Nanjing was the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Chu State was established here. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu called himself emperor and changed his name to Jianye. Since then, Nanjing has always been the economic and cultural center in southern China.

After Zhu Yuanzhang captured Jiqing at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he changed it to Yingtian Prefecture. In 1368, the Ming Dynasty was established, with Nanjing as the capital. Nanjing became China's political, economic and cultural center, and ushered in the second peak in history. In the early Ming Dynasty, Nanjing's total population was about 700,000, which was the largest and most populous city in China at that time, and it was also the largest city in the world. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Nanjing's population grew to 1.2 million, becoming the most populous city in the world at that time. Nanjing's important position continued until the rise of Shanghai in the late Qing Dynasty, and then retreated to the second place, but it was also one of the most important cities in central China.

The wars in the late Ming Dynasty caused China to lose 70% of its population, but the wars in the north also ushered in another peak of development for Nanjing. A large number of wealthy households such as Henan, Shandong, and Yangzhou went south to Nanjing to avoid disaster, which indirectly promoted Nanjing's economic development.

Zhu Hongsan came out of the imperial city under the protection of the guards. Looking at the crowds on the streets, he couldn't help but sigh that if he didn't see through, the population density would be no different from that of Beijing and Shanghai in later generations. Of course, there is a population of more than 800,000 in Nanjing now, and the refugees, fishermen, gangsters, and merchants living outside the city were worth millions. The city covers an area of ​​only 55 square kilometers. The population density is more than 15,000 per square kilometer, and this population density is not much different from that of Beijing in later generations.

Zhu Hongsan turned around and looked at the ten East Factory guards who were following him, frowned, why are you still having fun after following so tightly!

"Old Li, let them stay away and don't follow so close!"

"But the Emperor's safety..." Li Chengen was very hesitant. Nanjing was full of fish and dragons. If someone was not good to the emperor, he would never refuse.

"What are you afraid of in the city? Also, Old Li, don't call me Emperor, just call me... Young Master!"

Li Chengen heard Zhu Hongsan say shamelessly. You are over thirty years old and still call yourself a young master? You are shameless! But Li Chengen didn't dare to speak, so he had to let the guards retreat thirty meters and follow them far away.

When Zhu Hongsan saw the guards away, he said, "This is better, this is not eye-catching. Let's go! Let's go to Nancheng!"

Nanjing City is divided into two counties in the north and south, and Shangyuan County to the north. Although it covers a large area, most of it is the central government's government offices, or the mansions of the big men in the court. The southern city covers an area of ​​about one-third of the city, and it gathers the essence of the city, among which the Qinhuai River next to Confucius Temple is the essence of the essence.

Zhu Hongsan also went on a tour of the Qinhuai River, but he stayed in Nanjing for two days and could only take a quick look. The most important thing is that he had never experienced the Qinhuai brothel culture.

In the Ming Dynasty, Confucius Temple was the imperial examination room for the Imperial College, and candidates gathered, so many service industries were concentrated here, including restaurants, teahouses, snacks, brothels and brothels. The students who came to take the exam had a soft and gentle atmosphere, so those who passed the exam naturally had to sigh in life, and those who did not pass the exam also needed gentle Jiangnan women to comfort them. Therefore, on the Qinhuai River, "the sound of the sluice and the shadows of the lanterns were ten miles away, and the singing girls played with the turbid waves of the boat", "the painting of the boat was slapped and the drums were endless day and night", and the tertiary industry was very developed.

Zhu Hongsan was not a good man and a woman in his previous life, so he was naturally a frequent visitor to the place of love and mist. However, Zhu Hongsan was just a township cadre, and he was considered the lowest level of small bureaucrats. The place he went to was just an ordinary place with 200 nights. Now seeing the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River, this is a good place to go in the sky and earth, and Zhu Hongsan naturally felt a happy spring heart.

When Zhu Hongsan came to the Qinhuai River, he saw that there were flower boats in the river. Some boats were parked by the river, and some were sailing on the river. The sound of silk and bamboo musical instruments came from inside.

"Old Li, what's going on?"

Although Li Chengen was a eunuch, he was also an educated eunuch. He also studied in the Silijian back then. If he went to take the imperial examination for the Jinshi exam, it was a bit nonsense, but if he was holding a handful of hands, he would pinch his hands.

"Young Master, there are all popular singers in the flower boat. They don't sit on the brothel on the shore and wait on the river for those who are destined to be!"

When Zhu Hongsan heard Li Chengen's elegant words, he cursed and said, "These literati are just good at playing. What kind of flower boats are destined to be? Isn't it just a boat shock?"

At this time, a flower boat was docked, and young people on the river bank wanted to have a love interest and squeezed up.

Zhu Hongsan stood by and looked at the flower boat. The cabin was filled with gauze curtains, and the beautiful woman inside was graceful. Zhu Hongsan stood on the shore and looked itchy. He pushed a few guys waiting in front of him and wanted to go in when he arrived at the side of the boat.

But I knew a madam came out on the boat and said with her hips on her hips, "Where did you come from? Don't you know the rules? Let's write a poem first when you meet our girl!"

Zhu Hongsan cursed in his heart: Your mother, prostitution is related to money, why are you still getting into culture? Did people in the Ming Dynasty start playing the entertainment industry? A bitch is not a bitch and insist on calling himself an internet celebrity?

According to Zhu Hongsan's former temperament, he went in and took off his pants and went on. However, now that Zhu Hongsan has an identity, he can no longer do the dirty things he used to do, not to mention that the river is full of young scholars, if he is strong, he will lose his identity.

