Aspirations

Chapter 141
Cao Shujun took a few steps back in fright, waving his hands together: "Forget it, forget it, I'd rather marry an ugly woman than a shrew."

Man Tuo put his sword in his hand, stood behind Xia Xiang, and stopped talking.

Xia Xiang shook his head and smiled, and walked towards the river.Not long after arriving at the Hutuo River, I saw a big boat just leaving the shore, and there were several people on board, who else could it be if it wasn't Lian Ruohan, Cao Shuli and Xiao Jia?
It was still a step too late, Xia Xiang saw that there were still a few small boats on the shore, so he called the boatman over.When the boatman came over, it was Zhang Xuehua.

Besides Zhang Xuehua, Lu Dongliang was also there.

Coincidentally, Xia Xiang smiled slightly: "It turned out that it was Mr. Zhang and Mr. Lu, just in time, come and roll the boat for me, and catch up with the big boat ahead."

Zhang Xuehua and Lu Dongliang had nothing to do, they were chatting together, they didn't want to meet Xia Xianzun and wanted to use the boat, so they were overjoyed immediately, hurriedly invited Xia Xiang and the other three to board the boat, and chased after the big boat.

The big boat is the largest cruise ship in Zhending City, about twenty feet long, and can accommodate a hundred people. It is named Shiyangjin.Now the ten brocades were chartered by Lian Ruohan, and they only carried less than ten people.

"Xia Xianzun's family members are on the ten brocades?" Zhang Xuehua noticed the red sleeves flying on the bow of the ten brocades, and there was a faint woman's laughter. Female dependents.

"It's not, it's not." Xia Xiang put his hand on his forehead and squinted his eyes to look at Shixiang Jinyuan. The woman standing on the bow was Cao Shuli, and Cao Shuli also saw him and waved to him repeatedly.

Lian Ruohan was obviously on the deck just now, but turned around and entered the cabin, obviously not wanting to see him.On the contrary, Xiao Jia stood beside Cao Shuli, with a half smile on his face.Xia Xiang was amused in his heart, Lian Ruohan is not an ignorant woman, her behavior of cruising the boat today may have other deep meanings.

Lu Dongliang coughed intentionally: "The family left Xia Xianzun alone and went to play alone. Did Xia Xianzun make them angry? Don't blame the little old man for talking too much, Xia Xianzun, the lady should be coaxed or coaxed, and she should be coaxed." Make a little difference, after all, she is a woman, so she will inevitably have small thoughts."

Ten samples of brocade went down the river, all the way to the east, with the wind and the water, and passed through most of Zhending City in a short time.Although the small boat was light and light, after chasing for a long time, it failed to catch up with the big boat, and instead got farther and farther away from the big boat.

Zhang Xuehua looked apologetic: "Xia Xianzun, the little old man is old and lacks strength, so he can't row fast."

"It doesn't matter." Xia Xiang waved his hand. He knew very well that Shi Yangjin would touch the shore after a few miles and would not sail too far, so he was not in a hurry to catch up. He stood on the bow of the boat with his hands behind his back, "Mr. Zhang , Mr. Lu, if the dredging work mentioned last time starts now and involves 1 people, can it be cleaned up before the freezing?"

"1 people?" Zhang Xuehua opened his mouth wide, his voice trembling even with excitement, "There are only 10 people in the entire Zhending City, and only 2 strong laborers. If you use 1 people, it will almost be an earth-shattering event. Yes. For decades, there has never been such a big movement in Zhending City. Yes, definitely!"

Lu Dongliang was also very excited: "Xia Xianzun, do you really want to use 1 people to clean up the silt? The little old man agrees a hundred times, and he guarantees that the boat will be sent out. There are thousands of big boats and small boats, and thousands of boats. Tens of thousands of people cleared the silt of the Hutuo River, which is more than a dozen miles long, and it took more than a month to complete the project.”

