Governor's Palace.
Huining Hou Zhang Wen was lying leisurely under the big tree in the backyard, while four maids kept fanning him. Before he came, Zhang Wen had only heard about the benefits of coming to Nanyang to serve as governor from the mouths of other nobles. But this was just what he heard and had no personal experience, so he didn’t feel it too deeply.
After he arrived in Anping, he realized that apart from being a little hot, it was really a place where gods would stay. Since Annan was occupied by the King of Qin, Anping has never had a decent threat.
As governor, Zhang Wen combined military and political power, which was absolutely impossible in the Ming Dynasty. But here, his words and deeds can easily shake the entire Anping. This kind of power without any constraints makes him very fascinated.
What's more, Anping is rich in pearls and has many fertile fields. Grain can be grown three times a year, so he doesn't have to worry about food shortages at all. He only needs to keep an eye on Anping Port every day, collect taxes, and collect pearls from the hands of pearl divers.
Just when Zhang Wen was in a state of gentleness, a subordinate hurried in and reported: "Master Hou~"
Before the visitor could finish speaking, Zhang Wen immediately opened his eyes, looked at the visitor with a gloomy expression, and said, "Didn't I say that? At this time of the day, don't disturb me if there is no big deal."
The subordinate immediately raised his head, clasped his fists and replied, "Master Marquis, there is something big going on."
"What's the matter?" After hearing this, Zhang Wen no longer blamed his subordinates, but his face remained as gloomy as ever.
The subordinate quickly replied: "Master Marquis, the navy is here. And..."
Before his subordinate finished speaking, Zhang Wen casually waved his hand to interrupt his words and said: "It's just a navy man. I think I'm making you nervous. Who is here? If it's Han Du, then I'll go Take a look. If not, then I won’t go. You just go and make arrangements for them.”
Zhang Wen sat up slowly. He was a super-grade marquis, so ordinary navy generals would naturally not be looked down upon by him. But Han Du was different. Not only was Han Du a marquis, but he also conquered Nanyang. Now that he can sit back and enjoy his success in Anping, he naturally has a good impression of Han Du.
The subordinate quickly replied: "Master Marquis, look at the navy's royal command flag, it is His Royal Highness who is here."
"What? Your Royal Highness is here? Are you sure you read it correctly!" Zhang Wen got up from the recliner in an instant and asked condescendingly.
"It's absolutely true. If I dare to use the head on my head as a guarantee, it is His Royal Highness who is here."
Zhang Wen didn't hesitate anymore and immediately shouted: "Quick, open the middle gate and follow me to meet the prince!"
Due to the hot weather, Zhang Wen originally only wore a white singlet. Now that he was going to meet the prince, of course he needed to wear a marquis robe.
Seeing that several maids were still standing there with fans in their hands, Zhang Wen stamped his feet anxiously and immediately shouted loudly: "Why don't you quickly bring me my robe to change my clothes? What are you waiting for?"
"Yes, Lord Marquis~" The two maids hurriedly turned around and entered the room to get their robes.
...
With the flagship in front and two warships guarding the left and right, it slowly sailed into Anping Port.
Zhu Biao stood on the bow of the ship, with merchants and merchants shouting loudly in his ears all the way. It was not that Zhu Biao had never accepted kneeling prayers from the people before, but this was the first time for him to accept such spontaneous kneelings from the people at sea.
The sound of roaring mountains and tsunamis on both sides followed Zhu Biao's progress. Zhu Biao stood on the bow of the ship like a spear standing upright.
"Why do they feel so happy about Gu's arrival? Isn't this a pomp deliberately created by Zhang Wen?"
Han Du, who was sitting a little behind, glanced to both sides and replied with a smile: "I'm afraid that Marquis Huining doesn't have the ability to make so many people congratulate His Highness in unison. They should all be sincere."
