Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Jinzhou, dock.

Zhu Guoxiang, Shen Yourong, Zhang Gen, Huang, Zheng Yuanyi and others, as well as many officials, scholars and common people, came to the Han River to see Ju Ming off.

Zheng Yuanyi will have to raise her baby in Jinzhou for another month or two, and her parents-in-law are also here anyway.

"Please take care of me, sir!" Zheng Yuanyi bowed and saluted.

Zhu Ming hurriedly helped him: "Don't move around, it's time to rest."

"Yes." Zheng Yuanyi forced a smile.

Zhang Gen and Huang were also saying goodbye to their daughters and talking about some things to note about harmony between husband and wife.

Generally speaking, the bride keeps the dowry, but Ju Ming was so shameless that he actually asked for an item by name.

He asked the Zhang family to send some lead as a dowry...

It was said that it would be shipped to Yangzhou to make lead type, but in fact some of it would be retained to make lead bullets.

Huang said to her daughter: "I have asked about it. We have known Mrs. Zheng since we were young, and have followed each other in recent years. They must have a very close relationship. Now that she is pregnant again, she will love her even more in the future. When you get along with her, You must master a certain degree, so that your wives and concubines can be harmonious."

"Save it for your daughter," Zhang Jinping said.

Mrs. Huang added: "A doctor must be broad-minded and considerate, and she must also have internal treatment methods. Do you still remember what I taught you before?"

Zhang Jinping said: "My daughter remembers."

The mother and daughter talked about it, and the ship was about to set off.

Zhang Jinping walked up to Zheng Yuanyi, took her hand and said, "Sister, take care and pay more attention to your health."

Zheng Yuanyi quickly saluted: "Sister, please take care of yourself."

The day after the wedding, after Zhang Jinping went to visit his aunt, he had officially met Zheng Yuanyi. The wife and concubine also gave each other greeting gifts. Zhang Jinping gave a gold walking stick, and Zheng Yuanyi gave a gold hairpin.

Zhu Ming said goodbye to his relatives and friends one by one, and then bowed his hands to everyone: "Take care, gentlemen!"

"Farewell, Grand Administrator!" Jinzhou officials, gentry and merchants all bowed to see him off.

Even the grain merchants came to say goodbye. Although during the famine, Ju Ming was not allowed to increase prices at will, and had to hold a meeting to discuss every price increase. But compared to the direct requisition of grain for disaster relief, Ju Ming was already very generous.

If it were other officials, their losses would be even greater. After all, there are no big grain merchants in Jinzhou. Even if you hoard it, you won't make much money, and you will most likely be blackmailed by officials.

The merchants were reluctant to leave Zhu Ming, because after Zhu Ming left, all counties, cities and towns would have to rebuild their private houses, and it would be even harder to do business in the future.

Ju Ming boarded the boat and waved towards the shore.

Suddenly some people knelt down, and then they knelt together.

Some people dropped letters into the public opinion box, and Ju Ming ordered the Siliyuan to avenge their grievances. Some people received government relief during the drought and came all the way from the countryside to say goodbye to the prefect.

There are also many people who simply think that Governor Zhu is very good. During the famine season, food prices have been suppressed to make their lives easier.

Zhang Jinping looked at the kneeling crowd, then turned to look at her husband, with a proud smile on his face.

When the boat arrived at Daming Village, Zhu Ming stayed for a day and took Zhang Jinping to visit Grandma Yan. When he arrived in Yangzhou City, he stayed at Zheng's house for another day and talked about Zheng Yuanyi's pregnancy.

After passing Xingyuan Mansion, we went all the way through the mountains and ridges by boat and carriage.

Many times he could only walk. Zhang Jinping's legs and feet became weak from walking until blisters appeared on the soles of his feet. Finally, he gave up and hired local mountain people to carry the sliding pole.

In some areas of the plank road, there are no seats on the sliding poles, so you can only walk on your own without courage.

