The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 303: Chase and interception (Part ): Reunion after a long separation

On June 20th, the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Qian Sheng of the Great Jin Dynasty, there was still about a month and a half before the rural examination on the fifth day of August. Sun Chengzong and Mei Yucheng, as the chief and deputy examiners of the Southern Zhili area, left Beijing at the beginning of this month and arrived at Tongzhou Wharf. Take a public boat all the way south along the canal.

The public boat is free, but the free service is often of average quality. This is the case for the public boat in Dajin. It is characterized by being extremely slow, just like a bus. There are many stations that need to stop along the way, so from Tongzhou to Jinling, Public ships are twice as slow as ordinary passenger ships and take nearly a month, so Sun Chengzong and Mei Chengyu set off two months in advance.

In the midsummer of June, the spring flowers in Yangzhou have long since fallen, and the banks of the Jiahe River are lined with green willows. When a public boat goes down the canal, you will encounter a large floating lotus in full bloom, which is redder than the fireworks and is very eye-catching.

The ancestors of the Mei family were originally from Xuancheng, South Zhili, and later settled in the capital as officials in the imperial court. Mei Yucheng would go back to his hometown to worship his ancestors every two or three years. When he saw the long-lost scenery in the south of the Yangtze River, he couldn't help but whisper: " The scenery of Jiangnan is so familiar. When the sun rises, the flowers on the river are as red as the fire, and when spring comes, the river is as green as blue. "

"Well done!" A cheer suddenly sounded from behind.

Mei Yucheng was startled. He looked back and saw that it was Sun Chengzong, the young master of Zhan Shifu who was traveling with him. His face suddenly turned red and he said awkwardly: "I got carried away for a moment and borrowed the poems of my predecessors to make Master Sun laugh."

Mei Yucheng is a nerd, dull and not good at communication. In other words, he is "socially afraid", so even his father-in-law, Wang Ziteng, looks down on him.

Sun Chengzong obviously also knew this person's temperament. He stroked his beard and smiled and said: "Mei Hanlin does not need to be too formal. We scholars should express our ambitions in poems and sing our feelings in songs, so why should we be embarrassed!"

Mei Yucheng blushed even more when he heard this. He looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer the question.

The boatman shook his head and sighed: "The name of the bandit leader is Kang Dayong. He was originally the second son of Kang Lingcheng, a big salt merchant in Yangzhou. In the early years, there were rumors that he was drowned when he encountered a storm and capsized when going out to sea. Unexpectedly, he was killed by Gu San Mazi, a big salt merchant. His men became pirates.

Sun Chengzong felt inexplicably heavy after hearing this. Jiangnan is an important source of national taxes, and salt tax is the top priority. If there is a problem, it will have a great impact on the entire country, especially the Jurchens in recent years. The rise of the Jin Dynasty forced the Jin Dynasty to station heavy troops in the northeast for defense. The cost was astonishing. If there is another big chaos in Jiangnan, the country's foundation will be shaken!
Mei Yucheng obviously did not think as far as Sun Chengzong did. He asked curiously: "Even if the number of boats on the canal is reduced by 30%, will it be as deserted as it is now?"

Mei Yucheng nodded hurriedly and said: "Yes, Xiaguan's ancestral home is Xuancheng. This is the first time Xiaguan has been ordered to go to the capital to preside over the provincial examination. He has little talent and lack of experience. I hope Master Sun can give me more advice."

This was a bit at a loss for words, because Mei Yucheng had said similar words to Sun Chengzong several times since the two left Beijing together, so Sun Chengzong was a bit dumbfounded at the moment, and at the same time quite boring, so he could only say: "Mei Hanlin, you're welcome. The rural examination has its own strict regulations, and Mei Hanlin can implement them according to the regulations. The purpose of the imperial court's examination is to select useful talents, which is related to the rise and fall of our Jin Dynasty. We shoulder such a heavy responsibility and we should do our best. Live up to the emperor’s kindness and trust!”

The boatman said with lingering fear: "Just the day before yesterday, a group of pirates were driven away by the officers and soldiers. In a panic, they fled to the vicinity of Yangzhou City. The prefect hurriedly ordered the city gates to be closed. The common people were scared to death and hid. Don't dare to go out at home.

"Hey, how do you say this?" Mei Yucheng asked curiously.

The boatman smiled bitterly and said: "It is indeed not the case. In fact, there were still boats coming and going on the canal two days ago. But an appalling thing happened the day before yesterday, which scared everyone, so they didn't dare to go sailing for the time being. I'm afraid It will take some time to recover.”

Tsk tsk, this is obviously killing people and silencing them. I don’t know how many people’s interests are involved behind it. We ordinary people are just watching the excitement. How can we clearly explain the powerful relationship behind it?

But not long after, Kang Dayong came back again, and this time he learned a lot. He didn't attack the city, but just looted and destroyed everywhere. The coastal area was smoky, everyone was in danger, and the people were miserable. Alas, in the final analysis After all, it’s not the fault of a greedy person! "

Mei Yucheng couldn't help but lost his voice and said: "What's the origin of this group of pirates? They actually came to cause trouble near Yangzhou City. In the more than eighty years since the founding of our country, it seems that such a shocking thing has never happened."