"Haha, Han Du, although I am very happy to say this, I won't believe it if you don't have a reasonable explanation." Zhu Biao pointed at Han Du with his fingers and smiled.
Han Du smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness does not know something. This Anping Port is not a big port at all, nor is it the only way for maritime merchants. They can come here or not. The Marquis of Huining does not dare to force them at all. , otherwise if these maritime merchants no longer come to Anping Port, where will their taxes be collected?"
Zhu Biao listened, nodded in agreement, and asked: "But Gu has not done anything for these maritime merchants, why do they treat Gu like this?"
Han Du patiently explained: "Whether they are merchants or ordinary people. Since they come here, it means that they travel by sea and rely on the treasure land of Nanyang to eat. In the past, although the imperial court set up many governor's mansions in Nanyang, It is still not enough to give full confidence to the maritime merchants and the people. Because they will worry that the imperial court may withdraw the Governor's Mansion one day in the future. This also leads to the fact that neither the maritime merchants nor the common people dare to plan to stay in Nanyang for a long time. If they continue to stay, they are afraid that this day will come sooner or later. If they invest too much energy and material resources in Nanyang, they may lose everything by then."
"But His Highness's patrol of the sea this time gave them a clear message. That is, the Ming Dynasty will not give up Nanyang easily, at least not His Highness."
Zhu Biao nodded, looked up at Han Du, and suddenly asked: "Actually, you are also worried that Gu will give up Nanyang in the future, just like those maritime merchants, right?"
Han Du smiled and nodded slightly. Of course he had this worry. After all, Zhu Biao is too kind, and he attaches great importance and caution to the opinions of civil officials. Han Du was afraid that one day, if those civil servants united to report, Zhu Biao might really be taken to a ditch by them.
"Nagu will make you a promise today. Nanyang is the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty will never give up Nanyang." Zhu Biao said categorically as he looked at the densely packed merchant ships and Ming people on both sides of the waterway.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Han Du quickly bowed.
While Han Du and Zhu Biao were chatting, the warship had docked.
The two navy teams disembarked first, cleared all the plank roads, and guarded them airtight.
Before Zhu Biao got off the boat, Huining Marquis Zhang Wen stepped forward alone. He suddenly paid homage to Zhu Biao who was walking down step by step: "Your Majesty, Zhang Wen, pays homage to His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness the Crown Prince is a thousand years old. I'm late to greet you, so why not?" Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Zhu Biao walked up to Zhang Wen step by step, helped him up with his own hands, and said with a smile: "You are so polite, Marquis Huining. It's hard work for you to travel thousands of miles to sit overseas."
"Thank you for your hard work." Zhang Wen quickly replied and stood up. And what he said was really not polite. He really didn't feel it was hard at all. Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, coming to an overseas place is equivalent to being sent away in disguise, but Zhang Wen actually likes his current life.
Some people think that serving as a governor requires staying in Nanyang for five years, which is very difficult. But Zhang Wen doesn't think so. What does it mean after only five years? When he guarded the border in the past, was he there for two or three years? It's just a little longer now.
But compared to guarding the border, Nanyang is really much better. Not only was he in great power, Anping was even more prosperous than most cities in the Ming Dynasty, and there was no shortage of fine wine, delicious food, and beauties. On the contrary, the border is not only very bitter and cold, but also like a barbaric land. There is nothing except military cities and garrison troops.
For Zhang Wen, Anping Governor's Mansion was like a comfortable home, more comfortable than staying in the capital.
Zhang Wen smiled and nodded slightly to Han Du, indicating that he had seen him before. After that, he waved to the prince, "His Royal Highness has traveled thousands of miles to come, and it has been a hard journey. I have already held a banquet in the mansion to welcome His Highness, please go first!"
"Okay! Huining Hou is interested." Zhu Biao walked slowly in front with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back.
Zhang Wen then signaled to Han Du, "Marquis Zhenhai, please!"
"Marquis Huining, please!" Han Du returned the greeting.
