At the beginning of the civil castle, the Ming God of War was a little panicked

Chapter 168
Along the Qinhuai River, the scenery is picturesque.

At night, the lanterns on the flower boat are hung high, one after another, like stars dotted in the Milky Way.

The wine shops on the bank are crowded with people, and as far as the eye can see, it is full of vitality.

Looking at the scenery in front of him, Zhu Qizhen felt a little absent-minded.

It seems that the nightlife of the ancients was very rich, and it is not much better than that of later generations.

It's just... I don't know if the technicians here can pinch their feet...

Behind him, Fan Zhong kept frowning, wishing to twist his eyebrows into twists.

For this trip, they didn't bring many people with them. Bei Lin stayed in Huai'an, and Yuan Bin was busy mobilizing manpower and assigning tasks. Now the emperor is only left with himself.

Now he sees that no one looks like a good person, and he keeps muttering in his heart, if something happens to him, what should he do...

"Smoky cage, cold water, moon cage and gauze, mooring Qinhuai at night near a restaurant. A businesswoman doesn't know the hatred of subjugated country, and she still sings flowers in the backyard across the river."

Zhu Qizhen acted like a normal person, reciting poems to himself.

"Your Majesty!" Fan Zhong couldn't help but stepped forward and said, "There are so many people here, I'm afraid...it's not safe..."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head, and said with a smile: "I don't understand, it's not safe to enter the city now!"

Fan Zhong was very puzzled, scratched his head, and said, "I...don't understand..."

"It's been a while since I came out. I don't know how long the capital can keep the secret. Maybe... the officials from the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites are already on their way."

"But... why is it not safe to enter the city?"

"The White Lotus Sect is pervasive. If the news of my trip leaks out, they will definitely get the news immediately. Those officials in Nanjing City, I don't know how many people are entangled with the White Lotus Sect. I am traveling in plain clothes now, without officials and guards accompanying me. Once you enter the city, it’s hard to say whether you can get out.”

Fan Zhong thought for a while, and then asked: "Then the emperor simply issued an order to let the officials of Nanjing City go out of the city to welcome them, and enter the Forbidden City, accompanied by imperial guards. I don't think any of them would dare to make a mistake?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled, and asked back: "If I enter the city with great fanfare, will the White Lotus Sect and Japanese pirates dare to attack Nanjing?"

Fan Zhong said again: "I still feel that your safety is the most important thing, there is no need to put yourself in danger for those thieves who kill thousands of knives."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head and said: "It's hard to get all the people together, and it seems that we can cook together in one pot. I don't want to miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Fan Zhong was helpless, sighed and said: "Even if you don't plan to reveal your identity, you can go to find an inn to stay, it's better than here, this kind of place... there are all kinds of people, I really don't worry ..."

Zhu Qizhen was disapproving, and said: "As the saying goes, the small hermit hides in the wild, and the big hermit hides in the city. Now there are only you and me left. If you just find a flower boat, even if someone knows that I have come to Nanjing, I searched the whole city, but I never thought that I would hide here!"

At this time, a flower boat slowly docked.

Sitting in the bow is a woman, dressed in beautiful clothes.

"Young master, don't you want to sit on the boat?"

Zhu Qizhen was wearing a blue Confucian shirt, and was holding a folding fan in his hand. The singing girls on the boat didn't think much of it, they just thought they were romantic talents who came out to have fun.

"Okay, then sit down!"

Zhu Qizhen closed the folding fan and stepped onto the boat. Fan Zhong sighed helplessly and had to follow.

The woman was about seventeen or eighteen, her skin was almost morbidly fair, and her figure was pitifully thin, as if she had been malnourished for a long time.

"Girl, don't blame me for being so abrupt. Don't you have enough to eat with such a job?"

But the woman burst out laughing, and asked, "Is this your first time coming to Qinhuai River, sir?"

Zhu Qizhen was puzzled and said, "Why did the girl say that?"

"Young master, if you often go out for entertainment, you should know that thinness is considered beautiful on the Qinhuai River. If you are fat, but there are no guests, then you really can't eat enough!"

Zhu Qizhen was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly realized that this is the so-called... thin horse!
The so-called thin horse is a deformed aesthetic culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Zhao Yi's "Kao Yu Cong Kao Raising Thin Horses" records: "Yangzhou people raise virgins and sell others as concubines, which is commonly called raising lean horses. Its meaning is unknown. The poem of Baixiangshan says: 'Don't raise thin horses, Don't teach little prostitutes, the future is in the present, if you don't believe me, remember: horses are fat and fast, and prostitutes can sing and dance. In three to five years, I have heard that they have changed their owners.' Song Mantang quoted it, thinking that the theory of raising thin horses is based on this .”

