Gu Zhengchen and Liang Jiajun said goodbye to Teng County and headed towards Jinling.
There were seven people in the group, two grooms.
The two grooms did not follow Gu Zhengchen and Liang Jiajun to Jinling, but were only responsible for transporting people to the ferry in Xiacun.
Xiacun is located more than 60 miles southwest of Teng County, next to the Huitong River.
When Liang Jiajun saw Gu Zhengchen picking up a copy of "The Great Learning" and flipping through it, he couldn't help but ask: "Is this "The Great Learning" that Brother Gu is proficient in?"
Gu Zhengchen shook his head slightly and smiled: "I understand a little."
Liang Jiajun became interested: "In your opinion, what is the most exciting theory in "The University"?"
Gu Zhengchen solemnly said: "Of course there are three programs and eight items."
Liang Jiajun was a little surprised and looked at Gu Zhengchen in confusion: "What are the three principles and eight items?"
Gu Zhengchen forgot that the formulation of the Three Programs and Eight Items was summarized by later generations. He took a hard-boiled egg from the basket and banged it and said: "The way of a university is to be clear and virtuous, to be close to the people, and to strive for perfection. To be clear and virtuous , be close to the people, and strive for perfection. These three points are the three principles. As for the eight items, they are, of course, studying things, seeking knowledge, sincerity, upright mind, self-cultivation, managing the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world."
Liang Jiajun wrote: "Three Programs and Eight Items. Such a formulation is refreshing. I think my brother is very talented."
Gu Zhengchen handed the peeled eggs to Liang Jiajun: "Brother Liang, I am just picking up people's wisdom. When it comes to studying things to gain knowledge, I wonder how Brother Liang understands it?"
Liang Jiajun kept talking...
The carriage drove slowly and arrived at Xia Cun before dusk.
Xiacun is not a big town, but it is a ferry town with many inns.
The north has no boats at night, unlike the south.
Gu Zhengchen and Liang Jiajun had to settle down temporarily in the inn, while the two grooms returned to Teng County.
After dinner, Sun Shiba was left to look after the luggage in the inn, while Gu Zhengchen and Liang Jiajun took Xue Cheng and Liang Wujin to the ferry.
A bald middle-aged man walked over, stroking his head, looked at Gu Zhengchen and others, and said with a smile: "You two gentlemen, Wu Zhong, are making a living at this ferry. I don't know if you want to go north or south, but I need some introduction." The boatman?"
Liang Jiajun put his hands behind his back and said nothing.
Liang Wujin stepped forward, took out ten coins and handed it over: "Our master wants to go south to Jinling, please tell me."
Wu Zhong was even more happy when he saw that he had money: "It's a long road to go south to Jinling, and Xiacun's boat can't go that far."
"Where's the farthest you can go?"
Gu Zhengchen asked.
Wu Zhong pointed to the road: "There are options. One is to go south to Xuzhou, change ships in Xuzhou and transfer to Suqian. The other is to go east, take Hanzhuang and Taizhuang, and then go south to Suqian. If you don't want to change ships, , just take the east waterway, but the river there is a bit winding, and it will be a day slower than changing boats in Xuzhou."
Gu Zhengchen looked at Liang Jiajun: "Brother Liang, what do you think?"
Liang Jiajun thought for a moment: "It's troublesome to change ships back and forth. We might as well go directly to Suqian."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly and looked at Wu Zhong.
Wu Zhong said quickly: "It takes five days to take the east route to Suqian, and the ship fee is eighty yuan per person."
While talking, Wu Zhong found a boatman and led Liang Jiajun and Gu Zhengchen to look at the boat.
It is five and a half feet long, one foot wide in the middle, and has twelve cabins. The anchor is also engraved with the inscription "Made in the fifth year of Hongwu", and there are some small characters that are hard to read.
Gu Zhengchen nodded: "Let's settle it like this. Can we leave on the boat early tomorrow morning?"
"Let's go boating when the sun comes up."
replied the boatman.
