In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 937 Quiet Night Thoughts Under the Cool Moon, Dark Tides Rise from the Seabed

In the dead of night, the city of Daning was shrouded in darkness.

Lights were placed at intersections in the city's main streets and alleys.
To make Daning City look less dark.

In the north and south of the city, there was a brightly lit street with colorful lanterns flashing in turn; these were the locations of brothels and restaurants.

This was due to the increasingly close ties between Daning City and Beiping City.

More and more merchants were coming and going in Daning City, and the brothels and entertainment districts were bustling with activity!
Meanwhile, in the city, candles were still lit in the back hall of the military headquarters.

The soldiers patrolling the military headquarters at night saw the dim yellow light and a hint of admiration flashed in their eyes.

"The master just got back, and instead of resting, he's been working until late at night."

Inside the room, the documents in front of Lu Yunyi had been reduced by about half.

He had already read all the "most important documents" in the "important documents" section.

They have all issued instructions, which are just waiting to be distributed to the relevant government departments tomorrow.

Lu Yunyi yawned deeply and stood up to stretch.

The sounds of "clicking" and "snap" echoed throughout my body, like old, worn-out military equipment.

"Xianzhi, is there any food left at the yamen?"

Gong Xianzhi opened the door and poked his head in.

"My lord, we've saved some food for you. I'll bring it to you hot."

"Okay, bring it over."

Lu Yunyi nodded, left the large desk that was causing him immense irritation, walked to a small table to the side, sat down, and slowly slid down, his eyes vacant.
With nothing on my mind, a rare sense of ease filled me.

after awhile,

A gust of wind pulled him back from this empty state of mind.

He glanced at the "Miscellaneous Records of Daning City" placed not far away.
I want to watch it, but I'm too lazy to get up.

This is a booklet published by the military headquarters after the New Year.

On the one hand, it consumes some surplus materials, giving more people something to do.

In addition, the military command is considering expanding literacy programs to improve the overall quality of life for the people of the military command.

Thanks to the popularity of the notice from the capital,

This method proved to be very useful.
Nearly 40% more people in the capital can now write their own names.

According to the standards of the ancient Yuan dynasty
These people are no longer illiterate!

A short while later, Gong Xianzhi pushed open the door, took a plate and walked in. He was slightly stunned to see that the adult was almost falling off the chair.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"You've come at the right time. Bring me that notebook and let me take a look."

Lu Yunyi sat up straight, showing no intention of getting up, even though he was only two steps away from the notebook.

After settling the meal, Gong Xianzhi immediately ran to fetch the notes, saying with a smile:

"My lord, I heard from the people in the yamen that..."
Miscellaneous notes are very popular in Daning City, mainly because they are cheap, costing only one copper coin. Many people buy them to use as literacy books for their children.

"Is that so? You're quite clever."

Lu Yunyi took the notebook; the booklet felt rough and damp to the touch, and was rather thin.

It's probably only a dozen pages long, and it's obviously printed on the worst paper.

However, Lu Yunyi didn't care.

Having something like this is more important than not having it; as long as you can read the words, that's enough.

I picked up the notebook and flipped through it casually. The beginning was all about important matters concerning the military command.
There are also some policies and strategies that the military command is preparing to implement.
In reality, they simply moved the notice from the entrance to the booklet.

Lu Yunyi read it over.
I have gained a better understanding of what the commander is going to do recently.

He continued flipping through the pages, and then came some interesting anecdotes.
It's nothing more than rumors and gossip circulating throughout the city.

Most of the stories were about love between men and women, which greatly shocked Lu Yunyi!
He could discern some truth from falsehood, and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both feelings and reflections).
The ancients were only conservative in their thinking, but not at all in their actions!

Finally, there was a short story called "Weisuo Pancake," which, though only a few lines long, caught Lu Yunyi's eye.

It is said that at the beginning of the year, Censor Li made an incognito visit to Daning City.

He walked up to the sesame seed cake stall on West Street, pointed to the freshly baked cakes, and asked:
"Shopkeeper, are these sesame seed cakes the right weight?"

