Touring the Ming Dynasty

The separation of the family was finally completed. He Hai and his mother left the He family. After they settled their mother in the new house, he and Duan Fei came to Helai Tower. He Hai asked for a private room. After getting up in a daze, Duan Fei knew that he had something to say, so he didn't make a sound.

After the food and drink were delivered, He Hai ordered no one to come in to harass him. When Xiao Er left, He Hai poured a glass of wine for Duan Fei himself, knelt down to Duan Fei, raised his glass with both hands and said gratefully: "Brother Fei, if you hadn't found out The real culprit cleared me of my innocence and I am a death row prisoner today..."

"Brother Fei's kindness can never be repaid, brother Fei, please drink this glass of wine! From now on, brother Fei's life will be yours!"

"My brother, who else will I help if I don't help you? Get up quickly, I can't bear such a big gift." Duan Fei stretched out his hand to help, but He Hai insisted on refusing to get up, and said, "Brother Fei, you drank I still have something to say about this glass of wine, and I won't get up until I finish talking."

Duan Fei had no choice but to take the wine glass and drink it all in one gulp.

He Hai poured another glass of wine for him on his knees, raised his hands and continued, "Brother Fei, thanks to your care over the past few years, although I have done a lot of foolish things, I am free from illness and disaster. Today, Brother Fei Standing up for me again, if Brother Fei hadn’t had enough face to calm down those people, I’m afraid I would never have the chance to prove my ability, and I can only spend my life as a boy in a daze. This second glass of wine is thanks to Brother Fei for always care and maintenance!"

Duan Fei drank it all generously, and then said with a smile: "There are only three good things. Do you want to entrust Second Aunt to my care for your third glass of wine?"

He Hai smiled and said: "Brother Fei really knows things like a god, aunt... no, my mother stays at my elder brother's house, I'm afraid she will be angry, the only person in Baoying County I can fully trust is you, Brother Fei, do you?" I'm really unfilial if my son can't be with my mother. Here are 2000 taels of silver notes, 1000 taels is a thank you gift for Brother Fei, and the other thousand is for reserve. Whether my mother or Brother Fei needs it, you can take care of it. one time."

Duan Fei unceremoniously took it and hid it in his arms. After drying up the wine, he supported He Hai's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely live up to my trust."

He Hai bowed three more times before getting up and returning to his seat. He picked up his chopsticks and said, "Brother Fei, eat, the food is cold."

Duan Fei put a piece of lotus root in his mouth, chewed and asked, "Where are you going to do business?"

He Hai hesitated for a moment, Duan Fei said: "If you can't say it, don't say it. I just want to remind you that you have to be careful when you carry so much money alone!"

He Hai suddenly said: "I believe Brother Fei, I am going to Ningbo to find Uncle Cheng, I want to go to sea!"

He Hai's voice was kept to a minimum when he said the word "going to sea". Duan Fei thought about it for a while, as if he was worried that the wall had ears. The sea ban has been banned since the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and the ban has been loosened and tightened. Now that the pirates are getting more and more serious, the ban on the sea is getting stricter. No officials or citizens of the Ming Dynasty are allowed to go to sea to do business. Otherwise, they will arrest and kill each other. Ransacking the family and exterminating the family is a business that loses one's head.

He Hai thought that Duan Fei would strongly object, but unexpectedly, Duan Fei nodded after pondering for a while and said: "Going to sea is more dangerous, but the profits are indeed huge. Alas, banning the sea is a big mistake. If the sea is opened for free trade, Not to mention the prosperity of the common people, there will be ninety-nine percent fewer Japanese pirates, so what is the rest?"

He Hai patted his thigh, and said in surprise: "Oh, brother, I've touched my heart. In fact, I have banned the sea for more than a hundred years. Not only are private smuggling ships getting more and more banned, even the government is also secretly smuggling Last month, Ryan, the chief eunuch in charge of the shipping department in Ningbo, smuggled four large shipments of tea, porcelain and silk to Ryukyu, earning 10 taels of silver back."

"Oh, what a pity, what a pity." Duan Fei shook his head and sighed softly, drank a glass of dull wine.

"That's right," He Hai echoed, and continued: "Many people don't have that kind of power, and they don't want to spend money like flowing water to clear the yamen, so they have to pretend to be pirates, half black and half white. It’s even worse if you meet real Japanese pirates.”

Duan Fei shook his head and said: "Forget it, don't talk about this, you feel panicked when you say it, by the way, you are going to go to sea to do business, do you know the nature of water? Can you drive a sea boat? Do you know where it is produced and where it is shipped to?" Is it better to sell?"

