Chapter 966: The Central Capital of the Empire (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"…In a sense, Zhongdu is the first city in the New World to follow the Chinese urban system. Although it has no city walls, it has city gates. The inspiration for its city gates comes from Chinese archways. The "Yongding Gate" we are about to pass through was started in the eighth year of Shengde and completed at the end of the ninth year of Shengde. It adopts a six-column and five-bay archway structure. Unlike the traditional wooden and stone archway structure, it adopts a large-span steel-concrete structure. Its main body is 46.6 meters high, taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France…"
The passengers on the double-decker bus hurriedly wrote down this important information, then stood up one after another, all of them looking at the huge and majestic building with admiration. The carved beams and painted pillars, and the richly painted memorial archway looked even more spectacular, and when they got closer, they noticed that the majestic stone lion holding a drum was just a shape, with relief carvings on it.
The tour guide was a young woman who was wearing a prominent dress and had a gentle and pleasant voice, but she had a Western appearance.
A young man held a child of three or four years old on his knees, as if to help him see more clearly, while they finally arrived under the city gate.
"On the inner side of the drum-holding stone lions at Yongding Gate, there are four reliefs with war themes: "Foundation", "Departure", "Victory" and "Conquest", and on the outer side, there are the names of soldiers who sacrificed for the Ming Dynasty."
The female tour guide introduced it to them.
"Today, the Ming Dynasty is forever stable, all thanks to the sacrifices of the loyal and brave soldiers of the empire. The sacrifices will be recorded here to highlight their merits..."
The passengers on the bus all stretched their necks dutifully, wanting to see a few words of those people's names. Of course, some people also used their cameras to take photos of the exquisite relief carvings.
The passengers had different identities. Among them was a group of Japanese people from the African colonies, wearing cheap "Cons" cameras around their necks. For them, coming to the empire was a pilgrimage. There was also a couple dressed like American cowboys, who were obviously from the North Sea colony, with a child of about eight or nine years old, and they were here for a visit. There were also some people who looked no different from ordinary Ming people in their dress, probably from various southern provinces.
They came here by ship and train from all over the world, to the heart of the empire, just to visit the new capital of the empire, which has attracted the attention of the whole world since the day it was planned.
"Look, this is Zhongdu!"
Pointing to the buildings on both sides of the street, Zhan Tianyou introduced them to his wife.
He looked a little excited. Zhongdu, he was finally back to Zhongdu again.
Zhongdu!
From the proposal of the "New Capital Plan" in 1877 to the start of construction in 1878, the Ming Empire spent more than three years to build a new capital in this newly conquered wilderness. There are no ancient monuments in the city, nor the prosperity and bustle of a metropolis, but it is full of modern urban layout, novel and unique buildings, and artistic sculptures with rich meanings. The urban area has both modern high-rise buildings and traditional Chinese-style buildings and European Baroque buildings.
Here, the classical and the modern, the Chinese and the Western seem to blend together in a perfect way, just like this empire.
"Well, this is Zhongdu, I know."
Tan Juzhen, with a smile on her face, had her eyes fixed on Zhan Tianyou beside her while she was speaking. Compared to Zhongdu, she only had eyes for this man beside her.
Two years ago, he returned to China after completing his studies. As soon as he came back, he was highly valued by Governor Li Zai Pei. Although he had a childhood engagement at that time, he had not yet married. Many families with better family backgrounds than hers came to him to introduce him to a matchmaker and advised him to marry someone else, but he did not waver or feel unwilling, and even married her when he became successful.
How could she not be moved?
"Juzhen, let me tell you, when the war against Pakistan broke out, I went to the battlefield with my classmates from the Army School. The unit I was in was the first to arrive here..."
"Oh, you, you really went with the army? Then why didn't you say that in your letter?"
When he looked down and saw his wife's worried look, Tan Juzhen said.
"Juzhen, look, I'm fine. Don't worry, we will be together often in the future. Look, we are together now."
Her husband's answer brought a smile to Tan Juzhen's face again. They were childhood sweethearts. Not long after they got engaged at the age of twelve, he was sent to study in Ming Dynasty. Seven or eight years of longing for each other were finally over.
The sightseeing bus continued to move forward, passing through a busy street lined with high-end shops, cinemas, and restaurants. Half an hour later, they left the double-decker sightseeing bus, strolled on the street for a while, and then went into a nearby restaurant.
The restaurant serves northern-style barbecue. Just as they sat down, someone suddenly shouted.
"God bless you! Zhan Tianyou!"
An excited voice came from not far away, and the next moment, a figure suddenly rushed over from the side and "broke" in front of Zhan Tianyou and his wife.
"Haisheng!"
Zhan Tianyou, who was accompanying his wife, stood up excitedly and said when he heard the voice.
"Zheng Haisheng, you, why..."
Without waiting for Zhan Tianyou to speak, Zheng Haisheng kept asking questions like a machine gun.
"Tianyou, didn't you return to China? Why are you in Zhongdu again? Oh, I saw in the newspaper that China has been liberated. Now you..."
Looking at Zhan Tianyou, Zheng Haisheng suddenly seemed to understand something and said excitedly.
"So, you were sent to Ming by the new government on official business."
"Haha, you are right."
Zhan Tianyou smiled.
"I was sent by the Marshal to work at the Military Attaché Office of the Legation. I originally wanted to contact my old classmates after I settled down, but I didn't expect to run into you here. By the way, Haisheng, you are now..."
"I am now serving on the General Staff."
"The General Staff! That's a great place. I didn't expect you to be in the General Staff so soon."
Since he attended military academy in the Ming Dynasty, how could Zhan Tianyou not know what it meant for a young officer to enter the general staff.
"Temporary secondment."
Zheng Haisheng shook his head and looked at the woman next to Zhan Tianyou.
"Tianyou, who is this?"
"Ah, look at me. Let me introduce you. This is my wife."
"Oh, it's actually my sister-in-law. Tianyou didn't introduce me to you earlier. I was too reckless. Sister-in-law, I'm Zheng Haisheng, and Tianyou and I were in the same class at the Army School!"
Zheng Haisheng quickly stood up and introduced himself.
"And we're good friends from the same dormitory. I never thought we'd meet again!"
There is nothing more exciting than meeting an old friend in a foreign land. In this era, the reunion of old friends is even more precious.
(End of this chapter)
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