After talking with Xia Xiang last time, Lu Dongliang and Zhang Xuehua went back to find many people to discuss the project and time of cleaning up the silt. In the end, the more they chatted, the more excited they became, and the more excited they became, the more they looked forward to it.As they grew up by the river, they have a lot of affection for the Hutuo River, and they are willing to use their own hands to rejuvenate the Hutuo River and benefit the people of Zhending.

It’s just that the more calculations, the more frightened. After all, the project volume is too small, requiring a lot of manpower and material resources. There is another problem, how to deal with the mud that has been cleaned up. In the end, several people think it is too difficult. I am afraid that Xia Xianzun is just thinking about it. Say it casually, and forget it in a blink of an eye.

The Hutuo River has not been dredged for more than ten years. As a boatman, I know best that the Hutuo River is now like an old man in his dying years, unable to withstand any strong winds and waves.Too much silt, in addition to the reduction in fish production, there are many hidden dangers.For example, there is too much silt at the bottom of the river, and every year people fall into the water and are drowned by the silt binding their feet.The silt also emits a bad smell, seriously affecting the lives of people on both sides of the strait.The silt also raises the water level, making it prone to flooding in the event of heavy rain.

In addition to the need to use a lot of manpower and material resources, there is another problem that has to be faced. Once the silt is cleaned, it will inevitably affect the businesses on both sides of the river. Most of the businesses have backgrounds and identities. If the shops are closed, the business will be reduced. Income, they will naturally not agree.Lu Dongliang and Zhang Xuehua knew very well that the most powerful Guangjin Trading Company in Zhending alone had no less than a dozen shops along the banks of the river.

Behind Guangjin Commercial Bank is Xu Heguang, and behind Xu Heguang is Cui Fuzun. Can Xia Xianzun touch Guangjin Commercial Bank?I'm afraid it won't work.So after discussing and discussing, in the end Zhang Xuehua and Lu Dongliang agreed that Xia Xianzun would probably not bring up the matter of dredging.

I don't want Xia Xianzun to mention it again today, and the two can't help being surprised.

Xia Xiang nodded, calculated the time, and said: "It's more than a month... The time is a little tight. If we add more people, can we finish the project within 20 days?"

"20 days is a bit difficult, but it's not impossible." Zhang Xuehua bowed his head and thought for a while, "1 people are enough, mainly ships. If we requisition all the ships in Zhending City, it's okay. But Generally, the government can only requisition civilian ships and merchant ships, and the cruise ships are beautifully decorated and used to load mud, and no one will agree."

"I will agree." Xia Xiang smiled knowingly, "In this way, the official will know what to do. When the time comes, all the ships will be requisitioned, and Zhang Gong and Lu Gong will be in charge of dispatching to ensure the completion of the project on schedule."

"Dare not to follow orders!" Zhang Xuehua and Lu Dongliang were overjoyed immediately. According to Xia Xianzun, it is imperative to clean up the mud?

"Hey, why did the ten brocades stop?" When Xia Xiang was talking with Zhang Xuehua and Lu Dongliang, Cao Shujun was bored alone, walking around on the boat, admiring the scenery, and suddenly found that the cruise ship in front of him slowly stopped , I couldn't help jumping up, "Row faster, the boat has stopped, it must be waiting for us."

Xia Xiang also noticed the abnormality, and said: "That's right, why did it stop in the middle of the river? No, it's anchored. Something must be wrong. Zhang Gong, Lu Gong, hurry over."

"Okay." Zhang Xuehua and Lu Dongliang yelled, paddling vigorously, and within a stick of incense they came to Shiyangjin.After bypassing Shi Yangjin, he found out that a big boat was lying in front of Shi Yangjin, blocking Shi Yangjin's way.

The big boat was about ten feet long, more than half the size of Shiyangjin, but there were dozens of people standing on board, all of them with sabers hanging on their waists, and they were arrogant.At present, there is a person standing on the bow of the boat, holding a knife in both hands, standing proudly, and is saying something to the ten good people.

