Start North America 1400: nation building

Chapter 317 [316] The Gu family

early morning.

Zhou Li'an and Xue Nu came to the guest room in the courtyard, looking out from the hollow window paper, two figures, one tall and one short, stood standing.

Xu Shi heard the noise in the room, and then came the voice of the Great Elder: "...Young Master?"

Squeak, the door opened.

"Alright? How are you resting?"

"Is there anything unusual about last night?"

In order to get a good night's sleep, Zhou Li'an couldn't possibly stay here, camping in the wilderness is fine...

Human hearts are much dirtier than animal desires.

Of course, judging from yesterday's contact, the soldier is a smart man, and he should not be able to kill the chicken to get the egg.

Even if you want to make a move, you have to understand "Master Zhou"'s heel.

In case any overseas Chinese chief was offended, the Shi family would be the first to throw him out to appease the anger.

The Great Elder shook his head: "No, the 'treasurer' came once before going to bed last night, asking us to block the door with a crossbar."

"I said that there will be no big troubles in this outer garrison town, because I'm afraid of thieves."

Zhou Li'an glanced at Ku Kemo again, and saw that his eyes were faintly darkened: "You haven't slept all night?"

"Master, I fell asleep."

Xue Nu and the First Elder were both amused, he obviously stayed up all night to protect the First Elder: "This is false, from now on the young master will answer whatever he asks!"

"I see."

A group of people left the courtyard and came to the front hall of the inn.

I saw that the two tables of breakfast had been properly arranged, and yesterday's soldiers had already eaten at the next table, and the only soldier left was still waiting.

"Young Master Zhou is awake? Come on, come on, I'll have someone go to the fish market to buy seafood porridge early in the morning..."

He stepped forward to guide Zhou Li'an to a seat, and began serving porridge for the four of them.

The hot red shrimp and crab are fragrant.

No seasoning is required, it is the authentic taste of the ingredients.

Kukemo and the Great Elder were stunned by the table full of food.

Zhou Li'an smiled: "Use your chopsticks."

Turning her head again, she looked at Ah Hui: "Brother Ah Hui, this is..."

Ah Hui said: "I happen to be going back to Palembang to report on my work, so I thought it would be better to go with Mr. Zhou and introduce you to the local customs."

Zhou Li'an got closer, but got straight to the point: "I'm not hiding anything. The purpose of this trip is to meet the Shi family. If Brother Ahui has connections, he must help."

Ah Hui took a deep breath: "Master Zhou, did you understand what I said last night?"

"Yeah." Zhou Li'an nodded, and seeing Xue Nu sent a peeled egg, he took a half bite, chewed slowly, and then added: "If I can meet the Lord, I will satisfy the Lord." .”

"It's just a few hurdles in the meeting that need to be cleared by Brother Ah Hui. Even if the road is paved with gold and silver, it's not a bad idea."

A Huiben was also worried that Young Master Zhou would have to go around several times this week, and if he didn't probe to the last step, he wouldn't give up in vain.

Now hearing "gold and silver pave the way", his heart beat wildly.

Look again at the half-hidden maid.

A pair of slender white hands peeled off the eggs, and took out the porridge water red shrimp, even the shrimp thread was completely removed, before putting it into Mr. Zhou's mouth...

As far as this gesture of gesture is concerned, I am afraid that only the maids in the Shi family's mansion can compare with it.

Young Master Zhou is definitely a big shot.

Ah Hui didn't dare to keep his eyes on Xue Nu for too long, and his words showed a bit of humility: "Since Mr. Zhou is a straightforward person, when I arrive in Palembang, I will go to see my godfather."

"Godfather?"

Ah Hui said embarrassedly: "Vice Admiral Zhen Haijun, that is, the Master Liang I mentioned yesterday."

After a full meal, the group set off.

A group of soldiers did not have chariots and horses, but relied entirely on their feet.

Especially the preciousness of the horses can be seen, which also highlights the extraordinaryness of "Mr. Zhou" and his party.

This carriage is the ticket to step into the circle of the upper elite.

Just like in this world, when I drive a Pagani and stop at the entrance of the membership club, I don’t care about the membership fee of hundreds of thousands a year. I just want to experience it.