Old Wang, the stall owner, smiled and picked one up:
"Don't worry, sir. These are garrison sesame seed cakes, made according to the regulations of the Military Equipment Bureau, not an ounce more or less."

Lord Li frowned:

"I see this sesame seed cake is smaller than others, how could it be enough to weigh?"

Old Wang picked up the small scale next to him and put the sesame seed cake on it:

"Look, it's exactly two ounces! This is called tight on the outside and loose on the inside, just like the soldiers of our Daning Guard. They look thin but they eat well, and they are very strong when they fight!"

Lord Li then asked:
"Then why is it called Weisuo Shaobing (卫所烧饼)?"

Old Wang pointed to the sesame seeds on the sesame seed cake:

"Count them, there are exactly fifty sesame seeds, no more and no less, corresponding to fifty households."

These fourteen folds represent fourteen types of weaponry!
If you take a bite, you can taste the milky custard filling inside.

That's a method taught by our brothers on the grasslands, symbolizing the close bond between the army and the people.

Lord Li laughed heartily upon hearing this and bought ten sesame seed cakes.

Later, in his memorial to the throne, he wrote: "The people of Daningwei are simple and honest, and even their sesame seed cakes are imbued with the wisdom of military strategy."

Old Wang's sesame seed cake stall became famous as a result, with soldiers coming every day to buy the garrison's sesame seed cakes, saying that eating them would help them win battles.
After reading it, Lu Yunyi laughed and muttered to himself:

"They're quite good at arguing."

"Xianzhi, do you have these garrison flatbreads in the city?"

"A sesame seed cake?"

Gong Xianzhi straightened up blankly and scratched his head.

"Sir, the most famous sesame seed cake in the city is from Old Chen's shop on the east side of Yamen Street. He puts a lot of sesame seeds and sugar in it, and it sells out every day if you go late."

"The story is good, but it would be even better if there were physical products. With this story, it could sell like hotcakes."

Lu Yunyi looked at Gong Xianzhi with some regret and handed him the notebook:

"Look, if anyone in the family has nothing to do, why not sell sesame seed cakes?"
Don't look down on this kind of small business; if you're hardworking and diligent, you can make a fortune.

Having said that, Lu Yunyi straightened up and looked at the food on the table.

It's a very simple meal of three dishes and a soup, plus two sweet potatoes and a flatbread.

Although it's all communal cooking...
But Lu Yunyi ate quickly and with relish.

When I was in Liaodong, I was a guest and every meal was full of meat and fish, which I got tired of.

On the side, Gong Xianzhi finished reading the little story about the Weisuo sesame seed cake, his eyes gleaming.

"Sir, is it really possible to make money by opening this pancake shop?"

"Yes, as long as you make a name for yourself in anything you do, the more people who know about it, the greater your chances of success."

Of course, the ingredients must be plentiful; there's no room for shortcuts or tricks.

People are very pragmatic; once someone is unfaithful, they will never be trusted again.
"If you rip them off once, they might not say anything at the time, but it will be difficult to get them to come back again."

"What, you've changed your mind? You don't want to join the army anymore?"

"No, no, no, sir. I know nothing. I really don't know how to survive without the army."

He's my brother-in-law. He recently came to Daning City to work, carrying stones outside the city. He earns a good amount, but it's very tiring.

My younger sister stays home and raises three children by herself; she's constantly busy.

"I was thinking, if my brother-in-law could open a sesame seed cake shop in the city..."

It's a good thing that we can meet at least once in the evening.

Do you think it's better to let him continue moving stones, or to let him come back and open a pancake shop?

Lu Yunyi thought for a moment, then said while eating:

"If I had to choose, I would definitely open a sesame seed cake shop. I have my own ways to make the business thrive."

But when it comes to business, the higher the potential profits, the greater the risks; it all depends on what kind of person your brother-in-law is.

If one is quick-witted, doing business is no problem.
If he's dull and introverted, then construction work is perfect for him; it's stress-free, just a bit tiring.