Arriving at Lizhou City, Ju Ming went to visit Li Youwen, the prefect, and the entire entourage rested for five days.

Li Youwen said: "I see you are bringing more than ten horses. It is best for the horses to go along the Jialing River. The north slope of Jianmen Pass is too difficult. Horses that are not good at climbing are likely to be exhausted halfway up the slope. "

"Please also ask Governor Li to send a guide." Ju Ming said.

Li You smiled and said, "This is easy to hear."

So the team was divided into two, with Zhu Ming going to experience the dangers of Jianmen in person, while Bai Sheng and Li Bao took the horses and supplies to the Commendation River.

The group separated at Jubaijin in Zhaohua County. They could take a boat to the south or walk along the Jialing River. Halfway there, turn west and climb over mountains and ridges to bypass Jianmen Pass. This is the path to Suzhou that was used to destroy Hou Shu in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Zhang Jinping followed Ju Ming. Although the trail to Suzhou was a detour, it was actually a long and difficult journey.

In two lifetimes, Ju Ming went to Jianmen Pass for the first time.

Standing at the foot of the north slope, looking up at the majestic pass in front of him, Zhu Ming finally understood what "one man is in charge of the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it", and he finally understood why Li Youwen said it was difficult for horses to walk.

The road up the mountain is close to a 90-degree right angle!

Not to mention organizing an army to attack Guancheng. If you are not physically strong, your legs will become weak halfway up the climb.

It is impossible to attack from the front.

Since the day Jianmen Pass was completed, it has not been attacked from the front, not even once.

After the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed, Shu had to go around it, and the People's Liberation Army also had to go around it when entering Sichuan. As for the Laisu Trail, which can be detoured, it also has many forts and checkpoints. It also requires climbing over mountains and ridges, and it must make a large circle along the mountains and rivers.

Zhang Bor exclaimed: "Today we will know what a dangerous pass is!"

"Let's pass the test." Zhu Ming smiled.

Zhang Jinping had already taken off his long robe and long sleeves and was wearing shorts. After climbing for a while, she felt out of breath and felt her left hand being held. She turned her head and smiled sweetly at Ju Ming.

After struggling for a long time, before arriving at Guancheng, most of the entourage was already paralyzed from exhaustion.

After passing Jianmen Pass, we walked for another two days. Although we still had to climb mountains and ridges, the scenery along the way became extremely pleasing to the eye.

This section is called Cuiyun Corridor. Both sides of the ancient road are planted with cypress trees, blocking out the sky and the sun like a green corridor.

After everyone waited for twelve days at Qingqiang's store, Bai Sheng and Li Bao finally came around to meet up.

When Bai Sheng met, he complained: "The road is not easy to walk, and I encountered thieves."

"Are there any casualties?" Zhu Ming asked.

Bai Sheng said: "A few people were injured, but nothing serious. There were a lot of smugglers on the Suzhou Trail, and there were even patrolmen who blatantly extorted money. I was released only after showing official documents."

After half a day of hiking, the scenery became even more beautiful.

Ju Ming smiled and said, "Have a rest and replenish your strength."

Zhang Jinping completely ignored her manners and sat directly on the roadside stone. She looked at the tunnel-like green corridor and said with a smile: "Although I have worked hard all the way to get here, I am in a happy mood."

"Enjoyment after hard work is always more rare." Ju Ming took out bean cakes and salt water to replenish the cornucopia of energy.

Wei Yingshi and Zeng Xiaoduan, two scholars, were taking off their shoes to observe the soles of their feet. The blisters had long since broken and formed a layer of cocoons.

"Hey, it's so dangerous..." Wei Yingshi suddenly began to recite poetry. He was very happy at this time, as if he had conquered the road of Shu.

A group of tea-carrying laborers passed by here, escorted by officials before and after.

The attendant from Yangzhou immediately put away his smile and looked at the servant with pity. If half of these living people can come back next year, they will be considered lucky.

