Chapter 119: When will the Jinling singing and dancing end? (1)
The first month of the sixth year of Chongzhen, Nanjing
While Hebei and the Central Plains are already at war and the people are in dire straits, the ancient capital of Jinling, located in the south of the Yangtze River, is still sleeping soundly amidst wealth and prosperity.
Here in Nanjing, the Ming Empire also set up a team based on the six ministries and nine ministers in Beijing, so it was called the "liudu"... Coupled with the benefits of the Yangtze River and the canal, Nanjing Yingtian Mansion was the highest political power in the south of the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty. The center was also one of the world-famous economic centers at that time.
At this time, Nanjing was the largest majestic city in the world, even larger than Beijing in terms of scale. There are two main walls in the city, with a total outer wall of 120 miles and 18 city gates. Except for the city gates which are covered with bricks, the walls are mostly made of rammed earth and are relatively short. After entering Waiguo, it is already an urban area. Although there are still small patches of vegetable fields, it is already lined with houses and shops, densely populated, and pedestrians and cars are constantly on the road.
——To put it simply, Nanjing built another outer wall outside the earliest city wall to include the developed satellite towns.
Walking a little further in from Waiguo, you can see the real Nanjing City Wall. This city wall was expanded in the early Ming Dynasty by Zhu Yuanzhang. It is not only tall and majestic, but also built with bricks and stones without any hesitation, so it is extremely strong. The city is about 60 miles in circumference, with 17,000 battlements, more than 200 huts on the walls, and 13 city gates. It is known as the "Shence Jinchuan Yifeng Gate". Establish peace.”
In general, the city wall of Nanjing was built based on the local terrain. It not only used the city wall of Yingtianfu in the Yuan Dynasty, but also made extensive use of various hills around Nanjing as part of the defense system. In some areas, the mountain is directly used as the foundation of the city wall. Therefore it is irregularly shaped. It is connected to Zhongshan Mountain in the east, Stone Mountain in the west, Xuanwu Lake in the north, and Qinhuai River in the south. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has extraordinary momentum. The city foundation is also luxuriously made of granite or limestone strips, and the two walls are built with large bricks. The brick joints are filled with lime, glutinous rice juice, tung oil, and mixed into mortar for watering, so it is extremely strong.
Regrettably, this seemingly impregnable city defense system has never exerted its due defensive capabilities in the hands of the Ming army...
(It’s strange to say that although Nanjing’s city defense system is so strong, it was at its peak in the cold weapon era, no less than Constantinople in the Eastern Roman Empire. But in the hands of the Ming army, whether it was Zhu Di’s battle with Emperor Jianwen The Battle of Jingnan, Even when the Qing army crossed the river to destroy Nanming, Nanjing always surrendered. However, it experienced many fierce battles under the Qing Dynasty. From resisting Zheng Chenggong's landing in the early Qing Dynasty to the Revolution of 1911 in the late Qing Dynasty, Nanjing was an important battlefield.)
For those literati and poets who are full of daydreams about romance and poetry, when they mention Nanjing, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties in Jiangzuo, they will never forget the road that seems to be full of poetry, charming dreams, and has left countless wonderful legends of talents and beauties. Qinhuai River.
——This world-famous Qinhuai River flows from the southeast to Nanjing, then crosses the city moat via Tongji Bridge and enters Tongji Water Gate. The river enters the city wall at Huaiqing Bridge, which is also the starting point of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing City. The water of the Qinhuai River flows southwest from Huaiqing Bridge to Wende Bridge, Wuding Bridge, and Zhenhuai Bridge, where it joins the Qingxi River. Finally, it exits the Sanshan Water Gate and enters the Yangtze River. This section of the waterway is known as the Ten Mile Qinhuai River passed down by later generations.
Among them, the romantic place on the Qinhuai River is called "Jiuyuan", also known as "Nanqu". There are both official and private prostitutes from the Jiaofang Division. Most of the high-end brothels are concentrated there, while other places in Nanjing City The two romantic places, "Nanshi" and "Zhushi", are where low-end prostitutes live - "Nanshi" is where vulgar prostitutes live, and traffickers and lackeys come and go, so let's not mention it. The "Pearl Market" mostly houses crooked prostitutes with half-closed doors (similar to the red apricots coming out of the wall). Although there are occasional flashes of beauty, the scenery is much worse. It is called Goulan by the locals, and this is how literati later called low-level brothels Goulan. The origin of the land. Only Nanqujia is famous all over the world, and literati and poets flock to it. There are about two thousand official prostitutes in Yueji, and there are also many private prostitutes and maids, countless.
