Jiaohua

Chapter 719 The Purpose of This Trip (Part [-])
The rain in the sky is still inexhaustible, and when we arrive in Dongcheng, the sun is already dark.

The long street was cold and deserted. From the patrolling guards of Xinfu through the clean street to Xingzhong Academy, many people would turn their heads to glance at the heavily guarded academy gate.

This place was originally the former site of the Congxinfu Palace, which was changed to an academy a hundred years ago. Although it is an old site, the building is not old at all. After the renovation of the academy, it has a unique elegance.

However, the academy stopped teaching two years ago, and now it is mostly used to entertain distinguished guests from Xinfu.

Although the envoys of the Eight Capitals have not arrived at the moment, the few who came earlier have held many meetings here in recent days.

The patrolling guards left the academy without pausing.

Not long after they left, a long and gorgeous sedan chair came from another spacious long street.

Unusual sedan chairs, these sedan chairs are bright in color, covered with gold and gauze, and there are cute and clever little maids beside the sedan chairs.

The sedan chair team arrived at the open space in front of the academy, and the fragrant beauties in light clothes were led out of the sedan chairs one by one.

Some beauties come every day, and some are here for the first time today.

They lowered their heads and entered the academy through the side door.

Some are tall and some are short, some are plump and some are thin, it's anyone's choice.

A few rows of buildings away, Xia Zhaoyi and Zhi Changle, who had changed their clothes, knocked on the tallest restaurant beside the Linjiang River.

The sky has not yet fully sunk, and there are only two lights in the lobby of the restaurant.

The business in the shop was not good, so the shopkeeper entertained them personally and welcomed them upstairs.

What Xia Zhaoyi wanted were two upper rooms, and the shopkeeper graciously pulled out the copper flat mulberry stool after entering the room: "Miss, sit down, hot water and soup will be delivered soon."

Zhi Changle pushed open the window facing the water, and the cold river wind brought rain, which was quite refreshing.

He looked around and said to Xia Zhaoyi, "What a sight!"

Xia Zhaoyi walked, the wind blew her hair, and the river view outside the window came into my eyes, misty and rainy, a poetic ink painting of mountains and rivers.

"The scenery here is always good. The best place to see is the land of winter snow," said the shopkeeper. "Guests come from Yong'an, so it must be rare to see such a big river tide?"

"It's quite common," Xia Zhaoyi said with a smile, "I've been to many places, all over the world."

"Awesome!" The shopkeeper cupped his hands, "Young girl is young, and her vision is far beyond others!"

"The pier over there is so big." Zhi Changle said while looking at the front.

Looking around, Xia Zhaoyi saw that there were no people left. The huge airport was even deserted than the long street, and there were two large boats moored beside it, and a fishing fire was dimly lit on one of them.

"That's right, it's big," the shopkeeper stepped forward, "This is called Xilong Ferry, and it's the largest ferry in Youzhou. In its heyday, there were boats coming and going here, so it was very lively."

"Why is there no one now?" Zhi Changle asked.

"Hey, it's back to the government. Pedestrians and tourists are not allowed to cross it. This river is now the river of the government," the shopkeeper pointed to the other side, "From then on, this area is full of cargo ships for two days. The guest officer came late, if it had been earlier, there would have been nearly a thousand officers and soldiers carrying goods here!"

"That should be spectacular." Zhi Changle said.

The shopkeeper chuckled twice, not thinking that such a "magnificence" is a good thing.

The clerk brought good Qingxiang Mountain Silver Needle tea, followed by food.

The shopkeeper was polite again, took his leave and left.

The shopkeeper's wife has been waiting downstairs, and finally saw the shopkeeper coming down, she hurried forward: "How is it, is your identity suspicious?"

"People are in business."

"I heard that the accent is Yong'an's?"

The shopkeeper nodded.

"That's Song Zhiyi's person, we can't cover it up, I'd better talk to the government!"

"Oh, you give me too much trouble!" The shopkeeper pulled her, "It's not easy for us to order business, and they are not stingy!"

The shopkeeper took out a piece of silver: "I never saw such a generous guest back then!"

"If you have money but don't spend it, I'll see what you do!" His wife snatched the money from him, "Something will happen, I don't care about you!"

The clerk left two candle lamps in the room, Chief Zhi Le felt that the light was too dim, so he lit two more.

Xia Zhaoyi didn't eat much, so she looked at the map after eating.

Zhi Changle called the clerk to pack up his things, came back and sat down not far from Xia Zhaoyi, his eyes also fell on her map.

The girl looked very seriously, and she held a very thin charcoal pencil in her hand. She gently sketched on the map, or slowly moved along the ridges of mountains and rivers.

"From what I saw in the city today, the situation is really grim," Zhi Changle said in a low voice, "If we want to inquire about the chamber of commerce, I'm afraid it will be very difficult. Moreover, it will be even more difficult than usual to gain their trust."

"Well, it will be difficult." Xia Zhaoyi looked at the map and said casually.

Zhi Changle lifted his cheeks and sighed softly.

The purpose of their trip to the state this time is simple and pure, just to visit the chamber of commerce, buy shops, and enter a commercial bank.

This is Youzhou, Pingyang Road is in the north, and Zhitu is in the west. It is the shortest and fastest road leading to Pingyang Road and Qiyue Road.

The frontline in the Northwest battlefield is always tight. Over the years, benevolent people from all over the world have been donating, but the donations have become less and less.

The front line is difficult to maintain, the rear is constantly chaotic, and wars have been raging for years. Xia Zhaoyi doesn't want to rely on Zhao Ning's business.

As for Tian Dayao, as for Song Zhiyi, she didn't want to have anything to do with them at all.

They had been on the road for several days before, and Qingxiang Village was a closed place, so, if it wasn't for Zhao Ning's letter, they didn't even know that Tian Dayao's Eight Capital Army envoys were coming to Youzhou to gather.

The Badu military system is currently Tian Dayao's most important military reform, so he knows how strict the control of Congxin Mansion will be.

It was getting darker and darker, and the clapper outside was ringing.

Xia Zhaoyi packed his things silently, got up and said, "Brother Zhi, I'm going out first."

"Well," Zhi Changle also got up, "You must be careful, if the ugly time has not returned, I will go to you."

"Don't," Xia Zhaoyi said solemnly, "I may not come back when I am ugly, but I will definitely be fine."

"But……"

"The sound of the clapper is gone," Xia Zhaoyi glanced outside, "Brother Zhi, I'm leaving, don't come looking for me."

Xia Zhaoyi went to the room next door first, and after changing into a light night clothes, she did not leave the door, but directly opened the window and went upstairs, and finally stood upside down with the corner of the eaves upside down, with agility On the high cornice.

This restaurant is the largest and the tallest by the river. Right now, it stands on the peak and overlooks the mountains. In her eyes, the huge Congxin Mansion seems to be an irregular chessboard.

As the wind blew, her ponytail hanging behind her flew up, her bright eyes swept across the city, and finally landed on a long street where the lights were brightest.

Although it is far away, it seems to be able to smell the sultry fragrance.

Those bright lights, bright feasts, and brocade create an ecstasy cave of warm and fragrant nephrite.

(End of this chapter)