When he saw the person in front of him, Man Tuo's expression tightened immediately, it was none other than Yan Hao.

Lian Ruohan and Xiao Jia stood indifferently on the deck of the ten brocades, standing side by side at the bow, looking down at Yan Hao.Cao Shuli stood behind the two, with a look of weakness and resoluteness.

Yan Hao stood proudly, clasping his fists with his hands towards the north: "By the orders of His Royal Highness Xingwang and Hou Xianggong, this Taiwei came to Zhending to be in charge of patrolling the Hutuo River. Even my wife was offended. This Taiwei is on business, not on purpose. Embarrassing. Please also ask Mrs. Lian to disembark and let Taiwei Ben board the ship for inspection."

Lian Ruohan's expression was calm, his hands folded his hair, his voice was calm and unwavering, and he was not at all angry at Yan Hao's unreasonable troubles: "Taiwei Yan is not enjoying the blessings in the capital, but it is really hard work to come to Zhending City to patrol the river. I don't know Taiwei Yan If you want to check the ship, what do you want to check? Is it a criminal, a fugitive, or a weapon?"

Yan Hao was at a loss for words for a while, to be honest, he just wanted to stop Lian Ruohan's cruise ship on purpose, and he knew that there was nothing to investigate on board, but after hearing yesterday that Lian Ruohan deliberately intercepted the iron mines of Liu Changting and Xie Huagai, He was angry.

"Miss Lian, this Taiwei is just a routine matter, please forgive me. This Taiwei has other things to do, and I don't have time to delay any longer. Come on, get on board!" Yan Hao waved his hand, showing the imposing manner of swallowing mountains and rivers, Anyway, he wanted the overlord to force his bow, so what can Lian Ruohan, a few women like, do against him?

"Who dares to get on the boat?" Lian Ruohan took a step forward, straightening his face, with an imposing manner, "I'd like to see, who dares to step on the ten-way brocade."

"I dare."

A small boat quietly appeared between the two big boats. There was a man in the boat, dressed in white and white, who floated out of the dust and jumped onto the ten brocades with one stride. Cross your hands and salute: "Xiaosheng has seen Mrs. Lian."

Lian Ruohan had a tense and cold face, but was immediately amused by the visitor's words. She wanted to hold back but couldn't hold back. After a smile, she suppressed her smile again, pretending to be cold: "Master Xia is here, and there is no loess." Paving the road, pouring clean water on the street, it is really a big faux pas."

Knowing that Lian Ruohan was still angry, Xia Xiang smiled: "Lady Lian is on the boat, and the boat is on the river, so I can't pave the road with loess and pour water on the street, so I don't blame you for being rude."

"You!" Lian Ruohan didn't expect Xia Xiang to take advantage of the situation, but she was speechless, and couldn't help stomping her foot, "Isn't the majesty of the county afraid of the emperor punishing you for molesting a woman from a good family?"

"Xiaosheng is not yet married, and it is human nature to admire Ai when he is young. The emperor is generous, how can he punish his courtiers for the crime of 'a fair lady, a gentleman is so good'?" Xia Xiang deliberately teased Lian Ruohan, and it was also because he felt a little guilty in his heart, What a proud woman Lian Ruohan was, she offered to propose a marriage proposal, but he repeatedly shirked it, which really hurt Lian Ruohan's heart.

Lian Ruohan rolled Xia Xiang's eyes, and most of the anger in her heart disappeared. She was not angry at Xia Xiang's polite refusal, but rather angry at Xia Xiang's insistence on catching Fu Ke's case, and ended up putting herself in danger. If you are not careful, there will be disaster.Xia Xiang suddenly didn't know how urgent the current situation was, it was really worrying.

