The eighth day of March is the day when Hua Lan gets married.
Although the Yuan family has only been restored to the title for a few decades, it is still an uncle's house, and the in-laws and old friends are still there. Moreover, Uncle Yuan has been running the house for decades, and he is quite powerful in the military. Among the distinguished courtiers, there are also many Young in-laws and old friends.
The Zhang family that Mrs. Zhongqin was born into is not a noble family, but it is also a family of officials and a wealthy family.
Although the Sheng family has a small population and not a deep foundation, the Wang family, where Wang Ruofu was born, is not as prosperous as it was when Mrs. Wang was there, but there are many in-laws and aunts, including those who were supported by Mrs. Wang in the past. Junior students.
The wedding in Hualan was very lively, and both the Sheng and Yuan families were packed with guests.
As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, the dowry given to Hua Lan by the Sheng family was very generous. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was ten miles of red makeup.
Minglan watched Hua Lan, who was holding a round fan, being carried into the sedan chair by Chang Bai. The gongs and drums were noisy, the music was played, and it was so lively, with a smile on her face.
"It's so lively!" Minglan was only nine years old and not tall. She was dressed as a child and she and Xiao Tao were in front of the crowd to watch the fun. There was nothing wrong with that.
Although it is lively, there are always a few such lively events in Tokyo every year. Among the Lord's families, which one is not prosperous, with three, four, five, and six brothers in the family, the Yuan family and the Sheng family have ordinary family backgrounds , Although Hualan has a lot of dowry, in the city of Tokyo, it has nothing to do with being unique.
As for the people in Tokyo, they have long been accustomed to this kind of thing.
Not long after Hualan's wedding, Wang Zhong's affair with the outside world also came to light. Emperor Jiayou said that Wang Zhong should practice for two years first. No matter whether the two years mentioned by Emperor Jiayou were real or imaginary, but now it has been two years. However, it was natural for Wang Zhong to seek external release.
However, it was not until late July, when the three-year autumn season was about to begin, that Wang Zhong's release was finally decided.
Although there are officials and dispatches in the imperial court, the difference between the two cannot be too big.
The so-called official refers to the grade and virtual title of an official, while dispatch refers to the actual errands.
Now there are three choices before Wang Zhong, one is Dengzhou Tongpan, one is Qingyang County Magistrate, and the other is Quanzhou Tongpan.
One north, one middle and one south, all are complete, and they are all in the eastern region. Dengzhou is located on Jingdong Road, on the coast of the Bohai Sea. Qingyang County is under Chizhou and belongs to Jiangnan Road. Quanzhou is located on Fujian Road and is located in southern Fujian.
The three locations, from north to south, are farther and farther away from Tokyo.
In the past, these positions were a carrot and a pit. After all, there were a lot of Jinshi candidates waiting to fill the vacancies, as well as the noble children.
Fortunately, Sheng Hong had quite a lot of connections in the court, so he did a few operations for Wang Zhong, invited guests to Guangyuntai for a few nights, and then called on the talented scholar who admired Wang Zhong, the number one scholar, and he was very good at it. With Wen Xing, who is good at Pipa, accompanying him, he has a choice in this matter.
"Qingyang County Magistrate doesn't need to consider it. Quanzhou is too far and too remote. I think the best option is Dengzhou." Sheng Hong analyzed Wang Zhong: "Although Dengzhou is not prosperous, it wins in terms of waterway transportation and population. Pass Quanzhou."
Wang Zhong said: "Dengzhou is indeed prosperous, but it is not easy to achieve results! On the contrary, Quanzhou, although it is located in the southeast corner, the territory is mostly mountainous, and there are dangers from mountain people, but if you can put in a lot of effort, it will be easier See results.”
Dengzhou is located on the Shandong Peninsula, close to the Bohai Sea, and its geographical location is quite advantageous. In comparison, the current Quanzhou is indeed considered remote and backward.
Looking at Wang Zhong, Sheng Hong showed a smile on his face and became more and more satisfied. He nodded and said: "What Zihou said is true. If so, then let's settle on Quanzhou!"
In fact, if Wang Zhong had waited a little longer, there might have been a more suitable place. But now that Wang Zhong was in a hurry to leave the whirlpool of Tokyo, he would naturally not look at the heights of the mountains and find a suitable choice. elected.
Wang Zhong didn't have many connections in the court, so he naturally relied on Sheng Hong, a future boss who was tactful and good at playing both sides of things.
Seven days later, Wang Zhong's release was almost settled.
