Chapter 115
The largest city in Jiangnan Road is Jiangming City. There is a small courtyard ten miles north of the city.
"That dog prince's boat is coming soon."
"I really missed a good opportunity. I should have taken action at Baiyu Lake earlier." The young man's face was full of regret. He gritted his teeth and wished that time could go back to half a month ago.
The older man in the lead said, "Don't be impulsive, Lao San, let's take it slow—"
"Uncle Zhong, we have been planning this for ten years. I can't wait any longer. The dog emperor killed my adoptive father's entire family and exterminated all nine generations of his clan. I will always remember this blood feud and dare not forget it. I want his only son to be torn into pieces and left without a burial place." Qiu San said.
Uncle Zhong nodded and said, "Of course, we have been planning for this revenge for ten years. The time has come."
The brother next to him said, "The dog prince's southern tour was originally a good opportunity, but he was too cautious. The dog emperor allocated 5,000 personal soldiers to his son. First, the soldiers were divided into two groups. We followed the official's ship. If it weren't for Lao Liu's cleverness, we would have alerted the enemy long ago."
"Baiyu Lake would have been a good opportunity, but we didn't expect that the dog prince would be so cautious and swaggering all the way. Who knew that he would run away secretly and miss the opportunity." Another person said.
One of them comforted him, "Let's not talk about the past. Let's focus on the present. We haven't been unprepared for the past ten years. At least we know a little bit about the nature of the dog prince during the southern tour."
The dog prince had been in the palace in Shengdu City before, and they couldn't get their hands on him. Even if they had bought some information before, it was just insignificant and trivial news. The prince loved to eat, drink and play, and was a fool-like character. Just a few days after they got the news, the secret line in the palace was cut off.
was cleaned up.
Luckily I didn't spit them out.
Their knowledge of the prince was from seven or eight years ago, and from a few notes, it was revealed that the prince was a fool who only knew how to play and was not interested in women.
Now I know why I shouldn't be interested in women.
"Prince Dog likes men just like his father."
"Zhao Mu, the scholar from Donghaidao before, the boy who fished for clams in Baiyu Lake not long ago, and this dog prince boasted about getting rid of harm for the people during his southern tour. I can't stand it. It's obvious that he is just after women and has bad intentions."
"I said before that we would go to the old place and trick people into going to the Eighteen Waters and do it in the water, but I have a new idea this time."
"Not in the water. The Gou Prince is very good at swimming. He won first place in a water army competition in Shengdu City. Naturally, he is the prince, and everyone else has to flatter him. I've gone off topic. We are familiar with the Eighteen Waters. It used to be our territory, but it's not good now. I can guess what the second brother is thinking. Are you trying to use a honey trap?"
"Right." The second brother clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "This dog prince is fond of men. We can see from Zhao Mu and the pearl collector that this dog prince also likes to save people. Let's devise a plan to make him fall into the trap..."
Qiu San nodded repeatedly, "This plan has two parts. If he falls into the trap and is lured to a remote place, that would be the best. We will tie up the dog prince directly and let the dog emperor write a confession, announcing to the world how he wronged my adoptive father and how he harmed the entire Mu family. If the dog prince doesn't fall into the trap, then we can only fight to the death and kill him directly."
"So I'm going this time." Qiu San's life was saved by his adoptive father, who taught him martial arts and literacy. His adoptive father robbed the rich and helped the poor, and was a chivalrous man. Although he was a pirate's advisor, he did many good things and was a great hero. However, the court falsely accused his adoptive father of being a lackey of the clan.
He knew that the three major clans supplied money to the water stronghold. His adoptive father had said that those clans were so rich that they used money to help people get rid of disasters. As for those merchants who traveled by water, how could they be honest people?
So what if I killed a few people by mistake!
In the water village, my adoptive father saved many helpless orphans. If he didn't rely on both sides, how would he have the money to support the children in the village?
Those merchants and court officials are in cahoots with each other.
The dozen or so people who planned the act in the courtyard, except Uncle Zhong, all changed their surnames to Qiu. According to the numerical order, the people with the previous names had already died, and they lived until now for revenge.
My adoptive father Mu Jiangchou also kept this blood feud in mind.
"We will kill the dog prince after the dog emperor signs a confession of guilt."
"I want to ask Prince Gou if he still remembers Mu Jianchou's name."
"The dog emperor is tyrannical and violent. We are doing this to enforce justice and save the people of the world."
"Yes, that's right."
