Chapter 85: Busy Receiving Gifts All the Way to Yinjiang

I don’t know what the shadow promised Fan Xian, so that he accepted the compensation for the “accident”, and left Shazhou City the next day in high spirits. On that day, there was a cold winter rain, cold and dismal, as if by magic, Fan Tiji and his party, who were sneaking south of the river, disappeared in the winter forest of the hills outside of Shazhou City, which was not very tall.

That night, there are a few wearing a full body rain jacket officials, in the night into the sand lake, in the Jiangnan sailor dock boarded the Kyoto ship, the guards do strict, even the sailor is responsible for the reception of the work of the generals, did not see the real face of those people.

At this time on the ship in charge of all affairs Su Wenmao, looked at the rain boarded the ship colleagues, surprised and asked: “you all over, what about adults? The Qinian group has to keep a few people, right?”

An official said with a bitter face: “His Excellency said that the drama must be more real, the people of the Qinian group will stay on the ship, and we come back with our faces covered, so that the sailors will believe that His Excellency is on the ship, and this news will always be able to cheat a few people.”

Su Wenmao jaws: “adults this is to play up the intensity, now have been in Shazhou now traces, but also hide a ……” he swallowed that dirty word, coughed twice and said: “also, tomorrow on the boat, hurry into the Jiangnan Road. Hurry into Jiangnan Road.”

“The third day of March.” That qinian group of officials said seriously: “the third of March ship to suzhou, your honor gave this date.”

Su Wenmao was anxious: “What ship can go so slow?” He stood up with a wave of his hand and said in annoyance, “Regardless of how the river goes, in any case, I can’t stay in this Shahu, I must leave the harbor tomorrow.”

The officer frowned and asked, “Sir, what’s wrong?”

Su Wenmao face appeared sorrowful, said, “Entered the Jiangnan sailor’s camp …… Tisi Lord and the third prince but always refused to get off the boat. You say that the size of the generals and leaders in the naval division, who is not in the heart of the muttering? In the past two days, I don’t know how many guards, commanders, every day looking for a reason to run to the ship, who all know they are looking for an opportunity to flatter the two noblemen. But your honor is not on board, how dare I let them come up?”

The more he said the more irritated, think is the two days on the ship to block people block fast on fire: “…… now these levels of officials, I can still block. But I heard that the water division of the governor of the Lord tomorrow afternoon will be rushed over, the person is from the first grade of the super officer, even if the Lord of the Division here, but also have to obediently salute, that is, the three emperors are also not good to take the pie. How can this be blocked?”

The official who talked to him was also shocked, the identity of the water division governor is not compared to those shrimp officials, when that adult comes, this lie will naturally wear, even if the governor’s adults take Fan Tisi and the three emperors can’t do anything about it, at most on a secret report to the emperor to express their anger at being teased, but these people will have to act as a punching bag!

“Go, hurry up and leave early tomorrow morning!”

The Qinian group that stayed on the ship immediately reached a very solid consensus, and began to let the sailor school officers under the cabin prepare for departure, while informing the Tiger Guard that stayed on the ship, as well as the three Sixth Office Swordsman.

“His Excellency said that he sent another person to watch that meeting in Hangzhou, so you don’t need to go.” That official looked at Su Wenmao and said, then asked curiously, “These two days …… estimated that the ones in the navy should have sent a lot of gifts.”

Su Wenmao nuzzled towards the back, “All put in the back, the palm of the army is really rich, really worthy of being a capable person to protect the water bandits.”

That official suddenly had a bright idea and said, “Wasn’t I worried about how to drag the time to the third of March earlier? My subordinate has a plan, why don’t we ……”

He attached to Su Wenmao’s ear and said so and so.

“Good idea! Lord Titus doesn’t mind this kind of small matter. We are not allowed to collect silver from the court officials, but collecting silver on behalf of his old man can be right.” While Su Wenmao was happy, he thought of something and instructed, “By the way, keep an eye on the box of silver in the back room. Mr. Tiji gave a death order, nowadays no one is allowed to touch that box anymore.”

The official answered, but in his heart muttered, although that box is loaded with tens of thousands of taels of silver, but Lord Titus’s family is so rich, it is worth as a family heirloom to keep an eye on in general?

Early in the morning of the second day, the fog on the sand lake has just dispersed, the eighty percent new Kyoto ship, will be in the Jiangnan navy generals “reluctant to part with” in the eyes, slowly sailed away from the pier, through the waterway, out of the sand lake, slow and easy, happy and unparalleled into the waters of the river.

Look at the big ship disappeared in the mouth of the lake, the three escort escort of the navy ship also followed out, the shore of the Jiangnan navy generals let out a sigh of relief, finally the two can not be, can not be touched by the plague of the god of the Lord sent away, the thought of these days to send the gift seems to have gone down the drain, but also feel a little meat pain.

