April is in the lunar calendar, and it rained lightly at noon, but it stopped in the blink of an eye.
On the contrary, the air is fresh, and the trees, flowers, and fields on both sides of the river are becoming increasingly green, making traveling along the canal less boring.
It had just been repaired, and the water surface of the canal was still wide. At this time, the sky was heavily overcast, drums and music could be heard softly, and ships were lined up and moving slowly.
There are thirteen ships in this fleet. In addition to the three large ships in the center, there are ten guards around it.
Among them, on the boat behind, there were two officials standing on the deck with their hands folded, not only looking at both sides, but also always looking back.
The soldiers on the ten ships lined up, and they did not slack off even after leaving the capital. They stood on both sides of the official cabin with sabers, and there were many armors among the flags. They looked very solemn and majestic.
There were people crowding around him in front, back, left and right. This was Taisun's traveling formation, and it didn't seem unusual.
The boat was moving slowly, and it was only about fifteen miles after entering the canal. The sun began to set, and the day was about to pass. We had not yet left the border of the capital, and it was not the time to be alert.
The two of them were relatively silent, not speaking, just thinking.
This case of fraud in the examination room was shocking, but before the aftermath was over, the grandson immediately left the capital to inspect the grain depot. How could it not be shocking and make people think deeply?
A relatively young official, whose surname is Jiang and whose name is Shen. He is only in his twenties this year. He has slender eyebrows and a bookish air. His official uniform is from the sixth rank. He is definitely very young among civil servants. After all, he can pass the exam in his early twenties. After becoming a Jinshi, and then being awarded the sixth rank, generally only the top few in the first and second grades can have such opportunities and treatment.
Jiang Shen was indeed sixth in the last palace examination.
Although he is not a first-class person, his family background is not bad. In addition, he has basically no shortcomings and can do everything. It only took him a short time to go from seventh grade to sixth grade. This speed is not too slow.
But they are incomparable to the two lucky people who immediately gained the attention of the emperor and were assigned as imperial attachés as soon as they finished the exam.
Standing next to Jiang Shen is Cao Zhi, one of the disciples of Zuoshi. He is more than thirty years old and has an official rank of fifth rank.
A fifth-grade Beijing official is not considered low.
"Brother Cao, I don't understand. The fleet is obviously not slow, why can't it only go fifteen miles today?" Jiang Shen was a little worried and couldn't say it, so he just asked casually.
Cao Zhi was also thinking. He stared at the nearby warships and frowned. Even though he was a grandson, he seemed to have more protection. Thinking about it made his heart tremble. He smiled and said: "When nobles travel, especially on water, this is the rule. It is better to go slowly, not only to be safe, but also to allow time for emergency response along the way."
Seeing Jiang Shen's chin, he was also a disciple of the same master. He had something to say and would not hide it, so he pointed out: "Moreover, in officialdom, the nobles must sit behind and have people in front to check, so as not to step in the mire." .”
"Did Fang Xiyulu go first?" Jiang Shen asked.
Cao Zhi nodded absently: "Yes, it has been five days."
"Brother Cao, I don't understand." Jiang Shen has only been in the officialdom for a few years. He has been in the Hanlin Academy before and there hasn't been much intrigue. This is the first time he has been out of Beijing to work, so it is inevitable to think more carefully.
He had already touched a little bit, and then he asked: "Were the two of us traveling for secret exploration? Why does everyone seem to know about it?"
"Not only do we know that they have gone, but we also know how many days they have been gone, and even worse, we know where they went. Everyone knows, so what kind of secret investigation is it?"
Cao Zhi stroked his short beard and looked at the big ship in front. He remained silent for a long time and then said, "That's what officialdom is."
Is this what officialdom is?
Seeing Jiang Shen thoughtful, Cao Zhi sighed: "It may not be a blessing to investigate this matter. How can these two people deal with it?"
"You have to remember that this trip with Taisun was ordered by the Ministry of Rites. We are just the Rites Officers who were ordered to follow. No matter how the investigation turns out, it has little to do with us."
