When they got up the next day, the three of them had breakfast in Nili and calculated the money for the room, rice and lights. The shopkeeper has hired a boat. The three of them got on the boat and agreed on the boat price. The boatman rowed the pole and oar, and the boat sailed along the eddy water into the chasm and headed upstream to the beam.
The three of them were sitting or standing on the front deck, admiring (observing) the scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. About an hour later, they entered the realm of Kai Feng.
The obvious difference between this place and the place we just walked through is that there are more houses on the shore, and embankments have been built accordingly, which is obviously different from the natural gentle slopes on the plains; at the same time, docks have been built. The Qin army's defense focus was on the pier. Ships in the river generally would not be subject to interrogation as long as they did not dock.
As the ship moved forward and gradually opened the center, the air became increasingly polluted, and one could even smell a strong rotten smell. When the boat passed the first bridge, it discovered a strange situation: rows of Qin soldiers stripped naked, in groups of two or three, pouring water on each other. Due to the large number of people, Zhang Zhe and others can be sure that this is not a punishment for the culpable soldiers. So he ran to the back of the boat and asked the boatman, "What do the people of Qin want?"
The boatman looked at it, shook his head and said, "It's because of the Qin people. They behave erratically. It's so cold, and they pour cold water on them, so as not to freeze people to death."
Zhang Noi said: "You can go a little closer to the shore."
The boatman pulled the boat over. The Qin soldiers splashing water on each other on the shore noticed it. Some stopped, and some shouted: "Go away, go away!"
Zhang He shouted loudly: "It's cold, brother, if you don't take shelter from the cold, why do you pour cold water on me?"
The soldiers of Qin burst into laughter, and one said: "How do you know, the natives among you! Pour cold water on them, rub them with heat, and you won't feel cold for a day."
Others said: "Don't get close, stay away, stay away!"
The boatman hurriedly rowed the boat farther away. Zhang Zuo was still chanting: "Pour cold water on it, rub it with heat, and you won't feel cold for a day."
The closer to the unsealing center, the more ships there are and the slower the ship travels. This makes it easier for the three of them to observe the movements of the Qin people.
There are two large ships docked on both sides of the river, like a door, controlling the entry and exit of the river. There are Qin soldiers holding crossbows and halberds on the large ships.
Zhang He asked the boatman again: "Who built such a big boat?"
The boatman looked at it and said: "This is a warship. How can ordinary people build it? It must be a king."
Zhang He asked: "Is there anyone in the Wei family who can create this?"
The boatman said: "Our small boat can still be relied on in the countryside. Such a big boat requires tens of millions of people to build it. It requires large rivers and lakes to gather people to build it."
Zhang Noi asked: "Have you met me before, father?"
The boatman said: "In the countryside, I saw this boat in Chu. There is a bigger boat in Chu. It is called Wang Zhou. It is taller than the city tower."
Zhang Ye finally saw the villagers who came to Qifeng to sell grain, so he pointed out and asked: "Is the food in your hometown also sold to Qifeng?"
The boatman said: "Most of the grain sold in my village is carried by boats, and this is carried by carts, which must be close to the ground. There are few farmers in the village, and there are many merchants who come to the countryside to collect it. One stone, two stones, less than one boat, it is difficult to know the market situation , or if you meet a robber, your life will be lost, so most of them are merchants."
Zhang Ye said: "If you are like my father, he has traveled around the world and has gained a lot of knowledge."
The boatman said: "If your family has thin fields, you don't have to do this. Many people have died when they left home when they were young. When they are old, they return home and have no family property, but they can get a boat to send them food and clothing."
Zhang Ye said: "Are there many people going to Daliang?"
The boatman said: "You see boats going back and forth in the river, most of which go to Daliang. Why do tourists go to Daliang?"
Zhang Noi pointed to the front deck and said: "But I am wandering around with my friends in search of first-line business. In fact, it is difficult to know. Do you know who can trade?"
The boatman said: "Look at the opening of the seal, there are a hundred thousand troops stationed. They eat, drink and take food, and they all use up the wealth of the world. But if you get one of them, you can get rich."