"The dog emperor had blood on his hands, so his son paid for his father's debt."
Qiu San's eyes were bloodshot, "I want the dog prince to kneel down and die in front of my adoptive father's tomb."
…
The new policy envoy of Jiangnan Province took office very quickly. As soon as Xuanyifu's fleet arrived outside Jiangming City, the new policy envoy arrived. He was an old acquaintance - Pan Zihong.
As soon as Pan Zihong took office, he rode his horse to the outside of the city to greet His Highness.
Xuanyuefu got out of the car and laughed as soon as he saw the person coming. "Why is it you?"
Pan Zihong bowed to His Highness and said with a smile, "Your Highness has dealt with the guilty minister Zhang Si. This position is vacant. Your Majesty asked if anyone in the court was willing to go there. I recommended myself."
"You are ambitious." Xuanyu Fu patted Pan Zihong on the shoulder.
The political envoy is the highest-ranking official in local administration and has real power, but Pan Zihong is a Beijing official, a Hanlin graduate, and the number one scholar in that session, selected by him personally. Over the years, he has served in several powerful government offices in the six ministries, which shows that his father, the emperor, values him very much. Some people in the court speculate that after serving in the six ministries, Pan Zihong will enter the cabinet and take over Yan Ning's position in the future.
After Zhou Quan's father completed the land reform, he retired from the political arena. Now he is somewhat Buddhist, sitting in the title of Prime Minister but actually handing over power to Yan Ning - this is also the emperor's will.
Whether it's Yan Ning or Pan Zihong, they both have some flavor of "princelings". The ministers in the court have been sighing for many years: the emperor is a kind father and really loves the prince without reservation.
The father and son in the royal family, because of power, ended up being neither father nor son. This has happened in history before, but it is rare like today.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness." Pan Zihong smiled and stood up, first inviting Your Highness into the city, and then said, "I just arrived yesterday evening, and the merchants in the city have offered a mansion for Your Highness to stay in, but I haven't seen it yet."
"Then let's go together." Xuanyi Fu had a very good impression of Pan Zihong, not only because Pan Zihong was handsome, but also because he was a man of integrity and had become somewhat smooth after being an official for so many years. Here, smooth was not a derogatory term, but a compliment.
An official who is too straightforward is prone to failure. Zhou Quan was a little too straightforward before, but fortunately his father was the prime minister.
We entered the city first. Jiangming City was extremely large, more prosperous and bustling than the previous cities we had visited. Ordinary people all had silk items on their bodies and heads, showing that they were indeed wealthy.
Arriving at the residence, Xuan Duofu and Pan Zihong had known each other for many years and spoke casually, saying, "Don't go back to the government office. Just wash up in the front yard. I'll talk to you later."
"Yes." Pan Zihong bowed and thanked His Highness for his kindness.
Xuan Fu washed up and changed his clothes first. It was almost noon, so he said, "Let's have lunch together with Pan Zihong."
Yan Huaijin also changed his clothes, nodded, and asked, "They are all officials, is it appropriate for me to go?"
"... Yan Jinjin, don't play green tea with me!" Xuanyifu smiled and raised his hand. Yan Huaijin lowered his head, Xuanyifu pinched Yan Jinjin's bun, and they both laughed.
No more joking and entertaining.
Yan Huaijin said seriously: "I know you admire Lord Pan. He is a good official."
"It's because he's a good official with no one to lean on, that I want to show some concern for him."
Yan Huaijin nodded, "I know."
The two of them really had a tacit understanding. Yan Huaijin actually understood what Xuanyufu was thinking. Xuanyufu also knew that it was just a joke. The two of them adjusted their robes and went out to the main hall.
Pan Zihong was waiting here early. Besides Pan Zihong, there were also Zhou Quan and Xu Muyu.
The case of Jiangnan Dao Zhengshi Zhang was handled too quickly, so the emperor took drastic measures and Zhou Quan Xu Muyu temporarily took over the post of Jiangnan Dao Zhengshi - although he only sat in the position for a few days, he did sort out the government affairs. Now he comes to give Pan Zihong a briefing so that Pan Zihong can take over more easily when he takes office.
The whole meal was spent talking about government affairs.
Xuan Fu was talking while eating. He was more casual and the others were also relaxed, mainly because all the people sitting at the table were "their own people", Zhou Quan was a good classmate, Xu Muchu Donggong had followed the prince for so many years and knew his temperament very well, and Pan Zihong was a "princeling".
