Chapter 2 Old capital and new master

Zhengyangmen, Chongwenmen and Xuanwumen are the three city gates across the middle of Beijing.From these three gates to the north, it belongs to the "inner city"; to the south, it belongs to the "outer city". Although the difference between "inner" and "outer" is only one word, the two urban areas are divided into two different worlds.The inner city was rebuilt when Emperor Chengzu moved his capital to Beijing.At that time, the power of the Ming Dynasty was like the east of the sun, and its brilliance was brilliant.Because of this, the buildings in the inner city show a grand and magnificent atmosphere.Not to mention the Forbidden City with red walls and yellow tiles, painted pillars and carved beams, even the lanes and alleys all over the city have been tidied up in an orderly manner.Although many buildings have become dilapidated due to man-made and natural disasters, wind and rain for more than two hundred years, and have lost the old appearance of the past, the luxurious shelf of "the music returns to the courtyard and the lights go down to the terrace" is still there; living in the inner city, It is still an undisputed privilege of the upper class.

As for the outer city, the situation is completely different.The Outer City, adjacent to the southern end of the Inner City, was completed more than a hundred years later than the Inner City.At that time, Emperor Jiajing was devastated by the Tatar cavalry who kept crossing the Great Wall and invading southward, and had trouble sleeping and eating. He finally decided to build another city wall around the capital to make it a buffer zone against the attack of powerful enemies.The original intention of building the city was like this, so it is not difficult to imagine how hastily things were carried out.In fact, the outer city wall stopped after only the southern end was completed, and the entire layout was not carefully planned from the very beginning, resulting in sloping streets and alleys, shabby low bungalows, and dirty and messy buildings. The bazaar has become an unchanging landscape in this area.Undoubtedly because of this reason, apart from the occasional "indifferent person" renting a house near the city gate, generally speaking, the so-called "outer city" in the eyes of the upper-class people in Beijing It belongs to the disgusting slums at all.

However, the situation has fundamentally changed since the Eight Banners army led by Dorgon, the regent of the Qing Dynasty, entered Beijing more than a year ago.These entrants from outside Shanhaiguan were dressed in strange clothes, and there was a long braid behind their heads.On the second day after entering the city, they issued a strongly worded order, announcing that from now on, all the inner city would be assigned to the army.The original residents, whether officials or ordinary people, all moved out of the outer city to live.Those who dare to disobey will be dealt with by military law.

For such an order, some people might have dared to argue against such an order when Chongzhen and even earlier emperors were in power. However, since Li Zicheng's capture of Beijing, even the most prominent figures in the past, Also because of the irretrievable collapse of the Ming Dynasty, he became panic-stricken all day long like a bereaved dog.Facing the entrant who seemed to be the new master, they couldn't summon up any courage.As a result, after more than ten days of chaos, the families who originally lived in the inner city moved to the outer city like a sudden gust of wind, and settled down crowded together in the poor streets and back alleys. .Among them, in the area outside Xuanwu Gate, the streets and alleys and houses are a little more decent compared with other places, so they coincidentally become the meeting place for the upper class...

Right now, it is June of the second year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, and more than a year has passed since the big relocation.At noon that day, Gong Dingzi, who used to be a member of the military department of the Ming Dynasty, but now became a member of the official department of the Qing Dynasty, just went to the inner city to pay a visit to a noble official of the Manchu nationality. Hurry back to his residence outside Xuanwu Gate before lunch. "Well, it seems that even if there are any changes in the future, the overall situation can only be like this!" Gong Dingzi walked along the Xuanwumen Inner Street, which used to be crowded with shops and customers, but has now become empty and deserted. Walking, thinking silently, "The soldiers have captured Jiangnan, Liudu has opened its doors to welcome the surrender, and even the Hongguang Emperor supported by Shi Daolin and Ma Yaocao, I heard that he was also captured in Wuhu and is being escorted to Beijing. The remaining strength seems to be completely exhausted. Although it will take some time to pacify the world, I am afraid that the world will be ruled by the Qing Dynasty!"

Since the evolution of the situation was exactly the same as his previous estimate, and even advanced faster, Gong Dingzi felt secretly grateful at this moment, and felt a sense of relief from avoiding disaster.Indeed, if an ex-Ming Dynasty official like him who had accepted a "fake job" after the peasant army invaded Beijing, if he had fled to the south of the Yangtze River like Fang Yizhi and others, then even if the Hongguang court would be lenient , not to be held accountable, when the Qing soldiers go south this time, they are bound to be doomed, good or bad is uncertain.Now because he was determined to stay and not leave, not only did he live in peace and stability, but he was still able to be a Beijing official.

