Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 16 The Morning of March 17th
1644 years.

March 17th of the lunar calendar in the 17th year of Chongzhen.

The early spring sun has just risen, dispelling the chill from the world.

In a dilapidated house inside Guangqumen.

The old man carrying two bundles of firewood tightened his cold and hard coarse linen jacket.

He held the carrying pole with one hand and held his grandson's chilblained hand with the other.

Seven or eight families are crowded together in a house of less than 20 square meters.

They were all moved to the city from farms near the capital by the Five Cities Military Department a few days ago.

They said that a rebellion was about to happen, so the emperor ordered the army to fortify its defenses and clear the countryside.

They didn't understand what "fortifying the city and clearing the countryside" meant; they only knew that it was the emperor's decree.

Even the money and food in their homes were taken away.

The village headman said that all the money and grain had been taken away by the emperor and would be used to fight the rebels.

But I heard from others that it was taken away by a nobleman in the city.

They were still somewhat happy in their hearts. After all, their daughters were sold to the nobleman. Giving food to the nobleman was also giving food to their daughters.

They had no idea what Chuangni was. They only knew that their houses had been burned down, the fields they had worked so hard on were destroyed, the remaining grain had been taken away, and this year's taxes had not yet been paid.

After entering the Forbidden City where the emperor lived, he was given a bowl of clear porridge with visible bottom every day at noon, and lived in a leaky house where no one lived.

I heard that there were tens of thousands of people who moved here with them.

They had never seen so many people in their lives.

The village head said that we could go home after the emperor defeated the rebels.

But the rebels haven't come yet, and I don't know when I can drive them away.

If it passes another month or two, this year's land will be barren.

The land belongs to Mr. Huang, and rent must be collected at the end of the year.

Mr. Huang doesn't care about any military disasters.

Alas, where shall we flee to then?
The old man was holding his little grandson's hand and carrying firewood that the soldiers looked down upon.

He staggered along the broad streets of the capital.

The little grandson covered his belly which was swollen from eating Guanyin soil and looked at his grandfather curiously.

"Grandpa, I'm hungry. My dad said he would bring me some pancakes when he comes back. When will he come back?"

The old man forced a smile on his wrinkled face.

"When the emperor drives away the rebels, your father will come back."

"When the time comes, Grandpa will take you to the river to catch frogs and roast them over the fire along with the pancakes."

The little grandson's eyes suddenly lit up, "When will the emperor's grandfather drive away the rebels? I miss my father."

The old man was a little dazed. He looked at the sun in the sky and muttered, "It's almost time..."

But he quickly came to his senses and changed the subject with a smile.

"What does the sun look like? Grandpa thinks it looks like a pancake."

The little grandson's attention was immediately distracted. He looked at the red sun and said, "It doesn't look like a pancake. It looks like the candied haws I've seen. I heard they're delicious."

"Okay, when grandpa sells the firewood, I'll buy you some candied haws."

The little grandson finally laughed happily.

But the old man himself knew that the rich families in the capital used coal for cooking and ordinary families did not have the spare money to buy firewood.

He himself didn't know why he had to carry firewood around every day.

Maybe it won’t be cold this way.

Walking in a trance.

Suddenly, I heard a sound of orderly footsteps.

The rumbling sound was like thunder.

The old man was suddenly startled and without caring about anything else, he quickly pulled his grandson to hide aside and used firewood to block in front of him.

He reached out to cover his grandson's mouth, fearing that he would be discovered.

The fear of war has penetrated deep into the old man's heart.

Looking secretly through the gaps in the firewood, a cold light suddenly appeared in the morning mist.

There was no sight of heavily armored infantry marching in formation along the rammed earth official road, their iron armor plates gleaming coldly in the morning sun, their iron boots making the firewood piles tremble as they stepped on the ground.

It was exactly the same remnant of the army he saw on the street yesterday!
These soldiers who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly seemed like completely different people at this moment. Even though their faces were still thin, their aura was completely different.

The little grandson suddenly pointed at the scarlet flag at the front of the team, and the old man hurriedly covered his eyes.

