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Yingtianfu was the original capital of the Ming Dynasty and the current capital.

All those in the capital were built based on Yingtian Mansion.

The palace city in Yingtian Mansion has a total of six gates; outside the palace city is the capital city, with a total of thirteen gates and a circumference of ninety-six miles; and outside the capital city, there is the outer city, with a total of sixteen gates, surrounding One hundred and eighty miles long, it was one of the largest cities in the world in the seventeenth century, with a population of more than one million.

Looking at the tall and majestic Yingtianfu city wall in the distance, and the endless flow of people under the city gate. Hai Lanzhu, who was beside Emperor Chongzhen, couldn't help but exclaimed: "It turns out that besides the capital, there is such a... such a prosperous city!"

To be honest, if you just look at the direct experience, Yingtian Mansion actually has a greater impact on people than the Capital. After all, the capital was in the north, and its commerce, population, etc. were all superior to Yingtian Mansion in the early seventeenth century.

Hai Lanzhu comes from the northern grassland. She has already seen the capital and seen many prosperous cities on the way here, but at this time, she feels that Yingtian Mansion is the first after all.

Although Hai Lanzhu is also a Mingren, and she is also the emperor's concubine. But her background made the people around her subconsciously treat her as an outsider. Listening to her exclamations at this time, everyone was very proud.

This is my Ming Dynasty’s city!

Outside the city of Yingtian Mansion, there are still many buildings, forming a peripheral market town, which is also lively and prosperous.

At this time, it was almost noon. Emperor Chongzhen looked at the sky, smiled and pointed at a conspicuous restaurant not far from the port and said: "Let's go there to have a meal, and then go to my disciple's village to stay!"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Tian immediately pursed her lips and laughed. She had witnessed the scene when Emperor Chongzhen was forced to accept disciples.

But Hai Lanzhu was very surprised when he heard that the emperor accepted a disciple, and there was such a thing?

Emperor Chongzhen didn't care about others and immediately got off the boat.

From the capital to the south along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, I almost felt sick on the boat. It feels good to have your feet on the ground.

When Hai Lanzhu and Concubine Tian saw each other, they quickly followed, accompanying the emperor on the left and right. But their eyes were looking around. Hailanzhu, in particular, felt that everything was new. Being in the southern water town was completely different from the northern grassland, and it was a bit dazzling!

Of course, behind them, to their left and right, were the plainclothes and royal guards who were escorting them without leaving a trace. Most people would only see Emperor Chongzhen accompanied by seven or eight servants to protect him. This kind of situation is not uncommon in this place where there are so many noble people in Yingtian Mansion.

The restaurant that Emperor Chongzhen was referring to was very conspicuous. The signboard with the name of the restaurant was fluttering in the wind. It was "Sihai Piaoxiang Restaurant", or maybe it was because it was outside the city. It occupied a large area.

As soon as you enter the store, you can see that the lobby on the first floor is very large. Although there are many people eating and drinking, there are still many empty seats.

The waiter's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw someone coming in. A young man was leading two beauties, followed by servants. These were high-rollers!

A fat waiter hurriedly greeted him, showed a professional smile, and said hello: "This guest, please invite me to the private room upstairs!"

In his opinion, this kind of person with status would naturally not eat in a noisy place like the lobby on the first floor. Therefore, with this opening, people walked into the private room upstairs.

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen naturally glanced upstairs. He took his two concubines with him and prepared to go upstairs without thinking too much.

But at this moment, someone in the lobby was heard sighing loudly: "Ah, the atmosphere of our Ming Dynasty is in decline!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen turned around and looked over, and found that it seemed that a scholar was lamenting with his deskmate. With a thought in his mind, he decided to pay a private visit incognito. Didn't he just want to hear more about the situation among the people? It’s unacceptable that this trend is getting worse!

Emperor Chongzhen immediately frowned. He knew that the customs in Jiangnan Shilin were not good. He had already understood the situation when he went to Jiangnan incognito. For this reason, he has been working hard to change, but he did not expect to hear such emotion just after he came ashore.

So Emperor Chongzhen said to the fat waiter: "If you don't want to go to the private room, we can just eat in the lobby!"

After finishing speaking, he spotted an empty table in the middle of the wall on the left side of the door, and walked over.