Although this day is not a festival, it is still a lively and lively scene at the "Nanqu" of Qinhuai, which is ten miles away.
——Fang Yizhi, a famous scholar from Tongcheng who had volunteered to lead his passionate scholars south to Qiongzhou to investigate the "Kun Thieves", once fell into the hands of the thieves, actually managed to return to Nanjing with a "Donglin Tour Group" and boasted about it. Their wonderful and ups and downs "Escape Behind Enemy Lines"...
Therefore, after Fang Yizhi's friends Zhang Pu, Zhang Dai, Mao Xiang and other celebrities from the Restoration Society, as well as some seniors of the Donglin Party in Nanjing, Su Lao, learned about this, they mobilized the Restoration Scholars in Nanjing to hold a banquet on the Qinhuai River. Buy wine and call The grand meeting was held, firstly, for Fang Yizhi and others who had "escaped from danger"; secondly, for the "gentlemen" of the Donglin Party to successfully elect the new emperor Zhu Yihai, take control of the court again, and achieve a situation where "all the people are upright and the court is prosperous" celebrate.
As the leader of Fushe scholars and the idol-star figure of this era, Zhang Pu naturally had extraordinary appeal among Jiangnan scholars. Suddenly, there was an endless stream of scribes wearing Confucian robes and ge robes in the streets and alleys leading to the Qinhuai River entertainment venue. After the news spread, many wealthy and idle people came to join in the fun... Eventually, the Qinhuai River was crowded with people and chattered with laughter. Daughters in gorgeous clothes, handsome young men, yellow-haired old men, and young children all flow like a stream. In the Qinhuai River, there are boat cruises going back and forth, strings of silk and bamboo strings, and the sound of music. It is like a peaceful and prosperous scene!
——Even from the perspective of modern people, the Qinhuai River in the ten miles of the late Ming Dynasty was full of traffic and bustling, and there was wealth and luxury everywhere. Some sedan windows were even made of ivory. The traveling women chatted and laughed loudly along the street, showing a very open atmosphere. The people's clothes are also very luxurious. In particular, women's clothes are even more colorful, with bright colors and rich styles. They are not much worse than the clothes of modern urban women.
Although the land of Huaiyang, which is only separated by the Yangtze River at this time, is already groaning in the midst of wars and flames of war...
"...Oh, this is really singing in a leaky boat and drinking in a burning house! I wonder how long I can see this scene?"
In the largest luxurious painting boat on the Qinhuai River, Yu Guozhen, a new talent who returned to Nanjing with Fang Yizhi and was famous for his bravery, was holding a cup of fragrant hot tea while admiring the scenery on the boat. The potted plum blossoms, while looking at the scholars from all over the world greeting each other on the various boats in the river, listened to the drifting sounds of silk and bamboo music and the soft words of the singers, and could not help but sigh in a low voice.
The boat he is currently on has two floors, except for the lower deck. The hall is downstairs, and the bedrooms and terrace are upstairs. The hall is very spacious, and the interior is also very elegantly decorated. There is a sitting platform on the side, a coffee table, and a large round table in the middle. At this moment, the guest of honor at this event, Fang Yizhi, whose skin was slightly tanned by the scorching sun of the South China Sea, was sitting at the big round table, telling a crowd of scholars about his "Escape from the Qiongzhou Thieves' Cave" Yu Guozhen, who was also a party involved, wisely hid aside and drank tea and snacks in silence.