Starting from Waishu Town, one can reach Palembang in one day.

Stop and go along the way, there are soldiers mopping up the way, saving a lot of trouble.

And Ah Hui introduced the situation in more detail: "Although Mr. Liang is a lieutenant general, he is the uncompromising leader of Zhen Haijun."

"The commander's talisman is nominally in the hands of the young master, but in fact it is controlled by Mrs. Shi."

Xue Nu suddenly asked: "Why is it in Mrs. Shi's hands and not Shi Jinqing?"

"Hey, Miss Si Nuo doesn't dare to call you by his first name, especially after entering the city, there are eyes and ears all over the place."

"Master Xuanwei envoy's elite soldiers and strong generals have long been included in the Xuanwei Division, and at least 3000 of the [-] Ming garrisons are loyal to Your Excellency."

"The Department of Propaganda and Consolation's main function is deterrence, but Zhen Haijun has to be responsible for the real city defense miscellaneous taxation."

"After all, the Consolation Envoy is an official of Daming, so it's not good to pretend to be king and hegemony on the surface."

"So Mr. Zhou, Miss Si Nuo..."

"I'll say it up front, even if I really see the Shi family, it's absolutely impossible to be the comfort envoy."

"The business affairs of the Shi family are all in the hands of the mistress, and Second Sister Shi is in charge."

Zhou Li'an was very interested when he heard the new characters appearing on the stage: "Who is this Second Sister Shi?"

"It's the second miss of the Shi family. She was born to a concubine. The Shi family also had a son who died early, but that happened many years ago."

"Therefore, Second Sister Shi is Elder Sister Shi, and she recruited another son from another big family in Palembang, the Song family, as her son-in-law;"

"Back then, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty entrusted the post of Propaganda Envoy, which was the imperial decree for the Shi family to send these two son-in-laws to Daming."

"Oh, I see……"

Travel until dusk.

The outline of the big city finally appeared.

Palembang was built on a wide river at the mouth of the sea to embrace the situation.

There are many city walls on the periphery, and then there are stone walls, and the city is only after the stone walls.

And at the core, there is another "castle" standing, all of which are piled up with bluestones. You can vaguely see the cannons erected on the top of the city, which is where the Xuanwei Division of Palembang is located.

Before sunset, the group was able to enter the city.

There was a team of soldiers escorting them, and there was no twists and turns when they entered the city gate.

"How prosperous is this place?"

"It's getting dark, why are there still vendors and people on the street?"

Ah Hui smiled and said, "Palembang is protected by the Department of Propaganda and Comfort, no one dares to invade, so there is no such thing as a curfew for defense."

"The more night it is, the more lively it is. After a hard day's work, only at this time can we have time to enjoy ourselves."

Not only Snow Maiden was surprised.

Kukmo claimed to have seen the world, and the big city of Tepanix and the city in the lake were far inferior to this place.

He observed people's trading methods, which were all completed with copper coins and broken silver.

Not as cumbersome as bartering.

Seeing that his eyes were blurred, the Great Elder poked him and said in Gudi language: "This is false."

Kukemo woke up abruptly, silently muttering the balance.

It was Ahui who found the inn to stay in, which was much higher than Waishu Town.

Ascend to the three-story building, open the window, and you can overlook the night view of the city and the fishing boats in the harbor.

Xuenv had never experienced such a prosperous night market, and her voice was begging: "Master, can you take Si Nuo to the night market to see?"

Zhou Li'an also had this intention, turned around and said: "You two stay, and besides..."

With a wave of his hand, he created a wooden box.

After uncovering, it was full of gold, silver and jewels.

"Let him ask for the things in this box, you tell him..." Zhou Li'an ordered, and when the elder knew about it, he turned around and went out with Xue Nu.

As soon as he arrived at the aisle, he saw that Ah Hui was still in the innkeeper's order.

The appearance of the two also caught his attention: "Young master Zhou is going out?"

"Go to the night market to wander around and taste some snacks."

"Then I'll ask my brother to follow, so as not to offend Young Master Zhou and Miss Si Nuo again."

Zhou Li'an shook his head: "No need, if a group of people follow, it will be too ostentatious, and it will easily cause trouble."

Ah Hui heard it too.