Wang Zhong was only a sixth-rank petty official, and the Ministry of Personnel could make the decision without going through Emperor Jiayou. However, how could this matter be hidden from Emperor Jiayou's eyes?
So Wang Zhong was once again led by the servant to the imperial palace to meet Emperor Jiayou.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty!" Wang Zhong bowed and bowed his hands.
"No need to be polite!" Emperor Jiayou raised his hand and looked at Wang Zhong: "Is Aiqing's stay in Tokyo unsatisfactory?"
"Your Majesty, the prosperity of Tokyo is unprecedented in history. How could I not be satisfied with my stay?"
"Then why are you in such a hurry to leave Tokyo and seek exile?" Emperor Jiayou asked.
Wang Zhong once again cupped his hands and bowed: "Cao Mengde's poem says: It's like the morning dew. The past days have been more bitter. Although I am young, I still have the ambition to serve the country. I still remember that when I was under the knee of my ancestor, my ancestor once said to me. After reading thousands of books, you still need to travel thousands of miles. It should be noted that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Only practice is the only way to test the principles in the book. If you only know how to study hard with books and ignore the world, No matter how many books you read, it will be useless."
Emperor Jiayou couldn't help but nod after hearing this: "It is indeed a strange person who can teach a young genius like Aiqing, but it is a pity..."
Wang Zhong said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to feel sorry. Birth, old age, illness and death are the natural way. The laws of nature cycle. My mentor has always been open-minded. I must have a smile on his face when he left!"
Emperor Jiayou looked at Wang Zhong for a while and then said: "Quanzhou is remote and barren, with few people and few people. Ai Qing ignored Dengzhou and chose Quanzhou instead. Did you have a plan in mind?"
Although it is only a few sentences, it reveals a lot.
Wang Zhongdao: "Although Dengzhou is good, it is too comfortable. Even if I go there, it will be difficult for me to make any achievements. Although Quanzhou is remote and barren, with few people and few people, as long as we govern it carefully and always keep in mind the people-oriented and benefit the people, It should be easier to achieve results in developing agriculture, mulberry and water conservancy and promoting commerce and trade than in Dengzhou."
Listening to Wang Zhong's straightforward words, Emperor Jiayou couldn't help but laugh: "Ai Qing is quite straightforward!"
Wang Zhongdao: "If others asked, Wei Chen might say something nice and nice, but when your Majesty asked, Wei Chen didn't dare to hide it. As the saying goes, the civil and martial arts he learned were sold to the emperor's family. Wei Chen came from a humble background and studied hard for more than ten years. The reason for this is to be able to demonstrate what I have learned in the future and serve the imperial court, in order to become a general and become a prime minister, to honor my ancestors and to have a prosperous future."
"Hahahaha!" Emperor Jiayou laughed even more heartily, and couldn't help but ask again: "Does Aiqing know Quanzhou?"
Wang Zhongdao: "Quanzhou belongs to Fujian Road. When I was in Yangzhou, I met many merchants from Fujian. I heard those merchants say that Fujian has a saying of eight mountains, one water and one field. The territory is mostly mountains and hills, and there are few fields. After paying the taxes, the grain grown was not enough to eat, so the local people had to find other ways to make a living. Fortunately, our government encouraged trade and encouraged people to do business, so there were many merchants on Fujian Road.
I think Quanzhou is no exception, and Quanzhou is close to the sea. Although the people can go fishing at sea, I heard that pirates often attack the seaside. Although the local officials and soldiers have repeatedly encircled and suppressed them, these pirates are like weeds and cannot be suppressed! "
"I wonder if Aiqing has any good ideas to govern Quanzhou?" Emperor Jiayou asked curiously.
"I don't know Quanzhou, I haven't seen the current situation of Quanzhou, and I don't know the details of the local situation. I dare not make false claims!" Wang Zhongdao.
"It's a blessing for the people that I love you to be so cautious." Emperor Jiayou said, "But today you and I are just chatting. You can speak freely!"
"I accept your order!" Wang Zhong once again bowed his hands and saluted, then stood up and said loudly: "I secretly believe that what local officials should consider is nothing more than 'people's livelihood'! What is people's livelihood? People's livelihood!" However, people in different places have different livelihoods. It is in the north and the south. In the north, there is a variety of wheat, and in the south, it is mostly rice, supplemented by wheat.
