Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 75
"Chi Huan, slow down..."

On the long street, Zhu Gaoxu gently pulled the reins of his horse, signaling Chi Huan to walk slower.

The reason why he is like this is because he has arrived in the most prosperous area of ​​Nanjing City.

Right now, he was walking on Dazhong Street, which was more than a hundred paces wide. To the south was the famous Qinhuai River Street.

Unlike Ying Guogong's Mansion and Song Guogong's Mansion, which are very close to the imperial city, the Xu family's Wei Guogong's Mansion is located in the bustling downtown area of ​​Nanjing.

Therefore, when Zhu Gaoxu came here, there was a lot of people coming and going, almost crowded, shoulder to shoulder.

On the long road of more than a hundred steps, only the ten or so steps in the middle were deliberately avoided by the people, and only soldiers and soldiers on patrol and officials in a hurry could walk.

Just like the Imperial City area, even if they walked, they would stick to the edge, and did not dare to go to the edge of the royal road like Zhu Gaoxu.

"This place is quite prosperous, and it can be directly designated as a scenic spot in future generations."

Zhu Gaoxu looked left and right while riding on horseback. He could clearly understand how the people in the inner city of Nanjing were living through the flow of people on the long street.

After all, it is the capital of a country. Even though everything was in ruins in the early Ming Dynasty, the city of Nanjing, which was the first to be peaceful, has developed quite well.

It is rare to see people wearing linen short brown clothes here. Most of them are wearing cotton, linen and coarse cloth materials such as jackets, straight clothes, Chengzi clothes, trousers and other clothing.

However, even if they are only wearing cotton and linen, the common people also pursue beauty. There are some simple embroideries on the clothes, and the scarves and hats on their heads are tried to be as different as possible from those around them.

Just from Zhu Gaoxu's glance, he could see no fewer than twenty kinds of turbans and hats.

But his glance also made many people lower their heads. After all, the folk customs in the early Ming Dynasty were suppressed and class distinctions were naked.

A young man like Zhu Gaoxu, who rides a tall horse and wears silk clothing, is completely different from them.

Zhu Gaoxu also knew this very well.

If the Duke of Wei's mansion was not located in the civilian area west of the Yangwu River, then Zhu Gaoxu would basically only wander around the imperial city area east of Hedong.

It's not that he looks down on civilian areas, it's that he simply doesn't have time to come here.

While riding on the horse, Zhu Gaoxu looked at the surroundings with various expressions of sadness. Compared with the people in the outer city, the people in the inner city were like people from two different worlds, both in terms of clothing and mental outlook.

"A Yangwu River separates one world, and a city wall separates another world..."

While Zhu Gaoxu was muttering, he also walked to a magnificent mansion.

Although there were still so many people on the road, they all consciously avoided taking a few steps away from the main entrance of the mansion.

Zhu Gaoxu rode through the crowd on horseback. When he dismounted in front of the mansion, he glanced at the five soldiers on duty at the front gate.

"Fortunately, the trip was not in vain."

"Your Highness?"

While Zhu Gaoxu was muttering, an old soldier at the door tentatively asked Zhu Gaoxu, and received a response in the next second:

"It's me. Take my horse to the side and feed it two ounces of bean feed and five pounds of water."

While Zhu Gaoxu nodded in agreement, he took out more than a dozen coins and handed them to the old soldier who came to take the horse. The old soldier smiled and accepted: "Your Highness is just in time. The Duke is still at the house, but he will go there later." It’s Hangzhou, you won’t see me again if it’s later.”

In the past, Zhu Gaoxu often came to the Duke of Wei's mansion. The old soldiers on duty were Xu Huizu's guards, so they naturally knew him.

Zhu Gaoxu had something important to do, so he didn't bother with him too much, and walked into the Duke of Wei's mansion with the imperial edict.

He is no less familiar with the Duke of Wei's Mansion than his predecessor, simply because he had visited this residence in his previous life, but at that time the Duke's Mansion of Wei was called Zhanyuan, one of the four famous gardens in the south of the Yangtze River, and had been added and expanded by many generations. For hundreds of years.

