Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 984 0979 [The increasingly rich entertainment life in Daming]

A few days later, Li Renxiao was taken to Kaifeng.

The house bestowed upon him by the imperial court was located south of Longjin Bridge, on the central axis of Kaifeng City.

It was originally the residence of Deng Xunwu, who was a member of Cai Jing's faction and served as Privy Councilor during the reign of Emperor Huizong.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the house was converted into shops on both sides facing the street due to its good location. Some shops were awarded to meritorious officials, and some were auctioned off to merchants.

The remaining area was rebuilt with walls and awarded to the founding nobles as private residences. After the capital was moved, many private residences of meritorious officials were awarded in Luoyang, and the houses in Kaifeng were taken back by the court.

From this we can see that the Zhu father and son were really stingy. They did not even give the entire house as a gift, but cut out two rows of it to make shops.

The main reason is that the house is too big and the architectural details seriously violate regulations!

Li Renxiao liked this house very much. Although the area was modified to be very small, other aspects were still excellent.

Go out from the front door of the house, and you will see the Wu Temple across the street. The back door opens to the Cai River, and this room has a river view.

Across the river used to be the Xijiaofangsi, half of which was converted into a shop and the other half into a printing factory. The printing factory belonged to the Ministry of Rites before the capital was moved, and was sold to a private bookseller after the move. You can smell the ink across the river.

The street southeast of the house is even more interesting. It used to be the site of the Imperial Academy and the old campus of the Imperial College. Now it belongs to the Kaifeng campus of the Daming Imperial College. Some students from the outer dormitory study here and then go to Luoyang to study after they are promoted to higher education. Next to the Imperial College, there is a whole street of bookstores.

To the south of the Imperial College is the expanded Kaifeng Medical College, which also has the Kaifeng Cooked Medicine Benefit Bureau.

Cooked medicine in traditional Chinese medicine refers to processed and prepared medicinal materials.

However, the cooked medicine that emerged in the Northern Song Dynasty specifically refers to Chinese patent medicines such as pills, pastes, powders, and tablets. This thing was officially operated in the Song Dynasty, and with the words "Benefiting the People", it can be roughly understood as an official affordable Chinese patent medicine store.

In the Ming Dynasty, it became half official and half business.

All pharmacies and drugstores must be officially run by the Ming Dynasty, and drug prices must be strictly regulated so that ordinary people can afford them.

The private pharmacies are licensed private enterprises and are subject to official supervision at all times. The prices of medicines are relatively high. These private pharmacies are often opened in remote neighborhoods or outside the city, and are considered a supplement to official pharmacies.

Under the guidance of Zhu Guoxiang, the pharmacies and drugstores throughout the country have gradually become public hospitals.

Moreover, large pharmacies located in provincial capitals often have a medical school next to them.

Many outstanding graduates from medical schools are assigned to established pharmacies and pharmacies, where they work as public doctors with a regular salary but average pay.

This kind of public doctor is also commonly known as "crown and belt doctors" because when they reach a high position, they have official status and can wear official uniforms on weekdays.

After staying for a few days, the servants in Li Renxiao's house were in place.

The government said they hired them from the market, but Li Renxiao always felt that one or two of those servants must be there to monitor him. Therefore, he was polite to the servants, fearing that he would offend the monitors.

There was a clever servant named Li Huo who could recognize many words used in daily life.

Li Renxiao believed that this person must be a spy, so he placed Li Huo by his side as an attendant to show the Ming Emperor that he had no ulterior motives.

Accompanied by his wife Wangshi and his follower Li Huo, Li Renxiao went out to visit Kaifeng City for the first time.

First go to the Wu Temple across the street, which is the closest.

Unfortunately, the core area is not open to the public and is usually open only for official sacrifices. Ordinary tourists can only visit the outer area, where monuments are erected to record the achievements of famous generals.

Li Renxiao read the inscription with great interest and found the titles of the famous generals particularly interesting.

It is not a long posthumous title or noble title, but just two very short words.

The protagonist is naturally Jiang Ziya, who is titled "the ancestor of military affairs". Zhang Liang is the "sage of strategy", Sun Wu is the "sage of military affairs", Han Xin is the "immortal of military affairs", Xiang Yu is the "sage of martial arts", and Li Jing is the "god of war"...

Li Huo introduced: "My dear, you may not know that since these martial arts monuments were erected, their stories have spread widely. Folk dramas and novels also like to make up their deeds. In recent years, a kind of storytelling has become popular, which is about Li Jing and the Red Buddha Girl."

The term "Pingshu" has existed at least as early as the Yuan Dynasty.

But it really rose to prominence after the Song Dynasty moved south. It was initially used to comment on stories in Buddhist scriptures, telling stories about cause and effect, and encouraging people to be good.

"What is storytelling?" Li Renxiao asked curiously.

Li Huo explained: "It is a story about people in past dynasties, mainly stories in novels and operas. Printing with movable type is very convenient now, and the price of paper is much lower, so novels are getting longer and longer. Even the officials in the court like to read novels. Many people in the market are illiterate, so storytellers tell stories to the people, and this is called Pingshu."

The great Xixia Emperor Li Renxiao had never read a novel, let alone know what a novel was.

He asked Li Huo carefully, and the more he listened, the more curious he became, and soon he went straight to the bookstore.

