golden scales

Taihang Xing is the second of the eight Taihang Xings, forty miles northwest of Hanoi County.Zhu Cihong led his personal guards and hurried on, and arrived at the entrance of this Xing in just half a day.As we went north to Taihang, the path gradually narrowed, and finally it was only three steps wide, just enough for one person and one horse.

Zhu Cilang's body was sore and limp when he rode the horse, so he just jumped off the horse and took a walk.The guards still divided the front and back, wrapping him in the middle.

The steep mountains on both sides really deserve the name of natural danger.

"Your Highness, if a cannon is set up here, who can come up!" Min Ziruo excitedly said.

Zhu Cihong smiled and did not speak.As long as the country is strong and prosperous, this dangerous terrain will only become a traffic obstacle and has no meaning of existence.He just said: "Have you forgotten the rules of Weifu?"

The crown prince travels in micro-clothes without a guard of honor, fearing that his identity will be exposed.In case of being detected by someone with a heart, no matter how skillful Min Ziruo is, he will be no match for a row of firecrackers hidden in the dark.This kind of risky behavior of white dragon fish will naturally be disgusted by conservative people, but whenever there is an opportunity, they must persuade, persuade, and educate Zhu Cihong.However, Zhu Cihong, who pursues efficiency, finds it difficult to accept slowly marching with large troops, unless there is a four-wheeled carriage for office work.

It's just that the roads in Henan are all dirt roads, and the bumps are unbearable. No matter how good the shock absorption effect of the four-wheeled carriage is, it cannot withstand such bumps on the dirt roads.Even if the quality of the carriage is good or not, the people sitting in it are torture.What's more, the carriage can't pass through this dangerous place that is only three steps wide, so it can only make a detour, which will take more time.

"Master, Taihang Pass is ahead." Min Ziruo finally remembered his surname, and it was correct.

As the pass approached, the speed of the business traveler in front also slowed down.Although the tax card is now abolished in the area directly controlled by the East Palace, there are still inspection departments stationed at important passes to prevent strategic materials from entering enemy-occupied areas.Among them, food, ironware, sulfur, saltpeter, and even leather and medicinal materials, the quantity and quantity of the grains, where they came from and where they are going must be clearly stated.

Fortunately, the commercial roads are not busy in the troubled times, and there are no bulk goods passing through here.The soldiers of the inspection department in the checkpoint also mostly responded to the story, with a glance of their eyes, they let them go with a squeeze.Min Ziruo was afraid that these people would run into the crown prince or do something unsightly like extortion, so he sent someone to watch, and if necessary, he had to show his badge.

As the personal guards of His Highness the Crown Prince, everyone wears several badges.Every time I go to a prefecture or county, it has become a working practice to ask for the badges of the local inspection department and police station.Because if you really want to show the badges of the Ministry of War, Ministry of Punishment, Jinyiwei or Dongchang, the people below may not recognize them, and it will be a tragedy if they are taken as liars.

Fortunately, although these inspections in the closed door were not very enthusiastic about their work, they did not commit suicide such as knocking and extorting.This made Min Ziruo feel quite relieved. He didn't mind cleaning up some garbage on the road, but it would be a great sin to displease His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Zhu Cihong walked slowly on the official road, feeling like traveling in a natural scenic area.Seeing the coexistence of green shoots and remnant snow all over the mountain, a scene of winter and spring intercourse, and the sprouting vegetation, Zhu Cihong felt refreshed and happy. He also thought about building a big garden in the capital after the world was settled down in the future, and turning the artificial lake in Xiyuan Dig bigger and build a big painting boat, so that you can devote yourself to the work of reforming Ming Dynasty in a beautiful environment.

Climbing up to the closing gate, Zhu Cihong stood with his hips on his hips, and saw that there was a wordless stone plaque above the closing gate of this ancient pass, without the word "Taihang Pass".He also looked at the various notices pasted on the signboard in front of the customs, and the one with the largest font was the notice to stop the customs and stop taxes.The four gate guards listlessly checked the luggage of the passing business travelers, but they couldn't see at all that the Ming, Qing, and Chuang battlefields were to the north of Taihang Mountain.

Min Ziruo had already stepped forward, showing the badge of the Inspection Department of Huaiqing Mansion.

Those inspectors saw the waist badge, and saw that there were about twenty people in this group, all of them were riding tall horses, and there was even a young man with a stately appearance, one could tell at a glance that he was not someone to be taken lightly.At the moment, he didn't even dare to check his luggage, so he let him pass by standing sideways.

