Plum blossoms welcome the rain.
In the plum-filled Jiangnan, the rain began to drip continuously. The dripping cornices, the rippling rivers, the moss-covered stone bridges, the graceful and shiny alleys with bluestone slabs. Occasionally, I meet someone on the street who "holds an oil-paper umbrella and wanders alone in the long, long and lonely rain alley." How I hope to meet a lilac-like girl with sorrow and resentment..."
Don’t think that the plum rain in the south of the Yangtze River is always so poetic and picturesque, but it also has a ferocious and violent side.
Today, Haiyu Town was ravaged by a heavy rain. The drizzle that had just arrived gradually gradually, and after a burst of lightning and thunder, it brewed into a free and heroic heavy rain. The big raindrops hit the ground like a heavy rain. The fierce war horses kick with four hooves and the loud sound is full of the majesty of thousands of troops and rushing rapids!
Two figures walked into the alley. It was pouring with rain. The oil-paper umbrella in their hands was blown to one side by the wind from time to time, and the rain poured down the corners of their shoulders and shirts. The two of them walked in a hurry, using umbrellas to cover their heads, faces, and body. They ignored the water brought by their steps that wet their shoes, socks, and clothes. They quickly arrived at a house at the end of the alley and hid under the rain eaves at the door. "Bang." Bang bang” knocked on the courtyard door.
Soon I heard the sound of footsteps stepping on the stagnant water in the courtyard. The door latch was pulled open, and the courtyard door was pushed open, revealing a servant dressed in blue cloth.
"Who are you two looking for?"
One of the young men with frost-stained temples asked: "Brother Zhu, is he in the mansion? A certain surname is Lu. He made an appointment with Brother Zhu and will come to visit today."
The servant said "Oh", quickly opened the courtyard door, and said sideways: "It turns out to be Mr. Lu. The head of the family has made an explanation. If you come, you can go in directly. No need to inform."
The young man nodded and walked into the courtyard with the other one.
The servant closed the courtyard door and trotted to the front to guide the two of them.
The courtyard is not big, but it is extremely well-maintained, with rockeries and walls. There is even an exquisite waterside pavilion built next to a small lotus pond. It is somewhat elegant to enjoy the coolness in the lotus pond in summer.
There is a row of moso bamboo planted in the corner of the wall. The bamboo leaves have been washed by the rain and become more and more green, which is very interesting.
The servant led the two of them through the green brick-paved courtyard and went straight to the door of the main house. He raised his hand and knocked on the door twice, and said loudly: "Report to the master, Mr. Lu is here."
A strong male voice in the room said: "Please!"
The servant then opened the door and said respectfully: "You two, please come inside."
It's raining heavily outside, but inside the house is cool and tidy.
The glossy mahogany floor is covered with a finely textured reed mat near the inside. There is a carved lacquered tea table, a set of crystal white tea sets on the tea tray, and a crystal clear porcelain plate. Contains generally freshly ripe plums.
A fat man in sapphire blue uniform was sitting on his knees behind the tea table, staring at a pot of water on the small red clay stove. When he saw the two people coming in, he waved his hands casually: "You two, please take a seat. Who will take this pot?" Let me give you this year’s new tea, the top-notch Longjing tea, which you can’t even drink if you’re rich!”
This casual gesture made Lu Xiaoyu feel faintly angry.
Back when he was a doctor in the Ministry of Punishment, this guy was like a fat dog wagging his head in front of him. Now that he has been dismissed from office, and Lu is unable to recover, is he starting to make trouble with himself?
what!
However, thinking that it was really necessary to come here today, I could only hold back my anger, sat down opposite the fat man, and said with a smile on my face: "Then Lu is very lucky, but it is said that this high-grade Longjing is a tribute from the royal family. , it is absolutely not allowed to be sold in the market, and the Fang family is also very strict about its control and management, but I don’t know where Brother Zhu got it?”
As he said this, he waved to those who came with him to sit next to him without being formal.
Zhu Qu's plump face like Maitreya Buddha was full of pride, and he said disapprovingly: "So what about the imperial tribute? We didn't fight against the emperor! After all, the land of Sanwu is still the world of our Jiangdong Wu surname, and his Fang Jun What does it mean to get some tea from his tea garden? Nowadays, it is spread all over Suzhou that Fang Jun likes to eat human brains, and his reputation is already extremely bad. Moreover, the people in Jiangnan say they don’t know that Fang Jun went south to fight with Jiangnan. Fighting for profit among others to please the emperor? Let me tell you, even if Fang Jun escaped with his life in Niuzhuji, he would still be unable to move even an inch when he reaches Haiyu Town!"
