Fu Shifeng

Chapter 203 Yangzhou Scenery
Cheng Sanwu stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the increasingly densely packed boats on the river ahead. In the distance, they were densely packed with white sails like a forest. At a casual glance, there were hundreds or even thousands of them.

"I've seen carriages blocking roads, but this is the first time I've seen boats blocking rivers." Cheng Sanwu smiled upon seeing this.

After accepting the task assigned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Cheng Sanwu, Afu and others set off on the boat with Changqing in the name of accompanying guards.

Along the way, the Bianshui River was vigorously dug and widened by the previous dynasty, turned into the Yangtze River at Linhuai in Sizhou, and went down to Shanyang in Chuzhou. From Caoqu to the south, it arrived at the boundary of Yangzhou, with Jiangdu City in sight.

In terms of the grandeur of the city, Jiangdu City is far inferior to Chang'an and Luoyang, but before entering the city, you can see endless shops along the river, and an endless stream of goods being loaded and unloaded.

Listening carefully, the shouts of the ferry officers dispatching the boats, the shouts and curses of the boat owners fighting for the ferry, and the whistles of the trackers were almost mixed together and poured into the ears. It was full of enthusiasm and noisy.

Even the official ship where Cheng Sanwu and others were on stopped for a moment, and seven or eight small boats gathered. It turned out that they were selling fresh water chestnuts and gorgon seeds, and even steamed duck and grilled fish. They were all cooked on the charcoal stove on the small boats. Use all your ingenuity.

Cheng Sanwu smelled the fragrance and immediately bought two steamed ducks. He threw a string of copper coins directly and used a bamboo basket to hoist the two steamed ducks onto the boat.

"We are about to enter the city. We will host a banquet to welcome the officials. You are not in a hurry, right?" Chang Qing watched as Cheng Sanwu pulled off the duck leg and stuffed it into his mouth. When he pulled it out, only the bones were left.

"I'm just here to appetize." Cheng Sanwu ate the steamed duck cleanly in just a few seconds, and threw the skeleton directly into the canal.

At this time, Ah Fu was seen walking out of the cabin yawning, looking slightly tired, and even asked Qin Wangshu to support him.

"Are you okay? With such high martial arts skills, you actually get seasick?" When Cheng Sanwu saw Afu like this, not only did he not take the initiative to show concern, but he started teasing her.

Afu was so angry that she stepped forward and kicked Cheng Sanwu. However, the whip leg that could easily break muscles and bones was now limp. If there weren't others around, Cheng Sanwu would have hugged Afu. His thighs bullied her hard.

"I'm not seasick!" Afu said angrily: "Crossing a river is like crossing a disaster, let alone on a boat?"

"Yaksha is afraid of water? This is the first time I've heard this." Cheng Sanwu casually tore the steamed duck into two pieces and handed it to Afu, who shook his head and waved his hands without interest.

"I'm not afraid of water. I won't drown even if I take a normal bath." Afu rubbed her brow, thinking unclearly: "What should I tell you..."

Chang Qing on the side said: "The rivers are full of vitality, and life and death naturally conflict with each other. It seems like crossing the river, but in fact it is like crossing a fire."

Afu nodded: "That's pretty much what it means. Anyway, I will feel a little uncomfortable when crossing the river. It's okay for a moment, but after a few months floating on the canal, I feel like my body is falling apart."

"If we had known this, wouldn't it be better if we rode horses and took a ride?" Cheng Sanwu said.

"I just want to test how long I can endure it." Afu became stubborn. Hundreds of years ago, she first arrived in the Wuyue land in the south of the Yangtze River. There were also dense water networks there. If you were afraid of crossing the water, you might not be able to move even an inch.

In order to overcome the natural weaknesses of the vampires, Afu spent a long time trying continuously, and using secret methods to expand the veins and dig out the orifices, so that she has changed a lot compared to the previous vampire body, and crossing the river will not have much hindrance.

Afu seems to be careless and carefree on weekdays, but she is not willing to degenerate and not want to make progress. Considering the enemies she will face in the future, she will not give up the opportunity to improve herself.

"I just like your temperament." Cheng Sanwu suddenly came closer and said this almost against Afu's ear, making the dominatrix's body become weak and her cheeks turn red.

Changqing rolled his eyes and was too lazy to pay attention to the flirting of the adulterer and the adulteress.

But not long after, a ship with government flags and flags arrived. Someone on the ship shouted loudly: "I wonder which official is here? I'm the Guangling ditch envoy!"

Changqing stepped forward and replied loudly: "We have been ordered to send the true face of the Taoist ancestors to Huainan Road. Please inform the Yangzhou officials immediately!"

"The true image of the holy statue? I ordered someone to go and report it immediately!" The other party seemed surprised when he heard this, and then led Changqing's ship to the shore, and immediately dispatched officers to clean up the ferry and disperse the people.

Although there is a dock and ferry in Jiangdu City, the boat Changqing and others took is too big to enter the city.Moreover, the matter of welcoming and worshiping the true face of the holy statue has been spread throughout the world, and officials everywhere are aware of it. They dare not be careless and will definitely take the initiative to go out of the city to welcome it.