A sailor who was punting the boat couldn't help but chatted up: "The two gentlemen came from the capital. I'm afraid they don't know something. Banditry is happening now. The coastal areas are frequently attacked by pirates, and there are many in Huaihe and Zhejiang." The saltworks were destroyed and production was in complete chaos. Not only Yangzhou Prefecture, but also the entire South Zhili Province was in a great depression. The number of ships on the canal was reduced by more than 30%. Many coolies who had to eat at the dock were now unable to open the pot. If the trouble continues like this , there’s bound to be trouble!”

Mei Yucheng hurriedly asked: "What horrific thing happened to scare everyone like that?"

Fortunately, I later heard that due to the tight pursuit of the officers and soldiers, this group of thieves did not stop near Yangzhou City. Instead, they went straight to the Guazhou Ferry downstream and robbed many boats. They originally planned to enter the Yangtze River and escape down the river. By sea, they were blocked by the Jinling Navy in the Zhenjiang area and had to abandon the ship and flee into Yizhen County. Tsk tsk, do you think it’s scary? "

The leader of the thieves, Kang Dayong, went crazy when he learned that his father and brother had been assassinated. He first led thousands of pirates to capture Haimen County, killing many local officials and people. He also claimed that he would invade Yangzhou City to avenge his father, but soon They were repelled by the officers and soldiers.

Seeing this, Sun Chengzong had no choice but to change the topic and said: "Mei Hanlin's ancestor seems to be from Nanzhili, right?"

At this time, Mei Yucheng remembered the special task that her father-in-law Wang Ziteng had assigned to her before leaving Beijing. She suddenly felt guilty and stuttered: "It... it should be so."

After hearing the words, Mei Yucheng looked towards the river and nodded: "It's true. Xianguan went back to his hometown to worship his ancestors the year before last. Boats came and went on the canal, especially in the Yangzhou area. It was so lively. There were even queues to pass in the narrow parts of the river. , why is it so deserted now?”

Sun Chengzong couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Mei Yucheng lowered his head and couldn't even speak. However, he didn't think about it elsewhere. He just thought that this person was unsociable and too cramped, so he changed the subject and said, "It's strange. On the canal, There seem to be a lot fewer ships coming and going, far less than before!”

On the surface, Kang Lingcheng was a law-abiding businessman, but he secretly colluded with Gu Sanmazi and secretly sold private salt for profit. Hey, some time ago, the scandal broke out and Lin Ruhai, the Yangzhou salt censor, had his house confiscated. He was originally going to be escorted to the Nanjing Criminal Department for trial. Unexpectedly, Kang Lingcheng and his eldest son Kang Dazhi were assassinated in public as soon as the prison car was transported out of the city gate and before they could board the ship.

The boatman sneered: "That Kanglingcheng family has tens of millions of dollars, which he can't spend all in ten lifetimes, but he is still greedy and secretly colludes with the salt lord Gu Sanmazi to sell private salt. And the reason why this person can do illegal things unimpeded is because He was afraid that there were a large number of corrupt officials backing him up behind his back. Even Jin Yiwei was alarmed. The people behind him were not simple.

No, as soon as something happened in Kangling City, he was killed and silenced, which led to the many disasters that followed. Look, isn't it all caused by a greedy character? "

Mei Yucheng fell silent upon hearing this. Although he was a nerd, he was an official in the court after all. He had heard that this case might involve Prince Yi Zhong's Mansion, and his father-in-law Wang Ziteng was in cahoots with Prince Yi Zhong's Mansion.

At this time, the boatman probably realized that he was talking too much, and he said politely: "Young man is just hearsay, just for fun after dinner. You two gentlemen must not take it seriously, hehe!" Although the boatman's statement was suspected of hating officials, Sun Chengzong seemed to He didn't mind and asked: "I heard that Lin Ruhai, the Yangzhou salt inspector, is a capable official. The emperor has appointed him as the governor of Yingtian to control the Zhili soldiers and horses. It has been so long that the banditry has not been eradicated, and it has led to the current situation. , It’s really a big dereliction of duty.”

The boatman smiled and said, "I dare you to say something, sir, you can talk while standing without pain in your back."

Sun Chengzong frowned and said, "Did I make a mistake?"

The boatman laughed and said: "The old man came from the capital, so he may not know the local situation. Pirates come on the sea and plunder everywhere, and the coastline is so long. They just do one thing and then escape back to the sea. They will change places next time." It won’t work for anyone else.”

Sun Chengzong shook his head and said calmly: "This is not a reason for dereliction of duty."

