In the east city of Lin'an City, outside the Waiting Gate, Zhejiang Crossing, with Zhao Hong in front, everyone led their horses and reins, and boarded a large ship with thousands of materials.
Although it has just entered February, the river surface is not frozen. Although you can go to Shaoxing by land, the water network in the south of the Yangtze River and the Zhejiang East Canal are advantageous, so taking a boat is more convenient than riding a horse.
The shore is full of boatmen and coolies rushing back and forth. Their clothes are shabby and their faces are dusty. They are completely different from the bossy merchants in rich clothes. Most of the ordinary ferry passengers traveling from south to north are ordinary people, wearing coarse cloth and ge-shirts, with sallow complexions and thin muscles, and are timid.
It can be seen that from ancient times to the present, in all dynasties, the poor are the foundation of society. Wealth and prosperity have nothing to do with the common people.
The ship slowly left the shore, and Li Tang asked puzzledly to Zhao Hong, who was watching from the deck.
"Your Highness, you can just send a villain to do this kind of thing. Why do you need to come in person?"
"Do you know how to smelt iron?"
Zhao Hong smiled, which made Li Tang blush and became speechless.
He doesn't understand, does Zhao Hong understand?
"Don't be dissatisfied, I really understand."
As if he knew what Li Tang was thinking, Zhao Hong added another sentence.
Coming from an era of explosion of knowledge, he really has some experience in iron smelting.
Li Tang smiled and then asked in a low voice:
"Your Highness, you got angry again when you encountered something you couldn't stand?"
Zhao Hong chuckled, feeling a little unnecessary.
Those Du Fan and his like, who were scholars and dignified scholar-bureaucrats, let them be together with the sweaty and smelly craftsmen. Unless they spread out a red carpet and have people carry them through puddles, otherwise they would not even think about it.
It has been the case since ancient times that officials should not do anything, not to mention that the scholars of the Song Dynasty had no power to restrain a chicken, so what was the reason for him to be so angry?
"Your Highness, I would like to say that it is not the fault of the officials, but that the court gave too many officials. If three people have to do a small thing, how can they do it well? Three monks have no water to drink. In this sense, you are better than me... …”
Before Li Tang finished speaking, Zhao Hong kicked him on the butt.
"If you become an official, you will be a dog official!"
"Your Highness, the song "Qinyuanchun.Snow" in Fenglelou was written by you, right? Every time I read it, my blood boils."
Young Xue Tan came over with admiration on his face.
"Xue Supervisor, when you climb the Great Wall, see the Yellow River, and go to the Western Regions, your feelings will be even stronger. Great rivers and mountains, but it is a pity that they have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Spring is full of old mountains and rivers. I wonder if my Han heart will hurt. ?”
While Xue Tan was in shock, Zhao Hong had already turned his head and looked around.
Thousands of sails were racing on the Qiantang River, ships were coming and going, and there were even imperial warships cruising back and forth. The river was bustling with people, just like travelers on land in the North.
The big ship sailed to the Xixing Wharf on the other side of the Qiantang River. It followed the East Zhejiang Canal inland on the south bank of the Qiantang River and was almost parallel to the Qiantang River. It was only a hundred miles eastward and it only took more than an hour to reach Shaoxing Prefecture.
Due to the long-term North-South confrontation between the Song and Jin Dynasties, envoys and merchants from Japan, North Korea and many overseas countries were unable to go north. There were many sandy beaches at the Qiantang River estuary, making navigation difficult. Therefore, they often changed to Mingzhou, which was later known as Ningbo, via the East Zhejiang Canal. Entered Shaoxing and entered Lin'an. Therefore, at this time, the East Zhejiang Canal also became a golden waterway for envoys and overseas trade in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The Eastern Zhejiang Canal, the Yangzhou Canal, and the canal from Yangzhou to Hangzhou made the water network of the Southern Song Dynasty developed, which was also the foundation of the Southern Song Dynasty.
"Are there any navy around Lin'an City?"
Zhao Hong asked subconsciously.
The water network in the south of the Yangtze River is well developed, and there must be many naval forces in the capital of Lin'an City.
"Your Highness, the front department has tens of thousands of navy troops stationed around Lin'an City, distributed in Xupu and Kanpu. The coastal establishment department has six to seven thousand naval officers and soldiers, stationed in Dinghai, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, etc. land."
As a former Imperial Guard, Li Tang had a good command of the garrison around Lin'an City.
"There used to be six or seven thousand people. Who knows if there are any now? Those who eat empty wages and drink soldiers' blood are probably inevitable. In my opinion, there are five thousand people, which is already good."