Food and grass are the basis of people's survival. Although I have never been to Quanzhou, I have made some inquiries before. There are many hilly areas in Quanzhou. I think that in suitable areas, people can be called on to build terraces and water conservancy projects. The rest are not suitable. In areas where fields are cultivated, people are encouraged to do business and work in cities to make a living..."
Wang Zhong talked eloquently, and what he said was all theoretical and not in-depth. However, Emperor Jiayou couldn't help but nod his head after hearing this, because everything Wang Zhong said was related to people's livelihood.
"It seems that Aiqing has put in a lot of effort!" Emperor Jiayou was obviously quite satisfied.
Wang Zhong said respectfully: "It's just talk on paper. How to implement it specifically will have to wait until we get to Quanzhou and understand the detailed situation in various places in Quanzhou. Then we can re-draw detailed regulations according to local conditions."
"It's just that I have another merciless request. I want to ask your Majesty to show mercy!"
Emperor Jiayou was in a good mood and said with a smile: "Tell me about it!"
"I have heard from my ancestors that there is a method of drying salt, which can be extracted from sea water through various processes. However, the salt business involves the country's foundation, so I dare not try it rashly."
"Refining salt from sea water? Is this method possible?" Emperor Jiayou could not help but raise his eyebrows slightly, then frowned, looked at Wang Zhong, and asked quite seriously.
"I have only heard it mentioned by my ancestors, but I have never tried it. I don't know if it can be done. If it doesn't work, then forget about it. But if this method can work, I would like to ask for your majesty's permission to build a salt farm in Quanzhou. Recruiting people to work can not only increase Quanzhou's wealth, but also solve the livelihood of a group of people. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"
"If this method is really effective and spreads all over the world in the future, salt farms can be opened in all coastal areas of our country. By then, the price of salt will inevitably drop, and the people in Guizhou will no longer have to worry about not being able to afford salt."
Emperor Jiayou looked very solemn, nodded and said: "In that case, I will issue another imperial edict. I love you, just go ahead and do whatever you want."
"Your majesty is wise! I am so heartbroken and have no way to repay you!" Wang Zhong's words were sonorous and his true feelings were revealed.
Emperor Jiayou was indeed a rare wise king, and he had many similarities with Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty in official history, whom Wang Zhong knew well.
Shengjia, Shouantang.
Wang Zhong and Sheng Hong sat together at the bottom of the hall, and Mrs. Sheng sat at the top.
"Now that we have decided on Quanzhou, when will Zihou plan to leave Beijing and take up his post?" Old Mrs. Sheng asked.
Wang Zhongdao: "Quanzhou is remote, so the officials gave me three months to take up my post. My sister-in-law is packing my bags at home for me. I have decided to leave in five days. I will go to Yangzhou first to pay homage to my ancestors, and then to Youyang to meet Uncle Sheng. Finally, we will transfer to Quanzhou."
Mrs. Sheng's eyes flashed slightly and she said, "Zi Hou is going to Youyang?"
Wang Zhongdao: "Uncle Sheng took great care of the younger generation in the early years. Now that I have the opportunity to go south, I will go to Youyang to visit you personally!"
Mrs. Sheng sighed and said with emotion: "To be honest, I haven't been back to Youyang for many years! Last time I heard Wei'er say that most of his mother's hair was gray!"
Sheng Hong was a man who was always good at observing people's emotions. Hearing Mrs. Sheng's emotion, he still couldn't guess the old lady's intention. He immediately said: "It just so happens that Zihou is going to Youyang. If mother misses her aunt, she might as well go south with Zihou. , go back to Youyang to meet your aunt!"
"Isn't it too troublesome?" Mrs. Sheng looked at Wang Zhong and asked.
"How can it be troublesome!" Wang Zhong immediately said with a smile: "I am worried about being alone on the road with no one to accompany me! If you can be accompanied by your old man, and I can listen to your teachings along the way, I would love it!"
Mrs. Sheng nodded slightly and said calmly: "It just so happens that Mrs. Wei is recuperating alone in Yangzhou, and she has been separated from Ming'er and Brother Dong for so long. Let's go to Yangzhou first, and we can still meet Ming'er and Brother Dong. See Mrs. Wei."
Wang Zhong said: "I estimate that Wei Xiaoniang's body has almost recovered."
It has been nearly two years since Changdong was born. Under the careful care of Mrs. Sheng and the doctor, Wang Zhong's injuries from the caesarean section to retrieve his son have almost recovered. However, Mrs. Sheng is afraid of a recurrence. This allowed the Wei family to stay in Yangzhou for a while, and now that the Wei family's two children were being brought up by Mrs. Sheng, the Wei family could rest assured of their safety and upbringing.
