With a fortune of one hundred thousand taels, he rode a crane to Yangzhou.
Life is only suitable to end in Yangzhou, and the scenery of Chanzhi Mountain is a good place for a burial.
My old friend bid farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower and went to Yangzhou in the month of March.
Yangzhou has been an important part of China since ancient times.
When Dayu divided the country into nine states, Yangzhou was one of them.
Yangzhou of the Great Qi included Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province and part of Jiangxi Province.
From this geographical location, it can be seen that there must be many rich people in Yangzhou.
The reason why Lu Chen chose to place his command in Yangzhou was that it was an important city in the south with convenient transportation and abundant supplies. Lu Chen's coordination here would be of great help in the fight against the epidemic.
Secondly, there are a lot of rich people here, so it would be convenient to find someone to raise money for donations.
Thirdly, the official system here is well established, and there are some officials who are capable of getting things done.
Fourthly, of course, the material living conditions here are very good, and life here is very comfortable.
The third point here needs to be emphasized. Yangzhou is simply the best place for protective demotion. Over the past few hundred years of the Great Qi Dynasty, many famous officials who left their mark in history were demoted to Yangzhou.
There was even a saying in the Great Qi Dynasty that an official who had not been demoted to Yangzhou was not qualified to be prime minister.
Lu Chen was exhausted from the journey and ignored the gifts from officials along the way.
Now that we have finally arrived in Yangzhou, it is natural to have a grand banquet.
"It's not that I want to be so extravagant, but I represent the face of the court. How can the face of the court not be valuable?"
With the help of his maid Du Juan, Lu Chen explained this to Zi Yan as if it was a matter of course.
Zi Yan nodded politely and said, "The Imperial Preceptor is of noble status. Even if he comes to Yangzhou on a normal day, the officials of Yangzhou should serve him well. Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor now holds an important position. It is only natural that the officials below should come to pay their respects."
"Hahaha, Miss Zi Yan, I really like you more and more. You are so knowledgeable and tactful!" Lu Chen turned around and extended his hand, saying, "Let's go and experience the prosperity and luxury of Yangzhou. I heard that the brothels here have a unique flavor. I just wonder if the girls in Yangzhou will be outdone by you, the most popular courtesan in the capital."
"Master, you're joking. I'm just a young girl, how can I compare to the sisters in Yangzhou? I heard that the sisters in Yangzhou are all proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, especially in rhythm. They are indeed much better than the sisters in the capital."
"Every place has its own characteristics. In my opinion, the lewd music in Yangzhou is indeed more prevalent, but the girls in our capital can accompany men to discuss national affairs. This is a different situation. As the saying goes, 'Merchant women know not the sorrow of losing their country, yet they still sing the song of the back garden across the river.' It's about them."
Zi Yan looked at Lu Chen thoughtfully. The phrase "Merchant women do not know the sorrow of losing their country" seemed to mean that the girls in Yangzhou only knew how to play some decadent music. But if you think about it more deeply, is this because Lu Chen is dissatisfied with the entire official system and wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou?
Soon everyone boarded a pleasure boat, which was as high as a three-story building and was said to be the best in the whole of Yangzhou.
"You see, this is the regional cultural difference caused by the natural environment. In the capital, everyone likes to sit in the stable brothels and drink and listen to music, while in Yangzhou, people are more willing to go boating on the lake."
At the end, Lu Chen added in his heart, I wonder if doing that kind of thing on the houseboat has the same special bonus effect as wearing an attack speed suit?
"Welcome, His Excellency the Imperial Master."
Just when Lu Chen's mind was full of the Japanese plot, a short and fat official walked up to him and bowed.
The person who came was Liao Huasheng, the prefect of Yangzhou. He had been running Yangzhou for five or six years. I heard that his annual evaluation in the Ministry of Personnel was considered above average, but I didn't know why he hadn't been promoted for such a long time.
This time, Lu Chen had to communicate with Liao Huasheng about many of his work in Yangzhou, and Liao Huasheng was personally responsible for most of the arrangements for his reception.
There are many rules to follow in officialdom. Lower-level officials must be cautious when receiving higher-level officials. Any slight mistake will offend people and may affect their careers.
As the imperial teacher, Lu Chen was deeply trusted by the emperor. Even though Liao Huasheng and others were far away in Yangzhou, they were well aware of these matters, so the standards for receiving Lu Chen were very high.
Lu Chen was very satisfied with the Yangzhou officials' behavior at the moment. He nodded and said, "Thank you for waiting here, Lord Liao."
"I dare not, I dare not. Being able to wait for a divine figure like the Immortal Master is a blessing we have cultivated for eight lifetimes."
As soon as Liao Huasheng said this, countless officials behind him immediately echoed him.
Lu Chen chuckled and thought to himself that no wonder everyone likes to climb up the social ladder. It feels so wonderful to be a high-ranking official and be flattered by others.
Lu Chen nodded and said, "My Lords, there's no need to be so polite. I'm here in Yangzhou on business and I'll be relying on you all. Shall we take our seats?"
"Okay, okay, please come this way, Imperial Master. Please take a seat. I have already ordered wine and food, and I have also selected the best girl in Yangzhou to accompany you again."
Lu Chen walked in and glanced at Zi Yan behind him and said, "Of course I like good wine and good food. As for the girl, there's no need. I brought my own."
Liao Huasheng was stunned by what he heard.
This was something he had never seen before. It was the first time he heard of someone bringing his own girls to a brothel or a pleasure boat.
The purpose of coming out to play is to experience something new. What do you mean by bringing a girl here? What are you thinking?
Lu Chen took Zi Yan's hand and said with a smile, "This Miss Zi Yan is the most beautiful woman in the capital. When she heard about the outbreak in the south, she was extremely worried. Not only did she accompany me here personally, she even organized the girls in the capital to donate money and supplies."
"Earlier on the boat, I was sighing: if everyone had such a sincere heart to serve the country, a mere epidemic wouldn't be a big deal. Do you think what I said makes sense? Lord Liao, I see that not all of you here are officials. Who are these non-official yet extravagantly dressed people?"
Lu Chen asked the question seemingly casually, but everyone felt that there was a hint of ulterior motive in his words.
Liao Huasheng hurriedly explained, "Reporting to the Imperial Master, this time, in addition to the officials, there are also some local businessmen. Their favorite thing to do on weekdays is to build bridges and roads. They are all good businessmen!"
Lu Chen had already guessed the identities of these people. He nodded and said with a smile, "Yangzhou merchants are wealthy and like to build bridges and roads. I've heard about this as well. I was originally worried that even with the generous donations from people like Miss Zi Yan, there would still be a huge gap in supplies. Now that I've met you all, I'm relieved!"
Upon hearing this, all the businessmen cursed in their hearts.
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