Zhang He asked: "Are there any people in the countryside who are rich because of this?"
The boatman said: "Those who have surplus grain, those who burn kilns, and those who weave are all highly valued. Although it is difficult to call them rich, they are still prosperous. Those who have heard of them are not exquisite, but they are measured by being thick and useful. This is different from ordinary ones."
Zhang Noi nodded and praised: "My father's words are very accurate. If my father's words are slight, I will make a few mistakes, but the most exquisite ones are my priority."
The boatman was very proud, burst out laughing, and said to Zhang Yue: "Sir, you are also a very human being. You should come here to make your family rich."
Zhang Noi asked: "How did father know this?"
The boatman said: "I have seen many people, and it is rare to find someone as amiable and approachable as your husband. Harmony brings wealth, and you, sir, will definitely make money."
Zhang Xuan said: "If the boy succeeds in carrying out his father's words, he must be rewarded! Is there a good doctor in my father's hometown?"
The boatman said: "There are already doctors, and they have all been conquered."
Zhang Zuo was surprised and asked: "For whom?"
The boatman said: "Hearing the truth, we have entered Qifeng. When the Qin people came to the west, they were not accustomed to the water and soil, and they were often sick. In addition, the weather was cold and food and clothing were not provided, so we recruited doctors to treat them."
Zhang He scanned the shore and found no sign of the Qin army reducing its strength. They still guarded both ends of the bridge very rigorously, and vehicles filled with goods passed one after another on the bridge. He did see that the cart was not only loaded with grain, but also pottery and cloth.
Within sight, there was an endless stream of vehicles delivering food and supplies, and he seemed to see familiar figures. He looked in that direction again, but there were too many people and he couldn't see clearly. He felt like it was Mang Yin's figure. Could it be that this long-missing eldest son of Mang Mansion actually appeared in Qifeng?
It actually didn’t take long for the boat to pass through the central area of Qifeng, and what we could see was only a narrow area on both sides of the strait. Looking up into the sky, the sky was gray, very gloomy and depressing, and the extremely putrid smell was getting stronger and stronger, almost suffocating.
The three of them couldn't help but cover their noses. The boatman said: "With a hundred thousand people, eating and drinking are a big deal, and shit and urine are also a big deal. Qin has no customs, and pits are dug everywhere. There is nowhere to dig the pits, so the stench fills the sky." As he spoke, he sped up the oar. Rhythm, the boat sailed quickly through the center of the market town, and the air slowly became better.
Zhang Noi thought to himself: "In this evil atmosphere, the people of Qin will not be sick, and their diseases will not be cured!" He really couldn't imagine how a person could live in such a filthy environment for a long time!
Soon after, he saw Wei soldiers and Wei Guo on patrol at the observation tower, as well as clouds of thick smoke. The boatman said: "Qifeng and Liang are facing each other, but they both have four doors wide open, so fireworks are set off on the boundary to show that nothing is going on. If we see the other army coming, the fireworks will not start, and the war will begin."
Zhang Noi said: "It's rare to burn firewood like this!"
The boatman said: "One load of firewood a day, no less."
At noon, the boat arrived at Daliang City. The three people abandoned the boat and landed, followed the crowd, and entered the city without any special interrogation.
The southern city is close to the royal city, and to the south of the royal city is Mr. Wei's mansion. The three of them naturally turned into the Young Master's Mansion, but were quickly stopped by a group of soldiers: "No unauthorized entry is allowed in the forbidden areas of the royal city!"
Zhang Ye waited and just stopped. Zhang He said: "We are returning from Huayang. The young master has given us a letter and is willing to give way!"
The leader seemed to be a soldier. He glanced at Zhang Noi and said, "Is there any talisman?"
Zhang He said: "Young Master ordered me to send you a message, and everyone in the government will know it. There is no rule."
The soldier pointed at the two soldiers and said, "You two, please lead me to the Young Master's Mansion and try to see him! Mr. Ru, please stay a moment. If someone from the Young Master's Mansion comes out, it will be fine." The three men responded quickly. .