After waiting for a long time, a fast horse arrived from Jiangdu City, and Gao Changshi of Yangzhou Governor's Office came personally and boarded the boat to inquire.

The Yangzhou Dudufu was established in the early years of this dynasty, originally to stabilize the Jianghuai area.However, except for the rebellion that broke out when the heroine came to rule, there has been no chaos in the Jianghuai and Wuyue lands for a long time, and the people have not known war for a long time. Therefore, the governor of Yangzhou gradually became a sinecure, mostly taken by the princes of the court, or given posthumously after the death of the hero. .

Therefore, Chief Shi of the Governor's Office can be regarded as the person with the highest rank and status here.However, since the Yangzhou Dudu Mansion had no conquests and almost no standing troops, it could not be compared with the northern border towns. Therefore, Gao Changshi himself was no different from an ordinary local official.

"Okay, I will immediately summon the female Taoist priests in the city and ask them to arrange the majestic rituals and prepare for the reception."

After a conversation, Gao Changshi already understood the matter of welcoming the holy statue of the true face, and attached great importance to it. In addition, he also said: "Mr. Changqing rarely comes to Yangzhou. Many rich people here admire the Dao. If Mr. Chang can spread the law widely, Meeting and preaching Taoism not only deeply understands the holy will, but also broadens the mysticism and benefits the whole country."

"Of course." Changqing nodded in agreement, and then saw that the other party was hesitant to speak, so he asked: "Gao Changshi has any other advice?"

"Don't take advice seriously." Gao Changshi lowered his voice: "I heard that Mr. Changqing is the seventh son of Mr. Lu's family?"

"Gao Changshi is well-informed." Changqing flicked his sleeves and said nonchalantly: "But I am here as a member of the Taoist sect, acting on the orders of the saint."

"That's right, that's right." Gao Changshi agreed repeatedly, and at the same time looked around. Seeing Cheng Sanwu and others guarding him, he seemed to dare not say more, so he could only say: "Then I will go back to the government office to make some arrangements." , ordered people to sweep the streets to welcome the statue of Taoist ancestors."

"Gao Changshi, walk slowly."

As soon as Gao Changshi was sent away, Cheng Sanwu stepped forward and said, "This guy seems to have something to tell you?"

"Maybe it's an official matter, and you want to get a career advancement from me." Changqing is used to interacting with such people.

A Fu, who returned to normal after landing, smiled and said: "Yangzhou has been prosperous and prosperous since ancient times. As early as the Southern Dynasties, there was a saying of 'riding a crane to Yangzhou with a hundred thousand guan in your pocket'. Being able to serve as the governor of the governor's office here is better than Chang'an." It's much more comfortable." "Just from the countless boats on the canal, I can tell that this place is extremely rich." Cheng Sanwu came to Afu and asked with a smile: "When will you take me Going to a brothel to stay there?"

"Are you so impatient?" Afu showed no shame and elbowed Cheng Sanwu: "Let's do business first and learn about the situation of rebelling against the party... Changqing, I'll leave you with a few people. Is there any inconvenience to deal with? Just let them talk about the matter."

"it is good."

After leaving the ferry, Cheng Sanwu and Afu rushed to Jiangdu City with their entourage.

Although Jiangdu City also has city and village regulations, there are dense ditches and waterways, and the Guanhe River, Zhuohe River, and Hangou River run through many village walls. The separation between the villages is far less strict and clear than that in Luoyang, Chang'an.

And due to the dense water network, there are many bridges and boats in the city, connecting water and land. Ordinary people rarely travel by mules and horses, but by light boats.

Not only are many shops located along the streets and rivers, but even small merchants and hawkers know how to use poles and paddles, and ride boats along the ditches and waterways to sell and shout. The customs and customs are completely different from those in Luoyang, Chang'an.

On the contrary, Cheng Sanwu was riding a big maroon horse, which looked particularly unique and occasionally attracted the attention of passers-by.

"This good gentleman downstairs, may I ask how much your handsome horse is worth?"

While Cheng Sanwu was looking around and observing the market, on the second floor of a roadside restaurant, several well-dressed rich kids stood leaning on the railing and greeted him loudly.

Cheng Sanwu was stunned when he heard this, and the other party laughed loudly and said: "It is so majestic and majestic. Could it be that it is a horse with blood from the Western Regions? I wonder if you can give me two thousand guan of money?"

"Two thousand guan?" Cheng Sanwu was a little surprised. Although he almost never worried about money, he also knew that two thousand guan was a large amount. He quickly lowered his head and said to the bay red horse: "Hey, they said they wanted to buy it for two thousand guan. You, how about..."

As a result, before he finished speaking, the big maroon horse seemed to be going crazy, leading Cheng Sanwu on a rampage, causing quite a commotion along the way, and even knocked a few unlucky pedestrians into the water, causing a lot of commotion.

The rich kids in the wine shop laughed when they saw this, and they were not disappointed that they missed the good horse, as if they just wanted to have fun.