"If this is really the case, it would be a good time for Mr. Wei to go with us to Youyang to pay homage to the ancestors of the Sheng family! Let's record his name in the Sheng family genealogy."
"The Wei family has gone through life and death and has made great contributions to the Sheng family, so it should be like this." Sheng Hong also said with a serious face.
"It's just that my son has been busy with official duties recently, and I'm afraid he won't be able to go south with his mother! How about letting Bai'er accompany his mother?" Sheng Hong suggested: "It's just right for Bai'er to get close to brothers Song Ge'er and Wu Ge'er. "
Sheng Wei had two sons and two daughters, the eldest daughter Shulan, the second son Changsong, the third son Changwu, and the youngest daughter Pinlan!
Mrs. Sheng hesitated for a moment, nodded, and said, "That's fine!"
Autumn is approaching. If Changbai failed to pass the imperial examination in Yangzhou, it would be difficult to leave. But now Changbai has passed the imperial examination, and Changbai feels that his studies are still lacking and is not fully sure. He is not ready to participate in the spring examination of the coming year. Study hard for another three years. After three years, you will be more confident and participate in the next Spring Festival.
The last time Hua Lan got married, Sheng Wei and his wife brought several of their children with them. However, Sheng Hong usually took his family as an official away from home, and now he is in Tokyo. He has not returned to Youyang for a long time, and Sheng Wei is busy with business again. Moreover, ancient times were no different than modern times. Transportation was a big problem. If the distance was a little further, a letter would be delayed for ten days and a half on the road. This was still a small amount. Sometimes it would take a month or two. possible.
Changbai is the eldest son of the second room of the Sheng family and will be in charge of the second room of the Sheng family in the future. Mrs. Sheng regards Sheng Wei as her nephew. Naturally, Sheng Wei's children are also her grandchildren, and the inheritance of a family depends only on one person. Human strength is far from enough. It requires the concerted efforts of the whole family, brothers and sisters, so Mrs. Sheng agreed to Sheng Hong's suggestion.
Old Mrs. Sheng was also a resolute person. After she decided to go south with Wang Zhong, she immediately ordered people to pack their bags and prepare things.
Originally, Sheng Hong wanted to persuade Mrs. Sheng to keep Changdong. After all, it was a long way back to Youyang, and the return date had not yet been set. Traveling for a long time, taking Changdong with a baby less than two years old, was somewhat uncomfortable. convenient.
However, Mrs. Sheng said that it was precisely because the return date of this trip was not yet determined that she had to take Changdong with her. Wei was Changdong's biological mother. Mother and son had been separated for two years. Wei's body had not fully recovered. If she could see Maybe things will get better faster when we get to Minglan and Changdong.
On the morning of August 17, Wang Zhong and others boarded the boat from the Bianhe River Pier and took the boat all the way south. Because it was downstream and there was abundant rain this year, although it was already autumn, the river water was still abundant and the river channel was unobstructed. It only took one day to leave the capital.
At dusk three days later, the big ship entered the Huaiyin territory and was on the shore of Hongze Lake. Lights were lit in the cabin and smoke rose from the kitchen. Wang Zhong, Chang Bai and Minglan were sitting on the bow of the ship, holding fishing rods, fishing. Next to them, they were fishing. Xiao Tao standing in a stance with his fists.
"Breathe slowly, don't be too quick." Wang Zhong gave instructions without looking, only listening to the voice.
Xiao Tao immediately acted in accordance with the law, but Wang Zhong's voice sounded again: "Slower!"
Xiaotao didn't say anything and continued to adjust her breathing.
Wang Zhong nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, the fishing rod in his hand trembled. Wang Zhong pulled it with lightning speed, and the fishing rod in his hand was immediately drawn to full length.
"Did you catch a fish?" Minglan immediately approached Wang Zhong with a curious look on her face.
Even Changbai couldn't help but look sideways.
The three of them had been sitting on the bow of the boat fishing for a while, but still had no harvest. Wang Zhong's shot was the first fish for the three of them.
The fishing line made a whining sound as it was pulled, and the position of the rod head kept changing. Even Changbai couldn't help but sigh: "This fish is so strong!"
Fortunately, the material of the fishing rod was pretty good and full of toughness. Feeling the force coming from the fishing rod, Wang Zhong was a little worried about the fishing line.