Now walking here again, Zhu Gaoxu found that its furnishings are not as exquisite as those of later generations, but they are full of a sense of simplicity.

The predecessor of Wei Guogong's Mansion was Zhu Yuanzhang's Prince Wu's Mansion, which was later given to Xu Da by Zhu Yuanzhang, and then expanded into the current Guogong's Mansion.Therefore, although it is the Duke's palace, his regulations are that of the prince.

As soon as Zhu Gaoxu walked in, a concierge showed him the way. Along the way, he saw the magnificent architectural complex of the early Ming Dynasty, mixed with a hint of Mongolian elements.

Steep rockeries, the famous Taihu Stone, quiet and elegant pavilions...

In just this distance of more than a hundred steps, Zhu Gaoxu knew the details of Wei Guogong's mansion.

Not to mention other Duke's palaces, even if all the vassal princes' palaces in Beijing were pulled out, they would probably not be as good as this one. This shows how much Zhu Yuanzhang loves the Xu family.

"Gao Xu!"

Here, Zhu Gaoxu was still looking at the furnishings in Duke Wei's mansion, when a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, and then an arm wrapped around his neck.

"Haha! You kid has been out for half a year, but you won't come back to visit the Wei family (grandma's house)."

"Fourth uncle, are you going to strangle the boy to death?" Zhu Gaoxu patted the person's hand, and the person immediately let go after hearing this.

When he let go, Zhu Gaoxu turned around and looked at him.

This is a young man in his early twenties with a handsome appearance and graceful eyebrows, and he is Xu Zengshou, Zhu Gaoxu's fourth uncle.

Xu Zengshou is the youngest of Xu Da's four sons. When he was a boy, he accompanied his father Xu Da to the palace to meet Zhu Yuanzhang. Because of his bravery and alertness, Zhu Yuanzhang gave him a name to increase his longevity.

Facts have proved that Xu Zengshou is indeed brave.

When he was weak, he went north to follow Zhu Di out of the fortress, and made an emergency landing with Zhu Di in Nai'er Buhua, thus making a great contribution.

After he returned to Nanjing, Zhu Yuanzhang selected him as an honorary guard because he was good at riding and shooting, and asked him to serve on his left and right.

Zhu Gaoxu had a very good impression of this fourth uncle. In the memory of his predecessor, Xu Zengshou was cautious and honest to the outside world, but he talked and laughed internally.

Whenever Xu Huizu wanted to teach his predecessor a lesson, Xu Zengshou would stand up and persuade him, thus saving his predecessor a lot of scolding.

"I've been in the palace for a few days, why haven't I seen my fourth uncle?"

Zhu Gaoxu recalled Xu Zengshou's responsibilities and couldn't help but curiously asked.

"Haha..." Xu Zengshou smiled when he heard this, took his hand and walked towards the meeting hall. As he walked, he said: "I went to Songjiang Mansion to renovate the health center a few days ago. I just came back today."

"I came back quite early. Your second uncle and third uncle are still in Fujian."

Xu Zengshou explained with a smile and pulled Zhu Gaoxu to the meeting hall.

It was only after he got here that he realized what he was doing and turned to look at Zhu Gaoxu: "Are you here to visit relatives, or is there something going on in the palace?"

"Of course there is something going on in the palace." Zhu Gaoxu raised the imperial edict with his left hand, dumbfounded, "Grandpa sent me to deliver a message to my uncle, the Duke..."

"what……"

"whats the matter?"

Xu Zengshou was about to ask, but Xu Huizu's voice came from the side hall on the left. The uncle and nephew heard the sound and looked around, and sure enough they saw Xu Huizu, dressed in military uniform and preparing to go on a long journey, walking out of the side hall.

"Brother is going out?" Xu Zengshou looked at his brother's appearance and let go of Zhu Gaoxu's right hand.

"Hmm..." Xu Huizu responded and turned his attention to Zhu Gaoxu. He glanced up and down before focusing on the imperial edict in his hand.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu also opened the imperial edict and read out the contents.

　The ten chapters released on the first day have been updated, and five chapters will be updated at [-] o'clock tomorrow morning

　　
　
(End of this chapter)