The long canal connects the north and south.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is one of the oldest canals in the world.
It starts from Tongzhou in the north and reaches Hangzhou in the south, covering a total distance of more than 3,000 miles.
Spanning eight provinces and cities, it was an important water transportation channel and economic lifeline in ancient times.
For thousands of years, countless material and spiritual wealth have flowed northward along the river, creating a gathering of humanity in the capital.
It is hard to imagine that these canals, which are thousands of miles long, have an average width of 20 meters and a water depth of four to five meters. Not to mention ancient times, even in later generations, it is still a big project.
In this era where people can only carry it on their shoulders, it can only be described as the people's hearts move like mountains and mountains, which further reflects the power of the supremacy of imperial power.
Looking at the porters and shouts on the pier, and the boats coming and going on the river, Chongzhen chuckled and said: "What a busy scene!"
"Your Majesty, the Tongzhou Canal is an important meeting point between the north and the south, where water and land meet. It is crowded with people and goods.
From the northernmost dedicated wharf to the lower wharf in Zhangjiawan, there are more than ten stone dams, earth dams, passenger, freight, salt shipping wharves, etc. scattered in the middle. "
Chongzhen was accompanied by Huang Daozhou, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, who pointed to the shimmering river: "Forty miles from Luhe south to Changdian, the water is winding, official boats, passenger boats, and canal boats are gathered here, and strings are singing. Smell is the most prosperous."
"What Mr. Huang said is absolutely true. Some people say that Beijing produces nothing, but it also lacks everything because of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal."
"Hahaha...this is true!"
"Your Majesty, in order to ensure water transportation, the imperial court has set up a grain office here in the Ministry of Revenue, a branch department in the Ministry of Works, a supervisory censor in the Supervisory Office, and a Five Guards Station in the Ministry of War. There is also a minister here to supervise water transportation. Your Majesty wants to summon him. Them?"
"No need for now. I'll see them again when I return. Let's go first. If I'm delayed here for an hour, it's estimated that the merchant ships and cargo ships behind will have to stay at night for a few hours. It's not pleasant to stay on the ship in such a hot day."
"Your Majesty's kindheartedness is a blessing to the people."
Huang Daozhou complimented, and then led the convoy towards the dedicated dock.
At this moment, a two-masted reserve rhubarb boat with a length of 25 meters and a width of four and a half meters is docked at the special pier. There are four or five smaller rhubarb boats behind it. They are luxuriously decorated and exquisitely made. They are far away. Looking at it, the nobility is overwhelming.
That's right, this was the royal ship of the Ming Dynasty. It was prepared and prepared for inspection. It was also called the Yellow Boat of the Water Palace.
Standing on the pier, looking at the river, suddenly a very famous couplet in later generations rang in my mind, and it couldn't be more appropriate to use it here.
"Everyone, when I saw this busy scene, I suddenly felt elegance. I made a couplet. You can answer the second couplet. I will reward you if you make the right couplet!"
After finishing speaking, he looked at the dock and then at the ships on the canal, and said softly: "Nantongzhou, Beitongzhou, North and South Tongzhou lead to north and south!"
"Good connection!"
After hearing this, Huang Daozhou slapped his hands fiercely and exclaimed.
He is a disciple of Yuan Keli. He is not only proficient in astronomy, science, mathematics and other books, but also has his own style of calligraphy and painting. He naturally understands the meaning of Chongzhen's First Couplet.
"Beitong Prefecture is where we are now, and Nantong Prefecture is Jinghai County (Nantong) in Suzhou Prefecture. They are all on the canal.
One south and one north correspond to each other, transporting merchants and goods from the north and south, playing a huge role.
Although Your Majesty's couplet does not describe the busyness of the canal, it does vividly describe the busyness of the entire Grand Canal. "
Everyone on the boat listened to Huang Daozhou's analysis and nodded with thoughtful expressions on their faces.
"Your Majesty, I have a couplet!"
While everyone was thinking, a voice came, and everyone looked and saw that it was Cao Bianjiao, the commander of the Warrior Battalion.
Several civil servants don't have couplets, but you, a military general, can come up with it?
Seeing everyone's strange looks, Cao Bianjiao pointed to several porters squatting not far away and yelling: "The lower part of the couplet is right there, big casino, small casino, big and small casinos, bet big or small!"
Listening to Cao Bianjiao's second line, everyone was stunned for a moment, and then laughed.
Chongzhen said with a smile: "Although Cao Aiqing's couplet is a bit different in artistic conception, it is catchy and catchy. More importantly, it reflects the lives of the people on the canal. It is rare, rare, hahaha!"
"Your Majesty, please make this couplet according to Cao's command. I also have a pair of couplets!"
Li Ruolian also spoke, and everyone was surprised again.
What's going on today? There were people like Huang Daozhou around him, and several people in the harem were well-read in poetry and well-versed in calligraphy and painting. None of them came out. Instead, two accompanying military generals came out.
"Li Aiqing, come right now!"
"Your Majesty, this couplet is also taken from this canal!"
Li Ruolian pointed to Zhou Ji in the distance: "The second couplet of this line is: swing left, swing right, swing left and right, swing left and right!"
"Hahaha……"
"Commander Li's couplet matches that of Commander Cao!"
"Master Li, it's really hard for you!"
…
Everyone laughed, and for a while, the entire dock was filled with laughter.
Chongzhen also secretly thought that these two people were very serious on weekdays, but today they became living treasures.
Seemingly inspired and... stimulated by the two of them, Empress Zhou, Concubine Tian, Concubine Yuan and other veiled harem members also wrote a second couplet.
Concubine Tian said: "Your Majesty, I do have a couplet, but it is a bit pretentious and inconsistent with the artistic conception of Your Majesty's first couplet: Swallows fly in the east, swallows fly in the west, swallows fly in the east and swallows fly in the east and west."
"Your Majesty, I also have a couplet, ancient scholars, modern scholars, ancient and modern scholars study the past and the present!"
Seeing Concubine Tian and Concubine Yuan reading the second couplet, Empress Zhou chuckled and said: "Since the two sisters have come to terms with each other, I will give it a try, read in spring, read in autumn, read in spring and autumn and read in spring and autumn!"
The first couplet of "Your Majesty" is in the direction of north and south, while the first couplet of "Your Majesty" is in the direction of spring and autumn, which is not very neat and tidy. "
“It’s already pretty good!”
Chongzhen praised him.
Although the three people in the harem are a little different in terms of artistic conception, at least the battle is neat.
Chongzhen looked at the accompanying ministers, and everyone shook their heads. Only Huang Zongzhou stared at the canal in trance, and then his face was filled with joy.
"Huang Aiqing, from the look on your face, it seems that you already have a second line?"
"Your Majesty, I am not talented. I have some ideas, which may not be ordinary, but they barely rhyme!"
Huang Daozhou pointed to the canal and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the first couplet is in the north and south directions, and the lower couplet is in the east and west directions. The lower couplet is, the east canal, the west canal, the east and west canal transports things!"
Chongzhen was startled. When he just heard the two directional words of east and west, he thought that Huang Daozhou had a very famous second line of east pawn, west pawn, east and west pawn, east and west, which was extremely famous in later generations.
The result was beyond his expectation. If calculated according to the previous canals, there are indeed east and west canals.
"Good couplet. The first couplet of my poem alludes to the role of the canal, but Huang Aiqing's second couplet speaks directly from his heart and directly names the role of the canal. Okay, great!"
"Everyone, are there any other second lines?"
