At the end of February in the third year of Dajin Tiancong, Shenyang City.

This capital, the most virtuous city of the Kingdom of Jin, is now almost like an unfinished project that was half-finished and then ran away when the boss ran away. You can see construction sites everywhere that were half-finished and then stopped.

The expansion project of Shenyang City was started after Huang Taiji came to power. Shenyang City, which was selected by Nurhachi as his home base, was originally the acropolis of Shenyang Zhongwei in the Ming Dynasty. It covers a small area and the castle is not strong. It was also seriously damaged by the war. When Nurhaci established his capital at this time, almost all of Shenyang Zhongwei's city walls were destroyed, leaving only the north gate and its surrounding section.

However, Nurhaci lived a careful life and had no money, so he did not rebuild Shenyang City. This year, he built a palace of the Great Khan in a careless manner near the original north gate of Shenyang, which was regarded as the central place of the Great Jin Kingdom.

After Huang Taiji came to the throne, he felt that as a dignified Khan, he should have a relatively reliable capital city. So he was cruel and spent money to expand and repair the Shenyang city wall. He planned to start construction on the basis of the original city wall and add to the city wall. It was thickened, heightened and reinforced; the original four gates, which were unlucky, were changed into eight gates, which were more "prosperous". The Eight Banners troops each guarded one gate, and the area inside the gate was also divided into eight areas for the Eight Banners disciples to live in. .

If this project can be completed successfully, Huang Taiji will be able to have a brand new castle as his capital and base.

It's a pity that this big project was stopped after last year's "Yinshan" battle. The four city walls were only half piled, and the eight gate buildings only had their bases repaired. The trenches outside the city were dug to some extent, but In the eight areas of the city that are reserved for the Eight Flags, half-built mansions can be seen everywhere. Where there are no half-built mansions, there are either empty wastelands or very poorly built houses - almost no bricks or stones. The houses were made of rammed earth and wood, and looked dingy. They didn't look like a place where high-ranking officials lived.

As for the commercial district, there is only one in the city, located on the north side of the Khan Palace, called Siping Street. There are more than a dozen shops on the street, most of which sell grain, mountain products, medicinal materials, mules and horses, and there are also a few food shops. There are four wine shops and two coffin shops. All the shops have little business, are cold and cold, and look like they are about to close down. Ever since Huang Taiji, the second-generation Khan, came to power, the market in Shenyang has become more and more depressed day by day. Got it!

The reason for the depression in the city of Shenyang is, of course, that Tiancong Khan suffered losses in the war... The battle against North Korea encountered an epidemic, and the battle against Ningjin encountered Hongyi Cannon and Yuan Chonghuan. Last year's entrance battle was the worst, as we encountered Zhu Youjian, the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty who was "brave as Lu Bu, as cunning as Zhongda, and as ruthless as Cao Cao"... It was another losing battle.

Of course, the fact that the Great Khan always loses money in battles cannot be put on the table here in Shenyang... The Great Khan is smarter than Zhuge, how could he lose money? Open the map and look at it, Knowing that the Great Khan was not at a loss, the gains from the battle "once he came out of Yanshan" were much greater than those gained in the battle of Qishan when Zhuge Liang came out! Not only did they capture Mameng Mountain - about half of Yanshan to the east of the Hantao River, but also Taking advantage of the opportunity of the Ming army in western Liaoning to aid from the east, they captured Jinzhou City, which was not captured in the Battle of Ningjin in the first year of Tiancong.

Moreover, the territory captured by Tiancong Khan in the "Yi Chu Yanshan" battle was not without actual garrison troops, just drawing random drawings on the map, but real garrison troops! From the Eight Banners, Zhenglan Banner and Xiangqi Banner were drawn out

Half of the men and horses of the Blue Banner, plus the eight newly built Mongolian banners (Eight Banners of Mongolia), and part of the Han army (there is no Eight Banners Han Army yet, only the Han Army Niulu), were garrisoned in the areas east of Mameng Mountain and around Jinzhou.

This was a true opening up of territory, truly pushing the boundary between Dajin and the Southern Dynasties forward by hundreds of miles!

