Fisherman's Song Dynasty

In the afternoon of the next day, Xu Zizhen and Hao Donglai had already returned to Yangzhou. Hao Donglai was dumbfounded looking at the messy river beach in front of him. Looking around, there were no villages or fields. To the northwest were two hills, which blocked the approaching west. The sinking sun, occasionally a few unknown bird calls cut through the silence, adding a bit of weirdness to the desolation.

Hao Donglai was stunned for a long time before he said, "This... what the hell is this place?"

Xu Zizhen smiled and didn't speak, just looked around, as if waiting for someone.

After a while, a carriage came galloping and stopped in front of it. When the curtain of the carriage was lifted, a vigorous young man came out.

"Brother Xu, I'm looking forward to your coming." The young man excitedly came over to hold Xu Zizhen's hand as soon as he got out of the car.

But Xu Zizhen straightened his clothes and bowed to the ground: "My minister Xu Zizhen pays homage to King Xin Qiansui."

Hao Donglai was looking at the wild scenery, and was taken aback suddenly. He didn't expect Xu Zizhen to meet someone here, and the one he met was actually a prince.

It was Zhao Zhen who was transferred to Yangzhou by Xu Zizhen. He is now the magistrate of Yangzhou. From an idle prince to managing the land and water, Zhao Zhen is naturally very grateful to Xu Zizhen.

"Brother Xu, please get up quickly, you can't do it." Zhao Zhen was not willing to let Xu Zizhen salute, hurriedly supported him, and said with a smile, "You and my brothers are still so different, could it be that Brother Xu wants to let the little brother go back to Bianjing in shame? No?"

Xu Zizhen originally wanted to make a show because of Hao Donglai's presence, but was supported by Zhao Zhen and stood up straight, and said with a smile: "Okay, then there will be no fuss."

Just as Zhao Zhen was about to talk to him again, he caught a glimpse of Hao Donglai next to him and asked, "Brother Xu, this is...?"

Xu Zizhen coughed: "Let me introduce, this is the in-laws of the old man Yongye Wang of Kaiping, the father-in-law who favors Xiao Hutou, Brother Hao Donglai Hao."

Zhao Zhen was in awe immediately, and came to greet Hao Donglai, but Hao Donglai felt uncomfortable, he was originally a water bandit, and he was against the government, but now a serious prince saluted him, and he was a little at a loss for a while , hurriedly returned the gift, but didn't know what to say.

Xu Zizhen made a solution with a smile, pulled Zhao Zhen over and asked, "Brother, have you read the letter for you?"

When Zhao Zhen was preparing to take office, Xu Zizhen sent someone to send a secret letter to Zhao Zhen. The content was very simple. He asked Zhao Zhen to find a secluded place to build a shipyard after he came to Yangzhou.

These days, shipping is basically limited to rivers, so it is not surprising to build a shipyard on this river beach, but Xu Zizhen said in his letter that as long as the place is well circled, what kind of ship to build and how to build it will all be discussed when he comes.

Zhao Zhen laughed as soon as he heard it: "That's natural, brother Xu, look, this is the place I found for you, are you satisfied?"

Xu Zizhen looked around, nodded and said: "Satisfied, very satisfied, by the way, what is this place called?"

Zhao Zhen said: "This place is in the territory of Gaoyou under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou. It's called Qinjiadun. The river is called Chaihe, and not far to the east is the canal." He took out a piece of paper from his pocket as he spoke. A very detailed map of Yangzhou.

Xu Zizhen went over to take a closer look, and was overjoyed at once. This is a good place tailor-made for his shipyard, and not only the shipyard, but also the navy he expected to be located here. Look at the side, there is a mountain There is water, but the most important thing is that it is still so barren, so pick up guard posts in critical places around, and this place has become a highly secret military base.