Finally, the dinner was over and Zhou Quan and Xu Muyu went down first.
"I used to think that it was difficult to govern a remote area, and the people there were ignorant and local tyrants. Now that I've arrived in Jiangnan, I've gained some new insights. This place is rich, and there are countless people who take risks for huge profits. In poor places, there are armed fights, but here there are literary fights, intrigues and all kinds of traps—" Xuan Fu looked at Pan Zihong, "The most important point is that people's hearts are fickle."
After being in this environment for a long time, alcohol, sex, power and money will slowly corrupt you.
Pan Zihong understood, and immediately stood up, bowing seriously, "Your Highness, every word I have said is in my heart, and I will serve the people of Dasheng as an official."
"You are weak and the relationships here are complicated. You can handle it after you come up. If you encounter any difficulties, if you don't care about the princelings, you can just borrow my reputation first and report it later."
Pan Zihong was moved. His Highness trusted him so much that he immediately bowed to the ground, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I understand."
"Yes." After Xu Duofu finished speaking, he smiled and said, "I'm waiting for the day when you return to Shengdu. You can treat me to a meal."
Pan Zihong will eventually come back one day after serving in the local government - this shows that Pan Zihong is a good official who is not greedy and does not abuse power for personal gain. Only after he has withstood the test can he return to Shengdu and join the cabinet.
"Yes." Pan Zihong took note of all the words and the expectations of His Highness for him.
In the days that followed, Xuan Fu played in Jiangming City, eating and drinking, and did not travel alone under an alias. Although Jiangnan Road was rich, the scenery was almost the same - he had visited the other four prefectures along the way, and in terms of natural environment, he still liked Donghai Road and Qianzhong.
He just ate for a few days in Jiangming City, and heard the storyteller praising him - it was a cause for celebration. I don't know if the storyteller in Jiangming City had been warned in advance or if he really wanted to do so, but he didn't make up rumors and use pornographic waste as a gimmick. Instead, he praised him honestly, saying that he was "down to earth", had fun with the people, was easy-going, was tolerant to the people, and hit corrupt officials hard.
Although there are some discrepancies in the details, it is a positive image.
At least he is not a pervert, otherwise it would be ridiculous!
It's just fun for the big pervert to tease Yan Jinjin's family, but it would be inappropriate if ordinary people viewed him like this.
Yes, yes, yes, that’s right, promote me in a positive way!
Yan Huaijin stepped forward and gave the storyteller a lot of silver. The storyteller was an old man with a white beard, but he spoke with great vigor. He smiled happily and held the money, saying, "I thank this gentleman for his generous reward."
"You're welcome. Everything you say makes sense. Our emperor is a wise ruler who cares for the people, and the queen is ruthless in punishing corrupt officials. The crown prince, who was taught by these two, is naturally a good prince who is upright, kind, and open-minded." Yan Huaijin said.
The storyteller nodded repeatedly, "I think so too."
Yan Huaijin sat back down.
"You must have heard stories about the scholar prodigy and the boy who fished for clams. Your Highness did not prohibit the people from discussing such low-brow stories. This shows that your Highness is kind-hearted and a gentleman who can tolerate others..."
Xuanyu Fu: Well, well, well, you little old man becomes cuter the more I look at you.
Being alone means having a big boat in your stomach.
Unexpectedly, someone slammed the table and said, "You old man, your words are bad."
"Oh? I don't know which sentence I said was wrong." The old storyteller stood up and bowed to ask for advice.
He was a fat, wealthy young master with a drunken look on his face. He laughed and said, "As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. There must be a reason for such a thing to be spread. I'm not saying that our Crown Prince is not a gentleman, but who says that a gentleman can't be lustful? Lust is a man's nature..."
Many blessings: ...
He didn't even want to argue with this young master. He grabbed Yan Jinjin's sleeve, laughed and shook his head, meaning that it was useless.
This drunkard and lecherous young master half praised him for his kindness and love for the people - he also had the brains to not slander him in public, and half said that those "scandals" were normal and insisted on giving him the reputation of being a lecher.
Xuanfu is lustful, but he only likes Yan Huaijin.
Your Highness Duozai: I was wrong.
The drunkard young master looked at him and saw that he was a little suspicious, and fear appeared on his face as he thought of something. He hesitated several times and wanted to ask something. Finally, when he stood up, someone turned around and stared at him. The eyes were extremely sharp, and he looked like an extraordinary person, but he was indeed dressed like ordinary people.