This young master Zhou is gentle and elegant, not like that domineering generation with claws and claws, this is the one who does great things.

He introduced several famous markets.

Zhou Li'an and Xue Nu went downstairs.

After Ah Hui instructed the shopkeeper, he was about to leave.

But right now.

The door to the upper room was opened again, and I heard the old servant of Mr. Zhou calling: "Please stop, my lord, and let's go into the room for a while."

Ah Hui was puzzled for half a second, then strode over.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw a large wooden box in the hall.

His eyes were dull again...

Mr. Zhou and his party have no luggage, so where did this box come from?
Even more terrifying is...

He accompanied him all the way up the stairs, and he didn't carry the suitcase during the process; and this inn was chosen by him himself.

Could it be that Mr. Zhou had checked himself out a long time ago, and asked someone to bring his luggage to this inn in advance?

Just when he was stunned, the Great Elder had already opened the box...

Under the lighting of candles and lamp oil, the things in the box seem to be blooming with brilliance, reflecting the faces.

Gold and silver jewelry! !
A box full of gold, silver and jewelry! !
"You... Mo, Mo Lao, who are you?" Ah Hui immediately changed his address to the Great Elder, his voice trembling.

The Great Elder smiled faintly: "The young master said, Master Ah Hui cleared the way for us, how can I ask you to pay in advance?"

"You can ask for the things in this box, and there will be a big gift to thank you after the thing is done."

grunt.

Ah Hui swallowed fiercely, his mind was blank.

After a long time, he came back to his senses and looked at the expressions of the old and young servants again.

The old servant smiled, calmly.

The servant was already expressionless, not even looking at the box;
And this look is not deliberately avoided, but it is not in the eyes at all...

That's right, they are the followers of Mr. Zhou, so they must have seen many big scenes.

Perhaps to them, these gold and silver treasures are nothing at all! !

Ah Hui only felt dry mouth.

His first reaction was that he got rich, so he asked his godfather to help him, so why would he need such a big box?
Taking two pieces at hand is enough to show sincerity.

Doesn't the rest belong to me?

however.

This dangerous thought was extinguished just as soon as it was born.

If you want to be rich, you must also have the strength to protect the rich. If the wind leaks out, these wealth will bring disaster to oneself.

At this moment, his whole body was icy cold, and all greed and desire dissipated.

He can only think of one thing now...

It is best to resolve this matter smoothly, otherwise, no matter whether it is the Shi family, Mr. Liang or Mr. Zhou, he will not be able to offend him.

This money is not something you can earn by yourself.

"Mr. Mo, please tell Mr. Zhou that I will go to my godfather's house to clear up the matter tonight. No matter what, I will have an answer before noon tomorrow."

He no longer underestimated the old servant, and had shown the respectful attitude he used to treat Zhou Li'an.

And when he sees Mr. Zhou again in the future, he must at least show the humility of meeting a consolation envoy...

Although, he has never really visited the consolation envoy in his life, but he has put Mr. Zhou on the same position as the consolation envoy.

"I only take five pieces, and I swear that all of them will be handed over to my godfather, and I will not take one."

"Please tell Mr. Mo."

He bent down and groped in the box, cautiously.

In the end, I got two exotic candlesticks, a four-dimensional animal sculpture, and two strange gemstones.

"Old Mo...and that little brother, I'm leaving."

He wrapped things in a cloth and bowed away.

Wait for Ah Hui to leave.

The door was closed, Ku Kemo frowned and said, "Old Mo, why has his attitude towards us changed again, and he still swears..."

"Did he guess the identity of my lord?"

The Great Elder shook his head: "How could you guess the identity of my lord? The gate to the new world has not yet been opened, and the name of Balance cannot be spread here!"

"If it's Tiaoyu who spread the holy name of Balance, then Ah Hui has already talked about this anecdote. There is a true god descending in the world."

Cook said: "Then what did he mean?"

"I don't know, but I just need to tell my lord the truth."

……

In the city that never sleeps, there are crowds of people everywhere.

Shoulder to shoulder, sweating profusely.

Zhou Li'an didn't like this feeling. Although Xuenv was excited, she also developed a habit of loving cleanliness.

