Chapter 1 Night Sail (-)

The heavy snow fell for days and nights, and snowflakes as big as cotton bollards covered up the ditches, traps, garbage, and dust in the world. Looking around, the whole world was covered in white without a trace of variegated color.

"Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest." The farmers stayed by the water stove at home, cursing the biting cold, while looking forward to the harvest of the next year. If the weather is good next year, plant a season of wheat, and then plant a season of radish after harvesting the wheat, the payment owed to the county before winter should be paid back. Otherwise, those servants who are like wolves and tigers will have to pull animals to demolish the house.

"Damn God, it's snowing for three or four days, and there's no time to clear up. Could it be that the business and travelers who were detained on the road were in a different mood. It was almost the year-end, and they were eager to transport goods back and earn bonuses. The snow was too heavy, and even the coolies carrying goods on the dock were unwilling to come out to work. The whole truck of goods was piled in the warehouse. If it was iron, fur, etc., it would be fine if it was transported from the north, and the meat would melt when the snow melted, and the meat would melt. Before the destination was reached, it would taste and hit the hands. If it was a few more days, the sea surface was frozen and the port was frozen, and the goods would not have to be transported. It would not be transported to the place before the New Year, which delayed the festival. The people in the south were frugal. Except for the wealthy families, which prodigal son would eat beef and mutton.

"I said, "Master, don't scold me. Please find someone to move goods on the boat seriously. Let me tell you, I'll blame you for not leaving for a while." In a small restaurant by the dock, a Shandong man who had been reading a book for several days was chewing pancakes and rolls of green onions and comforting the little businessman at the same table for a vague voice.

This is the boundary of Dengzhou, Shandong. The sea surface rarely freezes. Every winter, a large number of goods are loaded from here, transported to the south, or transported to Mud and Sulu and other places farther away. Shandong men and merchants have the same fate as the merchant. With the generous nature of Shandong people, they cannot see the anxiousness of the merchant in front of them, so they comforted the merchant while giving him advice.

"How can I not be anxious? I am not in a hurry. The young and old people in this family are waiting for my trucks of goods to celebrate the New Year. Nowadays, taxes are being collected one after another. Without these trucks of goods, what can I do with my family to respect the wolf cubs who cannot be fed in the yamen? If you don't burn incense at the end of the year, will I still do it next year? I will not be able to close the shop and go home to farm. Our old Lu family has been doing business for decades. Even if I have to copy the brand in my life, I can't be worthy of my ancestors." The merchant shouted in anger, and his words were full of helplessness. He said the truth. Many people who eat in restaurants face the same situation as him. Otherwise, the merchants' nature of pretending to be in a scattered manner would not take the seats and no one would take care of the soup!

Hearing this, another Shandong man who was on the table to eat raised his head and said to the merchant, "I said, "My man, if you are anxious, you can come up with a solution. Didn't you say that? The boat won't leave for a while. After I finish this bowl of mutton soup, I will come to the dock to think about it. A few brothers are busy at the dock and tell them that they can't put your goods here."

The businessman surnamed Lu looked at the Shandong people who were talking to each other questioning, subconsciously moved their bodies to the side, and tightly covered the mattress that was crossed around their waists with his left hand. The two Shandong people in front of him were obviously from the same group. They looked like they were not literary or martial. They might have met a thief. Thinking of this in their hearts, they replied politely: "Then please, when we get home, our whole family will miss you. The uncle has no surname, which industry will make a fortune."

"My surname is Liu, his surname is Li. We are all men under our mates. The boss is in the red goods business." The man who drank mutton soup raised his head and answered proudly. It seemed that he admired his boss very much. He finished eating the pancakes in a few seconds, wiped the hot sweat from the mutton soup with his palm as big as a palm fan, put down the bowl, and burped while saying, "Let's go, man, look at your goods. Let's hurry up, and there are other things to do later. I'll ask someone to pay for the same amount as usual, and I will never ask for yours."

The businessman surnamed Lu was overjoyed. The years passed by were not good. This time he finally went out and met a noble man. He didn't bother to have another meal. He jumped off the stool, opened the cotton curtain and walked out. While walking, he said, "Thank you, thank you Brother Liu. The salary is doubled, just find me enough staff."