"Haha, I'll just stand there, haha." The drunken young master smiled awkwardly and gestured for everyone to please come in.
After Xuanyufu left, the entire lobby was empty except for two tables of people.
"You think that person just now is——"
"Like, I heard that His Highness is in our city."
The others looked at the drunk young master silently, with a look of "you are finished" on their faces. The drunk young master was frightened and his face turned pale, "I, I didn't say anything, I really didn't slander His Highness, I even praised His Highness..."
The old storyteller was very happy, touching the silver ingot as a gift from a noble person.
That evening, in a small courtyard ten miles north.
Qiu Liu said, "That dog prince stayed at the Yutang Restaurant today. He heard the storyteller praise him and gave him one or two taels of silver."
"How many people did you bring with you?"
Qiu Liu: "It is said that the entire lobby is full of his men, at least thirty of them, and there are also people sitting on the street outside the door. They are probably spies from the East Factory. And the new dog official is also the dog prince's man. The city has been strictly checked recently, and everyone entering and leaving must be checked."
"Then we can only act outside the city."
"The fastest way to get from Jiangming City to Shengdu is by water. They must have taken a carriage to the ferry first, which gives them three days to take action..." Qiu San spread the map on the table and pointed at a place. "The Dog Prince's team has a large number of people and moves slowly. They are very likely to rest in this town."
"I heard that when he was at Baiyu Lake, Prince Gou always camped in the wild and rarely stayed at the inn in town."
"This is when our beauty trick comes in handy."
…
Xuanyunfu was going home. After playing for a whole year, he was eager to go home. Jiang Mingcheng stayed for more than half a month, ate the special dishes, and then announced: "Let's go back!"
The happiest ones were Lin Zheng and Liu Qiang.
Wang Yuansun was fine, but Liu Qianxian was so anxious that he wanted to set off two strings of firecrackers to celebrate. Many blessings: ...
"You are really worried about Lao Wang."
Liu Qiang: "Every time you secretly take people out to play, he can't sleep well - of course, it's not that he's restraining you from playing, but it would be best if we could go back."
"I understand. I will listen to you guys when we get on the boat to Shengdu City this time. I won't go out for a walk, okay?" Xuanyu Fu said. In fact, he was tired of playing, bored, and missed his two fathers.
He can go back and plan his and Yan Jinjin’s wedding!
There is a year between the engagement and the wedding, so it will definitely be in time to make the dress. He also drew up a list of guests, and invited Li Ze to bring his family to Shengdu for the banquet, as well as Li Ze's playboy brothers Pang Pangyu.
Thinking of this, Xuanyu Fu couldn't wait to return.
The ceremonial convoy was packed up and left Jiangming City, heading for the ferry. The carriage had been traveling for more than a day, and in the evening they camped in the wild. This was a habit. The convoy moved slowly and brought everything with it. Even if there were no villages around, there were still grains, vegetables, and dried meat for cooking.
On the second night, when we set up camp and cleaned up the area as usual, someone shouted for help.
Xuanyun Fu didn't hear it, as he was talking to Yan Jinjin. It was Wang Banban who came over and replied, "Your Highness, there was a farmer crying for help. The imperial guards encountered him while on patrol and saved him. He wanted to thank Your Highness."
"?" Manyu Fu: "What's going on?"
Wang Yuanyuan said this.
Summary: A pair of farmer brothers went to the town to buy groceries and accidentally ran into a dandy young master. The dandy young master flirted with the young man because he was so handsome and wanted to do something...
"?! No, this is still under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Dao. You dare to molest a man and force yourself on him?" Xuan Fu was shocked. "Is there any justice or law?"
Ever since the incident in Baihu Town, Wang Yuanyuan has been particularly keen on helping the common people and she nodded repeatedly, "That's right, it's really audacious and unreasonable. I'm wearing your royal attire today..."
There is no need to wear auspicious clothes at this time, because His Highness's motorcade is so bright here. Wang Yuanyuan stopped talking, with a little regret on her face.
The meal is not ready yet, and we are setting up camp now.
Xuanyu Fu wanted to intervene, "Let me see who is so brave."
The personal guards came over with their men, a pair of farmer brothers dressed in plain and patched clothes. The eldest brother was carrying a backpack, and the younger brother was thin and thin in thin clothes. Next to them was a fat and big-eared young man who knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying that he was wrong.
When Xuanyun Fu saw this, he fell silent.
