Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 32

The southern city of Guangzhou faces the Pearl River and is a place where marine merchants and foreign ships dock.In the Song Dynasty, Nancheng had become a commercial center, protected by East and West Yanchi City.The Yuan Dynasty was destroyed by military chaos.After the Ming Dynasty, the business here flourished, but after the Tuolin Mutiny, the residents in the south of the city suffered, and the government built a new city based on the old site of Yanchi City. "Guangdong Tongzhi" said: "In the 42nd year of Jiajing, Wu Guifang, the imperial censor of Jiazidu, used the mutiny of Tuolin to mobilize the residents outside the city. He built the building from the southwest corner building and the Wuyang post, and surrounded it to the southeast corner building new city for defense."

With the protection of the city wall, although New South City faces the Pearl River and faces Hao on three sides, it is the smallest among the three cities in Guangzhou. However, the ocean ship area, wharf area, commercial area, and wealthy residential area are all concentrated here, becoming the city of Guangzhou. Commercial and economic center.

At this time, on the bank of the Pearl River outside the Jinghai Gate in Nancheng, several people were standing, wearing coir raincoats and hats.It seems to be patrolling something.

The haze is compact, misty and rainy.There are a dozen or so sailing boats moored faintly on the river, and only black silhouettes can be seen in thick water mist.Overlooking Shicuizhou and Baietan, hidden in the deep mist, it seems to be connected with the sky.

"Damn it, where's the Australian ship?" One of them spat and said angrily.

"Boss Wang, we've been looking for it for ten days, and we've looked at all kinds of ships along the river. There's no such thing as a weird big ship."

The man called Chief Wang didn't answer. He watched for a long time, silent.In the middle of the river, the ripples are in circles, and the old fish blow the waves.There are jagged rocks under the embankment, and the turbid waves beat.Not far from them, a foreign ship was unloading, and a group of porters came down from the side of the ship to the pier with the cargo on their shoulders.

"Brother Wang, I really don't understand. The master is doing well in the Zhongzuo Institute, so why did he ask us to find some Australian maritime merchants again? I have followed the master for many years, and have traveled all over the world. I have never heard of Lao Shizi's Australia. !"

The king snorted coldly, and scolded: "What are you talking about, what is this place?! Don't you want your head?"

After hearing this, everyone fell silent.

After a long while, I heard Mr. Wang say: "Although Australia is a place that I have never stopped talking about, the things sold in the Gao's shop on Haopan Street must not have fallen from the sky, right? The city of Guangzhou now If the city is crazy, who doesn't know the rare goods in Australia. Since this kind of profitable business is done by sea, how can my brothers not make a fortune." He grinned grinningly, "We must find out this time Here are the details of the merchants."

It turns out that these people are the subordinates of Zheng Zhilong, the "giant bandit" who is currently attacking Fujian and shaking Fujian and Guangdong provinces.Right now, he and Li Kuiqi have gathered more than [-] people to occupy a series of important coastal islands and seaports in southern Fujian, such as Zhongzuo, Gulangyu, Dadan, Lieyu, and Gaopu. , Burning, killing and looting, has become a tyrant in the coastal waters of southern Fujian.

A group of people walked along the pier to the city, and gradually saw more and more pedestrians and vendors.After passing the Dragon King Temple, you can see the Jinghai Gate Tower.Entering the city, follow the road all the way to Wuyangmen. The majestic and majestic temple in front of you is the Tianfei Temple built during the Hongwu period.This is the transportation center of Nancheng, a mixed place in five directions, people of all colors mixed with sedan chairs and mule carts are bustling, vendors gather together, the market is lively, there are only noisy voices, endless stalls, and a prosperous market.

The king was obviously very careful, he only walked along the base of the wall, turned a corner, and walked into the alley, there was a small hotel at the base of the city.There are half-hanging bamboo curtains with oily black residue.A crowd of people entered the shop.There are several oil lamps hanging in the shop, which is very dim even during the day.The diners were making a fuss, the floor was wet and slippery, and there was a strange smell of vegetables, wine, sesame oil, smoke and sweat.

When Qitang saw someone coming in, he rushed up to greet the guests.Mr. Wang asked for an empty seat in a private room, and ordered some food and wine.The curtain is not completely lowered, but tied up halfway, and the brothers sitting at the door can look at the whole store.

After waiting for a while, a middle-aged man with white face and beardless walked into the door of the store.The eyes of the two sides met, and the newcomer came in and took a seat without exchanging greetings, and everyone just ate and drank on their own.Seeing that there was no plainclothes Kuaishou Fanzi in the store, Chief Wang asked in a low voice, "What news do you have for the brothers on Haopan Street?"

"It's been almost half a month of follow-up, but it's useless. I saw that the goods in the high mansion were picked out one by one and sent to the shop, but I didn't see any special goods coming in, and I didn't see any weird people. .”

"What the hell!" The king didn't care to eat, staring at a plate of hot and fragrant spring onion fried snake shreds, "How did so many goods get in?" Could it be a trick?The goods from Australia were not shipped from the Gao family, but they were just used to cover up?