"No, no one is going to be difficult for anyone to go out. I think your business profit is too big. Leave some money for your children as New Year's money. We have been holding it in this place for too long, so we can find some things for ourselves to exercise our muscles and bones. We didn't like your three melons and two dates."

"That's, that's..."

The passengers who had lunch in the room were amused by the three of them talking in a different way. After dinner, their stomachs became warm and their depressed mood improved slightly. The snow outside was heavy, and the guests who had finished the meal were not in a hurry to get on the boat. Those who had the honor to have a table took the opportunity to chat.

"What business do you always do? It's been delayed for several days. Is it important?" A young man in bright clothes asked the old man at the same table. The man looked very immature and knew at a glance that he had never experienced the storm.

"Ask me, I'm a mine-looking person. I've been wandering around Henan for two years and can't continue working. I'll clean up the guy and go back to my hometown in Hunan." The old man is an optimistic person. He saw the young man in front of him speak politely, and he was willing to give him some advice and answered with a smile.

"You always don't show your true feelings. I don't know when you graduated from Peking Academy. My younger generation's family is in Peking. My surname is Zhan, just call me Xiao Zhan." The young man stood up and bowed to the old man. His father said that those who can find mines are living treasures, just like thousand-year-old ginseng, the older they get, the more valuable they get.

"I have read any books? When I was looking for mines, I was not as good as the Peking Academy. I am a wild path, unlike the children in the academy. I specialize in searching for large mines. If I find them, I only have a net worth of millions. I go through valleys, dig a dog hole, and help others find some small peat seedlings. But if I find a meal, I can't make a fortune." The old man took a sip of hot tea and moved his body to the water stove beside the wall.

"A small coal mine is also a mine. Just dig a pickaxe and you will be sent out. What's the point of being humble?"! A man from Shanxi, who was wrapped in a Pidler (Mongolian leather robe), came over with soup to make fun.

"That's the knot of your old Xier," the old man learned Shanxi dialect and was funny to the people who came. "You guys are lucky. When you were a good governor, Lord Guo, and gave him a good official foundation. If you didn't do it in Henan, you dug a kiln after suffering and digging a kiln. Before you could recover your money, the local officials came and smelled the smell and twitched their noses. In just two days, you had to make a lot of things happen for you, either spending money to offer them or selling the mine to their aunts and aunts. Anyway, we won't let you live a good life. Our boss has been working in vain for two years, but it won't be possible, so we had to clean up the bed and go home with me."

"Swish, mine mud, don't bury us Henan people there, why did Henan people provoke you? Back then, we were still the capital. Luoyang was also an ancient capital for several dynasties, so it was so unreasonable." A Henan merchant couldn't hear it and stood up to protest loudly. Mine mud is the name of an old man. The old man's surname was Ni. Because he had been in the mining business for many years, he called him mine mud.

The boy surnamed Zhan obviously had never heard of these new things. He opened his eyes wide in surprise and looked at the arguing people, not knowing who should believe.

Old Man Ni laughed and said generously: "Brother, don't be with me. I'm so old, I haven't been there before. To be honest, your Henan is a good place, and it's awesome."

"This is almost the same." Henan businessmen were slightly angry and did not hear anything in the old man's words.

"It's just that the officials are unauthorized, greedy, and unwilling to do things for the people. They ruined a good place." The old man said the second half without panic. "And they all don't know the world is so shameless. Do you know who our big boat is waiting for here? After noon, you will see it. The one who is waiting for is a prefect who retired from Henan. Look at the property he brought, and you will know whether what I said is true or false. Damn, he almost took away all the landlords in the place."

The people in the room burst into laughter and scraped the ground and shaved the land and moved there. This method was a bit ruthless. Someone was talking below: "That's right, the officials in that place were corrupt and were corrupt in front of Lord Bao's grave, and they were not afraid that Master Bao would appear and arrest them."

"We are all over the boat waiting for a retired prefect." The young man widened his eyes and protested, obviously this was another rare thing he had never heard of.