Coming to the bookstore street, Li Huo narrated:

"There are two book markets in Kaifeng. One is next to Daxiangguo Temple. The bookstore there was originally the property of Daxiangguo Temple. It sold some Buddhist scriptures in the early Song Dynasty. Later, it became a book market, selling all kinds of books. When the Ming Dynasty was founded, the Daxiangguo Temple book market was confiscated, separated and sold to private booksellers." "The other book market is here, next to the Imperial College. The Imperial College and the Imperial College were here before. Students wanted to buy books to read, so it naturally became a book market. It also sells study supplies and some paints for painting."

Li Renxiao was quite happy: "This Taixue Book Market is very close to my home. I can buy books in just a few hundred steps from now on."

Li Huo took him into a bookstore and went straight to the novel shelf: "My dear, these are all novels."

Li Renxiao saw a large book at first glance.

It is too conspicuous, has the most pages and is the thickest, and is covered with yellow paper.

"What kind of novel is this?" Li Renxiao reached out to take it.

Li Huo hurriedly shouted, "My dear, you must use both hands to get this novel. It was written by the current official when he was young."

Li Renxiao was startled and quickly changed from one hand to two hands and respectfully took down "Journey to the West".

The final printed version of "Journey to the West" was only released four years ago and has undergone another official overhaul.

The main changes are to the gods in the story. For example, Erlang Shen should not be called Yang Jian. One reason is that there is no such name for the god yet, and the other is that Yang Jian is a wicked eunuch around Emperor Huizong of Song.

There are many similar gods and immortals, all of which emerged during the Southern Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and are very different from the gods and immortals of today.

Li Huo said: "This book tells the story of Tang Sanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures."

"Then you must read it carefully." Li Renxiao believed in Buddhism and immediately became more interested.

He didn't know that "Journey to the West" has never been popular among monks, but Taoists regard it as a classic. There are a lot of Taoist terms and Taoist poems in it, so what would the monks' reaction be?
In addition to granting houses and land, Zhu Ming also gave some silver dollars and daily necessities. Li Renxiao immediately paid for a copy of "Journey to the West".

Li Renxiao glanced at the lower row of bookshelves, where there were many pamphlets.

The whole series is called "Records of Ancient and Modern Knights", which selects and expands the stories of knights from the Tang, Song and Five Dynasties. It is similar to the "Thirty-three Swordsmen" of the Ming Dynasty, but lacks the knights of the Southern Song Dynasty.

There are six volumes in the set. You can get a discount if you buy them together, or you can buy just one of them.

It includes Nie Yinniang, Kunlun Slave, Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, etc.

The story of Zhang Yong, the ancestor of Zhang Tong, is published in a separate volume called "Guai Ya Jian Ji", which contains more than 30,000 words. The first half describes Zhang Yong's sword-wielding career in Shandong and Hebei before he became an official; the second half turns into a story of solving cases, describing Zhang Yong's trial of various unjust cases after he became an official.

Li Renxiao casually pulled out a book, which contained eight stories including "The Old Man Turned into a Monkey" and "The King of Buyeo".

Jin Yong's "The Sword of Yue Girl" is an expansion of "The Old Man Turns into a Ape"!
Li Renxiao read the two stories and found them very interesting. He planned to buy the entire set of "Records of Ancient and Modern Knights".

Soon, he saw another copy of "Arabian Nights".

Li Huo introduced: "This book, Arabian Nights, is also known as One Thousand and One Nights. It was compiled by the current government, who called together scholars from the Ming Dynasty and overseas countries. The famous Li Bangyan was the one who edited and finalized it. It is full of overseas stories, with many foreign countries. It was printed at the beginning of this year. Kaifeng reprinted it twice, and it sold very well. Storytellers also like to tell this."

Li Renxiao opened the book again and found that he also liked it.

The bookstore owner was very happy, and an hour later, he sent Li Renxiao away very enthusiastically because this guy bought six sets of novels.

Li Renxiao actually had his eyes on more than ten novels, but gradually he realized something was wrong. If he followed his preferences, he could buy out all the novels on the bookshelf.

Coming out of the bookstore, he couldn't help but sigh, "I only knew that the Ming Dynasty was a powerful military force, but I didn't know there were so many novels telling stories. The nobles of Da... Xixia were well-dressed and well-fed, but how could they have the honor of reading a Ming Dynasty novel?"

Li Huo laughed and said, "Many people copied from each other. Some people copied novels into play scripts, and some people copied play scripts into novels. There are often lawsuits for plagiarism. Often in the end, it is found that everyone copied, but they copied from Tang legends or folk tales."

"It's really interesting." Li Renxiao also laughed.

While the master and servant were talking, a man came quickly, shouting, "Excuse me, excuse me..."

Li Renxiao asked, "Is that a food box he's carrying?"

Li Huo explained: "They are delivery boys. They existed in the early Song Dynasty. Nowadays, as people are getting richer, there are more and more delivery boys. They order food from restaurants and have it delivered when the time comes."

Li Renxiao exclaimed: "My Great Ming is so prosperous. There are no beggars on the streets. Even food is delivered to our homes."

Not long after he finished speaking, he saw a dishevelled man begging on the street.

There is only this one beggar on the whole street, and the police don't even come to deal with him.

Li Renxiao said, "Give him a few copper coins. His clothes are not shabby, but he has fallen to begging on the street. He must be a sad and frustrated person."

Li Huo said with a smile, "Don't worry about him, my dear. He is the former prince of Song Dynasty. He lived a glorious life in the past few years. He deserves to be in this state now. Besides, he is not begging. If you really give him money, he will curse at you."

"Former Prince of Song?" Li Renxiao was greatly surprised.

(End of this chapter)