Chapter 105 Chapter 105 The Baoge will be on shore every three days...
The Baoge would stay at the shore for half a day every three days to replenish the ship's necessary supplies such as fresh water and food.
As they traveled south, the weather became increasingly hotter, the sun was blazing brightly overhead, and Chen Xuan and his companions' clothes became thinner and thinner.
When we were almost in Sarawak, the temperature was already very hot. The deck of the ship was scorching hot, and the people did not come out, but hid in the cabins.
The crew scooped water from the sea with buckets and poured it on the deck to cool down the ship.
There was no ice on the boat, so Shen Xuan could only fan himself.
Fortunately, we will arrive in Sarawak tomorrow at the latest, and this boring life on the boat will finally come to an end.
The next morning, the Baoge finally docked. Shen Xuan and Xue Fenglin got up early, packed their bags and prepared to disembark.
Knowing that they were finally leaving, Zhou Yang and others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
To show their sincerity, they got up early and bowed to Xue Fenglin and Shen Xuan to personally see them off the boat.
Two carriages were also pulled out from the bottom of the hold of the Baoge. Chen Xuan saw that the horses seemed to have lost some weight after sitting on the boat for several days, so he asked Wu Xin Wu Wang to buy some beans to feed them.
The wharf in Sarawak is different from that in Dazhou. There are only a few small businessmen selling fish, shrimp and other seafood along the wharf, and behind it is a deserted beach, which looks very desolate.
Xue Fenglin looked around carefully, frowning. After a long while, he sighed and said, "It is said that Sarawak is a remote and notoriously poor place."
"Seeing it on paper is far less impressive than seeing it with your own eyes. The wharf in Sarawak is not as good as the one in Dazhou, let alone the one in Jizhou where we docked before. It is really too shabby."
"Prince, let's get on with our journey. Maybe the city will become lively soon." Wu Xin saw that Xue Fenglin seemed unhappy, so he spoke quickly.
“What Wuxin said is true. Let’s go to the mansion first.” Shen Xuan also said with a smile.
Xue Fenglin glanced at Shen Xuan, and after he sat in the carriage, he followed him up and shook Shen Xuan's hand, saying, "It's hard for you to accompany me to such a remote place to take up my post."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xuan smiled and said, "I am not here to suffer with you. If you have no confidence in governing Sarawak, how could you give up the job in the Hanlin Academy and specially choose the position of the governor of Sarawak to take up the post?"
Xue Fenglin then smiled, looked at Shen Xuan and said, "I can't hide anything I think from you. I do have some confidence in the governance of Sarawak."
"After all, across the sea from Sarawak is the country of Wulai in Southeast Asia. Although the island country is not big, it is not poor either. It has frequent trade exchanges with the Great Jin Dynasty and has developed vigorously."
“Sarawak and Ulai have similar climates, so it doesn’t make sense that Ulai could be prosperous while Sarawak is a notoriously poor place in Dajin.”
“No wonder I saw you studying books related to Nanyang every day on the ship. I’m afraid there are a lot of information related to Wulai’s business and agriculture in them.” Shen Xuan said.
Xue Fenglin read a lot of travel books about Southeast Asia along the way, some written by people from Dajin and some from Southeast Asia. Many of them provide detailed introductions to the customs and scenery of the Southeast Asian countries, as well as the local people's commerce and planting industries.
Whenever he saw useful information, Xue Fenglin would write it down. After ten days, he had compiled a thick stack of information.
The carriage drove all the way towards Sarawak City, and about half an hour later, it arrived at the gate of the city wall of Sarawak City.
Sarawak City was poor and in disrepair. The city wall was only about ten feet high, and in many places the bricks had fallen off, making it look rather dilapidated.
When Xue Fenglin arrived at the city gate, he found that there were only two guards at the gate. They looked quite old and weak.
After handing the official document to the guard and identifying himself. The guards then realized that the young man in front of them was the newly appointed prefect of the imperial court.
They hurriedly asked one of them to lead the way for Xue Fenglin, while the other rode at full speed to inform the governor and judge in the city.
Emperor Wu of Jin sent Xue Fenglin to take up the post in Sarawak, and naturally transferred the previous governor of Sarawak away.
Sarawak is a remote and poor place. The local officials who were assigned here never had any hope of promotion and they just muddled through their days.
Unexpectedly, with an imperial order from Emperor Wu of Jin, the former governor of Sarawak was transferred to other prefectures and counties. Although there was no promotion in position, the place was much richer than Sarawak. If nothing went wrong in the future, life there would be much better than in Sarawak.
In the Sarawak government office, the state official Chen Wenxun and the state judge Shi Jinrong were playing mahjong with the magistrate and the governor.
Suddenly, a panicked announcement was heard outside the door, and then an old soldier in his early forties rushed into the yamen and said to several superiors: "Master Chen, Master Shi, and all the masters... outside... outside..."
"The new governor of the capital is about to arrive!"
