Chapter 78: First Visit to Jinling City

[Recite the URL three times silently. Do you remember it? If not, I will ask again in the next chapter. It would be best if you can share it on Facebook for me]

The sun gradually sets in the west. The customers and owners of the tea shops at the city gate have basically packed up their tea sets and luggage. Those who need to go to the city go to the city, and those who need to go to the countryside go to the countryside. Only the tea stall where Qin Hao and his friends are sitting is left.

Looking at the city gate tower that will be closed soon, the boss is a little anxious, but he still controls his temper. These gentlemen are too generous. They gave 3 taels of silver for a day's tea, which is equivalent to the tea money he earns in a month.

Touching the silver in his pocket, he can wake up with a smile even if he sleeps outside the city tonight. He will have an explanation when he goes back tomorrow. The wife at home will definitely not dare to say anything. He has to stand up straight when he earns money.

"Gentlemen, drink more?" The shopkeeper walked up to the few people with a teapot and smiled flatteringly.

Take good care of these gentlemen, and you can get some more rewards if you are not sure.

"No more, I really can't drink it." Zhao Chang shook his head when he saw the copper teapot, and urged the shopkeeper to take it away quickly.

Today, the water in the teahouse was used by several people. I have urinated 7 or 8 times. My stomach can bear it, but my kidneys can't bear it. If I drink more, I will bleed.

Qin Hao called the man back and asked him to refill a cup, and then asked: "Shopkeeper, I want to ask you something."

"Sir, tell me." The shopkeeper put down the teapot and came forward.

"What is the gate of this city?" Qin Hao drank two sips of tea and said while looking at the empty and open gate.

"It will be closed after sunset."

The shopkeeper held the teapot, looked at the distant mountains for a moment, and said: "It is estimated that there will be at most half an hour."

He was here every day, and he could tell the time at a glance, and he had never made a mistake.

Although there was no curfew in the Ming Dynasty, there were strict time regulations for closing the city gates. If it was one minute after the 15th hour, it would be one minute. Even if it was one stick of incense later, it would not be allowed. If it was really one minute later, the guards at that post would have to go to the eunuch and have a cup of tea.

Unless there was an urgent report of military intelligence from 800 miles away, the gates could be opened. Otherwise, even if it was the news of the emperor's death, they had to wait until the next day when the sun went up to go to work before they could enter the city.

So if Qin Hao and his men didn't go in, they would have to stay outside the city to feed mosquitoes tonight.

"Chen Hu has been gone for most of the day, why hasn't he come back yet? Could something have gone wrong?" Zhao Chang muttered quietly while drinking tea.

"Be patient, be patient." Zhuge Xuan tried to smooth things over.

But he knew in his heart that what Zhao Chang said was not impossible to happen. After all, if Chen Hu was really counted, he was indeed a deserter, and this was something that they had neglected when they came.

"Don't worry. The Qi family army was still guarding the Jiangnan area 20 or 30 years ago. They still have some momentum. Just have some tea and wait."

Qin Hao's words were the final word. Even if they died drinking tea, they would stay here and wait for Chen Hu to come back.

Just when the gate was about to close, they finally saw Chen Hu's figure.

"Sir, look at this." He handed the case to the garrison and handed over a few taels of silver. "Brothers, you have worked hard today. It's a small thing to take it and have some tea."

The garrison took a look at the case. It was indeed a knife signed by the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. There was also an official document stamp on it. It couldn't be fake: "Since you have the post, go in. You won't be able to find a place to stay if you are late."

"Thank you, sir." Chen Hu smiled and led Qin Hao and others into Nanjing City, Yingtian Prefecture.

It was the first quarter of Shenshi, and the city gate closed with a "creak".

After the few people left, the gatekeeper asked his general: "Sir, these people are not ordinary people. They can bring swords into the city. I have been guarding the gate for three or four years. Only the son of Anyuan Marquis and Xue Han, the Marquis of Yangwu, brought weapons into the gate."

