and died under mysterious circumstances. Even the powerful and noble were too busy protecting themselves to dare to use them. Would civil officials dare to employ them?"
"Now, the Ming Dynasty is almost gone."
"So I had no more reservations."
Si Chen gazed at the desolate wilderness southeast of Tianjin, where he could vaguely see a vast reed marshland and the Changlu Saltworks, where these people and their troops were likely hiding.
Jia Chen left quietly.
The crowds outside remained lively.
Several soldiers wearing mandarin duck battle jackets squeezed in. They looked pale, but were still strong and muscular. These were garrison soldiers from Tianjin.
"We pay our respects to the Heavenly Official."
"I know a few of you. How long has it been since you received your salary? Your progress has stalled."
"Alas, pulling ropes by day and guarding the city by night. We've long since burned out."
"That's enough. It's all in the past. Register now, I've prepared a new path for you."
"May Heaven have mercy!"
Everyone immediately knelt down in unison.
Kneeling was rarely performed during the Ming Dynasty.
Only when offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors.
A man's knees are worth gold; now is the time to put them to good use.
Si Chensheng accepted their greeting and told them to leave first, saying they could come back later after tidying up their household affairs.
"They've even pawned their cotton armor; it's clear they're truly desperate."
"You even pawned your cotton armor, yet you remained steadfast. Why do you bow down and prostrate yourself as soon as I arrive?"
The divine general Ding Chou, dressed in purple, turned his head and looked over. "Does the superior mean that someone is behind this?"
"We have a General Cao Youyi in Tianjin Port, I guess it's him." Si Chen held a cup of hot tea and watched the garrison soldiers leave.
At the confluence of the three rivers, wealthy merchants are migrating south. Fleets of sand barges carrying their families and valuables are lined up end to end; this is the last wave of wealthy people migrating.
Today, there are 10,000 soldiers and civilians in Tianjin Weicheng and nearly 40,000 refugees in the Sanchahekou area. This is the total population of the area.
The garrison troops crossed the Haihe River.
Beneath the bridge are the broken iron chains that once held the river together.
Passing through the nine-foot-high city wall of Tianjin, which is covered with bullet holes from cannons.
We passed through two brand-new archways.
The garrison soldiers, dressed in mandarin duck battle coats, arrived at the general's office, which was essentially a formality.
Cao Youyi rose to greet him, "How is it? Does the Heavenly Official intend to hold out here?"
"I dare not ask any further questions. But I see that the Heavenly Official is recruiting people from all walks of life, accepting all who come, which does not seem to indicate any intention to go south."
"That's good, that's good."
Facing the bronze mirror, Cao Youyi, the commander-in-chief of Tianjin Garrison, consoled himself, "Bring me my waist-high fish-scale armor. The court no longer cares about our lives. Even the Duke who commanded the rear army is dead. We are just trying to survive."
"We have to find a way for our brothers to survive."
Cao Youyi stepped out of the room and looked at the troop, which couldn't even muster a single cloth armor. Five hundred men—that was their entire force.
"Set off."
"They're here."
Si Chen, watching from across the Haihe River, noticed a sudden commotion in the city. He turned and went back to his room. "Get ready to take them in."
Huang Yiding quickly got up.
A makeshift military camp has been erected on the scorched earth of what was once a Catholic church.
Wang Qianhu, who also controlled Tianjin Weicheng, was indeed a master craftsman, managing two hundred missionaries and his apprentices with ease.
Compact the clay, water, and straw.
Then Tiangong breathed out flames and burned them into blue bricks.
The heat was intense, and a large crowd had gathered around, their eyes glued to the scene, as if they could glimpse the secrets of nature's artistry.
This one person is as big as a blast furnace.
The strongmen, who carried the bricks on their shoulders and in their hands, had no shortage of strength. They quickly built a simple shelter from the wind by carrying the still-warm bricks.
The messy garbage was collected and burned by the Six Dings.
At this confluence of three rivers, the three directions seem like three different worlds.
In the refugee settlement, people huddled together for warmth, like gray livestock gazing into the distance in the cold wind.
When Cao Youyi crossed the river mouth fish market and came to the other side of the river, he took in everything in front of him.
Over the years, many people have come to Tianjin to cause trouble, and even more have tried to make a quick buck, but this is the first person to undertake large-scale construction here.
Cao Youyi walked to the site of the former Catholic church.
I gently knocked on the door.
"Please come in."
"An old friend has come here, but I have not been able to greet him. It has been many years since we last met. Does General Cao still remember me?" Si Chen opened the door.
"How could I not remember? Whenever I see a blue light in the sky, I know that the Heavenly Official has arrived," Cao Youyi said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Si Chen passed through two doors, the cold wind kept out.
"You know what's going on in the capital region, right?"
"Yes, the young master has told me everything. He told us to fend for ourselves. He can't do anything about it. From now on, I'm entrusting everything to you."
Si Chen waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.
What are your plans?
Cao Youyi sat up straight. "I'll do whatever you ask me to do!"
Si Chen laughed and said, "What if I told you to bring out all the land deeds and property deeds in your house?"
"Is this some kind of divine order, requiring me to sacrifice my family to alleviate your suffering?"
Si Chen glanced at him. "Don't think I'm targeting you. This isn't just a family affair."
In the silence, time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
Si Chen was not in a hurry at all. He gave them the freedom and time to choose, and it didn't matter if they didn't agree.
"good!"
Cao Youyi had already made his decision. With his family here, he could not avoid the Heavenly Official no matter what. Whether he stuck his neck out or not, he would be killed anyway. He turned around, lifted his battle robe, and knelt on one knee, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency."
Si Chen helped him up, saying, "From now on, I will take care of your wife and children, so don't worry."
Cao Youyi was overjoyed.
"Your subordinate is completely satisfied."
In this era, being able to receive even a promise is already quite satisfying.
To ensure the continuation of the family line.
That couldn't be better.
Si Chen then asked, "What is your current cultivation level?"
Cao Youyi couldn't help but pour out his grievances, saying, "It's shameful to say, but this position of general is just a formality, with no real benefits. Back when Xu Guangqi was in power, he suppressed our soldiers, preventing them from making any progress, except when it came to building the Catholic temple. When those civil officials from the military commissioner came, they were even more arrogant, but we never received a single bit of food or salary."
This situation does fit.
Si Chen frowned: "I also despise those kinds of literati, but I can't do without them."
"That's exactly right."
"I have something urgent to do."
"Please give the order."
Si Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "I would trouble General Cao to invite the elders and gentry from the surrounding counties of Tianjin to a banquet. Tell them that I want to discuss matters of survival with them."
Cao Youyi bowed his head, "How dare I disobey!"