Standing beside the Huitong River, looking at the calm river channel which was only eight or nine feet wide, Gu Zhengchen felt a little dazed and said softly: "Looking at the history books, water transportation in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty all relied on this grand canal."
Liang Jiajun smiled slightly: "Yes, it's just that in the late Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and the river transportation in the Yuan Dynasty was cut off, so we could only rely on sea transportation."
Gu Zhengchen nodded: "Some people say that Fang Guozhen was the initiator of Yuan's demise. What does Brother Liang think?"
"Fang Guozhen? Haha, this statement is somewhat interesting."
Liang Jiajun did not refute.
When people talk about the late Yuan Dynasty, most people focus on Zhang Shicheng, Chen Youliang, and Zhu Yuanzhang, but this is the second echelon of anti-Yuan people. The first echelon is Han Shantong, Liu Futong, Xu Shouhui, etc.
However, the first person to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty was not Han Shantong and others, but Fang Guozhen.
Fang Guozhen's sense of existence seems to be very low, but he almost influenced two dynasties-Yuan and Ming.
The Yuan Dynasty was unable to quell the Red Turban Army in the Huaihe River Basin. Most of them wanted to eat rice, so they could only mobilize them by sea from the south. Fang Guozhen's strongest point was the navy...
Liang Jiajun knew about the trouble Fang Guozhen brought to the Yuan Dynasty, but he would never know that the real trouble left by this man was that after his navy was broken up, some of them fled to the sea and became pirates and bandits, threatening the Ming Dynasty. Along the coast, one of the reasons why Zhu Yuanzhang banned the sea was because of the headache of these pirates!
Talking about the past and the present, pointing out the country, are the most common things among literati.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Huitong River and sighed secretly.
According to historical records, in the 24th year of Hongwu, the Yellow River burst at Yuanwu, and floods rolled northward carrying sediment. More than one-third of the Huitong River was destroyed, affecting almost the entire territory of Shandong.
From then on, the Grand Canal of the Hongwu Dynasty could not connect the north and the south until Zhu Laosi came to power to rectify it.
It is now the sixth year of Hongwu, and there is still time and possibility.
Gu Zhengchen shook his fist, not wanting Shandong to suffer, let alone the Grand Canal being interrupted for more than 20 years.
The next day.
It was still dark, and Gu Zhengchen, Liang Jiajun and his party had already boarded the ship.
Boatman Wang brought eight boatmen with him. By daybreak, twenty-five or six people were already sitting in the cabin. With a high-pitched trumpet, long bamboo poles were lifted from the ferry, and the boat slowly entered the middle of the Huitong River.
Gu Zhengchen stood on the bow of the boat, facing the wind, with determination in his eyes.
Liang Jiajun picked up the book again and read it tirelessly. Gu Zhengchen admired such a dedicated and pure person.
Sun Shiba walked to Gu Zhengchen and whispered: "Master, there are horse thieves on board."
Gu Zhengchen was startled, frowned and asked, "Are you sure?"
Sun Shiba shook his head: "I'm not sure, but I can't help but be on guard."
"How many people are there?"
"Three, there may be one or two more in the dark."
"Could he be with the boatman?"
"Probably not. It's hard to guard against thieves. If you attack once, they'll usually rob them all."
Gu Zhengchen looked at the sky, the sun was high in the sky, and said calmly: "Even if they want to take action, they have to wait until night."
Sun Shiba nodded, with a solemn look on his face.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the river and sighed secretly.
This journey will not be peaceful. Horse thieves in the north and salt gangsters in the south are all engaged in robbery on the wadi. These people are most aggressive in summer and most honest in winter.
The reason is very simple. The reason for the thieves is because it is easy for the authorities to escape in the summer and it is difficult for the government to catch them. The reason for the salt thieves is because it is too bitter to make salt in the summer, so it is better to rob faster...
The Ming Dynasty was not as peaceful and beautiful as it seemed on the surface.
