Chapter 5, Going to Huai'an

Before long, a man dressed in a dark blue cloud-patterned silk long gown walked towards Zhu Cilang. Behind him was the soldier who had gone to deliver the message

As for Liancheng, it was constructed in the thirty-ninth year of the Jiajing era

Currently, Lu Zhenfei concurrently holds the positions of Governor of the Canal Transport and Prefect of Huai'an, and it is said that he resides in the Prefectural Yamen.

Please wait a moment, young sir, while I go and inform them.

The Chief Guard of the Eastern Palace, Zhao Xin, also said: "Young Master, we shall accompany you inside."

However, whether one has seen him or not is not important; Zhu Cilang carries the Eastern Palace seal with him, which is sufficient to prove his identity. Lu Zhenfei is absolutely loyal to the imperial family, and with his support, Zhu Cilang can safely reach Nanjing.

Zhu Cilang let out a long breath, steadying his mind and saying: "It is best to act according to the circumstances later; those gatekeepers and guards may not be easy to deal with."

Zhu Cilang was pondering whether this person could be the provincial governor, when the man spoke first: "I am Lu An, a servant of this office. May I ask how you would like to be addressed, young master?"

This is also the reason why Zhu Cilang chose to go directly to Huai'an. At this time, the four towns had not yet formed, and Huai'an was still under the governance of loyal individuals like Lu Zhenfei, so the overall situation was still favorable

Indeed, if one is not a general, it is difficult to explain why one possesses so many firearms and crossbows

Its administrative seat is located in Shanyang County, where the Governor of the Grain Transport is also stationed. Huai'an City is situated between the capital and Nanjing, serving as an important hub on the Grand Canal, which is why the Ming court established the Governor of the Grain Transport here to oversee grain transport affairs

Unlike ordinary square cities, Huai'an features a layout comprising three cities: the New City, the Old City, and the Linked City.

The official slightly nodded and turned to leave

The three cities combined have a perimeter of 17 li and an area of approximately 4 square kilometers

The old city was established during the Tang Dynasty, while the new city was built by Shi Wenbing, a general of Zhang Shicheng, to the north of the old city at the end of the Yuan Dynasty

Zhu Cilang could not help but marvel in awe at the grandeur of such a magnificent city.

He displayed a very respectful attitude, with a smile at the corners of his mouth

Zhu Cilang was taken aback. A gatekeeper? This fellow is merely a gatekeeper? Gatekeepers all wear silk garments, what a grand display!

There are indeed quite a number of government offices in the city of Huai'an, including the county office of Shanyang, the prefectural office of Huai'an, as well as the governor's office, the office of the Grand Commissioner of Transport, and the regular inspection office

Young master, the provincial governor's yamen is just ahead

The two soldiers, upon hearing that Zhu Cilang was the nephew of the provincial governor, became increasingly respectful in their demeanor

The governor's office is located in the northern part of the old city of Huai'an, slightly south of the government yamen.

The various government offices in Huai'an Prefecture are mostly concentrated in the old city. Zhu Cilang and his party, coming from the north, must first pass through the new city and Liancheng to enter the old city

Zhu Cilang held a high regard for Lu Zhenfei. In the original history, after the fall of the Hongguang court, this individual was able to follow Emperor Longwu, Zhu Yujian, in steadfastly resisting the Qing, making him one of the few literati of the Ming Dynasty with integrity and character

Liu Qubing lowered his voice to a whisper, audible only to him and Zhu Cilang

Brother Zhu should be a general, right

This title was specifically emphasized by Zhu Cilang. Initially, Zhao Xin often referred to him as Your Highness, which was indeed too dangerous; therefore, Zhu Cilang ordered him to only call him Young Master.

Zhu Cilang was not in a hurry, quietly standing there waiting

One of the soldiers cupped his fists in salute to Zhu Cilang, then turned and entered the governor's office

Zhu Cilang was momentarily taken aback, but soon understood the other party's intention

Seeing Zhu Cilang dressed in luxurious attire and possessing an extraordinary demeanor, they did not dare to scold him recklessly, but cautiously inquired: "What brings this young master to the governor's office?"

This is understandable, as the canal has been interrupted several times, requiring minimal effort to be spent on the transportation of goods. Most of Lu Zhenfei's energy is certainly still devoted to overseeing military and political affairs in Huai'an.

He cleared his throat and said: "I am Zhu, a latecomer from the capital, and I kindly ask you, elder, to convey this message."