"Hmph, I don't know what their background is, but only those few people can invite the prefect."

"Sir, you are right, but I heard that he probably won't live long."

The garrison smiled but didn't say anything. He also got some silver today, and said a few more words happily: "Okay, this is not something we can worry about. Let's go to Cuixianju to eat duck tonight."

"Okay!"

"Sir, everyone, I'm sorry, I'm back late." Chen Hu looked at the few people with an apologetic face.

"It's okay, as long as you can come in." As long as he can achieve his goal, Qin Hao doesn't care about these trivial details.

"It was all Ruan Dacheng, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. I went in with a visiting card, but he asked the gatekeeper to stop me for the whole afternoon. I couldn't even get in. He just wasted time at the door and didn't spend money.

In the evening, he let me in to see him. I handed in the document of Lord Zhuge. Ruan Dacheng looked at it, but didn't say anything. He asked me to come by myself with the case."

Chen Hu reported to Qin Hao everything that happened after he came in the morning.

If the Qi family army was still there, Chen Hu would be a guest wherever he went. Now, it seems that this layer of Qi family army's tiger skin has been used up, but fortunately it was not a wasted trip, and it was completed.

"Sir, do you think Ruan Dacheng will not cooperate with us with this attitude? Besides, he is also Wei Zhongxian's godson. I am afraid..." Chen Hu seemed to be concerned and stopped talking.

Qin Hao knew what he wanted to say. Jiangnan was the base camp of the Donglin Party, and the public opinion there was very strong. Wei Zhongxian might still have some moral integrity in Liaodong, Jiangbei and other places, but here he was discredited and was the target of everyone's condemnation.

Especially one year ago, in the sixth year of Tianqi (1626), the Donglin Party, led by the scholars and officials in Jiangnan, advocated opening the channels of speech and reforming politics, so they impeached Wei Zhongxian many times.

But at that time, Wei Zhongxian was in the limelight, with the emperor's support behind him, and he knew the faces of these Donglin Party members very well, so he went straight to work.

He sent people directly to Suzhou to arrest the Donglin Party members, but when they arrived, the place was already empty, and several Donglin Party leaders had already returned to their hometowns for refuge, so his subordinates randomly caught a scapegoat, who knew that this scapegoat was an upright Donglin Party member with a good reputation, so the people of Suzhou were outraged, rose up in resistance, and riots broke out, killing many people.

The "Five Tombstones" that everyone learned in seventh grade narrated this incident.

"I don't care about this Donglin Party at all." Qin Hao didn't have a good impression of them at all.

The Donglin Party can be said to be even more useless than Wei Zhongxian. Wei Zhongxian at least knew to give money to support the border troops and fight against the Jurchens in Liaodong. The Donglin Party did not do anything, but just talked nonsense and fooled the people all day long.

The first pusher of the Ming Dynasty's demise was the rioters, the second was the Jurchens, and the third was the Donglin Party.

If Chongzhen had the courage to learn from the Qing Dynasty, put a knife on their necks, and arrested those who were disobedient and physically eliminated them, there would not be so many troubles.

Facts have also proved that knives are more effective than words. When the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, the Donglin Party surrendered when it should have, retired when it should have, and never jumped up again.

"As for Ruan Dacheng, since he has accepted our documents, he should know how much benefit we can bring him. I don't believe that he can refuse to put money in his pocket every day.

His godfather Wei Zhongxian couldn't do it, how can he, as a son, be spared?"

Ruan Dacheng was definitely tempted when he saw the letter, but he just wanted to reduce the profit and get more.

This is an old trick in the Ming Dynasty officialdom. Anyone with a discerning eye can see it at a glance. Qin Hao just saw through it but didn't say it.

After all, now the situation is weak, and we have to rely on Ruan Dacheng to open up the situation. It's not a problem to be more filial, but his attitude makes Qin Hao very dissatisfied. Being a prefect is great, and you dare to leave me alone for a day. I will definitely avenge this in the future.

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