Two soldiers took Zhang Noi straight to Mr. Wei's house. They knocked at the door and a man came out. When he saw it was Zhang Noi, he immediately screamed: "Mr. Zhang!"
Zhang Noi nodded and said: "It's just Wei Shu!"
The man hurriedly ran in the door. When he was young, the elder of the family hurriedly came out to greet him. Zhang He said: "There are still two gentlemen at the city gate, willing to greet him." The elder of the family hurriedly asked a retainer to greet him, and also greeted the two soldiers. He said: "It's my husband!" He took out a few copper coins from his arms and stuffed them into the hands of the soldiers. A retainer followed the soldiers to the city gate and welcomed the two guests back. For a time, "Young Master sent the third gentleman back to the mansion" spread throughout the mansion.
The old man of the family welcomed the three men into the house. Without asking any questions, he ordered the kitchen to cook soup and give the three gentlemen a bath. The three of them were moved to a warm pavilion and served with sake and fruits. When the young man announced that the soup was ready, the three of them went to the bathroom, helped each other, and took a nice bath. The elder brought clean clothes and changed them inside and outside. I have been outside for nearly a month and have never felt so refreshed.
After bathing and changing clothes, the boy led the three of them to the hall, where the family elders and many retainers were waiting. After seeing the ceremony twice, the elder asked about things in the camp. Zhang Noi answered one by one, and Mr. Lin and Fan supplemented. Zhang Noi also asked about Daliang, and the elders also answered one by one.
The old man of the family said: "In the former case, Lu Bo came back with a promise to transfer the money in the mansion to two thousand gold, but the mansion was empty."
Zhang He said: "Everyone in Huayang is grateful for the virtue of the emperor and the elders of the family, and their heads are saved. This gold is Huayang's ten days' worth of food." There was a sound of exclamation in the audience.
The elder of the family also sighed: "The treasury is so poor that we can only eat for ten days. The cost of the war is very high. Now that the treasury is exhausted, what will we do?"
Zhang Noi said: "I'm going to Xinling to support Huayang."
There was another sound of exclamation in the audience.
Zhang He said: "Daliang city defense and the peace talks between Wei and Qin are closely related to the war and peace. Have you heard about it?"
The old man of the family said: "If you get anything, report it all to Lu Bo. It comes from a noble person, and he has a very tight-knit tone, so my subordinates rarely hear about it."
Zhang Ye said: "I was sent by your Majesty to explore Qifeng. If you don't dare to stay for a long time, I will repay you immediately."
The old man said: "It's just a meal. It won't comfort my long-awaited heart."
While he was talking, he suddenly reported that Wei Xiangfu sent someone to come. The elders of the family hurriedly welcomed him out. The visitor said: "Xiang Wei was overjoyed when he heard that the young master had sent an envoy back from Huayang. He originally wanted to pay him a visit, but he was busy with his affairs. I would like to invite the third gentleman to come to the house to have a chat!"
The old man from the family said: "Mr. San has a heavy responsibility and will return right after dinner. This is a military matter, so I don't dare to stay here. I will go to the government to accuse him another day!"
The visitor said: "This is an important matter. It involves the unsealing of the seal. There must be someone you want to know, sir. If it is convenient for you, I am willing to go immediately!"
When the family elder saw that "the matter involved unsealing", he was afraid that it was a matter of peace negotiation, so he went to court to inform Zhang Noi. Zhang He said: "Your Majesty wishes to know what the peace talks are about. Mr. Wei is the one who is in charge of the talks. If it is inconvenient for him to come back, I would like to see him."
The elder then came out and said, "I'll be here in a moment." He invited the people from the prime minister's house away.
Zhang Zhe and three other people discussed with the retainers for a while, and then decided to go to Prime Minister Wei's Mansion accompanied by the family elders.
The Prime Minister's Mansion of Wei is also located in the palace. The four of them walked not far and arrived at Prime Minister Wei's Mansion. The doorman announced that he was coming in, and Wei Zheng, the old man of Xiang Wei's family, came out to welcome him. When he saw it was Zhang Noi, he quickly saluted and said, "I have met Mr. Zhang!"