Chen Wenxun and Shi Jinrong already knew that the capital would send a new prefect to take up the post today, but a place like Sarawak had no future, so it would be the same no matter who came. If I hadn't been lucky enough to be suddenly transferred away from here like the previous prefect, my life would have been like this.
After hearing the report from the old soldier guarding the gate, Shi Jinrong hesitated for a moment, but Chen Wenxun said calmly, "Why are you in such a hurry? They are here, so why should you panic?"
After he finished speaking, he played another good hand. Seeing Chen Wenxun's attitude, Shi Jinrong and his subordinates, the prosecutor and the governor, suppressed their guilty conscience and continued to play cards.
Shi Jinrong flattered him, "Master Chen, you are really calm. You didn't panic at all when you heard the news about the new governor!"
Chen Wenxun then smiled and said, "I heard that the newly appointed prefect is a playboy in the capital, only in his early twenties, about the same age as my son. At his age, he is used to a life of luxury and comfort. He is good at talking about military affairs on paper, but when it comes to practical matters, how can he know as much as us?"
“He is new here and not familiar with Sarawak affairs. He will have to rely on us for help. When the time comes, he will ask us for help. Why should we be afraid of him?”
After hearing what Chen Wenxun said, Shi Jinrong, the prosecutor and the governor felt that it made a lot of sense. They nodded repeatedly and felt relieved.
After a long time, a message was heard from outside the yamen, saying that the prefect had arrived. Chen, Shi and others put down the cards in their hands, and without hiding anything, they just stood up and walked out of the yamen.
When Chen Xuan and his companions entered Sarawak City, Xue Fenglin suddenly stopped the carriage, got off, and asked the city guard to lead the way for him, saying that he wanted to take a tour around Sarawak City.
The city guard had been on duty in the city for many years and had never seen a leader who did not play by the rules. He was immediately stunned. But seeing Xue Fenglin's serious face, he did not dare to refute his superior's words, so he had to do as Xue Fenglin instructed.
Shen Xuan also got off the carriage and took a walk in Sarawak City with Xue Fenglin.
Sarawak City is not big, not to mention smaller than the capital, it is even smaller than Lezhou. Compared with other prosperous cities, the houses in Sarawak are generally tall and short. Except for the clock tower in the center of the city, there is not a single house with more than two floors in the entire city!
Because it is a coastal city, the roads in Sarawak are quite clean, but Chen Xuan accompanied Xue Fenglin all the way and could not see a decent commercial street.
There are a few people doing business on the roadside, selling small fish, shrimps, needles and thread. It was only when you got close to the government office that you saw a few relatively prosperous streets.
There are also some restaurants, hotels, embroidery shops and cloth shops on both sides of the street. There are also some houses surrounded by white walls and black tiles, which seem to be well-repaired. The courtyards are full of lush branches and leaves, and the gates are also very imposing. It is obvious that these are where local officials and wealthy people in Sarawak live.
Shen Xuan accompanied Xue Fenglin all the way here. Seeing that the people he met along the way were all dressed in rags and very poor, he felt quite uncomfortable.
Finally they arrived at the gate of the yamen. The city guard who led the way went in to report the news. Xue Fenglin's face darkened and he strode straight into the hall.
When they arrived at the gate of Sarawak, someone had already gone to the government office to report the news. At this time, they all arrived, but there was no one at the gate of the yamen and no one came to greet them. It was obvious that the few old men in the provincial government did not take Xue Fenglin, the new leader, seriously.
Shen Xuan knew it well, so he followed behind and walked in quickly, and saw several middle-aged men with big bellies swaggering out from the back of the yamen.
The leader was wearing the sixth-rank official uniform of a state official and looked about the same age as Marquis Xue. The seventh-rank provincial judge, who was slightly lower in rank, was slightly younger, but was also around 38 or 39 years old.
When they saw Xue Fenglin, they pretended to be surprised and greeted him. They looked Xue Fenglin up and down with a smile on their faces and said, "It turns out that you are the new governor, Mr. Xue! Nice to meet you! You have come from the capital and must be exhausted. Please come in quickly!"
Xue Fenglin raised his eyebrows when he heard this, but didn't say much. Instead, he followed them in.
As soon as I arrived at the office, I saw the deck of cards on the table.
Seeing his eyes drifting to the leaf card, Chen Wenxun and Shi Jinrong looked at each other and deliberately changed the subject and said, "Master Xue, you just arrived in Sarawak today. I wonder if you have settled down?"
Xue Fenglin then said, "It has not been settled yet, and I don't know where the palace of the court is arranged?"
Chen Wenxun said quickly, "It's my fault. I forgot to ask someone to take Master Xue over and let you guys settle down and rest."
After saying this, he quickly called a young official over and asked him to take Xue Fenglin to the prefect's residence. Then he said to Xue Fenglin, "Then you, the prefect, should go and settle down first. Once you are settled, it won't be too late to come to the yamen to work! The yamen will be guarded by me and Master Shi."