Although the flag was torn, the words "Yongwei" could still be seen.

For some reason, the old man suddenly remembered the Qi family army he had seen in the Shandong Provincial Government when he and his parents were fleeing fifty years ago...

……

Behind the window lattice on the second floor of a teahouse in a corner of Zuoanmen, wisps of white steam rose from the spout of the copper kettle.

Several tea drinkers, not caring about the scalding heat, crowded in front of the window with their tea bowls.

"Wow, this is the Brave Guard Battalion that followed General Zhou in the bloody battle at Ningwu Pass?"

"That's not right. I went to the Beijing Camp a few days ago to deliver food to Li Qianzong, and I saw the Yongwei Camp. Those soldiers were worse than beggars!"

The restaurant waiter was a little confused.

As the team marched, the three-foot green swords hanging on the soldiers' waists swung in unison, and the copper bells hanging on the end of the scabbards jingled with their steps.

A pawnshop accountant narrowed his eyes and said, "What do you know? A large army entered Xizhimen yesterday. They might be the troops the emperor has transferred from other places."

Seeing that the team was about to pass by the door, the teahouse owner reluctantly took out thirty taels of silver and gave it to the waiter.

"Go tell that scarred general in charge that we're inviting you guys to tea at our teahouse."

The waiter took the silver and ran out.

The shopkeeper prayed inwardly that he would take the money and leave, and that no one would come to investigate.

Without waiting for the waiter to run over.

The rumbling sound of horse hooves came from the street corner again, and eight hundred cavalrymen were like a dark cloud pressing down on the city.

Four horses in a row, pressing forward in an orderly manner.

The leading lieutenant general held a horse spear with a flagpole about ten feet long in his hand, and the copper coins strung on the nine tassels jingled.

Several tea drinkers who were huddled together were stunned.

In particular, there was a businessman who often traveled around the north, and his teacup fell to the ground.

The war horses were over five feet tall at the shoulder, and the scales on their armor were clearly made of newly forged snowflake iron.

Neither the Jiannu nor the Guanning Army had ever had such elite cavalry!

……

The sedan chair of Song Ye, the head of the Ministry of Rites, was blocked in front of the archway.

He lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and was about to curse.

Just then, I saw hundreds of Jinyiwei driving carriages carrying more than thirty French cannons passing by. The brass gun barrels shone with blood in the morning light.

Suddenly I remembered that the housekeeper said this morning that letters of treason were found in Zhou Kui's house and that the homes of dozens of nobles were ransacked. The back of my clothes was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Seeing several Jinyiwei wearing round hats flash past the alley ahead, he hurriedly retreated into the sedan chair.

"Turn around! Go to the residence of Wei Jiaxiang! No, go to the residence of Lord Ni, quickly!"

……

In Wu Xiang's backyard, twenty horse-drawn carriages were unloading.

This was the fourth batch of military rations brought in by the Embroidered Uniform Guards yesterday. I heard they were confiscated from Zhou Kui’s mansion.

The second son, Wu Sanfu, touched the wax mark of "Tongzhou Canal Transport" on the car, and the words that Wu Xiang had told him yesterday rang in his ears again.

"All the food for defending the city cannot be handed over to anyone else, and you have to supervise its storage!"

He knew what his father was worried about.

Because just last night, someone from the Ministry of Revenue came to deliver a message saying that a large grain store in Chongwenmen was offering a high price for grain.

There is a new courtesan in Fucui Tower, who is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

If Wu Sanfu is interested, we can book two nights.

He also warned him not to take the military rations, otherwise he would sue him and his son for embezzling military rations in front of the emperor.

If Wu Sanfu didn't hear such a blatant threat, he would have followed his brother Wu Sangui and his father Wu Xiang in Liaodong for so many years in vain.

He chuckled and ordered the accountant to check strictly and not let a single grain of food be missed!
Wu Sanfu was very clear about which was more important, the Wu family or the courtesan.

At this moment, a servant suddenly came running over.

"Young Master, Young Master, the General lets you pass!"

(End of this chapter)