"Is he the one I met in the restaurant last time?" Every man is lustful and doesn't like that lecherous young master.
Yan Huaijin nodded, "That's right." He remembered the appearance.
This drunken and lecherous young master was in the wrong for kowtowing all the time. His rude words had offended the suspected Crown Prince. He was scared when he returned home, so he found an excuse to leave the city and hide on a farm for a few days.
"…Your Highness, I was wrong, but it was really this little slut who seduced me. He pulled my hand into his crotch and rubbed me with his hands. I was really wronged."
The farmer boy was not very old, about fifteen or sixteen, with a very thin body, almond-shaped eyes and not very white skin, but he had a handsome face. At this time, he was so scared that he kept crying and saying no, no, it was unfair.
It is clear who is right and who is wrong.
"You are so bold that you even robbed a man. They are two brothers from a farming family and are honest people. You harassed them and now you still don't repent. Your words are dirty." Xuan Fu scolded them, asked who the man was from, and then ordered his personal soldiers to beat him with ten boards.
"Check if he has a criminal record. If he does, send him to the authorities for investigation."
If he has no criminal record, just beat him up and make him pay compensation to teach him a lesson.
Manyu Fu: "Do you admit it?"
"I am really innocent - I admit it, I admit it." He was afraid that if he didn't admit it, the ten strokes of the cane would turn into a hundred strokes.
The drunken and lecherous young master was dragged away.
Xuanyifu looked at the farmer brothers, and they knelt down and kowtowed to him to thank him.
"Get up, go home quickly before it gets dark." Xuan Fu also said to the little brother: "Don't cry, stay healthy in the future, if you want to take care of that gangster, run away first. Don't take what he said to heart, you are right."
The younger brother knelt down and kowtowed, feeling very moved. His elder brother next to him looked very honest and was very reserved and afraid.
"You take his compensation."
"I don't want to take it. I think the money is dirty." The younger brother said stubbornly, "Although my family is poor, I am an honest man. I don't want to accept money from such a person."
Many blessings: Don’t miss it.
But this pair of brothers were very stubborn. After Fu tried to persuade them, the other party refused to accept his advice and they had to give up.
"Okay, if you don't want it then don't have it. Where is your home?"
"Our home is far away and we have a paralyzed old mother at home. I bought the herbs and have to rush back to make medicine for my mother," said the eldest brother.
The younger brother was also upset, "It's all my brother's fault. He delayed Mom's treatment..."
"So far? Don't worry, you two. I will ask someone to take you there and bring the imperial physician to see your mother." Xuanyu Fu comforted them.
The two men were moved to tears and knelt down to kowtow.
"Your Highness has been so kind and generous that I don't know how to repay you."
"My mother would be very happy if she knew that it was Your Highness who saved us."
Xuanyu Fu waved his hands and said, "No need to kneel, get up quickly. Liu Qiang, ask someone to send them away."
The two looked at each other, and after getting up, the younger brother was hesitant to speak with tears in his eyes, as if he had something to hide. He wiped his tears and looked back at His Highness every few steps. Xuanyunfu's scalp was a little numb. What happened?
"Do you have anything to say?" Xuanyunfu asked his younger brother.
The younger brother ran back and knelt down at the feet of His Highness. The guards around him were about to capture him, but when they saw him kneeling down, he kept his hand on the knife at his waist and did not move, with a look of alertness on his face.
"Your Highness, help me. I, I dare not say anything, but my family is very poor. My mother's leg was broken by a village bully..."
Xuanyu Fu frowned, his expression serious: "Tell me slowly and tell me everything. I will make the decision for you. What's going on?"
I grabbed a corner of His Highness's robe and knelt at His Highness's feet. I cried so hard when I talked about my family matters that I felt sorry for him.
Xuanyun Fu frowned as he listened, and became confused again. He wondered if it was his illusion. Why did you keep touching his feet and ankles when you should just talk to him nicely?
He stepped back a foot.
"Yan Jinjin..."
Yan Huaijin had already stood in front of Manyu and squatted down. He appeared gentle but actually helped the man up forcefully. There was no smile in his eyes. He said gently, "You said that the roof of your house was ripped off by bullies, and your mother went to stop them. Then what?"
Lin Zheng and Wang Yuansun searched the terrain separately and found a group of suspicious farmers a few miles away. They had knives on their waists and some carried bows and arrows.
"Not good, Your Highness—"
The author has something to say:
Your Highness Duozi: I was wrong.
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