As for the Prince and the Tisch ride on the big ship, in the naval division defense area within the thieves encountered the matter – of course, the need to have a scapegoat, all the generals cast a look at the Shen Shouwei are a little pitiful, but at this time no one to lead to do this thing, everything will have to wait for the Tisch Lord returned to the camp in the afternoon and then say.

In fact …… Su Wenmao guessed wrong, Jiangnan naval division of the generals have been waiting until the next day to wait for the Governor Lord.

That Jiangnan premier military power figure, Jiangnan Water Division Governor Shi adults, not at all anxious to come, only anxious not to come too fast.

This Governor Shi was a first rank official, and was a disciple of the old Qin family in Kyoto, so naturally he would not be afraid of Fan Xian, but this old soldier also knew that if he really rushed to the water fortress to meet with Fan Xian, he would have to lower his stature and say some words to the three emperors and the rumor – to a child who hadn’t grown any hairs on his mouth, and hadn’t grown hairs on his bird to kiss his ass. To kiss the ass of a small child with no hair on his mouth and a bird with no hair on it, how can he put his old face on the line?

So the old Shi a side sent a message, said he is somewhere in the public office, is fast horse whip to ask the three emperors peace, but on the other hand is wrapped around their most painful powder head, sitting in the carriage wobbly to the water division this side, only hate the road is too short Ya ……

In the end, the Shi Governor finally hit a successful time difference, when he arrived, the ship has been like a yellow crane also.

That said, the other side, Su Wenmao spiritedly sat in a large boat along the river and down, implement the instructions of the Fan Ti Si, accept the suggestion of the officer under the leadership, all the way to see the state to stop the state, see the port berth port, do not pay attention to the pier is broken, or the river is just a small county living a few thousand people, anyway, is to go and stop, a day a berth, good not tortuous.

The ship went strange, but the entire Jiangnan Road, the officialdom are disturbed by the chaos!

Now everyone knows that the Supervisory Yuan of Fan Tisi and the three princes may be in that ship from Kyoto in the boat, in that case, but where the ship is anchored, the local officials have to go to ask for good health is to prepare a good banquet, hand can not be less gifts, when this juncture, who dares to be careless?

The upstream states and counties sent jade, how can the downstream states and counties can not be compared to the next, at least have to come to a bag of cat’s eye is not it? The state is poor? I’m not sure how much I’m going to be able to get out of it. The county has no money? The famous pine needles, cypress wood and golden bacon must be mentioned a few, in case the two big shots on the boat are used to eating mountain delicacies and like our local flavor.

What? There’s not much to produce in the city? Quickly send workers …… to pull the boat for the adults!

More than a month’s time, although the officials along the river have not been able to see the high heavenly dignitaries, but the power to flatter and please is hard in the next.

The ship went all the way south, met the state and county and stop. Even if the place is no longer small is not bad, Jiangnan officials in this rare opportunity to send gifts and happy at the same time, the heart can not help but slander, Fan Tisi and the third prince …… appetite is also too good! Even those poor counties that don’t have much to produce are not spared!

“Don’t understand, right? A mosquito is still meat even if it’s small.” A division master in a mansion in Suzhou city narrowed his eyes and said, “It seems that this Lord Fan, has really inherited Lord Shangshu’s style, and his accounts are extremely detailed.”

Another master shook his head and sighed, “Official voice! Official voice! Nowadays, these young nobles don’t even bother to do the face work anymore!” Then suddenly said with contempt, “Besides, that young Lord Fan is not Old Lord Fan’s ……”

“Shut up! This kind of thing also dare to discuss! If I don’t wait for the Procuratorate to kill you, I’ll hang you!”

The dignified official sitting in the center rebuked loudly and angrily, and after calming down, he lifted his teacup and took a sip, saying, “Don’t talk about people’s rights and wrongs behind their backs. As long as you are willing to collect silver, this Jiangnan lacks everything, just not lack of silver.”

The official closed his eyes and pondered for a little while, and said with a slight worry: “I am afraid that it is just the smoke that that Lord Tisch puts out, who knows? Besides, who knows whether he is still on that ship or not? Listening to the gentleman from the south, Lord Fan’s caravan is still heading towards Tanyuzhou, and he didn’t charge a lot of money along the way.”

On the official highway in the Central Plains, the largest convoy, led by “Fake Fan Xian”, was heading to Tanyu State with a group of subordinate guards and the treasurers of Qingyu Hall.

On top of the river, Su Wenmao was sailing a big boat, enjoying his gold-plated trip, not realizing that he would be scolded by Fan Xian in the future.