When Hai Lanzhu saw it, he immediately walked over without saying anything. Concubine Tian, ​​on the other hand, frowned slightly. After all, there were everyone in this lobby. However, when she saw that the emperor and Hai Lanzhu had already moved away, she followed them without showing anything.

Fang Zhenghua, who was under personal protection, immediately followed, followed by Liu Xingzuo's Jin Yiwei guards. Suddenly, a group of people were looking for seats in the lobby, and they attracted a lot of attention.

The fat waiter didn't expect that such a group of high-profile people would be dining in the lobby on the first floor. He couldn't help but be stunned and felt a little unhappy. But there is nothing we can do. Everyone who comes here is a guest, so you can’t show contempt just because someone’s consumption is low, right?

With this in mind, he also went over to entertain.

Everyone knows what to do based on the experience of the last incognito private visit.

Emperor Fang Zhenghua and Emperor Chongzhen were at the same table, and the two adjacent tables were occupied by Liu Xingzuo and his men, protecting the emperor and concubines inside. Unless they saw them coming together from the beginning, people who came in later would not know that they were together.

Perhaps because this restaurant is located on the port side, it has a lot of river fresh food and even seafood. This is rare in the north. Emperor Chongzhen ordered a lot of river delicacies, regardless of whether they were expensive or not, and ordered them in triplicate.

The inner palace has made a lot of money in the past two years, and Emperor Chongzhen's hands are also very rich. Not to mention eating some river delicacies, it is no problem to just eat a bite and pour a plate. Of course, this is called waste, and Emperor Chongzhen would naturally not do this.

When the fat waiter saw that this wealthy guest was sitting in the lobby dining, but the dishes he ordered were even more generous than those in the private room upstairs, he was immediately overjoyed. The little eyes on his chubby face were narrowed into slits. The service was even more attentive.

In this case, the movement is a bit loud. The group of people who were already somewhat eye-catching became even more eye-catching.

"Hmph, there are really more and more nouveau riche in Ming Dynasty, they just know how to show off!"

Fang Zhenghua's ears were sharp. Although these words were said in a low voice, he still stared at them and found that it was said by a person dressed as a scholar.

Emperor Chongzhen coughed a little, and then Fang Zhenghua withdrew his cannibalistic gaze.

"What are you looking at?" The man was obviously drunk, and he stared at Fang Zhenghua and shouted, regardless of how many people there were, "I am a student!"

Emperor Chongzhen saw that this person was the person who was in decline, so he said: "You have eyes on us, and you have an opinion at a glance? Don't you look at us? You are the demeanor that a student should have." What?"

The man's deskmate was an older man. He quickly held down the student who wanted to retort, and apologized to Emperor Chongzhen: "Young Master, my friend drank too much, so don't be offended!"

Emperor Chongzhen and his entourage could tell at a glance that they were either rich or powerful, or that a rich and powerful person was offended over a trivial matter, either because they ate too much or their brains were filled with water.

They apologized, but Emperor Chongzhen didn't care and asked casually: "When I came in just now, I heard you saying that the Ming Dynasty's atmosphere has been declining. What do you mean?"

Others nearby saw the conflict and listened curiously. At this time, after hearing Emperor Chongzhen's question, someone interrupted and said: "Ignore them, they are just some sour scholars who can't see others being good!"

Emperor Chongzhen heard the sound and looked over. Judging from his clothes, he should be an ordinary person, at least not a scholar. But the wine and food on his table seemed to be better than those eaten by the scholars at that table.

"Who are you calling a sour scholar?" The student who had drunk too much slammed the table, pointed at the man and yelled.

At Emperor Chongzhen's table, they didn't expect there to be a quarrel over there, and they couldn't help but be a little surprised. They looked at each other, but didn't say anything, just paying attention to the other side.

"That's you!" The man didn't show any weakness at all and shouted coldly, "What I eat is all earned with my own hands! What do you think? Now I am living a better life than you with my craftsmanship, but I am sour. If you don’t pull a few, what else is it if it’s not a sour show?”

"You..." When the student heard this, his face, which was already red from drinking, suddenly turned red. However, he could not find the words to refute. After a pause, he replied angrily, "I am a student." Officials have merit and fame. In the future, they will be promoted to candidates, Jinshi, and officials, but how can you compare?"