"You just need to take care of the ceremony and don't let anything happen in this area. Even if it's not a credit, it's still hard work. You don't need to worry about anything else, and you can't worry about it."
"Our fame is not easy, and our official status is even more difficult. Although we cannot refuse errands, we must keep this in mind. Our mentor also warned us before leaving."
"I understand." Jiang Shen nodded seriously. He was just young, not stupid. Apart from anything else, in the past, everyone competed for this kind of errand, but now there is no one to answer the question. The Ministry of Rites has to appoint someone to know that something is wrong. .
Not to mention, ten ships are protecting it, and there are many armored soldiers. It seems to be taken seriously, but when you think of the vague rumors in the capital, isn't it scary?
Who dares to get involved in this kind of royal strife?
Both of them were talking hesitantly, with their own worries, and as the sky was getting darker and the curtain was getting darker, naturally no one noticed that someone was swimming silently under the water.
Wearing gray clothes, this man looked like a big and agile fish. He quickly swam under the three large ships in the middle, and finally reached the dark place under the middle one. He only knocked three times on the bottom of the ship.
In a moment, a rope hung down along the edge of the boat.
The man in gray who emerged from the water grabbed the rope and climbed up immediately. The whole process was quick and silent.
As soon as he got up, he was led to a cabin. He saw two soldiers standing in front of the cabin on both sides. They were holding swords on their waists and not looking away. They were looking at each other in fear. The man in gray couldn't help but trembled. He heard someone talking inside, and another voice. Report, the voice suddenly disappeared, and after a while, the calm voice commanded: "Let him come in!"
"yes!"
The man in gray agreed and stepped into the cabin. As soon as he entered, he felt the temperature rising. Compared with the outside, it was much higher!
I was feeling a little chilly after swimming all the way here, but when I came in, the chill was gone immediately.
Did you burn charcoal or did something else?
The man in gray clothes was puzzled. After all, he didn’t see the charcoal basin in the cabin, but he didn’t dare to look around casually. He saw that although he was in the cabin, it was elegantly decorated, and the floors were all made of red pine paneling. There was no dust at all, and the bulkheads were The screens are all carved with insects, fish, flowers and birds, and the layout is extremely elegant. One person can browse at will in front of a wooden frame.
This wooden frame is covered with an embroidered dragon baggage, and stands a sword, shining in the dark - this is the so-called "Shang Fang Sword".
"It's Mr. Wen."
The man in gray didn't dare to look at it, so he quickly saluted the person in the middle: "Your Highness, this is Category A letter No. 5."
As he said that, he took out a small oilcloth bag from his arms. It was not only wrapped in oilcloth, but also wrapped in multiple layers and sealed with wax. Even if it had been soaked in water for so long, no water would get into it.
Wen Xunpeng took the oilcloth bag from the man in gray, opened it and saw that it was indeed not wet, and the sealing wax with the seal was all there, before handing it to Su Ziji.
"You should step back first." Su Ziji said without looking at him immediately.
"yes."
When the man in gray retreated, the cabin was a cabin after all. No matter how well repaired it was, it was a bit dark and gloomy even though candles had been lit just now.
"My lord, the emperor actually sent six hundred guards, he really values you!" After the others left, Wen Xunpeng looked back at Shang Fangjian, smiling, as if he was overwhelmed with emotion.
Su Ziji couldn't help but chin his head and sighed: "Exactly!"
The emperor has many personal guards, but the guards are undoubtedly highly trusted guards. Sending so many people sounds like they are protecting themselves, but how can they not be surveillance?
In other words, as long as the emperor gives the order, the hundreds of guards in his palace will be captured immediately, even if they are not able to stop him at all.
Su Ziji didn't take it seriously, and just smiled slyly: "But I'm afraid this will be more beneficial to me. As expected, God's calculations are not as good as those of others."
With that said, without explaining, Su Ziji tore open the seal and took it out to take a look. It turned out to be Xie Hongdao's information.
