After Zhu Qianyu got into the carriage, he didn't speak immediately. He lifted the corner of the car curtain and looked out.
Not long after traveling north, the sparkling waves of the Qinhuai River caught his eye.
He had heard the name of this river since he was a child.
At the beginning, on the shore of the boundless blue sea, the young Zhu Qianyu could not imagine how a river could compare with the sea.
Gradually, through the years of eloquent teachings and the nourishment of increasingly surging power, he abandoned the natural perception of the sea and rivers.
The ocean has no master, and the island only houses poor losers.
Rivers and lakes have owners, and a body of water flowing in the capital of a dynasty is a symbol of supreme imperial power.
The eight rivers that circle Chang'an, the Qingming Festival that goes up the Bian River, and the ten-mile Qinhuai River in front of us all carry meanings that the ocean cannot carry.
"Aunt, which door is in front of you? I forgot again." The descendant of Emperor Jianwen looked at the scenery in silence for a while, and finally asked his father's cousin, Mu Atai.
"Your Highness, this is Zhengyangmen."
"Oh, Jinchuan Gate is on the north side?"
"Yes, this is the south of the city."
Zhu Qianyu curled his lips and murmured: "The past events in the north of the city were more tragic than those in the south. Jinchuan Gate, Jinchuan Gate..."
Miao Ruiyun understood that Zhu Qianyu was referring to the general Li Jinglong who opened the Jinchuan Gate and let Zhu Di's army directly into the city, forcing Emperor Jianwen to flee in panic.
Miao Ruiyun rolled his eyelids: "The way of heaven is easy to reincarnate. General Xiaoma may be more useful than Li Jinglong back then."
Zhu Qianxu said: "I believe that the natives of Sichuan and Sichuan talk about father and son first, and then about monarchs and ministers. By the way, after that night, I found Huang Zunsu in Sheshan. Didn't my aunt say that he was thoughtful? Could this person be suspicious? General Liu?"
Miao Ruiyun said lightly: "Shi Min and I are both old men who have served the Queen with all our hearts. Before the Queen passed away, she asked Shi Minnan to bring me the last thing she gave me when she came. A eunuch who was older than him came to visit. There is nothing unreasonable for a palace servant of this generation. Huang Zunsu and Miss Zheng are surprised that Shi Min's royal guards, all of whom are masters, let the leading female spy escape alone."
A hint of ridicule flashed in Zhu Qianyu's eyes: "What's strange? When Zhu Laosi's army of hundreds of thousands came to fight, didn't our ancestors get out of the city safely?"
Miao Ruiyun smiled kindly: "Your Highness is right."
Zhu Qianyu cleaned his hands in the white porcelain vat prepared in the carriage, peeled off a loquat himself, and handed it to Miao Ruiyun: "Aunt, I like the loquats from the south of the Yangtze River. They are not as sweet as the lychees from the Fujian and Guangdong areas."
The junior, who showed filial piety in every gesture, felt a few clouds in his heart.
The aunt was clearly using the words of a low-ranking civil servant to express her dissatisfaction with him for letting Tong Xiyu go.
It's really funny. Could it be that my aunt has been working for the descendants of the usurper for decades and has developed a few thoughts of loyalty?
Or has he become inexplicably hateful of the Jurchens after being with the woman from the Zheng family who made a fortune in the military industry during the Battle of Fushun?
Zhu Qianjue smacked his lips, probably because of the latter reason.
He clearly remembered that after he secretly came to the mainland with the jade seal passed down from the country, when discussing major affairs with several important ministers, Ningde Zhenglang said that there was no need to go to great lengths to test Zheng Haizhu's position to influence this situation. The child is a businessman. Now that he has organized a team, he must be more energetic to get money everywhere. It is better to wait until she comes south to go to sea and let Zheng Yi or Liu Xiang's warship secretly intercept her ship and take her away. Send her to the royal palace near Java, and His Highness will accept her as his concubine.
The woman has become a wife who is valued and favored by His Highness. She will definitely work together with His Highness to restore the ancestral property and live up to the ambition of her ancestor Zheng Qia to be the Prime Minister.