"Not waiting for anyone, this old guy was three feet tall in Henan. Before leaving, he still asked the people for the farewell fee. He walked along the way, relying on the identity of an official, tossed the various post stations in a mess, which made us those who were behind him have a lot of money. Fortunately, we were in front of him a few days ago." When talking about the officials' evil deeds, the old man shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"He tossed him, and you left yours, why did you make it more important to eat?" the boy asked strangely.

He replied with a heavy sigh, "Hey! He wants to eat and drink all the way, and asked the post station to pay for him to move things, boil water, and feed the animals. He is so majestic. Those who are on duty at the post station have had enough of his anger, and have all found them back from us ordinary people. In this world, big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimps, and shrimps eat mud. We ordinary people are small insects foraging in the mud, whoever catches will bite him"!

"That's the reason. If Master Hongwu was alive, such an official would have been dragged out to peel it. At that time, local officials were hiding evil, for fear that the court would accidentally let him know. After knowing, it would be a crime of raiding the family and extermination. It would be difficult to do it in front of him. Now, Master An Tai's official is easy to do. Anyway, the official has no death penalty, so it's open to it. As long as the top and bottom are properly managed, more than 90% of them will be fine, and those who have happened will be punished a little. Besides, it doesn't matter if something happens. If something happens, it doesn't matter. If you retire, you will go home. The family has already made a lot of money and silver, and you will have to spend it all in your life."! A traveler who has been bullied by officials complained angrily.

"Yes, yes," everyone was talking, "Business is getting harder and harder these days. Officials are jealous of us when we make money, and try every means to take advantage of us. We pluck our hair by the geese."

"It's a pity, but unfortunately, Mr. Hongwu left early and no one decided the people. If you want to say that Mr. Hongwu is not good at being a good emperor, he must have passed it on to Mr. An Tai. He wants to enjoy the blessings, but he has no life. He will return to heaven after five or six years. Mr. An Tai is very kind, ruthless, and looks like a Bodhisattva, but he doesn't think about it. He is ruthless to officials, but he is ruthless to our people."

"Satisfied you, Master An Tai has been in power for fifteen or sixteen years. Everyone can live a peaceful life. Whether his life is good or not. Since last year, Master An Tai is getting worse day by day. I heard from people in the capital that Master An Tai is rarely seen going out for hunting this year. If he learns from Master Hongwu in the future and passes the throne to the prince in advance, that would be a tragic thing."

"Why is it a tragic thing? What does the royal throne have to do with us?" The young man became increasingly confused. He followed the butler out to practice on his father's order. He felt bored in the VIP cabin. He secretly stayed in the dock shop while the butler was not careful and hanged with the peddler and pawns. What he heard today was fresh, not the same as he had imagined.

"Have you heard that the current crown prince is Lord Huang's disciple? Lord Huang is a nerd who likes to talk to his sleep with his eyes open. The bad idea of ​​"high salary to raise greed" and "governing the country with Neo-Confucianism" was given to him, and he was petty and could not tolerate others. If Lord Cao had not reminded him in front of the emperor in recent years, he would not know what tricks he would have done. If the prince ascended the prime minister, he would have listened to his teacher's everything, and he would have slapped his forehead and slapped his head. By then, the people would have no way to survive." A sloppy man huddled in the corner of the wall answered disdainfully. This man seemed to have drunk ink for a few years, and his knowledge seemed to be higher than everyone else. But he was obviously not a serious scholar, and he had no gentleness in his body. If he looked carefully, he would look like a thief who cried and thief.

"No, Lord Huang did such a good article..." The boy argued for Huang Zicheng, the former cabinet master, dissatisfied. Before he could finish his words, a chubby middle-aged man opened the curtain and brought a cool air in, interrupting his words.

He was so smoky that he covered his nose with his nose. While complaining, the middle-aged man shouted at the boy: "I said, "Young Master, don't sit in the first class cabin. If you run here to smell the smell of other people's stinky feet, you are really addicted to you. Hurry up and go back to the cabin with me. I just asked the boatman that the boat will be able to drive tonight."