Although Fang Yizhi described their trip to Hainan Island as ups and downs and thrilling, no matter which version of the "real experience" it was, it was actually quite boring - specifically, the first one was the "Donglin Tour Group" The dandy boys came to Guangzhou all the way to travel, eat, drink and have fun, but were immediately frightened away by the rumor that "the thieves were coming". Then, after the rumors of "the bandit's attack" were disproven, the remaining people were fooled by Yu Guozhen, a fellow Jiangnan scholar and a time traveler, and ignorantly crossed the sea to Hainan Island to "investigate" "Exploring the Love of Thieves", we first disembarked in Lingao, and then took the train to Sanya. During this period, Yu Guozhen managed to get in touch with the "relevant departments" and showed his identity as a time traveler. By the way, he sold Fang Yizhi and his group as surrender certificates... In the end, this group of stupid young people threw themselves into the trap. All the hotels in Sanya were wiped out.
However, despite the reputation of this group of Jiangnan scholars in the late Ming Dynasty, to modern time travellers, the utilization value of Fang Yizhi and his gang of dudes is really pitiful - after using Doraemon Meng’s 22nd century black technology props conducted a hypnotic interrogation and confirmed that they were not Ming 007, let alone the legendary ones. After the Jinyiwei masters were really just a bunch of rich young men seeking excitement, this group of people became worthless in the eyes of the relevant departments: such a bunch of weak scholars who can't lift their shoulders, have no physical strength to dig stones in the mine, but have a bad temper. Each one is more stubborn than the other. It is very difficult to instigate rebellion and win over, and it is even more impossible to carry out ideological transformation... How to deal with it?
In this regard, some people suggested at that time that we should simply shoot all these trashes and throw them into the sea to feed the sharks!
Fortunately, with Yu Guozhen's plea, the above cruel proposal was not implemented. Several archaeologists who came to this time and space were planning to inspect the scenic spots in the south of the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty, so they also took the opportunity to put forward a suggestion of "waste utilization"... Although Yu Guozhen felt that he was fully qualified to be a tour guide, but If Fang Yizhi and others were captured in Qiongzhou, how could he dare to return to Jiangnan alone?
So, after another session of hypnosis and instilling memories, Fang Yizhi and others, whose minds were already confused, finally walked out of the detention center tremblingly, and then met the smiling Yu Guozhen and several other old people wearing Ming Dynasty clothes. After being welcomed, he boarded a large ship bound for Guangzhou.
——According to Yu Guozhen’s description and the false memories instilled, when Fang Yizhi and others were arrested by the Qiongzhou thieves due to a “misunderstanding”, Yu Guozhen, who was seeking medical treatment outside because of illness and was lucky enough to escape, immediately launched attacks everywhere. relationship, and wanted to get them out of prison. I just couldn't find a way out for a while, so I had no choice but to let Fang Yizhi and others spend a few days in prison.
Fortunately, in the end, Yu Guozhen finally found a sea merchant he knew well, and through his relationship, he used money to manage the Qiongzhou Kun thieves, and finally got them out. However, in order to prevent long nights and many dreams, it is better for everyone to return to the Ming Dynasty by boat as soon as possible...
Strictly speaking, such rhetoric is simply full of loopholes. Fortunately, the foreign aid Yu Guozhen received this time was really powerful - the "relevant departments" used extremely strong hypnotic suggestions on Fang Yizhi and his party. On the other hand, the "Donglin Tour Group" who landed on Hainan Island all escaped safely. Even the accompanying servants and bodyguards did not lose a single person. They only lost some personal belongings (if after entering prison, the luggage was If there is no loss of money, then it is abnormal). Therefore, the frightened dandies naturally accepted Yu Guozhen's explanation.
Next, after arriving in Guangzhou and taking a short rest, Fang Yizhi, under the introduction of Yu Guozhen, went to visit the "big merchant who rescued them from the Qiongzhou bandits" - although most scholars in the late Ming Dynasty were arrogant. He is arrogant and despises any lowly people except scholars and gentry. He usually looks at merchants through his nostrils, but after all, he is his "savior", so he should thank him no matter what...
Then, after being polite to each other, the sea merchant played by the former Lingao Senate agent - in fact, he was originally in this business, but he defected to the Lingao Traveler Group after being in trouble, so It was a completely genuine performance - he took the opportunity to propose to Fang Yizhi and Yu Guozhen that he had several family members, elders, brothers and friends who wanted to go north together with the Donglin scholars to see the scenery of Jiangnan...