The boatman looked at Sun Chengzong unexpectedly and thought, what is the identity of this old man who is so arrogant?
It turns out that every time the official ship of the Jin Dynasty arrived at a post station, it would be replaced by a local boatman to punt the boat. Therefore, the boatman in front of him was actually a native of Jiangdu County, Yangzhou Prefecture. He only knew that Sun Chengzong and Mei Yucheng were officials from the capital, but they I don't know the specific positions of the two, and naturally Sun and Mei will not lower themselves to introduce themselves in front of the boatman.

At this time, Sun Chengzong asked again: "You just said that the gang of thieves fled to Yizhen County, what about now? Have they been eliminated?"

The boatman couldn't figure out Sun Chengzong's background, so he became cautious when speaking, shaking his head and saying: "I don't know that little one... Oh, not far ahead is Guazhou Ferry. I heard that the group of pirates robbed the ship here the day before yesterday. "

After hearing this, Sun Chengzong and Mei Yucheng put up a pergola and looked downstream. Sure enough, they saw a ferry on both sides of the canal, but there were only a few boats on the ferry.

As luck would have it, smoke and dust suddenly billowed from the official road on the east bank, and a group of men and horses drove over with murderous intent. The boatman was so frightened that he trembled and shouted: "My dear mother, you can't talk about people during the day and you can't talk about ghosts at night. The thief is coming. Everyone, hurry up and paddle over there!"

The boatman was obviously frightened out of his mind. He rowed and shouted, asking other boatmen to work together to row the boat to the west bank of the canal. Sun Chengzong was very calm. He put his hands on the arbor and looked around. He found that the troops were wearing uniform uniforms. They were clearly soldiers stationed in the garrison. He quickly shouted: "Don't panic, they are officers and soldiers!"

The boatman took a closer look and found that the people who came were indeed an army. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "My lord, you have a good eye!"

Not long after, several cavalrymen rushed to the river first. One of the officers shouted to the river: "Urgent military information, I am Zuo Dashou, a member of the Yangzhou Guards. I am temporarily requisitioning our ships for use by the army." Crossing the river, if anyone dares to disobey military orders, he will be killed without mercy!"

As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, there is no reason to explain it. God knows whether these murderous big-headed soldiers will actually fire arrows. Therefore, although the boats passing by on the canal were reluctant, they could only row the boats to the pier on the east bank. go.

The captain docked the official ship and smiled at Zuo Dashou on horseback and said, "Master, this bow is an official ship, carrying nobles from the capital who have official duties. Do you think you can do it?" Please be accommodating?”

Zuo Dashou glared and shouted: "Urgent military situation, you are deaf and can't hear clearly. Let everyone on the ship get off the ship immediately."

Zuo Dashou, who had a beard on his face and was already rough by nature, looked even more fierce when he glared at him. How could the boatman dare to be so stubborn and hurriedly asked the people on the boat to disembark.

At this time, the infantrymen from behind also arrived one after another. At first glance, it was dark and covered with swords and guns, and there were actually thousands of them.

"May I ask this Zuo Baihu, who is leading the army here?" Sun Chengzong asked with his hands raised.

Zuo Dashou glanced at Sun Chengzong and found that the little old man was wearing casual clothes. He didn't know his rank, but judging from his demeanor, he seemed to have some background, so he asked politely: "What do you call me, old gentleman?"

"Old man Sun Chengzong!"

"Sun Chengzong?" Zuo Dashou felt that the name was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember it for a moment. At this moment, a brother next to him shouted: "Master Huan is here!"

Zuo Dashou hurriedly left Sun Chengzong behind and rode up to meet him.

Sun Chengzong looked up and saw a young man riding a black horse coming here, surrounded by brave soldiers. He looked very young, and he was not wearing anything. He was only wearing a jade-colored scholar's robe. He couldn't help but be surprised. : "Who is this? A scholar leading an army?"

Sun Chengzong was about to take a closer look when the young man on the horse looked over. Then his eyes lit up and he galloped straight to him. He turned over and dismounted and bowed down and said, "Student Jia Huan, pay your respects to Mr. Sun!"

"You...are Jia Huan?" Sun Chengzong was startled. He looked Jia Huan up and down carefully, and then he gradually recognized him. He quickly stretched out his hand to help Jia Huan up, and said in surprise: "It turns out it is really Jia Huan!"

Sun Chengzong was the examiner who presided over the Shuntian Prefecture examination that year, and Jia Huan was the head of the examination at that time. In addition, at that time, the Tatar Fried Flower Department broke through the Gubeikou border, and everyone was trapped. In a courtyard in the north of Tongzhou City, Sun Chengzong was deeply impressed by Jia Huan's fearless performance in the face of danger.

However, after three years, Jia Huan had grown much taller and his appearance had changed a lot, so Sun Chengzong suddenly didn't recognize him, but he just felt a little familiar until Jia Huan bowed down and announced his name.

"After several years of separation, Mr. Sun's demeanor is still better than before." Jia Huan said in surprise.

Sun Chengzong looked at the handsome young man in front of him who was as handsome as jade, with red lips and white teeth. He was equally overjoyed and said with a smile: "Young friend Jia, are you okay?"

(End of this chapter)