After the tea transporting team passed by, Ju Ming introduced: "They were forced laborers who transported Sichuan tea to Hehuang to exchange for horses. More than 50% of the people died."

Wei Yingshi was shocked: "Half of them died?"

Ju Ming said: "It may be 60%."

Zhang Bor couldn't believe it: "Don't they know how to escape?"

Ju Ming said: "These people have their families, and there are sergeants escorting them along the way. How can they escape? Even if they escape, what will happen to their families? If they carry tea honestly, they may be able to return home alive."

Li Bao asked: "No matter how difficult the journey is, it's impossible to die 60% of the time?"

Ju Ming said: "Those who died of exhaustion, those who died of illness, those who fell to death, and those who were beaten to death. The closer we get to Hehuang, the cheaper these people's lives will be. If you die on the way, you can save some food. In the past, the Xiang army was allowed to die. Even the Xiang soldiers dared to torture to death the officials who transported and escorted the tea. Recruiting a group of Xiang soldiers to transport tea, all of them died within two years, and in the end they had to forcefully recruit civilians."

"The court doesn't care?" Zeng Xiaoduan asked.

Zhang Bor said: "The emperor must have been deceived by his treacherous ministers."

Ju Ming shook his head: "The emperor knew about it. At least, the late emperor who agreed to let the people keep the tea must have known about it."

Li Bao said angrily: "You really don't regard the common people as human beings!"

Ju Ming said: "If human lives can be exchanged for war horses, then that's it. But many tea bearers die every year, but the number of war horses in the border army has not increased much. All the oil and water are taken away by the officials of the Duda Tea Horse Division."

Zhang Bor remained silent. He thought of his hometown in Puzhou. Although the methods of killing the people were different, the imperial courts were all equally stupid and unscrupulous.

Rest for a while and continue on your way.

After passing Jianzhou (Puan Town), Wulian, Zitong, Mianzhou (Mianyang)... the road finally became smooth and you could hire a carriage to move forward.

While resting in Xiaoquan Town, Ju Ming met a group of merchants and asked casually: "How has business been doing in recent years?"

The merchant bowed his hands in greeting and said, "Business is good, but taxes have increased."

Ju Ming asked again: "Since Lunan was razed, has there been any trouble on Chengdu Road?"

The merchant shook his head repeatedly: "The guests come from other places and don't know how to get here. Today's Holy Emperor likes martial arts, and all the civil and military generals who quelled the Lunan Yi Rebellion were promoted in an exceptional manner. Since then, all officials in Shu want to follow suit. , they deliberately exploited and provoked the barbarians to rebel, and those merchants who collected barbarian goods would suffer."

"Is the chaos big?" Zhu Ming asked.

The merchant said: "The commotion was not big, but it was happening everywhere. The leaders of the barbarians from various tribes also robbed and killed the Han people in revenge. Last year, the imperial court set up a Shiquan Army."

The army is an administrative unit at the state level. Knowing the army is similar to knowing the state.

It seems that Sichuan officials succeeded in deliberately provoking ethnic conflicts, deliberately stimulating the rebellion of the barbarians, and then sent troops to suppress the "expansion of territory", even adding a military-level yamen.

Last year, two counties were drawn from Mianzhou (Mianzhu) and one county was drawn from Maozhou (Maowen). The three counties combined to form the Shiquan Army. The military administration was located in Shiquan County (northwest of Beichuan County), and there were many Qiang people in the area.

Ju Ming continued to inquire and found out that most local officials in Sichuan were doing this, fearing that the ethnic minorities would not cause trouble.

If you are a barbarian, it is certainly worthy of recognition to expand your territory.

But how can local officials dare to cause trouble?

The people they bullied were familiar barbarians. Many of the familiar barbarians spoke Chinese on a daily basis. Apart from their different customs and clothing, they were no different from the Han people.

These familiar barbarians have been successfully educated, but officials still insist on provoking trouble and suppressing them with force.

A bunch of insects!

"Family barbarians..." Ju Ming decided to save these familiar barbarians in the future.