For such a trivial matter, Fang Yizhi readily agreed without the help of Yu Guozhen, the time traveler's inner ghost.
So, several professors of archeology and history who had changed into Ming Dynasty clothes, as well as the accompanying escorts and retinue, followed Fang Yizhi and other Jiangnan scholars on their journey back north, stopping and stopping along the way. We stopped and visited various places of interest (especially those ancient buildings that no longer exist in the 21st century). It took us half a year to finally arrive in Nanjing. Moreover, due to the huge difference in thinking between ancient people and modern people, there were countless troubles encountered during this period... Thanks to the golden signs of the Donglin Party and the Fushe, they had enough reputation in the southern provinces, and Yu Guozhen was still there. They tried every possible means to cover it up, and with the support of instant messaging from the rear, there was finally no big trouble.
But despite this, when the group finally arrived in Nanjing, Yu Guozhen was still exhausted both physically and mentally and felt ten years older.
What's even more terrible is that after arriving in Nanjing, Yu Guozhen still had many things to do in order for the "ancient culture investigation tour" of senior intellectuals to proceed smoothly, including not only guest tour guides and commentators, but also guest appearances. Something even more embarrassing... Looking back at Miss Ma Tong, who was wearing a green shirt and wig, Yu Guozhen couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Take a girl disguised as a man to visit a brothel", a plot that only appears in third-rate costume dramas, how could it happen in reality around me?
Not to mention that Miss Ma Tong, who was pretending to be a man, did not seem to be low-key and peaceful at all. Instead, she was deeply interested in everything around her. After stepping onto the boat, she looked around with interest, and came up to her from time to time. Yu Guozhen asked in a low voice.
But on the other hand, Yu Guozhen also had to admit that there were indeed many "interesting" things worth seeing in Nanjing in the late Ming Dynasty.
"...Hey, Xiao Yu? What's going on with that non-mainstream guy on the other side of the river? Is he a man disguised as a woman? Or is he a tomboy?"
Following Miss Ma's hand, Yu Guozhen squinted and saw a red figure standing on the bridge opposite. At first glance, I thought it was a woman, but upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a man with his hair tied up with a red ribbon, bright red lipstick on his lips, white makeup powder on his face, and a little red rouge. Hanging a red jade pendant sachet, wearing a long red skirt with flowers, birds and animals embroidered on the hem, and a purple short coat on the outside, "...well, I have some impression of this guy, he seems to be a man from Songjiang Prefecture. Juren..."
"...Really a man?" Ma Tong was slightly surprised. He looked back and saw two women in men's clothes and another man in women's clothes walking out of a small building and following He He with a smile. That man dressed as a woman next to you They greeted each other, held orchid fingers and flirted with each other, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "...women wear men's clothes, men wear women's clothes, and there are more than one... Jiangnan in the Ming Dynasty was really fashionable!"
"...Yes, nowadays in this Jiangnan area, there are many strange people, and they show off all day long about being celebrities. In those days, Tang Bohu, who was a master of poetry and painting, once wore women's clothing to meet guests. Before, there were people riding deer in the downtown area. Swaggering through the market..." Yu Guozhen replied.
"...Riding a deer on the street? Is this really possible?" Ma Tong blinked curiously.
"...Yes, it's a real deer. There are people who use deer to pull carts, people who use singers' shoes to drink wine, people who buy African slaves and dress up as monsters to come to the door... In short, it's all about how cool it is." Yu Guozhen shrugged, "...the same virtue as those modern wealthy people who fight for wealth..."
Ma Tong seemed to be quite interested in these strange things that Yu Guozhen said, but unfortunately he could not see it with his own eyes, so he could only keep looking around at the Qinhuai scenery with his eyes wide open. One thing that had to be admired was that the environmental pollution in ancient times was indeed better than in modern times. Much milder. Although the Qinhuai River flows through the city, as seen from the boat, the water is still crystal clear and fish can be seen everywhere. The shore is full of colorful boats, and there is a pavilion with pavilions, which are really decorated with red railings, carved beams and painted buildings. The window panes facing the street are made of bamboo curtains. The shore in front of the house is planted with flowers and plants, and is decorated with strange stones. It is elegant and has a unique flavor.