In the late Ming Dynasty, Zhang Dai’s "Tao An Meng Yi" wrote: "Yangzhou people eat and drink on the body of a thin horse every day. Hundreds of people."

In Qing Dynasty Wu Chichang's "Ke Chuang Gossip" Volume [-] "Slender Horse" records: "The bandits in Jinling bought young girls in Sifang, selected them to be handsome, adjusted their skin, modified their clothes, and taught them by teachers. There is nothing wrong with pipe flutes and strings. As for melons, they are sold at a high price to eunuchs and wealthy families as concubines, or they are entered into brothels, called "raising thin horses". Of."

Most of these skinny horses are children from poor families. They were bought by human traffickers when they were seven or eight years old.Then, what awaits them is a long concentration camp-like devil training period.This kind of thinness is not only due to natural frailty, but also caused by deliberate starvation.

Some were lucky enough to be favored by high-ranking officials and wealthy gentry, and they married and raised them.Most of them were sent to the Qin Lou Chu Pavilion.

Therefore, on the banks of the Qinhuai River, most of the singing girls on the flower boats were born on thin horses.

"Young master, don't sit still, let me sing a song for you!"

Zhu Qizhen looked at the sickly thin woman in front of him, and a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

Human traffickers are nothing!

Those who run brothels are not good birds. Without them buying and selling women, how could there be so many human traffickers in the world?
Such an industry will be banned sooner or later, but the time is not yet ripe.

Then restore an ancestral system that court officials are not allowed to spend time with prostitutes.

Let you lose the support of the court first, and then gradually shrink until it is completely banned.

…………

On Zhoushan Island, Japanese pirates are gathering on a large scale.

Except for a few small groups of troops who are still harassing Fuzhou, Quanzhou and other places, almost everyone has come.

In fact, Zhoushan Island is less than a hundred miles away from Ningbo Port. However, due to the maritime ban imposed by Ming Dynasty, although Zhoushan Island and Ningbo are across the sea, they are out of Ming Dynasty's jurisdiction.

Before the Ming Dynasty, the Central Plains Dynasty was rarely threatened by the sea, so the focus of military defense was mostly on the land fortresses in the northwest, making the Zhoushan Islands seem insignificant.

In the Ming Dynasty, this situation changed. In the 12th year of Hongwu, Zhoushan set up a thousand-household office. In the 17th year of Hongwu, the thousand-household office was upgraded to Changguowei, which is enough to show that Zhoushan Island was valued by the court.

However, with the passage of time, the imperial court's strategy for coastal defense has changed to focus on defense, setting up Japanese guards in coastal areas, and even choosing to give up on islands like Zhoushan hanging over the sea.

The original Chang Guowei moved to Xiangshan, and there were only two thousand households left in Zhoushan, with about 2000 people, and the defense force was greatly weakened.

The county system in Zhoushan was abolished and the residents were required to move to the interior. Only more than [-] households were left to guard Zhoushan Island together with military households.

With the gradual collapse of the guard system in the Ming Dynasty, military households could not even guarantee their livelihood, so they continued to escape from the guard in private, some fled back to the mainland, and some simply went to sea to become Japanese pirates.

The emptiness of Zhoushan's defenses made it easier for Japanese pirates to take advantage of the emptiness.

Shen Lang, nicknamed the Three-Headed Jiao on the Sea, had long been eyeing this island, but his strength was insufficient, and at this time Zhoushan Island had been occupied by the Li brothers.

At this time, Shi Heng's joining greatly increased his strength. After several fierce battles, he finally drove the Li brothers out of Zhoushan and occupied the island by himself, thus becoming the biggest pirate leader along the coast in one fell swoop.

Since then, Zhoushan has become the base camp of the Japanese pirates. They occupy various small islands with Zhoushan as the center, and often raid coastal villages and towns at night.

After the battle with the Li brothers, Shi Heng also became Shen Lang's most capable deputy.

At the beginning, the 300 people he brought were all regular troops of the imperial court, and their combat effectiveness was quite strong. Because of this, Shen Lang usually would not send Shi Heng to harass villages and towns, but use this army to fight against other forces.

It can be said that he is now able to become the king of the sea, and half of the credit is due to Shi Heng.

"Brother Shen, are you looking for me?"

"Come on, Brother Shi, come and sit!"

Shen Lang enthusiastically pulled Shi Heng to him, and ordered: "Go prepare the food and drink, I want to have two drinks with Brother Shi!"

Shi Heng was also polite, and sat opposite Shen Lang.