Lu Xiaoyu frowned slightly, just you? Fang Jun's hole has been dug, just waiting for you to jump in, but you are still complacent here...I don't know where the confidence comes from.
He was too lazy to argue with Zhu Qu, but the man next to him spoke.
"The Fang Jun you two are talking about is the emperor's son-in-law in Chang'an?"
Zhu Qu seemed to have noticed the person brought by Lu Xiaoyu at this moment. He raised his head and glanced, and was suddenly stunned.
This man was short in stature, sitting on his knees like a giant monkey. His face was covered with whiskers, and his original appearance could not be clearly seen. Moreover, although this person spoke in a clear and well-spoken manner, he was too stiff, and it was obvious that he was not someone who often spoke Chinese.
Then he asked Lu Xiaoyu, "Who is this?"
Lu Xiaoyu introduced: "This is the minister in charge of finance in front of the Emperor of Japan, His Excellency Ji Shiju. He is roughly equivalent to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Tang Dynasty. I have met Fang Jun before when I sent an envoy from the Tang Dynasty to Chang'an."
The Lu family and the Japanese country had always had a paper business, and this time it happened that Ji Shiju came to purchase goods for the emperor. Lu Xiaoyu changed his mind and asked him for help. But he never thought that Ji Shiju and Fang Jun were also old acquaintances. When he heard that Lu Xiaoyu's plan was related to Fang Jun, he immediately agreed happily.
When Zhu Qu heard that he was a high-ranking official who was equivalent to the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he was shocked, but then he thought that the Japanese country was such a big place, and it was extremely poor. Where could even the emperor go?
He didn't pay much attention, he just said "hmm", lowered his eyelids, and stared at the bubbling water in front of him.
Ji Shiju didn't think too much of himself and was not angry at Zhu Qu's contempt.
Coming to Datang this time was completely different from the last time.
Except for being looked down upon by Fang Jun in Lishan outside Chang'an, the officials along the way were extremely respectful to him as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty. However, coming here this time, Ji Shiju felt the atmosphere of "the pride of the country and the people". As the Tang army conquered the south and north, a sense of national pride became stronger and stronger. Even ordinary people looked less and less at the Japanese country.
But for Ji Shiju, the "Japanese rapist", there is no psychological barrier at all...
There was silence in the room for a while.
The kettle on the small red clay stove was steaming. Zhu Qu lifted the kettle, pinched a handful of flat green tea leaves from a porcelain jar under the tea table and threw it into the teapot. Then he washed the tea, brewed it, He divided the tea in one go, his ten short, stubby fingers were extremely dexterous, and his movements were actually quite pleasing to the eye. He was obviously a master of this art.
After sipping tea and joking around, Zhu Qucai asked: "Is what Xiaoyu said in his heart yesterday true?"
Seeing that the topic was about to be discussed, Lu Xiaoyu put down the tea cup in his hand and said seriously: "Of course it's true. To be honest, Mr. Lu was in dire straits and wanted to continue a business, so he came to see Mr. Ji Shiju. I'm thinking of this. Due to our old friendship, His Excellency Ji Shiju agreed to a certain person that if he really could get high-quality shipbuilding timber, he could recommend it to be sold to the Japanese country and the emperor would buy it for shipbuilding."
Zhu Qu glanced at Ji Shiju, shook his head slightly and said, "Xiaoyu must have made a mistake. If you want to buy wood, you can go to Fang Jun. Nowadays, the riverside outside Haiyu Town is full of wood for several miles. Fang Jun probably won't be able to use so much of the huge wood used in shipbuilding, so it doesn't hurt to sell some secretly. The Zhu family is in the silk business, where did the wood come from to sell to you?"
Seeing Zhu Qu's denial, Lu Xiaoyu was not in a hurry and said with a smile: "We have lived in Jiangdong for hundreds of years. Why did Brother Zhu deceive me? I didn't mention where Brother Zhu's wood came from, let alone Zhu. Brother, do you have any wood? I'm just asking Brother Zhu to do the Lu family a favor. If it can help the Lu family purchase the wood needed for shipbuilding, the Lu family will buy it at double the market price, as much as they want! If this business is completed, I will From now on, the Lu family will always remember Brother Zhu’s great kindness, but if prompted, we will never refuse!”
No wood?
You really think everyone is a fool! If you don’t have it in your hand, could it be that all the wood lost by Navy Fang Jun was eaten by Jiang Dragon King?