Zhang Wen no longer delayed and followed Zhu Biao to the left, while Han Du walked to the right. Under the guard of navy soldiers, the group walked towards the Governor's Mansion.
Zhu Biao's arrival caused the originally bustling and busy Anping Port to press the pause button. Maritime merchants and Ming Dynasty people all took the initiative to stand on both sides of the street and knelt down towards Zhu Biao with pride on their faces.
There were some rare locals who were not even qualified to kneel down and worship Zhu Biao, so they were driven far away by the soldiers of the Governor's Mansion, and they were strictly prohibited from approaching.
After Zhu Biao passed by, the merchants and the people started talking with smiles on their faces. Not only did everyone not feel upset that the entire Anping Port was temporarily unable to do business due to Zhu Biao's arrival, but they all talked excitedly about the impact of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's patrol of the sea.
While everyone was talking enthusiastically, a native suddenly interjected and asked: "My boss, who is this big shot just now? Such a grand ceremony?"
The person in question looked back and saw that he was a clerk in his shop. Moreover, this guy was also very lively on weekdays, and he liked him very much, so he did not get angry at him, but explained: "Big shot? What big shot can compare to our Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty?"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" The native Han spoke well and was obviously a smart person. He works under his employer, so he naturally has some understanding of Ming Dynasty. In his understanding, His Majesty the Ming Emperor is the master of the world and rules thousands of miles of territory. As for the Crown Prince, as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty and the future Emperor, he was stunned by this identity.
He muttered a sigh: "No wonder the pomp and circumstance is so grand..."
When the merchant saw that this native boy looked like he had never seen the world, he felt a sense of pride. He held his head high and said, "What kind of pomp is this? It means that Anping Port is too small to be used."
He raised his hand and pointed at the densely packed navy warships on the sea, and said proudly: "Did you see it? That is the invincible navy of the Ming Dynasty. That is the real appearance of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Hundreds of ships of various kinds straddled the sea, stretching like a giant city on the sea... giving the natives a great shock.
...
Early the next morning, Zhu Biao rejected Zhang Wen's repeated attempts to stay and left Anping for Annan.
This time Han Du mentioned that he sent a fast horse to inform the King of Qin. When Zhu Biao had not reached half the distance, he was picked up by Zhu Ping who hurried over.
"Hahaha, brother emperor!"
Zhu Ping, who was far away, got off his horse and ran all the way over.
Zhu Biao also reined in the reins, dismounted, and went up to meet him.
The two brothers hugged each other and slapped each other hard on the back to relieve their brotherly bond.
After Zhu Fang calmed down a little, he grabbed Zhu Biao's shoulders and said excitedly: "When Han Du sent someone to tell the emperor brother that he was coming, I didn't even believe it. I didn't expect that the emperor brother actually came. Father, the emperor How did you agree to let Brother Huang come out?"
Zhu Xi also knew something about his father, and knew that it would be very difficult for Zhu Biao to convince his father to let him come to this overseas place.
"Well, it's a long story." Zhu Biao glanced at Han Du subconsciously, then turned back to Zhu Ping and said with a smile. He covered it up and did not continue to explain.
Zhu Xi didn't ask any more questions, and then put the question aside, and said to Zhu Biao with a smile on his face: "We haven't seen the emperor for a long time, and we really miss him. This time the emperor is here, no matter what, we have to do it." Stay a few more days.”
"Okay!" Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly and said with a smile: "I miss my second brother very much."
The two of them talked as they walked, Zhu Biao and Zhu Xi talked about the situation in the capital, and Zhu Xi told him all kinds of interesting things about Annan. Zhu Biao and Zhu Feng seemed to have endless things to say. It wasn't until they arrived at Prince Qin's residence in Zhu Chong that the two of them stopped talking with unfinished content.
"Brother Imperial, let's see how this palace looks like, little brother?" Zhu Ping raised his whip and pointed at Prince Qin's palace.