"My father said that I would contact more people. In the first class, who else can I contact except you and me?" The boy muttered and didn't dare to force himself. He stood up reluctantly and followed the middle-aged man out of the restaurant.

"Contact, the master also lets you get more contact with noble people. What serious things can you learn with these small businessmen? Before you come..." The middle-aged man dressed up is obviously a servant, but the servant's voice is much higher than that of the master. Until the two walked far away, everyone in the room could still hear his scolding.

"Mini mud, you have caused a big trouble this time. Have you heard that the young man is a high-ranking official and noble family. When he goes back to learn from his father, you can't escape the charge of slandering the government." The Henan merchant who was angry just now said gloating to Old Man Ni.

Old Man Ni narrowed his eyes and disdainfully glanced at the Henan merchant with his light before going to bed, "I didn't know that this young man said his surname was Zhan? I live in Peking! The Zhan family in Peking can still have other names, probably not the son of Master Zhan, or the son of Master Zhan Er. This southern official is not a northern sect, and the northern official does not enter the court. It has been implemented in this dynasty for more than one or two years. No matter how high his father's official is, he will not cause trouble for me outside the fief of King Yan. Besides, the six northern provinces in the north are in the clear and clear-headed officials, and we don't care about our discussion. If you Henan also learn from the six northern provinces, the lords supervise the impeachment of officials, and there is still the principle that if you guard the mountains of gold and silver, you will get poorer and poorer than the mountains of gold and silver?"

"Swish, they are just making trouble, without any rules, and they are like barbarians who have been transformed into order. When they are impeached, they are impeached. I heard that the court is too lazy to send officials to that place, so they can make trouble." Henan people retorted dissatisfied.

Under the rule of King Zhu Di, Yan, there were many titles with titles who relied on military merits or donated to obtain the imperial enthronement. Because the impeachment system of officials was implemented there, the officials sent by the court would be impeached within a few days and could not exercise their powers at all. Emperor Antai was determined to ban this system, and he was not good at acting. He had to stop sending officials and his younger brother appointed them on his own. What was surprising was that over the years, the country has not only not had a tendency to split, but the two types of officials were smoothly parallel and did not invade each other. The people talked about the main link between the emperor and the king of Yan. The northern kingdom of the Ming Dynasty was defeated by the fourth brother, and the eldest brother also cared for his younger brother.

But some people with bad intentions talked about this in private, saying that if the court did not respect Neo-Confucianism, it would inevitably lead to ministers repeating the story of hundreds of officials dismissing the court in the 17th year of Hongwu. His Highness, the King of Yan, would not implement the new policy in the territory, and would lose the support of military generals and emerging industries, and would sooner or later be taken away by his brother. Now the emperor and King of Yan are stubborn and beat the wolf with stubborn straw - both ends are afraid. The emperor has the intention to eliminate the situation, but the Zhenbei Army, the most capable of fighting among the seven armies in the world, may not take advantage of the fight. The King of Qin and King of Jin who were sent to restrict the King of Yan are both useless, and they don’t care about anything except eating, drinking and having fun. Even if they are willing to help, the generals of the Dingxi Army and the Weibei Army under their command are also towards Beiping. Many of them have industries in the north. If they help the court win, they have no property, so it would be better to maintain such an awkward situation.

.The King of Yan Zhu Di may not have the intention to usurp the throne, but the northern industries either rely on the sea or the river. The navy in the world is in the hands of the emperor's confidant Jinghai Gong, including Tianjin Port and Jinzhou Port. Once the fight begins, the navy can directly threaten Beiping and Liaoyang from the river, and all the industries along the river will be burned. Therefore, the King of Yan does not dare to provoke the court easily. On the surface, the two brothers were polite and kept communicating with letters. In fact, they fists and fight with each other in private, and fight lively. If you don't believe me, you see, since Emperor Antai ascended the throne, the Zhenbei Army, which once swept the world, has not moved westward and retreated to the four northern provinces. They can't do it if they don't withdraw. The King of Yan Zhu Di's abacus clearly. Once he does not withdraw, he is fighting with Turpan and Mongolia in the front, and his hometown is raided by his elder brother. Isn't it even impossible to find the place to burial?
Chapter completed!