A few news a mix, the result of the Jiangnan officials are confused, do not know that the Fan Tisi where exactly, some smart people even guessed that Fan Xian may have another trip, but also can not catch the slightest useful information, the second division of the Supervisory Yuan people are in Jiangnan to cover the real whereabouts of Fan Xian and his entourage.

In early February, spring had not yet arrived and winter had not yet left, and the coldness dominated the fields and roads on both sides of the river, refusing to allow any hint of spring to come. However, the Jiangnan area is close to the sea, it is always slightly warmer than other places, so there is no snow these days, but the official road was turned out of the mud marks by months of winter wind blowing dry and hard, so that the caravan walking on it up and down upside down, the people in the car a little bit bitter.

Fan Xian couldn’t bear the pain, so he lifted the curtains and shouted to stop the caravan, jumped out of the car and rode on horseback, which made him a little more comfortable. He stretched his back, breathing in the slightly chilly wind that came to his face, and looked at the ditches on both sides of the official road, and his eyes couldn’t help but narrow. Only to see the ditch responsible for irrigation, has long been no water, dry piece, if the relationship between the winter water wither, it would be fine, the problem is that the ditch is still growing more than one person high grass, smoke spreading along the ditch to the front of the birth, look barren, actually do not know the end.

He was a bit puzzled, thinking that unless he had been dry for several years, he would not be able to make this appearance. Both feet stepped, the whole person stood up, high up, he could not help but inhale a mouthful of cool air, and found that the ditches around the official road, but most of them are this look, the ditch of the long grass has long been frozen to death, but is still hard and solidly standing, stubborn and powerful, stabbing …… straight to the sky like this ditch, how can it be irrigated? What about the spring planting time?

When Fan Xian returned from Northern Qi, he saw the water conservancy and irrigation system of Qing Dynasty is quite complete, and this Jiangnan land is rich in the world, how come there is no money to repair the ditches? Is it possible that all those lands don’t need to be planted?

From Kyoto with him all the way out of the Supervisory Yuan four officials, see the Lord Tisi face of hesitation, pat horse forward to explain: “is this piece of deserted some, Su Hang side is not this look.”

Fan Xian frowned and said, “Jiangnan is certainly not short of food, this piece of land is mainly thin, and the labor force is too much by the inner treasury.” He laughed helplessly and bitterly, not continuing to speak.

The people silent along the grassy ditch forward, from Shazhou out some days, all the way slowly swinging, but also almost near Hangzhou, a line of people are a little tired, Fan Xian also do not have too much heart to play all the way to the inspector, microcosmic private visit drama.

“Behind the car follow up!”

That official in the four directions was named Wu Mai, and since Su Wenmao stayed on the ship, the logistical arrangements and formation of the group were given to him.

He could see that the Tisch was in a bad mood, he was not good at talking too much, he could only order the people in the back to follow a little tighter, these several inconspicuous carriages had extremely many masters in them, the problem however was that the six divisions of the swordsmen and the tiger guards were not the masters of the day, playing assassination alone was a veteran, it was not a problem to ask them to burrow into the ditch’s long grass to rush to Hangzhou without food or drink, but to ask them to engage in a zero-group tour, they would appear to be a little bit out of spirit.

Especially in Shazhou more than seventy miles outside the place, the number of people was not much of a line, but at the foot of a mountain to buy four or five inserted grass markers of the little girl, more and more appear to be a bit dragged, like a trip to the rich family team.

Speaking of that time to buy people, is also make Fan Xian is very surprised by an encounter, now the Qing country is known as the flourishing world, he simply did not think, in the land of the south of the Yangtze River, actually there is this kind of because of fast starving to death, and want to sell their children’s things, although those poor people are from the north of the Yangtze River flow disciples to, but Fan Xian is still a little depressed.

Their line is secretly sneak to Hangzhou, and is not good to bring these people, and Fan Xian itself is also a cold temperament, the last or the third prince intolerably sent words, Si Si only full of joy to take a dozen two silver, bought five little girls, the parents of the girls thanked a thousand times, tears flowed to leave, Fan Xian is considered to be a default of this fact.

This line of people is too conspicuous, a fluttering noble gentleman, a poor scholar, a nostril to the sky arrogant child, a decent and generous high family maid, more than a dozen powerful guards, the people can always guess Fan Xian’s identity, and now a few more small girls, is also a small camouflage, Fan Xian this persuade himself.

After a few more days, the official road is as smooth as a mirror, the winter trees on both sides of the road are particularly strong, the prosperity of the scene suddenly came to the front of this line of people, looking at the bustling road, the pedestrians brightly dressed, the distance can be seen vaguely green city walls, the people realized that the original Hangzhou is so easy to get to.

Fan Xian sat on his horse, waved the whip and said with vigor: “Enter the city, let’s find sister-in-law Song!”