Zhu Biao looked at it carefully, nodded and praised: "It's good, but is it a little small?"
Zhu Xi was a prince, and the Ming Dynasty had clear standards for how big, high, and scale his residence should be. Although the mansion in front of me is already very good here, compared with the one in Ming Dynasty, at least there is a big gap in regulations.
Zhu Xi came forward and said with a smile: "This was originally a palace that the Li family planned to build for themselves. After it was destroyed by us, it was preserved. Annan was not stable at that time, and we were not willing to waste people and money on large-scale construction projects. , so I regard this place as the royal palace."
"Brother Huang, don't think it's not big in terms of regulations, but in fact it's not bad at all. Brother Huang will know after entering."
Zhu Biao glanced at Zhu Xi in surprise and said curiously: "Oh? What's different here? It seems I want to take a closer look."
A group of people walked into Prince Qin's Mansion.
Han Du just listened to Zhu Xi's words. As soon as he entered the door, he looked carefully into the palace, trying to find something special. But after looking around, I didn't find anything remarkable about it. Judging from what I see now, this palace is completely unworthy of Zhu Xi's proud expression just now. Is there anything else I haven't seen?
After entering the lobby, Han Du saw the chairs placed on the left and right at a glance.
"This is it?" Han Du was surprised and couldn't help but walked forward.
After looking at it for a while, he raised his head and looked at Zhu Ping in shock, and asked in a harsh voice: "Your Highness, King Qin, is this chair made of red sandalwood?"
"Hahaha..." Zhu Xi smiled triumphantly a few times before nodding heavily towards Han Du, "Of course."
Seeing the shock on Han Du's face, Zhu Ping even pointed out: "Look at what's on the floor, and look at the beams in this house."
The floor is made of golden nanmu. Although golden nanmu is also available in the Ming Dynasty, even with Lao Zhu's luxury, it was only used as beams and columns in the Forbidden City. It was not luxurious enough to use golden nanmu to pave the floor.
The beams and columns here are also golden nanmu, but the other wooden boards are extremely rare rouge wood. This kind of wood naturally emits a fragrance, which not only calms the mind but also repels snakes and insects.
Living in such a house, no matter how sultry the weather is, there will be no mosquitoes to disturb you.
Yes, it is true that there are no carved beams or paintings in this lobby, but it is just these wooden materials, and no carved beams or paintings can match it.
"If we can dismantle the wood here and bring it back to the Ming Dynasty, I'm afraid we can buy some of the best houses in the capital." Han Du said with eyes shining and his mouth watering.
"Don't even think about it!" Zhu Xi looked at Han Du warily.
When Zhu Biao saw him, he smiled and tried to smooth things over, giving Zhu Ping a hand and saying, "He just said it, what do you care about him?"
Then he sighed: "But you really shocked Gudu. I have only seen my father use red sandalwood to make a dragon bed, but I have never seen anyone use it to make a chair."
After hearing this, Zhu Fang quickly explained: "This was not done by my younger brother, but by people from the Li family. This was already the case when my younger brother took over this place."
Zhu Biao nodded and said nothing more.
And Zhu Xi had already prepared a reception banquet for Zhu Biao, after the banquet. Zhu Xi looked at everyone with a proud expression on his face.
When Han Du saw it, he looked at Zhu Xi with some surprise and asked tentatively: "Does His Highness, King Qin, have anything else that he would like to show me?"
Zhu Biao also smiled when he heard this and said, "Second brother, do you have any good things?"
"Of course." Zhu Xi nodded.
Then he clapped his hands and shouted outside: "Bring it in."
Two rows of maids, each holding an exquisite wooden box, walked in and stood on both sides of the hall.
Under the confused looks of Han Du and others, Zhu Xi waved his hand and said, "Open it!"
As the maid opened the wooden box, a flash of emerald green came into view under the firelight.