Naturally, Zhu Cihong would not have a good look at this kind of dereliction of duty, but people's hearts need time to change, perhaps in one generation, maybe two or three generations, and when the water is clear, there will be no fish, and the superiors also need to be properly tolerant.

After passing the Taihang Pass, the road is not necessarily open.

Zhu Cihong and his party walked for two miles, only to see a teahouse built on a flat boulder.A few passers-by in coarse clothes sat among them, drinking tea, smoking and chatting for a rest.

"Take a rest." Zhu Cihong said.

Taihang Xing is forty or fifty miles long, and it is all mountain roads. If you ride a horse, it will easily hurt your horsepower, so most people walk with their horses.After all, Zhu Cihong hadn't grown up to the peak of his physical fitness, and he was already a little tired after walking halfway.

Min Ziruo hurriedly stepped forward, glanced inside the tea shop, and said to the owner of the tea shop, "Old man, I can borrow your stove." After saying that, he tore off the money bag from his waist, took out a piece of silver and handed it over.

The old man bowed again and again, went to the hillside behind and carried another bundle of firewood, put it on the ground, and said: "Officials do as they please."

The passers-by who were drinking tea and resting their feet saw them, and in line with the principle of avoiding officials for three miles, they smoked in two or three puffs, some took out two iron coins, and some gave a copper coin, got up and hurried on.

Naturally, among the guards were those who boiled water, those who laid bedding, some people brushed horses, some people fed grass, and the tea shop was surrounded by breath, leaving no dead corner.

Zhu Cihong sat on the cushioned bamboo chair, feeling very comfortable.He glanced at the old man who was huddled in a corner, not knowing what to do, and said with a smile: "This old man, I feel sorry for disturbing your business. Please come and sit down."

The old man stooped and walked forward, not daring to sit down.

"The high officials told you to sit, so you sit." Min Ziruo said behind the old man.

Only then did the old man carefully sit down next to half of the younger ones, and he didn't know what rank this official was.But judging by his age, he must be a Wenqu star descended from the sky, and he was the number two in high school when he was young.Thinking of this, the old man became more cautious, rubbing his nipples with his hands, not knowing what to say.

"Who else is in the old man's family?" Zhu Cihong asked.

"If you go back to the officials, there is no one at home." The old man replied in official dialect with a strong Zezhou accent.

"Opening this tea shop, can you survive the day?"

The deep gully on the old man's face couldn't help but stretch out, and said: "This tea shop can't make any money, but the capital and everything are given by the village, and it's a net if you take one or two here. There is still relief food for a month, so I won’t die of starvation.”

Zhu Cihong nodded and said, "Your village is sympathetic to the elderly. Not bad."

"Hey," the old man laughed, "I'm registered, and if I'm really starving to death, the county will come to ask me."

Zhu Cilang smiled and said, "It's good that the county magistrate can do it so carefully."

The old man said a few words, seeing that this official was not so high and difficult to speak, he let go of his courage, and talked about the days when Daming came back, although it was not blissful to say the least, but he could hear a sense of rejoicing.Zhu Cihong is used to people who cheat, if this old man came up and made love happily, he would suspect that it was a drama deliberately arranged by the local county magistrate.Listening to it now, it sounds like the words from the heart of ordinary people, so even if there is some resentment, it is very gratifying.

"In this troubled world, it's good to survive." Zhu Cihong sighed.

"Who says it's not." The old man said with a long sigh: "Old man, I have lived to be 68 years old, and I have lived a good life in Wanli. Alas, now I can wait for death in peace, and I am blessed."

Zhu Cihong was about to comfort him, saying that the future would be better, when he saw an old Taoist with white hair and beard walking down the mountain Shi Shiran.

That Taoist is really a child with white hair, his face is red and moist, and he smiles before saying a word, making people feel like a spring breeze.He didn't detour when seeing the officials like other ordinary people, instead he came up to meet him, bowed and gave Zhu Cilang a slap, and said with a heavy voice, "Infinite life and blessings, poor people are polite."

Zhu Cihong stood up and returned a salute, saying: "The old fairy invites you."

Min Ziruo wanted to block in front of the prince, but the old Taoist's gait was windy, his figure moved slightly, he had already gone around, sat on the bamboo chair by himself, and said to the old man: "Old man, is there any heat?" Give a bowl of water?" (To be continued.)