Seeing that Cheng Sanwu was about to run into a porcelain shop, he immediately turned over and dismounted, his body sank, and he tugged on the reins with both hands, using all his strength to forcefully hold the horse.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Sanwu, who had always been so powerful, was at a disadvantage. He was thrown around by the crazy maroon horse and couldn't stand on his feet at all.

Then a horse neighed, and a strong wind roared in Cheng Sanwu's ears. He was thrown away and fell into the water accurately, causing large splashes of water and causing people on both sides of the coast to scream in surprise.

When Ah Fu and others hurriedly chased after him, they saw a big maroon horse standing on the bank, pawing its hooves, snorting, and shaking its head. If it were in human form, it would look like a shrew yelling and cursing at the river. Ordinary people would not dare to approach.

Seeing Cheng Sanwu crawling ashore in embarrassment, Afu was combing the mane of the maroon horse. She laughed and said, "You are not an easy horse. This is the first time I have seen you suffer in terms of strength. Back in the Western Regions , you can even compete with the Sand Diving Dragon."

"You bitch..." Cheng Sanwu pulled off a few water plants on his head and cursed: "Isn't it just a joke? Do you need to act like this in the street?"

Afu's eyebrows moved slightly, and she noticed that the maroon horse was restless again. She immediately pursed her lips and whistled softly, making a sound that ordinary people could not hear, quickly calming the horse down.

In fact, Afu had vaguely figured out earlier that Cheng Sanwu's big bay-red horse was not an ordinary species, but it was hard to be sure.Now that I take a closer look, I find that this horse also has a lot of hidden vitality, as if it is a giant stuffed into a small body. Even this "small body" is unusually majestic among the horses.

"I'm covered in mud and water. I need to find a place to change clothes first." Cheng Sanwu felt deeply uncomfortable.

"It just so happens that the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Residency is nearby." Afu motioned to Qin Wangshu to go ahead, and then several people led their horses to a weaving workshop near the water.

This weaving workshop occupies a large area. When you step into the courtyard, you can hear the intensive sound of looms. When you look up, you can see many fabrics hanging from high cantilevers, blowing in the wind.There are many women coming and going here, and there are also various businessmen coming and going, obviously coming to buy silk.

Someone in the weaving workshop took the initiative to lead the way and led everyone deep into the hall. When Cheng Sanwu changed into clean clothes, he saw Afu and a very beautiful woman sitting across from each other.

"Well, it's true that a person depends on his clothes. You look much better now than before."

Afu rested her hat on her hands and turned to look at Cheng Sanwu. At this moment, he was neatly dressed. He was wearing a lake-green embroidered robe, with the hem gradually turning into dark green, like an unfathomable cold pool of clear water. The cuffs were narrowed to make it easier to hold a bow. When he is holding a soldier, he has a belt on his waist inlaid with gold and jade, which shows his extraordinary nobility.

Cheng Sanwu lowered his head and looked at himself. Even though he never cared about describing his clothes, he still had to admire the exquisiteness of the clothes at this moment.And unlike the expensive clothes that he imagined were cumbersome to wear, this Huqing robe was very pressed and he had to ask the beautiful woman:
"Master Ye, could it be that you already knew my stature? How can this dress fit me so well?"

"Jun Zhaoyang is joking." The beautiful woman put down her tea bowl and shook her embroidered fan: "Our Xiuyun Workshop not only does silk weaving, but also makes clothes for our guests, so we naturally have many styles prepared. This Huqing piece The robe is the current fashion in Jianghuai. No matter the noble master or the knight from a famous family, they all like it. Since Lord Zhaoyang likes it, I will order someone to prepare a few more sets and send them to you later."

"Hahaha, then I'm getting rewarded for nothing this time." Cheng Sanwu smiled and came to sit down at the table.

This Chief Ye was the secret agent arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yangzhou, but she did not act in secret. Instead, she opened a weaving workshop in the best part of Jiangdu City, and her business was huge.

"How can I say nothing when Lord Zhaoyang and Lord Shangzhang came to Yangzhou to do business?" Manager Ye poured tea for Cheng Sanwu: "I just have something to ask - I don't know what happened to the previous Lord Zhaoyang. ?”

"You don't know?" Cheng Sanwu glanced at Afu and realized that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had not publicized the replacement of Lord Zhaoyang.

"The previous Lord Zhaoyang acted unprovoked and has been eliminated." Afu said calmly, signaling to Cheng Sanwu.

Master Ye understood immediately, and then said with a little regret: "It's a pity that no one in the martial arts witnessed this matter, otherwise Lord Zhaoyang would have been able to get at least one hundred thousand silver coins."

"Ah? What's going on?" Cheng Sanwu looked confused.

"The name of the previous Zhaoyang Lord was Fan Zhongming. He was once a notorious flower-picking thief in the Jianghuai area. He had killed more than a hundred women." Manager Ye covered half of his pretty face with a round fan, and his eyebrows were a bit ruthless: "In order to deal with him, all the famous martial arts families in Jianghuai have jointly issued a reward. Anyone who can kill this person can get a reward of [-] yuan."

(End of this chapter)