Compared with the set props in modern film and television cities, the original Qinhuai street scene in front of you obviously has a more moving charm.
Unfortunately, as a fujoshi who likes to read beautiful articles, Miss Ma Tong’s emphasis on observing scenery seems to be different from ordinary people...
"...Eh? What's going on with the brothel across the bridge? Why are there so many men dressed up in alluring ways, hooking up with each other, but not a girl?" Ma Tong, who had good eyesight, suddenly frowned. Asked Yu Guozhen, "...even if it is a Cowherd shop, there should be a few female customers!"
"...Oh, that's a butler's shop..." Yu Guozhen replied unhappily, "...it's a place where ** sell their butts and entertain men..."
"...What? There were gay bars in the Ming Dynasty? How advanced!" As a rotten girl, Ma Tong's eyes sparkled when she heard this, "...By the way, since there are gay bars for gay men, are there any gay bars? Where is Lily who entertains the ladies? If there is one, I would like to see it..."
"...I'm sorry, I've never heard of this...Please consider the current environment!" A drop of cold sweat suddenly appeared on Yu Guozhen's forehead, "...those wealthy ladies and ladies with spending power, Except for going to the temple to offer incense, I generally rarely go out... Of course, if you really want to do that kind of thing, you can also spend a few taels of silver to buy a maid, and you can do whatever you want..."
"...There's no need for that, little girl. You can sell it everywhere in the Ming Dynasty. There's no need to come to Nanjing..."
Ma Tong waved his hand in disinterest, "... I just want to experience the mood and atmosphere on the Qinhuai River... Forget it if you don't have it!"
——It’s really tiring to communicate with the Fuyuna Lily tribe..."Wuwei cub" Yu Guozhen rolled his eyes and said that he was also very upset today...
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Since it was still early and the guests had not arrived, the girl who was arranged on the boat was still dressing up in the small building (river house) on the bank (although there were beds on the boat, generally speaking, there were few Who would really live on the boat? The girls would only come on board to receive them after they have attracted business). However, even if this was the case, the store would not let the customers who came first sit still. Soon a little maid came out to say hello and served the hot tea that had just been brewed, while another little maid placed some on the coffee table. The details of matching tea Order - hot steamed buns just out of the pan, as well as honey-condensed bayberry, golden pastry and mille-feuille pastry. They are all served on small plates. The quantity of each is not large, but it is very delicate. There is also a small cup Freshly made pine nut candies.
So, Yu Guozhen, who was sweating coldly when being asked by the rotten girl Ma Tong, took the opportunity to change the topic, pointed at the plate of hot buns and said with a smile:
"...Look, this is the authentic Huaiyang-flavored Wuding buns. It may seem simple, but it is the most exquisite. First of all, the dough of the buns must be as white as snow, and it must be soft but tough when eaten, so that it does not stick to your teeth. The so-called 'Wuding' rule It is developed on the basis of its "San Ding", also known as three delicacies, namely chicken, meat and bamboo shoots; the diced chicken is made from second-year hens, which is fat and tender; the diced meat is made from five-flowered ribs, with moderate fat. ; Use fresh bamboo shoots according to the season. 3. It is fresh and delicious, filling your stomach in the morning and not feeling hungry at noon. It is fresh, fragrant, crispy and tender, and is fat but not greasy. Two flavors: prawns and sea cucumbers , thus becoming the 'Wuding Steamed Bun'. It is said to be 'nourishing but not too filling, delicious but not too fresh, oily but not too greasy, crispy but not too hard'... Try it while it's hot."
"...Oh, there are so many tricks? It sounds like an advertisement... Well, it seems to taste really good..."
Ma Tong muttered like this, but he still took a bite of the buns as he was told. As expected, his mouth was full of delicious flavor and his lips and teeth were fragrant. Seeing Ma Tong eating deliciously, Yu Guozhen continued: "... I heard from Zhang Dai that eating these buns with 'Kui Longzhu' tea is even more amazing. This kind of tea is made from Zhejiang Longjing and Anhui Kui." It is made by blending famous teas such as Zhen and Jiangsu Zhulan. , taking the color of Kuai needle, the fragrance of ball orchid, and the taste of Longjing, it can be said that the color, fragrance and fragrance are both excellent - Zhang Dai is the great writer who wrote "Travel Notes to the Pavilion in the Heart of the Lake". When it comes to food, no scholar in the world today No one can compare with him..."
