Zhuxian Town, forty-five miles south of Kaifeng City, is the last station from Xiangzhou to the capital. When Xu Ping and Shi Quanbin arrived here it was already evening, so they had to rest here for a night and enter Beijing tomorrow morning.

Kaifeng was originally named Qifeng. It was built during the reign of Duke Zhuang of Zheng. It was designated as the key place to open southeast of the ancient Zheng Kingdom. The former Han Dynasty avoided the taboo of Emperor Jing of Han and changed Qifeng to Kaifeng. By the first year of Yanhe in the Tang Dynasty, it moved the capital of Kaifeng into Bianzhou City and became the Fuguo County of Bianzhou. By this time, Kaifeng Prefecture had replaced the name of Bianzhou.

Before the relocation, the Kaifeng County was located not far south of Zhuxian Town, and it was already a ruin. Zhuxian Town developed on the ruins of ancient Kaifeng County. However, when Xu Ping arrived here, he was far less than the spirit of the four famous towns in later generations. It was just a street, seven or eight shops, just Caoshi, and it had not yet become a town.

This is the last stop to the capital. If you can reach the capital, no one will rest here. The post station is pitifully small, with only a dozen postmen and a few horses.

When we arrived at the inn, the sun was already setting, but we missed the meal time at the inn. Everyone had to go out to eat some wine and meals outside the street market. At this time, the surrounding area of ​​Zhuxian Town was desolate and there was nothing good to eat.

The weather in the Central Plains is different from that in Lingnan. The sun is hot during the day, but at night, the cool breeze rises, and my body feels much more comfortable.

It was the ninth day of the eighth month, and it was about to be Mid-Autumn Festival. Xu Ping sat in the room and felt the chill.

Since May, I have been working hard all the way and finally returned to the capital before the Mid-Autumn Festival to have a reunion festival with my family. The transportation in this era is really disheartening.

The crescent moon will rise tonight, and the moon will not come out until the second half of the night. There are only stars outside, spots, and there are confusing lights. Xu Ping sat in front of the window, looking at the north with the stars, thinking about his relatives in the city.

I was timid when I got close to my hometown. When I arrived outside Kaifeng, my longing for my family became increasingly uncontrollable, but I felt even more panicked.

After six years of separation, what is the family now? Are your parents in good health? What is Lin Su Niang like now? When we parted, we were newlywed. Lin Su Niang's 15 or 16-year-old girl, her body has not yet fully grown. The pregnancy has made Xu Ping worry for a long time. Now he is in his twenties, he has taken off his childishness, right?

And the daughter who had never met before, she was seven years old all at once. What did she look like? Should she follow her or Lin Su Niang? Will she refuse to recognize herself? Do she like the gifts she brought to her?

How did the manor in Zhongmu develop? I still expect to bring wealth there. With the wealth there as a confidence, the burden of becoming an official is much lighter and I can be more relaxed.

All kinds of miscellaneous things came to my heart, and Xu Ping could not fall asleep no matter what.

The sun rose and the first ray of sunlight shone in from the window. Xu Ping woke up in a daze under Xiuxiu's urging outside the room.

After opening the door, Xiuxiu came in to serve Xu Ping to wash up and asked softly: "Official, do you want to change into a new official uniform when you enter the city today? I'll bring it to you."

Xu Ping woke up suddenly: "I want to take the red robe quickly. If you have enough time to enter the city, you may have to go to the palace to meet the emperor. Of course, you have to wear a new official uniform!"

This is a special kind of grace. I must wear it when I see the emperor, otherwise it will be a loss to the Lord.

After washing up, the official was wearing a big red official robe. Xu Ping actually felt that he was much more energetic. He was above the fifth rank and above, but at this time he was above the fifth rank and above the noble official. He would look up to him wherever he went.

When he came out to the yard, Shi Quanbin saw Xu Ping and his eyes lit up: "Yun Xing, this official robe is particularly pleasing to you! Such a young official robe is rare in Kaifeng City!"

Xu Ping looked at himself and nodded with a smile. Although many officials would receive the treatment of being granted consecrated, they would have to be almost the same. With his own rules, the high level of official positions is indeed counted.

Ren Shouzhong followed Shi Quanbin like a pug, serving him back and forth, and then congratulated Xu Ping.

At this time, there were already the world of Shi Quanbin and others who were around the emperor. It would be fine if Ren Shouzhong could get the chance to be demoted from the capital. If he was left in the palace, his fate would depend entirely on Shi Quanbin's wishes.

I made breakfast at the inn, which was very simple, but steamed cakes with white porridge and a few side dishes.

No one was concerned at this time, and he had already thoughts to fly to Kaifeng City. After having breakfast, he filled his stomach. The group got on the horse and headed to Kaifeng City in the north.

Xu Ping returned to Beijing under the order, and first went to the palace to submit the order, so he walked through Xinfengqiu Gate and entered the city, and could go all the way to Donghua Gate.

There are four gates in the north of the city, the Xinfengqiu Gate in the middle directly leads to the Donghua Gate of the Imperial Palace, and the Xinxuan Zao Gate directly leads to the Xihua Gate of the Imperial Palace. Donghua Gate is the main gate, so you naturally need to enter the Imperial Palace.

As a Kaifeng native, Xu Ping actually entered the city from the north of the city for the first time. He looked around the east and west along the way, and he actually felt novel. Next to the city gate is Ruishengyuan, the location of the imperial field. Every year, the emperor watched the place where new wheat and new rice were harvested.

After entering the city gate, there was the imperial guard camp first, and both sides of the road seemed deserted, and the bustling city was far from visible.

After passing the military camp, the Wuzhang River was not far away, and the two sides of the road began to become lively. The closer you get to the imperial city, the more prosperous it is.

Kaifeng City has always been bustling in the south, and it is much deserted to the north of the imperial city. In the south of the city, there are many populations, prosperous markets, and every inch of land is valuable. On the contrary, there are large open spaces in the north, and even large vegetable fields in the northwest.

Relying on the Wuzhang River, to the east is Kaibao Temple. The Inspiration Tower inside is dedicated to the relics of King Ashoka who was tributed by the Wuyue Kingdom, which is a Buddhist sediment in the capital. It was already noon after Xu Ping and his group entered the city. The good men returned from Kaibao Temple, and the crowds on the street suddenly increased.

Following the crowd, I entered the inner city without realizing it.

Xu Ping was wearing a red official robe and was so young. On the way, people pointed at him from time to time and guessed which official family it was. After entering the inner city, someone finally recognized him as Dalang from the Xu family in Xicheng. In the fifth year of Tiansheng, as a local native of Kaifeng, he was praised by the emperor as the first-class Jinshi. He did not expect that he would become a nobleman from Zhuyi in a few years.

People in Beijing love to be lively. In a short while, a large group of people surrounded Xu Ping and others and claimed their congratulations.

Xu Ping endured his heart to return home, and had to slow down and bow to the people around him.

Surrounded by the crowd, Xu Ping slowly moved forward and finally arrived at Maxing Street, outside Donghua Gate, where he had come out of the imperial city as a new Jinshi.
Chapter completed!