Last night, Lian Ruohan and his party learned a lot of news in Guanxin Pavilion. It goes without saying that Gao Jianyuan and Yan Hao came to really decide, Fu Ke was taken away by Yang Jiang, Wu Yi met Cui Xiang, and Cui Xiang put pressure on Xia Xiang. Wait, a lot of things reached Lian Ruohan's ears, and Lian Ruohan's resentment because of Xia Xiang's polite refusal of the marriage dissipated, and turned into deep worry about Xia Xiang.

Even Ruohan knew that Xia Xiang was passionate and dedicated to serving the country and the people, but he didn't expect that the situation would develop so quickly. Xia Xiang was caught in the vortex of earth-shaking even though his foundation was not stable. Become the fulcrum and victim of the contest between the emperor and the star king.The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and the more frightened she became, the more she felt that Xia Xiang should discuss everything with her instead of deliberately being on guard and concealing it.

Qi turned to Qi, the moment he saw Xia Xiang, the ice and snow in his heart melted instantly, and he was amused by his frivolity, Lian Ruohan really didn't know what to say about Xia Xiang.She wasn't timid at first, but she just thought that Xia Xiang was too weak, and the so-called caring would lead to chaos.Now seeing that Xia Xiang is still calm and calm, he couldn't help laughing angrily: "Of course the emperor won't punish you for your frivolous crimes, but you are bound in a cocoon, and you are about to be killed."

Xia Xiang heard the complaints and hints in Lian Ruohan's words, and couldn't help but smile: "Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Lian. Xiaosheng hasn't married yet, and hasn't sworn to each other with Mrs. Lian and Mrs. Cao, so I don't want to die."

"Out of shape." Lian Ruohan responded to Xia Xiang's dissatisfied look, and turned to look at Cao Shuli beside her. Cao Shuli's face was flushed, but her eyes looked at Xia Xiang enthusiastically and boldly.

"Is it over?" Yan Hao was so angry that his nose was crooked. Xia Xiang suddenly appeared and hit him by surprise, but he didn't expect Xia Xiang to treat him as if he didn't exist, flirting with Lian Ruohan, and he was furious for a while Da, "Xia Xianzun, this Taiwei is inspecting, please step aside, this Taiwei wants to search the cruise ship."

"Search?" Xia Xiang turned to face Yan Hao. The ten pieces of brocade were more than a foot taller than Yan Hao's boat. He looked down at Yan Hao from a high position, "Whose order did Taiwei Yan want to search the cruise ship?"

Yan Hao was stunned for a moment, he wanted to say that he was ordered by His Royal Highness Xingwang and Hou Xianggong, but then he thought wrongly, although His Royal Highness Xingwang is a prince, and Hou Xianggong is a prime minister, they have no right to directly intervene in local affairs. He had no choice but to say: "By the order of Cui Fufu."

"The order of Master Cui?" Xia Xiang smiled slightly, and he stretched out his right hand, "Master Cui has never interfered with the affairs of the county government. It is the duty of the county government to maintain law and order and patrol the river bank. Of course, if Master Cui is not afraid of hard work, If you want to share my worries for me, I will welcome you very much. But Cui Fuzun has always acted according to the rules, if he sends someone to inspect, there must be a handout."

Yan Hao was stunned, and Cui Xiang dispatched fifty yamen servants to him to inspect. There was neither formal writing nor written instructions, but only oral instructions.Xia Xiang insisted on handwriting, but it really stumped him.

"Why, there is no handwritten order?" Xia Xiang had already guessed that Cui Xiang's old treacherous man would not be able to give Yanhao a handwritten order to prove the truth. , in charge of the decrees of a government, the commander of each county, the responsibility of governing the people, adjudicating lawsuits, inspecting traitors, and assessing subordinate officials. What is your duty? Captain Yan, you are neither an official of Zhending Prefecture nor an official of Zhending County. Board the civilian boat to search, I will punish you for a crime of disturbing local public order, and His Royal Highness King San Xing will punish you for a crime of disadvantage, do you think it should be?"

(End of this chapter)