While the two were talking, the boat had already traveled quietly for several miles. After the prince and his old master finished talking, they each sat down and drank tea to soothe their throats. Neither of them spoke much. They only chatted occasionally, mostly talking about the customs and customs on both sides of the Liaohe River. They never mentioned what they had just said.
But even the maids and maids standing on both sides listening to the Hou's instructions could tell that the two people's words at this moment were not as unfamiliar and polite as before, but rather seemed like a young man talking to an elderly man.
The old master Bo couldn't help but secretly praise him. This young master was worthy of being a handsome man from a high family. With just a little guidance from me, the latter can guess nine out of ten of the customs and customs along the coast, and compare them with folk customs from other places. He really can be said to be well-informed, not just a low-level person who only knows some details and talks about them. The literati couldn't help but feel quite emotional.
As people get older, they always envy the flourishing landscapes that stretch thousands of miles away, just like this.
"Although both sides of the strait are prosperous and the fishing boats are densely packed, the arrangement is quite orderly. This must be your handiwork." The prince drank two cups of tea and said to the master next to him.
"Young Master is joking, look at this official's gray beard and his old age when most of his rotten body has been buried in the loess. How can he come up with any new ideas? This method of building a dock and locking a boat was the result of the collective brainstorming of people in the village. The official just reported this law to the county magistrate and promoted it from place to place, and it really does not count as the official's credit."
The prince was stunned. This was the first time he saw an official who took all the credit for his work. He immediately became interested again, so he slowly put the tea cup on the table and said, "There is indeed a particular way to arrange and park fishing boats, but among the younger generation, It seems that there are still inconveniences in traveling between the two sides. Although there are many fishing boats and ferries, the current in the middle of the river is very fast when crossing the entire Liao River. If there is even the slightest mistake, the people on the entire ferry may lose their lives. "
The old master pondered for a moment and sighed, "It is true that as the young master said, there are probably more than forty or fifty people who rush to cross the river every year. If there are no mistakes, it will be okay, but as long as there is such an incident, it will be damaged." Life is not in the minority."
"I once discussed this matter with the county magistrate. I wanted to build a solid bridge to connect both sides of the Liao River. However, the current of the Liao River is too fast and it is extremely difficult to build the bridge. I really can't find a skilled bridge builder. After many twists and turns, I had to give up in frustration."
The prince gently crushed the kernels in his hand and threw them out of the boat. "The imperial court has skilled craftsmen in places with easy access to waterways. Why don't you invite them to raise troops for a thousand days and use them for a while? If you let them do nothing all day long, what is this monthly salary?" Isn’t your hair gray?”
The Yizhang Kingdom made a rule a few years ago, that is, wherever there are many rivers and rivers, there will always be several bridge builders stationed there. Although they had no official positions, they were paid monthly stipends by the imperial court in order to retain these skilled craftsmen. If they needed to build bridges, there was no need to search for them everywhere. On weekdays, this group of craftsmen can take their apprentices to explore rivers in various places when they have nothing to do, and their monthly salary is quite high. If they make a living by building bridges, they can also get an extra sum of silver. Compared with finding work elsewhere, it is naturally much more comfortable and secure. . So a large number of people rushed to various counties and counties to answer the call. Logically speaking, there would not be the phenomenon of no one being found as the old master said.
The old master smiled bitterly and shook his head repeatedly.
"Those craftsmen are very capable and are used to being idle on weekdays. Besides, their monthly salary is generous. Who would be willing to go out and participate in the work of building bridges? Even if they spend all day drawing and writing books in their own homes, they would not go out. There are many years. As the craftsmen grew older, they mostly sent apprentices who had not yet learned their skills. Rather than improving their ability to build bridges, they came to deal with errands. The bridges they built across the river collapsed and collapsed within a few years. It’s better not to waste money for no reason than not to ask.”
The young master remained silent for a long time, but in the eyes of the maid, the violence deep in his eyes flashed away, which was particularly penetrating.
"It doesn't matter. I'll visit you in person some time later."
The moon is shining brightly, the sky is refreshing in the summer night, and the hot air that has always been wrapped around my body has retreated so cleanly.
Only the sound of cool water can be heard in the Liaohe River. The water waves are pushed away by the bow of the pleasure boat, rolling over and over, as if two yellow jade knives are being pushed out. The village was quiet, with most families lighting up lights and taking advantage of the cool night to move out straw mats and fans. They chatted and laughed while beating flies and rotting grass, not knowing when the moon was in the sky.
The breeze on the river lifts my temples.
It is indeed one of the few good times in midsummer.
Prince Wang lightly knocked on the Eight Immortals table and raised the corner of his mouth slightly.
He had excellent eyesight, and with a casual glance, he saw a small boat floating down the river in the distance, briskly and swiftly, but with no intention of avoiding the boat.
At this moment, the guards on the first floor of the boat were already in full formation. They placed their right hands on the handles of the hanging swords and looked at the boat in front of them. Some even took out the arrow feathers from their backs, pulled the bowstring full, and just waited for the order to shoot the man in the boat inside and out.
From ancient times to the present, there have been many assassinations by assassins, and there are many who are famous all over the world for assassinating prominent officials and kings. Examples of assassinations of important positions or even the king of a country, resulting in the army being leaderless and even defeated, are indeed common in the annals of history.
Among the assassins' activities, assassination with the flow of water is the most cruel. Just because the boat was rocking in the rapids, even if the assassin's movement was detected in advance, he might not be able to hit the target with his bow. What's more, many assassins are very skilled, good at climbing mountains and swimming. If they miss a hit, they can jump into the river and escape completely. Secondly, going straight down the river, the speed of the boat is even worse than that of the galloping horse. If there is a thunder, the guard armor will be able to catch it in an instant without even the slightest response.
"Sir, there seems to be only one old man carrying a basket on the boat, and there is no one else. To be on the safe side, it is better to strike first." A man walked out from the corner behind. He was tall and thin, but his feet were very solid when walking. At a glance, he is a 100% Lianjiazi.
"It doesn't matter, after all, the covenant is still within the period, and we both have some respect for each other. Besides, I am not an important member of the court, so there is no way for me to be killed. Just wait and see what happens." Prince Wang's face remained as usual, but The cold and stern look in his eyes was even stronger in the moonlight.
The old man in the boat was sitting at the head of the boat, holding a fish basket with a sad face.
Back then, the fat shopkeeper with a terrifyingly deep realm once asked what the five realms were. For those who have achieved success in spiritual practice, everyone knows the difference between realms. Although he has never worshiped on any immortal mountain, he at least knows this common sense. But the shopkeeper continued to ask what the Four Mysteries were, and the old man was completely stunned on the spot, confused. But the fat man was so unkind. Seeing that the old man didn't answer his question, he continued to ask.
"Do you know what the two-day barrier is?"
The river wind was strong, and the old man gritted his teeth, "When I catch up to my realm, I have to ask you how many scales I have on my body." Then he smiled as if he was relieved, continued to sit upright, and let the boat move along the current.