"Where is the Gao family's warehouse on the pier?"

"I've also inquired about it," he shook his head. "The rules in Gao's shop are very strict, and nothing can be found out at all. After inquiring for many days, the brothers found out that the manager of the inn had an acquaintance with the door half-closed. Yinzi just got some information from that woman." After speaking, he stopped talking and began to drink on his own.

Wang Tou knew that the community mouse on the ground was taking the opportunity to extort money again, so he cursed in his heart, and only said: "Money is easy to talk about, what did you find out?"

"The manager said that Australian goods are never delivered at the warehouse, and all are sent from the private warehouse of the house held aloft. Each time there are not many goods, only a few boxes of goods. But each piece is of great value." The middle-aged man said. As he said that, there was greed in his eyes.

"How often does it ship?"

"Not sure, usually around ten days."

This shows that the goods did come out of the high house, but how did they get in?Gao's house is not the sea, and boats cannot enter it.Did it fall from the sky?

"Have you checked the things that the Gao family brought into the mansion?"

"I asked the fast-footed third son to help me with this matter, and he asked for a lot of money..."

"It's easy to say." Chief Wang said so, but touched the dagger in his sleeve.

"He asked for ten taels of silver," the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and looked at Mr. Wang, testing his reaction.Wang Tou smiled dumbly and didn't answer. He glanced at the surrounding people and they were all sneering.The man suddenly remembered who was sitting in front of him, and quickly took it, "Flying Foot Lao San ordered someone to secretly inspect the goods brought in by the Gao family, it is indeed strange!"

"Oh? The goods were brought in?"

"No it's not, but the stuff that's being shipped in and out is kind of weird."

They bribed the people who went up and down, and privately inspected the bulk of goods that Gaozhai had shipped in and out in the past month. The things that were brought in were mainly porcelain and ironware in the past, and the things that were shipped out were roughly the same.But this month is different, in addition to these, a lot of musk, dragon birth incense, red sandalwood, etc. have been brought in - the most strange thing is that they have never been shipped out, as if once they go in, they will disappear.

After searching for a long time, I still can't find out where it came from.Chief Wang sighed in disappointment.Even if these city foxes and rats on the ground can't find out anything, it may be even more difficult to find out by themselves.

He took out a dozen foreign dollars and sent him away.The whole group felt unbelievable.They have sneaked into the city of Guangzhou for a month, and have gone through countless twists and turns. As far as they know, although they know where these sea merchants are generally settled, they still don't know where their ships are anchored or how their goods are transported.Right now, all they have to do is wait for the return of the person who was sent a few days ago to sneak into Gao's house.

After waiting for a long time, the two people who were going to sneak into the high mansion yesterday came back, and one of them had a bruise on his face.Wang Tou saw that his expression was changing, and he knew that something was wrong.

"There are fences in the back streets over there, so it's inconvenient to go in. I climbed up the city wall and went around in a circle. I lurked on it for a few days before I discovered something strange." These two people were well-known snitches and thieves before they went there. , because they committed a life lawsuit and were arrested by the sea, they went to join the pirates. This time, the Zheng family promised a lot of money to bring them to Guangzhou to take risks.

They observed the people and loads coming in and out of the back door of the tall house on the city wall, and found that they all came out of the backyard of another house.So he managed to get into the yard to have a look, and saw the Australian maritime merchants.

"There are four people in total, all wearing the clothes of the dynasty, but with curly hair, like monks."

Knowing that there is something strange about this yard, he inspected it for two days and found that it was originally the Gao family's secret house, but now it is an Australian maritime business hotel.All the goods were transported from this secret house to the Gao family, and the Gao family also transported goods to the secret house.

So the problem came back again, and I still didn't find out where the goods of this group of sea merchants were shipped.

"I wanted to listen to what they had to say, but it's a pity!" said the bruised man fiercely, "There is a Lian family inside, and he found out just as he was about to get close. Throwing stones was fast and hard."

"I see, we're going to keep doing one thing and the other." Someone inside said in a low voice, "Let's just 'take out the bed'. Take out Guanshi Yan of the Gao family or Gao Ju himself, and ask them all. Chu!"

Wang Tou snorted: "Get caught? Which of the merchants on Haopan Street is easy to mess with? Not to mention that they have good hands and eyes, even if the mansion raises a guard, it is enough for you to drink a pot."

"Then catch one of the sea merchants." The man laughed, "Even if we don't mess with the Gao family, it's not a problem to mess with these unfounded sea merchants, right? According to Brother He, there is only one practitioner here." He has no guards from the Gao family. Even if he is covered in iron, how many nails can he drive? Let’s gather a few more skilled brothers, go in and tie one up, and take it to the boat, not to mention those from Australia. You have to make it clear that you are from Kunlun Mountain. Besides," he laughed greedily, "if you want to release him, why don't you bring out some good things?"

Everyone applauded when they heard it.They all looked at the king's head.Wang Tou thought this might be a solution.It's not a big deal to tie up a sea merchant, and Gao Ju doesn't necessarily get angry about it, and there is still room for it in the future.

Thinking of this, several people buried their heads in planning.

(End of this chapter)