He knew that what Shen Lang valued was his own strength, so he always showed a carefree look, thus creating the illusion of a simple mind and well-developed limbs.

"Brother, why are there so many people on Zhoushan Island? Is there any major event going to happen recently?"

Shen Lang smiled lightly, and said: "Brother Shi is right, this time, we're going to make a big deal!"

Shi Heng pretended to ask: "Could it be that the brothers from the Li family have come back?"

Shen Lang smiled and said: "It is said that the two brothers went to Luzon and supported a general's rebellion, but they failed. They must have been thrown into the sea to feed the sharks a long time ago!"

Shi Heng asked again: "That is... from the Oda family?"

"The Oda family married the Owari family and regained support in the country. Now they are busy fighting for power with the Ashikaga family, and they don't care about overseas affairs at all."

Shi Heng scratched his head and said, "From this point of view, elder brother is already the overlord of the sea, so what's the big deal?"

Shen Lang smiled mysteriously, and said: "My brother's wish is not just to be the overlord of the sea!"

After pondering for a while, Shi Heng seemed to come back, and asked, "Could it be that elder brother... is planning to attack the mainland of Ming Dynasty?"

"Those who know me, brother Shi also!"

Shen Lang laughed, and said: "For my brother, I have been wandering at sea for half my life. My biggest long-cherished wish is to return to my hometown, kill all those dog officials who framed my brother at the beginning, and avenge my family. If this life can be fulfilled, Then die without regret!"

"Is it dead or not? Brother, don't say bad things. What is the name of the official you just said, and where does he work now? Just leave this kind of matter to the brother!"

"With your words, being an elder brother is enough. However, this person is now Yingtian Fu Yin. If he wants to take revenge, how easy is it?"

"Big brother's revenge is brother's revenge. If you are a brother, even if you risk your life, you must avenge your brother!"

Shen Lang was very satisfied with Shi Heng's performance, and finally got to the point.

"Brother's heart, I know it, but, how can a man live in this corner of the sea? Since he wants to do it, he should do it with a big ticket. After taking down Nanjing City, a little Yingtian Fu Yin can still do it." What's wrong with running away?"

Shi Heng immediately pretended to be surprised, and asked, "Brother, are you going to attack Nanjing?"

Shen Lang nodded, and said solemnly: "That's right, gather all the troops and attack Nanjing!"

"But...our troops..."

"Brother Shi, until now, I will not hide it from you. The attack on Nanjing this time is an alliance with the White Lotus Sect. Their people have long infiltrated the interior of Nanjing City, and even among officials at all levels. Most of the soldiers in Nanjing now The horse was dispatched to escort the King of Jing'an to Annan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! As long as you cooperate properly, you can take Nanjing in one fell swoop, and it will be a piece of cake!"

Shi Heng asked: "Even if we can take down Nanjing City, but... can we hold it? Brother, don't blame brothers for being discouraged. At that time, the court will definitely go crazy and mobilize a large army to fight. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on for long..."

Shen Lang still looked relaxed, and said: "Brother Shi's worry is not unreasonable, but I have my own plans for my brother!"

Shi Heng couldn't help asking: "Brother, what exactly is your plan, just tell us the truth, otherwise, you brothers will go out and work hard, and you won't feel at ease!"

"Well, your worry is not unreasonable!"

Shen Lang nodded and continued: "Do you know that the current emperor is not in the right position?"

Shi Heng's expression changed, and he asked, "What do you mean by elder brother?"

"This world was originally brought down by Emperor Taizu and later passed on to Emperor Jianwen. However, King Yan rebelled and seized the throne. Since then, the lineage of King Yan has been stealing the throne for nearly fifty years. I went back!"

After Shi Heng listened, he was silent for a long time, and then asked: "Could it be that elder brother has found the descendant of Jianwen?"

Shen Lang didn't speak, just smiled silently, with a look of keeping secret.

Shi Heng said again: "After so many years, the descendants of Jianwen suddenly appeared, who knows if it is true or not? Brother, don't be deceived!"

"Is it true or not, is it important?"

Shi Heng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said: "Brother is right, when we take down Nanjing City, we say he is real, and he is real!"

Shen Lang patted him on the shoulder, and said: "When this matter is completed, you and I will be the meritorious service of the new dynasty, and it is no problem to be named a Marquis and Prime Minister!"

Shi Heng hurriedly replied: "Thank you, brother, for cultivating it!"

"There's no need to say anything superfluous," Shen Lang waved his hand, and said, "This time, we will rely on our brothers to fight the battle."

"Brother ordered it!"

Shen Lang took out the map and said, "Three days later, the Bailian Church will open the city gate, and you will be responsible for solving the guards in the city..."

(End of this chapter)