He Hai smiled and said, "Brother, don't you know my details? I don't know anything, but Uncle Cheng does. I heard that he has a sea chart bought with a lot of money, and there are many countries and places that I have never heard of before." Woolen cloth."

Duan Fei sneered disdainfully, and said: "What kind of broken sea chart do they call? You can't understand it even if it is in front of you. In this way, I will search for you in the warehouse of the yamen, and maybe you can find a better sea chart." I will copy the picture for you, and I will guarantee that you will become the most powerful navigator ever since the ocean!"

"Okay..." He Hai didn't seem to be very keen, because he knew where the nautical charts could be found in the yamen. He heard that even the nautical charts drawn by the Sanbao eunuch when he went to the West a hundred years ago had been ordered by the emperor to be burned. How dare the county government keep any charts?

Duan Fei began to chat with He Hai about the overseas world he knew, and some basic knowledge that he should have when going to sea. Duan Fei's understanding of things is also quite superficial, but it has already opened He Hai's eyes and made him doubtful.

"The fairy told me in the dream, you don't matter whether you believe it or not, you will know in the future." Duan Fei didn't explain much to his question, so He Hai believed it, and remembered his words in his heart, drunk enough After the meal was full, the two made an appointment to meet again in three days, and then they parted ways. Duan Fei returned to the county office and went to the mortuary to take a look. live.

"Brother Fei, the case has been solved for a few days, should this research continue?" Yang Sen said with a smile after seeing Duan Fei.

"Of course I will continue. I plan to get a few more pigs and study for more than half a year." Duan Fei joked.

Yang Sen's face turned into a bitter gourd shape: "Brother Fei, this pig is already in trouble, the corpse has to be washed with water after being sent to the mortuary, how can it be so smelly, now even my grandfather doesn't go into the mortuary, I have to keep watching."

"It takes hard work to be a master, come on." Duan Fei laughed a few times, and walked away, leaving Yang Sen alone to vent his anger on the ground.

Duan Fei went around the kitchen again, and then came to the signing room.

The signing room is the office of the county government office. In the signing room in Baoying County, County Magistrate Min and Xu Dianshi each have a separate office. The door is closed and locked, but there are still many vacant rooms in the signing room. Sometimes when there is not enough space in the sixth room for business, some clerks who are temporarily invited to help work in these vacant rooms, so there are all kinds of pens, inks, papers and inkstones inside. Duan Fei I lit the candle, spliced ​​two long white papers into a square, and then took out a knife to shave off the duck feathers I got from the kitchen.

Drawing a map with a brush is obviously a waste of effort. These days, charcoal pencils (used for thrushes, which are relatively thick and soft) are not easy to use. Ballpoint pens and fountain pens are out of the question, and quills have become the only choice.

Duck feathers are short and have soft hair follicles, not as useful as goose feathers, but they are still passable. After grinding the ink, Duan Fei began to write and draw on white paper with a homemade duck feather pen.

Duan Fei doesn’t know much about the current situation of countries in the world, but he still has a general impression of world geography. At least he will not draw the Diaoyu Islands into Japan. Japan is not a country in this period, and the four major islands are covered by hundreds of people. The warlords in this area are fighting fiercely. The emperor has been on the throne for more than ten years, and there is no money for the enthronement ceremony.

After drawing three pictures in a row, I managed to draw a somewhat satisfactory map of Southeast Asia including Australia and New Zealand. It was already the third watch, Duan Fei yawned, packed his things and went to sleep.

The next day was not the announcement day, Duan Fei originally wanted to sleep in, but who would have thought that he would be woken up early in the morning.

"Brother Fei, get up, the master wants you to go to court!" Shi Bin called out excitedly, pushing Duan Fei's body.

"Go to class? What class to go to? It's not the day of the announcement, so I don't have to go to class? Could someone sue me?" Duan Fei said in a daze, rubbing his eyes due to lack of sleep.

Shi Bin couldn't help laughing, and said: "It's not that someone sued you, but someone sued Mr. Xu Dianshi, and Mr. Min sent you to cooperate with Yan Butou to investigate this case!"

"Oh!" Duan Fei regained his energy and asked, "What case? Malfeasance or bribery?"

"It's a murder case!" Shi Bin said with bright eyes, and while Duan Fei was washing and dressing, he briefly explained the ins and outs.

p: Hair follicles have become forbidden words...