Xu Sheng added coldly, "The world is awake."
"Five thousand people? The Song Dynasty's coastal defense line is thousands of miles long, and there are only five thousand naval officers and soldiers. It is really too few. It must be at least ten times. Otherwise, how can we show off our power overseas and colonize..."
Zhao Hong did not say the word "colonization". He can't protect himself now, so he's just worrying nonsense by saying such nonsense.
Li Tang and others looked at each other in confusion, knowing full well that they were silent.
When the ship sailed into the waters of Shaoxing Prefecture, several large ships rowed in. The armored warriors with weathered faces on the deck looked at them eagerly. The high-flying "gold" flag made Zhao Hong take a second look.
"Your Highness, this seems to be the warship of the Jin envoy."
Xue Tan saw that Zhao Hong was fascinated and introduced him in a low voice.
“Why don’t the Jin’s warships use the Grand Canal?”
Zhao Hong was startled and blurted out.
It is convenient and quick to go east from Kaifeng, cross the Huaihe River, pass through Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Suzhou and then to Hangzhou.
Or take the Beijing-Huzhou land route first, and then take the Yangtze River or Canal water route, which is equally fast.
It seems that there is something fishy about Jin Ren's move.
"But I don't know why the Jin envoys came here at this time? Could it be that the new Jin emperor came to negotiate peace?"
A guard murmured in a low voice.
"In my opinion, it's thanks to the Zhongyi Army in Shandong. They made a lot of trouble in Lianghuai. The Jin people probably left the sea ship for safety reasons."
Xue Tan was so impressed at home that he said it directly.
"The Jin people can definitely go down the river from the Han River and then take the Suzhou-Hangzhou Canal. In my opinion, the Jin people are ambitious and want to spy on our Song Dynasty coastal defense!"
Li Tang had a different explanation.
"Does the loyal army dare to attack the Jin envoys even if there is no decree from the imperial court?"
Zhao Hong couldn't help but be stunned again.
Without the order of the Song Dynasty, the loyal army dared to attack the Jin envoys?
The Jin people abandoned their central capital of Yanjing and went south, and were forced to the south of the Yellow River and Shaanxi. Now even Li Quan is afraid of them. The country's prestige has really been lost, and the sun is setting.
"Li Quan is rebellious and ambitious. Is there anything else he wouldn't dare to do?"
Li Tang opened his mouth and explained to Zhao Hong anecdotes about border defense in the Song Dynasty.
"Your Highness did not know that Jia She, the envoy of the Huaidong pacification system, took office and was able to suppress the loyal army in Shandong to a certain extent. Jia She died of illness at the end of last year while in office. After the new Huaidong pacification system envoy Xu Guo took office, Suppress the Northern Army. If there is a dispute between the Northern Army and the Southern Army, the Northern Army will be blamed regardless of the merits, and 70% of the supplies that the court gives to the Northern Army will be withheld. If you do this, sooner or later there will be trouble!"
The Northern Army was the Shandong Loyalty Army, and the Southern Army was the official army of the Song Dynasty. As for Xu Guo, a fool who failed to accomplish anything but failed more than once, Zhao Hong was too lazy to mention it anymore.
While they were talking, the warship carrying the Jin envoys had already passed by, but no one paid attention to it.
Zhao Hong felt depressed and uncomfortable for an instant.
Although Li Quan was domineering, Xu Guo was also a fool. He failed in many things and failed in many things.
"A nerd leading an army can be said to be a waste of time for the country and the army, causing endless harm!"
Zhao Hong shook his head and sighed.
"Your Highness, you don't know something. Xu Guoyuan was a noble son and a military general. He was appointed as the envoy of Huaidong system, but he acted like a civil official and showed off his power. It's strange that Li Quan didn't take care of him!"
Guard Xu Sheng corrected Zhao Hong's misconception.
"Huaidong Rong Commander, a dignified border official, his position is so important, why would he send such a fool who has failed to accomplish anything but failed more than he should?"
Zhao Hong was surprised and sighed again.
Shi Miyuan, you deserve to be damned if you harm the country and the people!
"There is no need to ask. The decision is made by the house, the power is exercised by the bed. Huaidong's envoy Xu Guo and Sichuan's envoy Zheng Sun. Aren't the two border ministers Shi Miyuan's confidants?"
Li Tang said angrily, not caring that Xue Tan, an outsider, was present.
Seeing Zhao Hong glance over, Xue Tan quickly raised his hands and saluted.
