"... But it was said that when the Supreme Lord Huode saw that the Supreme Master was helping the bandits to carry out the catastrophe, it was not a bad thing, so he secretly descended to earth, used the heaven and earth as a furnace, caused the catastrophe, and chopped down nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine people.

Dao Tianlei..."

In the Qingjiangpu restaurant, Ge Shizhen, who rarely came out of the cabin to get some air, listened to the storyteller's excerpt about "The True Lord Huode descended to the earth" and thought to himself, can this person still speak.

This is true and false, just to deceive the ignorant villagers.

But some people still believe it.

"It's nothing more than kerosene to ignite the fire. The True Lord of Fire Virtue comes down to earth, and the Supreme Lord fights with magic. It's really..."

Although Ge Shizhen's words were not loud, they happened to fall on the table next to him, and the diners at the table immediately said in annoyance.

"You are such a scholar. If Lord Huode hadn't come down to earth, Jiannu might have killed him from Haizhou to Qingjiangpu!"

"That is, True Lord Huode came down to earth in response to the calamity to save the world's common people."

…

As if it aroused public anger, Ge Shizhen never thought that he would become the target of public criticism. Even the waiter didn't want to see him. Seeing that he had offended everyone, the food and wine were tasteless.

Ge Shizhen originally wanted to relax in the restaurant, but he didn't expect that what he said casually would turn out like this. He felt a little irritated. Just when he was about to drop a piece of silver and leave the restaurant, a scholar in white came.

He went to his table and bowed his hands to others.

"Everyone, everyone, I'm very sorry. My friend drank too much and talked nonsense when he drank too much. Don't get along with him."

After saying that, the man sat directly next to him and smiled.

"Friends, why do you need to be acquainted with them?"

"Friend" is a term used by scholars to call each other, and Ge Shizhen smiled when he saw that the other person was also a scholar.

"You made your friends laugh, who also went to Beijing to take the exam?"

Although the examination is next year, many well-off scholars will go to the capital a year in advance. Firstly, they visit friends along the way and ask for advice on articles. Secondly, they also want to arrive in the capital early and visit famous teachers in the capital.

Of course, you can also interact with scholars from all over the world, even if you come to

If you fail the exam in a year, you will also have the title of being a civil servant. It is beneficial to make a few more friends. It would be great if you make friends with the future Hui Yuan or the No. 1 scholar. There will also be people in the officialdom to look after and support you in the future. After all, according to common sense, the Hui Yuan will

The first prize, the top prize, etc. are not obtained in one exam, but they all have the experience of repeated defeats.

"Friends too?"

Lu Yu clasped his hands and said.

"I was living in Xianan Zhili under Chen Zhihuan, whose courtesy name was Fangde. I didn't ask my friends for advice."

"Yeah, I'm Ge Shizhen, Zhejiang Province, with the courtesy name Renshang."

After complimenting each other for a few words, they quickly became familiar with each other even though they had met for the first time. In the evening, the two people who had met so late naturally chatted all night long. Compared to Ge Shizhen, who was from an average family background, Chen, who had been in business for generations,

Zhihuan's family had a rich fortune, so when he went to Beijing to take the exam, he naturally did not take an outsider's merchant ship or a free public ship, but took his own merchant ship. Naturally, he invited Ge Shizhen to take a boat to the capital with him. Of course, Ge Shizhen did not refuse.

After waiting for two days in Qingjiangpu, it was finally the Chen family's merchant ship's turn to enter the North Canal. Looking at some ice floes on the river, Ge Shizhen asked Chen Zhihuan, who was reading a book.

"Fang De, when you say that what happened in Jinan, are the villagers just talking nonsense, or is it... true?"

"Um……"

Putting down the book in his hand, Chen Zhihuan thought for a while and then said.

"In this case, aren't we passing through Dezhou, which is only a hundred miles away from Jinan? Otherwise, you and I can just pay a personal visit to the Prince of De."

"Visit him..."

After thinking about it, Ge Shizhen said again.

"I heard that Prince Defan is good at calligraphy and painting. Maybe I can ask him for some advice."

…

In the next few days, the boat sailed north along the newly thawed canal. After passing Weishan Lake, it soon arrived at the border of Shandong. At this time in previous years, although the canal had just thawed, there was still a lot of water on the canal.

But it seems to be very lively. This time of year is the busiest time on the canal - after a winter of ice, all traders know that at this time, no matter what cargo is shipped to the north, it will be a huge profit.

But this year seems to be different from previous years. After entering Weishan Lake, everything along the way is desolate. Countless bustling markets have turned into a wasteland. Looking at the ruins on both sides of the canal, Ge Shizhen's expression looks a little solemn.

"A few years ago, when I went to the capital, the markets along both sides of the river were as prosperous as those in Jiangnan, but now..."

With a long sigh, Chen Zhihuan shook his head and sighed.

"If you create slaves and join the invaders, you will indeed be devastated and devastated!"

"well……"

Sighing repeatedly, Ge Shizhen also shook his head. In the next two days, the further north they went, the more they saw along the way. It was not until they transferred from Dezhou to Jinan that the river became a little more lively. Watching

The two people couldn't help but be a little surprised by the bustling scene at the pier.

"Didn't you say that the entire city of Jinan was destroyed by war?"

Along the way, they had also seen cities destroyed by war. They were completely deserted ghost towns, which were as lively as Jinan. And when Ge Shizhen and Chen Zhihuan disembarked in Jinan, they looked into the distance.

, as far as the eye can see, there are almost no ruins. On the streets near the pier, you can see quite prosperous business everywhere.

Even the coolie porters at the gate looked very busy, wiping sweat from their heads and working on the dock with excitement on their faces. From the looks of it, this place looked like it had been exposed to war.

However, with their sharp eyesight, they still saw some strange things. For example, the streets near the pier were wider, and most of the wall tiles had traces of burned smoke. However, the street seemed very lively, with endless stores.

, the depression after the Second World War as imagined is completely absent.

Chen Zhihuan, who was a businessman, was better at communicating with people than Ge Shizhen. Soon, he became familiar with the shopkeeper and finally figured out what was going on.

But it only took a moment before he was shocked by the news he got from the shopkeeper.

"It's actually possible to do this..."

He looked at the shopkeeper in surprise and said in surprise.

"How can anyone do this kind of business in the world?"

"Is there such a thing? Does the little old man know it?"

The shopkeeper glanced at him and pretended to be confused with a smile.

"Anyway, I'm just a businessman. Seeing such a good thing, how could I not come here? Besides, did you see that Jinan City is in dire need of development and there are business opportunities everywhere. Whoever comes early will win the prize."
Chapter completed!