"Great!" Xu Zizhen made a decision on the spot, and said to Zhao Zhen, "That's it, I have to trouble brother, you, the parent officer, to make arrangements for the specific matters. Later, I will make an appointment with Meng Du to discuss together, oh yes, Brother Hao We have to come up with ideas together."

Zhao Zhen had no objection, so Hao Donglai had no choice but to agree. He always thought that the place Xu Zizhen invited him to was a navy army that had already formed, but he didn't expect to come here and found that there was nothing there, let alone a navy army, even a military camp. The stakes haven't been laid yet, but it's too late to get off this thief boat now.

Xu Zizhen and others returned to Yangzhou City together. When they entered the city, it was completely dark. Zhao Zhen drove the carriage directly into his mansion in Yangzhou. The curtains of the carriage were lowered along the way. No one knew that Xu Zizhen was coming.

Zhao Zhen was worthy of being the head of talented scholars in Yingtian Academy in the past, and he handled things extremely neatly. Xu Zizhen had just washed his face when he heard a servant report that Yangzhou garrison Mengdu had arrived.

"Brother Xu, I'm looking forward to you!" Meng Du rushed towards Xu Zizhen without even having time to greet Zhao Zhen as soon as he entered the door.

Xu Zizhen didn't show as much politeness to him as he did to Zhao Zhen, and smiled and gave him a hug: "Master Meng, you and Xin Wang Qiansui have rehearsed, right? Why do we even have the same lines when we meet?"

Meng Du was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, and Zhao Zhen also came over to make fun of it with a smile. The three of them chatted passionately, Hao Donglai didn't interrupt, but just listened quietly, his face remained calm, But his heart was like a stormy sea, because he heard from the conversation of the three of them that Meng Du and Zhao Zhen's ability to come to Yangzhou was the result of Xu Zizhen's behind-the-scenes arrangements.

A prince, one of the guards, can be controlled by a commoner. Hao Dong knew Xu Zizhen very well when he asked himself, but he was still shocked.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Zizhen pulled Zhao Zhen and Meng Du to the table, while Gao Chong and Hao Yatou stayed in the Taihu Water Village temporarily, so now there were only four of them in the room.

"Let's divide up the work now." Xu Zizhen took out a piece of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table, and said, "Brother Zhenxian, the shipyard invites you to build it. The ship to be built is roughly like this, with a pointed bottom. Don't have a flat bottom, you can't walk on the sea with a flat bottom, the bow and sides of the ship..."

He gestured while talking, while Zhao Zhen and the other three were dumbfounded.

On that piece of paper was a large ship that they had never seen before. The hull was long and narrow, completely different from the shape of ships that are fashionable today, the bow was sharp, and there was actually a cannon on it, but the shape and size of the cannon was also different from what they had never seen before. passed.

Xu Zizhen knew what they were surprised about, and said: "I'll find another expert to help build this boat and artillery. Brother Zhenxian just needs to surround this place tightly, and don't let a breath of wind go out."

Zhao Zhen came back to his senses, and said seriously: "Please forgive me, brother Xu, please rest assured."

Xu Zizhen smiled and said: "Don't be so serious, even if you sneak in, you won't learn anything, Mr. Meng, all you have to do is to build a navy for me." At this point, he pointed at Hao Donglai, "This is the one I invited. The instructor of the navy, and will be the number one general of the navy in the future, you two should get closer first."

Meng Du hastily met Hao Donglai formally again, but he and Zhao Zhen didn't know that Hao Donglai, who looked like a tall man, was actually a long-standing water bandit.

The four of them chatted in detail in the room, Xu Zizhen explained one thing, Zhao Zhen, Mengdu and Hao Donglai listened carefully, they even forgot to eat dinner, and only after Xu Zizhen finished talking did they realize that It's late at night.

Zhao Zhen hurriedly called the servants to order to prepare wine and dishes, and then asked Xu Zizhen, "Brother Xu is going to respond to Tianfu?"

Xu Zizhen shook his head and smiled a little unfathomably: "No hurry, there is someone waiting for me to play."