Upon realizing that his judgment was correct, Liu Qubing was very pleased

The book states, "This matter is known to you and me, and must not be spoken of to others"

After leaving Liujiacun, Zhu Cilang and his party had a relatively smooth journey, arriving outside the city of Huai'an two days later

Later, the officials in Nanjing also learned of this news and each began to devise their own schemes, hoping to gain merit by supporting the vassal king.

Huai'an Prefecture is subordinate to Nanzhi Li, overseeing nine counties: Shanyang, Qinghe, Yancheng, Andong, Taoyuan, Muyang, Ganyu, Suining, and Suqian, as well as Haizhou and Pizhou. The total number of households in the prefecture is 109,205, with a population of 906,633

A group of people arrived in front of the governor's office, and indeed, several guards approached.

Brother Zhu, I have a statement that I am uncertain whether I should express or not

Zhu Cilang knew that the current Governor of the Grand Canal Transport was Lu Zhenfei, who at that time also held the title of Inspector of Huai'an, making him undoubtedly the top authority in this region

Some know

The circumference of the new city is 7 li and 20 zhang, with a height of 2 zhang and 8 chi. There are five city gates. The eastern gate is called Wangyang, the western gate is called Lanyuan, the southern gate is called Yingxun, and the northern gate is called Hongji. To the west of the Great Northern Gate, there is a small northern gate called Daichen Gate. Additionally, there are four corner towers, 48 watchtowers, and 1,200 crenellations.

After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, the official rushed out, panting, with a face full of smiles: "Young master, please come in, do come in quickly"

Certainly, this is the statistical data from the sixth year of the Wanli era, which saw some fluctuations during the Chongzhen period, but it is generally still considered accurate

... ...

Now that Zhu Cilang has broken out of the capital, it is naturally impossible for these political opportunists to act recklessly. As long as he, the legitimate crown prince, is present, he represents the rightful lineage and is undoubtedly the heir to the throne

At that time, the southeastern pirates were rampant, repeatedly invading Huai'an. In order to guard against the threat of these pirates, the Grand Coordinator of the Transport Bureau, Zhang Huan, submitted a memorial to the court, proposing the construction of a connecting wall between the northeast corner of the old city and the southeast corner of the new city. This structure linked the two cities, which is also referred to as the "Jia City".

Oh, Liu, please feel free to speak without hesitation

Zhu Cilang knew that in the original historical timeline, the first news of the fall of the capital to the south was received in Huai'an. On the eighth day of the fourth month, Lu Zhenfei announced this news to the local officials and gentry based on the reports from the Tang.

It can be said that the geographical location of Huai'an Prefecture is of utmost importance, with the Huai River to the north, the Yongji River to the southwest, Sheyang Lake to the southeast, and the three inspection offices of Maluo Township, Miaowan Town, and Yangzhai Township to the northeast, making it a strategic point

The man is not particularly tall, has a slightly plump figure, and his face is quite prosperous in appearance

They entered the city through the Hongji Gate at the north gate of the New City, traversed through the New City and the United City, then passed through the North Gate of the Old City towards the Zhongmen Gate, heading straight for the Governor's Office.

Zhu Cilang smiled slightly and said: "I am the nephew of the Governor, sent by my father to pay a visit to the Governor."

With loyal ministers like General Zhu present, one believes that the court will eventually eradicate the Eastern barbarians and restore Liaodong

The eunuch Liu Chuanrong said cautiously

Zhu Cilang's understanding of Lu Zhenfei primarily comes from historical texts. In this life, he has only read Lu Zhenfei's name a few times in the official reports, but he has never seen him in person. Of course, before he traveled back in time to the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen reign, Zhu Cilang does not know whether the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace had ever met Lu Zhenfei.

The circumference of the old city is 11 li, the height of the city is 30 chi, and there are four city gates. The east gate is called Guanfeng, the south gate is called Yingyuan, the west gate is called Wangyun, and the north gate is called Chaozong. There are four large towers on the city, three corner towers, fifty-three watchtowers, and 2,960 crenellations.

The city is situated between the old and new cities, with a length of 256 zhang and 3 chi to the east, and a length of 225 zhang and 5 chi to the west. The height of the city varies between 1 zhang and 4 to 5 chi, with an additional height of 6 to 7 chi added later, and a thickness of 4 to 5 chi. There are four city towers of varying sizes. The southeast city gate is called Tianqu Gate, the northeast city gate is called Fucheng Gate, the southwest city gate is called Chengcheng Gate, and the northwest city gate is also called Tianqu Gate. There are 620 crenellations.

Zhu Cilang sheathed his sword and smiled faintly

At this point, the basic pattern of the three cities of Huai'an has been established.

Liu Chuanrong and Zhao Xin nodded in unison

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