"Master, let's go to Pearl Square. Ah Hui said that the grade is higher there, and there are fewer pedestrians."

The two searched according to the direction and soon came to a main street.

There are large shops and businesses on both sides, and the lights are bright everywhere. Although there are noisy sales and a lot of people, the most distinctive point is...

There are more Chinese faces on the street. Even if there are aborigines, they also imitate the Chinese dress and speak proficient Chinese.

"Okay, let's just hang out here."

Zhou Li'an started, and Xue Nu walked side by side, their footsteps were bouncing, like a jumping bird.

The costumes of both of them have been modified, and they are custom-made ancient costumes from reality.

Although Zhou Li'an has short hair, short hair and bald heads are not uncommon in hot Southeast Asia.

It's not so eye-catching.

It was a novelty to visit more than a dozen shops along the way. Zhou Li'an took out some broken silver prepared in advance and bought a lot of jewelry, which made Xuenv very happy.

In the middle of the street, the points of interest are not so strong.

The bustling neighborhood is bustling, and there are too few types.

Let's say that if you want to buy clothes, you need to have enough cloth first, then measure the size, and it will be sewn by a master craftsman, and it will take several days to pick it up.

"Tired of shopping?"

"It's almost there, master...young master, let's find a place to eat! Although the porridge in Waishu Town is not as good as your creation, it is also extraordinarily sweet."

Going forward, you will see a luxury restaurant. Inside the door is a courtyard first, and then there is a tall building built behind it. You can see the guests eating in the pavilion.

Walking up the stairs, the young man sized him up first, and then smiled: "Are you two eating or listening to music?"

"How do you listen to music, how do you say with food?"

The servant took a look at Xue Nu: "There is a girl to accompany you when you listen to the music, and you eat in the lobby. The tea fees are different on the first, second, and third floors."

Xuenv felt something, and she was about to explode...

girl to accompany?
Are they also worthy to serve our Lord?

But Zhou Li'an took the first step and took out two golden beans: "Dinner, you can watch the arrangement."

As soon as the boy weighed it, his unsalty smile overflowed instantly, and he bowed his waist, leading the two of them to take a step forward, and shouted at the top of their voices——

"Two honored guests of Wanghai Pavilion, 'Blessed into the East China Sea'!!"

When they reached the third floor, the two were led to the elegant seat facing east, because the mouth of the sea faced east, and sitting here could take in the night view of the fishing port and have an invincible view.

"This is called blessing into the East China Sea? You can't actually see anything in the dark! It's better to come during the day."

Zhou Li'an nodded with a smile, and looked around.

The class of the guests was not low, and they spoke the obscure and difficult-to-understand Daming offshore dialect.

However, the language pack is loaded, and these overseas Chinese dialects are also included in the Southeast Asian region.

"I heard that the Ming Fleet has found a fairy mountain overseas, and they may seek immortality medicine for His Majesty the Emperor of Ming!!"

"Nonsense, right? Overseas are full of savages. Where did our gods from the east come from? What's more, they believe in Allah, not gods and Buddhas."

"But why have I heard of such a thing? I heard that the gods descended to earth, and even took away several imperial envoys and superiors."

"Really? Is there any news from the Gu family?"

When Zheng He's fleet first arrived, the balance came.

More than 2 officials and citizens of the Ming Dynasty witnessed it with their own eyes, not to mention the sacrificial ceremony that followed.

Zheng He must have issued a gag order, but with more than 2 civilians, how could it be possible to completely block the information?

Zhou Li'an was listening, but was interrupted by the roar of footsteps upstairs, and countless guests in the private seats on the third floor couldn't help but look up.

"What's going on upstairs? It disturbed Grandpa's pleasure of listening to the music!"

It's not waiting for the boy to go upstairs to investigate.

But I saw several people running down the stairs, followed by more than a dozen figures chasing after them, obviously looking like they were chasing and fleeing.

Xuenv was about to ask what happened...

I heard the neighbor table exclaim: "Shh, keep your voice down, those in front are the guards of the Gu family!"

"What do you mean? Someone dares to touch the Gu family?"

"Wait a minute... the chaser is the Zhenhai Academy!!"

"My family beat my family? Internal strife?"

(End of this chapter)