Zhu Qianyu actually had this intention for a long time. Although he had only heard of the name of the little granddaughter of the Zheng family but had never met her, not only was she not as beautiful as the beautiful Wang Yuesheng, but even if she was as ugly as Zhong Wuyan, she could still become a concubine of the Zhu family. Anyway, what she was interested in was not her appearance, but the firearms factory she already had in her hands, Chongming Island, the gateway to the East China Sea that she occupied and started recruiting troops, and her friendship with Yan Siqi, the governor of Taiwan.
However, Zhu Qianyu was constrained by his status as a ruler, so he always had to have his ministers come and make suggestions.
Unexpectedly, Miao Ruiyun objected to the idea suggested by the Zheng family, saying that the girl was not as gentle and obedient as the Yuesheng girl from the Fang family, and she seemed to be very dedicated to the country's current society. If she used something a bit abrupt, I'm afraid it will offend her.
Zheng Lang immediately turned dark and angry at Miao Ruiyun's words, which obviously cut off his marriage between the Zheng family and His Highness.
Zhu Qianyu's thoughts were not angry, but vigilant.
The aunt seemed to have a protective heart and affection for Miss Zheng.
Today, Zhu Qianyu asked Miao Ruiyun about Zheng Haizhu's current situation. Miao Ruiyun only vaguely said that there was nothing unusual. He should be looking after cotton fields and recruiting troops in Chongming.
But Zhu Qianyu's sentinel who stayed in Songjiang this time clearly reported that Zheng Haizhu returned to Songjiang and stayed at Gu's Mansion for a while, and then boarded a boat heading north on the canal.
Would Miao Ruiyun, an elder of the Gu family and Zheng's daughter's old friend, know about these circumstances?
Zhu Qianyu secretly concluded that his aunt began to conceal some of Zheng Haizhu's whereabouts from him. how? Are you afraid that he will act like a gangster?
This is really unreasonable.
By the Qinhuai River, while the duke-in-law, who could not be called a fake, was secretly slandering him, Zheng Haizhu's boat was docked at a secluded river bank near Yanzhou Chaoguan on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
"Master Zheng, Zaohua, you've had a hard time traveling."
Xu San emerged from the grass and saw Zheng Haizhu and Mu Zaohua.
He already knew Mu Zaohua's future from Zheng Haizhu's letter using the code system.
"Master Zheng, after Zaohua rests in Yanzhou for two days, I will take her all the way from Liaohai Road to Liaodong and then to the Mongolian territory."
Xu San said solemnly.
Wu Bond was also a familiar partner of his back then. Xu San, who originally had a military background, respected Wu Bond as a military nephew of the Qi family, but now he admired Mu Zaohua's decision even more.
Both his master and his disciple were lonely and courageous people.
Zheng Haizhu said to Xu San: "When I went to the palace to see King Lu and His Highness, I told him that Zaohua died of illness on the waterway. I hired Jisi to handle the funeral arrangements, so the trip was delayed. After you arrive in Mongolia, you must take care of her. Identity, please clean it up."
Xu San nodded: "Don't worry, Master Zheng. I have already taken care of how to find the caravan and how to act."
When Zheng Haizhu went to see Mu Zaohua again, he saw that her face was as calm as the still water in a deep pool, without any trace of fear or sadness. On the contrary, she didn't know how to say goodbye to you.
Mu Zaohua also looked at Zheng Haizhu, and for a moment, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth like a mist.
"Madam, don't worry, Zaohua is going to visit her old place again. However, Mr. Wu said that everything depends on people, and everything depends on God. Whether Zaohua can send back the good news to Madam earlier depends on whether God can open his eyes and bring some luck. Give it to Zaohua.”
Zheng Haizhu took out a specially made silver hairpin with a hollow center, inserted it into Mu Zaohua's bun, and said warmly: "I'm not in a hurry."
Then he sighed softly: "I don't know whether I was right or wrong in not driving you away at the beginning."
Mu Zaohua supported Yinchai, lifted up the box containing the more important treasure, and smiled: "Madam, I will be back."