"Bring the harpoon!" Wang Zhong ordered calmly, and Yu Chuer immediately handed the prepared harpoon to Wang Zhong's hand.
Wang Zhong held the pole in his left hand, motionless, and raised the harpoon high with his right hand, pointing the fork head at the river. After a dozen breaths, a big wave suddenly appeared on the river. Wang Zhong's eyes also focused on it. The harpoon in his right hand was already gone. Throw it out immediately.
The waves that were still surging just now disappeared in an instant. Yu Chuer was seen quickly retracting the string tied to the tail of the harpoon. After a moment, the silver carp that had been splashing in the water was pulled out by Yu Chuer. On the surface of the water, the harpoon passed across its back, but the fish's vitality was tenacious. Even if it was pierced by a sharp weapon, it would be completely killed. However, the hemp rope as thick as a little finger is not as tough as that of a small fishing line. Than.
"What a big fish!" Minglan couldn't help but exclaimed as she looked at the big fish emerging from the water.
Yu Chuer smiled and explained: "This is silver carp, as big as this, and the meat is the most delicious!"
Yu Chuer pulled the silver carp, which weighed about seven or eight kilograms, onto the boat and took out the hook and harpoon. The silver carp jumped immediately.
"I'm so lucky today!" Looking at such a big fish, Chang Bai's face was full of smiles.
It's not that the brother and sister have never eaten big fish before, but the ones they eat on a daily basis are completely different from seeing them caught from the river.
"This fish must be processed quickly, otherwise the taste will not be so fresh over time!"
"I'll go pick up the fish. In the second year of junior high school, you stay with Zicheng and Sixth Sister!" Wang Zhong said.
"Don't worry, Third Master!" Yu Chuer said with a smile.
"Brother Zihou, I also want to catch a big fish!" Minglan clenched her fist and said.
"Then I'll cook fish for my sixth sister!" Wang Zhong said with a smile. Minglan is a typical girl who is addicted to food. Especially after seeing Wang Zhong catch such a big fish, she found fishing even more fun. , eager to hook up a big fish.
Changbai didn't say anything, turned around and continued fishing intently.
Wang Zhong carried the silver carp to the table beside the quilt, flicked the fish on the head with his finger, knocking the fish unconscious, and then began to cut the fish, scrape off the scales, disembowel the belly, take out the internal organs, and after repeated cleaning, began to separate the fish meat. and fish bones.
Such a big fish can be made into two dishes, one is stewed with tofu, and the other is made into pickled fish.
After Wang Zhong's fish is ready, dinner in the kitchen is almost ready.
The sky was gradually shrouded in night, and Minglan and Changbai, who had found nothing, returned to the cabin.
"This fish is too difficult to catch! Even though the hook has been bitten, I just can't pull it in!" Minglan said angrily.
Although Changbai didn't speak, his mood was similar to Minglan's.
"The most important thing to avoid when fishing is impatientness!" Wang Zhong smiled and served Minglan a bowl of fish soup: "Come on, it's windy and cold on the river at night, so drink a bowl of fish soup to warm yourself first!"
"Thank you, brother Zihou!" Minglan took the fish soup and gave Wang Zhong a sweet smile.
Mrs. Sheng was holding the soup bowl and tasting it: "This fish soup is very delicious, Bai'er, you should try it too!"
“Really delicious!”
······
Early the next morning, the big ship continued southward along the canal. There was nothing going on on the ship. Wang Zhong was on the deck, teaching Minglan and Xiaotao martial arts. Old Mrs. Sheng and Changdong were watching the excitement, which was quite lively.
Changbai didn't just stay in the cabin reading all day long. In his spare time, he would also go out to the cabin to go fishing, practice boxing and swordsmanship with Wang Zhong and Minglan.
Changbai's swordsmanship was different from Minglan's. In addition to a set of health-preserving Tai Chi swords, Wang Zhong also specially taught Changbai a set of two-handed swords. Although Changbai didn't practice much every day, he still insisted on practicing every day. , after several years, some results have been achieved.
Minglan was still practicing the rather fancy sword dance. In the past few days on the ship, under Wang Zhong's supervision, she had made remarkable progress. Xiao Tao, who had a solid foundation, began to learn grappling techniques with Wang Zhong. Due to the lack of time, However, Wang Zhong could only start a cramming education. After Xiao Tao initially mastered the grappling techniques, he was ready to start teaching Xiao Tao weapons.
At this time, the big ship also arrived in Yangzhou.
(End of chapter)