Dazzling and beautiful!
Zhu Biao and Tang Ding had no reaction yet, but Han Du suddenly stood up. He said with surprise on his face: "Have you really found the prince?"
Zhu Biao was surprised at Han Du's reaction and what he said, so he asked Zhu Fang, "What did you find? Is this it?"
Zhu Xi nodded, but did not explain too much to Zhu Biao. Instead, he signaled that Zhu Biao had questions to ask Han Du, because he also sent people to look for it at Han Du's request, and he did not expect that he would actually find it. But although this thing looked very beautiful, he didn't know what it was used for.
I took it out today just because Han Du was here so that he could explain.
Zhu Biao nodded clearly and turned to look at Han Du. He saw that Han Du was focused on these things and did not notice him at all.
Then he cleared his throat and asked, "What are these and what are they used for?"
Han Du came back to his senses and glanced at everyone's doubtful eyes. Han Du explained in a hurry: "This is an extremely rare gemstone in the world and a very rare treasure."
Seeing that everyone still didn't understand, Han Du continued to explain: "Everyone knows about jade, right? A piece of beautiful jade is worth tens of thousands of gold. This kind of thing is also a kind of jade, but it is different from the jade we usually see."
"What's the difference?" When he heard Han Du say that this was a kind of jade, Zhu Xiang's eyes suddenly lit up. You must know that jade is worth a lot of money, and this thing is still on his territory. If it is really worth tens of thousands, wouldn't he make a fortune?
"The jade we usually see is famous for being warm, greasy, and fair. This kind of jade is famous for its glass-like luster." Han Du said excitedly.
Tang Ding asked doubtfully: "What's the difference?"
"The difference is huge." Han Du took off a jade pendant from his waist, held it up to the soup cauldron and said, "This is Hotan mutton-fat white jade. It is warm and greasy to handle, suitable for playing with."
Han Du picked up another piece of material. Although most of this material was covered with stone skin, it was very rough. But a piece of stone skin the size of a goose egg has fallen off, revealing the dark green color inside.
"Look at the luster here. Is it similar to glass?"
Seeing Tang Ding nod, Han Du continued: "The things made of this kind of jade are radiant and beautiful, and are very suitable for viewing. They are completely different from the jade we commonly see."
"Can it be sold for money?" Zhu Fang didn't care what was good about this thing. He just wanted to know whether it could be sold for money and whether it could be sold for a big price.
Han Du sneered and said, "Can I sell it for money? Can I remove the word "?"
Zhu Xi suddenly became happy, and raised his hands to thank Han Du: "Haha, thank you for clarifying my doubts, otherwise I would really have entered the treasure mountain and returned empty-handed!"
Han Du frowned, raised his eyes and stared at Zhu Xi and asked, "What does King Qin mean? Does the prince want to monopolize this business?"
Zhu Xiangshi smiled and said: "How can this be called monopoly? This is something that belongs to my fiefdom, and it belongs to me by nature."
Zhu Xiang's meaning is very clear, this is my king's thing, it has nothing to do with you, Han Du, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. Since there is no relationship, of course it cannot be said to be monopoly.
Even Zhu Biao didn't express this. In his opinion, this thing belonged to Zhu Chong. If it can be sold for money, it will naturally belong to Zhu Xi.
But Han Du was extremely unwilling. Others didn't know the value of this thing, but Han Du knew it clearly. As long as this thing comes out, it will definitely be sought after by the world. What Zhu Xi is sitting on is not a treasure mountain, but a real mountain of gold. This is the wealth that can rival a wealthy country.
With such a huge piece of meat, if he didn't take a big bite, Han Du would feel that he would be sorry for his future descendants.
Seeing the dissatisfaction on Han Du's face, Zhu Fang pretended to be generous and said: "But don't worry, you found this treasure for me. I will not treat you badly. I will write a letter back to Beijing and send you 10,000 guan." Come to your house."
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