"Although working under the command of the Manchurian Tartars, I'm afraid it won't be very happy, but in the Ming Dynasty, could it be happy? Hmph, it's not the same as living in the abyss and walking on thin ice! No matter what happens now, it's always better than before. That dilapidated stall is strong. Besides, he is full of people trying to transform the barbarian country, and if he wants to rule China, I am afraid that we will have to rely on us Han officials to succeed!" After weighing it secretly, Gong Dingzi felt more at ease.He straightened up from his horse, and began to look at the scenery along the way with a feeling of complete relief.He found that during the more than a year since the army of the Qing Dynasty entered Beijing, apart from the incident of forced relocation, they were quite restrained in other respects.Not only that, but those in power also took some popular measures, such as reburying Emperor Chongzhen with grand ceremonies; as for the old officials of the Ming Dynasty, as long as they were willing to surrender, they would all be hired in their original positions; The situation in Beijing has been relatively stable.Although in the inner city, due to the heavy troops stationed everywhere, the market is inevitably relatively cold, and the interrogation is quite strict when entering and leaving the city gate, but once in the outer city, it is still bustling with pedestrians and traffic.Under the dazzling sunshine in June, people from all walks of life showed the appearance of "obedient citizens" who are happy with the situation, and are still busy with food and clothing. "That's right. To this day, our Han family officials and people are still allowed to keep the clothes of the previous dynasty. They don't have to shave their hair and braids, and change to mandarin jackets and slit gowns. This layer is undoubtedly the new dynasty's kindness to the people!" Looking at the pedestrians on the street who, like himself, still hid their buns under their turbans or gauze caps, and their clothes were the same as before, Gong Dingzi thought with relief once again while being at ease, and gave birth to a kind of expectation I feel that Xinchao can really be broad-minded and inclusive. Then, with my shrewdness and ability, I am afraid that there will be a lot of opportunities to display it in the future...

Now, he has returned to his home.Located in the depths of an alley on the east side of Xuanwu Gate, this new residence was chosen by him and his concubine Gu Mei during the big move a year ago.Although the house is a bit small, it is rare that the environment is quite quiet.At that time, several families who were eager to find a house all fell in love with this place and rushed to buy it.In the end, seeing that Gu Mei liked it very much, Gong Dingzi cruelly paid double the price before buying the house.For this matter, Gu Mei complained to her husband instead, thinking that a while ago, because of fleeing from disaster, almost ruined her family, and her money was already quite tight, so there was really no need to spend such unreasonable money.But complaints are nothing but complaints, Gu Mei actually likes her husband's doting and considerateness very much.The obvious evidence is that as soon as she moved in, she directed the servants, and she was so busy inside and out that her forehead was sweating.In order to tidy up this small courtyard with only two entrances, the front and the back, without losing its status, this smart and capable woman really put a lot of thought into it. "Hey, if I can't figure out your temper, I, Gong, have spent so many years in Fengyuechang!" At that time, Gong Dingzi was watching from the side, thinking with a wry smile.At this moment, after he dismounted in front of the door and handed over the reins to Chengcha, he suddenly remembered this incident, and a helpless smile appeared on the corner of his mouth again.

"Ah, the master is back!" When he crossed the front yard in a brisk mood and hurried in, the maid Xiaofeng came up to him and said salutingly. "Well, where's the wife?" Gong Dingzi asked casually, without stopping. "Returning to the master, the wife is in the west room. Mama Wang is here, and the wife is talking with her!" "Mother Wang? Which Mother Wang?" "It's Mama Wang from Mr. Xiong's family, who was with my family when we fled last year." Gong Dingzi let out an "oh", and he remembered it—at the end of April last year, when Li Zicheng's peasant army was defeated by the Qing army introduced by Wu Sangui in Shanhaiguan, and decided to abandon Beijing and retreat westward, the residents of the city were panicked and rumors spread. everywhere.Seeing that the momentum was not good, Gong Dingzi was afraid that once the "Teacher Wang" came back, they would be severely prosecuted for these old officials who were "thieves of dishonesty", so he teamed up with several friends who were in the same boat and fled the city with his family to hide from the limelight.At that time, the family of Xiong Wenju, a doctor of the Ministry of officials, was accompanying him.This Mama Wang is a dignified housekeeper of the Xiong Mansion.They were not familiar with each other at first, but because of all kinds of toil and twists and turns on the road, they often needed to take care of each other, and they got close after coming and going.After returning to the city, this Mama Wang would often find a free time to come and visit, but she was always received by Gu Mei. "Oh, she's here! Then don't disturb the wife, you just come and serve me!" Since he was in a good mood, Gong Dingzi waved his hands magnanimously, and then went straight into the living room of the upper room.