"hold head high"

Gong Xianzhi looked enlightened.

"Then I'll go ask him tomorrow, sir, and see if he wants to do business."

"Yes, if you're going to open a pancake shop, make sure it's far away from the government office. Old Chen is doing just fine selling his pancakes on the street; don't crowd together, or you'll create a feud and both of your businesses will suffer."

"Yes, sir, please rest assured, I understand!"
To get things done, you need to satisfy more people, and make both sides feel like they've gotten a good deal.

Lu Yunyi looked up at him and smiled:

"You've improved a lot."

Gong Xianzhi laughed sheepishly:

"I followed the adults around and secretly learned some things."

"Observe more, learn more, and ask more questions. I am not one to keep secrets."

I will compile the documents related to the Goryeo war in a few days.

When the young generals from various regions gather, I will give them a detailed explanation.

The chances of fighting are getting fewer and fewer, so we can only learn more by reading military reports!

"Yes, I will take care of it tomorrow."

"Okay, that's enough. We've finished eating, let's go home."

"Yes, I will go and prepare the horses."

"Let's take the carriage back."

"Yes, my lord."

The carriage swayed and rocked as it traveled along the wide streets of Daning City.

Thanks to the rapid development of cement workshops,
Some dirt roads and intersections in the city have been paved with cement and concrete.

The carriage no longer experienced the bumpy ride of the past.
Instead, it was unusually stable, and even the sound was much calmer.

Lu Yunyi leaned back in the carriage, his gaze peeking through the gap in the curtains.
One can see that the doors of the shops are all closed.

Various carts were placed peacefully at the entrance, without any control measures in place.

This made Lu Yunyi very happy. After nearly two years of promotion, various handcarts have become increasingly important and their prices have become increasingly cheaper.

Especially after Daning and Baisong began cooperating on mining, the price of refined iron plummeted.
The cost of handcarts has also decreased; they are no longer the expensive items they once were.
You can leave it anywhere by the door without worrying about it being taken away.

The houses in Daning City were no longer dilapidated as before, but instead became neat and orderly, exuding a luxurious yet understated charm.

This is thanks to the increase in the number of artisans in the city.
In the past, hiring a professional craftsman for repairs would have cost a lot of money.

Now, for just one coin, you can repair the wall to make it neat and beautiful, which is both high quality and low price.

In today's documents, the government office also stated frankly that...

We should learn from cities like Yingtian, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou.

Demolish and rebuild all the old houses in the city.
This was done to regulate roads and beautify the city.

Lu Yunyi did not object to this.
Every winter, people lose their lives because their houses collapse due to disrepair. It would be good to rebuild them.

The carriage swayed and rocked, and soon arrived at Sanbao Street in Daning City.

This is where the city's powerful and wealthy reside, and the Lu family mansion is also located here, situated in the middle of the street.

Upon arriving here, one can clearly feel that the roads are wide and flat, and even the lighting is a bit brighter.
This was because huge lanterns were hung at the entrance of each mansion.

"My lord, we're almost home."

"Keep going, head to the north of the city, and see those newly built houses."

"Yes."

Gong Xianzhi, who was driving, responded.
He tugged at the reins and headed north of the city.

When I first arrived in Daning, the area around the city walls was full of shacks; to describe it as "dirty, chaotic, and poor" would be an understatement.
After two years of restoration, at least the area under the west and south city walls has been cleaned up.

Most of them were assigned to work on construction sites outside the city.
Those who were lazy and unwilling to work were sent directly to the military camp to be disciplined by the military.

The areas to the north and east of the city were mostly inhabited by nomadic people from the grasslands.

The situation had been chaotic for years, so rectification had been delayed.

By the end of last year, a batch of simple houses built by Dusi were finally delivered.
Those who meet the requirements can move in.
The most important condition is that one is hardworking and diligent but unable to support their family.

As for those who are lazy and good-for-nothing, they are not included in this list and will also be sent to the military camp.

The carriage swayed and rocked.