……
After chatting about food and drinks, all the refreshments that were served were eaten, but Zhang Pu, as the host, still didn't arrive, and the geisha who painted the boat naturally didn't show up. However, several old professors who dressed up as people from the Ming Dynasty and went to Qinhuai Flower Street to hang out came back one by one.
So Ma Tong enthusiastically chatted with them about what he had seen on the street - in general, although the "Nanqu" of the Qinhuai River is a famous place of romance, it is not just about brothels and boats. On the contrary, there are restaurants, inns, cinemas, grocery stores, and clothing stores all available here. It looks more like a modern high-end comprehensive shopping mall. Of course, there are no shortage of brothels. The streets are made of bluestone and are very neat. The roadsides are shaded by green trees and dotted with green bamboos. The canals on both sides have clear streams and springs. These old professors of history and archeology couldn't wait to leave, and even secretly took many photos back.
Looking at the exquisite small buildings in the photo that look like Suzhou gardens, Ma Tong, who went directly to Nanjing through the [Shuimen] door, couldn't help but be quite surprised: "...This house is a brothel? Why is it so simple and elegant, so different from high-end It's like a villa area? Aren't there a lot of red and green silks hanging on the TV, creating an air of wealth, and then there are a few girls with heavy makeup standing at the door, waving their handkerchiefs and calling "Uncle, come and have fun"... ”
"...What level is that? It's just the director messing around with the scenery. This is the top club of the Ming Dynasty, like Beverly Hills..."
The old professor who was watching her on his smartphone couldn't help but tremble when he heard this. He couldn't help but laugh in a low voice: "...Do you think these brothels will entertain knights and knights from costume dramas? Their customer base is huge. They are the literati and gentry from Jiangnan, who are more arty than others and pursue style! If it is really decorated in such a bright red and green space, they will definitely be ridiculed as vulgar. How can any literati be willing to patronize it?
Even those high-end clubs in the modern world seem to be trying their best to look like classical gardens or Western-style garden palaces! Among the truly wealthy people, except for the uneducated rich, who would go to the noisy low-end MTV nightclubs to have fun? ”
"...Uh...it seems like this! I really can't imagine that Qinhuai's Eight Beauties would appear in Wei Xiaobao's Lichun Courtyard to solicit customers..."
Ma Tong rolled his eyes and muttered, but then his eyes lit up and he said to Yu Guozhen, "... By the way, Xiao Yu, since we have come to the Qinhuai River in the late Ming Dynasty, can we find a way to see it? Let’s take a look at Qinhuai’s eight beauties? Otherwise, I always feel a little regretful..."
This time it was Yu Guozhen's turn to roll his eyes, "...Please, the so-called Eight Beauties of Qinhuai are simply made up by future generations. The story of Chen Yuanyuan and Dong Xiaowan happened about ten years later, and they are only a few years old now. Liu Rushi is not old enough to sell it this year. She is fourteen or fifteen years old, and I heard that she has already made her debut, but she is a famous prostitute in Wuxian County, Suzhou, and she has not come to Qinhuai River for activities yet! And Ma Xianglan, the oldest among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, was from the Jiajing period. She has been dead for who knows how many years... Do you want to visit her grave?"
When Ma Tong heard this, he immediately deflated again. Yu Guozhen, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief - talking about whoring with a young girl and a group of old professors on the Qinhuai River was a loss of moral integrity... In the recent period, he has always felt that his moral integrity has been lost. The more you lose, the less you lose...
Just when Yu Guozhen was thinking so wildly, he suddenly heard the ship's lady calling out from outside the cabin: "... Mr. Tian Rugong has arrived!" Before he could finish his words, a middle-aged man stepped into the cabin. He had a tall figure. He is tall, wearing a brocade robe, with jade hanging from his waist, and a scribe's scarf on his head. He has an elegant demeanor and a beautiful beard that reaches over his chest. There is an indescribable calmness and arrogance in his expression... This is Zhang Pu, the leader of the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River. !