Therefore, the Han people and Khan-clad slaves who were doing business on Siping Street did not dare to say that they had made losses "as soon as they came out of Yanshan"...

Although the Kingdom of Jin did not suffer a loss, Zhang Xiaoqi, the servant who is currently dressing the shop with a red flag, did suffer a loss!

He walked around the entrance and went to the battlefield several times, but in the end he didn't catch anything. After he came back, he was still a slave with a red flag. Being a slave with a red flag was not the worst thing. The worst thing was that Zhang Xiaoqi's mother-in-law was because of Tian Cong

He lost his life in the famine that started in the winter of 2008. Although Zhang Xiaoqi was not very old, his parents were not young either. He was the youngest son of his father and his mother, who was only born when they were in their forties.

he.

In this era, people in their fifties and almost sixty, unless they are pampered and take exercise, are too old to do any heavy work, nor can they go into battle to fight for the Kingdom of Jin.

To the masters who wear red flags, the old couple are of course of little value... If Zhang Xiaoqi can obtain the status of a flag-bearer, there will certainly be a way to earn money for his mother-in-law.

But he was just a minion... Even though he was a little minion with room for growth, he couldn't save my mother-in-law's life.

Even if he is willing to give up his rations to his parents - he is a slave and has no freedom to starve to death. He can only starve to death when his master thinks he must starve to death!

Moreover, people who can be masters are smart and will not put old people who must starve to death with filial sons!

He still remembers the moment when he said goodbye to his parents... The two old men were caught in the cold and sent to serve in the Jinzhou Army. In fact, everyone knew that there was no need for them in the Jinzhou Army. They were so old.

What are you going to do? Give heads to the Ming army? Moreover, the masters will not provide the rations needed along the way.

In fact, these redundant people were driven out to starve to death... But Zhang Xiaoqi, who had always been filial, broke up with his parents with a smile!

You have to laugh, how can you cry when the servants of the Jin Kingdom are marching out of the city? Fan Wencai, who saved Zhang Xiaoqi's life in the last battle at the entrance, is responsible for "escorting" these old servants with the Han army decorated with red flags (

Not only Zhang Xiaoqi’s parents, but many people as well) Go to hell... If Zhang Xiaoqi died in tears, Fan Wencai would have to scare the monkeys!

Zhang Xiaoqi's heart aches when he thinks of himself smiling and sending his parents to their death! His eyes are sore and tears are swaying in them.

Just at this moment, a sound of horse hoof bells rang, and several strong horses passed by in the market like wind. The knight in front was dressed in common people's clothes and had a shaved head. Zhang Xiaoqi recognized him. He was the man with the red flag.

Fan Wencai, the military commander, was Fan Wencheng's brother... After sending Zhang Xiaoqi's parents out of Shenyang City, he never came back. He didn't even see her during the Chinese New Year, but she didn't expect to see her today.

Saw it.

"Mr. Fan Da!" Zhang Xiaoqi shouted.

Fan Wencai had slowed down his horse at this time. He heard someone calling him, and it sounded familiar to him, so he reined in the horse and looked back, and saw a tearful Zhang Xiaoqi.

"Xiao Qi..." Fan Wencai looked at this skinny child and sighed. He looked very hungry! So he reached out and took out a small money bag from his arms. , threw it over, "Take this money, eat a few good meals, replenish your body... don't save it!"

"Mr. Fan Da..." Zhang Xiaoqi caught the money bag and immediately understood what was going on. Zhang Xiaoqi is 17 years old this year. He has no father, no mother, and no worries. He must be taken with him when the red flag is sent out. Such a slave.

Fan Wencai nodded and said loudly: "Xiao Qi, you can't miss the opportunity again this time... You must become a flag officer! This is your mother-in-law's last wish... These days, Only when you become a flag officer can you live a good life and live like a human being!"

Zhang Xiaoqi squeezed the bag of money tightly and nodded heavily, with tears in his eyes: "Mr. Fan Da, I understand... I must become a flagman this time!"

Only by becoming a bannerman can you live like a human being! This is the only way forward for the Han people and Mongolians of the Jin Kingdom.
Chapter completed!