We soon arrived at Qili Street, where the affordable housing is located.
As soon as the carriage entered the neighborhood, Lu Yunyi sat up straight, a feeling of familiarity mixed with strangeness washing over him.

The street was very wide, with neat and orderly silver-white houses on both sides.
It is square and simple, without much decoration.
The red tiles on the roof are arranged in a staggered pattern, giving it a unique aesthetic appeal.
"They look so alike!"

Lu Yunyi muttered to himself, "If only this street were equipped with neat rows of streetlights..."

It was almost identical to the town streets he remembered.

Lu Yunyi jumped off the carriage and stood in the middle of the road, looking ahead.
The dark sky pressed down on the dome, and the dim lights stretched into the distance into the darkness.
A gentle breeze blows by, and a sense of peace and tranquility arises spontaneously.

Lu Yunyi stood firmly in the middle of the street.

His eyes gradually became empty and blurry, and the vague memories hidden in his heart slowly surfaced.

The street before him had unknowingly changed its appearance in his eyes.

Pedestrians walked on both sides of the road, and bicycles were about to cross into the middle of the road. The urgent beeping of bicycles surrounded my ears, mixed with a few curses.

Without realizing it, Lu Yunyi's lips curled up into a soft chuckle.
Gong Xianzhi and his guards, standing at the back, exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what had happened.
The atmosphere felt strangely eerie, even a little frightening.

After an unknown amount of time,

Lu Yunyi finally snapped out of his empty memories.

He shook his head and looked at the houses on both sides.

I find the gray of cement concrete too monotonous; I prefer the neat, traditional style of architecture.

However, after thinking about it carefully, he suppressed the idea of ​​decorating the house.
Although the commander has a lot of spare money now, it needs to be used practically, and things like decorations should be put on hold for later.

Is the workshop still operating?

"Reporting to the lord, the furnaces in the city's workshops are running non-stop for twelve hours a day."

"Go and see."

"Yes!"

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at Xisha Street in the north of the city.

This is the gathering area of ​​workshops in the north of the city.
Some of the workshops belonging to the Commandery were also located here.

The workshops that manufactured weapons were located at the deepest part of Xisha Street, very close to the North Gate.
This facilitates both the transportation of raw materials and the shipment of finished products.

Upon arriving here, you can clearly feel the temperature rise.
The branches and leaves of the trees lining the street also grew faster than elsewhere.
The tender shoots have grown into seedlings
On both sides of the road, a total of twenty courtyards are closely connected and interconnected.
Every few dozen feet there were soldiers in full armor guarding the area.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, soldiers stepped forward at the gate.

Before any questions could be asked, the soldiers immediately spotted the insignia of the Military Commander's Office on the carriage, as well as the particularly eye-catching "Lu" character plaque!

His eyes widened instantly as he looked at the guard at the front and asked:

"May I ask which lord of the Commandery you are? Without a warrant, you are not permitted to enter the workshop."

"It is Lord Lu."

The guards kept their voices very low.

The commander immediately understood and gave his personal guard a grateful look.
Then he walked past the guards to the carriage and stood in front of it:

"Shi Hongyu, a centurion of the Da Ning Left Guard, greets Lord Lu."

The curtain was lifted, and Lu Yunyi walked out.

Upon seeing this young face, Shi Hongyu held his breath and instinctively took a step back.

Lu Yunyi sized him up for a moment, then stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder:

"It must be tough guarding the workshop in this freezing weather."

Shi Hongyu's face flushed red, and a surge of excitement welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"My lord, it's no trouble at all!"

Lu Yunyi smiled and pointed to the workshop gate:

"Let's go in and see how many people are working in the workshop right now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, there are 341 people."
When they arrive at or leave work, we carefully inspect the premises to prevent them from bringing anything in or out.

"Yes, the armory is of paramount importance to the Commander-in-Chief; you must be extremely cautious."

If enemy countries steal our skills,
We'll inevitably have to put in a lot more effort on the battlefield later.

"Yes, my lord!"

(End of this chapter)