"That's true." Xue Fenglin nodded and said, "I've been so tired from sitting on the boat these past few days. I feel dizzy and weak, and I'm not feeling well. I'm afraid I'll need to recuperate for more than half a month..."
Shi Jinrong, who was standing by, interrupted and said, "Don't even mention half a month, even three to five months won't be a problem. Sarawak is a remote place, and the people live and work in peace. There is no place for so many things to do in the government office. Don't worry, sir!"
“That’s good.” After hearing this, Xue Fenglin glanced at Shi Jinrong and said nothing more. Instead, he took Shen Xuan away and headed towards the prefect’s house.
After Xue Fenglin left, Shi Jinrong couldn't help but burst into a snicker, and then said to Chen Wenxun beside him: "It's you, Lord Chen, who has insight. I see that the new governor looks very young and has no intention of taking care of things. He is easy to talk to."
“He just saw us playing mahjong but didn’t say anything. He just came to Sarawak and went straight home to recuperate.”
Chen Wenxun was flattered by Shi Jinrong, and stroked his beard, saying very proudly: "It's good to let such a young boy be the governor. Since he doesn't take care of things, the affairs of Sarawak in the future will be in the hands of you and me, and it will be much more convenient for us."
On this side, after the young master brought Shen Xuan and the others to the residence of the former prefect, Xue Fenglin sent the young master away.
The former prefect's house is not far from the government office, next to the busiest street in Sarawak. However, the gate of the house was located in a secluded alley, and not far away across the street were the houses of Zhou Tong and Zhou Pan.
Chen Xuan looked at the residence of the governor of Sarawak. The pair of stone lions at the door looked quite exquisite. The gate was painted red and the lintel was quite imposing. The three big characters "Governor's Mansion" on the plaque were painted in gold and looked brand new.
After pushing open the door and entering the prefect's mansion, Shen Xuan discovered that although the house was not big and only had four entrances, the interior was renovated quite exquisitely, which showed that the former prefect was also a person who knew how to enjoy life.
Xue Fenglin first took Shen Xuan to the main house to settle down, and then asked a few servants to clean up the house. As for the lack of servants and things in the house, he planned to wait until tomorrow to buy some outside.
When Xue Fenglin and Shen Xuan were the only ones left in the room, Shen Xuan asked, "Just now you said in the yamen that you wanted to rest for a few days. Was that intentional?"
Xue Fenglin smiled and said, "We do need to rest for a few days. We have been traveling for half a month. How can we settle down so quickly? Besides, there is no rush to sort out the chaos in Sarawak. I still need to look around more."
"I think the governor and the judge seem to be very happy." Shen Xuan said with some amusement.
"Then let them be happy for a few more days. I'm afraid there won't be many days of happiness in the future." Xue Fenglin curled his lips, his expression slightly colder: "These parasites are used to being sneaky and cunning. It's no wonder that Sarawak is so poor and destitute when they govern it this way."
"They are all local elders and local bosses. I'm afraid they are not so easy to bring down. You have to be careful." Shen Xuan said.
"No matter what, he is just a local official with no one to back him up. Could he be more difficult to deal with than the eldest prince's lineage?" Xue Fenglin said disapprovingly: "Don't worry, I know what I am doing. Sarawak may seem remote, but it is more important than everyone thinks. Otherwise, His Majesty would not have specifically asked me to come here."
When Shen Xuan heard him say this, he knew that he had already made a plan in mind, and he felt much more at ease. Then he nodded and said, "I believe you can bring order to Sarawak."
Xue Fenglin was not modest at this time, but said directly: "Sarabal needs to develop business in the future. I am not as good as you in this regard. I need you to help me more and give me some ideas."
Shen Xuan smiled when he heard this: "Then you have to pay me. My ideas are not for free. They are very expensive."
Xue Fenglin's eyes darkened, he put his arm around Shen Xuan's waist, kissed him on the lips and said, "My people and my wealth are all yours, what else do you want in return? Do you want me to pay you with my body? Or is it not enough that I have loved you enough on the boat these days?"
Chen Xuan didn't expect Xue Fenglin's words to go off topic again. His face flushed and he said hurriedly, "I didn't ask you to pay me with your body. Don't mess with me under the guise of paying me again!"
Xue Fenglin: "I was serving you, how can I say that I was torturing you? I saw that you loved me so much at that time, and begged me to love you well, how come you turned against me in the blink of an eye?"
"Shut up!" Shen Xuan stretched out his hand and pressed Xue Fenglin's lips, wishing he would stop talking. But suddenly, Xue Fenglin picked him up.
Outside the house, Jinzhi and Jingui blushed and wisely closed the door.
The Prince and Shen Ge'er have such a good relationship, they are naturally comforted. But I’m afraid they won’t come out before dinner tonight. Let Wuxin and Wuwang handle the remaining matters in this mansion themselves!
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