Zhu Hongsan didn't have any suitable poems when he wanted to break his head. He didn't know the poems of the Qing Dynasty in later generations, but he only remembered the poems of Taizu, but it was not appropriate to get such a domineering thing!

Zhu Hongsan thought for a long time and asked, "Is this mother okay to sing a small song?"

As soon as Zhu Hongsan said this, the young people around him burst into laughter, and those who came to sing small songs were really embarrassing for scholars.

The madam glared at Zhu Hongsan: "Okay! Look at how you sang!"

Just let the singing be easy. Zhu Hongsan coughed and began to sing the song he learned in later generations.

"Play the drum tightly and slowly beat the gong, stop the drum and listen to the singing. I sing all kinds of gossip. I have heard that I have sang Eighteen* touch. I reached out to touch the silk on my face, and the dark clouds flew half the sky. I reached out to touch the front of my head, and the heaven was full and addicted. I reached out to touch the Maowan, and it was scattered outside. I reached out to touch the little eyes of my sister, and my eyes were white. I reached out to touch the little nose needle, and I was burning to the outside. I reached out to touch the little mouth of my sister, and my eyes were slightly smiling..."

The madam thought Zhu Hongsan could sing some clever songs. When she heard carefully, she wasn't this Eighteen Touching! There were such lewd and dirty songs in the Ming Dynasty, but the lyrics were different from those in later generations, but the general meaning was to touch all the eighteen parts of a woman's body.

"Get out! Get away! Get away, do you, your husband, think this is a secret prostitute for the three eldest sons? You ran to this place and sang Eighteen* and touched it!" After the madam said that, he brought out a basin of foot washing water to Zhu Hongsanyang.

Zhu Hongsan had no choice but to flee as the teasing of the scholars around him.

After running out of the crowd, Zhu Hongsan saw that no one around him paid attention to him, so he stopped and scolded the prostitute: "Isn't this bitch who runs thousands of people just coming out to sell it? He also has to recite poems and write pairs. If I know how to write poems, I will come to prostitute you, a third-rate little bitch?"

Zhu Hongsan looked at his body without being splashed with dirty water, and then said with confidence: "It seems that it is dangerous outside. It's better to go home and find Saisai to sing a song! There's no need to spend money!"

Li Chengen felt in his heart when he heard Zhu Hongsan say this: Can Bian Yujing and Bian be compared with this vulgar fan?

Zhu Hongsan looked at a teahouse in front of him. He happened to be a little thirsty and said to Lao Li: "Let's go, go and drink some water first!"

There are two types of teahouses in the Ming Dynasty. One is the kind of teahouse that intellectuals go to. Most of the people who come to the teahouse to drink tea are literati and elegant, so the shops are generally decorated very elegantly, with clean utensils and calligraphy and paintings hanging on all sides. There is also a kind of teahouse that also conducts storytelling and singing, which is a good place for people to entertain.

Zhu Hongsan walked into this two-story teahouse, and there were already many people sitting inside, and Kunqu opera was singing on the stage.

The guy at the door knew that he was a rich man when he saw Zhu Hongsan's clothes, so he shouted: "Two distinguished guests! The elegant seat on the second floor!"

Zhu Hongsan and Li Chengen went up to the second floor, and the clerk stepped forward and asked, "Second masters, we have misses, Shoumei, Hongmei, Rain, Ming, Benshan, I don't know what the uncle wants to drink?"

Zhu Hongsan thought for a while and said, "Come on the Humingqian. What other delicious pastries and fruits are there on the plate? I'm not short of money!"

As an international metropolis, the guy in Nanjing has seen a lot of rich nouveau riche like Zhu Hongsan. He comes to the big city to see the world if he has some local money. However, no matter how despised he is, he dare not be a little negligent on his face.

After a while, the tea came up, and four kinds of fruit plates and four kinds of refreshments were also delivered.

The fruits include pears, jujubes, water chestnuts, and snow lotus roots. A small plate of sugar was placed next to it. It seemed that it was the snow sugar produced in Leizhou, Hainan. The refreshments include firewood, steamed horns, frit pie, and rose whisk. Zhu Hongsan picked up a minced meat and tasted it. It was much worse than the skills in the palace, but the taste was pretty good. Zhu Hongsan drank tea while eating pastries, watching Kunqu opera performing on stage.

Zhu Hongsan was originally from Huguang, but he really couldn't understand this kind of soft Wu language Kunqu opera, so he asked Li Chengen, "What was that person on the stage singing?"

Li Chengen lowered his head and said, "Young Master, you are singing the Peony Pavilion above, and you are singing to Du Li Niang's soul traveling to the back garden, and have a tryst with Liu Mengmei again."

Zhu Hongsan had heard of the Peony Pavilion before and knew it was written by Tang Xianzu, a great opera singer in the Ming Dynasty.

"Did Tang Xianzu write it?"

Li Chengen didn't expect that this great illiterate emperor knew Tang Xianzu and quickly replied: "Young Master, it was Tang Hairuo, who was born in Jiaqing in the 29th year and served as the head of the priest of the Ministry of Rites."

When Zhu Hongsan heard Tang Xianzu, he suddenly remembered that there was another opera called Peach Blossom Fan, which was named with the Peony Pavilion. It tells the love story between Li Xiangjun, the eight beauties of Qinhuai, and Hou Fangyu. I don’t know if it has been written.

"Old Li, there is another play called Peony Pavilion. Have you heard of it?"
Chapter completed!