"Your Highness, Shi Miyuan is in power, and I am also angry, but there is nothing I can do. Seeing that the government is declining, the peripheral affairs are weak, and the people's livelihood is declining, I am a hot-blooded man, anxious, but I am helpless. I..."
Xue Tan shook his head, his expression gloomy, and Zhao Hong interrupted him.
"Professor Xue, I believe you. You don't need to explain."
A young man who can say such things is definitely not a cold-blooded person.
With Xue Ji's "wooden" way of dealing with things, even if Xue Tan told Xue Ji, Xue Ji would suppress the matter.
"Your Highness, thank you for your trust. What Li Weiwei said is true. Li Quan has grown up, and the Huaihe River will be in chaos sooner or later. Peng Yibin's loyal army and Li Quan's loyal army are attacking each other. The situation in Shandong and Hebei is good, and the situation in Shandong and Hebei is good. It will be destroyed in one day!”
Xue Tan looked at Zhao Hong, frowned, and sighed.
"The traitorous officials are harming the country! The traitors are harming the country!"
Perhaps it was his young body that made Zhao Hong's blood boil from time to time, making it difficult to control.
The Huaidong envoy Xu Guo, and the newly appointed Sichuan envoy Zheng Sun, misled the country and the people in history, causing countless deaths of soldiers and civilians.
But he could only watch the government decline day by day, with nothing to do.
"Your Highness, what's so surprising about this? The Song Dynasty will eventually be defeated by thieves like Shi Miyuan!"
The guard Hu Datou echoed his master angrily.
"There are still good scholars. For example, Xin Qiji and Lu You are both strong-willed and good men. Your Highness, for example, compares himself to Emperor Qin and Han Wu, isn't he also a scholar?"
Xue Tan smiled awkwardly and complimented Zhao Hong.
He also knew that what Zhao Hong was talking about was just the scum among scholars, but their words were a bit extreme.
"Your Highness, the imperial court is afraid of Li Quan, and does not want Peng Yibin to be powerful in the north. Shi Miyuan wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, use Peng Yibin to restrain Li Quan, and use Li Quan to contain Peng Yibin. This is the consistent strategy of our Song Dynasty court, and it is not enough. Strange!"
Li Tang said with a dark face, giving the most accurate overview of the Song Dynasty court.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and stood on the deck in a daze.
The Song Dynasty court could not distinguish rewards and punishments, and only thought about using barbarians to control barbarians. Didn't they know that it would not please the left and right, and also chill the hearts of loyal people in the world.
This guy Peng Yibin actually hit Hebei, which really made him break out in a cold sweat. The Mongolian army is at its peak. Once the cavalry charge in the Hebei Plain, Peng Yibin's ragtag army may not be a match for the Mongolian army.
"Do you know what Shandong is like?"
Shandong connects Huainan and Hebei. However, the Mongolian army moved south many times. Shandong soldiers and bandits were rampant. The forces of the Song, Mongolia, and Jin Dynasties competed with each other.
"Your Highness, the Tatar army is marching south. Shandong has ten houses and nine empty houses. The two rivers and the red land are thousands of miles away, and they are all inhabited. Shandong is a place where Li Quan, the Jin Kingdom, and the Tatars compete. Most of the two rivers are controlled by the Mongolian army. However, Everyone there is almost dead and it’s so devastated that there’s no point in fighting over it.”
Xue Tan said softly. For all these things in his head, he still had to rely on the teachings of his grandfather Xue Ji.
"I am so angry that I can stand by my side and let the rain stop. I raise my eyes and roar to the sky..."
On the bow of the boat, an unknown guard accompanying him softly sang Yue Wumu's ever-famous song "Man Jiang Hong Lai".
"Driving a long chariot, traversing the gap in the Helan Mountains. The ambition is to eat the meat of the Huns, and the laughter is to drink the blood of the Huns. Let's start from the beginning and clean up..."
Xue Tan and Li Tang sang along, and everyone was solemn.
Zhao Hong's heart began to heat up as he pulled away the coolness.
It turns out that there are such generous and heroic people in the land of Jiangnan with weak folk customs!
Shaoxing Mansion got off the boat, and several people rode horses to go south. Zhao Hong looked at the green crops and wheat growing by the roadside. At first glance, he saw that there were no idle fields, and he secretly admired them.
It seems that the local officials in Shaoxing are at least diligent in their duties.
"Your Highness, it's better to inform the magistrate of Kuaiji to avoid being mistaken."
Xue Tan reminded Zhao Hong from the side.
"Supervisor Xue, I'm sorry to bother you."
Having Xue Tan, an enthusiastic young official, saves a lot of trouble.