"Haha, I have a unique skill passed down from my ancestors! Go back and hang the title of master on the door. You will eat it every day and drink spicy food. It will piss you off!" The man didn't show any weakness at all. He immediately pushed back and after finishing his words, he also I ate an abalone and ate it very exaggeratedly. The sound of smashing my mouth could be clearly heard in the entire lobby.

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he understood something a little bit. It seems that Jiangnan, a place like Jiangnan, has greatly improved some skilled craftsmen as he has improved the treatment of craftsmen. Some narrow-minded scholars who were originally the darlings of the times have become jealous.

Of course, here in Jiangnan, as long as the craftsman is good at craftsmanship, he has been a guest of a wealthy family before. However, compared with the past and now, there is still a difference. In the past, it was a reward from a wealthy family, which looked up to you and made you a guest. The key to this is to look at the owner. In the final analysis, he is still attached to a wealthy family, and his status has not improved much. If he is unhappy that day, he can still be treated as a beggar!

But now, these craftsmen are given by the emperor, especially the master craftsmen. It is an honor appointed by the emperor. If you don't worship the official, you will definitely earn a lot of money regardless of your status. Whether you are a wealthy family or not, the status of craftsmen has been significantly improved. This is an ironclad fact.

Scholars, especially those who are not proficient in reading, those who have not passed the imperial examination, and those who have not won the Jinshi, are the ones who spend money, but the craftsmen with skills are the ones who make money. These contrasts naturally make some narrow-minded scholars He has become a sour scholar! What's more, the custom here in Jiangnan is to look at people over money.

Emperor Chongzhen thought for a moment and understood the key points, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. It seems that it is not unreasonable that even in later generations, they have such derogatory titles.

However, Emperor Chongzhen was happy to see this situation. Improving the status and income of the craftsmen is the result of his efforts and what he wants.

After listening to the craftsman's words and seeing how the craftsman was eating, the clerk's face suddenly turned redder. Regardless of his deskmate's whispered dissuasion, he stood up, pointed at the craftsman and cursed loudly: "Bah, a bunch of people. Shift craftsmen, craftsmen for generations, what else do you have besides a little money?"

After he finished speaking, he pointed at the people eating in the lobby and continued to say loudly: "Ask them, do more people want to be craftsmen or workers? How much do you weigh? I don’t know, I just know that I am showing off here with a little bit of bad money, this is not looking for scolding!”

When the man heard this, he was stunned for a moment and turned to look at the lobby. At this time, more and more people came to eat, but no one came forward and said that he was willing to be a craftsman. Feeling that his momentum had been suppressed, he was a little unwilling to give in and replied loudly: "The court has regulations. As long as we pay money, we don't have to work! Do you think it was before?"

In the past, shift craftsmen were craftsmen for generations. If the court needed it, they would directly let the craftsmen serve, and they would work for free. This kind of harsh treatment made shift workers often run away to fight. During the Jiajing period, there was finally an innovation, allowing craftsmen to pay silver to the court when they were required to serve, so that the court could hire others to replace them, and it also gave skilled craftsmen more opportunities to be independent.

From a certain perspective, the living standards and status of craftsmen began to slowly change during the Jiajing period. By the time of the Chongzhen Dynasty, great improvements had been made.

"Haha!" The clerk smiled obviously sarcastically, and seemed to have found a psychological balance. After sitting down, he said, "So what if you don't have to work? You are not a craftsman! This craftsman's origin is hereditary, so he deserves it! "

Hearing this, the craftsman surprisingly did not refute, but remained silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the jug and drank.

"You can't say that!" Another table, who looked like a businessman from the clothes, interrupted, "In the past, military households were passed down from generation to generation, but since the reform of the military system in the guards, many military households have become civilians. Have you registered?"

Upon hearing this, the craftsman's eyes brightened up, and he immediately raised his head and echoed: "Yes, yes, yes, the current emperor is so wise and powerful, maybe we craftsmen will also change!"

"Ding, achievement value +2, from carpenter Zhao Cheng"

Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but be a little surprised when he heard the system prompt.

Thanks to the ancient god of thunder, Yang Yongxin, for reading the genuine version every day, specializing in being a little wife, and Snow Angel’s future rewards! Kavin, today's post is late. There should be another chapter tonight, but tomorrow morning's post will be postponed. Anyway, try to keep two updates, and hope to make up for the progress until the weekend.